Combined en bloc heart and liver transplant.

A combined en bloc heart and liver transplant is a rare form of a combined dual organ transplant in which the donor heart and liver remain connected via the inferior caval vein both during procurement and during the transplant. We present a patient who underwent a combined en bloc heart and liver transplant due to heart failure and cirrhosis, after having previously undergone repair of complex biventricular congenital heart disease.

Adherence and acceptance of a new oral nutritional supplement in cancer patients - a pilot study in crossover design.

Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) play a key role in the therapy of cancer-cachexia, but adherence to ONS-intake remains challenging. To improve adherence, a wide variety of ONS is crucial. We compared the acceptance and adherence of a commercial liquid ONS (LS) with a newly developed, energy- and protein-rich, semisolid, fruit-gum based product (FG) in oncological patients.

The (Im)perfect Automation Schema: Who Is Trusted More, Automated or Human Decision Support?

Objective: This study's purpose was to better understand the dynamics of trust attitude and behavior in human-agent interaction.

Background: Whereas past research provided evidence for a perfect automation schema, more recent research has provided contradictory evidence.

Method: To disentangle these conflicting findings, we conducted an online experiment using a simulated medical X-ray task.

Safety of office-based lens surgery: U.S. multicenter study.

Purpose: To evaluate the rate of adverse events after office-based lens surgery performed across multiple private practices in the United States.

Setting: 36 private practices across the U.S.

An Analysis of 186 Transplants for Pediatric or Congenital Heart Disease: Impact of Pretransplant VAD.

Background: We reviewed our management strategy and outcome data for all 181 patients with pediatric or congenital heart disease who received 186 heart transplants from January 1, 2011, to March 1, 2022, and evaluated the impact of pretransplant ventricular assist device (VAD).

Methods: Continuous variables are presented as mean (SD); median [interquartile range] (range). Categorical variables are presented as number (percentage).

An Analysis of 183 Heart Transplants for Pediatric or Congenital Heart Disease-Impact of High Panel Reactive Antibody.

Background: We reviewed our management strategy and outcome data for all 179 patients with pediatric and/or congenital heart disease who underwent 183 heart transplants from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021, and evaluated the impact of elevated panel reactive antibody (PRA).

Methods: High PRA was defined as PRA >10%. Univariate associations with long-term survival were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy in the presence of total atrioventricular block reduces long-lasting atrial fibrillation episodes.

Background: There is an ongoing debate on how cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in the presence of total AV block affects atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes and symptoms in patients with AF.

Methods: Seventy-five patients with symptomatic, drug and ablation refractory AF received, irrespective of their left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), either a CRT device and underwent subsequent atrioventricular node (AVN) ablation or already had a total AV block and underwent CRT upgrade. Long-lasting AF episodes (>48 h), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left atrial diameter (LAD), NTproBNP levels, EHRA score, and NYHA class had been monitored on the follow-up.

Mild COVID-19 imprints a long-term inflammatory eicosanoid- and chemokine memory in monocyte-derived macrophages.

Monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) drive the inflammatory response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and they are a major source of eicosanoids in airway inflammation. Here we report that MDM from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with mild disease show an inflammatory transcriptional and metabolic imprint that lasts for at least 5 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. MDM from convalescent SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals showed a downregulation of pro-resolving factors and an increased production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids, particularly 5-lipoxygenase-derived leukotrienes.

Early reduction of SARS-CoV-2-replication in bronchial epithelium by kinin B receptor antagonism.

SARS-CoV-2 has evolved to enter the host via the ACE2 receptor which is part of the kinin-kallikrein pathway. This complex pathway is only poorly understood in context of immune regulation but critical to control infection. This study examines SARS-CoV-2-infection and epithelial mechanisms of the kinin-kallikrein-system at the kinin B receptor level in SARS-CoV-2-infection that is of direct translational relevance.

Evaluation of a Humor Training for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Humor and laughter are positively associated with psychological as well as with physical well-being. As there is little research examining to what extent patients suffering from chronic pain could benefit from a humor intervention, the goal of this study was to develop a pain-specific humor training and to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness as component of regular, multimodal pain therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients from inpatient treatment groups for chronic pain in a German hospital were randomly assigned to the training group (final n = 62) and the control group (final n = 65).

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Tremor Syndromes: Pathophysiologic Insights and Therapeutic Role.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a painless, non-invasive, and established brain stimulation technique to investigate human brain function. Over the last three decades, TMS has shed insight into the pathophysiology of many neurological disorders. Tremor is an involuntary, rhythmic oscillatory movement disorder commonly related to pathological oscillations propagated the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway.

Influence of Different Nanomaterials on Growth and Mycotoxin Production of Penicillium verrucosum.

Nanoparticles are ubiquitous in the environment. They originate from anthropogenic or natural sources or they are intentionally produced for different purposes. There exist manifold applications of nanoparticles in modern life leading unavoidably to a confrontation and interaction between nanomaterial and living organisms.

That's not funny! - But it should be: effects of humorous emotion regulation on emotional experience and memory.

Previous research has shown that humorous reappraisal can reduce elicited negative emotions, suggesting that humor may be a functional strategy to cope with emotionally negative situations. However, the effect of humorous reappraisal on later memory about the emotion-eliciting situation is currently unknown, although this is crucial for more adaptive responding in future situations. To address this issue, we examined the effects of humorous reappraisal on both emotional experience and memory, compared to non-humorous rational reappraisal and a non-reappraisal control condition.

Saving our smallest patients.

The feedback from the staff that participated in the Full Scale Drill was overwhelmingly positive. Working and becoming acquainted with members from other supporting departments is critical to a successful evacuation. They enjoyed being a part of the drill and expressed that having ownership of an evacuation plan is vital in the care of our babies.

Screening for Down syndrome in dichorionic twin pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF): a clinical pilot study to confirm the laboratory methods.

Purpose: The corrections necessary to estimate the risk for Down syndrome in twin pregnancies have been pointed out. We performed a nested controlled study to evaluate the validity of these corrections in dichorionic twins conceived by IVF.

Methods: Detailed clinical data was collected from the medical records.

Baseline TNFα operational capacity in fetal and maternal circulation prior to the onset of labor: "tuned for different purposes".

Objective: In this study, we sought to characterize the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) baseline operational capacity in mature fetuses and their mothers prior to the onset of labor.

Materials And Methods: We used an experimental pregnant nonhuman primate model to measure the plasma concentration of TNFα, TNF transmembrane receptor I (TNFRI), and TNFRII with validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Coefficients of correlations between the maternal and the fetal values and the soluble TNFα, TNFRI, or TNFRII concentrations and ratios were calculated.

Contemporary management of complicated monochorionic twins.

Monochorionic twins are at increased risk for unique complications including twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), and twin-reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is treated with laser photocoagulation whereas selective reduction is an option in previable sIUGR or TRAP sequence. The nurse is integral in the management, education, care and support of women with complicated pregnancies.

Transient supplementation of anabolic growth factors rapidly stimulates matrix synthesis in engineered cartilage.

The purpose of the presented work is to examine the response of engineered cartilage to a transient, 2-week application of anabolic growth factors compared to continuous exposure in in vitro culture. Immature bovine chondrocytes were suspended in agarose hydrogel and cultured for 28 days (Study 1) or 42 days (Study 2) in chondrogenic media with TGF-β1, TGF-β3, or IGF-I either added for only the first 14 days in culture or added to the media for the entire study period. In both studies, there were no statistical differences in tissue mechanical or biochemical properties between the growth factors on day 14.

Corneal melt of incisions overlying corneal ring segments: case series and literature review.

Purpose: : To describe 4 cases of corneal melt encountered after insertion of intrastromal corneal ring segments (ICRS) for ectasia, propose a theory as to the etiology of the melt, and review relevant literature.

Methods: : Retrospective observational case series. Eyes with corneal melt after ICRS implantation were identified and the charts were reviewed.

Efficacy of laser in situ keratomileusis in correcting anterior and non-anterior corneal astigmatism: comparative study.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of conventional laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in treating corneal astigmatism and in treating noncorneal ocular residual astigmatism.

Setting: Private practice, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Lasers in refractive surgery: history, present, and future.

The history of laser refractive surgery is reviewed, followed by an overview of the current state of the field as well as a look at promising future developments.