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Despite advances in mechanical circulatory devices and pharmacological therapies, heart transplantation is the definitive and most effective therapy for an important proportion of qualifying patients with end-stage heart failure. However, the demand for donor hearts significantly outweighs the supply. Hearts are sourced from donors following brain death, which exposes donor hearts to substantial pathophysiological perturbations that can influence heart transplant success and recipient survival. While significant advances in recipient selection, donor and HTx recipient management, immunosuppression and pretransplant mechanical circulatory support have been achieved, primary graft dysfunction after cardiac transplantation continues to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality.Animal models, when appropriate, can guide/inform medical practice, and fill gaps in knowledge that are unattainable in clinical settings. Consequently, we performed a systematic review of existing animal models that incorporate donor brain death and subsequent heart transplantation, and assessed studies for scientific rigor and clinical relevance. Following literature screening via MEDLINE and Embase, 29 studies were assessed. Analysis of included studies identified marked heterogeneity in animal models of donor brain death coupled to heart transplantation, with few research groups worldwide identified as utilizing these models. General reporting of important determinants of heart transplant success was mixed, and assessment of posttransplant cardiac function was limited to an invasive technique (pressure-volume analysis), which is limitedly applied in clinical settings.This review highlights translational challenges between available animal models and clinical heart transplant settings that is potentially hindering advancement of this field of investigation.BACKGROUND Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are waitlisted at older ages than individuals with other liver diseases, but the effect of age on liver transplantation (LT) outcomes in this population and whether it differs from other etiologies is not known. We aimed to evaluate the impact of age on LT outcomes in NASH. METHODS The United Network for Organ Sharing database was used to identify adults with NASH, hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) listed for LT during 2004-2017. Patients were split into age groups (18-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, ≥70), and their outcomes were compared. RESULTS From 2004-2017, 14 197 adults with NASH were waitlisted, and the proportion ≥65 increased from 15.8% to 28.9%. NASH patients ages 65-69 had an increased risk of waitlist and posttransplant mortality compared to younger groups, while the outcomes in ages 60-64 and 55-59 were similar. The outcomes of individuals with NASH were similar to patients of the same age group with ALD or HCV. Functional status and dialysis were predictors of posttransplant mortality in individuals ≥65 with NASH, and cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death. CONCLUSIONS Older NASH patients (≥65) have an increased risk of waitlist and post-transplant mortality compared to younger individuals, although outcomes were similar to patients with ALD or HCV of corresponding age. These individuals should be carefully evaluated prior to LT, considering their functional status, renal function, and cardiovascular risk. Further studies are needed to optimize outcomes in this growing population of transplant candidates.A renal core biopsy for histological evaluation is the gold standard for diagnosing renal transplant pathology. However, renal biopsy interpretation is subjective and can render insufficient precision, making it difficult to apply a targeted therapeutic regimen for the individual patient. This warrants a need for additional methods assessing disease state in the renal transplant. Significant research activity has been focused on the role of molecular analysis in the diagnosis of renal allograft rejection. The identification of specific molecular expression patterns in allograft biopsies related to different types of allograft injury, could provide valuable information about the processes underlying renal transplant dysfunction and can be used for the development of molecular classifier scores, which could improve our diagnostic and prognostic ability and could guide treatment. Molecular profiling has the potential to be more precise and objective than histological evaluation and may identify injury even before it becomes visible on histology, making it possible to start treatment at the earliest time possible. Combining conventional diagnostics (histology, serology and clinical data) and molecular evaluation will most likely offer the best diagnostic approach. We believe that the use of state-of-the-art molecular analysis will have a significant impact in diagnostics after renal transplantation. In this review, we elaborate on the molecular phenotype of both acute and chronic T cell-mediated rejection and antibody-mediated rejection and discuss the additive value of molecular profiling in the setting of diagnosing renal allograft rejection and how this will improve transplant patient care.BACKGROUND Cystatin C (CysC) is an early biomarker of renal dysfunction scarcely studied in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). Sarcopenia is frequent in cirrhosis and impacts prognosis. We aimed to assess the capability of these factors to predict survival and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in patients awaiting LT, as well as early post-LT outcomes. METHODS Single-center study that included all cirrhotic patients listed for LT between 2014 and 2017. Competing risk regression analysis was used to evaluate the capability of liver-, kidney- and global status-related variables at waitlist (WL) inclusion to predict WL mortality and ACLF. Variables associated with post-LT outcomes were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS One-hundred-and-eighty patients were included. Fifty-six (31%) patients developed ACLF, 54 (30%) underwent LT and 35 (19%) died. In the adjusted competing risk regression analysis, CysC ≥1.5 mg/L, sarcopenia and MELD-Na were independent predictors of ACLF in the WL, while CysC ≥1.5 mg/L, sarcopenia and albumin were independent predictors of mortality. The cumulative incidence of ACLF and mortality at 12 months were 50% and 34% in patients with sarcopenia and CysC ≥1.5 mg/L. An eGFR by CKD-EPI-CysC-Creatinine less then 60 ml/min/1.73 m at WL inclusion was an independent predictor of the need for RRT in the first month post-LT. CONCLUSIONS Higher levels of CysC and sarcopenia are strongly associated with the ACLF and mortality in WL. The assessment of both risk factors may improve the prognostic evaluation and allow identifying a group of patients with a very high risk of poor outcomes while awaiting LT.BACKGROUND In blunt trauma, orthopedic injuries are often associated with cerebral and torso injuries. The optimal timing for definitive care is a concern. The aim of the study was to develop evidence-based guidelines for damage-control orthopedic (DCO) and early total care (ETC) of pelvic and long-bone fractures, closed or open, and mangled extremities in adult trauma patients with and without associated injuries. METHODS The literature since 2000 to 2016 was systematically screened according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-analyses protocol. One hundred twenty-four articles were reviewed by a panel of experts to assign grade of recommendation and level of evidence using the Grading of recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, and an International Consensus Conference, endorsed by several scientific societies was held. RESULTS The choice between DCO and ETC depends on the patient's physiology, as well as associated injuries. In hemodynamically unstable pelvi While DCO is the best initial treatment to reduce surgical load, ETC should be applied in stable or stabilized patients to accelerate the recovery of normal functions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic review of predominantly level II studies, level II.PURPOSE To investigate intrarater and interrater reliability, agreement, and concurrent validity of a smartphone photography-based application compared with a universal goniometer in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS Range of motion of hip abduction, popliteal angle, and ankle dorsiflexion was measured with a universal goniometer and a photography-based application in children with cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V.A 2-way random-effects intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots, standard error of measurement, and smallest detectable change were used for analyses. RESULTS The application had good to excellent reliability and concurrent validity compared with a universal goniometer, while the large measurement error of both methods suggests that changes of 10° to 23° are needed to be certain that changes over time are not results of measurement error. CONCLUSIONS A photography-based goniometer can be a reliable and valid tool when measuring range of motion in children with cerebral palsy.PURPOSE Modified ride-on cars have emerged as an early powered mobility option for young children with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify, extract, and synthesize perceived barriers of modified ride-on car use reported in previous studies. METHODS This study was descriptive using a qualitative content analysis of previously published studies identified from a systematic literature search. RESULTS Categories of perceived barriers were identified device, environmental, child-related perceived barriers regarding health, tolerance, and abilities, and caregiver-related perceived barriers regarding physical requirements, time, and motivation. Device and environmental perceived barriers were the most reported. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric physical therapists play a critical role in working with families to promote their self-efficacy for using the modified ride-on car and their capacity for overcoming the inherent difficulties associated with use. Most of the reported perceived barriers are modifiable, at least to some degree, with likely effects on modified ride-on car use.OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) have in providing early intervention (EI) for infants with or at risk for cerebral palsy. METHODS Therapists' responses to an open-ended question were collected via survey that was distributed to EI providers and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS The primary self-reported barriers to PT/OT EI services had 5 themes (1) inadequate communication and collaboration, (2) challenges in coordination with family, (3) policy limitations, (4) meeting the child's individual medical needs, and (5) unequal access to resources. CONCLUSION Respondents reported that barriers are complex and exist at the individual, family, team, and societal levels. Further research is needed to explore barriers and solutions at each of these levels, from meeting a child's individual medical needs to improving interprofessional communication to increasing equitable access to resources.