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Background: Better access to direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has broadened the utilization of hepatitis C virus (HCV) nucleic acid testing (NAT) positive organs with excellent outcomes. However, DAA therapy has been associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation. Aim: To determine the risk of HBV transmission or reactivation with utilization of HBV core antibody positive (HBcAb+) and HCV NAT positive (HCV+) organs, which presumably required DAA therapy. Methods: The number of HBcAb+ donors with delineated HCV NAT status was obtained from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database. The number of unexpected HBV infections from transplanted organs adjudicated as "proven" or "probable" transmission was obtained from the OPTN Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee database. A chart review of the donors of "proven" or "probable" cases was conducted. Results: From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021, 7735 organs were procured from 3767 HBcAb+ donors and transplanted into 7469 recipients; 545 (14.5%) donors were also HCV+. HBV transmission or reactivation occurred in seven recipients. The rate is not significantly different between recipients of HCV+ (0.18%, 2/1115) and the HCV NAT negative (HCV‐) organs (0.08%, 5/6354) (p = 0.28) or between recipients of HCV+ and HCV‐ livers as well as non‐liver organs. HBV transmission or reactivation occurred within a median of 319 (range, 41–1117) days post‐transplant in the setting of missing, inadequate, or truncated prophylaxis. Conclusion: HBV reactivation associated with DAA therapy for HBcAb+ HCV+ organs is less frequent than reported in the non‐transplant population, possibly due to the common use of HBV prophylaxis in the at‐risk transplant population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation remains limited when stem cell registrants cannot be contacted, are not medically fit, are unavailable, or unwilling to proceed. In a recent report, registrants who were prior blood donors were more likely to be available for donation. In this study, we analyzed extent to which recruiting blood donors to the Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry (CBS SCR) can meet targets for ethnic diversity, age, and proximity to collection facilities. Methods and Results: We analyzed 124,496 active blood donors on July 1, 2023 regarding the criteria for recruitment to the CBS SCR. A total of 40,518 (32%) were younger than 36 years of age and 49% were first‐time donors (potential new recruits year over year). The ethnicity of blood donors younger than 36 years aligns more closely with the 2021 Canadian census compared to stem cell donors who were also previous blood donors, and to the current total inventory of all registrants on the CBS SCR. Of the blood donors, certain ethnic groups, including Black, Chinese, and First Nations/Indigenous, remain underrepresented. A greater proportion of active whole blood donors live within 400 km of a stem cell collection center (91%) compared to stem cell donors who donated during the past 10 years (80%). Conclusions: Recruitment of blood donors offers an opportunity to improve the ethnic diversity of the CBS SCR and increase proximity of registrants to stem cell collection centers. The potential improved availability of registrants when matched to patients requires confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate donor gamete utilization, patient satisfaction, and fertility treatment outcomes of patients pursuing treatment with donor gametes stratified by the desired race as well as ethnicity of the gamete donor. Survey study. Clinic. Patients planning to undergo treatment using donor sperm and/or donor oocytes at a single academic fertility clinic in the Southeastern United States between 2015 and 2020. None. Utilization rates of donor gametes, satisfaction with donor gamete selection, and fertility treatment outcomes stratified by race and ethnicity of patient, as well as that of their gamete donor. Four hundred fifty patients were eligible for inclusion and 170 (38%) responded to the survey. Among the respondents, 59% desired a non-Hispanic White gamete donor and 20% desired a non-Hispanic Black gamete donor. Patients seeking a non-Hispanic Black gamete donor had lower odds of using donor gametes (Odds ratio [OR], 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.04–0.40) compared with individuals seeking a non-Hispanic White gamete donor. When evaluating satisfaction with donor gamete selection, patients seeking a non-Hispanic Black gamete donor reported lower satisfaction compared with individuals seeking a non-Hispanic White gamete donor (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.09–0.43). When evaluating fertility outcomes, Non-Hispanic Black patients and those using non-Hispaninc Black gamete donors were found to have lower odds of successful conception compared with non-Hispanic White patients (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.07–0.46) and individuals seeking non-Hispanic White gamete donors (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09–0.75), respectively. Patients seeking non-Hispanic Black donor gametes have lower utilization rates, less satisfaction with gamete donor selection, and lower odds of conception when compared with those seeking non-Hispanic White gamete donors. These findings highlight the need for more racial diversity within donor gamete banks, as well as within the donor pools available through agencies and fertility clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores carbazole‐based organic molecules as transport layers in durable perovskite solar cells, focusing on their optoelectronic and charge transfer properties. Thirteen carbazole derivatives are systematically analyzed via density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand their structure and optoelectronic characteristics. Substituents like bromo, phenyl, thiophenyl, and pyridyl at positions 3,6‐ and 2,7‐ of carbazole were studied. Phenyl and thiophenyl substitutions lowered highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels, while bromo and pyridyl increased them, tuning HOMO energies from −5.45 to −6.03 eV. These energies align well with perovskite materials valence bands, with absorbance primarily below 400 nm, complementing perovskite absorption. The compounds showed high light‐harvesting efficiencies (LHEs) (0.22 to 0.94) and improved radiative lifetimes. Theoretical investigations identified most compounds as effective p‐type hole‐transport materials (HTM), except 3,6‐ and 2,7‐dithiophenyl carbazoles, which exhibited n‐type behavior due to low hole reorganization energies. Overall, the study highlights computational design's role in developing carbazole derivatives as promising charge carrier precursors for perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, we initiated a quality improvement endeavor to increase pediatric heart offer acceptance. This study assessed the effect of these interventions at our center. We evaluted pre- and postimplementation cohorts (January 1, 2008-December 31, 2016 vs January 1, 2017-July 1, 2023) comparing donor heart utilization. Six interventions were iterated over time to increase offer acceptance ("extended criteria"): ABO-incompatible transplant, ex vivo perfusion for distanced donors, 3-dimensional total cardiac volume (TCV) assessment, acceptance of hepatitis-C or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 infected donors, and institutional culture change favoring consideration of donors previously considered unacceptable. Outcomes studied included annual HT volume, median waitlist duration, sequence number at acceptance, and post-transplant clinical outcomes. During the study period, annual transplant volume increased from 16/year to 25/year pre- and postimplementation. Three hundred thirteen of 389 (80%) listed patients were transplanted. Waitlist duration shortened postimplementation (p = 0.01), as did the percentage of accepted heart offers utilizing at least 1 extended criterion (p < 0.001). Institutional culture change and TCV assessment had the largest impact on donor heart utilization (p = 0.04 and p < 0.001). There was no difference in post-HT intubation or intensive care unit days (p = 0.05-0.9), though post-transplant hospitalization duration (p < 0.001) increased. Post-transplant survival was unaffected by the use of extended criteria hearts (p = 0.3). We report a successful longitudinal, multifaceted effort to increase organ offer utilization, with institutional culture change and TCV assessments most impactful. The use of extended criteria hearts was not associated with inferior survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fused polycyclic aromatic compounds containing carbazole and diazapyrene skeletons as electron donors and acceptors, respectively, were synthesized in a few steps from readily accessible starting materials. The incorporation of diazapyrene units into the polycyclic compounds resulted in significant bathochromic shifts in their absorption and emission bands compared to those of the corresponding carbazole derivatives. Electrochemical measurements and density functional theory calculations were performed to gain further insight into their electronic properties. Our findings demonstrate that the incorporation of nitrogen atoms and substituents, as well as the different topologies of the fused‐ring system, exert a profound effect on the electronic properties of the polycyclic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer management by combining the antitumor effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and inhibition of carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1), specifically isoforms IV, IX, and XII. H2S has demonstrated cytotoxicity against various cancers at high concentrations. The inhibition of tumor-associated CAs leads to lethal intracellular alkalinization and acidification of the extracellular tumor microenvironment and restores tumor responsiveness to the immune system, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The study proposes H2S donor–CA inhibitor (CAI) hybrids for tumor management. These compounds effectively inhibit the target CAs, release H2S consistently, and exhibit potent antitumor effects against MDA-MB-231, HCT-116, and A549 cancer cell lines. Notably, some compounds display high cytotoxicity across all investigated cell lines. Derivative 30 shows a 2-fold increase in cytotoxicity (0.93 ± 0.02 µM) under chemically induced hypoxia in HCT-116 cells. These compounds also disturb the cell cycle, leading to a reduction in cell populations in G0/G1 and S phases, with a notable increase in G2/M and Sub-G1. This disruption is correlated with induced apoptosis, with fold increases of 37.2, 24.5, and 32.9 against HCT-116 cells and 14.2, 13.1, and 19.9 against A549 cells compared to untreated cells. These findings suggest the potential of H2S releaser–CAI hybrids as effective and versatile tools in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research regulations around the world do not impose any limits on the risks to which consenting adults may be exposed. Nonetheless, most review committees regard some risks as too high, even for consenting adults. To justify this practice, commentators have appealed to a range of considerations which are external to informed consent and the risks themselves. Most prominently, some argue that exposing consenting adults to very high risks has the potential to undermine public trust in research. This justification assumes that it is not the magnitude of the risks themselves which raises concern, but the way in which the public might respond to them. This justification thus depends on the possibility that the public will find out about the risks and respond to them in the specified way. Like the other proposed external justifications, it thereby fails to offer a reason to think that exposing consenting adults to very high risks is problematic in itself. In the present paper, we describe and endorse a different justification. Rather than appealing to external factors, we argue that limits on risks for consenting adults trace to internal limits on informed consent, to limits on the things consent can and cannot make ethically permissible. In doing so, we aim to provide a firmer conceptual basis for the view that some research risks are unacceptably high, no matter how the research is conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Are donor-conceived adults in Belgium interested in obtaining donor information, and do these interests vary based on their family backgrounds? SUMMARY ANSWER Donor-conceived adults express a significant interest in obtaining donor-related information, with the highest interest reported by offspring from heterosexual couples compared to those from lesbian couple-parented or single-parent families. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY In Belgium, sperm donation is mainly anonymous, but the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing challenges this anonymity. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a cross-sectional study involving an online nationwide survey conducted from July 2022 to October 2023. Participants, aged 18 years and older and being aware of their anonymous sperm donor-conceived status, were recruited through various channels. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS A total of 203 participants were included: 62.6% grew up in heterosexual families with infertile fathers, 26.1% with lesbian couples, 8.4% with single parents, and 3.0% in various or diverse family structures. The survey was available in both French and Dutch and consisted of 43 questions, including a mix of yes/no questions and multiple-choice items. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The average age of disclosure was 16.5 years, with notably later disclosure in heterosexual couple-parented households. A substantial 82.8% of donor-conceived individuals expressed a keen interest in obtaining non-personally identifiable donor information, while 69% were curious about personally identifiable donor data. Furthermore, 61.6% conveyed a desire for personal contact with their donors, and 26.6% advocated for the inclusion of the donor's name on their birth certificates. Participants raised in lesbian two-parent families exhibited the lowest level of interest in donor-related information compared with those raised in other family structures. An overwhelming 90.1% wondered about the possibility of having half-siblings from the same sperm donor. Analysis of survey responses on DNA database registration revealed that 55.2% of donor-conceived offspring were already registered, with 68.8% discovering the same donor offspring and 30.4% successfully locating their donors. Compared to individuals from other family structures, those raised in heterosexual couple-parented households exhibit a less positive attitude toward their conception through anonymous sperm donation. About 61.6% of donor-conceived individuals reported experiencing distinct emotions compared to their peers, while 44.1% encountered psychological difficulties related to anonymous sperm donation, primarily attributed to late disclosure. The majority supported the idea of informing the donor about the number of children he facilitated to conceive. Lastly, the study highlighted that 21.2% of donor-conceived adults considered becoming donors themselves, and 31.3% expressed willingness to use an anonymous donor whenever faced with fertility challenges. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Our sample size may not fully represent all adults conceived through anonymous sperm donation in Belgium. Participation bias may have influenced the results, especially due to the overrepresentation of participants from heterosexual couples. Additionally, an association exists between individuals raised by heterosexual couples and late disclosure, complicating the analysis by introducing a confounding factor. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs and preferences of donor-conceived adults, with significant potential impact on patient education and healthcare policy. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Study funding was not obtained for this research. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate twin survival stratified by Quintero stage in patients with twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) after Solomon laser treatment. Methods: This was a single‐center study at Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, investigating a cohort of consecutive twin pregnancies treated with the Solomon laser technique for TTTS. Preoperative Quintero stage, perioperative characteristics and obstetric factors were investigated in relation to neonatal survival of the recipient and donor twins at discharge. Determinants of twin survival were evaluated using univariate logistic regression and cumulative survival probability analyses. Results: Of 402 pregnancies with TTTS that underwent Solomon laser treatment, 80 (19.9%) were diagnosed with Quintero Stage‐I TTTS, 126 (31.3%) with Stage II, 169 (42.0%) with Stage III and 27 (6.7%) with Stage IV. Post‐laser twin anemia polycythemia sequence or recurrent TTTS occurred in 19 (4.7%) patients and 11 (2.7%) required repeat laser surgery. Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes occurred in 150 (37.3%) patients and median gestational age at delivery was 32 + 1 weeks. In 303 (75.4%) patients, both twins were alive at discharge; 67/80 (83.8%) were Stage I, 101/126 (80.2%) were Stage II, 113/169 (66.9%) were Stage III and 22/27 (81.5%) were Stage IV (P = 0.062). Donor twin survival was lower than that of recipients in cases with Stage‐III TTTS (118/169 (69.8%) vs 145/169 (85.8%) (χ2 = 26.076, P < 0.0001)). Higher intertwin size discordance and absent or reversed umbilical artery (UA) end‐diastolic velocity (EDV) were associated with donor demise (Nagelkerke R2, 0.38; P < 0.001). Overall, spontaneous post‐laser donor demise occurred in 53 (39.6%) patients, accounting for the majority of all losses. Cumulative donor survival decreased from 92% to 65% when intertwin size discordance was >30% and to 48% when UA‐EDV was absent or reversed (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The Solomon laser technique achieves TTTS resolution and double twin survival in a high proportion of cases. Recipient and donor survival is comparable unless there is significant intertwin size discordance and placental dysfunction. This degree of unequal placental sharing, typically found in Stage‐III TTTS, is the primary factor preventing double survival due to a higher rate of donor demise. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current economic and political crisis has brought about a change in the environment in which non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) have traditionally operated. This change can be summed up as a reduction in the funds they receive and an increase in the population they must serve. The need then arises to have mechanisms that allow an analysis of the good work performed by the NGDOs. Knowing the efficiency of the NGDOs in the management of their previous projects can contribute towards improving their future achievements. The aim of this research is to establish some objective indicators that allow an evaluation of the efficiency of these organisations. Firstly, a detailed analysis of the regulation of the three agencies is conducted (Spanish-AECID, European-EuropeAid, and American-USAID). This allows us to synthesise the indicators of good performance of the NGDO based on the study of the eligibility criteria of public donors. The research concludes with the study of the efficiency following the Promethee Approach. Our results reveal that 44.6% of the NGDOs (33 out of the 74 studied) operate inefficiently, compared to 29.7%, which are efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chylous ascites (CA) is a rare complication after abdominal surgeries, particularly donor hepatectomy and liver transplantation. We present a case of CA developed following donor right hepatectomy. Initially managed with a high-protein, low-fat diet and Sandostatin® (Octreotide Acetate), the patient’s condition improved but did not resolve. Subsequently, the treatment plan was modified to include clear oral fluids, total parenteral nutrition, and Sandostatin®, resulting in a significant improvement and ultimate discontinuation of CA drainage. This case sheds light on the management strategies for CA following donor hepatectomy and emphasizes the need for a multimodal approach.

By causing inflammation and tissue damage, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) constitute an underlying mechanism of aspiration-induced lung injury, a major factor of the low utilization of donor lungs in lung transplantation (LTx). To determine whether NET removal during ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) can restore lung function and morphology in aspiration-damaged lungs, gastric aspiration lung injury was induced in 12 pigs. After confirmation of acute respiratory distress syndrome, the lungs were explanted and assigned to NET removal connected to EVLP (treated) (n = 6) or EVLP only (nontreated) (n = 6). Hemodynamic measurements were taken, and blood and tissue samples were collected to assess lung function, morphology, levels of cell-free DNA, extracellular histones, and nucleosomes as markers of NETs, as well as cytokine levels. After EVLP and NET removal in porcine lungs, PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratios increased significantly compared to those undergoing EVLP alone (p = 0.0411). Treated lungs had lower cell-free DNA (p = 0.0260) and lower levels of extracellular histones in EVLP perfusate (p = 0.0260) than nontreated lungs. According to histopathology, treated lungs showed less immune cell infiltration and less edema compared with nontreated lungs, which was reflected in decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in EVLP perfusate and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. To conclude, removing NETs during EVLP improved lung function and morphology in aspiration-damaged donor lungs. The ability to remove NETs during EVLP could represent a new therapeutic approach for LTx and potentially expand the donor pool for transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver transplantation (LT) is an established life-saving procedure. The field of LT has changed in the past 10 years from several perspectives, with the expansion of indications, transplantation of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, evolution of transplant oncology, the use of donations after cardiac death, new surgical techniques, and prioritisation of recipients on the waiting list. In addition, the advent of organ perfusion machines, the recognition of new forms of rejection, and the attention paid to the transition from paediatric to adult patients, have all improved the management of LT recipients. The purpose of the EASL guidelines presented here is not to cover all aspects of LT but to focus on developments since the previous EASL guidelines published in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is the only potentially curative treatment for myelofibrosis. This review discusses issues not well-covered by existing guidelines: timing of transplant, pre-transplant spleen management and alternative donors; providing our approach to these situations. Recent Findings: Research continues to allow better identification, by better risk stratification and advances in understanding likelihood of durable JAKi response, which patients are likely to derive benefit from upfront transplant versus those for whom delayed transplant may be more appropriate. Several options of JAKi therapy provide a non-surgical option for pre-HCT splenomegaly management, allowing some patients to avoid risks associated with splenectomy. Recent years have also seen a sharp spike in haploidentical donor transplants, along with narrowing of the gap in outcomes between donor types. Summary: Continuous enrollment in prospective studies or well-designed registries is required to generate the high-quality data needed to develop better decision tools for these scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the causes and nursing strategies of red blood cell spillage in apheresis platelet donors, so as to avoid adverse reactions to blood donation and platelet discarding and improve blood donation services. Methods A nursing flowchart for red blood cell spillage was developed based on literature. One case of red blood cell spillage in a apheresis platelet donor as attached, and corresponding literature review was conducted. Results After the nursing intervention through the nursing flowchart of red cell spillage, platelet apheresis was successfully conducted. The donor felt good and did not experience any adverse reaction to blood donation, and with no more red blood cell spillage. By reviewing relevant literature, the incidence, principles, causes, treatments, prevention of adverse reactions to blood donation and psychological care methods of red blood cell spillage were systematically summarized. Conclusion Red blood cell spillage in apheresis platelet donors occurs occasionally, and a flowchart of care for red blood cell spillage can help blood station staff quickly identify the cause and handle it correctly to avoid mishandling whicn can result in adverse reactions or discarding of platelets.

Aim. To test in experiment a pathogenetically adequate model of brain death due to increased intracranial pressure with gradual induction, allowing the evaluation of the changes occurring in the organs of a potential donor.Materials and methods. 6–8 months old outbred male rats of the experimental group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 8) were anesthetized, the left common carotid artery was catheterized to record systolic, diastolic blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), the mean BP (MBP) was calculated. After transfer to artifi cial ventilation, brain death was simulated in the experimental group using the developed method.Results. All animals in the experimental group suffered brain death 30 minutes from the start of the experiment;10 rats (56%) died within 3 hours due to progression of circulatory failure. Initially, in anesthetized animals, MBP was 101 (90; 105) mm Hg, HR 310 (297; 315) beats/min. After 5 minutes from the start of brain death induction, MBP increased to 147 (140; 150) mm Hg (p = 0.01), HR to 396 (384; 406) beats/min (p = 0.03). Further, within 20 minutes there was a decrease in MBP to 94 (90; 100) mm Hg and HR to 290 beats/min. During the observation period from 26 to 90 minutes, there was a stabilization of MBP at the level of 87–92 mm Hg, there was a tendency to bradycardia with HR from 263 to 274 beats/min (p = 0.01). Then after 120–150 minutes from the beginning of brain death induction, MBP continued to decrease to 75–80 mmHg (p = 0,03), HR to 256–264 beats/min (p = 0,01). At the end of the experiment, despite volemic support, MBP decreased to 64 (61; 67) mm Hg (p = 0.02), bradycardia worsened with HR to 250 (248; 260) beats/min (p = 0.01), indicating the hemodynamic decompensation.Conclusion. The results of experimental testing of an animal brain death model on outbred rats showed that this model is pathogenetically adequate and useful to assess the condition of potential donor organs within 3 hours after the induction of brain death.

Organ trafficking, a very profitable worldwide illegal activity today, is frequently overlooked by those involved in combating human trafficking due to its complex and covert nature. Numerous international documents underscore the importance of countering trafficking in human organs and transplant tourism. This article analyzes the legal frameworks of Spain and Brazil, with a particular focus on their compliance with international and supranational standards aimed at combating, inter alia, the illegal circulation of organs and other phenomena associated with it. Firstly, the article distinguishes such phenomena as transplant commercialism, transplant tourism and illegal trafficking in organs and draws attention to the fact that currently there is no uniform understanding of the clear boundaries of the concept of illegal trafficking in organs. Elaborating on the various aspects of the above-mentioned types of criminal activity may allow one to properly determine the legal interests and rights protected by criminal law and the types of behavior subject to imputation in an exhaustive way. Secondly, the authors outline a number of controversial issues that arise due to the complex nature of organ trafficking and suggest several ways to meet these challenges.

Jean Emily Fairfax’s life (1920–2019) essentially comprised two careers – the first, as a Legal Defense Fund staffer during the civil rights movement of the 1960s and subsequent efforts to implement and preserve equity measures, and another in “retirement” as an elder stateswoman, donor, and shaper of ideas about Black philanthropy. Both careers reflected her unwavering commitment to championing a more equitable society, anchored in her belief in the transformative power of philanthropy. Drawing on oral history interviews and engagement with the histories of education and philanthropy, at the intersection of gender, race, and ageing, Fairfax’s story offers insights into the resilience and agency of older Black women who, having been engaged in earlier civil rights movements, continued to shape social change in their later years. Her activism and philanthropy were deeply intertwined, reflecting her unwavering belief in the possibility of justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The global pandemic has resulted in the common occurrence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in the population. In the post‐pandemic era, it is imperative to understand the influence of donor SARS‐CoV‐2 infection on outcomes after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT). We retrospectively analysed allo‐HSCTs from donors with mild SARS‐CoV‐2 infection or early recovery stage (ERS) (group 1, n = 65) and late recovery stage (group 2, n = 120). Additionally, we included allo‐HSCT from donors without prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection as group 0 (n = 194). Transplants from donors with different SARS‐CoV‐2 infection status had comparable primary engraftment and survival rates. However, group 1 had higher incidences of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGvHD), grade II–IV (41.5% vs. 28.1% in group 0 [p = 0.014] and 30.6% in group 2 [p = 0.067]) and grade III–IV (22.2% vs. 9.6% [p = 0.004] in group 0 and 12.2% in group 2 [p = 0.049]). Conversely, the risk of aGvHD in group 2 was similar to that in group 0 (p > 0.5). Multivariable analysis identified group 1 associated with grade II–IV (hazard ratio [HR] 2.307, p = 0.010) and grade III–IV (HR 2.962, p = 0.001) aGvHD, which yielded no significant risk factors for survival. In conclusion, we preliminarily demonstrated donors in the active infection state or ERS of mild SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were associated with higher incidences of aGvHD in transplants from related donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) using post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (post-Cy) is considered a reasonable therapeutic option for patients who lack matched donor or who urgently need transplant procedure due to high risk disease. We analyzed the results of haplo-SCT performed in years 2018–2023. Eighty one patients (46 males) at median age of 52 years underwent haplo-SCT using peripheral blood as a stem cell source in most cases. Indications included hematological malignancies (acute leukemias in 88% of cases). In 25 cases (31%) transplantation was performed in relapsed/refractory disease. Majority of patients (61%) presented with very high and high disease risk index (DRI). Conditioning regimens were as follows: nonmyeloablative − 46 cases (57%), myeloablative – in 18 (22%) and reduced intensity – 17(20%). 90% of patients engrafted. All patients received unified immunosuppressive treatment (post-Cy/TAC/MMF). Median follow-up time was 12 months The cumulative incidence of acute and chronic GVHD was 37.5% and 37.6%, respectively. Estimated 2-year overall survival (OS) was 43.1% and donor's age was the only factor influencing survival. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 42.5%, whereas relapse incidence (RI) − 35%. The cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 44% and was mostly due to infections. Haplo-SCT is a feasible treatment option for hematological patients. Younger donor improves post-transplant survival. Strategies to reduce infection-related mortality and relapse rate remain a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological side effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilization in related donors of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) and impacts of psychological/physical side effects on harvest outcomes remain largely unknown. We prospectively analyzed 349 consecutive related peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donors for allo-HCT at the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine from March 2021 to August 2023. Higher baseline peripheral blood white blood cell counts (p = 0.046), monocyte counts (p < 0.001), platelet counts (p = 0.001), and hemoglobin (p < 0.001) had a positive correlation to CD34+ cell counts in the first leukapheresis, while female donors (male vs. female, p < 0.001) and older age (> 40 vs. < = 40, p = 0.003) were negatively related to CD34+ cell counts. Bone pain was the most observed physical side effect and was more frequent in female donors (p = 0.032). The incidence of fatigue was higher in female donors and older donors (female vs. male, p = 0.016; > 40 vs. < = 40, p = 0.015). Donor depression (pre vs. during mobilization, p < 0.001), anxiety (pre vs. during mobilization, p = 0.043) and insomnia (pre vs. during mobilization, p = 0.011) scores increased during the mobilization period. Donors with higher depression, anxiety and stress scores at admission were more likely to experience nausea. At 1 month after the last leukapheresis, the counts of white blood cell, neutrophil, monocyte and hemoglobin were significant lower than baseline counts, while the platelet counts recovered to baseline. The mobilization and harvest process can increase the depression, anxiety and insomnia scores. Poor psychological status of the donor can aggravate the occurrence of physical side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The decision to become a living donor requires consideration of a complex, interactive array of factors that could be targeted for clinical, policy, and educational interventions. Our objective was to assess how financial barriers interact with motivators, other barriers, and facilitators during this process. Methods: Data were obtained from a public survey assessing motivators, barriers, and facilitators of living donation. We used multivariable logistic regression and consensus k‐means clustering to assess interactions between financial concerns and other considerations in the decision‐making process. Results: Among 1592 respondents, the average age was 43; 74% were female and 14% and 6% identified as Hispanic and Black, respectively. Among employed respondents (72%), 40% indicated that they would not be able to donate without lost wage reimbursement. Stronger agreement with worries about expenses and dependent care challenges was associated with not being able to donate without lost wage reimbursement (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0–1.3; OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.1–1.3, respectively). Four respondent clusters were identified. Cluster 1 had strong motivators and facilitators with minimal barriers. Cluster 2 had barriers related to health concerns, nervousness, and dependent care. Clusters 3 and 4 had financial barriers. Cluster 3 also had anxiety related to surgery and dependent care. Conclusions: Financial barriers interact primarily with health and dependent care concerns when considering living organ donation. Targeted interventions to reduce financial barriers and improve provider communication regarding donation‐related risks are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is considered as the last treatment option in many life-threatening diseases. The number of donated cells can affect transplantation success. This study attempted to investigate the relationship between the health-promoting lifestyle of allogeneic stem cell donors and the number of donated CD34+ and CD3+ cells. Materials and Methods: The study was a descriptive correlational study in which 100 peripheral blood stem cells donors participated. A demographic form and health-promoting lifestyle profile-II questionnaire were distributed to participants, and then cell separation was started. Afterward, the results of CD34 + and CD3 + cell counts, as well as other clinical parameters of the participants, were recorded. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistical methods . Results: The results showed that the mean total health-promoting lifestyle profile score for hematopoietic stem cell donors was 2.876±0.461. There was no significant relationship between the health- promoting lifestyle score and the number of CD34+, CD3+ cells and CD3+/CD34+ ratio. A positive and significant correlation was found between the weight of the donors and the number of CD34+ (P < 0.001) and CD3+ cells (P = 0.001). The number of CD34+ cells was significantly different between women and men (P = 0.009). Conclusion: Lifestyle had no significant effect on the number of CD3+/CD34+ cells. Moreover, the number of CD34+ cells was significantly higher in men, so males should be preferentially recruited as donors for the HSCT procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autologous costal cartilage has gained widespread acceptance as an important material for ear reconstruction in patients with microtia. Despite its recognition as being "worth the trade-off," attention should be directed toward donor-site deformities. This systematic review focused on existing English literature related to microtia reconstruction and aimed to reveal the incidence of chest wall deformities and assess the effectiveness of the various proposed surgical techniques aimed at reducing donor-site morbidities. A comprehensive search was conducted on Pubmed and OVID using the keywords "microtia," and "chest deformity" or "rib harvest." Articles were screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data acquisition encompassed patient demographics, employed surgical techniques, methods for evaluating chest deformity, and incidence of associated complications. Among the 362 identified articles, 21 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 2600 cases involving 2433 patients with microtia were analyzed in this review. Perichondrium preservation during cartilage harvesting led to a significant reduction in chest deformities. However, the wide incidence range (0% to 50%) and the lack of specific assessment methods suggested potential underestimation. Computed tomography revealed reduced chest wall growth in the transverse and sagittal directions, resulting in decreased thoracic area. Innovative surgical techniques have shown promising results in reducing chest deformities. Although a quantitative analysis was not feasible, objective evidence of deformities was established through computed tomography scans. This analysis highlighted the need for dedicated studies with larger sample sizes to further advance our understanding of chest wall deformities in microtia reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate ophthalmologists' interest and opinions regarding corneal transplantation and donation in Türkiye. Material and methods: An online questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms, and the electronic link to this questionnaire was sent via WhatsApp to ophthalmologists working in Türkiye. Eighteen open-ended/multiple-choice questions were asked about ophthalmologists' demographic information and their opinions regarding corneal transplantation and donation. The answers were analyzed by transferring the data to Excel. Results: A total of 195 ophthalmologists participated in the survey. While 68.6% of them stated that they wanted to donate their corneas, 21.1% stated that they were undecided, and 10.3% did not want to donate their corneas. While 93.8% of the participants agreed to have a cornea transplant in case of need, 5.7% of them stated that they were undecided, and 0.5% said that they would not accept a cornea transplant. The most frequent (90.5%) reason for being willing to donate one's cornea was to give hope to patients with low vision. The most frequent (46.2%) reason for not wanting to donate one's cornea was the unwillingness to have one's body/eye integrity impaired. The vast majority (80.8%) of the participants thought that there was not enough corneal donation in Türkiye and that this was mostly (85.9%) due to cultural and/or religious reasons. Conclusions: Even in a sample with a high level of education and the most knowledge about corneal transplantation, the willingness to donate corneas may remain below the expected rates. Therefore, it is necessary to alleviate unrealistic concerns and prejudices about corneal donation and transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Medication use in living kidney donor (LKD) candidates may have important implications for evaluation and donation care. We sought to characterize LKD candidate medication use through medication histories conducted at nephrologist evaluation and transplant pharmacist preoperative visits. Methods: This retrospective single‐center cohort study included adult LKD candidates evaluated for donation between October 1, 2019 and October 1, 2021. Scheduled and as‐needed medications for each candidate were abstracted from pre‐donation medication histories collected at the evaluation visit with the nephrologist and the preoperative visit with the transplant pharmacist, if approved for donation. Medication histories from each visit were compared with each other and evaluated by therapeutic class frequency. Results: Among 213 LKD candidates (112 approved for donation and 101 declined for donation), 198 (93.0%) candidates were taking at least one prescription medication, over‐the‐counter agent, or dietary supplement. Antidepressants and antihypertensives were the most common prescription agents used among candidates, with antihypertensives more common among declined donors (20.8% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.042). Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were more commonly identified at the evaluation visit of approved candidates compared to the preoperative visit (29.5% vs. 0.9%, p < 0.001) and dietary supplements were more commonly identified at the preoperative visit compared to the evaluation visit (49.1% vs. 59.8%, p = 0.023). Conclusions: The frequency of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs decreased greatly between the evaluation and preoperative visit, likely reflective of discontinuation pre‐donation. Characterizing medication use among candidates evaluated for LKD donation may assist donor programs with developing more targeted patient medication education. Nearly all LKD candidates were taking a medication or dietary supplement pre‐donation. Transplant pharmacists are uniquely positioned to perform medication reconciliations and can also offer guidance to other team providers on best practices for this process. A better understanding of medication patterns in this population may also aid with further developing care guidelines for LKD evaluation and pre‐/postoperative LKD care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive immunisation with normal human immunoglobulin (NHIG) is recommended as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for higher-risk measles contacts where vaccination is contraindicated. However, the concentration of measles-specific antibodies in NHIG depends on antibody levels within pooled donor plasma. There are concerns that measles immunity in the Australian population may be declining over time and that blood donors' levels will progressively decrease, impacting levels required to produce effective NHIG for measles PEP. A cross-sectional study of Australian plasmapheresis donors was performed using an age-stratified, random sample of recovered serum specimens, collected between October and November 2019 (n = 1199). Measles-specific IgG antibodies were quantified by ELISA (Enzygnost anti-measles virus IgG, Siemens), and negative and equivocal specimens (n = 149) also underwent plaque reduction neutralisation testing (PRNT). Mean antibody levels (optical density values) progressively decreased from older to younger birth cohorts, from 2.09 [±0.09, 95% CI] to 0.58 [±0.04, 95% CI] in donors born in 1940–1959 and 1990–2001, respectively (p < 0.0001). This study shows that mean measles-specific IgG levels are significantly lower in younger Australian donors. While current NHIG selection policies target older donors, as younger birth cohorts become an increasingly larger proportion of contributing donors, measles-specific antibody concentrations of NHIG will progressively reduce. We therefore recommend monitoring measles-specific antibody levels in future donors and NHIG products in Australia and other countries that eliminated measles before the birth of their youngest blood donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, the high consanguinity rates contribute to the prevalence of inherited hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia, which frequently require blood transfusions. These transfusions carry the risk of alloimmunization, necessitating a precise blood component matching to mitigate health risks. Local antigen frequency data is vital for optimizing transfusion practices and enhancing the safety of these medical procedures for the Al-Ahsa population. Methods: This study investigated the distribution of Duffy, Kidd, Lewis, and Rh blood group antigens in 1,549 individuals from the region; comparing the frequencies with global data. Results: Serological analyses revealed a high prevalence of the Fy(a+b-) and Jk(a+b+) phenotypes in the Duffy and Kidd blood groups, respectively, with Jk(a-b-) being notably scarce. The Lewis blood group exhibited a significant presence of Le(a-b+) and Le(a+b-) phenotypes, whereas Le(a+b+) was less common. In the Rh system, the D antigen was most prevalent, with other antigens following in descending order of frequency. Conclusions: The study underscores the regional variation in antigen frequencies, emphasizing the need for local blood banks to adapt their screening and matching practices to mitigate the risk of alloimmunization and enhance transfusion safety. These findings are pivotal for refining transfusion strategies and understanding the immunohematology landscape in Al-Ahsa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproductive system plays a crucial role in preserving the human race. The health of the reproductive system reflects not only the genetic viability of future generations but also overall health. It is also related to numerous human rights, including the right to life, liberty, personal integrity, health, education, and the principle of equality and non-discrimination. The state, on the other hand, has positive obligations to ensure the observance, protection, and implementation of reproductive rights. Everyone has the right to the highest attainable level of physical and mental health. Any individual or couple has the right to decide how many children to have, when to have them, and at what intervals, even if it involves postmortem reproduction. That is why it is necessary to pay attention to the need to ensure the rights of servicemen to biological paternity (motherhood), which is extremely important, especially in the context of martial law in Ukraine. Despite some controversial aspects arising in the context of postmortem donation in Ukraine, it is the duty of the legislator to adopt laws and create legal provisions that can properly regulate this area. In doing so, the principle of proportionality should be taken into account, which can help to achieve the necessary balance between personal integrity and respect for the body after death, on the one hand, and the right to family, on the other. It should be understood that the experience of states at war has highlighted the urgency of postmortem donation and the position of society on its legal integration along with other areas of social relations that are subject to regulation. Military service, given its daily risks, can certainly compromise fertility, particularly through genitourinary trauma that can be associated with combat, gonadotoxic exposure, and physical separation from a partner. In addition, the issue of disposing of oocytes in case of death or declaration of death of a servicewoman remains unaddressed. Implementation of postmortem donation in the event of the death of a female military service member is possible only through surrogate motherhood. However, the current legislation in this area does not regulate the possibility of in vitro fertilization after the death of one of the spouses and completely “bypasses” any derivative issues related to surrogate motherhood after death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important reactive sulfur species that is involved in many biological functions, and H2S imbalances have been indicated as a potential biomarker for various diseases. Different H2S donors have been developed to deliver H2S directly to biological systems, but few reports include donors with optical responses that allow for tracking of H2S release. Moreover, donor systems that use the same chemistry to deliver H2S across a palette of fluorescent responses remain lacking. Here we report five thiol‐activated fluorescence turn‐on COS/H2S donors that utilize blue, yellow, orange, red, and near infrared‐emitting dyes functionalized with an H2S‐releasing sulfenyl thiocarbonate scaffold. Upon treatment with thiols, each donor provides a fluorescence turn‐on response (3–310‐fold) and high H2S release efficiencies (>60 %). Using combined electrode and fluorescence experiments, we directly correlate the measured H2S release with the fluorescence response. All donors are biocompatible and release H2S in live cell environments. In addition, we demonstrate that the NIR donor allows for imaging H2S release in live rats via subcutaneous injection of the donor loaded into an alginate gel, which to the best of our knowledge is the first in vivo tracking of H2S release from a fluorogenic donor in non‐transparent organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Online sperm donation allows those hoping to conceive a baby ("recipients") to meet prospective sperm donors online, via "connection" websites or social media. These sites offer some advantages to clinical donation (including lower costs and greater choice over donation arrangements) but previous research has suggested that these sites may also pose risks and challenges to those who use them. Therefore, the aim of this exploratory research was to better understand online sperm donation communities and the experiences of both recipients and donors, particularly with respect to situations that could be "morally challenging" or involve harm. Methods: Three prolific donors and five recipients were interviewed using an indepth narrative approach. Carol Gilligan's Listening Guide was employed to analyse the data. Results: The findings demonstrated that the donors sought to find ways to maintain autonomy in their donating practices and were concerned about the character and parenting abilities of recipients, as well as the potential for recipients to make unwarranted complaints. The recipients were concerned about their safety and finding a donor they could trust, discussing issues relating to donor "dishonesty", online abuse, and a lack of support from connection sites and related authorities. Both donors and recipients identified "morally challenging" behaviour relating to donor anonymity (donor use of fake online profiles or aliases) and the sexual motivations or (mis)conduct of some donors. The participants each discussed the ways in which they managed perceived risks. Discussion: The degree to which the participants voiced their acceptance or rejection of challenging behaviour in online sperm donation communities varied across and within participants, highlighting the complexity of the way in which people interact in this environment. Further research is required to understand how this form of sperm donation can be as safe and supportive as possible, while also respecting the importance to donors and recipients of autonomy and choice when making donation arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 infection represents a new challenge for solid organ transplantation (SOT) with evolving recommendations. A cross-sectional survey was performed (February–June 2024) to describe practices among Member States of the Council of Europe (COE) on the use of organs from deceased donors with resolved or active SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, 32 out of 47 Member States with a transplant program participated in the study. Four (12.5%) countries did not use organs from deceased donors either with resolved or with active SARS-CoV-2 infection and 8 (25%) countries accepted organs only from deceased donors with resolved SARS-CoV-2 infection. Donor evaluation for SARS-CoV-2 included universal screening with standard PCR testing on respiratory specimens generally (61.4%) performed within 24 h prior to organ recovery. Further microbiological, immunological and radiological investigations varied. Most waitlisted patients receiving organs from a deceased donor with active (94.5%) or resolved (61.5%) SARS-CoV-2 infection were preferred to have natural, vaccine-induced or hybrid SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Most countries did not require recipients to undergo specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatment as pre-exposure (0%), post-exposure prophylaxis (15.4%) or modification of immunosuppression regimen (24%). This study highlights similarities and heterogeneities in the management of SARS-CoV-2 positive donors between COE countries, and a potential to safely expand donors’ pool.

AimTo evaluate the impact of corneas from donors over 80 years of age on the activity of the North of France Tissue Bank and to determine the potential cost implications for banks using corneas from older donors.MethodsWe analyzed data from a single-center retrospective cohort study of 6,023 corneas preserved at the Lille Tissue Bank between 2012 and 2023. Donors, unrestricted by age, were divided into two groups: younger (≤ 80 years) and older (> 80 years). Corneas were categorized based on endothelial cell density (ECD). Data were collected from patients who underwent corneal transplantation. A financial impact model was created to assess the effects of using corneas from different age groups on the overall benefits of corneal transplant procedures.ResultsThe average donor age was 67.5 ± 14.5 years. The median age of donors gradually increased from 66 to 73 years over the 12-year study period, with donors over 80 years old representing more than 24% since 2021. Corneas from older donors had a higher discard rate (62.53% vs. 39.66%) due to poor endothelial quality and serological concerns (both p

Objective: To compare long-term incidence rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients after tumor nephrectomy (TN) and donor nephrectomy (DN) and to evaluate risk factors for developing CKD. Materials and methods: Data from 1048 patients who performed TN (552) and DN (496) between 2000 and 2018 at Siriraj hospital were retrospectively analyzed. We obtained 106 patients for each group after using a 1:1 propensity score matching by age and preoperative glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The incidence rate of CKD and risk factors for CKD stage ≥3 were evaluated. Results: There were no differences in incidence of CKD between TN (26.4 %) and DN group (24.5 %) with median follow-up time of 4.95 and 6.05 years (p = 0.308). There were no differences in mean GFR postoperatively at up to ten years follow-up (p = 0.378). The GFR at last follow-up was 71.15 and 68.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 in TN and DN groups (p = 0.172). The TN showed more proteinuria than DN group but not for postoperative hypertension. The multivariate analysis showed age 47 years (p = 0.012) and preoperative GFR 100 (p = 0.001) as a risk factor for developing CKD after nephrectomy but not for type for nephrectomy (p = 0.753). Conclusion: The risk of developing CKD in patients after tumor nephrectomy was the same as in living kidney donors who were matched by age and preoperative GFR. Age over 47 years and preoperative GFR

Background: Blood transfusion is a critical hemotherapeutic intervention. However, the widespread utilization of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) methods in screening potential donors for TTIs poses a serious public health challenge. We investigated the prevalence of TTIs in donor blood units that were transported from external health facilities (Trans-in blood) to Ho Teaching Hospital for critical care. Method: We adopted a cross-sectional design to investigate 727 units of Trans-in blood at the Ho Teaching Hospital's blood bank between January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. An apriori-developed data capture form was used to collect the data for this study. The chi-square test and Cramer's V or Phi were used to assess the association between variables of interest. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between TTIs and donor's blood groups whereas spatial visualization was employed to present the distribution of missed TTIs. Results: The overall prevalence of missed TTIs was 6.19 % (95 % CI: 4.66–8.18), comprising missed HIV, HBV, and Syphilis infection rates of 1.79 % (95 % CI: 1.72–1.86), 1.24 % (95 % CI: 1.17–1.31), and 3.16 % (95 % CI: 3.09–3.23), respectively. There was a higher rate of missed HIV infections in 2022 (2.04 %, 95 % CI: 1.04–3.97) compared to 2021 (1.49 %, 95 % CI: 0.64–3.45), and a decline in the rates of missed HBV and Syphilis infection within the period. The prevalence of TTI was highest among donors with ABO blood group 'O' (68.89 %, 95 % CI: 54.34–80.47) and Rh 'D' Positive blood group (95.56 %, 95 % CI: 85.17–98.77). Compared to donors with blood group O, non-O donors had 4.53 times the odds (95 % CI: 1.12–18.27; p-value=0.034) of missed HBV infection. Conclusion: The observed prevalence of missed TTIs highlights potential gaps in current screening practices, posing a significant public health concern. Efforts made to clamp down on the spread of these infections within the population may be impeded if the current trend of missed TTIs continues. Further studies on a larger scale with more comprehensive data are advised to better appreciate the public health implications of missed TTIs in Ghana.

The article describes the case of a 13-year-old boy who underwent autotransplantation (AT) to replace a congenitally missing tooth using the 3D replica as a socket preparation tool. Topics discussed include alternatives that have been suggested for the replacement of a missing tooth, main reason for tooth loss in male patients, and information on the surgery performed on the patient.

The most crucial blood group system in transfusion medicine is still the ABO system. Any unresolved discrepancy could result in the patient receiving blood that is incompatible and could trigger acute intravascular hemolysis. ABO subgroups are one of the astounding differences in blood grouping. The amount of A and B antigens carried by red blood cells and present in secretion varies depending on the ABO subgroup phenotype. Clinically, A1 and A2 are the two most frequently observed subtypes. Many weaker A subgroups have been described, including A3, Axe, am, and el. This example involves an Indian male donor who was initially misclassified as a Group O individual before being identified as an Ax/Aweak subgroup phenotypically. The next-generation sequencing defined the genotype of this case as ABO*AW.31.01/*O.01.75.

HLA-matched allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative therapy for many patients. Unrelated HLA-matched donors are the most frequently used donor for HCT. When more than one donor transplant option is available, transplant centers can select donors based on non-HLA factors. With improved ability to prevent and treat immune complications, such as graft-versus-host disease and infections, it may be possible to proceed more often using HLA-mismatched donors, allowing greater consideration of non-HLA factors, such as donor age, CMV serostatus, and ABO blood group matching, which have demonstrated important impacts on transplant outcomes. Additional factors to consider are donor availability rates and the usage of domestic donors to optimize outcomes. A review of non-HLA factors and considerations on the selection of optimal unrelated donors for HCT are provided within this updated current context.

Objective: Sex-specific differences are observed in various liver diseases, but the influence of sex on the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) remains to be determined. This study is the first Chinese nationwide investigation of the role of sex in post-LT outcomes in patients with HCC. Methods: Data for recipients with HCC registered in the China Liver Transplant Registry between January 2015 and December 2020 were analyzed. The associations between donor, recipient, or donor-recipient transplant patterns by sex and the post-LT outcomes were studied with propensity score matching (PSM). The survival associated with different sex-based donor-recipient transplant patterns was further studied. Results: Among 3,769 patients enrolled in this study, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates of patients with HCC after LT were 96.1%, 86.4%, and 78.5%, respectively, in female recipients, and 95.8%, 79.0%, and 70.7%, respectively, in male recipients after PSM ( P = 0.009). However, the OS was comparable between recipients with female donors and male donors. Multivariate analysis indicated that male recipient sex was a risk factor for post-LT survival (HR = 1.381, P = 0.046). Among the donor-recipient transplant patterns, the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival ( P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our findings highlighted that the post-LT outcomes of female recipients were significantly superior to those of male recipients, and the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival. Livers from male donors may provide the most benefit to female recipients. Our results indicate that sex should be considered as a critical factor in organ allocation.

Heart transplantation (HTx) outcomes have improved with careful donor selection and management; nonetheless, donor shortages remain a major challenge. Optimizing donor management is crucial for improving donor utility rates and post-HTx outcomes. Brain death leads to various pathophysiological changes that can affect multiple organs, including the heart. Understanding these alterations and corresponding management strategies is key to optimizing the donor organ condition. This review assesses several aspects of these pathophysiological changes, including hemodynamic and endocrinological considerations, and emphasizes special consideration for potential cardiac donors, including serial echocardiographic evaluations for reversible cardiac dysfunction and coronary assessments for donors with risk factors.

Silvia Schrittenlocher,1 Jithmi Weliwitage,2 Mario Matthaei,1 Björn Bachmann,1 Claus Cursiefen1,3 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, NRW, Germany; 2University of Cologne, Institute for Medical Statistics and Computational Biology (IMSB), Cologne, NRW, Germany; 3University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, NRW, GermanyCorrespondence: Silvia Schrittenlocher, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne, 50937, Germany, Tel +49 221– 4313, Fax +49 221– 3186, Email Silvia.Schrittenlocher@uk-koeln.dePurpose: To determine which donor characteristics, like previous diseases and surgeries, influence the severity of the DM/endothelial lamella preparation prior to DMEK-surgery.Patients and Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional single-center study is presented. Eight hundred and forty-six eyes with DMEK-surgery between 01/2018 and 01/2021 performed at the University Hospital Cologne, Germany, were included. Information regarding the donors’ previous diseases and surgeries were provided by a large database of a cornea bank (Multi Tissue Bank Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) and merged with the Cologne DMEK database, which contains information regarding preparation characteristics of the surgeon-prepared graft directly preoperatively. Three preparation groups (easy, difficult and very difficult) were correlated to the donors’ previous diseases and surgeries. The following characteristics were used for the assignment in one of the three groups: stripping difficulty, rolling and staining behavior, central and peripheral adherences, tissue fragility and DM-splitting.Results: Significant risk factors for DM-splitting were diabetes mellitus (DMel) type II, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and previous cataract surgery (p=0.022, p=0.012; p=0.047 and p< 0.001 respectively). Previous DMel (especially type 2) was significantly associated with the occurrence of central adherences (p=0.009). Several cardiovascular diseases (p-values between < 0.001 and p=0.038), DMel type II, chronic kidney disease and previous cataract-surgery were associated with peripheral adherences (p=0.004; p=0.020 and p< 0.001 respectively). Furthermore, pseudophakic donor eyes presented a higher degree of fragility of the graft (p< 0.001). Age was a significant risk factor for difficult preparation (p< 0.001). The staining of the graft was poorer in donors with chronic kidney disease (p=0.037).Conclusion: Donor diabetes mellitus type 2, heart failure, previous cataract surgery, chronic kidney disease and age are associated with a difficult DMEK graft preparation. For every one-year increment in donor age, the odds of having very difficult preparation were increased by 3%. Also, chronic kidney disease predisposes to a poor tissue staining with trypan blue during preparation.Keywords: DMEK, lamellar keratoplasty, donor, graft preparation, risk factors, cornea bank

In this study, a novel iron-based catalyst system, Fe(acac)3/(isocyanoimino) triptenylphosphorane (IITP)/AlR3, was employed for the synthesis of syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene in hexane. This catalyst system exhibits remarkably high catalytic activity, achieving a polymerization activity of 762 kgpolymer·molcatalyst−1·h−1 at 50 °C with a [BD]/[Fe] molar ratio of 20000. Furthermore, living polymerization characteristic were observed during the investigation of the polymerization kinetics of 1,3-butadiene polymerization. These characteristics were well demonstrated by a narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI≈2.0) of the resulting polybutadiene and a linear relationship between–ln(1 − c) and polymerization time as well as number average molecular weight and polymer yield. The resultant polymer showed a 1,2-selectivity of approximately 76% and stereoregularity ranging from 62% to 73%(rrrr). Additionally, through kinetic studies on polymerization reaction, an apparent activation energy Ea value of this catalytic system was calculated to be 84.98 kJ·mol−1, which suggests that high polymerization temperature favors efficient polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Stress cardiomyopathy in donors can potentially affect graft function and longevity. This study aims to investigate the association between echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%, and/or the presence of left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) in organ donors, and short‐ and long‐term liver and kidney graft survival. Our secondary aim was to link graft survival with donor and recipient characteristics. Methods: All donors considered for liver and kidney donation with echocardiographic records at Sahlgrenska University Hospital between 2006 and 2016 were matched with their recipients through the Scandiatransplant register. The studied outcomes were graft survival, re‐transplantation, and recipient death. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to plot time to event. Multivariate Cox‐regression was used to test independence. Results: There were 370 liver donors and 312 kidney donors (matched with 458 recipients) with echocardiographic records at Sahlgrenska University Hospital between June 2006 and November 2016. Of patients with LV dysfunction by echocardiography, there were 102 liver‐ and 72 kidney donors. Univariate survival analyses showed no statistical difference in the short‐ and long‐term graft survival from donors with LV dysfunction compared to donors without. Donor age > 65 years, recipient re‐transplantation and recipient liver tumor were predictors of worse outcome in liver transplants (p <.05). Donor age > 65, donor hypertension, recipient re‐transplantation, and a recipient diagnosis of diabetes or nephritis/glomerulonephritis had a negative association with graft survival in kidney transplants (p <.05). Conclusion: We found no significant association between donor LV dysfunction and short‐ and long‐term graft survival in liver and kidney transplants, suggesting that livers and kidneys from such donors can be safely transplanted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HLA-matched allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a curative therapy for many patients. Unrelated HLA-matched donors are the most frequently used donor for HCT. When more than one donor transplant option is available, transplant centers can select donors based on non-HLA factors. With improved ability to prevent and treat immune complications, such as graft-versus-host disease and infections, it may be possible to proceed more often using HLA-mismatched donors, allowing greater consideration of non-HLA factors, such as donor age, CMV serostatus, and ABO blood group matching, which have demonstrated important impacts on transplant outcomes. Additional factors to consider are donor availability rates and the usage of domestic donors to optimize outcomes. A review of non-HLA factors and considerations on the selection of optimal unrelated donors for HCT are provided within this updated current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transplantation of hearts from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive donors has increased substantially in recent years following development of highly effective direct-acting antiviral therapies for treatment and cure of HCV. Although historical data from the pre–direct-acting antiviral era demonstrated an association between HCV-positive donors and accelerated cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in recipients, the relationship between the use of HCV nucleic acid test–positive (NAT+) donors and the development of CAV in the direct-acting antiviral era remains unclear. We performed a retrospective, single-center observational study comparing coronary angiographic CAV outcomes during the first year after transplant in 84 heart transplant recipients of HCV NAT+ donors and 231 recipients of HCV NAT– donors. Additionally, in a subsample of 149 patients (including 55 in the NAT+ cohort and 94 in the NAT– cohort) who had serial adjunctive intravascular ultrasound examination performed, we compared development of rapidly progressive CAV, defined as an increase in maximal intimal thickening of ≥0.5 mm in matched vessel segments during the first year post-transplant. In an unadjusted analysis, recipients of HCV NAT+ hearts had reduced survival free of CAV ≥1 over the first year after heart transplant compared with recipients of HCV NAT– hearts. After adjustment for known CAV risk factors, however, there was no significant difference between cohorts in the likelihood of the primary outcome, nor was there a difference in development of rapidly progressive CAV. These findings support larger, longer-term follow-up studies to better elucidate CAV outcomes in recipients of HCV NAT+ hearts and to inform post-transplant management strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ donation after euthanasia (ODE) is a complex procedure involving the patient, the family, and the medical staff. Most organ donations occur from patients declared brain dead, and health care professionals rely on surrogate decisions, or the possible expression of ante-mortem will. Organ donation from deceased individuals is thus feasible under rigorous conditions, while direct donation after euthanasia is not possible. The scientific community has not reached a shared conclusion. It is also difficult to quantify the number of patients who would be medically eligible to donate organs after euthanasia. In keeping with the core the principle of self-determination, any decision to undergo euthanasia (with or without organ donation) must be voluntary and not influenced by external pressures. For this reason, the physician should avoid informing the patient about the possibility of donating their organs before their request for euthanasia is evaluated. Just as noteworthy is the issue of healthcare providers’ conscientious objection and the receiving patient’s right to know whether the transplanted organs come from a subject who underwent euthanasia. Finally, the patient who requests to end their life does so primarily because they are tormented by unbearable suffering and often expresses, as a last wish, the desire to exercise their free will regarding their own body. Organ donation after euthanasia would therefore seem to reinforce patient autonomy and self-esteem, thus giving a different meaning to their inevitable death, which is useful in saving the lives of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]