Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Triggers for Enhanced Photosynthetic Glycerol Production in Different Isolates.

The salt-tolerant marine microalgae is reported to generate significant amounts of intracellular glycerol as an osmoprotectant under high salt conditions. This study highlights the phylogenetic distribution and comparative glycerol biosynthesis of seven new isolates compared to a reference strain. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that all isolates are newly discovered and do not relate to the reference.

Association of atrial mechanical dispersion with atrial fibrillation recurrence following catheter ablation: results of the ASTRA-AF pilot study.

Aims: For patients with symptomatic drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF), catheter ablation to achieve rhythm control is an important therapeutic option. The atrial mechanical dispersion measured as standard deviation of the time to peak strain (SD-TPS) is associated with the risk of AF recurrence following catheter ablation.

Methods: The study cohort prospectively enrolled n = 132 consecutive patients with paroxysmal (n = 88) or persistent AF (n = 44) presenting for de novo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and followed for 1 year.

Multimodal characterization of dilated cardiomyopathy: Geno- And Phenotyping of PrImary Cardiomyopathy (GrAPHIC).

Aims: Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases that are defined by structural and functional abnormalities of the cardiac muscle. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), the most common CMP, is defined by left ventricular dilation and impaired contractility and represents a common cause of heart failure. Different phenotypes result from various underlying genetic and acquired causes with variable effects on disease development and progression, prognosis, and response to medical treatment.

The Time-Resolved Salt Stress Response of -A Comprehensive System Biology Perspective.

Algae-driven processes, such as direct CO fixation into glycerol, provide new routes for sustainable chemical production in synergy with greenhouse gas mitigation. The marine microalgae is reported to accumulate high amounts of intracellular glycerol upon exposure to high salt concentrations. We have conducted a comprehensive, time-resolved systems biology study to decipher the metabolic response of up to 24 h under continuous light conditions.

Do kids with forearm fractures need opioids at discharge from the emergency department? Analgesic prescribing and pain control following closed reduction of pediatric forearm fractures.

Objective: The purpose of this 2-part study is to determine opioid prescribing patterns and opioid use and pain control after discharge following closed reduction of pediatric forearm fractures.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from December 2016 to January 2018 at a level 1 trauma center to determine opioid prescribing habits for patients 1-17 years old with forearm fractures treated with closed reduction. A prospective study was then conducted from August 2019 to October 2020 to determine pain control and opioid use after discharge.

Bone bruising severity after anterior cruciate ligament rupture predicts elevation of chemokine MCP-1 associated with osteoarthritis.

Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament rupture is associated with characteristic bone contusions in approximately 80% of patients, and these have been correlated with higher pain scores. Bone bruising may indicate joint damage that increases inflammation and the likelihood of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. We sought to characterize the severity of bone bruising following acute anterior cruciate ligament injury and determine if it correlates with synovial fluid and serum levels of the proinflammatory chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 associated with posttraumatic osteoarthritis.

Neutrophil Gene Expression Patterns in Multiple Trauma Patients Indicate Distinct Clinical Outcomes.

Introduction: Patients after polytrauma suffer from posttraumatic immune system dysregulation and multiple organ dysfunction. Genome-wide microarray profiling in monocytes revealed a regulatory network of inflammatory markers around the transcription factor AP-1 in severely injured patients. Recent research focuses on the role of neutrophils in posttraumatic inflammation.

Mutation in a Family with a Strong History of Sudden Cardiac Death.

We report a family with heterozygous deletion of exons 3-6 of the gene. The main presentation of affected family members was characterized by ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias, atrioventricular (AV) block and sudden cardiac death (SCD) but also by severe dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM). We report on two siblings, a 36-year-old female and her 40-year-old brother, who suffer from heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction, AV conduction delays and premature ventricular complexes.

Complications following posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a retrospective cohort study using the modified Clavien-Dindo-Sink system.

Purpose: Published complication rates after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) range from 1 to 22%. Complications are often minor and may be underestimated in registries. This study describes complications of PSF for AIS, classifies them according to a Clavien-Dindo-Sink (CDS) system, and investigates risk factors for occurrence of a complication.

Proximal tibia fracture dislocations: Management and outcomes of a severe and under-recognized injury.

Introduction: Proximal tibia fracture dislocations (PTFDs) are a subset of plateau fractures with little in the literature since description by Hohl (1967) and classification by Moore (1981). We sought to evaluate reliability in diagnosis of fracture-dislocations by traumatologists and to compare their outcomes with bicondylar tibial plateau fractures (BTPFs).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study at 14 level 1 trauma centers throughout North America.

Administration of Venous Thromboembolism Chemoprophylaxis Within 12 Hours of Pelvic and Acetabular Surgery Has No Effect on Estimated Blood Loss, Perioperative Change in Hemoglobin, or Need for Transfusion.

Objective: To determine if preoperative administration of venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis (PPx) before pelvic and acetabular fracture surgery affects estimated blood loss (EBL), perioperative change in hemoglobin (ΔHgb), or transfusion rates.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Level 1 trauma center, southeastern United States.

When Is a Growth-friendly Strategy Warranted? A Matched Comparison of Growing Rods Versus Primary Posterior Spinal Fusion in Juveniles With Early-onset Scoliosis.

Background: In 7 to 11-year-old juveniles with severe early-onset scoliosis (EOS) the optimal surgical option remains uncertain. This study compares growing rods (GRs) followed by definitive posterior spinal fusion (PSF) versus primary PSF in this population. We hypothesized that the thoracic height afforded by GRs would be offset by increased rigidity, more complications, and more operations.

Modified Clavien-Dindo-sink classification system for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Purpose: The Clavien-Dindosink (CDS) classification system provides more treatment-focused granularity than subjective methods of describing surgical complications; however, it has not been validated in posterior spinal fusion (PSF) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The purpose of this study was to modify the CDS system for application in patients with AIS undergoing PSF to assess its inter- and intra-rater reliability for describing complications faced by this population.

Methods: A review of all complications specific to patients with AIS captured in a large multicenter international database was performed.

CMR-Based Risk Stratification of Sudden Cardiac Death and Use of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator in Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) is one of the most important entities for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Previous studies suggest a lower benefit of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy in patients with NICM as compared to ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Nevertheless, current guidelines do not differentiate between the two subgroups in recommending ICD implantation.

Power versus manual pedicle tract preparation: a multi-center study of early adopters.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort, multicenter. A single surgeon study demonstrated that pedicle tract preparation with power tools was associated with lower fluoroscopy times and revision rates compared to manual tools, while maintaining patient safety.

Objective: Our purpose was to determine the safety of power-assisted pedicle tract preparation by early adopters of this technology.

Thermal Habitat for RNA Amplification and Accumulation.

The RNA world scenario posits replication by RNA polymerases. On early Earth, a geophysical setting is required to separate hybridized strands after their replication and to localize them against diffusion. We present a pointed heat source that drives exponential, RNA-catalyzed amplification of short RNA with high efficiency in a confined chamber.

Bone Tumors: Primary Bone Cancers.

The three most common primary bone cancers are osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma. Osteosarcoma occurs most often in children and young adults, with a peak incidence at ages 10 to 14 years. It also can occur later in life due to malignant transformation of benign bone lesions.

Comparison of microbial and transient expression (tobacco plants and plant-cell packs) for the production and purification of the anticancer mistletoe lectin viscumin.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries. Cancer therapy often involves monoclonal antibodies or small-molecule drugs, but carbohydrate-binding lectins such as mistletoe (Viscum album) viscumin offer a potential alternative treatment strategy. Viscumin is toxic in mammalian cells, ruling them out as an efficient production system, and it forms inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli such that purification requires complex and lengthy refolding steps.

Synergism of imatinib, vatalanib and everolimus in the prevention of chronic lung allograft rejection after lung transplantation (LTx) in rats.

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) still remains a major drawback in the outcome following lung transplantation (LTx). New therapeutic strategies are warranted. Growth factors and their receptors like platelet-derived growth factor-receptor (PDGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor (VEGFR), may play a crucial role in the development of CLAD, especially bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) and vasculopathy.

Proton gradients and pH oscillations emerge from heat flow at the microscale.

Proton gradients are essential for biological systems. They not only drive the synthesis of ATP, but initiate molecule degradation and recycling inside lysosomes. However, the high mobility and permeability of protons through membranes make pH gradients very hard to sustain in vitro.

Prehospital Fluid Administration in Trauma Patients: A Survey of State Protocols.

Objective: The optimal resuscitation approach during the initial treatment of hypotensive trauma patients remains unknown, but some clinical trials have observed a survival benefit from restricting fluid administration prior to definitive hemorrhage control. We sought to characterize emergency medical services (EMS) protocols for the administration of intravenous fluids in this setting.

Methods: Publicly accessible statewide EMS protocols for the treatment of hypotensive trauma patients were included and characterized by: 1) goal of fluid administration, 2) dosing strategy, 3) maximum dose, 4) type of fluid, and 5) specific protocols for head trauma, if present.