[Has the pregnancy outcome of women with pregestational diabetes mellitus improved in ten years?].

Introduction: In spite of progress in medicine, studies from a number of countries indicate steadily increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the offspring of diabetic mothers. No data regarding the pregnancy outcome in women with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 (pregestational DM) have been published in the Czech Republic. The aim of the study was to evaluate the pregnancy course of women with pregestational DM and outcome of their offspring and to assess whether it has improved in ten years.

A minimally invasive, algorithm-based approach for anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery.

Objective: Operative repair for anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) has been described using various innovative techniques. Common to each series is the use of a full sternotomy. As demand for minimally invasive approaches to adult cardiac surgery has increased, the upper hemisternotomy has emerged as a safe and effective technique for aortic valve and root replacement.

Biodynamic imaging of live porcine oocytes, zygotes and blastocysts for viability assessment in assisted reproductive technologies.

The success of assisted reproductive technologies relies on accurate assessment of reproductive viability at successive stages of development for oocytes and embryos. The current scoring system used to select good-quality oocytes relies on morphologically observable traits and hence is indirect and subjective. Biodynamic imaging may provide an objective approach to oocyte and embryo assessment by measuring physiologically-relevant dynamics.

MDCT evaluation of aortic root and aortic valve prior to TAVI. What is the optimal imaging time point in the cardiac cycle?

Objectives: To determine the optimal imaging time point for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) therapy planning by comprehensive evaluation of the aortic root.

Methods: Multidetector-row CT (MDCT) examination with retrospective ECG gating was retrospectively performed in 64 consecutive patients referred for pre-TAVI assessment. Eighteen different parameters of the aortic root were evaluated at 11 different time points in the cardiac cycle.

Radio-telemetry shows differences in the behaviour of wild and hatchery-reared European grayling Thymallus thymallus in response to environmental variables.

Juvenile wild and hatchery-reared European grayling Thymallus thymallus were tagged with radio-transmitters and tracked in the Blanice River, River Elbe catchment, Czech Republic, to study their behavioural response to stocking and environmental variation. Both wild and hatchery-reared T. thymallus increased their diel movements and home range with increasing light intensity, flow, temperature and turbidity, but the characteristics of their responses differed.

Predictive value of biodynamic imaging in determining response to chemotherapy in dogs with spontaneous non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: a preliminary study.

Biodynamic imaging (BDI) is a novel phenotypic cancer profiling technology which optically characterizes changes in subcellular motion within living tumor tissue samples in response to treatment with cancer chemotherapy drugs. The purpose of this preliminary study was to assess the ability of BDI to predict clinical response to chemotherapy in ten dogs with naturally-occurring non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Pre-treatment tumor biopsy samples were obtained from all dogs and treated with doxorubicin (10 M).

Technique of aortic root reconstruction using a new model of Dacron graft with prefabricated coronary branches.

Aortic root reconstruction is a demanding surgical procedure still associated with a significant morbidity. Arguably, the most demanding aspect of the operation is reestablishing continuity between the prosthetic graft replacing the aortic root and the coronary arteries. With the objective of simplifying the possible challenges of coronary reimplantation, we designed a new model of aortic root graft with prefabricated coronary branches.

Exposure of difficult left hilum in bilateral sequential lung transplantation.

Left hilar exposure can be challenging during bilateral sequential lung transplantation, particularly in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis due to the overlying heart and limited space. We describe a cost-effective technique that has been used in off-pump cardiopulmonary bypass to retract the heart away from the left hilum, without causing hemodynamic instability, thereby allowing implantation of the left lung without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Non-covalent interactions in coinage metal complexes of 1,2,4-triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbenes.

Seven coinage metal(I) complexes bearing two different triazole-based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, [1-tert-butyl-4-{2-[(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl]phenyl}-3-phenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ium-5-ide and 1-tert-butyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-4-ium-5-ide], were synthesized and fully characterized in solution by NMR spectroscopy as well as in the solid state by X-ray diffraction techniques. Furthermore, the XRD analysis showed that the bidentate coordination of the amino group substituted NHC ligand, previously observed for rhodium and palladium complexes, does not take place in the solid state structure of Au(I) complexes with various halide ligands. Nevertheless, the formation of sets of two head-to-tail oriented monomers aggregated via a weak metallophilic contact was revealed for both NHC ligands as well as for all three coinage metals with different halides.

Contamination of fish in important fishing grounds of the Czech Republic.

The aim of this study was to compare the contamination levels of certain important fishing grounds in the Czech Republic and to assess the health risk of consuming the fish from these localities. The assessment was performed from 2006 to 2010 in 27 fishing grounds. Within this project, 707 fish from 14 different species were sampled.

Pseudo-preexcitation is prevalent among patients with repaired complex congenital heart disease.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of preexcitation and possible pseudo-preexcitation among patients undergoing complex congenital heart surgery at a single center. During a 6-year period (2007-2013), the study retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records and electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 98 patients who had undergone complex cardiac surgery at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. The presence and timing of delta waves or short PR interval were evaluated as well as the results of testing for the presence of an accessory pathway.

Mycotic aneurysm in a child with history of coarctation of the aorta repair.

A mycotic aneurysm is a rare condition occasionally seen in patients with a history of prior cardiac or vascular surgery. Here we report the presentation of a mycotic aneurysm in a pediatric patient at the site of prior aortic coarctation repair. This patient's initial presentation suggested rheumatologic or oncologic disease, and after diagnosis he continued to show evidence of splenic, renal and vascular injury distal to the mycotic aneurysm site while being treated with antibiotics.

β-Catenin-regulated ALDH1A1 is a target in ovarian cancer spheroids.

Cancer cells form three-dimensional (3D) multicellular aggregates (or spheroids) under non-adherent culture conditions. In ovarian cancer (OC), spheroids serve as a vehicle for cancer cell dissemination in the peritoneal cavity, protecting cells from environmental stress-induced anoikis. To identify new targetable molecules in OC spheroids, we investigated gene expression profiles and networks upregulated in 3D vs traditional monolayer culture conditions.

[Oral health status of women with normal and high-risk pregnancies].

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the oral health status of women with normal pregnancies and those with high-risk pregnancies.

Method: A total of 142 women in the third trimester of pregnancy were randomly selected for this study. The pregnant women were divided into two groups: a normal pregnancy group (group F, n = 61) and a high-risk pregnancy group (group R, n = 81).

Defining the role of chest radiography in determining candidacy for pectus excavatum repair.

Objective: The Haller index (HI), derived from computed tomography (CT) of the chest, remains the standard for determining pectus excavatum (PE) severity. The ability to accurately determine PE severity from chest radiography (CXR) may provide substantial benefits. This study proposes to establish data-driven criteria for the use of CXR as a diagnostic modality in the preoperative evaluation of patients with PE.

Phenotypic profiling of Raf inhibitors and mitochondrial toxicity in 3D tissue using biodynamic imaging.

The existence of phenotypic differences in the drug responses of 3D tissue relative to 2D cell culture is a concern in high-content drug screening. Biodynamic imaging is an emerging technology that probes 3D tissue using short-coherence dynamic light scattering to measure the intracellular motions inside tissues in their natural microenvironments. The information content of biodynamic imaging is displayed through tissue dynamics spectroscopy (TDS) but has not previously been correlated against morphological image analysis of 2D cell culture.

Dimers of N-heterocyclic carbene copper, silver, and gold halides: probing metallophilic interactions through electron density based concepts.

Homobimetallic metallophilic interactions between copper, silver, and gold-based [(NHC)MX]-type complexes (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene, i.e, 1,3,4-trimethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene; X=F, Cl, Br, I) were investigated by means of ab initio interaction energies, Ziegler-Rauk-type energy-decomposition analysis, the natural orbital for chemical valence (NOCV) framework, and the noncovalent interaction (NCI) index. It was found that the dimers of these complexes predominantly adopt a head-to-tail arrangement with typical M⋅⋅⋅M distance of 3.

Semiautologous repair for congenital discontinuous right pulmonary artery.

Unilateral absence of a proximal pulmonary artery (UAPA) is rare and occurs in an isolated form or in the presence of other cardiovascular anomalies. There is a paucity of literature describing surgical correction of this anomaly. Most commonly, a primary anastomosis between the main and proximal right pulmonary arteries has been described.

Normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass with beating heart for management of renal cell carcinoma with atrial tumor thrombus.

Renal cell carcinoma is occasionally complicated by the formation of a neoplastic thrombus invading the inferior vena cava. Rarely, the thrombus extends into the vena cava, reaching the right atrium. In these situations, despite the advanced tumor stage, surgical resection continues to offer the best chance for effective treatment.

Robot-assisted right colectomy: surgical technique and review of the literature.

Following the successful introduction of robotic surgery to the field of urology and gynecology, its use gained even more interest among those in the field of colorectal surgery. Rectal resection is believed to be among the best suited for robotic assistance. In particular, the right hemicolectomy procedure has been proposed as a training tool in order to gain clinical experience with the robot.

The clinicopathological determinants of native arteriovenous fistula failure in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: Progressive narrowing of the venous part of dialysis fistulae is caused by hemodynamic and inflammatory factors.

Objectives: The pathogenic and clinical determinants of deterioration of the functioning of arteriovenous fistulae in chronically hemodialyzed patients were evaluated.

Material And Methods: The hemodynamic parameters and the activity of inflammatory growth factors in the vessel wall of newly implanted fistulae were assessed and correlated with the clinical course of 34 hemodialyzed patients.

Evaluating interactive videoconferencing for assessing symptoms of autism.

Background: Autism affects as many as 1 in 88 children. Best practices recommend early identification and intervention for optimal outcomes. Currently, a gap exists between time of first concern and diagnosis, particularly for families living in rural areas.

Pentalogy of Cantrell with ectopia cordis totalis, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, and tetralogy of Fallot: a case report and review of the literature.

Pentalogy of Cantrell is a rare condition with a varied expression and a high mortality. We present a patient with the classic pentad (type 1), but with a previously undescribed constellation of cardiac manifestations including ectopia cordis totalis, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, and tetralogy of Fallot. This case reminds us of the challenges associated with the management of various forms of this condition.