Quality of life improvement from thoracoscopic atrial fibrillation ablation in women versus men: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Thoracoscopic ablation has proven to be an effective and safe rhythm control strategy, especially for persistent atrial fibrillation. However, its impact on quality of life (QoL) and potential gender differences remains unclear.

Methods: This prospective, single-centre observational study included consecutive patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation undergoing thoracoscopic ablation.

A rare case of a simultaneous post-dissection saccular aneurysm of the ascending aorta and large pulmonary artery aneurysm with secondary embolism: a case report.

Background: Aneurysms of the pulmonary arteries and the ascending aorta are rare, and both bear a high mortality risk if left untreated. In general, these entities are primarily caused by etiologies such as hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension, infection or congenital disorders. Treatment requires a rapid diagnostic work-up or even immediate surgical intervention in acute cases.

Inhibition of autophagy and induction of glioblastoma cell death by NEO214, a perillyl alcohol-rolipram conjugate.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor, exhibiting a high rate of recurrence and poor prognosis. Surgery and chemoradiation with temozolomide (TMZ) represent the standard of care, but, in most cases, the tumor develops resistance to further treatment and the patients succumb to disease. Therefore, there is a great need for the development of well-tolerated, effective drugs that specifically target chemoresistant gliomas.

Increase of mast cells in COVID-19 pneumonia may contribute to pulmonary fibrosis and thrombosis.

Aims: Lung tissue from COVID-19 patients shares similar histomorphological features with chronic lung allograft disease, also suggesting activation of autoimmune-related pathways in COVID-19. To more clearly understand the underlying spectrum of pathophysiology in COVID-19 pneumonia, we analysed mRNA expression of autoimmune-related genes in post-mortem lung tissue from COVID-19 patients.

Methods And Results: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung tissue samples of 18 COVID-19 patients and eight influenza patients were used for targeted gene expression profiling using NanoString technology.