Comparison of Pulmonary Outcome in Minimally Invasive (TCRAT) and Full Sternotomy CABG.

Background:  Pulmonary complications are among the main causes of increased mortality, and morbidity, as well as prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay after cardiac surgery. Recently, a sternum-sparing concept of minimally invasive total coronary revascularization via anterior minithoracotomy (TCRAT) was introduced. A higher risk of pulmonary injury could be anticipated due to the thoracic incision and the longer duration of surgery.

Application of alpha1-antitrypsin in a rat model of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving intervention for patients suffering from respiratory or cardiac failure. The ECMO-associated morbidity and mortality depends to a large extent on the underlying disease and is often related to systemic inflammation, consecutive immune paralysis and sepsis. Here we tested the hypothesis that human α1-antitrypsin (SERPINA1) due to its anti-protease and anti-inflammatory functions may attenuate ECMO-induced inflammation.

Multiorgan Point-of-Care Ultrasound in a Patient With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia Complicated by Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Pulmonary Embolism.

Morbidity and mortality associated with the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) are not only due to acute respiratory distress syndrome but also related to multiorgan involvement and dysfunction. In this report, we present a critically ill patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, during which he required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and suffered from multiple complications. Bedside sonography became an important tool to manage the patient by adapting artificial ventilation parameters and played a key role in the diagnosis of thrombotic events and the monitoring of subarachnoid hemorrhage that unexpectedly complicated the case.

Correction to: Platelet number and graft function predict intensive care survival in allogeneic stem cell transplantation patients.

The author name Philipp Wohlfarth was incorrectly spelled as Philipp Wohlfahrth in the original version of this article.

Platelet number and graft function predict intensive care survival in allogeneic stem cell transplantation patients.

Despite significant advances in the treatment of complications requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ICU mortality remains high for patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We evaluated the role of thrombocytopenia and poor graft function in allogeneic stem cell recipients receiving ICU treatments along with established prognostic ICU markers in order to identify patients at risk for severe complications. At ICU admission, clinical and laboratory data of 108 allogeneic stem cell transplanted ICU patients were collected and retrospectively analyzed.

Noisy predator-prey model explains oscillation patterns in sockeye salmon data.

A model of sockeye salmon population dynamics that incorporates predator-prey dynamics in the nursery lakes, salmon migration and stochastic effects is compared to Fraser River sockeye salmon spawner numbers with respect to cyclic dominance. For this comparison we use a method developed by White et al. (2014) to calculate measures for the consistency and strength of cyclic dominance in the time series using its wavelet transform.

Effect of introducing a competitor on cyclic dominance of sockeye salmon.

We study the effects of introducing a competing species into a 3-species model for the population dynamics of sockeye salmon, thereby converting a food chain into a diamond module. We find that this often leads to the disappearance of the 4-year oscillation of sockeye salmon known as cyclic dominance when parameters are chosen such that all four species can coexist. Only when the population size of the competitor is small the phenomenon of cyclic dominance can persist.

The robustness of cyclic dominance under random fluctuations.

We investigate the influence of random perturbations on a recently introduced three-species model that reproduces the empirically observed pattern of cyclic dominance in Fraser River sockeye salmon. Since the sockeye populations are subject to various types of fluctuations affecting their growth and survival, we investigate the robustness of the model under several types of noise. In particular, we evaluate the variation of population sizes around their values in the deterministic model, the frequency of phase shifts in the 4-year oscillation, the extent of synchronization between different sockeye populations, and the response to strong one-time perturbations.

Ascorbate stimulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase enzyme activity by rapid modulation of its phosphorylation status.

Long-term exposure to ascorbate is known to enhance endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity by stabilizing the eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). We investigated acute effects of ascorbate on eNOS function in primary (HUVEC) and immortalized human endothelial cells (EA.hy926), aiming to provide a molecular explanation for the rapid vasodilatation seen in vivo upon administration of ascorbate.

Anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-Cdh1 coordinates glycolysis and glutaminolysis with transition to S phase in human T lymphocytes.

Cell proliferation is accompanied by an increase in the utilization of glucose and glutamine. The proliferative response is dependent on a decrease in the activity of the ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)-Cdh1 which controls G1-to-S-phase transition by targeting degradation motifs, notably the KEN box. This occurs not only in cell cycle proteins but also in the glycolysis-promoting enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase isoform 3 (PFKFB3), as we have recently demonstrated in cells in culture.

Effect of resveratrol on endothelial cell function: Molecular mechanisms.

The polyphenolic natural product resveratrol (RV), best known for its occurrence in grape skin and red wine, is considered a candidate drug for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This review aims to summarize the molecular effects of RV on endothelial cells, which line the inner walls of blood vessels and play a key role in the development of those diseases. We describe how RV enhances endothelial nitric oxide production, improves endothelial redox balance and inhibits endothelial activation in response to pro-inflammatory and metabolic insults.