Investigating the influence of collagen cross-linking on mechanical properties of thoracic aortic tissue.

Vascular diseases, such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, are associated with tissue degeneration of the aortic wall, resulting in variations in mechanical properties, such as tissue ultimate stress and a high slope. Variations in the mechanical properties of tissues may be associated with an increase in the number of collagen cross-links. Understanding the effect of collagen cross-linking on tissue mechanical properties can significantly aid in predicting diseased aortic tissue rupture and improve the clarity of decisions regarding surgical procedures.

PHACT: Phylogeny-Aware Computing of Tolerance for Missense Mutations.

Evolutionary conservation is a fundamental resource for predicting the substitutability of amino acids and the loss of function in proteins. The use of multiple sequence alignment alone-without considering the evolutionary relationships among sequences-results in the redundant counting of evolutionarily related alteration events, as if they were independent. Here, we propose a new method, PHACT, that predicts the pathogenicity of missense mutations directly from the phylogenetic tree of proteins.

Defining a master curve of abdominal aortic aneurysm growth and its potential utility of clinical management.

Objective: The maximum diameter measurement of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which depends on orthogonal and axial cross-sections or maximally inscribed spheres within the AAA, plays a significant role in the clinical decision making process. This study aims to build a total of 21 morphological parameters from longitudinal CT scans and analyze their correlations. Furthermore, this work explores the existence of a "master curve" of AAA growth, and tests which parameters serve to enhance its predictability for clinical use.

Predicting abdominal aortic aneurysm growth using patient-oriented growth models with two-step Bayesian inference.

Objective: For small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), a regular follow-up examination is recommended every 12 months for AAAs of 30-39 mm and every six months for AAAs of 40-55 mm. Follow-up diameters can determine if a patient follows the common growth model of the population. However, the rapid expansion of an AAA, often associated with higher rupture risk, may be overlooked even though it requires surgical intervention.