Improved outcomes following gastrointestinal surgery among people living with HIV in the HAART-era: A scoping review.

Background: This study aimed to review the varied gastrointestinal (GI) system surgical outcomes among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLWH) in the HAART-era.

Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for primary publications on GI surgery outcomes exclusively in HAART-treated HIV patients. NSQIP-reported complications (NRCs), all-cause complications (ACC) and HIV disease parameters were extracted.

IMplementing Predictive Analytics towards efficient COPD Treatments (IMPACT): protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized impact study.

Introduction: Personalized disease management informed by quantitative risk prediction has the potential to improve patient care and outcomes. The integration of risk prediction into clinical workflow should be informed by the experiences and preferences of stakeholders, and the impact of such integration should be evaluated in prospective comparative studies. The objectives of the IMplementing Predictive Analytics towards efficient chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatments (IMPACT) study are to integrate an exacerbation risk prediction tool into routine care and to determine its impact on prescription appropriateness (primary outcome), medication adherence, quality of life, exacerbation rates, and sex and gender disparities in COPD care (secondary outcomes).

Neurophysiological mechanisms of exertional dyspnea in post-pulmonary embolism syndrome.

Following pulmonary embolism (PE), a third of patients develop persistent dyspnea, which is commonly termed the post-PE syndrome. The neurophysiological underpinnings of exertional dyspnea in patients with post-PE syndrome without pulmonary hypertension (PH) are unclear. Thus, the current study determined if abnormally high inspiratory neural drive (IND) due, in part, to residual pulmonary gas-exchange abnormalities, was linked to heightened exertional dyspnea and exercise limitation, in such patients.

TAVI in 2022: Remaining issues and future direction.

Since the first-in-human procedure in 2002, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become a well-established therapeutic option for severe aortic stenosis, and is offered increasingly to patients at lower surgical risk, who are typically younger. Increasing lifespan carries concerns that "minor" complications that may have little impact in elderly patients could have a greater long-term impact in younger patients. Issues such as mild paravalvular regurgitation, hypoattenuated leaflet thickening, atrioventricular block with need for permanent pacemaker implantation or future coronary access may have a substantial cumulative undesirable impact.

Native Aortic Valve Disease Progression and Bioprosthetic Valve Degeneration in Patients With Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Background: Major uncertainties remain regarding disease activity within the retained native aortic valve, and regarding bioprosthetic valve durability, after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We aimed to assess native aortic valve disease activity and bioprosthetic valve durability in patients with TAVI in comparison with subjects with bioprosthetic surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

Methods: In a multicenter cross-sectional observational cohort study, patients with TAVI or bioprosthetic SAVR underwent baseline echocardiography, computed tomography angiography, and F-sodium fluoride (F-NaF) positron emission tomography.

Impact of Cardiovascular Care of COVID-19: Lessons Learned, Current Challenges, and Future Opportunities.

COVID-19 has disrupted traditional cardiovascular care pathways leading to significant challenges; with these challenges have also come opportunities to iterate our testing strategies to ensure they are patient centered and also that they are most appropriate and best align with infection protection protocols. © RSNA, 2020.

Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis and degeneration following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Bioprosthetic valve thrombosis (BPVT) is a recognised complication of prosthetic aortic valves and can be found in up to 13% of patients after transcatheter implantation. The mechanism of BPVT is not well known, abnormal flow conditions in the new and native sinuses and lack of functional endothelialisation are suspected causes. BPVT may result in valve dysfunction, possibly related to degeneration, and recurrence of patient symptoms, or remain subclinical.

Colorectal sessile serrated lesion with large size or synchronous neoplasm: a prospective study.

Background: Colorectal sessile serrated lesion (SSL) with synchronous neoplasm or large size are linked to higher risk of cancer, but their characteristics are unclear.

Methods: We prospectively included consecutive colorectal hyperplasic polyp and SSL collected at our institution from August 2011 to August 2012. The following data were collected and analyzed: age, gender, polyp site, aggregated polyp size, history of polyp, and synchronous neoplasm.

Pathologic separation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis from fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Accurate separation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis from fibrotic (chronic) hypersensitivity pneumonitis is crucial to patient management, but is frequently a difficult problem. Our objective was to identify pathologic variables that help make this separation. Clinical, radiological, and pathologic data were re-reviewed for 23 patients with a fibrotic interstitial lung disease and biopsy suggesting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Limited clinical utility of intraoperative frozen section during parathyroidectomy for treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background: This study's objective was to evaluate the utility of intraoperative frozen section (IFS) performed during parathyroidectomy for treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP), and to identify patients for whom it is most helpful.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was carried out for all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for treatment of PHP between January 2013 and June 2018.

Results: 262 patients made up the final study population.

Supercharge End-to-Side Anterior Interosseous Nerve to Ulnar Motor Nerve Transfer for Severe Ulnar Neuropathy: Two Cases Suggesting Recovery Secondary to Nerve Transfer.

Introduction: The supercharged end-to-side (SETS) anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) to ulnar nerve transfer has been recently described for severe cubital tunnel syndrome. Previous studies have suggested that this technique augments or "babysits" the motor end plates until reinnervation occurs; however, it has more recently been suggested that reinnervation occurs by the donor nerve as evidenced in animal research.

Case Report: We present two cases of rapidly progressive ulnar neuropathy who underwent a SETS AIN to ulnar nerve transfer who demonstrated improvement in their electrodiagnostic studies in addition to improvement in their clinical and patient-reported outcome's scores postoperatively.

Clinical and functional characteristics of young adults living in single room occupancy housing: preliminary findings from a 10-year longitudinal study.

Objective: Young adults living in single room occupancy (SRO) hotels, a form of low-income housing, are known to have complex health and substance problems compared to their peers in the general population. The objective of this study is to comprehensively describe the mental, physical, and social health profile of young adults living in SROs.

Methods: This study reports baseline data from young adults aged 18-29 years, as part of a prospective cohort study of adults living in SROs in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm neck remodeling after Anaconda stent graft implantation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to define how the proximal landing zone changes geometrically after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) with the Anaconda (Vascutek, Inchinnan, United Kingdom) stent graft.

Methods: Among 230 patients who underwent Anaconda stent graft implantation between 2005 and 2014, we included 126 with adequate computed tomography (CT) image quality and follow-up. CT analysis entailed the geometric changes in the main body, proximal rings, and proximal landing zone.

Impact of Non-obstructive left main disease on the progression of coronary artery disease: A PARADIGM substudy.

Background: The aim of the study is examine the impact of non-obstructive (<50%stenosis) left main (LM) disease on the natural history of coronary artery disease using serial coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Methods: CTAs from the PARADIGM (Progression of atherosclerotic plaque determined by computed tomographic angiography imaging) study, a prospective multinational registry of patients who underwent serial CTA at a ≥2 year interval were analyzed. Those without evidence of CAD on their baseline scan were excluded, as were those with obstructive left main disease.

Recombinant Decorin Fusion Protein Attenuates Murine Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation and Rupture.

Decorin (DCN) is a small-leucine rich proteoglycan that mediates collagen fibrillogenesis, organization, and tensile strength. Adventitial DCN is reduced in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) resulting in vessel wall instability thereby predisposing the vessel to rupture. Recombinant DCN fusion protein CAR-DCN was engineered with an extended C-terminus comprised of CAR homing peptide that recognizes inflamed blood vessels and penetrates deep into the vessel wall.

Staging classification of aortic stenosis based on the extent of cardiac damage.

Aims: In patients with aortic stenosis (AS), risk stratification for aortic valve replacement (AVR) relies mainly on valve-related factors, symptoms and co-morbidities. We sought to evaluate the prognostic impact of a newly-defined staging classification characterizing the extent of extravalvular (extra-aortic valve) cardiac damage among patients with severe AS undergoing AVR.

Methods And Results: Patients with severe AS from the PARTNER 2 trials were pooled and classified according to the presence or absence of cardiac damage as detected by echocardiography prior to AVR: no extravalvular cardiac damage (Stage 0), left ventricular damage (Stage 1), left atrial or mitral valve damage (Stage 2), pulmonary vasculature or tricuspid valve damage (Stage 3), or right ventricular damage (Stage 4).

Fate of the dissected aortic arch after ascending replacement in type A aortic dissection†.

Objectives: To evaluate the fate of a dissected aortic arch after limited surgical repair of type A aortic dissection.

Methods: Of the 271 patients operated for acute type A dissection between 2001 and 2015, 86 (age 57 ± 13 years, 74% men) with predischarge computed tomographic (CT) scans had a residual dissection in the arch. Aortic diameters, lengths, ellipticity and communications between lumina were assessed using predischarge and follow-up CT scans.

Role of BAFF in pulmonary autoantibody responses induced by chronic cigarette smoke exposure in mice.

Emerging evidence suggests that autoimmune processes are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, we assessed the expression of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) in smokers, and investigated the functional importance of BAFF in the induction and maintenance of cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs) using a preclinical mouse model. We observed that BAFF levels were elevated in smokers and mice exposed to cigarette smoke.

PKA turnover by the REGγ-proteasome modulates FoxO1 cellular activity and VEGF-induced angiogenesis.

The REGγ-proteasome serves as a short-cut for the destruction of certain intact mammalian proteins in the absence of ubiquitin- and ATP. The biological roles of the proteasome activator REGγ are not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that REGγ controls degradation of protein kinase A catalytic subunit-α (PKAca) both in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs).

Pathology of transcatheter valve therapy.

Objectives: This study sought to report on the pathology of transcatheter aortic valves explanted at early and late time points after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Information on pathological findings following transcatheter aortic valve implantation is scarce, particularly late after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Methods: This study included 20 patients (13 men, median age 80 years [interquartile range: 72 to 84] years) with previous transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a valve explanted at autopsy (n = 17) or surgery (n = 3) up to 30 months after implantation (10 transapical and 10 transfemoral procedures).

Myeloperoxidase and C-reactive protein have combined utility for long-term prediction of cardiovascular mortality after coronary angiography.

Objectives: We evaluated the relative and combined value of oxidative stress biomarkers for predicting cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing selective coronary angiography.

Background: Oxidative stress participates in all stages of cardiovascular disease, from lipoprotein modification to plaque rupture, and biomarkers of oxidative stress predict development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Oxidative stress biomarkers merit investigation for the value they may offer for long-term cardiovascular risk prediction.