Autophagy and the unfolded protein response promote profibrotic effects of TGF-β in human lung fibroblasts.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lethal fibrotic lung disease in adults with limited treatment options. Autophagy and the unfolded protein response (UPR), fundamental processes induced by cell stress, are dysregulated in lung fibroblasts and epithelial cells from humans with IPF. Human primary cultured lung parenchymal and airway fibroblasts from non-IPF and IPF donors were stimulated with transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) with or without inhibitors of autophagy or UPR (IRE1 inhibitor).

Clinical and demographic predictors of concussion resolution in adolescents: A retrospective study.

Concussions in adolescents are a growing public health concern. The aim of this study was to identify clinical (e.g.

The effect of raloxifene on bone marrow adipose tissue and bone turnover in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

In patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis low bone volume is associated with high bone marrow adipose tissue (MAT). Moreover, high MAT is associated with increased fracture risk. This suggests an interaction between MAT and bone turnover, however literature remains equivocal.

Fungus-specific SSR markers in the Antarctic lichens and (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota).

Premise Of The Study: and (Parmeliaceae) are common lichens in the maritime Antarctic. These species share the same habitats on King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) and are distinguishable based on reproductive strategies.

Methods And Results: We developed 23 fungus-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that cross-amplify between the two species.

Loss of Endometrial Sodium Glucose Cotransporter SGLT1 is Detrimental to Embryo Survival and Fetal Growth in Pregnancy.

Embryo implantation requires a hospitable uterine environment. A key metabolic change that occurs during the peri-implantation period, and throughout early pregnancy, is the rise in endometrial glycogen content. Glycogen accumulation requires prior cellular uptake of glucose.

Cross-disciplinarity in the advance of Antarctic ecosystem research.

The biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate variability of the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean are major components of the whole Earth system. Antarctic ecosystems are driven more strongly by the physical environment than many other marine and terrestrial ecosystems. As a consequence, to understand ecological functioning, cross-disciplinary studies are especially important in Antarctic research.

Perioperative Lung Function Monitoring for Anatomic Lung Resections.

Background: The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the correlation between postoperative spirometry values and pulmonary complications after anatomic lung resections. In addition, we compared postoperative pulmonary function changes between open and minimally invasive approaches.

Methods: Three hundred eighty-four patients who underwent an anatomic lung resection at our institution between June 2013 and June 2016 were enrolled in this prospective observational trial.

Low Vitamin B12 in Pregnancy Is Associated With Adipose-Derived Circulating miRs Targeting PPARγ and Insulin Resistance.

Context: Low vitamin B12 during pregnancy is associated with higher maternal obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and gestational diabetes mellitus. B12 is a key cofactor in one-carbon metabolism.

Objective: We hypothesize that B12 plays a role in epigenetic regulation by altering circulating microRNAs (miRs) during adipocyte differentiation and results in an adverse metabolic phenotype.

Integration of Kinase and Calcium Signaling at the Level of Chromatin Underlies Inducible Gene Activation in T Cells.

TCR signaling pathways cooperate to activate the inducible transcription factors NF-κB, NFAT, and AP-1. In this study, using the calcium ionophore ionomycin and/or PMA on Jurkat T cells, we show that the gene expression program associated with activation of TCR signaling is closely related to specific chromatin landscapes. We find that calcium and kinase signaling cooperate to induce chromatin remodeling at ∼2100 chromatin regions, which demonstrate enriched binding motifs for inducible factors and correlate with target gene expression.

Homogeneous Water Oxidation by Half-Sandwich Iridium(III) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes with Pendant Hydroxy and Amino Groups.

Herein, we report three Ir Cp* complexes with hydroxy- or amino-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands that catalyze efficient water oxidation induced by addition of ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). The pendant hydroxy or amino groups are very important for activity, and the complexes with heteroatom-functionalized NHC ligands show up to 15 times higher rates of oxygen evolution in CAN-induced water oxidation than a reference Ir Cp* complex without heteroatom functionalization. The formation of molecular high-valent Ir intermediates that are presumably involved in the rate-determining step for water oxidation is established by UV/Vis spectroscopy and ESI-MS under turnover conditions.

Streptococcus pneumoniae in the heart subvert the host response through biofilm-mediated resident macrophage killing.

For over 130 years, invasive pneumococcal disease has been associated with the presence of extracellular planktonic pneumococci, i.e. diplococci or short chains in affected tissues.

Heart failure is associated with depletion of core intestinal microbiota.

Aims: In spite of current medical treatment approaches, mortality of chronic heart failure (HF) remains high and novel treatment modalities are thus urgently needed. A recent theory proposes a possible impact of the intestinal microbiome on the incidence and clinical course of heart failure. This study sought to systematically investigate, if there are specific changes of the intestinal microbiome in heart failure patients.

The SERVE-HF safety notice in clinical practice - experiences of a tertiary sleep center.

Background: In May 2015, the results of the SERVE-HF trial - addressing adaptive servoventilation (ASV) in chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) patients with central sleep apnea (CSA) - prompted a field safety notice. It was recommended to identify CHF patients treated with ASV and to advise the discontinuation of the treatment. We aimed to analyze the identification process and effect of ASV discontinuation on affected patients.

[Subjective patient satisfaction after nasal septumplasty].

Background: Septal surgery (SP) is one of the most frequently performed operations in Germany and thus represents a high cost burden for the health system. However, sufficient data on postoperative patient satisfaction and objective indication criteria for surgery are still lacking.

Objective: This study aimed to determine postoperative patient satisfaction and possible factors influencing the subjective success of SP, in order to optimize preoperative indication establishment.

PD-1 Polyfunctional T Cells Dominate the Periphery after Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy for Cancer.

Infusion of highly heterogeneous populations of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can result in tumor regression of exceptional duration. Initial tumor regression has been associated with persistence of tumor-specific TILs 1 month after infusion, but mechanisms leading to long-lived memory responses are currently unknown. Here, we studied the dynamics of bulk tumor-reactive CD8 T-cell populations in patients with metastatic melanoma following treatment with TILs.

Asymmetric Cyclometalated Ru Polypyridyl-Type Complexes with π-Extended Carbanionic Donor Sets.

A series of novel cyclometalated Ru complexes were investigated featuring the tridentate dqp ligand platform (dqp is 2,6-di(quinolin-8-yl)pyridine), in order to utilize the octahedral coordination mode around the Ru center to modulate the electrochemical and photophysical properties. The heteroleptic complexes feature C symmetry due to symmetry breaking by the peripheral five- or six-membered carbanionic chelate (phenyl, naphthyl, or anthracenyl units). The chelation mode is controlled by the steric effects and C-H activation selectivity of the ligand, which prompted the development of a general synthesis protocol.

Sleep-disordered breathing: clinical features, pathophysiology and diagnosis.

In recent decades, the association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases (including hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke) has been the focus of interest of both clinicians and researchers. A growing concern is the increasing prevalence of SDB in the general population, which can be partly explained by the rise in obesity prevalence and population aging, as well as by the development of enhanced diagnostic tools and approaches. Because of evidence of adverse long-term effects of SDB on cardiovascular morbidity and overall mortality, systematic screening for SDB should be considered for populations at risk.

The GH receptor exon 3 deletion is a marker of male-specific exceptional longevity associated with increased GH sensitivity and taller stature.

Although both growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling were shown to regulate life span in lower organisms, the role of GH signaling in human longevity remains unclear. Because a GH receptor exon 3 deletion () appears to modulate GH sensitivity in humans, we hypothesized that this polymorphism could play a role in human longevity. We report a linear increased prevalence of homozygosity with age in four independent cohorts of long-lived individuals: 841 participants [567 of the Longevity Genes Project (LGP) (8% increase; = 0.

A randomised, controlled trial evaluating a low cost, 3D-printed bronchoscopy simulator.

Low-fidelity, simulation-based psychomotor skills training is a valuable first step in the educational approach to mastering complex procedural skills. We developed a cost-effective bronchial tree simulator based on a human thorax computed tomography scan using rapid-prototyping (3D-print) technology. This randomised, single-blind study evaluated how realistic our 3D-printed simulator would mimic human anatomy compared with commercially available bronchial tree simulators (Laerdal Airway Management Trainer with Bronchial Tree and AirSim Advance Bronchi, Stavanger, Norway).

Early detection and integrated care for adolescents and young adults with psychotic disorders: the ACCESS III study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether a combined intervention composed of early detection plus integrated care (EDIC) enhances outcomes in patients with early psychosis compared to standard care (SC).

Methods: ACCESS III is a prospective non-randomized historical control design 1-year study examining the efficacy of EDIC (n = 120) vs. SC (n = 105) in patients aged 12-29 years.

Analysis of complete genome sequence and major surface antigens of Neorickettsia helminthoeca, causative agent of salmon poisoning disease.

Neorickettsia helminthoeca, a type species of the genus Neorickettsia, is an endosymbiont of digenetic trematodes of veterinary importance. Upon ingestion of salmonid fish parasitized with infected trematodes, canids develop salmon poisoning disease (SPD), an acute febrile illness that is particularly severe and often fatal in dogs without adequate treatment. We determined and analysed the complete genome sequence of N.

Uniform distribution of post-synthetic linker exchange in metal-organic frameworks revealed by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry.

Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) has been used for the first time to study post-synthetic linker exchange (PSE) in metal-organic frameworks. RBS is a non-invasive method to quantify the amount of introduced linker, as well as providing a means for depth profiling in order to identify the preferred localization of the introduced linker. The exchange of benzenedicarboxylate (bdc) by similarly sized 2-iodobenzenedicarboxylate (I-bdc) proceeds considerably slower than migration of I-dbc through the UiO-66 crystal.

The impact of written information and counseling (WOMAN-PRO II Program) on symptom outcomes in women with vulvar neoplasia: A multicenter randomized controlled phase II study.

Objective: To determine whether written information and/or counseling based on the WOMAN-PRO II Program decreases symptom prevalence in women with vulvar neoplasia by a clinically relevant degree, and to explore the differences between the 2 interventions in symptom prevalence, symptom distress prevalence, and symptom experience.

Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled parallel-group phase II trial with 2 interventions provided to patients after the initial diagnosis was performed in Austria and Switzerland. Women randomized to written information received a predefined set of leaflets concerning wound care and available healthcare services.