Placental Hypoxia-Induced Ferroptosis Drives Vascular Damage in Preeclampsia.

Background: Iron is an essential micronutrient for cell survival and growth; however, excess of this metal drives ferroptosis. Although maternal iron imbalance and placental hypoxia are independent contributors to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, the mechanisms by which their interaction impinge on maternal and placental health remain elusive.

Methods: We used placentae from normotensive and preeclampsia pregnancy cohorts, human H9 embryonic stem cells differentiated into cytotrophoblast-like cells, and placenta-specific preeclamptic mice.

Fibronectin and JMJD6 Signature in Circulating Placental Extracellular Vesicles for the Detection of Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a major obstetric complication that is challenging to predict. Currently, there are limited tools to assess placental health/function in crucial gestational periods for diagnosis and early prediction. The glycoprotein fibronectin (FN) is augmented in PE placentae, and associated with reduced activity of JMJD6, an oxygen sensor that regulates placental FN processing.

SNI/SNI Digital-Baghdad neurosurgery educational series.

Background: Access to high-quality neurosurgery online learning is limited in low- and middle-income countries, and Iraq is part of this category. The need for collaboration and connection of people worldwide to exchange ideas and experiences in neurosurgery is a challenge. Surgical Neurology International® (SNI)/SNI Digital stimulated the establishment of the joint effort to bring the discussion about the best experiences in neurosurgery from the United States and Iraq together in an internet meeting format.

Dichotomy in hypoxia-induced mitochondrial fission in placental mesenchymal cells during development and preeclampsia: consequences for trophoblast mitochondrial homeostasis.

Dynamic changes in physiologic oxygen are required for proper placenta development; yet, when low-oxygen levels persist, placental development is halted, culminating in preeclampsia (PE), a serious complication of pregnancy. Considering mitochondria's function is intimately linked to oxygen changes, we investigated the impact of oxygen on mitochondrial dynamics in placental mesenchymal stromal cells (pMSCs) that are vital for proper placental development. Transmission electron microscopy, proximity ligation assays for mitochondrial VDAC1 and endoplasmic reticulum IP3R, and immunoanalyses of p-DRP1 and OPA1, demonstrate that low-oxygen conditions in early 1st trimester and PE promote mitochondrial fission in pMSCs.

Ceramide-Induced Lysosomal Biogenesis and Exocytosis in Early-Onset Preeclampsia Promotes Exosomal Release of SMPD1 Causing Endothelial Dysfunction.

Aberrant ceramide build-up in preeclampsia, a serious disorder of pregnancy, causes exuberant autophagy-mediated trophoblast cell death. The significance of ceramide accumulation for lysosomal biogenesis in preeclampsia is unknown. Here we report that lysosome formation is markedly increased in trophoblast cells of early-onset preeclamptic placentae, in particular in syncytiotrophoblasts.

Septal Class A Penicillin-Binding Protein Activity and ld-Transpeptidases Mediate Selection of Colistin-Resistant Lipooligosaccharide-Deficient Acinetobacter baumannii.

Despite dogma suggesting that lipopolysaccharide/lipooligosaccharide (LOS) was essential for viability of Gram-negative bacteria, several clinical isolates produced LOS colonies after colistin selection. Inactivation of the conserved class A penicillin-binding protein, PBP1A, was a compensatory mutation that supported isolation of LOS, but the impact of PBP1A mutation was not characterized. Here, we show that the absence of PBP1A causes septation defects and that these, together with ld-transpeptidase activity, support isolation of LOS PBP1A contributes to proper cell division in , and its absence induced cell chaining.

Comparative metrics of neurosurgical scientific journals: What do they mean to readers?

Background: In regard to scientific information, are we effectively reaching the universe of physicians in the 21st century, all of whom have different backgrounds, practice environments, educational experiences, and varying degrees of research knowledge?

Methods: A comparison of the top nine neurosurgery journals based on various popular citation indices and also on the digital metric, Readers (Users)/month, was compiled from available metrics and from internet sources.

Results: Major differences in the ranking of the Readers (Users)/month metrics compared to ranking of the various citation indices were found. It is obvious that the citation indices do not measure the number of readers of a publication.

Is gun control really about people control?

The Second Amendment of the USA Constitution states: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Today around the USA and the world some people are advocating the removal of guns from the citizens, called "Gun Control," as the solution to violent crime that they associate with guns in the hands of the public, contrary to what the Second Amendment states. This review provides a factual background to the debate about the issues surrounding the arguments for and against "Gun Control.

Treatment of intracranial vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery origin.

Background: Vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) involving the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is a complex disease entity in which the dual goals of preventing future rebleeding and maintaining perfusion of the lateral medulla must be considered. We present an illustrative case and review the literature surrounding treatment strategies.

Case Description: We report a patient presenting with extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of an intracranial VADA involving the PICA origin.

Brugada pattern exposed with administration of amiodarone during emergent treatment of ventricular tachycardia.

Background: Brugada pattern is a well-known pathological finding on electrocardiogram (ECG) which increases the likelihood of cardiac arrest due to ventricular arrhythmia. These cases generally present in younger patients without evidence of an electrolyte abnormality, structural heart disease, or cardiac ischemia. In many instances, this pattern is either hidden on initial presentation or presents as an incidental finding on an EKG.

A review of the diagnosis and management of vertebral basilar (posterior) circulation disease.

We have reviewed the English literature published in the last 70 years on Diseases of the Vertebral Basilar Circulation, or Posterior Circulation Disease (PCD). We have found that errors have been made in the conduct and interpretation of these studies that have led to incorrect approaches to the management of PCD. Because of the difficulty in evaluating the PC, the management of PCD has been incorrectly applied from anterior circulation disease (ACD) experience to PCD.

Ceramide-induced BOK promotes mitochondrial fission in preeclampsia.

Mitochondria are in a constant balance of fusing and dividing in response to cellular cues. Fusion creates healthy mitochondria, whereas fission results in removal of non-functional organelles. Changes in mitochondrial dynamics typify several human diseases.

A Single Sphingomyelin Species Promotes Exosomal Release of Endoglin into the Maternal Circulation in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE), an hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, exhibits increased circulating levels of a short form of the auxillary TGF-beta (TGFB) receptor endoglin (sENG). Until now, its release and functionality in PE remains poorly understood. Here we show that ENG selectively interacts with sphingomyelin(SM)-18:0 which promotes its clustering with metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) in SM-18:0 enriched lipid rafts of the apical syncytial membranes from PE placenta where ENG is cleaved by MMP14 into sENG.