MicroRNA-21 blocks abdominal aortic aneurysm development and nicotine-augmented expansion.

Identification and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains among the most prominent challenges in vascular medicine. MicroRNAs are crucial regulators of cardiovascular pathology and represent possible targets for the inhibition of AAA expansion. We identified microRNA-21 (miR-21) as a key modulator of proliferation and apoptosis of vascular wall smooth muscle cells during development of AAA in two established murine models.

Inhibition of microRNA-29b reduces murine abdominal aortic aneurysm development.

MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and play crucial roles in vascular integrity. As such, they may have a role in modifying abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) expansion, the pathophysiological mechanisms of which remain incompletely explored. Here, we investigate the role of miRs in 2 murine models of experimental AAA: the porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) infusion model in C57BL/6 mice and the AngII infusion model in Apoe-/- mice.

Comparison of outcome in 1809 patients treated with drug-eluting stents or bare-metal stents in a real-world setting.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the long-term safety of drug-eluting stent (DES) versus bare metal stent (BMS) implantation in a "real-world" setting.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1809 patients who were treated with implantation of either BMS or DES were assessed. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses concerning primary endpoint of cardiac mortality were performed.

Growing up in foster families or institutions: attachment representation and psychological adjustment of young adults.

This study considers whether type of placement (foster care versus institutional care) is related to patterns of attachment representation and the quality of psychological adjustment in a sample of 48 young adults, who grew up either in foster care or in institutions. The subjects were interviewed using the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996, [2001]) and their psychological adjustment was assessed by using the Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis, 1993; German version by Franke, 2000). The results show significantly more positive effects of foster care when compared with institutional upbringing.

Cultural differences in maternal beliefs and behaviors: a study of middle-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mother-infant pairs in four everyday situations.

This study examines cultural patterning in situational variability in mother-infant interactions among middle-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mothers and their 12 to 15-month-old firstborn children. Forty mothers were interviewed regarding their long-term socialization goals and childrearing strategies, and videotaped interacting with their infants in four everyday settings: feeding, social play, teaching, and free play. Results suggest that: (1) Anglo mothers place greater emphasis on socialization goals and childrearing strategies consonant with a more individualistic orientation, whereas Puerto Rican mothers place greater focus on goals and strategies consistent with a more sociocentric orientation; (2) coherence was found between mothers' childrearing beliefs and practices, with Puerto Rican mothers more likely to directly structure their infants' behaviors; and (3) situational variability arose in mother-infant interactions, but this variability showed a cultural patterning consistent with mothers' long-term socialization goals and childrearing beliefs.