Comprehensive feasibility evaluation of small-diameter 3D templated vascular graft via physical characterizations andexperiments.

3D printing (3DP) technology for tissue engineering applications has been extensively studied for materials and processes. However, clinical application to the vascular system was limited owing to mechanical inconsistency and toxicity. Here, we characterized 3D templated artificial vascular grafts (3D grafts), which were fabricated by an integrative method involving 3DP, dip coating, and salt leaching method.

Conscious Sedation Methods for Blepharoplasty in Day Surgery.

Midazolam and fentanyl, in combination, are the most commonly used medications for conscious sedation in day aesthetic surgeries. Dexmedetomidine is popularly used in the sedation protocol of our hospital due to its reduced respiratory depression. However, its sedation benefits in facial aesthetic surgeries, like blepharoplasty, have not been well-evaluated.

Protective Effect of Ulinastatin on Cognitive Function After Hypoxia.

Ulinastatin (UTI) has neuroprotective properties. Neurologic insults, including hypoxia and use of anesthetic agents, cause postoperative cognitive dysfunction and alter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) function. This study aimed to assess whether UTI could preserve learning and memory using a zebrafish hypoxic behavior model and biomarkers.

Evaluation of 3D Templated Synthetic Vascular Graft Compared with Standard Graft in a Rat Model: Potential Use as an Artificial Vascular Graft in Cardiovascular Disease.

Although the number of vascular surgeries using vascular grafts is increasing, they are limited by vascular graft-related complications and size discrepancy. Current efforts to develop the ideal synthetic vascular graft for clinical application using tissue engineering or 3D printing are far from satisfactory. Therefore, we aimed to re-design the vascular graft with modified materials and 3D printing techniques and also demonstrated the improved applications of our new vascular graft clinically.

The Effect of Ulinastatin to the Learning and Memory in Zebrafish.

Previous study indicated that Ulinastatin (UTI) increased glutamine uptake by upregulation of glutamate transporters in astrocytes. These glutamate transporters have important role to improve cognitive function in hippocampus. In this study, we wanted to demonstrate whether UTI could improve learning and memory by using zebrafish behavior model and bio-markers.

Effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on preoperative anxiety and blood pressure during anesthetic induction in patients with essential hypertension.

Objective: Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is a non-invasive treatment that improves symptoms such as anxiety and pain. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of CES pretreatment on levels of preoperative anxiety, pain, and hemodynamic responses-especially changes in blood pressure-during anesthetic induction in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: Eighty patients undergoing general anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive either no pretreatment (control group, n = 40) or CES pretreatment (CES group, n = 40).

Neuroprotective effects of magnesium L-threonate in a hypoxic zebrafish model.

Background: Hypoxia inhibits the uptake of glutamate (a major neurotransmitter in the brain closely related to cognitive function) into brain cells, and the initial response of cells to cortical hypoxia depends on glutamate. Previous studies have suggested that magnesium may have protective effects against hypoxic injuries. In particular, magnesium L-threonate (MgT) may increase magnesium ion concentrations in the brain better than MgSO and improve cognitive function.

Evaluation of the Toxicity of Sugammadex in Zebrafish Larvae.

Background: Sugammadex is a new neuromuscular blockade reversal agent. Recently, it has been used in patients under general anesthesia. However, sugammadex could be toxic to fetuses and pediatric patients under 3 years of age.

Non-intubated thoracoscopic bullectomy under sedation is safe and comfortable in the perioperative period.

Background: Non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery can be performed under sedation using adjuvant regional anesthesia, however, the benefits of non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery under sedation have not yet been completely verified. In this study, we compare the perioperative safety and pain complaints of sedation without intubation in thoracoscopic bullectomy with that of conventional general anesthesia with double-lumen intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Forty-one patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax who were scheduled for thoracoscopic bullectomy were enrolled in this study.

Correlation between regional tissue perfusion saturation and lactate level during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can cause systemic hypoperfusion, which remains undetected by routine monitoring of physiological parameters. Noninvasive tissue perfusion monitoring offers a clinical benefit by detecting low systemic perfusion. In this study, we tried to evaluate whether regional tissue perfusion saturation reflects systemic hypoperfusion during CPB.

The protective effect of hydromorphone to ischemia in rat glial cells.

Background: Ischemic insults during operation can cause ischemic-reperfusion injuries in brain as well as memory impairments. Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is the preferred anesthetic method in brain surgery, as it utilizes motor evoked potential monitoring. And the use of opioids is common in TIVA.

Dexmedetomidine preconditioning attenuates Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in zebrafish.

Objectives: Utilisation of high-frequency drills is known to increase noise induced hearing loss due to increasing the damages of inner ear cells. This study aimed to investigate whether preconditioning by using dexmedetomidine (DEX) decreased the occurrence of ischemia in inner cells of the ear.

Methods: We utilised a transgenic zebrafish line Brn3C, and the embryos were collected from breeding adult zebrafish.

Gap junction remodelling by chronic pressure overload is related to the increased susceptibility to atrial fibrillation in rat heart.

Aims: Left atrial (LA) fibrosis caused by various pathological stimuli is a common finding. However, the difference of atrial remodelling via haemodynamic change in diverse cardiomyopathy has not been elucidated.

Methods And Results: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (6-8 weeks, n = 180) were randomly assigned to three groups and corresponding sham control groups: (i) ischaemic cardiomyopathy, (ii) left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and (iii) dilated cardiomyopathy.

Anesthetic management of hypertensive crisis in a three-year-old patient with undiagnosed severe renal artery stenosis: a case report.

Pediatric hypertensive crisis is a potentially life threatening medical emergency, usually secondary to an underlying disease. Hypertension commonly occurs during general anesthesia, and is usually promptly and appropriately treated by anesthesiologists. However in children with severe, unexplained, or refractory hypertension, it has the potential to cause morbidity and even mortality in susceptible patients.

Non-intubated single port thoracoscopic procedure under local anesthesia with sedation for a 5-year-old girl.

Medical thoracoscopy is a feasible procedure for the diagnosis or treatment of thoracic diseases, and it can be performed under local anesthesia without tracheal intubation in cooperative adult patients. However, for younger than school aged patients, even simple procedures require general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. In this case report, we demonstrated the safe performance of a single port thoracoscopic procedure without tracheal intubation in a 5-year-old girl under local anesthesia and sedation.

The protective effect of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in atrial fibrillation in various cardiomyopathy conditions.

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) protect myocardial cells from acute stress such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and also from the chronic stress. It is not understood that Hsp70 can prevent AF under cardiomyopathy (CM) conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that Hsp70 might beneficially influence on the occurrence of AF in CM conditions.

The association between quality of care and quality of life in long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition.

Objectives: To assess the overall quality of life of long-stay nursing home residents with preserved cognition, to examine whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service's Nursing Home Compare 5-star quality rating system reflects the overall quality of life of such residents, and to examine whether residents' demographics and clinical characteristics affect their quality of life.

Design/measurements: Quality of life was measured using the Participant Outcomes and Status Measures-Nursing Facility survey, which has 10 sections and 63 items. Total scores range from 20 (lowest possible quality of life) to 100 (highest).

Effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on preoperative anxiety, pain and endocrine response.

Objectives: Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is used as a treatment for depression and anxiety, and as an adjunctive intervention for pain management. This prospective study investigated whether CES could decrease preoperative anxiety, the injection pain of rocuronium, postoperative pain and stress hormone levels.

Methods: Female patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomly assigned to two groups, to receive either no pretreatment (control group) or CES pretreatment.

Effects of health insurance on racial disparity in osteoporosis medication adherence.

Objective: To explore whether racial disparity in osteoporosis drug therapy maintenance varies by health insurance coverage status.

Design: Longitudinal observation study.

Setting: Cleveland Clinic Health System (Cleveland, OH) from January 2006 to December 2009.

Factors associated with remaining in a skilled nursing facility for over 90 days from admission: residents' participation in therapy and desire to return to the community.

Background: To identify the factors associated with stay in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) among new enrollees who did not fully participate in therapy sessions.

Methods: Data (n = 36,133) were obtained from the Minimum Data Set version 2.0 in the state of Michigan in 2009.

Effects of an internal medicine floor interdisciplinary team on hospital and clinical outcomes of seniors with acute medical illness.

Aim: To examine whether an internal medicine interdisciplinary floor team enhances the hospital and clinical outcomes for seniors with acute medical illness.

Methods: Seniors admitted to medical floor teaching services of a USA teaching hospital were recruited and allocated to the interdisciplinary (ITD; n = 236) and usual care teams (n = 248). Compared with the usual care team, the interdisciplinary team physicians carried out daily "geriatric" assessment and management, and led the interdisciplinary team meeting designed for improving interprofessional collaboration.

Effect of ketamine on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia using hydromorphone and ketorolac after the Nuss surgery in pediatric patients.

Background: Nuss surgery is preferred in pectus excavatum repair because this procedure produces excellent cosmetic results and prevents postoperative distressed pulmonary function. However, the procedure causes severe pain due to thoracic expansion. This study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect of small doses of ketamine on an intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) using hydromorphone and ketorolac for pain control after Nuss surgery.

Morphine attenuates endothelial cell adhesion molecules induced by the supernatant of LPS-stimulated colon cancer cells.

A large reservoir of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is available in the colon and this could promote colon cancer metastasis by enhancing tumor cell adhesion, intravasation, and extravasation. Furthermore, adhesion molecules like ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin play important roles in the adhesion of tumor cells to endothelium. This study was designed to determine whether morphine can attenuate the expressions of adhesion molecules up-regulated by the supernatant of LPS-stimulated HCT 116 colon cancer cells (LPS-Sup).

Intrathecal hydromorphone added to hyperbaric bupivacaine for postoperative pain relief after knee arthroscopic surgery: a prospective, randomised, controlled trial.

Background And Objective: Adding opioid to spinal anaesthetic provides additional analgesia during the postoperative period. The purpose of this study was to determine the dose of intrathecal hydromorphone necessary to achieve postoperative pain relief after arthroscopic knee surgery.

Methods: In a prospective, double-blinded parallel, placebo-controlled manner, 60 patients who were undergoing unilateral knee arthroscopy randomly received unilateral spinal anaesthesia with 0.