Is Negative Affect that Bad? The Effect of Affective States on Conventional and Unconventional Creative Thinking in University Students.

Introduction: The role of affective states on the creative process has been receiving the attention of researchers and has led to contradictory results. Most research in creativity has emphasized the role of affective states, mainly positive ones, on creativity levels, namely those resulting from divergent thinking tasks that reveal the unconventional way of thinking in the creative process. However, there are no studies to date that focus on the impact of affective states on conventional and unconventional thinking, during the same creative process, which consider a single creative assessment task.

High levels of pro-inflammatory SARS-CoV-2-specific biomarkers revealed by in vitro whole blood cytokine release assay (CRA) in recovered and long-COVID-19 patients.

Background: Cytokines induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and hyperinflammatory responses have been associated with poor clinical outcomes, with progression to severe conditions or long-term subacute complications named as long-COVID-19.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate a set of antigen-specific inflammatory cytokines in blood from recovered COVID-19 individuals or who suffered a post-acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to healthy individuals with no history of COVID-19 exposition or infection. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-17A were quantified by multiplex cytometric bead assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after stimulation of whole blood with recombinant Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2.

Study of salt-induced changes in the Leptinito Gneiss of a column from the Mosteiro de São Bento in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The object of this study can be found among the various ornamental rocks used in historic buildings in the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is a degraded Leptinito Gneiss that makes up one of the support columns of the kitchen of the Mosteiro de São Bento (Monastery of Saint Benedict) in Rio de Janeiro. The main aim of the present study is to identify the causes of the high degree of degradation of said column.

Ghrelin May Inhibit Inflammatory Response and Apoptosis During Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background: Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide, has both anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on human endothelial cells. We evaluated the protective effects of ghrelin against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in a murine heterotopic cervical heart transplantation model.

Methods: Donor hearts from C57BL/6J wild-type mice, which were kept in cold saline for 60 minutes, were heterotopically transplanted into C57BL/6J wild-type recipients.

Left ventricular assist device implantation via lateral thoracotomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation via lateral thoracotomy can offer similar effectiveness to conventional approaches with less perioperative adverse events. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the potential benefits of lateral thoracotomy (LT) for LVAD implantation compared to median sternotomy.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE and Embase databases for studies comparing continuous-flow LVAD implantation using LT with conventional sternotomy.

Dynamic Metabolic Changes During Prolonged Heart Perfusion Are Associated With Myocardial Functional Decline.

heart perfusion (ESHP) was developed to preserve and evaluate donated hearts in a perfused beating state. However, myocardial function declines during ESHP, which limits the duration of perfusion and the potential to expand the donor pool. In this research, we combine a novel, minimally-invasive sampling approach with comparative global metabolite profiling to evaluate changes in the metabolomic patterns associated with declines in myocardial function during ESHP.

Acquisition of robotic surgical skills does not require laparoscopic training: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Robotic surgery is a valid option for minimally invasive surgery in most surgical specialties. However, the need to master laparoscopy is questionable before starting specific training in robotic surgery. We compared the development of basic robotic surgery skills between individuals randomized to train in conventional, laparoscopic, or robotic skills.

Large-Animal Model of Donation after Circulatory Death and Normothermic Regional Perfusion for Cardiac Assessment.

The increase in demand for cardiac transplantation throughout the years has fueled interest in donation after circulatory death (DCD) to expand the organ donor pool. However, the DCD process is associated with the risk of cardiac tissue injury due to the inevitable period of warm ischemia. Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) allows for an in situ organ assessment, allowing the procurement of hearts determined to be viable.

Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function in ex situ heart perfusion using pump-supported and passive afterload working mode: a pilot study.

Ex situ heart perfusion (ESHP) has been developed to decrease cold ischemia time and allow metabolic assessment of donor hearts prior to transplantation. Current clinical ESHP systems preserve the heart in an unloaded condition and only evaluate the cardiac metabolic profile. In this pilot study we performed echocardiographic functional assessment using two alternative systems for left ventricular (LV) loading: pump supported afterload working mode (SAM) and passive afterload working modes (PAM).

Routine left atrial appendage occlusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a narrative review.

Purpose Of Review: New evidence suggests a greater prevalence of protracted postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) than previously recognized. The left atrial appendage (LAA) is the most common source of embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. In this review, we ask whether there is evidence to support routine LAA occlusion (LAAO) in patients without preexisting atrial fibrillation undergoing cardiac surgery.

Do Fetal Microchimeric Cells Influence Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis?

We investigated the presence and influence of fetal microchimerism in the cardiac tissue of mated female mice submitted to experimental autoimmune myocarditis. Nulliparous BALB/c females and BALB/c females mated with either BALB/c males (syngeneic mating) or C57BL/6 males (allogeneic mating) were immunized with cardiac myosin peptide MyHC-α or kept as non-immunized controls. Immunization occurred 6-8 weeks after delivery and mice were assessed after 21 days.

Distributed Architecture for Unmanned Vehicle Services.

The demand for online services is increasing. Services that would require a long time to understand, use and master are becoming as transparent as possible to the users, that tend to focus only on the final goals. Combined with the advantages of the unmanned vehicles (UV), from the unmanned factor to the reduced size and costs, we found an opportunity to bring to users a wide variety of services supported by UV, through the Internet of Unmanned Vehicles (IoUV).

Redo sternotomy versus left ventricular assist device explant as risk factors for early mortality following heart transplantation.

Objectives: There is an increasing proportion of patients with a previous sternotomy (PS) or durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) undergoing heart transplantation (HT). We hypothesized that patients with LVAD support at the time of HT have a lower risk than patients with PS and may have a comparable risk to patients with a virgin chest (VC).

Methods: This is a single-centre retrospective cohort study of all adults who underwent primary single-organ HT between 2002 and 2017.

Integration of functional assay data results provides strong evidence for classification of hundreds of BRCA1 variants of uncertain significance.

Purpose: BRCA1 pathogenic variant heterozygotes are at a substantially increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The widespread uptake of testing has led to a significant increase in the detection of missense variants in BRCA1, the vast majority of which are variants of uncertain clinical significance (VUS), posing a challenge to genetic counseling. Here, we harness a wealth of functional data for thousands of variants to aid in variant classification.

Comparing Donor Heart Assessment Strategies During Ex Situ Heart Perfusion to Better Estimate Posttransplant Cardiac Function.

Background: Ex situ heart perfusion (ESHP) limits ischemic periods and enables continuous monitoring of donated hearts; however, a validated assessment method to predict cardiac performance has yet to be established. We compare biventricular contractile and metabolic parameters measured during ESHP to determine the best evaluation strategy to estimate cardiac function following transplantation.

Methods: Donor pigs were assigned to undergo beating-heart donation (n = 9) or donation after circulatory death (n = 8) induced by hypoxia.

Effects of axial length on retinal nerve fiber layer and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer measured by spectral-domain OCT.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of ocular axial length on circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness in healthy eyes after correcting for ocular magnification effect.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 120 eyes from 60 volunteer participants (myopes, emmetropes, and hyperopes). The thickness of the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer were measured using the spectral optical coherence tomography (OCT)-Cirrus HD-OCT and correlated with ocular axial length.

Association Between Neurohormone Levels and Exercise Testing Measures in Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Supports.

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) recipients exhibit impaired exercise capacity. Long-term continuous blood flow also elevates norepinephrine (NE) and aldosterone (Aldo) levels. However, the relationship between exercise capacity and neurohormonal activation has not been elucidated.