Changes in heart transplant outcomes of elderly patients in the new allocation era.

Objective: Studies demonstrate that heart transplantation can be performed safely in septuagenarians. We evaluate the outcomes of septuagenarians undergoing heart transplantation after the US heart allocation change in 2018.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was used to identify heart transplant recipients aged 70 years or more between 2010 and 2021.

A systematic review of social classroom climate in online and technology-enhanced learning environments in primary and secondary school.

Although the significance of a positive social classroom climate in face-to-face learning has been established, its role within online and technology-enhanced learning environments is unclear. The central aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the findings of empirical studies which have examined any aspect of the social classroom climate in online and technology-enhanced learning environments in primary and secondary schools. Appropriate search terms were entered into ACM Digital Library, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC in November 2021.

The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device as a strategy to bridge to transplant.

Purpose: Recent changes in the market for left ventricular assist devices have resulted in the HeartMate 3 (HM3) being the only commercially-available device. This study evaluates the outcomes of patients with a HM3 waitlisted for and undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT).

Methods: Patients waitlisted for isolated OHT with a HM3 or undergoing OHT after bridge-to-transplant (BTT) with a HM3 between 2015 and 2021 were identified from the UNOS registry and included in this study.

Native Coronary Artery Pseudoaneurysm after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Coronary artery pseudoaneurysms are extremely rare and most often occur after trauma or endovascular procedures [Aoki 2008; Kar 2017]. Delay in diagnosis or treatment may lead to coronary thrombosis with resultant ischemia or hemorrhage subsequent tamponade. Here, we present the case of a 66-year-old female who developed a coronary artery pseudoaneurysm of a non-grafted vessel three weeks after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Prolonged Ischemia Times for Heart Transplantation: Impact of the 2018 Allocation Change.

Background: In 2018, the United Network for Organ Sharing implemented a change in heart allocation policy resulting in increased organ ischemia times in early analyses. This study evaluated the effect of ischemia time on 1-year mortality in the context of allocation policy changes implemented in 2006 and 2018.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was used to identify adults undergoing heart transplantation from 2000 to 2020.

Heart Transplantation for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: Outcomes Over 3 Decades.

Background: This study evaluated trends and outcomes of patients undergoing heart transplantation for peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) over the past 3 decades.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was used to identify patients undergoing isolated heart transplantation between 1987 and 2020. Patients were stratified by the decade of transplantation.

National trends and outcomes of heart-kidney transplantation using hepatitis C positive donors.

Background: This study evaluated the outcomes of combined heart-kidney transplantation in the United States using hepatitis C positive (HCV+) donors.

Methods: Adults undergoing combined heart-kidney transplantation from 2015 to 2020 were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry. Patients were stratified by donor HCV status.

HVAD versus heartmate III bridge to heart transplantation: Waitlist and posttransplant outcomes.

Background: This study compared outcomes of patients bridged with either the Heartware HVAD or Heartmate 3 (HM3) device to orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT).

Methods: The United Network of Organ Sharing registry was queried to perform two separate analyses of adult, isolated OHT candidates bridged with HVAD or HM3. First, waitlist outcomes were compared among patients waitlisted 1/1/2015-3/20/2020.

Conversion of the HVAD Left Ventricular Assist Device to the Centrimag Using a Customized Apical Plug.

Left ventricular assist device thrombosis is a potentially life-threatening complication often managed acutely with device exchange. In the absence of modifiable risk factors recurrent thrombosis can occur. Recent changes in the heart allocation policy have reduced left ventricular assist device complications from top priority to status 3.

Redirecting photosynthetic electron flux in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by the deletion of flavodiiron protein Flv3.

Background: Oxygen-evolving photoautotrophic organisms, like cyanobacteria, protect their photosynthetic machinery by a number of regulatory mechanisms, including alternative electron transfer pathways. Despite the importance in modulating the electron flux distribution between the photosystems, alternative electron transfer routes may compete with the solar-driven production of CO-derived target chemicals in biotechnological systems under development. This work focused on engineered cyanobacterial Synechocystis sp.

ZFP148 (Zinc-Finger Protein 148) Binds Cooperatively With NF-1 (Neurofibromin 1) to Inhibit Smooth Muscle Marker Gene Expression During Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation.

Objective- The goal of this study was to determine the role of ZFP148 (zinc-finger protein 148) in aneurysm formation. Approach and Results- ZFP148 mRNA expression increased at day 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after during abdominal aortic aneurysm formation in C57BL/6 mice. Loss of ZFP148 conferred abdominal aortic aneurysm protection using ERTCre+ ZFP148 flx/flx mice.

Novel Role of IL (Interleukin)-1β in Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Objective: Neutrophils promote experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation via a mechanism that is independent from MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases). Recently, we reported a dominant role of IL (interleukin)-1β in the formation of murine experimental AAAs. Here, the hypothesis that IL-1β-induced neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) promotes AAA was tested.

D-series resolvins inhibit murine abdominal aortic aneurysm formation and increase M2 macrophage polarization.

The role of resolvins in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has not been established. We hypothesized that treatment with D-series resolvins (RvD2 or RvD1) would attenuate murine AAA formation through alterations in macrophage polarization and cytokine expression. Male C57/B6 mice (n = 9 per group) 8 to 12 wk old received RvD2 (100 ng/kg/treatment), RvD1 (100 ng/kg/treatment), or vehicle only every third day beginning 3 d before abdominal aortic perfusion with elastase as prevention.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate NADPH Oxidase-Dependent High Mobility Group Box 1 Production and Inhibit Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms.

Objective: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation is characterized by inflammation, smooth muscle activation, and matrix degradation. This study tests the hypothesis that macrophage-produced high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) production is dependent on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (Nox2), which leads to increase in interleukin (IL)-17 production resulting in AAA formation and that treatment with human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can attenuate this process thereby inhibiting AAA formation.

Approach And Results: Human aortic tissue demonstrated a significant increase in HMGB1 expression in AAA patients when compared with controls.

Inferior Vena Cava Reconstruction with Tubularized Bovine Pericardium.

A 32-year-old male presented with a large locally advanced sarcomatoid right renal cell carcinoma invading the duodenum and IVC. Due to persistent symptomatic gastrointestinal bleeding requiring repeat blood transfusion and the inability to utilize appropriate systemic chemotherapy, the patient was taken for palliative resection. En bloc pancreaticoduodenectomy, right nephrectomy and IVC resection were performed with reconstruction of the IVC with tubularized bovine pericardium.

Pharmacologic blockade and genetic deletion of androgen receptor attenuates aortic aneurysm formation.

Background: Testosterone is theorized to play a major role in the pathophysiology of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) because this disease occurs primarily in men. The role of the androgen receptor (AR) in the formation of AAAs has not been well elucidated, and therefore, it is hypothesized that androgen blockade will attenuate experimental aortic aneurysm formation.

Methods: Aortas of 8- to 12-week-old male C57Bl/6 wild-type (WT) mice or male AR knockout (AR(-/-)) mice were perfused with purified porcine pancreatic elastase (0.

Ex vivo lung perfusion with adenosine A2A receptor agonist allows prolonged cold preservation of lungs donated after cardiac death.

Objective: Ex vivo lung perfusion has been successful in the assessment of marginal donor lungs, including donation after cardiac death (DCD) donor lungs. Ex vivo lung perfusion also represents a unique platform for targeted drug delivery. We sought to determine whether ischemia-reperfusion injury would be decreased after transplantation of DCD donor lungs subjected to prolonged cold preservation and treated with an adenosine A2A receptor agonist during ex vivo lung perfusion.

Interleukin-6 Receptor Inhibition Prevents Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Formation.

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) represent related but distinct disease processes. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to be significantly upregulated in human TAA and AAA. We hypothesize that loss of IL-6 is protective in experimental TAA and AAA.

Attenuation of aortic aneurysms with stem cells from different genders.

Background: No medical therapies are yet available to slow abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) growth. This study sought to investigate the effect of different genders of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on AAA growth in a murine AAA model. Given the decreased rate of AAA in women, it is hypothesized that female MSC would attenuate AAA growth more so than male MSC.