Increase in grain production potential of China under climate change.

The rapid growth of China's demand for grains is expected to continue in the coming decades, largely as a result of the increasing feed demand to produce protein-rich food. This leads to a great concern on future supply potentials of Chinese agriculture under climate change and the extent of China's dependence on world food markets. While the existing literature in both agronomy and climate economics indicates a dominance of the adverse impacts of climate change on rice, wheat, and maize yields, there is a lack of study to assess changes in multi-cropping opportunities induced by climate change.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of biopsy-proven myocarditis in children - Results of the German prospective multicentre registry "MYKKE".

Background: Heart failure (HF) due to myocarditis might not respond in the same way to standard therapy as HF due to other aetiologies. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) for clinical decision-making and its relation to the outcome of paediatric patients with myocarditis.

Methods: Clinical and EMB data of children with myocarditis collected for the MYKKE-registry between 2013 and 2020 from 23 centres were analysed.

Urban Food Systems: How Regionalization Can Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation.

Cities will play a key role in the grand challenge of nourishing a growing global population, because, due to their population density, they set the demand. To ensure that food systems are sustainable, as well as nourishing, one solution often suggested is to shorten their supply chains toward a regional rather than a global basis. While such regional systems may have a range of costs and benefits, we investigate the mitigation potential of regionalized urban food systems by examining the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food transport.

Agro-ecological suitability assessment of Chinese Medicinal Yam under future climate change.

Chinese Medicinal Yam (CMY) has been prescribed as medicinal food for thousand years in China by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners. Its medical benefits include nourishing the stomach and spleen to improve digestion, replenishing lung and kidney, etc., according to the TCM literature.

Severe heart failure and the need for mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation in pediatric patients with myocarditis: Results from the prospective multicenter registry "MYKKE".

Myocarditis represents an important cause for acute heart failure. MYKKE, a prospective multicenter registry of pediatric patients with myocarditis, aims to gain knowledge on courses, diagnostics, and therapy of pediatric myocarditis. The role of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in children with severe heart failure and myocarditis is unclear.

Transcatheter mitral valve implantation: a percutaneous transapical system.

Objectives: Despite recent achievements, implantation of a transcatheter mitral valved stent remains challenging. In this study, we present a different approach for implantation of a percutaneous mitral valved stent.

Methods: Percutaneous transapical access is combined with, respectively, a left-transatrial, right-transatrial/transseptal or transfemoral/transseptal approach for mitral valve stent implantation and secure fixation.

Off-pump mitral valved stent implantation: comparison of apical and subannular fixation techniques.

Objectives: A large cohort of patients suffering from severe mitral regurgitation does not meet the indications for conventional surgery and would greatly benefit from a transcatheter approach in the beating heart. Consequently, off-pump transcatheter mitral valve procedures have been the focus of recent research. The aim of this study was the in vivo evaluation and comparison of subannular versus apical fixation of mitral valved stents to show the feasibility of subannular anchorage.

Is the Lecompte technique the last word on transposition of the great arteries repair for all patients? A magnetic resonance imaging study including a spiral technique two decades postoperatively.

Objectives: To compare the Lecompte technique and the spiral anastomosis (complete anatomic correction) two decades after arterial switch operation (ASO).

Methods: Nine patients after primary ASO with Lecompte and 6 selected patients after spiral anastomosis were evaluated 20.8 ± 2.

Cytokine Reduction in the Setting of an ARDS-Associated Inflammatory Response with Multiple Organ Failure.

A 45-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with a small bowel obstruction due to torsion and was immediately scheduled for surgical intervention. At anesthesia induction, the patient aspirated and subsequently developed a severe SIRS with ARDS and multiple organ failure requiring the use of ECMO, CRRT, antibiotics, and low dose steroids. Due to a rapid deterioration in clinical status and a concurrent surge in inflammatory biomarkers, an extracorporeal cytokine adsorber (CytoSorb) was added to the CRRT blood circuit.

Frequent Dilatation of the Descending Aorta in Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Relates to Decreased Aortic Arch Elasticity.

Background: Patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after a Norwood operation show dilatation and reduced distensibility of the reconstructed proximal aorta. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and angiographic examinations indicate that the native descending aorta (DAo) is also dilated, but this has not been studied in detail.

Methods And Results: Seventy-nine children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in Fontan circulation (aged 6.

Closing Yield Gaps: How Sustainable Can We Be?

Global food production needs to be increased by 60-110% between 2005 and 2050 to meet growing food and feed demand. Intensification and/or expansion of agriculture are the two main options available to meet the growing crop demands. Land conversion to expand cultivated land increases GHG emissions and impacts biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Two-dimensional global longitudinal strain rate is a preload independent index of systemic right ventricular contractility in hypoplastic left heart syndrome patients after Fontan operation.

Background: Assessment of systemic right ventricular (RV) function in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome is important during long-term follow-up after Fontan repair. Traditional echocardiographic parameters to evaluate systolic ventricular function are affected by loading conditions. The only generally accepted load-independent parameter of systolic function, end systolic elastance (Ees), requires invasive catheterization.

Transapical mitral valved stent implantation: enhanced survival and decreased paravalvular leakages.

Background/objectives: This study presents the recent results of transapical implantation of a new design of a mitral valved stent with up to three months follow-up.

Methods: A self-expanding re-designed mitral valved stent was implanted via transapical approach into the beating heart of eight pigs. Echocardiographic- and hemodynamic parameters were assessed before (n=8), at 1h (n=8), at one month (n=6), at two months (n=2), and at three months (n=1) after implantation and a cardiac CT was conducted.

Arterial elastance and its impact on intrinsic right ventricular function in palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Background: Systemic right ventricular (RV) function is a major determinant of long-term outcome in patients with palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Abnormal elastic properties of the reconstructed aorta may negatively impact on ventricular function. We therefore aimed to assess arterial elastance and its relationship to systemic RV function in these patients.

Adverse results of a decellularized tissue-engineered pulmonary valve in humans assessed with magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: Matrix P® and Matrix P plus® tissue-engineered pulmonary valves (TEPV) were offered as an improvement for pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) because of recellularization by host cells. The high frequency of graft failure gave reason to evaluate the underlying morphological substrate using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology.

Methods: Between June 2006 and August 2008, 17 Matrix P® and 10 Matrix P plus® TEPVs were implanted in 26 patients with a median age of 12.

Percutaneous tissue-engineered pulmonary valved stent implantation: comparison of bone marrow-derived CD133+-cells and cells obtained from carotid artery.

Objective: The aim of tissue engineering is, for instance, to create a new valve or organ that is similar to the native one. This new construct may have the capability of growth, repair, and remodeling. One instance where tissue engineering offers an enormous advantage is in the treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot.

Cardiac catheterization and interventional procedures as part of staged surgical palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Background: Cardiac catheterization and interventional procedures are an important part of staged surgical palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).

Methods: We reviewed our experience of interventional procedures for HLHS patients treated between 01/1996 and 12/2010.

Results: Overall, 222 neonates received a Norwood operation.

Does left ventricular size impact on intrinsic right ventricular function in hypoplastic left heart syndrome?

Background: The size of the remnant left ventricle (LV) may influence right ventricular function and thus long-term outcome in palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). We therefore sought to assess the impact of the size of the hypoplastic LV on intrinsic RV function in HLHS patients after Fontan surgery.

Methods: Fifty-seven HLHS patients were studied 2.

Angiographic evaluation of the coronary artery anatomy in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Objectives: Evaluation of coronary anatomy in survivors of staged palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome might be capable of identifying anomalies and morphologic changes of the coronary arteries that may have implications for outcome.

Methods: We reviewed coronary angiograms obtained by native aortic root injection of 84 patients (mitral atresia/aortic atresia, n = 39; mitral stenosis/aortic stenosis, n = 25; mitral stenosis/aortic atresia (MS/AA), n = 13 and mitral atresia/aortic stenosis, n = 7). Epicardial course, anomalies, coronary dominance and native ascending aorta dimensions were analysed.

Interventional creation of an atrial septal defect and its impact on right ventricular function: an animal study with the pressure-volume conductance system.

Background: The aim of our study was to assess the suitability of different interventional techniques to create an atrial septal defect (ASD) and to evaluate the short-term effects of right ventricular (RV) volume overload on RV contractility in the growing swine.

Methods: Thirteen ASD and six control animals were studied. An ASD was created by balloon dilatation (BD) of the fossa ovalis (n = 4) or by implantation of a multi-perforated Amplatzer Septal Occluder (n = 4) or a patch-less nitinol device (n = 5).

Risk factors for adverse outcome after superior cavopulmonary anastomosis for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Objective: Outcome of staged palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) has improved over the past decades. We sought to evaluate the outcome of the second palliative procedure, the superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (SCPA), in a single-centre cohort and to identify risk factors for adverse outcome.

Methods: Full data on all 119 HLHS patients who underwent SCPA in our centre between January 1996 and December 2007 were analysed.

Percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement: autologous tissue-engineered valved stents.

Aims: Percutaneous implantation has already been used clinically and is a great option for treating young patients. The use of autologous tissue-engineered valved stents might solve the problem of degeneration and limited durability of biological heart valves.

Methods And Results: Porcine pulmonary heart valves and small intestinal submucosa were obtained from a slaughterhouse.

A novel method of hybrid intraoperative catheter-based closure of ventricular septal defects using the Amplatzer® PDA occluder.

Background: In five patients, an apical muscular septal defect was closed in a hybrid approach using the Amplatzer® duct occluder during open heart surgery, whereas concomitant defects were treated surgically. In addition to their different heart defects that needed surgery, all had a muscular ventricular septal defect in the apex of the heart, poorly accessible for traditional, surgical approach. We describe the method and outcome in these patients.

Device closure of ventricular septal defects by hybrid procedures: a multicenter retrospective study.

Objective: This study reports on the feasibility, efficacy, and outcome of hybrid procedures to close ventricular septal defects (VSD), reflecting the experience of 11 centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Background: Beating heart closure of VSD has attracted interest in small infants, complex anomalies and postinfarction scenarios where patients are at high risk during surgery. Perventricular or intraoperative device placement allows access to the lesions where percutaneous delivery is limited.