Assessment of Organ Donation Knowledge and Attitudes Among Patients Visiting the Nephrology Outpatient Clinic at a Tertiary Healthcare Facility.

This study aims to assess the knowledge levels, attitudes, and influencing factors related to organ donation among patients who visited the Nephrology outpatient clinic. This descriptive and cross-sectional research had 269 participants. Research data were collected utilizing a three-part questionnaire.

Prophylactic Use of Cardiac Medications and Survival in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Introduction/aims: Prophylactic treatment of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) delays onset of LVD, but there is limited data showing impact on survival. Our aim was to describe survival among treated and untreated individuals with DMD.

Methods: Retrospective, population-based surveillance data from the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet) were used.

Farm Progress Show Attendees' Use, Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Off-Road Vehicles on Public Roads.

Most deaths due to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility task vehicles (UTVs) occur on public roads, despite manufacturers' warnings that they are not designed for roadway use. Our study objective was to determine rural residents' use, knowledge, and attitudes regarding ATVs/UTVs on public roads. A convenience sample of 2022 Farm Progress Show attendees were surveyed ( = 361).

Bayesian modeling framework for optimizing pre-hospital stroke triage decisions.

Ischemic stroke is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide. Stroke treatment optimization requires emergency medical personnel to make rapid triage decisions concerning destination hospitals that may differ in their ability to provide highly time-sensitive pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. These decisions are particularly crucial in rural areas, where transport decisions can have a large impact on treatment times - often involving a trade-off between delay in pharmaceutical therapy or a delay in endovascular thrombectomy.

Predicting admission for fall-related injuries in older adults using artificial intelligence: A proof-of-concept study.

Aim: Pre-injury frailty has been investigated as a tool to predict outcomes of older trauma patients. Using artificial intelligence principles of machine learning, we aimed to identify a "signature" (combination of clinical variables) that could predict which older adults are at risk of fall-related hospital admission. We hypothesized that frailty, measured using the 5-item modified Frailty Index, could be utilized in combination with other factors as a predictor of admission for fall-related injuries.

Sarcolemma resilience and skeletal muscle health require O-mannosylation of dystroglycan.

Background: Maintaining the connection between skeletal muscle fibers and the surrounding basement membrane is essential for muscle function. Dystroglycan (DG) serves as a basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor in many cells, and is also expressed in the outward-facing membrane, or sarcolemma, of skeletal muscle fibers. DG is a transmembrane protein comprised of two subunits: alpha-DG (α-DG), which resides in the peripheral membrane, and beta-DG (β-DG), which spans the membrane to intracellular regions.

Alcohol Use Disorder Polygenic Score Compared With Family History and ADH1B.

Importance: Identification of individuals at high risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and subsequent application of prevention and intervention programs has been reported to decrease the incidence of AUD. The polygenic score (PGS), which measures an individual's genetic liability to a disease, can potentially be used to evaluate AUD risk.

Objective: To assess the estimability and generalizability of the PGS, compared with family history and ADH1B, in evaluating the risk of AUD among populations of European ancestry.

Growing problem: frailty in midlife adult trauma patients in the USA.

Background: Unintentional falls are the greatest cause of injury-related hospitalisation in adult patients. Frailty is an important contributor to fall risk and poor outcomes in both midlife and older adult trauma patients. Despite this, the incidence of frailty remains understudied among midlife adults, and the CDC fall screening guidelines are limited to older adults.

A clinical challenge: delayed diagnosis of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II in a patient with thyroid eye disease.

A 35-year-old woman with thyroid eye disease (TED) was found to have autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type II (APS-II) 1 year after developing symptoms of this rare syndrome, during which she underwent 8 emergency department visits before receiving a targeted endocrinology workup. Thyroid disease is the second most common autoimmune syndrome associated with APS-II after primary adrenal insufficiency. Identification of this syndrome is critical as it can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Do pulmonary ionocytes absorb chloride or secrete chloride?

Pulmonary ionocytes express high levels of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channels. When studied using the short-circuit current technique, ionocytes produce CFTR-dependent short-circuit currents consistent with Cl secretion. However, when studied without a voltage clamp, data indicate that ionocytes absorb Cl.

Initiation of home noninvasive ventilation in hypercapnic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: when, where, and how?

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to highlight the importance of timely initiation of home noninvasive ventilation (homeNIV) for patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure (CHRF) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As emerging evidence continues to show substantial benefits in reducing mortality and hospitalizations, it's crucial to identify which patients will benefit most and to provide clear guidance on implementing homeNIV effectively.

Recent Findings: Recent research supports the use of high intensity homeNIV for CHRF secondary to COPD, showing marked reductions in hospitalizations and mortality.

Risk Factors for Pediatric Bystander-Related Riding Lawnmower Injuries: A Qualitative Study.

Riding lawnmowers are the most frequent cause of major limb amputation in children in the United States. Our study objective was to investigate the circumstances of child bystander-related riding lawnmower injuries and identify behaviors leading to these events. Followers/members of lawnmower injury-related Facebook pages, who were aware of children that had suffered a lawnmower injury, were invited to complete a survey.

Impact of high spinal anesthesia in pediatric congenital heart surgery on postoperative recovery: a retrospective propensity score-matched study.

Background: High spinal anesthesia (HSA) has been utilized in cardiac surgery; however, there is limited evidence on its impact on facilitating postoperative recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of HSA in pediatric congenital heart surgery on postoperative recovery.

Methods: A single center, propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study was designed using data from pediatric patients under 18 years old, who underwent congenital heart surgeries classified as Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 (RACHS-1) score 3 or less.

Structure and assembly of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex.

The dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) has a crucial role in maintaining cell membrane stability and integrity by connecting the intracellular cytoskeleton with the surrounding extracellular matrix. Dysfunction of dystrophin and its associated proteins results in muscular dystrophy, a disorder characterized by progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Despite the important roles of the DGC in physiology and pathology, its structural details remain largely unknown, hindering a comprehensive understanding of its assembly and function.

Supplementary oxygen efficacy for chronic pulmonary disorders and exertion desaturation.

Introduction: Exertion-induced desaturation (EID) is a common complication of numerous pulmonary disorders and often treated with supplementary oxygen during exertion. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy of supplementary oxygen for EID in pulmonary disorders.

Material And Methods: Medline and Embase were systematically searched from July 2022 to June 2023 following PRISMA guidelines.

Comparison of outcomes by race among a population-based matched sample of multiple myeloma patients.

Purpose: It is important to understand racial inequities in multiple myeloma treatment and survival, particularly in the Midwest where clear differences exist in cancer incidence and mortality. Since age and geographic location can greatly impact treatment and prognosis, matching patients on these characteristics can help identify reasons for outcome differences.

Methods: Retrospective data from the Iowa Cancer Registry's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were analyzed for adult patients diagnosed with first primary MM between 1/1/2010-12/31/2019.

Spinal afferent neurons: emerging regulators of energy balance and metabolism.

Recent advancements in neurophysiology have challenged the long-held paradigm that vagal afferents serve as the primary conduits for physiological signals governing food intake and energy expenditure. An expanding body of evidence now illuminates the critical role of spinal afferent neurons in these processes, necessitating a reevaluation of our understanding of energy homeostasis regulation. This comprehensive review synthesizes cutting-edge research elucidating the multifaceted functions of spinal afferent neurons in maintaining metabolic equilibrium.

Shear stress-stimulated AMPK couples endothelial cell mechanics, metabolism and vasodilation.

Endothelial cells respond to mechanical force by stimulating cellular signaling, but how these pathways are linked to elevations in cell metabolism and whether metabolism supports the mechanical response remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the application of force to endothelial cells stimulates VE-cadherin to activate liver kinase B1 (LKB1; also known as STK11) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master regulator of energy homeostasis. VE-cadherin-stimulated AMPK increases eNOS (also known as NOS3) activity and localization to the plasma membrane, reinforcement of the actin cytoskeleton and cadherin adhesion complex, and glucose uptake.

Widespread pain phenotypes impact treatment efficacy results in randomized clinical trials for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain network study.

Pain clinical trials are notoriously complex and often inefficient in demonstrating efficacy, even for known efficacious treatments. A major issue is the difficulty in the a priori identification of specific phenotypes to include in the study population. Recent work has identified the extent of widespread pain as an important determinant of the likelihood of response to therapy, but it has not been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).

Patient, facility, and environmental factors associated with obesity treatment in US Veterans.

Background: Identifying patient-, facility-, and environment-level factors that influence the initiation and retention of comprehensive lifestyle management interventions (CLMI) for urban and rural Veterans could improve obesity treatment and reach at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.

Aims: This study identified factors at these various levels that predicted treatment engagement, retention, and weight management among urban and rural Veterans.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 631,325 Veterans was designed using VA databases to identify Veterans with class II and III obesity during 2015-2017.

Immediate change following valve deployment in left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an effective treatment for aortic valve disorder. Several studies have reported improvements in systolic and diastolic function following TAVR. However, few studies have addressed immediate post-deployment changes.