BART-Seq: cost-effective massively parallelized targeted sequencing for genomics, transcriptomics, and single-cell analysis.

We describe a highly sensitive, quantitative, and inexpensive technique for targeted sequencing of transcript cohorts or genomic regions from thousands of bulk samples or single cells in parallel. Multiplexing is based on a simple method that produces extensive matrices of diverse DNA barcodes attached to invariant primer sets, which are all pre-selected and optimized in silico. By applying the matrices in a novel workflow named Barcode Assembly foR Targeted Sequencing (BART-Seq), we analyze developmental states of thousands of single human pluripotent stem cells, either in different maintenance media or upon Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation, which identifies the mechanisms of differentiation induction.

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine: Brussels, Belgium. 15-18 March 2016.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.].

Biomarkers of cardiovascular stress in obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder associated with "cardiovascular stress", i.e. cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular diseases, and an increased risk of heart failure, stroke, and death.

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990-2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.

Background: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution.

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990-2013: quantifying the epidemiological transition.

Background: The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) aims to bring together all available epidemiological data using a coherent measurement framework, standardised estimation methods, and transparent data sources to enable comparisons of health loss over time and across causes, age-sex groups, and countries. The GBD can be used to generate summary measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) that make possible comparative assessments of broad epidemiological patterns across countries and time. These summary measures can also be used to quantify the component of variation in epidemiology that is related to sociodemographic development.

Comprehensive biomarker profiling in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: The pathophysiological links between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular mortality are incompletely understood. We aimed to contribute to a better characterization by using comprehensive biomarker profiling quantifying hemodynamic cardiac stress, cardiomyocyte injury, inflammation, endothelial function, matrix turnover and metabolism.

Design And Methods: In 65 patients with moderate or severe OSAS [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 39±20/h] and 33 patients with no or mild OSAS (AHI 8+4/h), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal-pro-BNP (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and insulin were measured before and after sleep.

Biomarkers and peak oxygen uptake in patients with chronic lung disease.

Background: Peak oxygen uptake (peak VO(2)) is a predictor of outcome in patients with lung disease. In these patients, peak VO(2) is typically determined by ventilation and gas exchange. However, it is not well known whether cardiac strain contributes to peak VO(2) in patients with chronic lung disease.

Midregional pro-A-type natriuretic peptide for the evaluation of exercise intolerance.

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of midregional pro-A-type natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP) for the identification of a cardiocirculatory exercise limitation (CL) as assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and to compare it to B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Among 94 patients with CPET data fulfilling criteria for appropriate effort and sufficient diagnostic certainty, 27 (29%) had CL. The areas under the receiver-operator-characteristic curve for MR-proANP and BNP to identify CL were 0.

Determinants of absolute and relative exercise-induced changes in B-type natriuretic peptides.

Background: Exercise is associated with changes in circulating B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP). However, the biological relevance of this phenomenon is poorly examined. We sought to assess determinants of absolute (Δ) and relative (Δ%) exercise-induced changes in BNP and NT-proBNP.

Natriuretic peptides for the prediction of severely impaired peak VO2 in patients with lung disease.

Background: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a predictor of death in patients with lung disease. We hypothesised that in patients with lung disease, BNP and N-terminal-pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) could predict a peak VO(2)<15 ml/kg/min, which is the proposed cut-off indicating an increased risk of perioperative complications during lung resection surgery.

Methods: BNP and NT-proBNP were measured in 85 patients with a variety of pulmonary pathologies undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise testing and fulfilling criteria for appropriate effort.

B-type natriuretic peptide and C-terminal-pro-endothelin-1 for the prediction of severely impaired peak oxygen consumption.

Objective: To assess the utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-terminal-pro-endothelin-1 (CT-proET-1) to predict a severely impaired peak oxygen consumption (peak VO(2), < 14 mL kg(-1) min(-1)) in patients referred for cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

Use of B-type natriuretic peptide outside of the emergency department.

In contrast to their established role in the evaluation of acute dyspnea in emergency department (ED) patients, applications of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) in patients outside of the ED are less well defined. A PubMed-based electronic and hand search for articles dealing with BNP and NT-proBNP in settings other than the ED was performed. We found that currently available evidence is sufficient to support the use of BNP and NT-proBNP in four cardiovascular settings outside of the ED: i) evaluation of patients with suspected heart failure (HF) referred from primary care, ii) risk stratification in patients with HF, iii) risk stratification in stable coronary artery disease, and iv) risk stratification in pulmonary artery hypertension.