Group genetic counseling followed by the option of brief individual genetic counseling appears acceptable to women in a high-risk prenatal screening population. The findings support an alternative service delivery model for prenatal genetic services that could optimize the utilization of genetic counseling resources.

BACKGROUND: Primary medication nonadherence (PMN), defined as patients not picking up an initial prescription, can limit the effectiveness of therapy for chronic conditions. Effective interventions to reduce PMN have not been widely studied or implemented.

ImportanceIn patients with severe aortic valve stenosis at intermediate surgical risk, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding supra-annular valve was noninferior to surgery for all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 2 years. Comparisons of longer-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes in these patients are limited.ObjectiveTo report prespecified secondary 5-year outcomes from the Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in Intermediate Risk Subjects Who Need Aortic Valve Replacement (SURTAVI) randomized clinical trial.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsSURTAVI is a prospective randomized, unblinded clinical trial. Randomization was stratified by investigational site and need for revascularization determined by the local heart teams. Patients with severe aortic valve stenosis deemed to be at intermediate risk of 30-day surgical mortality were enrolled at 87 centers from June 19, 2012, to June 30, 2016, in Europe and North America. Analysis took place between August and October 2021.InterventionPatients were randomized to TAVR with a self-expanding, supra-annular transcatheter or a surgical bioprosthesis.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe prespecified secondary end points of death or disabling stroke and other adverse events and hemodynamic findings at 5 years. An independent clinical event committee adjudicated all serious adverse events and an independent echocardiographic core laboratory evaluated all echocardiograms at 5 years.ResultsA total of 1660 individuals underwent an attempted TAVR (n = 864) or surgical (n = 796) procedure. The mean (SD) age was 79.8 (6.2) years, 724 (43.6%) were female, and the mean (SD) Society of Thoracic Surgery Predicted Risk of Mortality score was 4.5% (1.6%). At 5 years, the rates of death or disabling stroke were similar (TAVR, 31.3% vs surgery, 30.8%; hazard ratio, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.85-1.22]; P = .85). Transprosthetic gradients remained lower (mean [SD], 8.6 [5.5] mm Hg vs 11.2 [6.0] mm Hg; P < .001) and aortic valve areas were higher (mean [SD], 2.2 [0.7] cm2 vs 1.8 [0.6] cm2; P < .001) with TAVR vs surgery. More patients had moderate/severe paravalvular leak with TAVR than surgery (11 [3.0%] vs 2 [0.7%]; risk difference, 2.37% [95% CI, 0.17%- 4.85%]; P = .05). New pacemaker implantation rates were higher for TAVR than surgery at 5 years (289 [39.1%] vs 94 [15.1%]; hazard ratio, 3.30 [95% CI, 2.61-4.17]; log-rank P < .001), as were valve reintervention rates (27 [3.5%] vs 11 [1.9%]; hazard ratio, 2.21 [95% CI, 1.10-4.45]; log-rank P = .02), although between 2 and 5 years only 6 patients who underwent TAVR and 7 who underwent surgery required a reintervention.Conclusions and RelevanceAmong intermediate-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, major clinical outcomes at 5 years were similar for TAVR and surgery. TAVR was associated with superior hemodynamic valve performance but also with more paravalvular leak and valve reinterventions.

Plastic explosives, such as Semtex and C4, are commonly used explosive mixtures. The differentiation and detection of the plasticizers within these mixtures could provide information for anti-terrorism and combat activities. In this study, we demonstrate a strategy of using cross-reactive serum albumin proteins to differentiate and detect the plasticizers found within these explosive mixtures. With our sensing ensemble, comprised of serum albumins, fluorescent indicators and an additive, we successfully classified the five plasticizers found within Semtex and C4 using linear discriminate analysis, and differentiated simulated Semtex and C4 mixtures based on surrogates of the explosive material(s) and the plasticizer composition in these samples. Finally, we have shown the utility of this type of crossreactive array for real life use in a battlefield setting by examining these mixtures in the presence of soil contamination.

No abstract

Social Media is a powerful and emerging method of communication that is becoming increasingly popular in genetic counseling and other health care communities. Despite its multiple benefits, the Social Media revolution has been met with some resistance in the healthcare setting. Herein, we will describe the potential benefits of Social Media for the genetic counseling profession specifically and explore ways in which any risks can be mitigated and barriers overcome to ensure responsible Social Media use by the profession.

Adding oxytocin to FB at the time of preinduction cervical ripening does not reduce cesarean rates nor improve maternal or neonatal outcomes. Multiparous women who received FB alone seem to have lower rates of vaginal deliveries within 24 hours, but these results should be interpreted with caution.

Objectives:To determine the association between medications intake in early pregnancy and variation in the fetal fraction (FF) in pregnant women undergoing cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing. Methods:We performed a retrospective cohort study of women (n = 1051) undergoing cfDNA testing at an academic center. The exposed group included women taking medications (n = 400; 38.1%), while the nonexposed group consisted of women taking no medications (n = 651; 61.9%). Our primary outcome was FF. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses as appropriate. Results:The FFs were 8.8% (6.6-12.1), 8.7% (6.3-11.6), and 7.7% (5.1-9.3) among women taking 0, 1, and two or more medications, respectively (P < 0.01). Using multivariable linear mixed effects model, the mean FF was significantly lower among those taking two or more medications compared with the nonexposed group. FF was directly correlated with gestational age at the time of cfDNA testing and inversely correlated with maternal obesity. Exposure to metformin was associated with 1.8% (0.2-3.4) lower mean FF when compared with the nonexposed group (P = 0.02). Obesity and intake of two or more medications were associated with higher hazard ratio of having a low FF less than 4%.Conclusions: Exposure to metformin or two or more medications was associated with decreased FF, and obesity is associated with delay in achieving adequate FF percentage. These findings should be considered while counseling patients on test limitations.