The Mayo MGRS Prediction Tool calculates the risk of finding monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance in a kidney biopsy in patients with monoclonal gammopathy.

Introduction: Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of kidney failure. A kidney biopsy remains an important diagnostic measure. However, a kidney biopsy is not without risks.

Sex and racial bias in medical student EPA assessments: Findings and hypotheses for bias mitigation targets.

Introduction: Despite extensive documentation of implicit bias across traditional medical education assessments, no studies have examined bias in Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA)-based assessments of medical students. This gap threatens both assessment validity and advancement of diverse trainees, as even small inequities can significantly impact career trajectories for underrepresented students. As such, we sought to detect implicit sex and racial bias in EPA-based assessments of medical students.

Peristaltic contractility: another factor impacting IPAA function?

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the phenomenon of high-amplitude pouch contractile waves and their impact on functional results in patients undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis following total proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis.

Methods: This is an observational cohort study evaluating pouch manometric data at an early (study 1, < 6 months s/p ileostomy closure) and delayed (study 2, > 5 months after study 1) time point. High-amplitude contractions were defined as peaks ≥ 20 mmHg over baseline.

Characterizing Sarcoidosis Patients With Obstructive Respiratory Physiology.

Background: Lung involvement occurs in > 95% of sarcoidosis cases. The World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Disorders Organ Assessment Instrument does not assign the likelihood of lung involvement based on pulmonary function test (PFT) results. Clinical characteristics linked to normal and abnormal physiological pattern on PFTs in sarcoidosis are incompletely understood.

Ongoing Symptoms and Concerns Experienced by Low-Risk Breast Cancer Survivors Following Active Treatment.

Introduction: Little is known about the symptom burden of breast cancer survivors with early-stage disease. Many studies have focused on symptoms of patients who are undergoing or recently completed systemic therapy. However, with the increased use of Oncotype DX, the proportion of early-stage hormone receptor-positive patients who undergo chemotherapy has declined, making existing studies of the symptom experience less useful for these patients.

Uveitis treatment in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry: response to tumour necrosis factor inhibitors.

Objectives: Treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) has significantly improved outcomes in uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA-U). This study examines a CARRA Registry cohort of JIA-U patients on TNFi to analyse utilisation patterns and identify factors associated with response.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used CARRA Registry data for subjects aged 0-25 with JIA-U who had uveitis onset before the age of 19, and ever used TNFi.

Disparities in Documentation: Evidence of Race-Based Biases in the Electronic Medical Record.

Personal implicit biases may contribute to inequitable health outcomes, but the mechanisms of these effects are unclear at a system level. This study aimed to determine whether stigmatizing subjective terms in electronic medical records (EMR) reflect larger societal racial biases. A cross-sectional study was conducted using natural language processing software of all documentation where one or more predefined stigmatizing words were used between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2021.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 as early predictors of growth, body composition, and neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) and long-term growth, body composition, and neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

Study Design: Prospective data were collected from ≤32 weeks gestational age infant cohort (N = 50). IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations were measured at 1 week (early) and 35 weeks (late) post-menstrual age (PMA).

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in people with cystic fibrosis.

Background: When the first known US case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) was reported in early 2020, little was known about the impact of this novel virus on the cystic fibrosis community. As the majority of individuals with CF have chronic lung disease, this population was initially considered to be at high risk for severe disease as infection with a multitude of viruses has proven to cause pulmonary exacerbation. SARS-CoV-2 virus has proven challenging to study given the multiple disease manifestations, range of severity, and wave-like phenomenon that varies geographically.

Body composition after implementation of an enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit: a randomised pilot trial.

Background: Very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are at risk for growth failure and poor neurodevelopment. Optimised parenteral nutrition may help promote optimal growth and development, but concerns that provision of enhanced nutrition may contribute to increased early adiposity and later metabolic disease remain.

Aim: To determine associations between provision of an early enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol or standard parenteral nutrition protocol and growth and body composition for VLBW preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

An exploratory study of clinical factors associated with IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in preterm infants.

Background: Despite advances in parenteral nutrition, postnatal growth failure in very low birthweight (VLBW) preterm infants is common and associated with chronic health problems. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is positively associated with improved infant growth, but factors which promote IGF-1 levels in this population have not been clearly identified. The objective of this study was to explore early factors that influence IGF-1 in VLBW preterm infants.

Establishing Optic Nerve Diameter Threshold Sensitive and Specific for Optic Atrophy Diagnosis.

Purpose: To determine a potential threshold optic nerve diameter (OND) that could reliably differentiate healthy nerves from those affected by optic atrophy (OA) and to determine correlations of OND in OA with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, visual acuity (VA), and visual field mean deviation (VFMD).

Methods: This was a retrospective case control study. Magnetic resonance (MR) images were reviewed from individuals with OA aged 18 years or older with vision loss for more than 6 months and an OA diagnosis established by a neuro-ophthalmologist.

Detrimental impact of early biopsy-proven rejection in liver transplantation.

Existing literature offers conflicting conclusions about whether early acute cellular rejection influences long-term outcomes in liver transplantation. We retrospectively collected donor and recipient data on all adult, first-time liver transplants performed at a single center between 2008 and 2020. We divided this population into two cohorts based on the presence of early biopsy-proven acute cellular rejection (EBPR) within the first 90 days post-transplant and compared outcomes between the groups.

Relationship of Medication Intake and Systemic Conditions with Periodontitis: A Retrospective Study.

Objectives: To examine the potential relationship of medication intake and systemic conditions with periodontitis.

Methods And Materials: A total of 1985 patient records with a diagnosis of periodontal health and stage III and IV periodontitis were included in the analysis. Demographic characteristics, the number of missing teeth, patient-reported medical conditions and medication intake as well as smoking habits were recorded.

Periodontal Disease, Tooth Loss, and Systemic Conditions: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Although systemic medical conditions are associated with periodontitis and tooth loss, large-scale studies that include less prevalent systemic conditions are needed. The purpose of the study was to investigate the link between periodontal disease and tooth loss with systemic medical conditions in a large and diverse population.

Methods: Dental charts of adult patients who had attended the dental clinics seeking dental therapy of the universities contributing data to the BigMouth network and accepted the protocol of the study were included.

Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adult Non-Liver Solid Organ Transplant Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Background: The effect of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) on mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in non-liver solid organ transplant recipients (NL-SOT) is unknown.

Methods: Using a retrospective design, adult NL-SOT recipients who had biopsy-proven NASH were compared NL-SOT recipients with normal liver function tests and imaging; propensity matched at a 1:10 ratio on the following: age, sex, race, transplant year, transplant organ, smoking status, and diabetes status. Both deceased and living donor recipients were included; heart and liver transplant patients were excluded.

Oral and Systemic Health Implications of Electronic Cigarette Usage as Compared to Conventional Tobacco Cigarettes: A review of the literature.

The health implications related to electronic cigarettes are not fully understood and has created a public health concern. The purpose of this narrative review was to highlight the oral and systemic health concerns associated with electronic cigarettes and compare these concerns to those associated with conventional tobacco cigarettes. The literature was obtained from PubMed, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, and Scopus databases in June 2021 and updated in February 2023.

Cause of Death by Race and Ethnicity in Minnesota Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019-2020.

Objectives: To measure changes in cause of death dynamics in 2019 and 2020 and the relationship between the concurrent occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mortality outcome by race and ethnicity.

Patients And Methods: We used resident mortality data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to conduct a retrospective statistical analysis of deaths in Minnesota in 2019 relative to 2020 to assess changes in mortality in a pre-pandemic and pandemic period.

Results: COVID-19 strongly contributed to ethnicity-related mortality disparities in Minnesota.

Association between Periodontitis Extent, Severity, and Progression Rate with Systemic Diseases and Smoking: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between extent, severity (stage), and rate of progression (grade) of periodontitis with systemic diseases as well as smoking using a large database.

Methods: Patients' records identified in the BigMouth Dental Data Repository with a periodontal diagnosis based on the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions were evaluated. Patients were further categorized based on extent, severity, and rate of progression.

Cause of Death by Race and Ethnicity in Minnesota Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019-2020.

Objectives: To measure changes in cause of death dynamics in 2019 and 2020 and the relationship between concurrent occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mortality outcome by race and ethnicity.

Patients And Methods: We used resident mortality data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to conduct retrospective statistical analysis of deaths in Minnesota in 2019 relative to 2020 to assess changes in mortality in a pre-pandemic and pandemic period.

Results: COVID-19 strongly contributed to ethnicity-related mortality disparities in Minnesota.

Domestic Violence Knowledge and Attitudes Among Minnesota Dental Hygienists: A pilot study.

The prevalence of intimate partner domestic violence (DV) increased in frequency during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess dental hygienists' knowledge, attitudes, and readiness to manage patients experiencing DV in the state of Minnesota. A cross-sectional study design was used on a convenience sample of dental hygienists.

Patients Follow Different Financial Hardship Trajectories in the Year after Injury.

Objective: To determine if distinct financial trajectories exist and if they are associated with quality-of-life outcomes.

Summary Of Background Data: Financial hardship after injury measurably impacts Health-Related Quality of Life outcomes. Financial hardship, encompassing material losses, financial worry, and poor coping mechanisms, is associated with lower quality of life and increased psychological distress.

Randomized Trial of Early Enhanced Parenteral Nutrition and Later Neurodevelopment in Preterm Infants.

Retrospective studies indicate that the parenteral provision of calories, proteins, and lipids in the first week of life is associated with improved later neurodevelopment. We aimed to determine whether infants randomized to an enhanced parenteral nutrition protocol had improved developmental outcomes at 4, 12, or 24 months corrected age (CA). In total, 90 preterm infants (<32 weeks gestational age and <1500 g) were randomized to receive enhanced parenteral nutrition (PN) or standard PN during the first week of life.

A Statewide Approach to Reducing Re-excision Rates for Women With Breast-conserving Surgery.

Objective: Test the effectiveness of benchmarked performance reports based on existing discharge data paired with a statewide intervention to implement evidence-based strategies on breast re-excision rates.

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is a common breast cancer surgery performed in a range of hospital settings. Studies have demonstrated variations in post-BCS re-excision rates, identifying it as a high-value improvement target.