Effects of Protamine Reversal on Coagulation Parameters After High-Dose Heparin Administration in Percutaneous Hepatic Chemosaturation Intervention.

Background: Intravenous protamine administration for heparin reversal after percutaneous hepatic chemosaturation intervention is generally recommended, but its effectiveness on coagulation parameters remains unclear.

Methods: In a single-center retrospective observational study, the effects of different postinterventional protamine doses on the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen, platelet count (PLT), and hemoglobin (Hb) were analyzed in consecutive patients who underwent high-dose heparin administration (>300 U/kg body weight) and extracorporeal circulation for chemosaturation treatment. Due to the multiple treatments of individual patients, linear mixed-effects models were applied.

Split red blood cell units contain defined extracellular K levels, which are improved by a washing procedure.

Background And Objectives: We should control free K during massive transfusion (>80 mL/kg) of red blood cells (RBCs) in small children. To manage this, several national and international guidelines recommend using RBCs stored only up to 7 days. We tested a washing step for RBCs in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM) with or without irradiation to reduce supernatant K levels, improve quality and potentially extend the shelf life of stored RBCs.

A biomathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 in Syrian hamsters.

When infected with SARS-CoV-2, Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) develop moderate disease severity presenting key features of human COVID-19. We here develop a biomathematical model of the disease course by translating known biological mechanisms of virus-host interactions and immune responses into ordinary differential equations. We explicitly describe the dynamics of virus population, affected alveolar epithelial cells, and involved relevant immune cells comprising for example CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, natural killer cells and B cells.

Relationship of proteins and subclinical cardiovascular traits in the population-based LIFE-Adult study.

Background And Aims: Understanding molecular processes of the early phase of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease conditions is of utmost importance for early prediction and intervention measures.

Methods: We measured 92 cardiovascular-disease-related proteins (Olink, Cardiovascular III) in 2024 elderly participants of the population-based LIFE-Adult study. We analysed the impact of 27 covariables on these proteins including blood counts, cardiovascular risk factors and life-style-related parameters.

Neural network-assisted humanisation of COVID-19 hamster transcriptomic data reveals matching severity states in human disease.

Background: Translating findings from animal models to human disease is essential for dissecting disease mechanisms, developing and testing precise therapeutic strategies. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted this need, particularly for models showing disease severity-dependent immune responses.

Methods: Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNAseq) is well poised to reveal similarities and differences between species at the molecular and cellular level with unprecedented resolution.

Characterization of Commercially Available Human Primary Alveolar Epithelial Cells.

lung research requires appropriate cell culture models that adequately mimic structure and function. Previously, researchers extensively used commercially available and easily expandable A549 and NCI-H441 cells, which replicate some but not all features of alveolar epithelial cells. Specifically, these cells are often restricted by terminally altered expression while lacking important alveolar epithelial characteristics.

Epigenome-Wide Meta-analysis Reveals Associations Between Dietary Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load and DNA Methylation in Children and Adolescents of Different Body Sizes.

Objective: Dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are associated with cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents, with potential distinct effects in people with increased BMI. DNA methylation (DNAm) may mediate these effects. Thus, we conducted meta-analyses of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) between dietary GI and GL and blood DNAm of children and adolescents.

An atlas of genome-wide gene expression and metabolite associations and possible mediation effects towards body mass index.

Investigating the cross talk of different omics layers is crucial to understand molecular pathomechanisms of metabolic diseases like obesity. Here, we present a large-scale association meta-analysis of genome-wide whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) gene expressions profiled with Illumina HT12v4 microarrays and metabolite measurements from dried blood spots (DBS) characterized by targeted liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in three large German cohort studies with up to 7706 samples. We found 37,295 associations comprising 72 amino acids (AA) and acylcarnitine (AC) metabolites (including ratios) and 8579 transcripts.

Tasting inhibition: A proof-of-concept study of the food stop-signal game.

Self-Control is an important skill in everyday life when attention is automatically drawn toward certain stimuli. For instance, food stimuli automatically capture visual attention and are processed preferentially. Therefore, efficient response inhibition is crucial to refrain from careless overeating.

Prognostic Factors for Postoperative Bleeding Complications and Prolonged Intensive Care after Percutaneous Hepatic Chemosaturation Procedures with Melphalan.

Percutaneous hepatic melphalan perfusion (chemosaturation) in patients with liver metastases is known to be associated with procedure-related hemodynamic depression and coagulation impairment, which may cause bleeding complications and/or a prolonged intensive care unit length of stay (ICU LOS). We retrospectively analyzed possible predictive factors for bleeding complications and an ICU LOS > 1 d in a cohort of 31 patients undergoing 90 chemosaturation procedures. Using a multivariable mixed-model approach, we identified the amount of perioperative fluid volume (OR 12.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections of Omicron and Delta Variants in Healthcare Workers.

Understanding SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in vaccinated healthcare workers is of key importance in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in healthcare facilities. An observational prospective cohort study was conducted in vaccinated employees with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection between October 2021 and February 2022. Serological and molecular testing was performed to determine SARS-CoV-2 viral load, lineage, antibody levels, and neutralizing antibody titers.

MicroRNA-223 Dampens Pulmonary Inflammation during Pneumococcal Pneumonia.

Community-acquired pneumonia remains a major contributor to global communicable disease-mediated mortality. Neutrophils play a leading role in trying to contain bacterial lung infection, but they also drive detrimental pulmonary inflammation, when dysregulated. Here we aimed at understanding the role of microRNA-223 in orchestrating pulmonary inflammation during pneumococcal pneumonia.

Imputation-powered whole-exome analysis identifies genes associated with kidney function and disease in the UK Biobank.

Genome-wide association studies have discovered hundreds of associations between common genotypes and kidney function but cannot comprehensively investigate rare coding variants. Here, we apply a genotype imputation approach to whole exome sequencing data from the UK Biobank to increase sample size from 166,891 to 408,511. We detect 158 rare variants and 105 genes significantly associated with one or more of five kidney function traits, including genes not previously linked to kidney disease in humans.

Attentional tuning of valent word forms.

Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we tested the hypothesis of valent word forms (Kissler et al., 2006, Prog Brain Res) stating that the mere visual shapes of emotional words acquire valence through numerous co-occurrences with affective activation over an experienced reader's life. Thereby, associations between neuronal representations of visual word forms and affect are strengthened.

National and subnational short-term forecasting of COVID-19 in Germany and Poland during early 2021.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a strong interest in forecasts of the short-term development of epidemiological indicators to inform decision makers. In this study we evaluate probabilistic real-time predictions of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Germany and Poland for the period from January through April 2021.

Methods: We evaluate probabilistic real-time predictions of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Germany and Poland.

Event-related potentials of food-induced blindness in the rapid serial visual presentation paradigm.

Emotion-induced blindness is known as the impairment in the identification of targets that follow shortly after emotional distractors in the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Besides negative or erotic stimuli, food distractors have also been found to elicit a similar effect. This indicates an attentional bias for food stimuli in the temporal dimension of visual attention, which is highly relevant in the context of eating behaviour.

On the Parametrization of Epidemiologic Models-Lessons from Modelling COVID-19 Epidemic.

Numerous prediction models of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were proposed in the past. Unknown parameters of these models are often estimated based on observational data. However, lag in case-reporting, changing testing policy or incompleteness of data lead to biased estimates.