Considerations for prostheses choice in multiple valve surgery.

Objectives: The prosthesis type for multiple valve surgery (replacement of two or more diseased native or prosthetic valves, replacement of two diseased valves with repair/reconstruction of a third, or replacement of a single diseased valve with repair/reconstruction of a second valve) remains inadequately evaluated. The clinical performance of multiple valve surgery with bioprostheses (BP) and mechanical prostheses (MP) was assessed to compare patient survival and composites of valve-related complications.

Methods: Between 1975 and 2000, 1245 patients had multiple valve surgery (BP 785, mean age 62.

Inverse Correlation Between Alzheimer's Disease and Cancer: Short Overview.

The negative association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cancer suggests that susceptibility to one disease may protect against the other. When biological mechanisms of AD and cancer and relationship between them are understood, the unsolved problem of both diseases which still touches the growing human population could be overcome. Actual information about biological mechanisms and common risk factors such as chronic inflammation, age-related metabolic deregulation, and family history is presented here.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Thinness in Rural Polish Children.

A lot of attention has been focused on obesity, however, the other extreme-thinness-may lead to inhibition of physical and intellectual development. The aim was to assess the prevalence of thinness and determine the associated factors in children from rural populations. We used data from the cross-sectional sample of 3048 children, examined in schools from a district in southern Poland.

Hydrophilic polymer embolization after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Hydrophilic polymer embolization is a rare complication after endovascular procedures that is currently underappreciated. Present understanding on this phenomenon relies on sparse case reports with histologic evidence of foreign polymers in end-organ tissue. Here, we report two deaths associated with hydrophilic polymer embolization after complex thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Outcomes of a Spinal Drain and Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Protocol in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.

Background: Adjuncts for early detection and treatment of spinal cord ischemia (SCI) in thoracic aortic surgery are supported by robust clinical experience in open repair. The utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage and neurophysiologic monitoring (NPM) in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is less clear. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the influence of a selective institutional spinal cord protection protocol using prophylactic NPM and CSF on outcomes for standard TEVAR.

Transapical Coil Embolization of a Postsurgical Ascending Thoracic Aortic Pseudoaneurysm.

Ascending aortic pseudoaneurysms are a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of aortic root or cardiac surgery. Surgical repair is established as first-line treatment; however, patient comorbidities, technical considerations, and anatomic limitations often preclude patients from repeat surgery, thus necessitating alternative approaches. Here, we present a case of coil embolization of an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm via a transapical approach in a particularly complex scenario where percutaneous and peripheral access was technically unfeasible.

Nutritional therapy complications in children with ultra-short bowel syndrome include growth deficiency but not cholestasis.

Aim: Children with ultra-short bowel syndrome (USBS) have not been extensively studied to date because the condition is rare. The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional status of children with USBS receiving home parenteral nutrition, using citrulline serum concentration and cholestasis.

Methods: We studied 17 patients with USBS, with a median age of 6.

Wear mechanisms of the biotribological nanocomposite a-C : H coatings implanted by metallic nanoparticles.

Recently, to reduce the residual stress and increase the mechanical properties of a-C:H coatings, metallic nanoparticles have been implanted into their structure. In the present work, to improve the properties of the coating, metallic nanoparticles, including Cu, Nb, Ta, Zr, AgPt and Ag, were inserted into the a-C:H structure. The applied biological and mechanical analysis allowed the optimal biotribological parameters to be indicated for the potential application as protective coatings for metallic medical tools.

Combined CT, Fluoroscopic and IVUS Guidance for Percutaneous Treatment of a Postsurgical Pseudoaneurysm Following Repair of Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.

Thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysms are a recognized complication following aortic arch replacement. The established first line treatment is surgical repair; however, this may not be feasible in all patients. Percutaneous treatment of ascending thoracic pseudoaneurysms has been described as an alternative for nonsurgical candidates.

A simple and rapid method of isolation of active polypeptide complex, yolkin, from chicken egg yolk.

A large number of bioactive peptides isolated from natural sources are known to play important physiological roles in the human body. It is possible to use these as alternative therapy agents. One example is yolkin which can be useful as a food supplement, a natural therapeutic agent for preventing and treating cognitive disorders of various origins, preferably in patients with unsatisfactory responses to known therapies.

Microstructure characterization of advanced protective Cr/CrN+a-C:H/a-C:H:Cr multilayer coatings on carbon fibre composite (CFC).

Studies of advanced protective chromium-based coatings on the carbon fibre composite (CFC) were performed. Multidisciplinary examinations were carried out comprising: microstructure transmission electron microscopy (TEM, HREM) studies, micromechanical analysis and wear resistance. Coatings were prepared using a magnetron sputtering technique with application of high-purity chromium and carbon (graphite) targets deposited on the CFC substrate.

Nutrition and Immune System in Children with Simple Obesity.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate dietary factors in nutrition influencing the immune system of children and teenagers suffering from simple obesity. The study involved 100 children and teenagers aged 7-18 with simple obesity. Nutritional data were obtained from 3-day food records.

Neurotrophic Activity of Cultured Cell Line U87 is Up-Regulated by Proline-Rich Polypeptide Complex and Its Constituent Nonapeptide.

Neurotrophins such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, as well as cytokines, for example, interleukin-6 (IL-6) play an important role in neuroprotection and in the control of the central nervous system (CNS) function. Reduced expression of neurotrophic factors can lead to dysregulation of neuron function and neuronal death. There is also evidence for mutual interactions between neurotrophins and IL-6.

Prevalence and risk factors of abdominal obesity in Polish rural children.

Secular trends of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference indicate greater increase in abdominal obesity compared to general obesity. Determinants of obesity described by BMI are relatively well documented in various populations, unlike abdominal obesity described by waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The aim of the study was to determine prevalence and abdominal obesity (WHtR) risk factors in a cohort of 3048 rural children aged 7-12 years from southern Poland.

Pulse wave velocity involving proximal portions of the aorta correlates with the degree of aortic dilatation at the sinuses of valsalva in ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Objective: To determine the relationship between arterial stiffness measured in different aortic segments and the presence and extent of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA).

Methods: Patients at a Thoracic Aortic Diseases clinic at a University teaching hospital were compared to patients attending a Cardiology outpatient Clinic at the same institution. A non-invasive measure of vascular stiffness was performed using pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement of several vascular segments-carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), heart-femoral pulse wave velocity (hfPWV) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

Can proline-rich polypeptide complex mimic the effect of nerve growth factor?

Naturally occurring compounds that can act as prosurvival factors and neurite formation stimulants in the conditions of reduced neurotrophins production are important both in neuronal protection and therapy of neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, the role of proline-rich polypeptide complex (PRP) and its nonapeptide fragment (NP) in the promotion of pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) survival and neurite outgrowth pathway is presented. It was shown that PRP/NP did not affect the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) at the transcriptional and protein level.

Peptides accompanying chicken egg yolk IgY--alternative methods of isolation and immunoregulatory activity.

In the hen immune system the egg content plays as significant a role in the development of the chick as colostrum does in newborn mammals. One of the most important proteins in this system seems to be the main yolk immunoglobulin IgY. It has been shown that IgY is accompanied by an immunostimulatory polypeptide complex named yolkin.

Colostrinin: a proline-rich polypeptide complex of potential therapeutic interest.

A proline-rich polypeptide complex (PRP) subsequently known as ColostrininTM was found for the first time in ovine colostrum as a fraction accompanying colostral IgG2. Subsequently, similar polypeptides were found in human, bovine and caprine colostrum. PRP is a complex of peptides of molecular masses from 500 to 3000 Da.

Aortic wall stress in hypertension and ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms: implications for antihypertensive therapy.

The objective of this study was the evaluation of aortic wall stress in patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) because of the paucity of data to guide medical therapy for blood pressure (BP) management in TAA. Twelve men, age 67.4 ± 3.

Long-term outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery: a population-based study.

Objective: Long-term survival after aortic surgery has remained largely unexplored, despite suggestions of superior durability compared with endovascular techniques. The objective of the present study was to determine the long-term survival after open thoracic aortic surgery and to identify the predictors of mortality.

Methods: The provincial database was accessed to identify all adult patients who had undergone primary open thoracic aortic surgery in British Columbia since 1993.

EGFR activating mutations detected by different PCR techniques in Caucasian NSCLC patients with CNS metastases: short report.

EGFR mutation testing has become an essential determination to decide treatment options for NSCLC. The mutation analysis is often conducted in samples with low percentage of tumour cells from primary tumour biopsies. There is very little evidence that samples from metastatic tissues are suitable for EGFR testing.

Pattern electroretinogram (PERG) in the early diagnosis of optic nerve dysfunction in the course of Graves' orbitopathy.

Purpose: The present study was design to evaluate the pattern electroretinogram in the diagnosis of early changes in visual function of patients with Graves' orbitopathy without perimetrical signs of optic nerve neuropathy.

Material And Methods: 19 eyes from ten patients, mean age 36 +/- 6.8 SD.

Immunologically active peptides that accompany hen egg yolk immunoglobulin Y: separation and identification.

The protein mixture of cytokine-inducing activity accompanying chicken immunoglobulin Y, named yolkin, consists of several peptides of molecular weight (MW) ranging from over 1 to 35 kDa. Yolkin and its constituent peptides were found to be efficient inducers of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 secretion. N-terminal amino acid sequences of eight of the electrophoretically purified yolkin constituents revealed that all of them are homological to some fragments of the C-terminal domain of vitellogenin II.

Immunomodulatory activity accompanying chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin Y.

Immunity transfer from a mother to the newborn does not depend exclusively on immunoglobulins. Peptides, which are characterized by immunoregulatory properties that accompany IgG(2), known as proline-rich polypeptide complex (PRP), have been discovered for the first time in ovine colostrum. In this report we present new data showing that some immunoregulatory peptides associated with the main immunoglobulin class, IgY, are also present in the avian immune system.