Resting-state functional connectivity correlates of brain structural aging in schizophrenia.

A large body of research has shown that schizophrenia patients demonstrate increased brain structural aging. Although this process may be coupled with aberrant changes in intrinsic functional architecture of the brain, they remain understudied. We hypothesized that there are brain regions whose whole-brain functional connectivity at rest is differently associated with brain structural aging in schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls.

A comparative study of theory of mind in taxon-like clusters of psychometric schizotypes and individuals at genetic risk for schizophrenia.

Clinical and family studies suggest that alterations of theory of mind (ToM) represent a marker of genetic liability to schizophrenia. Findings regarding ToM in schizotypy are less consistent. The study aimed to explore whether this might be due to an insufficient account of the heterogeneity of schizotypy in prior research and/or the fact that in psychometric schizotypy ToM alterations could manifest as subtle peculiarities rather than overt errors of mentalising.

A meta-analysis of deep brain structural shape and asymmetry abnormalities in 2,833 individuals with schizophrenia compared with 3,929 healthy volunteers via the ENIGMA Consortium.

Schizophrenia is associated with widespread alterations in subcortical brain structure. While analytic methods have enabled more detailed morphometric characterization, findings are often equivocal. In this meta-analysis, we employed the harmonized ENIGMA shape analysis protocols to collaboratively investigate subcortical brain structure shape differences between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy control participants.

Simple Technique for Central Venous Cannulation with Cannula-Free Wound in Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Surgery.

There are several approaches to venous cannulation in minimally invasive aortic valve surgery. Frequently used options include central dual-stage right atrial cannulation, or peripheral femoral venous cannulation. During minimally invasive aortic surgery via an upper hemisternotomy, central venous cannulas may obstruct the surgeon's visualization of the aortic valve and root, or require extension of the skin incision, while femoral venous cannulation requires an additional incision, time and resources.

Global perspectives on cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training.

Objective: Various methods for cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training exist across the globe, with the common goal of producing safe, independent surgeons. A comparative analysis of international training paradigms has not been undertaken, and our goal in doing so was to offer insights into how to best prepare future trainees and ensure the health of our specialty.

Methods: We performed a comparative analysis of available publications offering detailed descriptions of various cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training paradigms.

Opening up new horizons for psychiatric genetics in the Russian Federation: moving toward a national consortium.

We provide an overview of the recent achievements in psychiatric genetics research in the Russian Federation and present genotype-phenotype, population, epigenetic, cytogenetic, functional, ENIGMA, and pharmacogenetic studies, with an emphasis on genome-wide association studies. The genetic backgrounds of mental illnesses in the polyethnic and multicultural population of the Russian Federation are still understudied. Furthermore, genetic, genomic, and pharmacogenetic data from the Russian Federation are not adequately represented in the international scientific literature, are currently not available for meta-analyses and have never been compared with data from other populations.

Ministernotomy aortic valve surgery in patients with prior patent mammary artery grafts after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: Patients with patent internal thoracic artery (ITA) grafts after prior coronary artery bypass grafting surgery who require aortic valve replacement (AVR) pose unique technical challenges for safe and optimal myocardial protection. The purpose of this study is to review our short- and long-term outcomes with redo minimally invasive AVR in patients with patent in situ ITA grafts.

Methods: From 2008 to 2016, 48 patients with at least 1 patent in situ mammary artery graft underwent minimally invasive AVR.

Upper ministernotomy for mitral valve replacement via superior approach.

This video tutorial demonstrates the surgical technique for mitral valve replacement through the roof of the left atrium via an upper inverted T-shaped ministernotomy, with central cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cortical Brain Abnormalities in 4474 Individuals With Schizophrenia and 5098 Control Subjects via the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics Through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium.

Background: The profile of cortical neuroanatomical abnormalities in schizophrenia is not fully understood, despite hundreds of published structural brain imaging studies. This study presents the first meta-analysis of cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities in schizophrenia conducted by the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Schizophrenia Working Group.

Methods: The study included data from 4474 individuals with schizophrenia (mean age, 32.

Arginine vasopressin 1a receptor RS3 promoter microsatellites in schizophrenia: a study of the effect of the "risk" allele on clinical symptoms and facial affect recognition.

We studied AVPR1A RS3 polymorphism in schizophrenic patients and controls. AVPR1A RS3 was not associated with schizophrenia. The allele 327bp implicated in autism and social behavior was associated with negative symptoms and tended to be linked to patient facial affect recognition suggesting its impact on schizophrenia social phenotypes.

Perioperative avulsion of a left internal mammary artery graft in a patient with syphilis.

Avulsion of a graft after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery is a rare but very serious complication which leads to massive bleeding and possible life-threatening cardiac tamponade. In this paper we report a very rare case of a left internal mammary artery graft avulsion on the day of surgery in a patient with syphilis.