Pediatric Transplant Surgeons' Perspectives on Palliative Care for Children With Chronic Kidney Disease: A National Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Some adult transplant surgeons consider transplant to be contraindicated in patients receiving palliative care (PC). Little is known about pediatric transplant surgeons' attitudes toward PC. We sought to ascertain pediatric kidney transplant surgeons' perspectives regarding the routine integration of PC for children with chronic kidney disease.

Feasibility and acceptability of engaging care partners of persons living with dementia with electronic outreach for deprescribing.

Background And Objectives: Care partners are critical for making treatment decisions in persons living with dementia. However, identifying them is challenging, hindering the broader use of interventions, such as those using digital technologies. We aimed to (i) assess the feasibility of identifying and contacting care partners using electronic health record (EHR) systems, and (ii) elicit their perspectives on electronic interventions for deprescribing.

Comparative Outcomes of Babesiosis in Immunocompromised and Non-Immunocompromised Hosts: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Babesiosis poses significant risks of adverse outcomes in individuals with immunocompromising conditions (IC) and asplenia/hyposplenia (AH). This study compares clinical outcomes between these vulnerable groups and immunocompetent patients.

Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study included adult patients with laboratory-confirmed babesiosis from 2009 to 2023.

Trigeminal nerve microstructure is linked with neuroinflammation and brainstem activity in migraine.

Although the pathophysiology of migraine involves a complex ensemble of peripheral and central nervous system changes that remain incompletely understood, the activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system is believed to play a major role. However, non-invasive, in vivo neuroimaging studies investigating the underlying neural mechanisms of trigeminal system abnormalities in human migraine patients are limited. Here, we studied 60 patients with migraine (55 females, mean age ± SD: 36.

Near-universal prevalence of central adiposity in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: the PARAGON-HF trial.

Background And Aims: An expansion of fat mass is an integral feature of patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). While body mass index (BMI) is the most common anthropometric measure, a measure of central adiposity-the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)-focuses on body fat content and distribution; is not distorted by bone or muscle mass, sex, or ethnicity; and may be particularly relevant in HFpEF.

Methods: The PARAGON-HF trial randomized 4796 patients with heart failure and ejection fraction ≥45% to valsartan or sacubitril/valsartan.

Efficacy and Safety of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Distal Medium Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Ischemic Stroke Patients on Low-Dose Aspirin.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO) presents unique treatment challenges. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is emerging as a viable option for these patients, yet the role of pre-stroke aspirin treatment is unclear. This study evaluates the impact of pre-stroke low-dose aspirin on outcomes in DMVO patients undergoing MT.

Glycocalyx disruption, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodeling as underlying mechanisms and treatment targets of chronic venous disease.

The glycocalyx is an essential structural and functional component of endothelial cells. Extensive hemodynamic changes cause endothelial glycocalyx disruption and vascular dysfunction, leading to multiple arterial and venous disorders. Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common disorder of the lower extremities with major health and socio-economic implications, but complex pathophysiology.

Family Connections: The Impact of an Education Program for Carers of Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder in Italian Mental Health Services.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has a strong impact not only on patients' lives but also on their families. The presence of an invalidating environment is one of the key factors in the etiology of BPD. This study evaluated the impact of the Family connections (FC) program on burden, grief, and other clinical variables in 202 caregivers and identified the profiles of participants who improved/deteriorated their levels of burden and grief.

Novel early vertical ridge augmentation technique.

Background/purpose: Multiple augmentation protocols are documented in the literature to rebuild the deficient alveolar ridge after tooth extraction; however, achieving adequate vertical augmentation remains the most challenging goal. This study demonstrated a novel surgical technique of early vertical ridge augmentation for post-dental extraction. This technique offers several biological and technical advantages regarding the timing of the procedure and its relative simplicity compared to other complex techniques.

Improving osteogenic properties of zirconia ceramic via glow discharge plasma-enhanced deposition of amine organic compound.

Background/purpose: Osseointegration potential is greatly depended on the interaction between bone cells and dental implant surface. Since zirconia ceramic has a bioinert surface, functionalization of the surface with an organic compound allylamine was conducted to overcome its drawback of minimal interaction with the surrounding bone.

Materials And Methods: The zirconia surface was initially treated with argon glow discharge plasma (GDP), then combined with amine plasma at three different conditions of 50-W, 75-W and 85-W, to prepare the final samples.

Model construction and clinical therapeutic potential of engineered cardiac organoids for cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Engineered cardiac organoids are being developed and used to replicate cardiac tissues supporting cardiac morphogenesis and development. These organoids have applications in drug screening, cardiac disease models and regenerative medicine.

Assessing the cortical microstructure in contralesional sensorimotor areas after stroke.

Cortical thickness analyses have provided valuable insights into changes in cortical brain structure after stroke and their association with recovery. Across studies though, relationships between cortical structure and function show inconsistent results. Recent developments in diffusion-weighted imaging of the cortex have paved the way to uncover hidden aspects of stroke-related alterations in cortical microstructure, going beyond cortical thickness as a surrogate for cortical macrostructure.

An Optimized Protocol for Simultaneous Propagation of Patient-derived Organoids and Matching CAFs.

Recurrent hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality in women. Recurrence and resistance to targeted therapies have been difficult to study due to the long clinical course of the disease, the complex nature of resistance, and the lack of clinically relevant model systems. Existing models are limited to a few HR+ cell lines, organoid models, and patient-derived xenograft models, all lacking components of the human tumor microenvironment.

Probing and imaging phospholipid dynamics in live cells.

Distinct phospholipid species display specific distribution patterns across cellular membranes, which are important for their structural and signaling roles and for preserving the integrity and functionality of the plasma membrane and organelles. Recent advancements in lipid biosensor technology and imaging modalities now allow for direct observation of phospholipid distribution, trafficking, and dynamics in living cells. These innovations have markedly advanced our understanding of phospholipid function and regulation at both cellular and subcellular levels.

The Evolution of Immunosuppressive Therapy in Pig-to-Nonhuman Primate Organ Transplantation.

An overview is provided of the evolution of strategies towards xenotransplantation during the past almost 40 years, focusing on advances in gene-editing of the organ-source pigs, pre-transplant treatment of the recipient, immunosuppressive protocols, and adjunctive therapy. Despite initial challenges, including hyperacute rejection resulting from natural (preformed) antibody binding and complement activation, significant progress has been made through gene editing of the organ-source pigs and refinement of immunosuppressive regimens. Major steps were the identification and deletion of expression of the three known glycan xenoantigens on pig vascular endothelial cells, the transgenic expression of human "protective" proteins, e.

Environment scan of generative AI infrastructure for clinical and translational science.

This study reports a comprehensive environmental scan of the generative AI (GenAI) infrastructure in the national network for clinical and translational science across 36 institutions supported by the CTSA Program led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the United States. Key findings indicate a diverse range of institutional strategies, with most organizations in the experimental phase of GenAI deployment. The results underscore the need for a more coordinated approach to GenAI governance, emphasizing collaboration among senior leaders, clinicians, information technology staff, and researchers.

Understanding the Impacts of Surgical Drains on Postoperative Pain and Quality of Life.

Background: Surgical drains are commonly used in breast surgery and breast reconstruction for seroma prevention. Although many surgeons are aware that surgical drains can cause considerable discomfort to patients, less is understood about the specific impacts of drains on postoperative pain and quality of life (QOL).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients at our institution who had previously undergone mastectomy or breast reconstruction procedures to better understand patients' experiences with surgical drains.

Uncovering somatic mosaic variants of -related overgrowth disorders - three cases with different clinical presentations.

Introduction: related disorders (PRD, OMIM: *171834) are genetic disorders resulting from pathogenic somatic mosaic variants in the gene, which encodes a protein crucial for regulating cell growth and division. PRD typically manifest during the post-zygotic phase, leading to a broad spectrum of overgrowth and vascular malformations affecting various body regions.

Methods: Conventional diagnostic methods struggle to detect and confirm pathogenic PIK3CA gene variants due to the mosaic nature of these disorders and the limited accessibility of affected tissues.

Immune Profile Differences between IgG4-Related Diseases and Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Purpose: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) share clinical features with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). This study aimed to identify altered serological parameters and potential biomarkers of IgG4-RD and pSS.

Methods: Forty IgG4-RD patients, 40 pSS patients, and 40 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study.

Case report of recurrent vasa previa.

Introduction: Vasa previa is a complication of pregnancy, which affects approximately 1:1200 pregnancies, and when undiagnosed prenatally, it can be associated with significant perinatal mortality. This condition is thought to be a sporadic entity without known genetic or familial associations and thus considered to carry a negligible recurrence risk.

Key Findings: We present a case of a 42-year-old gravida 3 para 2 diagnosed on transvaginal ultrasound with a vasa previa at 34 weeks associated with vaginal bleeding, which required an urgent caesarean in a prior spontaneous pregnancy.

Couple-Based Intervention to Improve HIV Care Engagement for Women and their Partners in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Outcomes of a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

We evaluated a couple-based intervention targeting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care needs of women, with the option to support HIV-related needs of male partners. Adult women with HIV adherence difficulties in a monogamous relationship with a male partner for ≥6 months were recruited in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Twenty couples were randomized (1:1) to either START Together, a five-session manualized behavioral intervention, or treatment as usual, adherence counseling referral.

Scalable information extraction from free text electronic health records using large language models.

Background: A vast amount of potentially useful information such as description of patient symptoms, family, and social history is recorded as free-text notes in electronic health records (EHRs) but is difficult to reliably extract at scale, limiting their utility in research. This study aims to assess whether an "out of the box" implementation of open-source large language models (LLMs) without any fine-tuning can accurately extract social determinants of health (SDoH) data from free-text clinical notes.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using EHR data from the Mass General Brigham (MGB) system, analyzing free-text notes for SDoH information.

Bioaccumulation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and oxidative stress in snapping turtles in New York, USA.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is an anthropogenic chemical found in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and many consumer products. Despite its environmental ubiquity and persistence, little is known about the effects of PFOS on stress levels in wild animals. Here, we examined PFOS bioaccumulation and correlations between PFOS exposure and oxidative stress in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) downstream of Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, a known source of AFFF contamination.