Thoracic versus abdominal approach to correct diaphragmatic eventration in children.

Background: Plication of diaphragm (DP) for eventration (DE) can be done using thoracic or abdominal approaches. The purpose of our study was to compare outcomes between these approaches based on our experience and on systematic literature review.

Methods: Retrospective records of children <16 years who underwent DP (single-center, 2004-2018) were recorded and analyzed.

Discovery of a Novel Cabazitaxel Nanoparticle-Drug Conjugate (CRLX522) with Improved Pharmacokinetic Properties and Anticancer Effects Using a β-Cyclodextrin-PEG Copolymer Based Delivery Platform.

Novel nanoparticle-drug conjugates (NDCs) containing diverse, clinically relevant anticancer drug payloads (docetaxel, cabazitaxel, and gemcitabine) were successfully generated and tested in drug discovery studies. The NDCs utilized structurally varied linkers that attached the drug payloads to a β-cyclodextrin-PEG copolymer to form self-assembled nanoparticles. In vitro release studies revealed a diversity of release rates driven by linker structure-activity relationships (SARs).

Higher incidence of surgery-related complications in Wilms tumor nephrectomy from clinical records analysis compared with central database registration.

Background/objectives: Central database registrations are widely used tools for assessment of clinical results, but their reliability is subject to debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability of central database registration for Wilms tumor (WT) nephrectomy-related complications.

Design/methods: All Dutch patients undergoing WT nephrectomy according to the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) 2001 protocol between 2001 and 2013 were evaluated.

Synaptic efficacy shapes resource limitations in working memory.

Working memory (WM) is limited in its temporal length and capacity. Classic conceptions of WM capacity assume the system possesses a finite number of slots, but recent evidence suggests WM may be a continuous resource. Resource models typically assume there is no hard upper bound on the number of items that can be stored, but WM fidelity decreases with the number of items.

Neural field model of memory-guided search.

Many organisms can remember locations they have previously visited during a search. Visual search experiments have shown exploration is guided away from these locations, reducing redundancies in the search path before finding a hidden target. We develop and analyze a two-layer neural field model that encodes positional information during a search task.

Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Blunt Pancreatic Trauma in Children: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this study was to compare operative versus nonoperative management of blunt pancreatic trauma in children. A systematic literature search was performed. Studies including children with blunt pancreatic injuries classified according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma classification were included.

Bronchoscopy and Fogarty Balloon Insertion of Distal Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula for Oesophageal Atresia Repair With Video Illustration.

Background/purpose: During repair of esophageal atresia with distal tracheo-esophageal fistula, air leakage through the fistula during mechanical ventilation can cause respiratory demise.

Methods: From February 2012 until November 2014, all patients with esophageal atresia and distal tracheo-esophageal fistula were subjected to preoperative tracheobronchoscopy. Relatively distal fistulas were cannulated with a Fogarty catheter and blocked by insufflation (video illustration).

Use of prasugrel in the setting of clopidogrel hypersensitivity: Case report and systematic review of the literature.

Allergic reactions to clopidogrel soon after coronary stent implantation pose an important and challenging clinical problem. We describe a 44-year-old man who developed a diffuse maculopapular rash four days after initiation of clopidogrel with drug-eluting coronary stent placement. An initial treat-through strategy was unsuccessful due to patient intolerance to corticosteroids.

Tumor Selective Silencing Using an RNAi-Conjugated Polymeric Nanopharmaceutical.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have potential advantages over traditional small molecule drugs such as high specificity and the ability to inhibit otherwise "undruggable" targets. However, siRNAs have short plasma half-lives in vivo, can induce a cytokine response, and show poor cellular uptake. Formulating siRNA into nanoparticles offers two advantages: enhanced siRNA stability against nuclease degradation beyond what chemical modification alone can provide; and improved site-specific delivery that takes advantage of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect.

Sensory feedback in a bump attractor model of path integration.

Mammalian spatial navigation systems utilize several different sensory information channels. This information is converted into a neural code that represents the animal's current position in space by engaging place cell, grid cell, and head direction cell networks. In particular, sensory landmark (allothetic) cues can be utilized in concert with an animal's knowledge of its own velocity (idiothetic) cues to generate a more accurate representation of position than path integration provides on its own (Battaglia et al.

[Mechanical ileus in children with no prior history of abdominal surgery].

In children with no prior history of abdominal surgery and no signs of intussusception or incarcerated inguinal hernia, mechanical ileus may have a congenital cause such as malrotation with volvulus or a persistent omphalomesenteric duct. Acquired causes include sigmoid volvulus. We present two cases of mechanical ileus in children.

Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy in children: single center experience in 50 patients.

Background: Recent years evolution of minimal invasive laparoscopic procedures led to new techniques, like single-port laparoscopy (SPL), resulting in nearly-scarless procedures. The purpose of this study is to evaluate that SPL appendectomy is a safe and feasible procedure using a commercially available trocar (LESS: Laparo Endoscopic Single Site trocar; Olympus TriPort+) in pediatric patients.

Methods: From July 2011 to March 2014 all patients undergoing SPL appendectomy under 18 years were included in this retrospective study.

Abatement of an aircraft exhaust plume using aerodynamic baffles.

The exhaust jet from a departing commercial aircraft will eventually rise buoyantly away from the ground; given the high thrust/power (i.e., momentum/buoyancy) ratio of modern aero-engines, however, this is a slow process, perhaps requiring ∼ 1 min or more.

Thoracoscopic treatment of congenital esophageal stenosis in combination with H-type tracheoesophageal fistula.

Congenital esophageal stenosis combined with H-type tracheoesophageal fistula is a rare clinical entity that is often not diagnosed until months or sometimes many years after birth. We present a case of a boy who presented both these entities and was treated by thoracoscopy.

Slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of the n-methylvinoxide anion.

High resolution photoelectron spectra of the n-methylvinoxide anion and its deuterated isotopologue are obtained by slow electron velocity-map imaging. Transitions between the X̃(1)A' anion ground electronic state and the radical X̃(2)A" and Ã(2)A' states are observed. The major features in the spectra are attributed to transitions involving the lower energy cis conformers of the anion and neutral, while the higher energy trans conformers contribute only a single small peak.

Synthesis and properties of star-comb polymers and their doxorubicin conjugates.

We describe a six-step synthesis to water-soluble doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded biodegradable PEGylated star-comb polymers with favorable pharmaceutical properties by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) starting with a commercially available tripentaerythritol carrying eight reactive sites. The low polydispersity polymers degrade in a stepwise manner into lower molecular weight (MW) fragments by 15 days at 37 °C at either pH 5.0 or pH 7.

Human immune reactivity against liver sinusoidal endothelial cells from GalTα(1,3)GalT-deficient pigs.

Elimination of galactose-α(1,3)galactose (Gal) expression in pig organs has been previously shown to prevent hyperacute xenograft rejection. However, naturally present antibodies to non-Gal epitopes activate endothelial cells, leading to acute humoral xenograft rejection. Still, it is unknown whether xenogeneic pig liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) from α(1,3)galactosyltransferase (GalT)-deficient pigs are damaged by antibody and complement-mediated mechanisms.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a robust, biodegradable dendrimer.

PEGylated dendrimers are attractive for biological applications due to their tunable pharmacokinetics and ability to carry multiple copies of bioactive molecules. The rapid and efficient synthesis of a robust and biodegradable PEGylated dendrimer based on a polyester-polyamide hybrid core is described. The architecture is designed to avoid destructive side reactions during dendrimer preparation while maintaining biodegradability.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived molecules directly modulate hepatocellular death and regeneration in vitro and in vivo.

Unlabelled: Orthotopic liver transplantation is the only proven effective treatment for fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), but its use is limited because of organ donor shortage, associated high costs, and the requirement for lifelong immunosuppression. FHF is usually accompanied by massive hepatocellular death with compensatory liver regeneration that fails to meet the cellular losses. Therefore, therapy aimed at inhibiting cell death and stimulating endogenous repair pathways could offer major benefits in the treatment of FHF.

Apolipoprotein B-dependent hepatitis C virus secretion is inhibited by the grapefruit flavonoid naringenin.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects over 3% of the world population and is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. HCV has long been known to associate with circulating lipoproteins, and its interactions with the cholesterol and lipid pathways have been recently described. In this work, we demonstrate that HCV is actively secreted by infected cells through a Golgi-dependent mechanism while bound to very low density lipoprotein (vLDL).

Activin alters the kinetics of endoderm induction in embryonic stem cells cultured on collagen gels.

Embryonic stem cell-derived endoderm is critical for the development of cellular therapies for the treatment of disease such as diabetes, liver cirrhosis, or pulmonary emphysema. Here, we describe a novel approach to induce endoderm from mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells using fibronectin-coated collagen gels. This technique results in a homogeneous endoderm-like cell population, demonstrating endoderm-specific gene and protein expression, which remains committed following in vivo transplantation.

Smaller building blocks form larger assemblies: aggregation behavior of biaryl-based dendritic facial amphiphiles.

Synthesis and micellar behavior of biaryl-based benzyl ether dendritic molecules prepared from a new biaryl building block are described. The key objective of the study is to tune the size of individual dendritic molecules and investigate its effect on aggregation behavior of the resulting micelle-like assemblies. We show that the functional group placement in the building block influences flexibility of the dendritic backbone and interior volume available for packing the hydrophobic groups, which is reflected in different aggregation behavior and aggregate size of the two types of micellar assemblies.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived molecules reverse fulminant hepatic failure.

Modulation of the immune system may be a viable alternative in the treatment of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and can potentially eliminate the need for donor hepatocytes for cellular therapies. Multipotent bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to inhibit the function of various immune cells by undefined paracrine mediators in vitro. Yet, the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived molecules has not been tested in immunological conditions in vivo.

Immunomodulation of activated hepatic stellate cells by mesenchymal stem cells.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to prevent the development of liver fibrosis in a number of pre-clinical studies. Marked changes in liver histopathology and serological markers of liver function have been observed without a clear understanding of the therapeutic mechanism by which stem cells act. We sought to determine if MSCs could modulate the activity of resident liver cells, specifically hepatic stellate cells (SCs) by paracrine mechanisms using indirect cocultures.