Membrane Tension Regulation is Required for Wound Repair.

Disruptions of the eukaryotic plasma membrane due to chemical and mechanical challenges are frequent and detrimental and thus need to be repaired to maintain proper cell function and avoid cell death. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in wound resealing and restoration of homeostasis are diverse and contended. Here, it is shown that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is induced at later stages of plasma membrane wound repair following the actual resealing of the wound.

Accessing activity and viscoelastic properties of artificial and living systems from passive measurement.

Living systems are complex dynamic entities that operate far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Their active, non-equilibrium behaviour requires energy to drive cellular organization and dynamics. Unfortunately, most statistical mechanics approaches are not valid in non-equilibrium situations, forcing researchers to use intricate and often invasive methods to study living processes.

Personalized care in dilated cardiomyopathy: Rationale and study design of the activeDCM trial.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure, particularly in younger individuals. Low physical strength is a global risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, and physical activity and a healthy lifestyle have been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure. However, inappropriate exercise may increase the risk of arrhythmias in certain individuals with DCM.

Characterizing intracellular mechanics via optical tweezers-based microrheology.

Intracellular organization is a highly regulated homeostatic state maintained to ensure eukaryotic cells' correct and efficient functioning. Thanks to decades of research, vast knowledge of the proteins involved in intracellular transport and organization has been acquired. However, how these influence and potentially regulate the intracellular mechanical properties of the cell is largely unknown.

The Impact of Sarcopenia in the Long-Term Survival of Patients following Complex Endovascular Aortic Surgery for Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Objectives: Image-based sarcopenia has been the subject of recent studies, hypothesized as a prognostic factor for patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Methods And Materials: We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of patients who underwent complex endovascular repair for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms between 2008 and 2016. CT image assessment was performed and patients were classified as sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic using two stratification methods: skeletal mass index (SMI) and total psoas muscle index (TPMI).

Variance sum rule for entropy production.

Entropy production is the hallmark of nonequilibrium physics, quantifying irreversibility, dissipation, and the efficiency of energy transduction processes. Despite many efforts, its measurement at the nanoscale remains challenging. We introduce a variance sum rule (VSR) for displacement and force variances that permits us to measure the entropy production rate σ in nonequilibrium steady states.

Culture substrate stiffness impacts human myoblast contractility-dependent proliferation and nuclear envelope wrinkling.

Understanding how biophysical and biochemical microenvironmental cues together influence the regenerative activities of muscle stem cells and their progeny is crucial in strategizing remedies for pathological dysregulation of these cues in aging and disease. In this study, we investigated the cell-level influences of extracellular matrix (ECM) ligands and culture substrate stiffness on primary human myoblast contractility and proliferation within 16 h of plating and found that tethered fibronectin led to stronger stiffness-dependent responses compared to laminin and collagen. A proteome-wide analysis further uncovered cell metabolism, cytoskeletal and nuclear component regulation distinctions between cells cultured on soft and stiff substrates.

Treatment of symptomatic popliteal artery lesions: An obituary of the GORE® TIGRIS® vascular stent.

Background: The popliteal artery is highly exposed to biomechanical stress, which is the primary factor associated with stent failure. However, information on the optimal endovascular treatment for the popliteal artery is lacking.

Objective: To report the efficacy of the GORE® TIGRIS® Vascular Stent for the endovascular treatment of popliteal artery lesions.

Wound healing and hernia after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: Onlay self-gripping polyester mesh reinforcement compared with small bite sutured closure.

Background: Prophylactic mesh implantation following open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm is a debatable subject.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a self-gripping polyester mesh used in on-lay technique to prevent incisional hernia after open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 495 patients who underwent aortic surgery between May 2017 and May 2021.

Analytical method for reconstructing the stress on a spherical particle from its surface deformation.

The mechanical forces that cells experience from the tissue surrounding them are crucial for their behavior and development. Experimental studies of such mechanical forces require a method for measuring them. A widely used approach in this context is bead deformation analysis, where spherical particles are embedded into the tissue.

Rapid and reversible optical switching of cell membrane area by an amphiphilic azobenzene.

Cellular membrane area is a key parameter for any living cell that is tightly regulated to avoid membrane damage. Changes in area-to-volume ratio are known to be critical for cell shape, but are mostly investigated by changing the cell volume via osmotic shocks. In turn, many important questions relating to cellular shape, membrane tension homeostasis and local membrane area cannot be easily addressed because experimental tools for controlled modulation of cell membrane area are lacking.

[Early Thoracic Endografting is Safe in Patients with Uncomplicated Type B Aortic Dissection].

There are many publications dealing with treatment options for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (TBAD). Early TEVAR (Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair) may improve aortic-specific survival and delay disease progression in the long-term. Especially in patients with uncomplicated TBAD and additional high-risk features, preemptive TEVAR may improve late outcomes.

Impact of Revascularization Technique on the Outcomes of Peripheral Graft Revision Procedures.

Background: The acute occlusion of a peripheral bypass graft leads to acute limb ischemia (ALI) and threatens the viability of the limb if left untreated. The aim of the present study was to analyze the results of surgical and hybrid revascularization techniques for patients with ALI due to peripheral graft occlusions.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 102 patients undergoing treatment for ALI due to peripheral graft occlusion between 2002 and 2021 was carried out at a tertiary vascular center.

Multidisciplinary Treatment of Fracture-Related Infection Has a Positive Impact on Clinical Outcome-A Retrospective Case Control Study at a Tertiary Referral Center.

Objectives: Fracture-related infection (FRI) is a major complication in orthopedic and trauma surgery. The management and choice of treatment can be difficult depending on multiple factors. Therefore, we implemented a weekly multidisciplinary team discussion to determine diagnostic and treatment strategies in FRI patients and aimed to analyze its effect on clinical outcomes.

Percutaneous Approach in Endovascular Aortic Procedures Using a Suture-Mediated Closure Device.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a suture-mediated closure device during percutaneous endovascular aortic repair.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective analysis of patients undergoing endovascular repair for infrarenal, thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections via percutaneous femoral access between April 2017 and June 2021 was performed. The primary endpoint of the study was the efficacy and technical success of the Perclose ProGlide closure device during percutaneous endovascular procedures.

Alarming and Calming: Opposing Roles of S100A8/S100A9 Dimers and Tetramers on Monocytes.

Mechanisms keeping leukocytes distant of local inflammatory processes in a resting state despite systemic release of inflammatory triggers are a pivotal requirement for avoidance of overwhelming inflammation but are ill defined. Dimers of the alarmin S100A8/S100A9 activate Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) but extracellular calcium concentrations induce S100A8/S100A9-tetramers preventing TLR4-binding and limiting their inflammatory activity. So far, only antimicrobial functions of released S100A8/S100A9-tetramers (calprotectin) are described.

Treatment of Secondary Aortoenteric Fistulas Following AORTIC Aneurysm Repair in a Tertiary Reference Center.

Objectives: To present our experience with various therapeutic approaches for the treatment of secondary aortoenteric fistulas following open and endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

Methods And Materials: A retrospective data analysis of patients treated for secondary aortoenteric fistulas in a single vascular institution between January 2005 and December 2018 was performed. Analyzed parameters included patients' demographics, clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, perioperative data and repair durability during follow-up.

Human endothelial cells display a rapid tensional stress increase in response to tumor necrosis factor-α.

Endothelial cells form the inner layer of blood vessels, making them the first barrier between the blood and interstitial tissues; thus endothelial cells play a crucial role in inflammation. In the inflammatory response, one important element is the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). While other pro-inflammatory agents like thrombin and histamine induce acute but transient changes in endothelial cells, which have been well studied biologically as well as mechanically, TNF-α is primarily known for its sustained effects on permeability and leukocyte recruitment.

Analysis of monocyte cell tractions in 2.5D reveals mesoscale mechanics of podosomes during substrate-indenting cell protrusion.

Podosomes are mechanosensitive protrusive actin structures that are prominent in myeloid cells, and they have been linked to vascular extravasation. Recent studies have suggested that podosomes are hierarchically organized and have coordinated dynamics on the cell scale, which implies that the local force generation by single podosomes can be different from their global combined action. Complementary to previous studies focusing on individual podosomes, here we investigated the cell-wide force generation of podosome-bearing ER-Hoxb8 monocytes.

Contact force guided radiofrequency current application at developing myocardium.

Introduction: Catheter contact is a key determinant for lesion size in radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA). Monitoring of contact force (CF) during RFA has been shown to improve efficacy of RFA in experimental settings as well as in adult patients. Coronary artery narrowing after RFA has been described in experimental settings as well as in children and adults and may be dependent from catheter contact.

Reversible Photoresponsive Modulation of Osmotic Pressure via Macromolecular Host-Guest Interaction.

The high spatiotemporal resolution of light as an external stimulus allows the control of shape, mechanical properties, and even forces generated by photoresponsive soft materials. For this purpose, supramolecular systems that respond readily and reversibly to photoirradiation and convert microscopic changes into macroscopic effects are needed. This work demonstrates the reversible light-responsive modulation of the osmotic pressure of an aqueous solution of an azobenzene-containing polymer (azopolymer) and α-cyclodextrin.

Impact of Resistance Exercise and Nutritional Endorsement on physical performance in patients with GvHD (IRENE-G study) - design and rational of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains a major complication and limitation to successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Treatment of GvHD is challenging due to its heterogeneous nature of presentation, with steroids remaining the established first-line treatment. Long-term doses of systemic corticosteroids have many well-known side-effects including muscle atrophy.

A JAM-A-tetraspanin-αvβ5 integrin complex regulates contact inhibition of locomotion.

Contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) is a process that regulates cell motility upon collision with other cells. Improper regulation of CIL has been implicated in cancer cell dissemination. Here, we identify the cell adhesion molecule JAM-A as a central regulator of CIL in tumor cells.

Nonswelling and Hydrolytically Stable Hydrogels Uncover Cellular Mechanosensing in 3D.

While matrix stiffness regulates cell behavior on 2D substrates, recent studies using synthetic hydrogels have suggested that in 3D environments, cell behavior is primarily impacted by matrix degradability, independent of stiffness. However, these studies did not consider the potential impact of other confounding matrix parameters that typically covary with changes in stiffness, particularly, hydrogel swelling and hydrolytic stability, which may explain the previously observed distinctions in cell response in 2D versus 3D settings. To investigate how cells sense matrix stiffness in 3D environments, a nonswelling, hydrolytically stable, linearly elastic synthetic hydrogel model is developed in which matrix stiffness and degradability can be tuned independently.