Pregnancy-Related Aortic Dissection-A Rare Complication of Pregnancy.

Patients with pregnancy-related aortic dissections should be transferred to high-volume aortic centers for management. Malperfusion syndromes from acute type A aortic dissections appear to have better outcomes with thoracic endovascular repair before definitive surgical repair.

Understanding recent advances in non-amyloid/non-tau (NANT) biomarkers and therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: The Alzheimer's disease (AD) research community continues to make great strides in expanding approaches for early detection and treatment of the disease, including recent advances in our understanding of fundamental AD pathophysiology beyond the classical targets: beta-amyloid and tau. Recent clinical trial readouts implicate a variety of non-amyloid/non-tau (NANT) approaches that show promise in slowing cognitive decline for people with AD. The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable (AARR) meeting held on December 13-14, 2022, reviewed the current state of NANT targets on underlying AD pathophysiology and their contribution to cognitive decline, the current data on a diverse range of NANT biomarkers and therapeutic targets, and the integration of NANT concepts in clinical trial designs.

State and territory immunization program activities and their association with human papillomavirus vaccine initiation in the United States of America: A multilevel approach.

This study evaluates the association between immunization program (IP) activities aimed at increasing HPV vaccination among adolescents and their impact on initiation rates. Our data sources are: (i) 2016 AIM Annual Survey and (ii) 2019 National Immunization Survey-Teen. We estimated the prevalence of HPV vaccine initiation using a multilevel Poisson model, combining state-level IP data and individual characteristics of adolescents.

Association of plasma neurofilament light chain with microstructural white matter changes in Down syndrome.

Introduction: Both micro- and macrostructural white matter (WM) abnormalities, particularly those related to axonal degeneration, are associated with cognitive decline in adults with Down syndrome (DS) prior to a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a support protein within myelinated axons released into blood following axonal damage. In this study we investigated cross-sectional relationships between WM microstructural changes as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and plasma NfL concentration in adults with DS without dementia.

Extended conformations of bifurcating electron transfer flavoprotein constitute up to half the population, possibly mediating conformational change.

Electron transfer bifurcation enables biological systems to drive unfavourable (endergonic) electron transfer by coupling it to favourable (exergonic) transfer of a second electron. In electron transfer flavoproteins (ETFs), a domain-scale conformational change is believed to sever the favourable pathway after a single electron has used it, thereby preventing the energy dissipation that would accompany exergonic transfer of the second electron. To understand the conformation change that participates in turnover, we have deployed small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and computational techniques to characterize the bifurcating ETF from (ETF).

Prevalent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans by Sexual Orientation.

Background: Seven million lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults will be aged >50 years by 2030; assessing and addressing their risk for cardiovascular disease is critical.

Methods And Results: We analyzed a nationwide cohort using the Veterans Health Administration data. Sexual orientation (SO) was classified via a validated natural language processing algorithm.

Immediate Versus Staged Complete Revascularization for Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Disease: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials.

Background: The comparative outcomes with immediate, staged in-hospital, and staged out-of-hospital complete revascularization for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease remain unclear.

Methods And Results: An electronic search of MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases was performed through August 2023 for randomized trials evaluating immediate, staged in-hospital, and staged out-of-hospital complete revascularization for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs).

Effects of external pressure on cycling performance of silicon-based lithium-ion battery: modelling and experimental validation.

Controlling the stress state of electrodes during electrochemical cycling can have a positive effect on the cycling performance of lithium-ion battery. In this work, we study the cycling performance of silicon-based lithium-ion half cells under the action of pressure in a range of 0.1 to 0.

Temporal Immune Profiling in the CSF and Blood of Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a significant complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). This study profiled immune responses after aSAH and evaluated their association with DCI onset.

Methods: Twelve aSAH patients were enrolled.

Extended shortwave infrared absorbing antiaromatic fluorenium-indolizine chromophores.

Shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1000-1700 nm) and extended SWIR (ESWIR, 1700-2700 nm) absorbing materials are valuable for applications including fluorescence based biological imaging, photodetectors, and light emitting diodes. Currently, ESWIR absorbing materials are largely dominated by inorganic semiconductors which are often costly both in raw materials and manufacturing processes used to produce them. The development of ESWIR absorbing organic molecules is thus of interest due to the tunability, solution processability, and low cost of organic materials compared to their inorganic counterparts.

Impact of Flap Size and Comorbidities on Supraclavicular Artery Island Flap Outcomes.

Objective: Use of the supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) in head and neck reconstruction has increased in recent years. Limited but improving experience among reconstructive surgeons with the procedure have exposed numerous issues associated with flap success. The objective of this study is to examine the role of flap size on viability.

Food availability aligns with contrasting demographics in populations of an at-risk songbird.

Golden-winged Warblers () have become rare across much of their historic breeding range and response to conservation efforts is variable. Evidence from several recent studies suggests that breeding output is a primary driver explaining responses to conservation and it is hypothesized that differences in food availability may be driving breeding output disparity between two subpopulations of the warbler's Appalachian breeding range. Herein, we studied two subpopulations: central Pennsylvania ("central subpopulation"), where breeding productivity is relatively low, and eastern Pennsylvania ("eastern subpopulation"), where breeding productivity is relatively high.

Conservation applications of niche modeling: Native and naturalized ferns may compete for limited Hawaiian dryland habitat.

Premise: Competition from naturalized species and habitat loss are common threats to native biodiversity and may act synergistically to increase competition for decreasing habitat availability. We use Hawaiian dryland ferns as a model for the interactions between land-use change and competition from naturalized species in determining habitat availability.

Methods: We used fine-resolution climatic variables and carefully curated occurrence data from herbaria and community science repositories to estimate the distributions of Hawaiian dryland ferns.

A single hydrogen bond that tunes flavin redox reactivity and activates it for modification.

Electron bifurcation produces high-energy products based on less energetic reagents. This feat enables biological systems to exploit abundant mediocre fuel to drive vital but demanding reactions, including nitrogen fixation and CO capture. Thus, there is great interest in understanding principles that can be portable to man-made devices.

Heterogeneity in breeding productivity is driven largely by factors affecting nestlings and young fledglings in an imperiled migratory passerine.

Identifying factors that drive variation in vital rates among populations is a prerequisite to understanding a species' population biology and, ultimately, to developing effective conservation strategies. This is especially true for imperiled species like the golden-winged warbler () that exhibit strong spatial heterogeneity in demography and responds variably to conservation interventions. Habitat management actions recommended for breeding grounds conservation include timber harvest, shrub shearing, and prescribed fire that maintain or create early successional woody communities.

Cardiovascular outcomes of emergent vs elective transcatheter aortic valve replacement in severe aortic stenosis: regression matched meta-analysis.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been highly increased as the recommended option for patients with a high surgical risk. This study aims to commit a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the outcomes in severe aortic stenosis patients following emergency transcatheter aortic valve replacement (emergent TAVR) compared to elective TAVR or eBAV followed by elective TAVR.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, Science Direct, and Google Scholar.

Tools for telehealth: A correlational analysis of app-based hearing testing.

Objective: Telehealth evaluation of hearing is rapidly evolving; however, the lack of consensus on the most accurate remote hearing test application has made hearing evaluation complicated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the pure tone audiometry results obtained from app-based hearing testing programs and a traditional audiogram.

Methods: A prospective within-subject and between-subject study design was used to correlate audiogram results between app-based hearing programs and a traditional audiogram.

Best Practices for Point of Care Ultrasound: An Interdisciplinary Expert Consensus.

Despite the growing use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in contemporary medical practice and the existence of clinical guidelines addressing its specific applications, there remains a lack of standardization and agreement on optimal practices for several areas of POCUS use. The Society of Point of Care Ultrasound (SPOCUS) formed a working group in 2022 to establish a set of recommended best practices for POCUS, applicable to clinicians regardless of their training, specialty, resource setting, or scope of practice. Using a three-round modified Delphi process, a multi-disciplinary panel of 22 POCUS experts based in the United States reached consensus on 57 statements in domains including: (1) The definition and clinical role of POCUS; (2) Training pathways; (3) Credentialing; (4) Cleaning and maintenance of POCUS devices; (5) Consent and education; (6) Security, storage, and sharing of POCUS studies; (7) Uploading, archiving, and reviewing POCUS studies; and (8) Documenting POCUS studies.

Justifying the need for a recovery related surveillance system: Exploratory focused interviews.

Background And Aims: No recovery related surveillance system exists but given the evidence of effectiveness and growing supply, a house- and resident- level recovery house (RH) surveillance system could be beneficial for data collection on recovery support service (RSS) engagement, and retention; for improved standardization of RH programs and services; and for identification of outcomes associated with long-term recovery.

Methods: This study aimed to explore current data collection practices at the resident- and house- level through qualitative focus interviews of RH representatives. The 13 RH interviews were scheduled with 16 RH representative respondents.