Service capacity and disability resource integration: A strategic survey of immigrant and refugee-serving agencies in Illinois.

Immigrants and refugees in the United States often face significant barriers in accessing social services, including mental health support, legal assistance, ESL or related education, housing, vocational training, workforce resources, transportation, and citizenship support. This article explores the strengths and challenges of community-based organizations welcoming centers (CBO WC) in Illinois that serve these populations, including people with disabilities, in culturally appropriate and inclusive ways. The Immigrant and Refugee-Led Capacity Development Network of Illinois, based at the University of Illinois Chicago, collaborated with the state's Office of Welcoming Centers to explore the service capacities of 17 CBO grantees.

Inpatient Audiograms: A Mixed Methods Study Examining Clinical Decision Making, Financial Analyses, and Audiologist Perspectives.

Objective: Evaluate inpatient audiometry on clinical decision-making. Assess stakeholder perspectives on the practice of inpatient audiometry and financial impact.

Study Design: This is a mixed methods study utilizing retrospective chart review, a focus group, and financial analyses.

Ultrasound-Based Local Lung Motion Assessment Using Synthetic Lateral Phase.

Background: Ultrasound lung surface motion measurement is valuable for the evaluation of a variety of diseases. Speckle tracking or Doppler-based techniques are limited by the loss of visualization as a tracked point moves under ribs or is dependent.

Methods: We developed a synthetic lateral phase-based algorithm for tracking lung motion to overcome these limitations.

Extremely early initiation of vasopressors might not decrease short-term mortality for adults with septic shock: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal timing for initiating vasopressor therapy in patients with septic shock remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of early versus late vasopressor initiation on clinical outcomes.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases.

A Novel Valveless Pulsatile Flow Pump for Extracorporeal Blood Circulation.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a modality of extracorporeal life support which allows temporary support in cases of cardiopulmonary failure and cardiogenic shock. This study presents a valveless pump that works by the Liebau effect as a possible pumping system in ECMO circuits, replacing the current roller and centrifugal pumps. For this purpose, a mock circulatory loop emulating the haemodynamic of the right part of the heart has been constructed.

Statistical identification of cell type-specific spatially variable genes in spatial transcriptomics.

An essential task in spatial transcriptomics is identifying spatially variable genes (SVGs). Here, we present Celina, a statistical method for systematically detecting cell type-specific SVGs (ct-SVGs)-a subset of SVGs exhibiting distinct spatial expression patterns within specific cell types. Celina utilizes a spatially varying coefficient model to accurately capture each gene's spatial expression pattern in relation to the distribution of cell types across tissue locations, ensuring effective type I error control and high power.

Symptomatic Cervical Carotid Artery Stenosis: Evolving Paradigms in Risk Stratification and Intervention.

Symptomatic carotid disease, characterized by atherosclerotic or non-atherosclerotic internal carotid artery disease with ipsilateral stroke symptoms, represents a critical condition in stroke neurology. This "hot carotid" state carries a high risk of stroke recurrence, with almost one-fourth of the patients experiencing recurrent ischemic events within 2 weeks of initial presentation. The global prevalence of significant carotid stenosis (conventionally defined as ≥50% narrowing) is estimated at around 1.

Challenges in the Diagnosis and Management of Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease (MOGAD).

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease has been recently identified to be a distinct autoimmune central nervous system disorder. There is significant clinical and radiological overlap with multiple sclerosis and aquaporin-4-IgG-associated neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. Clinical course is variable in that patients may have a monophasic or relapsing course, disease severity is unpredictable, and unlike other idiopathic autoimmune inflammatory disorders, there is no gender predilection and it is more likely to affect pediatric population.

Outcome Predictors of Generalized Myasthenia Gravis: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background And Objectives: There is paucity of studies on long-term remission of autoimmune generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) from Southeast Asia. We report the outcome predictors of generalized MG and also evaluate the influence of high- versus low-dose prednisolone and prednisolone with or without azathioprine (AZA).

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with generalized MG were included, who completed 2 years of follow-up.

Performance of an Electronic Health Record-Based Automated Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index Score Calculator: Cohort Study in the Emergency Department.

Background: Studies suggest that less than 4% of patients with pulmonary embolisms (PEs) are managed in the outpatient setting. Strong evidence and multiple guidelines support the use of the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) for the identification of acute PE patients appropriate for outpatient management. However, calculating the PESI score can be inconvenient in a busy emergency department (ED).

Optimizing autonomous artificial intelligence diagnostics for neuro-ocular health in space missions.

Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS) presents a critical risk in long-duration missions, with microgravity-induced changes that threaten astronaut vision and mission outcomes. Current SANS monitoring, limited to pre- and post-flight exams, lacks in-flight diagnostics, highlighting an urgent need for autonomous tools capable of real-time assessment. Grok, an AI platform by xAI, offers promising potential as an advanced diagnostic tool for space-based health monitoring.

The hypercapnic environment on the International Space Station (ISS): A potential contributing factor to ocular surface symptoms in astronauts.

With increasing advancements and efforts towards space exploration, there is a pressing need to understand the impacts of spaceflight on astronauts' health. Astronauts have reported signs and symptoms of dry eye disease upon traveling to the International Space Station (ISS), thus necessitating an evaluation of the factors that contribute to the onset of spaceflight associated dry eye disease. Prior literature describes the hypercapnic environment of the ISS; however, the link between the high CO levels and astronauts' symptoms of dry eye disease remains unexplored.

Adaptive Intervention for School-Age, Minimally Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Community: Primary Aim Results.

Objective: The goal of this study is to construct a 16-week, two-stage, adaptive intervention consisting of DTT ([discrete trials training], largely considered usual care for children with autism), JASP-EMT (a blended, naturalistic, developmental behavioral intervention involving JASPER [joint attention, symbolic play, engagement and regulation] and EMT [enhanced milieu teaching]), and parent training (P) for improving spontaneous, communicative utterances in school-aged, minimally verbal autistic children. Intervention was delivered both at school (DTT, JASP-EMT) and home (P). This manuscript reports results for the study's primary aim and a closely related secondary aim.

Assessing Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility of Lung Cancer Patients in the Boston Lung Cancer Study: An Analysis of 7,186 Lung Cancer Cases.

Background: To evaluate the proportion of lung cancer patients who would have qualified for lung cancer screening under different eligibility criteria in the Boston Lung Cancer Study (BLCS).

Methods: BLCS participants diagnosed with lung cancer from 1992-2024 were identified for analysis. The proportion of patients who would have qualified for screening under the 2021 U.

Volume-Outcome Relationship of Norwood Procedures: Insights from the National Pediatric Cardiology - Quality Improvement Collaborative Database.

Background: Prior investigations of the center-specific case volume on outcomes in hypoplastic left heart syndrome have conflicting results. This study utilized the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPC-QIC) registry to investigate the center volume-outcome relationship in patients following the Norwood procedure with consideration of pre-operative high-risk features.

Methods: Between 2016 and 2023, centers were categorized by Norwood procedure volume into low (≤ 5 cases/year), medium (6 to 10 cases/year), and high-volume centers (> 10 cases/year).

Redo Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement versus Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Degenerated Bioprosthetic Valves.

Background: Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement (ViV-TAVR) is associated with improved perioperative safety compared to redo surgical aortic valve replacement (redo-SAVR), but long-term outcomes remain uncertain. We therefore compare long-term outcomes of ViV-TAVR and redo-SAVR.

Methods: The study included 1:1 propensity-matched Medicare beneficiaries with degenerated bioprosthetic valves admitted between 09/29/2011 and 12/30/2020 undergoing either redo-SAVR or ViV-TAVR.

Increased Risk of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement After Prior Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement with Concomitant Valve Disease.

Background: The etiology of increased risk for reoperation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) versus prior surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is poorly understood. This study evaluated the impact of concomitant mitral and tricuspid valve disease on associated risk of TAVR explant.

Methods: Patients undergoing aortic valve replacement after prior SAVR or TAVR were extracted from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (2011-2021).

Insurance-Based Disparities in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Following Heart Transplantation Are Mediated by Care at High Volume Centers.

Background: Socioeconomic disadvantage and Medicaid insurance have been linked with inferior survival following heart transplantation, yet the contributing mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We evaluated the association of Medicaid with the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy(CAV).

Methods: We considered heart transplant recipients ≥18years within the 2004-2022 Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Lobectomy verses Sublobar Resection in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Database: Importance of Patient Factors and Lymph Node Evaluation.

Background: Prospective randomized trials have demonstrated noninferior survival between sublobar resection and lobectomy in healthy non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with tumors ≤2cm. However, some patient attributes are not well represented in randomized trials and uncertainty remains in the widespread applicability of randomized trial nodal dissection protocols.

Methods: Patients with ≤2cm, node-negative NSCLC (cT1N0) in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons prospective database were linked to Medicare survival data using a probabilistic matching algorithm.

Anastomotic Leak after Esophagectomy - Analysis of the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database.

Background: Anastomotic leak after esophagectomy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We sought to identify the prevalence of anastomotic leak, stratified by operative approach and disease etiology, as well as risk factors for leak.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis using the STS General Thoracic Surgery Database was conducted on patients who underwent esophagectomy with gastric reconstruction between 2009-2021.