Chromatin accessibility in canine stromal cells and its implications for canine somatic cell reprogramming.

Naturally occurring disease in pet dogs is an untapped and unique resource for stem cell-based regenerative medicine translational research, given the many similarities and complexity such disease shares with their human counterparts. Canine-specific regulators of somatic cell reprogramming and pluripotency maintenance are poorly understood. While retroviral delivery of the four Yamanaka factors successfully reprogrammed canine embryonic fibroblasts, adult stromal cells remained resistant to reprogramming in spite of effective viral transduction and transgene expression.

Broad Distribution of Hepatocyte Proliferation in Liver Homeostasis and Regeneration.

Hepatocyte proliferation is the principal mechanism for generating new hepatocytes in liver homeostasis and regeneration. Recent studies have suggested that this ability is not equally distributed among hepatocytes but concentrated in a small subset of hepatocytes acting like stem cells, located around the central vein or distributed throughout the liver lobule and exhibiting active WNT signaling or high telomerase activity, respectively. These findings were obtained by utilizing components of these growth regulators as markers for genetic lineage tracing.

A rare complication of a retained wire during endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

We present a case of a high-risk 76-year-old man who was electively admitted for repair of a large infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. After placement of the main body of the bifurcated graft, the contralateral guidewire became entrapped at the level of suprarenal fixation. Multiple endovascular maneuvers were attempted to remove this wire from the femoral approach, but all were unsuccessful.

Effects of anesthesia versus regional nerve block on major leg amputation mortality rate.

There are greater than 120,000 above-knee amputations (AKA) and below-knee amputations (BKA) performed in the USA each year. Traditionally, general anesthesia (GA) was the preferred modality of anesthesia. The use of regional nerve blocks has recently gained popularity, however, without the supporting evidence of any mortality benefits.

To BAM or not to BAM?: A closer look at balloon-assisted maturation.

Background: Balloon assisted maturation (BAM) is a recent, innovative, yet controversial method for developing autogenous arterio-venous fistulae (AVF), with little supportive data. Few retrospective studies have addressed the efficacy of BAM and cofactors affecting successful maturation. We conducted a retrospective analysis of our vascular access database to compare possible factors associated with a successful BAM, as determined by increase in volume flow of the fistulae.

Pulmonary embolism without deep venous thrombosis.

Background: To identify patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) without deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and to compare them with those with an identifiable source on upper (UED) and lower-extremity venous duplex scans (LED).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 2700 computed tomography angiograms of the chest between January 2008 and September 2010 and identified 230 patients with PE. We then evaluated the results of UED and LED and divided the patients into four groups based on the results of their duplex studies.

Clinical experience with office-based duplex-guided balloon-assisted maturation of arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis.

Background: To examine the effect of office-based duplex-guided balloon-assisted maturation (DG-BAM) on arteriovenous fistula (AVF), we retrospectively analyzed our experience.

Methods: Over the past 10 months, we performed 185 DG-BAMs (range, 1-8 procedures; mean, 3.7) in 45 patients (29 male, 16 female; mean age, 68.

Screening for carotid artery stenosis and renal artery stenosis in patients undergoing tunneled cuffed hemodialysis catheter placement.

In this study, we noted the common risk factors with atherosclerosis and chronic renal disease. We, therefore, hypothesized that the placement of a dialysis catheter would be a useful marker in identifying populations at increased risk of vascular disease (carotid, renal, and aortic). To further explore this issue, we examined the results of duplex scanning of the carotid arteries and aortorenal arteries in patients undergoing dialysis catheter placement.

Short-term outcome analysis of radiofrequency ablation using ClosurePlus vs ClosureFast catheters in the treatment of incompetent great saphenous vein.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely accepted alternative to high ligation with proximal stripping of the great saphenous vein (GSV) in the treatment of lower extremity venous insufficiency. This study compared short-term outcomes of two generations of (VNUS Closure) RFA catheters, ClosurePlus (CP) and ClosureFast (CF).

Methods: From February 2005 to April 2009, a total of 667 consecutive office-based RFA procedures were performed in our institution.

Variola virus immune evasion design: expression of a highly efficient inhibitor of human complement.

Variola virus, the most virulent member of the genus Orthopoxvirus, specifically infects humans and has no other animal reservoir. Variola causes the contagious disease smallpox, which has a 30-40% mortality rate. Conversely, the prototype orthopoxvirus, vaccinia, causes no disease in immunocompetent humans and was used in the global eradication of smallpox, which ended in 1977.