The impact of restricted chests on long-term lung function parameters following lung transplantation in patients with interstitial lung disease.

Objectives: In patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), the diaphragm typically rises as the lungs chronically shrink. However, the grade of restriction differs in each patient. It is currently unknown, how disparities between actual and predicted recipient total lung capacity (TLC), impact changes in lung function parameters and long-term outcomes following lung transplantation (LTx).

Exploring the influence of urban art interventions on attraction and wellbeing: an empirical field experiment.

While cities are attractive places, brimming with opportunities and possibilities for their inhabitants, they have also been found to have negative consequences, especially on physical and mental health. In a world of ever-growing urban populations, it is important to understand how to make cities healthier and more pleasant places to live. In the present study, we investigated the impact of art as an urban intervention and compared it to the well-known effects of greenery (i.

Coupling of unactivated alkyl electrophiles using frustrated ion pairs.

Cross-electrophile coupling reactions have evolved into a major strategy for rapidly assembling important organic molecules. Two readily accessible electrophiles are coupled to form new C-C bonds, providing a key advantage over traditional cross-coupling strategies that require the preformation of reactive organometallic species. Yet, the formation of C(sp)-C(sp) bonds that form the core of nearly all organic compounds remains highly challenging with current approaches, calling for the design of innovative new strategies.

Shuttle HAT for mild alkene transfer hydrofunctionalization.

Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) from a metal-hydride is a reliable and powerful method for functionalizing unsaturated C-C bonds in organic synthesis. Cobalt hydrides (Co-H) have garnered significant attention in this field, where the weak Co-H bonds are most commonly generated in a catalytic fashion through a mixture of stoichiometric amounts of peroxide oxidant and silane reductant. Here we show that the reverse process of HAT to an alkene, i.

Impact of Transient and Persistent Donor-Specific Antibodies in Lung Transplantation.

Lung transplantation (LuTx) is an established treatment for patients with end-stage lung diseases, however, outcomes are limited by acute and chronic rejection. One aspect that has received increasing attention is the role of the host's humoral alloresponse, particularly the formation of donor-specific antibodies (dnDSAs). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of transient and persistent dnDSAs and to understand their impact on outcomes after LuTx.

Compartment-specific remodeling patterns in end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with and without severe pulmonary hypertension.

Background: In patients with end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) is frequently associated with less severe airway obstruction as compared to mild or no PH. However, the histologic correlate of this finding is not clear. We aimed to quantify remodeling of pulmonary arteries, airways, and parenchyma in random samples of explanted end-stage COPD lungs.

Pentastatin, a matrikine of the collagen IVα5, is a novel endogenous mediator of pulmonary endothelial dysfunction.

Deposition of basement membrane components, such as collagen IVα5, is associated with altered endothelial cell function in pulmonary hypertension. Collagen IVα5 harbors a functionally active fragment within its C-terminal noncollageneous (NC1) domain, called pentastatin, whose role in pulmonary endothelial cell behavior remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that pentastatin serves as a mediator of pulmonary endothelial cell dysfunction, contributing to pulmonary hypertension.

Intermolecular Pauson-Khand-Type Reaction of Vinyl Iodides with Alkynes and a CO Surrogate.

A strategy for the palladium-catalyzed intermolecular synthesis of polysubstituted cyclopentenones is reported. The three-component reaction utilizes vinyl iodides and internal alkynes to form the carbon framework of the cyclopentenone with Cr(CO) serving as an easy to handle, solid CO surrogate, and a hydrosilane as a hydride source. We demonstrate the scope of the reaction which includes a wide range of functional groups.

Divergent Roles of Ephrin-B2/EphB4 Guidance System in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: Smooth muscle cell (SMC) expansion is one key morphological hallmark of pathologically altered vasculature and a characteristic feature of pulmonary vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension. Normal embryonal vessel maturation requires successful coverage of endothelial tubes with SMC, which is dependent on ephrin-B2 and EphB4 ligand-receptor guidance system. In this study, we investigated the potential role of ephrin-B2 and EphB4 on neomuscularization in adult pulmonary vascular disease.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Anti-Markovnikov Transfer Hydroiodination of Terminal Alkynes.

A rhodium-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroiodination of aromatic and aliphatic terminal alkynes is reported. Depending on the choice of ligand and substrate, either (E)- or (Z)-configured alkenyl iodides are obtained in high to exclusive isomeric purity. The reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance, employing easily accessible or commercially available aliphatic iodides as HI surrogates through a shuttle process.

Larger pulmonary artery to ascending aorta ratios are associated with decreased survival of patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy.

Objectives: The ratio of pulmonary artery (PA) and ascending aorta (AA) diameters has recently been shown to be a useful indicator for disease severity and predictor of outcome in patients with pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. This study aimed at evaluating the applicability of this ratio for perioperative risk assessment of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study on 149 patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy between 2013 and 2020, the preoperative PA to AA ratio was analyzed on axial computed tomography.

Mechanistic Investigation of the Nickel-Catalyzed Metathesis between Aryl Thioethers and Aryl Nitriles.

Functional group metathesis is an emerging field in organic chemistry with promising synthetic applications. However, no complete mechanistic studies of these reactions have been reported to date, particularly regarding the nature of the key functional group transfer mechanism. Unraveling the mechanism of these transformations would not only allow for their further improvement but would also lead to the design of novel reactions.

Lung Volume Reduction Followed by Lung Transplantation in Emphysema-A Multicenter Matched Analysis.

The impact of previous lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) or endoscopic lung volume reduction (ELVR) on lung transplantation (LuTX) remains unclear. This study assesses the risk of previous lung volume reduction on the outcome of a later LuTX. Patients suffering from emphysema who underwent bilateral LuTX were included in this multicenter analysis.

Outcomes with alemtuzumab induction therapy in lung transplantation: a comprehensive large-scale single-center analysis.

Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting CD52, increasingly used as induction therapy after transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of alemtuzumab induction therapy followed by a low-dose maintenance immunosuppression in a large single-center cohort of lung transplant recipients. All patients, who received alemtuzumab induction followed by a low-dose maintenance immunosuppression were included in the analysis.

Catalytic Carbochlorocarbonylation of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons via C-COCl Bond Cleavage*.

Here we report a palladium-catalysed difunctionalisation of unsaturated C-C bonds with acid chlorides. Formally, the C-COCl bond of an acid chloride is cleaved and added, with complete atom economy, across either strained alkenes or a tethered alkyne to generate new acid chlorides. The transformation does not require exogenous carbon monoxide, operates under mild conditions, shows a good functional group tolerance, and gives the isolated products with excellent stereoselectivity.

Individual Goffin´s cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) show flexible targeted helping in a tool transfer task.

Flexible targeted helping is considered an advanced form of prosocial behavior in hominoids, as it requires the actor to assess different situations that a conspecific may be in, and to subsequently flexibly satisfy different needs of that partner depending on the nature of those situations. So far, apart from humans such behaviour has only been experimentally shown in chimpanzees and in Eurasian jays. Recent studies highlight the prosocial tendencies of several bird species, yet flexible targeted helping remained untested, largely due to methodological issues as such tasks are generally designed around tool-use, and very few bird species are capable of tool-use.

Oblique Carinal End-to-end Anastomosis for Pig Bronchus in Organ Donor and Lung Transplant Recipient.

Pig bronchi are rare anomalies in which the right upper lobe bronchus originates above the carina. During surgery this can lead to technical challenges associated with the bronchial anastomosis, especially during lung transplantation. We herein report the case of a combined liver-lung transplantation with a pig bronchus in both the organ donor and transplant recipient.

Event-related potentials in insomnia reflect altered perception of sleep.

Study Objectives: Insomnia is defined by the subjective complaint of poor sleep as well as daytime impairments. Since polysomnography (PSG) typically shows only modest sleep impairment, some still unidentified property of sleep, not mirrored in PSG, may be modified in insomnia.One possible mechanistic hypothesis is that insomnia patients may be more sensitive to inevitably occurring internal or external stimuli during the night, causing brief sleep disruptions then perceived as wake time.

Palladium-Catalyzed Decarbonylative Iodination of Aryl Carboxylic Acids Enabled by Ligand-Assisted Halide Exchange.

We report an efficient and broadly applicable palladium-catalyzed iodination of inexpensive and abundant aryl and vinyl carboxylic acids via in situ activation to the acid chloride and formation of a phosphonium salt. The use of 1-iodobutane as iodide source in combination with a base and a deoxychlorinating reagent gives access to a wide range of aryl and vinyl iodides under Pd/Xantphos catalysis, including complex drug-like scaffolds. Stoichiometric experiments and kinetic analysis suggest a unique mechanism involving C-P reductive elimination to form the Xantphos phosphonium chloride, which subsequently initiates an unusual halogen exchange by outer sphere nucleophilic substitution.

Transient perioperative inflammation following lung transplantation and major thoracic surgery with elective extracorporeal support: a prospective observational study.

Background: The clinical relevance of inflammation induced by elective perioperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) usage as an integral part of modern lung transplantation (LUTX) remains elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the perioperative cytokine response accompanying major thoracic surgery employing different extracorporeal devices comprising ECMO, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), or no extracorporeal circulation in relation to inflammation, clinically tangible as increased sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, called SOFA.

Methods: In this prospective, observational pilot study 42 consecutive patients with end-stage pulmonary disease undergoing LUTX; 15 patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy and 15 patients with lung cancer undergoing major lung resections were analysed.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reversible Functional Group Metathesis between Aryl Nitriles and Aryl Thioethers.

We describe a new functional group metathesis between aryl nitriles and aryl thioethers. The catalytic system nickel/dcype is essential to achieve this fully reversible transformation in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, the cyanide- and thiol-free reaction shows high functional group tolerance and great efficiency for the late-stage derivatization of commercial molecules.

New Catalysis Concepts for Molecular Design and Feedstocks Valorization.

The discovery and preparation of important molecules rely on the synthetic chemist's ability to valorize common feedstock materials, such as petroleum or biomass. Key to this endeavor is the design of efficient methods to introduce, remove or interconvert functional groups. Our group has a longstanding interest in developing conceptually novel catalytic reactions for the installation of unprotected amines, the selective activation of C-O bonds (in polyols) and the transfer (shuttle) or exchange (metathesis) of functionalities between two molecules.

Heat shock protein 90α in thymic epithelial tumors and non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis.

Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare malignancies with unique association to the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis (MG). Heat shock proteins (HSPs) harbor great potential as cancer biomarkers and HSP inhibitors approach clinical cancer therapy.

Methods: To explore HSP pathophysiology, we assessed sera (immunoassays) and tissues (immunohistochemistry) of TETs (and thymic tissues) for HSP27, phosphorylated (p)HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90α expression in 114 TETs and 26 non-thymomatous MG patients undergoing extended thymectomy.

Palladium-Catalyzed Chlorocarbonylation of Aryl (Pseudo)Halides Through In Situ Generation of Carbon Monoxide.

An efficient palladium-catalyzed chlorocarbonylation of aryl (pseudo)halides that gives access to a wide range of carboxylic acid derivatives has been developed. The use of butyryl chloride as a combined CO and Cl source eludes the need for toxic, gaseous carbon monoxide, thus facilitating the synthesis of high-value products from readily available aryl (pseudo)halides. The combination of palladium(0), Xantphos, and an amine base is essential to promote this broadly applicable catalytic reaction.