Heart-Kidney and Heart-Liver Transplantation Provide Immunoprotection to the Cardiac Allograft.

Background: Prior single-center studies suggest that kidney and liver allografts are immunoprotective toward transplanted hearts. The broader effects of the simultaneous transplantation of kidney or liver on protection from rejection are unclear.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing database for heart transplantation was queried from 1987 to 2015 and stratified into patients undergoing heart-liver transplantation (HLT) (n = 192), heart-kidney transplantation (HKT) (n = 1,174), and heart-only transplantation (HT) (n = 61,471).

Positive family history of aortic dissection dramatically increases dissection risk in family members.

Objectives: Although family members of patients with aortic dissection (AoD) are believed to be at higher risk of AoD, the prognostic value of family history (FH) of aortic dissection (FHAD) in family members of patients with AoD has not been studied rigorously. We seek examine how much a positive FHAD increases the risk of developing new aortic dissection (AoD) among first-degree relatives.

Methods: Patients with AoD at our institution were analyzed for information of FHAD.

Twenty-five year outcomes following composite graft aortic root replacement.

Background: Operative choices for aortic root disease include traditional root replacement with a composite valved graft as well as various valve-sparing and root repair procedures.

Objectives: To report our experience with traditional composite graft aortic root replacement by a single surgeon over a 25-year period in 449 patients, focusing on long-term survival and freedom from late reoperation and adverse events.

Methods: The coronary button technique was used in all patients.

Computed Tomography Imaging Artifact Simulating Type A Aortic Dissection.

Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) is an effective tool for assessment of thoracic aortic disease in the modern era. Here, we describe a case of Type A aortic dissection incidentally detected by CT in a 63-year old man. Upon more precise imaging with electrocardiography (ECG)-gated CT, the dissection vanished, revealing it to be an aortic motion artifact.

Do Familial Aortic Dissections Tend to Occur at the Same Age?

Background: Prediction of the age at aortic dissection for family members of aortic dissection patients would enhance early detection and clinical management. We sought to determine whether these dissections tend to cluster by age in family members of the dissection patients.

Methods: Ages at dissection were examined, including 51 sporadic dissectors (one dissection in family) and 39 familial dissectors (two or more dissections in family) from 16 families.

Long-term behavior of aortic intramural hematomas and penetrating ulcers.

Objective: For intramural hematoma and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, long-term behavior and treatment are controversial. This study evaluates the long-term behavior of intramural hematoma and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, including radiologic follow-up and survival analysis.

Methods: Between 1995 and 2014, 108 patients (mean age, 70.

Atypical aortic arch branching variants: A novel marker for thoracic aortic disease.

Objective: To examine the potential of aortic arch variants, specifically bovine aortic arch, isolated left vertebral artery, and aberrant right subclavian artery, as markers for thoracic aortic disease (TAD).

Methods: We screened imaging data of 556 patients undergoing surgery due to TAD for presence of aortic arch variations. Demographic data were collected during chart review and compared with a historical control group of 4617 patients.

Lung stem cell self-renewal relies on BMI1-dependent control of expression at imprinted loci.

BMI1 is required for the self-renewal of stem cells in many tissues including the lung epithelial stem cells, Bronchioalveolar Stem Cells (BASCs). Imprinted genes, which exhibit expression from only the maternally or paternally inherited allele, are known to regulate developmental processes, but what their role is in adult cells remains a fundamental question. Many imprinted genes were derepressed in Bmi1 knockout mice, and knockdown of Cdkn1c (p57) and other imprinted genes partially rescued the self-renewal defect of Bmi1 mutant lung cells.

Critical-point universality in adsorption: the effect of charcoal on a mixture of isobutyric acid and water near the consolute point.

The mixture of isobutyric acid and water has a consolute point at a temperature of 25.75 °C and mole fraction 0.1148 isobutyric acid.