Mapping adipose tissue in short-axis echocardiograms using spectral analysis.

The number one cause of death in the United States is consistently cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have proven that the buildup of cardiac adipose tissue (CAT) around the heart is a biomarker of CVD. MRI is the gold standard for imaging CAT but is expensive and not widely available.

Vigorous-intensity exercise as a modulator of cardiac adipose tissue in women with obesity: a cross-sectional and randomized pilot study.

Cardiac adipose tissue (CAT) has become an important target for the reduction of disease risk. Supervised exercise programs have shown potential to "significantly" reduce CAT; however, the impact of different exercise modalities is not clear, and the relationships between CAT, physical activity (PA) levels and fitness (PFit) remain unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between CAT, PA and PFit, and to explore the effects of different exercise modalities in a group of women with obesity.

A Rare Case of Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus in Florida Presenting As Guillain Barré Syndrome.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the continental United States. There are no vaccines to prevent or treat WNV, the mainstay of treatment is supportive care with rehydration, pain control, and possible antiemetic therapy. WNV is often asymptomatic but can rarely progress to a neuroinvasive disease, depicted by meningitis, encephalitis, and acute flaccid paralysis.

Comparison of two-dimensional and three-dimensional U-Net architectures for segmentation of adipose tissue in cardiac magnetic resonance images.

The process of identifying cardiac adipose tissue (CAT) from volumetric magnetic resonance imaging of the heart is tedious, time-consuming, and often dependent on observer interpretation. Many 2-dimensional (2D) convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been implemented to automate the cardiac segmentation process, but none have attempted to identify CAT. Furthermore, the results from automatic segmentation of other cardiac structures leave room for improvement.

Investigating the effects of external pressure on coronary arteries with plaques and its role in coronary artery disease.

The risk of an acute coronary event stems from the amount and type of plaque present, as well as the fluid and structural dynamics in the coronary artery. If the plaque's structural stress exceeds the mechanical strength, the fibrous cap may rupture and lead to thrombosis. The patient is then likely to face a sudden myocardial infarction.

Spectral analysis of ultrasound radiofrequency backscatter for the identification of epicardial adipose tissue.

: The coronary arteries are embedded in a layer of fat known as epicardial adipose tissue (EAT). The EAT influences the development of coronary artery disease (CAD), and increased EAT volume can be indicative of the presence and type of CAD. Identification of EAT using echocardiography is challenging and only sometimes feasible on the free wall of the right ventricle.

Large Middle Cerebral Artery Ischemic Stroke in a Therapeutically Anticoagulated Patient With Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with hypercoagulability which can predispose infected patients to both arterial and venous thromboembolic complications. Despite therapeutic anticoagulation, there remains a risk of ischemic strokes, which may lead to adverse patient outcomes. Only a few cases are described in the literature regarding SARS-CoV-2 positive patients developing thrombotic ischemic strokes despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

Late Feeding Tube Dependency in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Definitive Radiation Therapy and Concurrent Systemic Therapy.

Objective The study aimed to evaluate the impact of late swallowing dysfunction leading to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube dependence on the overall survival (OS) in a cohort of locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated and cured with definitive radiotherapy (RT) and concurrent systemic therapy (CST).  Materials and methods A total of 62 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer were included in the analysis based on the following selection criteria: stage III, IVA, or IVB disease, treated with definitive RT and CST, no major head and neck surgery, no evidence of local or distant recurrent disease, and at least one post-RT modified barium swallow study. Patients were classified as PEG dependent or PEG independent at the time of the last follow-up.

Advance Care Planning Training for Renal Social Workers.

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a life-limiting condition for which hospice and palliative care are not routinely provided to patients and families. While the ESRD mortality rate is close to 25%, patients on dialysis are half as likely to receive hospice services than patients with other life-limiting diagnoses. Nephrologists and dialysis social workers receive little training to effectively lead patients with ESRD and their families through the stages of dying and the completion of advance care planning.

Tissue classification in intercostal and paravertebral ultrasound using spectral analysis of radiofrequency backscatter.

Paravertebral and intercostal nerve blocks have experienced a resurgence in popularity. Ultrasound has become the gold standard for visualization of the needle during injection of the analgesic, but the intercostal artery and vein can be difficult to visualize. We investigated the use of spectral analysis of raw radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound signals for identification of the intercostal vessels and six other tissue types in the intercostal and paravertebral spaces.

Advance care planning with patients on hemodialysis: an implementation study.

Background: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis have limited life expectancy, yet their palliative care needs often go unmet. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators for implementation of "Shared Decision Making and Renal Supportive Care" (SDM-RSC), an intervention to improve advance care planning (ACP) for patients with ESKD on hemodialysis.

Methods: The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) was the organizing framework for this study.

Development and evaluation of a method for segmentation of cardiac, subcutaneous, and visceral adipose tissue from Dixon magnetic resonance images.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has evolved into the gold standard for quantifying excess adiposity, but reliable, efficient use in longitudinal studies requires analysis of large numbers of images. The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate a segmentation method designed to identify cardiac, subcutaneous, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in Dixon MRI scans. The proposed method is evaluated using 10 scans from volunteer females 18- to 35-years old, with body mass indexes between 30 and .

Spectral Analysis of Ultrasound Radiofrequency Backscatter for the Detection of Intercostal Blood Vessels.

Spectral analysis of ultrasound radiofrequency backscatter has the potential to identify intercostal blood vessels during ultrasound-guided placement of paravertebral nerve blocks and intercostal nerve blocks. Autoregressive models were used for spectral estimation, and bandwidth, autoregressive order and region-of-interest size were evaluated. Eight spectral parameters were calculated and used to create random forests.

Effects of resistance training on MRI-derived epicardial fat volume and arterial stiffness in women with obesity: a randomized pilot study.

Aim: To date, few studies have analyzed the effects of exercise on cardiac adipose tissue. Overall, exercise programs did not meet the recommendations for significant weight loss, the utilization of resistance training was minimal, and the conclusions derived from these studies have diminished exercise as a strategy for cardiac fat loss.

Purpose: The objective of this pilot study was to analyze the effects of 3-week high-intensity, moderate-volume muscular endurance resistance training (RT) on cardiac fat and arterial stiffness.

Shared decision-making in end-stage renal disease: a protocol for a multi-center study of a communication intervention to improve end-of-life care for dialysis patients.

Background: End-stage renal disease carries a prognosis similar to cancer yet only 20 % of end-stage renal disease patients are referred to hospice. Furthermore, conversations between dialysis team members and patients about end-of-life planning are uncommon. Lack of provider training about how to communicate prognostic data may contribute to the limited number of end-of-life care discussions that take place with this chronically ill population.

Sonic hedgehog from pharyngeal arch 1 epithelium is necessary for early mandibular arch cell survival and later cartilage condensation differentiation.

Background: Morphogenesis of vertebrate craniofacial skeletal elements is dependent on a key cell population, the cranial neural crest cells (NCC). Cranial NCC are formed dorsally in the cranial neural tube and migrate ventrally to form craniofacial skeletal elements as well as other tissues. Multiple extracellular signaling pathways regulate the migration, survival, proliferation, and differentiation of NCC.

One shall become two: Separation of the esophagus and trachea from the common foregut tube.

The alimentary and respiratory organ systems arise from a common endodermal origin, the anterior foregut tube. Formation of the esophagus from the dorsal region and the trachea from the ventral region of the foregut primordium occurs by means of a poorly understood compartmentalization process. Disruption of this process can result in severe birth defects, such as esophageal atresia and tracheo-esphageal fistula (EA/TEF), in which the lumina of the trachea and esophagus remain connected.

Multiple tissue-specific requirements for the BMP antagonist Noggin in development of the mammalian craniofacial skeleton.

Proper morphogenesis is essential for both form and function of the mammalian craniofacial skeleton, which consists of more than twenty small cartilages and bones. Skeletal elements that support the oral cavity are derived from cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) that develop in the maxillary and mandibular buds of pharyngeal arch 1 (PA1). Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling has been implicated in most aspects of craniofacial skeletogenesis, including PA1 development.

BMP antagonism by Noggin is required in presumptive notochord cells for mammalian foregut morphogenesis.

Esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is a serious human birth defect, in which the esophagus ends before reaching the stomach, and is aberrantly connected with the trachea. Several mouse models of EA/TEF have recently demonstrated that proper dorsal/ventral (D/V) patterning of the primitive anterior foregut endoderm is essential for correct compartmentalization of the trachea and esophagus. Here we elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the EA/TEF that occurs in mice lacking the BMP antagonist Noggin, which display correct dorsal/ventral patterning.

Compartmentalization of the foregut tube: developmental origins of the trachea and esophagus.

The mammalian trachea and esophagus share a common embryonic origin. They arise by compartmentalization of a single foregut tube, composed of foregut endoderm (FGE) and surrounding mesenchyme, around midgestation. Aberrant compartmentalization is thought to lead to relatively common human birth defects, such as esophageal atresia (EA) and tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF), which can prevent or disrupt a newborn infant's ability to feed and breathe.

RNA-binding protein FXR2 regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis by reducing Noggin expression.

In adult mammalian brains, neurogenesis persists in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. Although evidence suggest that adult neurogenesis in these two regions is subjected to differential regulation, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we show that the RNA-binding protein FXR2 specifically regulates DG neurogenesis by reducing the stability of Noggin mRNA.

Bone morphogenetic protein signaling is required in the dorsal neural folds before neurulation for the induction of spinal neural crest cells and dorsal neurons.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) activity has been implicated as a key regulator of multiple aspects of dorsal neural tube development. BMP signaling in the dorsal-most neuroepithelial cells presumably plays a critical role. We use tissue-specific gene ablation to probe the roles of BMPR1A, the type 1 BMP receptor that is seemingly the best candidate to mediate the activities of BMPs on early dorsal neural development.

The actin nucleator Cordon-bleu is required for development of motile cilia in zebrafish.

The cordon-bleu (Cobl) gene is widely conserved in vertebrates, with developmentally regulated axial and epithelial expression in mouse and chick embryos. In vitro, Cobl can bind monomeric actin and nucleate formation of unbranched actin filaments, while in cultured cells it can modulate the actin cytoskeleton. However, an essential role for Cobl in vivo has yet to be determined.

Modulation of BMP signaling by Noggin is required for the maintenance of palatal epithelial integrity during palatogenesis.

BMP signaling plays many important roles during organ development, including palatogenesis. Loss of BMP signaling leads to cleft palate formation. During development, BMP activities are finely tuned by a number of modulators at the extracellular and intracellular levels.

BMP antagonism protects Nodal signaling in the gastrula to promote the tissue interactions underlying mammalian forebrain and craniofacial patterning.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is the most common forebrain and craniofacial malformation syndrome in humans. The genetics of HPE suggest that it often stems from a synergistic interaction of mutations in independent loci. In mice, several combinations of mutations in Nodal signaling pathway components can give rise to HPE, but it is not clear whether modest deficits of Nodal signaling along with lesions in other pathways might also cause such defects.