Fast-track pulmonary conditioning before urgent cardiac surgery in patients with insufficiently treated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Aim: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important risk factor for perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Despite high clinical relevance, current guidelines lack clear recommendations on the optimal approach for patients with insufficiently treated COPD and urgent need for cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to analyze the efficacy of short-term pulmonary conditioning (PC) in this subset of cardiopulmonary patients.

Rudimentary claws and pigmented nail-like structures on the distal tips of the digits of Wnt7a mutant mice: Wnt7A suppresses nail-like structure development in mice.

Background: As Wnt7a mutant mice exhibit double ventral structures in the digits of autopods, it has been accepted that dorsal-ventral identity in limb development is regulated by the Wnt7a signal. The most important evidence for this was the presence of surface pads, typical characteristics of ventral structures, on the dorsal side of digital tips and at the base of digits and their pigmentation.

Methods: The morphologic features of the appendages on the distal tips of digits were inspected in the fore- and hindlimbs of mice having a different Wnt7a mutation.

Ectopic dermal ridge configurations on the interdigital webbings and postaxial marginal portion of the hindlimb in Hammertoe mutant mice (Hm).

The effects of the hereditary malformation of Hammertoe mutant mice (gene symbol Hm) on the digital pads and dermal ridge configurations on their hindlimbs were examined. In the wild-type (+/+) mice with normally separated digits, dermal ridges developed only on the pads. Heterozygous (Hm/+) and homozygous (Hm/Hm) mutant mice, however, had a broad big toe, fused interdigital soft tissues, reduced claws, an extra rudimentary postaxial digit and camptodactyly.

Different hemodynamic stress of the ascending aorta wall in patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve.

It is unclear whether ascending aorta dilation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve is caused by abnormal hemodynamics or by a common developmental defect of the aortic valve and aortic wall. We performed an echocardiographic study to examine the differences in hemodynamic stress at the ascending aorta in patients with bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve. We studied prospectively 58 consecutive patients referred for preoperative echocardiographic examination with aortic valve stenosis and either bicuspid or tricuspid valve and an ascending aortic diameter of View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ectopic dermal ridge configurations on the interdigital webbings of Hammertoe mutant mice (Hm): another possible role of programmed cell death in limb development.

Background: The mechanism underlying the development of aberrant phalangeal pads and dermal ridge configurations in malformed limbs is not well understood. The forelimbs of Hammertoe (Hm) mutant mouse fetuses were examined sequentially to clarify the relationship between the occurrence of abnormal programmed cell death (PCD) and the formation of phalangeal pads and dermal ridge patterns.

Methods: Relevant morphological features, with special emphasis on pads and dermal ridge configurations, were inspected on the exposed dermal surface of the forelimbs of adult Hm mutant mice.