Tattooing has become an increasingly popular phenomenon in the twenty first century, with growing numbers of sports stars and celebrities choosing to go 'under the needle' and tattooing regularly featuring in mainstream media. Based on interviews and participant observation at tattoo studios and tattoo conventions, this book investigates the reasons why so many people choose this form of body modification among all the options available to construct their identity. Drawing on Norbert Elias' figurational sociology, the author considers the importance of the desire to create community with others and to claim an authentic identity among the various reasons for choosing to be tattooed. A study of the connection between body and identity, richly illustrated with empirical material, this book will appeal to sociologists and scholars of cultural studies.

Single-center reports suggest incompatible live donor kidney transplant (ILDKT) outcomes are worse than compatible transplants. However, while almost 100 U.S. centers report performing ILDKT, outcomes studies are limited to a handful of the largest volume, most experienced centers. Furthermore, CMS holds ILDKT outcomes to the same standard as compatible ones, potentially penalizing centers performing ILDKT. We amassed 22 centers' DSA data—(+)Luminex (-)flow (PLNF, n=185), (+) flow (-)cytotoxic (PFNC, n=536), and (+)cytotoxic crossmatch (PCC, n=304). We tested associations of DSA, graft loss, and death compared to 9,669 non-ILDKTs.Figure: No Caption available.PLNF had similar graft loss and mortality. PFNC (adjusted HR=1.6, 95%CI:1.1-2.2, P<.01) and PCC (aHR=5.0, 95%CI:3.7-6.8, P<.001) were associated with increased graft loss in the first year.Table: No Caption available.PFNC (aHR=2.0;95%CI: 1.3-3.3; P<.01) and PCC (aHR=4.6; 95%CI:3.0-7.1; P<.001) were associated with increased mortality. We simulated CMS flagging to examine ILDKT's effect on it. Compared to equal-quality centers performing no ILDKT, centers doing 5, 10, or 20% PFNC or PCC had a 1.2, 1.3, and 1.7-fold and 2.2, 4.1, and 10.7-fold higher odds of flagging, respectively. Failure to account for ILDKT places centers offering this life-saving treatment at high risk of regulatory action.