Non-Indexed vs. Body Surface Area Indexed Measured Glomerular Filtration Rate Determinations as a Criterion of Living Donor Acceptance.

Introduction: When GFR is measured (mGFR) using iohexol plasma clearance, results are reported both as a "non-indexed" (mL/min) and "body-surface area (BSA) indexed" to 1.73 m2. When these two values differ, there is no consensus as to which is preferable to use to determine suitability for living kidney donation (LKD).

Racial/ethnic differences in the associations between social support and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Despite the established link between social support and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes, few studies have examined racial/ethnic variation in these associations. This study utilized data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) to investigate racial/ethnic differences in perceived social support and in the link between support and incident hard CVD events and mortality.

Method: Participants (N = 6,814) were 45-84 years of age who identified as White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Chinese without known clinical CVD at baseline (2000-2002).

Treatment options to break the cycle of recurrent pericarditis.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides a contemporary, evidence-based update on the pathophysiological mechanisms and rapidly evolving therapeutic options for recurrent pericarditis.

Recent Findings: Recent studies have elucidated the pathogenesis of recurrent pericarditis, identifying autoinflammation as a key mechanism and interleukin-1 (IL-1) as a central modulator of the inflammatory cascade. Multiple clinical trials have investigated novel therapeutic approaches, particularly focusing on IL-1 inhibition.

Hospital Boarding Creates Critical Shortcomings in Disaster Preparedness.

Hospital patient boarding in emergency departments has reached unprecedented crisis levels over the past 4 years. Boarding and crowding has been demonstrated by prior literature to have adverse effects on patient care as well as increased associated costs. Importantly, the increase in hospital patient boarding has created critical shortcomings in disaster preparedness by limiting the capacity of emergency departments to respond to mass casualty incidents due to space and staffing constraints.

"I was angry that I fell" all the way to "if I fall, I fall": a qualitative study of the spectrum of behavioral fall risk factors for veterans with dysvascular lower-limb amputation.

Purpose: To explore behavioral risk factors contributing to fall and near-fall scenarios for Veterans with dysvascular lower-limb amputation.

Materials And Methods: Participants were a convenience sample of Veterans with unilateral dysvascular lower-limb amputation, receiving care at a single Veterans Administration Regional Amputation Center, who participated in an interview (12/2021-04/2023). We used phenomenological research and directed content analysis to explore participant perspectives on fall scenarios.

Oxidative stress suppresses internal carotid artery dilation to hypercapnia in healthy older adults.

: Cerebrovascular disease and dementia risk increases with age and lifetime risk is greater in women. Cerebrovascular dysfunction likely precedes cerebrovascular disease and dementia but the mechanisms are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that oxidative stress mediates cerebrovascular dysfunction with human aging.

Ruminant-dense environments increase risk of reported Shiga toxin-producing infections independently of ruminant contact.

Cattle and other domestic ruminants are the primary reservoirs of O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing (STEC). Living in areas with high ruminant density has been associated with excess risk of infection, which could be due to both direct ruminant contact and residual environmental risk, but the role of each is unclear. We investigated whether there is any meaningful risk to individuals living in ruminant-dense areas if they do not have direct contact with ruminants.

Health Care Stereotype Threat During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals.

To determine the levels and differentials in health care stereotype threat experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic by individuals with sexual or gender minority identities. The National Couples' Health and Time Use Study is a national cross-sectional US population‒ based sample of partnered individuals interviewed during the pandemic between September 2020 and April 2021 with oversamples of sexual and gender minority individuals. The analytic sample consisted of 3614 individuals (n = 2043 heterosexual and n = 1571 sexual minority individuals along with 3489 cisgender and 125 noncisgender people).

First Report of Bacterial Wilt of Ginger Caused by in the Continental United States.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family grown primarily in tropical to subtropical biomes as a culinary spice, a traditional medicine, and a landscaping plant. While ginger grows at soil temperatures above 20°C, several farmers in the upper Midwestern US farmers grows short-season ginger in high tunnels. In 2023 and 2024, growers in southeastern Minnesota reported a new disease of ginger.

Colophony in Dentistry: Routes of Exposure and Reported Reactions.

Colophony is a solid form of resin derived from coniferous trees that has both adhesive and water-resistant properties. For these reasons, this allergen is incorporated into many personal care products, medications, and occupational materials, and is thus commonly implicated in allergic contact dermatitis. Dedicated "dental" allergen series often include colophony, but dermatologists are likely not well-versed on its use in a dental setting.

The structure and correlates of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire among U.S. racial/ethnic groups.

Research on externalizing psychopathology has relied heavily on White samples to generate core knowledge, with few studies examining variability in its components, including grandiose narcissism, across racial/ethnic groups. This preregistered (https://osf.io/n4s3f/) study addressed the following research questions: (1) Is there evidence for measurement invariance of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ) across racial/ethnic groups?; (2) Are there racial/ethnic group differences in (a) mean levels of the two NARQ subscales: admiration and rivalry, and (b) correlations between NARQ subscales and self-esteem?; (3) Do variations in ethnic identity commitment account for any observed group differences in the mean levels and correlations? The sample consisted of 1,248 U.

PEGylation Improves the Therapeutic Index of Dexamethasone To Treat Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome with Obesity Background in Mouse.

With increasing prevalence globally, obesity presents unique challenges to the clinical management of other diseases. In the case of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), glucocorticoid therapy (e.g.

ECG Patterns of Occlusion Myocardial Infarction: A Narrative Review.

The traditional management of acute coronary syndrome has relied on the identification of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) as a proxy of acute coronary occlusion. This conflation of STEMI with acute coronary occlusion has historically overshadowed non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), despite evidence suggesting 25% to 34% of NSTEMI cases may also include acute coronary occlusion. Current limitations in the STEMI/NSTEMI binary framework underscore the need for a revised approach to chest pain and acute coronary syndrome management.

Percutaneous VT Ablation via RA-to-LV Access in Patients With Double Mechanical Valves: A Multicenter Registry.

Background: In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves requiring catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT), a technique for access from the right atrium (RA) to the left ventricle (LV) via puncture of the inferoseptal process of the LV was previously described in a single-center series.

Objectives: This study sought to report the multicenter experience of VT ablation using this novel LV access approach.

Methods: We assembled a multicenter registry of patients with double mechanical valves who underwent VT ablation with RA-to-LV access.

Emerging biomarkers in Gaucher disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare lysosomal disorder characterized by the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in macrophages resulting from glucocerebrosidase (GCase) deficiency. The accumulation of toxic substrates, which causes the hallmark symptoms of GD, is dependent on the extent of enzyme dysfunction. Accordingly, three distinct subtypes have been recognized, with type 1 GD (GD1) as the common and milder form, while types 2 (GD2) and 3 (GD3) are categorized as neuronopathic and severe.

Left ventricular elastance with resting volumetric transthoracic echocardiography identifies different phenotypes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A retrospective analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous entity including patients with different phenotypes of near normal, normal, and supernormal left ventricular (LV) function.

Objectives: To assess the value of resting LV elastance (also known as force) with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to identify HFpEF phenotypes.

Methods: In a prospective, observational, multicenter study, 2380 HFpEF patients were recruited from July 2016 to May 2024.

Knowledge of Mandatory Reporting Laws and Recording of Clients' Abuse Data: Effects of a Sexual Health Curriculum Training for Health Students in Tanzania.

Tanzania mandated reporting laws aim to identify and address child abuse, yet healthcare students' awareness and reporting are limited. This study assessed training's impact on their knowledge of reporting laws and handling confidential child abuse data. The study involved 412 medical and nursing students in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), with 206 participants receiving sexual health training and a waitlist control group of equal size receiving no intervention.

Non-Operative Management of Cholecystitis in Pregnant Patients Remains Common.

Cholecystectomy is the recommended treatment for acute cholecystitis in pregnancy, leading to fewer pregnancy-related complications than non-operative management. However, past research demonstrated high rates of non-operative management despite these recommendations. Rates of cholecystostomy tube usage and outcomes in pregnancy are not well described.

Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Among Attendees From a Large Health Care System During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Background: Few studies have evaluated home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) during the pandemic, compared to prepandemic center-based CR (CBCR), with respect to patient characteristics, participation rates, and its efficacy on clinical metrics, health-related quality of life (QoL), and modifiable risk factors.

Objectives: We aimed to describe patient characteristics and participation rates for those attending HBCR compared to patients who attended CBCR and compare the effects of HBCR vs CBCR on clinical metrics, health-related QoL, and modifiable risk factors in CR patients pre vs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study comparing 511 HBCR patients and 765 CBCR patients from the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Promotion of Cardiovascular Health in Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel.

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide.