High-risk carotid plaque features may be more accurate predictors of ipsilateral ischemic stroke risk than the degree of carotid artery stenosis.

Introduction: The optimal management of patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis (AsxCS) is enduringly controversial. The current stratification of AsxCS patients based on the degree of stenosis alone does not always reflect ipsilateral ischemic stroke risk. We hypothesized that the presence of ≥1 "high-risk" carotid plaque feature may more accurately identify AsxCS patients at high risk for a future ipsilateral ischemic cerebrovascular event.

Earned outcome metrics outperform recommended open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair volume guidelines in discriminating perioperative mortality among centers.

Objective: The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) has endorsed a minimum open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (OAR) volume of ≥10/year as an indicator of high-quality care. However, this threshold excludes most United States centers, despite an acceptable average mortality rate nationwide. In sports metrics, "replacement level" is used as a baseline for comparison, representing below-average quality of a readily available replacement player.

Surgical intervention among asymptomatic patients aged ≥80 with a contralateral carotid occlusion appears selectively warranted.

Objective: The role of prophylactic carotid revascularization in asymptomatic patients aged ≥80 remains controversial. Current guidelines stipulate that asymptomatic older patients at "higher risk of stroke" on best medical therapy may still benefit from carotid intervention. Specifically, there is a widespread perception that a contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion may confer an increased anatomical stroke risk, thus creating a surgical dilemma, particularly among older patients.

Shell Phase and Morphology Control for Emission Tuning in III-V Core/Shell Quantum Dots.

Epitaxial growth of shells on III-V semiconductor quantum dot (QD) cores yields improved fluorescence quantum efficiency and stability toward their implementation in light emission technologies. Here, we control the shell morphology and crystal structure and investigate their effects on the emission properties of heterovalent III-V/II-VI core/shell QDs. This is achieved by tuning the ZnSe shell growth mode from kinetic to thermodynamic regimes via adjusting the precursor reactivity.

The Impact of Reintervention on Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation and Functional Patency in the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation Study.

Rationale & Objective: Arteriovenous dialysis fistula (AVF) reinterventions are sought to assist with maturation and/or maintain functional patency; however, their ultimate impact on fistula lifespan remains poorly documented. Furthermore, current clinical practice guidelines lack clarity regarding reintervention paradigms to achieve optimal AVF performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to document reintervention rates and their association with AVF maturation and functional patency among patients enrolled in the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation (HFM) study.

Association between imaging surveillance compliance and long-term outcomes after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair at Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Objective: To assess the association between compliance with guideline-recommended annual imaging surveillance after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) and long-term outcomes.

Methods: Veterans who underwent EVAR between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2023, in US Department of Veterans Affairs facilities were examined retrospectively. The exposure was imaging surveillance compliance, defined as at least one imaging study (computed tomography, ultrasound examination, or magnetic resonance imaging) per year after EVAR.

Three-year risk of stroke after transcarotid artery revascularization versus carotid endarterectomy among Medicare beneficiaries.

Background: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) has seen widespread adoption in contemporary practice. However, the risk of stroke after TCAR vs carotid endarterectomy (CEA) beyond the perioperative period remains poorly defined. Our objective was to compare the 3-year risk of stroke after TCAR vs CEA.

Large endograft diameter is associated with poor outcomes following thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in Medicare beneficiaries.

Objective: Multiple factors contribute to early and/or late failure after endovascular aortic repair. Notably, the impact of device-related parameters, specifically diameter, on postoperative outcomes following thoracic endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (TEVAR) has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine whether use of large diameter (≥40 mm) endografts increase the risk of adverse outcomes after TEVAR.

A community-led initiative to de-risk and advance Parkinson's disease therapeutic targets.

Identifying effective therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease (PD) is challenging, with no current disease-modifying therapies available. To address this, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research launched the Targets to Therapies (T2T) initiative, uniting experts to prioritize and validate promising targets.

Cumulative risks for reoperation due to bleeding after carotid endarterectomy and the associated clinical impact of bleeding events.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify all preoperative and intraoperative variables in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) carotid endarterectomy (CEA) module that have a statistically significant association with reoperation for bleeding. A weighted risk score was developed and validated to predict this event, with assessment of its impact on 30-day mortality and other adverse perioperative events.

Methods: The VQI CEA module was queried between January 2003 and October 2023.

Effectiveness of Transcarotid vs Transfemoral Carotid Stenting for Stroke Prevention.

Importance: The effectiveness of surgical transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) compared with percutaneous transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TF-CAS) for stroke prevention beyond the periprocedural period is poorly quantified.

Objective: To compare the risk of stroke after TCAR vs TF-CAS.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Vascular Implant Surveillance and Outcomes Network (VISION), a procedural registry linked to Medicare claims data that captures clinical, procedural, and outcome data on patients who underwent carotid stenting.

Imaging Surveillance Adherence After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair at VA Hospitals.

Importance: Guidelines recommend annual imaging surveillance after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). How these guidelines translate into practice among veterans remains poorly described.

Objective: To characterize post-EVAR surveillance among veterans.

Accuracy of posthospitalization stroke detection following carotid revascularization in Medicare claims.

Background: Stroke after carotid revascularization is a key effectiveness and quality metric relevant to patients, clinicians, and policymakers. To date, the accuracy of stroke rates reported from Medicare claims-based datasets for patients who underwent carotid revascularization remain unknown. The objective of this study was to validate the accuracy of using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes to detect stroke after carotid artery revascularization.

The Implications of Oxygen-Dependent Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease on Sac Growth and Mortality Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a known risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth and rupture. The impact of COPD on AAA sac behavior following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the association between COPD and sac remodeling after EVAR.

First Confirmed Occurrence of Ciguatera Poisoning in the UK from Imported Pinjalo Snapper ().

Three people in England consumed fish steaks labeled as Red Snapper () originating from the Indian Ocean. Within 12 h, all three experienced sickness including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, as well as myalgia and paresthesia. Three steaks from a single package of fish obtained from a grocery store were consumed, leaving one uneaten, which was submitted for analysis.

Textbook outcomes as a novel patient-centric metric to inform carotid revascularization.

Objective: The recent National Coverage Determination surrounding carotid stenting and shared decision-making has ushered in an era of patient-centric carotid care. However, historical carotid intervention endpoints have lacked patient-centered nuances to inform clinical decisions. Accordingly, we aimed to create a comprehensive novel, patient-centric textbook outcome (TO) to inform treatment paradigms.

The contemporary natural history of minor amputation among diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Objectives: The growing prevalence of diabetes and concomitant peripheral arterial disease (DM/PAD) has led to an increase in patients at risk for adverse limb events in current practice. Despite a widespread perception that minor amputation may result in both limb salvage and preserved functionality, the natural history of minor amputations remains unknown. Thus, we sought to quantify the rates of subsequent major amputation and survival among DM/PAD patients with any prior minor amputation.

Contemporary trends in practice patterns and clinical outcomes of thoracic endovascular aortic repair for nontraumatic thoracic aortic disease in the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Introduction: The purpose of this analysis was to document longitudinal changes in thoracic endovascular aortic repair practice patterns and clinical outcomes, using data from the Vascular Quality Initiative.

Methods: All patients who underwent elective or nonelective thoracic endovascular aortic repair from 2015 to 2023 were reviewed (N = 23,532). The primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and long-term survival.

Intersection of rare pathogenic variants from TCGA in the All of Us Research Program v6.

Using rare cancer predisposition alleles derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and high cancer prevalence (14% of participants) in All of Us (version 6), we assessed the impact of these rare alleles on cancer occurrence in six broad groups of genetic similarity provided by All of Us: African/African American (AFR), Admixed American/Latino (AMR), East Asian (EAS), European (EUR), Middle Eastern (MID), or South Asian (SAS). We observed that germline susceptibility to cancer consistently replicates in EUR-like participants but less so in other participants. We found that All of Us participants from the EUR (p = 1.

Photocatalytic Semiconductor-Metal Hybrid Nanoparticles: Single-Atom Catalyst Regime Surpasses Metal Tips.

Semiconductor-metal hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) are promising materials for photocatalytic applications, such as water splitting for green hydrogen generation. While most studies have focused on Cd containing HNPs, the realization of actual applications will require environmentally compatible systems. Using heavy-metal free ZnSe-Au HNPs as a model, we investigate the dependence of their functionality and efficiency on the cocatalyst metal domain characteristics ranging from the single-atom catalyst (SAC) regime to metal-tipped systems.

The association of reduced ejection fraction with the outcomes of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Objective: It is estimated that 20% of patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair suffer from cardiomyopathy. This study examines the impact of reduced ejection fraction (EF) on the outcomes of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) and compares the different types of cardiomyopathies causing reduction of EF. Our hypothesis is that reduction in EF is associated with higher mortality after EVAR.

The Impact of Follow-Up on Mortality in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Background: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. As such, close follow-up is recommended to ensure patency of revascularization, limb viability, and optimization of cardiovascular risk factors. This study aimed to test the association between follow-up adherence and mortality, and to identify risk factors for nonadherence with recommended vascular follow-up.

Improved Door-to-Needle Time After Implementation of Tenecteplase as the Preferred Thrombolytic for Acute Ischemic Stroke at a Large Community Teaching Hospital Emergency Department.

Acute ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability. To improve patient outcomes, timely restoration of blood flow to the ischemic brain tissue is vital. One reperfusion strategy includes the administration of thrombolytics.