Periadventitial human stem cell treatment reduces vein graft intimal thickening in pig vein-into-artery interposition grafts.

Background: Neointima formation and atherosclerosis compromise long-term graft patency in aortocoronary vein bypass grafts. We investigated the effect on neointima formation in porcine saphenous vein grafts of periadventitial application of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells transduced with the gene for the peptide glucagon-like peptide-1, which have been shown to induce angiogenesis in previous studies and are protected from immune-mediated destruction by encapsulation in alginate microbeads (CellBeads).

Methods And Results: Periadventitial application of CellBeads was compared with alginate beads only or vehicle control in pig vein-into-artery interposition grafts.

Posttranscriptional regulation of cell-cell interaction protein-encoding transcripts by Zfs1p in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Members of the tristetraprolin (TTP) family of CCCH tandem zinc finger proteins can bind directly to AU-rich elements in mRNAs and promote transcript deadenylation and decay. The yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe expresses a single TTP family member, Zfs1p. In this study, we identified probable Zfs1p target mRNAs by comparing transcript levels in wild-type yeast and zfs1Δ mutants, using deep sequencing and microarray approaches.

Classical macrophage activation up-regulates several matrix metalloproteinases through mitogen activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-κB.

Remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell surface by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is an important function of monocytes and macrophages. Recent work has emphasised the diverse roles of classically and alternatively activated macrophages but the consequent regulation of MMPs and their inhibitors has not been studied comprehensively. Classical activation of macrophages derived in vitro from un-fractionated CD16(+/-) or negatively-selected CD16(-) macrophages up-regulated MMP-1, -3, -7, -10, -12, -14 and -25 and decreased TIMP-3 steady-state mRNA levels.

Preventing radiocontrast-induced nephropathy in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN) is an acute and severe complication after coronary angiography, particularly for patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD). It has been associated with both short- and long-term adverse outcomes, including the need for renal replacement therapy, increased length of hospital stay, major cardiac adverse events, and mortality. RCIN is generally defined as an increase in serum creatinine concentration of 0.

ART: a next-generation sequencing read simulator.

Unlabelled: ART is a set of simulation tools that generate synthetic next-generation sequencing reads. This functionality is essential for testing and benchmarking tools for next-generation sequencing data analysis including read alignment, de novo assembly and genetic variation discovery. ART generates simulated sequencing reads by emulating the sequencing process with built-in, technology-specific read error models and base quality value profiles parameterized empirically in large sequencing datasets.

Efficiently identifying genome-wide changes with next-generation sequencing data.

We propose a new and effective statistical framework for identifying genome-wide differential changes in epigenetic marks with ChIP-seq data or gene expression with mRNA-seq data, and we develop a new software tool EpiCenter that can efficiently perform data analysis. The key features of our framework are: (i) providing multiple normalization methods to achieve appropriate normalization under different scenarios, (ii) using a sequence of three statistical tests to eliminate background regions and to account for different sources of variation and (iii) allowing adjustment for multiple testing to control false discovery rate (FDR) or family-wise type I error. Our software EpiCenter can perform multiple analytic tasks including: (i) identifying genome-wide epigenetic changes or differentially expressed genes, (ii) finding transcription factor binding sites and (iii) converting multiple-sample sequencing data into a single read-count data matrix.

Left atrial distensibility and E/e' for estimating left ventricular filling pressure in patients with stable angina. -A comparative echocardiography and catheterization study-.

Background: Although E/e' (the ratio of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity) is widely used to measure left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP), its accuracy is questionable in coronary artery disease patients.

Methods And Results: Echocardiograms and LVFP were obtained from 174 patients with stable angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina grade I-II) who had received interventions for angiography-confirmed coronary stenosis. Compared with single-vessel groups, the multiple-vessel group exhibited lower mitral annular velocities, higher LVFP, and stronger correlations between E/regional e' and LVFP.

MAP3K4/CBP-regulated H2B acetylation controls epithelial-mesenchymal transition in trophoblast stem cells.

Epithelial stem cells self-renew while maintaining multipotency, but the dependence of stem cell properties on maintenance of the epithelial phenotype is unclear. We previously showed that trophoblast stem (TS) cells lacking the protein kinase MAP3K4 maintain properties of both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we show that MAP3K4 controls the activity of the histone acetyltransferase CBP, and that acetylation of histones H2A and H2B by CBP is required to maintain the epithelial phenotype.

Left atrial parameters in the estimation of left ventricular filling pressure and prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Because left atrial (LA) volume plays a critical role in determining cardiovascular outcomes, it was hypothesized that this might be related to the distensibility of the left atrium and how this relates to left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP). Echocardiographic estimates of LVFP were compared to cardiac catheterization measurements in 521 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction and correlated with short- and long-term outcomes. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiographic parameters for predicting elevated LVFP (> 15 mm Hg).

Diverse patterns of cyclooxygenase-independent metalloproteinase gene regulation in human monocytes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production from monocyte/macrophages is implicated in matrix remodelling and modulation of inflammation. However, knowledge of the patterns and mechanisms of gene regulation of MMPs and their endogenous tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) is fragmentary. MMP up-regulation may be a target for cyclooxygenase (COX) and prostaglandin (PG) receptor inhibition, but the extent and mechanisms of COX-independent MMP up-regulation are unclear.

Right ventricular infarction and tissue Doppler imaging – insights from acute inferior myocardial infarction after primary coronary intervention –.

Background: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) data for acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI) patients who have received primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are sparse.

Methods And Results: One hundred and sixty-five patients received primary PCI for acute inferior MI were enrolled. Right ventricular infarction (RVI) was defined as a culprit lesion proximal to the right ventricular branch of right coronary artery (RCA).

Congenital left ventricular diverticulum in a patient with coronary artery disease.

Congenital ventricular diverticulum is rare. We present the case of a 76-year-old man who underwent cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) for recent intermittent chest pain. Obstructive single-vessel coronary artery disease was diagnosed.

Ratio of early mitral inflow peak velocity to flow propagation velocity predicts training effects of cardiac rehabilitation in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: To use the ratio of early mitral inflow peak velocity (E) to mitral flow propagation velocity (FPV) measured in the early phase of myocardial infarction (early phase E/FPV) to evaluate the training effects of 8 weeks' cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients post-myocardial infarction.

Design: Single-blinded, randomized control trial.

Participants: Eighty-seven patients with acute myocardial infarction who had undergone primary coronary intervention.

Left atrial distensibility and left ventricular filling pressure in acute versus chronic severe mitral regurgitation.

Echocardiograms and left ventricular (LV) filling pressure were obtained from 95 patients with chronic severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and 16 patients with acute severe MR. All patients underwent catheterization for preoperative examinations and LV filling pressure measurements. A total of 52 age-, gender- and co-morbidity-matched patients with negative coronary angiographic results served as the controls.

Tricuspid flow propagation velocity predicts exercise tolerance and readmission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Evaluating right ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and exercise tolerance is critical in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) because of the high mortality rate in such patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The aim of this study was to use the flow propagation velocity (FPV) of early diastolic tricuspid inflow to evaluate exercise tolerance and PAH severity and to predict readmission in patients with SLE.

Methods: A total of 66 patients with SLE with or without PAH and 30 healthy control subjects were enrolled.

Two clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying plasmid-borne blaIMP-4, blaSHV-12, and armA isolated at a Pediatric Center in Shanghai, China.

Two cases of pulmonary infection due to strains of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae were investigated. Beta-lactamase determinants, such as bla(IMP-4) and bla(SHV-12), and the 16S rRNA methyltransferase-encoding gene armA were detected in these plasmid-bearing organisms. The integron-borne bla(IMP-4) and armA contained intervening sequences highly related to those of a Vibrio cholerae O139 plasmid found in Hangzhou, China.

Comparing culprit lesions in ST-segment elevation and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome with 64-slice multidetector computed tomography.

Background: Classifying acute coronary syndrome (ACS) as ST elevation ACS (STE-ACS) or non-ST elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) is critical for clinical prognosis and therapeutic decision-making. Assessing the differences in composition and configuration of culprit lesions between STE-ACS and NSTE-ACS can clarify their pathophysiologic differences.

Objective: This study focused on evaluating the ability of 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to investigate these differences in culprit lesions in patients with STE-ACS and NSTE-ACS.

Assessing culprit lesions and active complex lesions in patients with early acute myocardial infarction by multidetector computed tomography.

Background: Accurate, non-invasive characterization of culprit lesions in patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains challenging. In this prospective study, multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) is used to assess culprit and active complex lesions in patients early after AMI.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 103 patients with first non ST-elevation AMI who underwent 64-slices MDCT and conventional coronary angiography (CCAG).

EagleView: a genome assembly viewer for next-generation sequencing technologies.

The emergence of high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies (e.g., 454 Life Sciences [Roche], Illumina sequencing [formerly Solexa sequencing]) has dramatically sped up whole-genome de novo sequencing and resequencing.

Identification and viability assessment of infarcted myocardium with late enhancement multidetector computed tomography: comparison with thallium single photon emission computed tomography and echocardiography.

Background: Recent studies revealed that multidetector computed tomography late enhancement (MDCT-LE) is a reliable technique for detecting necrotic and scarred myocardial tissue. The aims of the study were to identify infarcted myocardium using MDCT-LE protocol in patients after myocardial infarction (MI) and assess viability in resting wall motion abnormalities.

Methods: One hundred one patients with previous MI (62 +/- 13 years, 1-6 months after MI) underwent MDCT-LE (15 minutes after contrast medium administration), rest-redistribution thallium single photon emission computed tomography (Tl-SPECT), and dobutamine echocardiography (DbE).

Whole-genome sequencing and variant discovery in C. elegans.

Massively parallel sequencing instruments enable rapid and inexpensive DNA sequence data production. Because these instruments are new, their data require characterization with respect to accuracy and utility. To address this, we sequenced a Caernohabditis elegans N2 Bristol strain isolate using the Solexa Sequence Analyzer, and compared the reads to the reference genome to characterize the data and to evaluate coverage and representation.

Major events in uremic patients: insight from parameters derived by flow propagation velocity.

Background: The parameters derived by flow propagation velocity (FPV) of early-diastolic mitral inflow have been proved to be associated with cardiovascular risk. This study was undertaken to analyze the prognosis of uremic patients by FPV.

Methods: A total of 100 uremic patients were enrolled.

Multidetector row computed tomography can identify and characterize the occlusive culprit lesions in patients early (within 24 hours) after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The reliable noninvasive assessment of occluded disrupted plaques and thromboses in culprit vessels could constitute an important step forward in risk stratification of patients early after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, noninvasive identification of patency of culprit vessels remains a challenging issue. This prospective study was designed to identify the occluded culprit vessels by multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) and to compare the stenotic and occlusive culprit lesions by MDCT in patients early (within 24 hours) after AMI.

Phylogenetic simulation of promoter evolution: estimation and modeling of binding site turnover events and assessment of their impact on alignment tools.

Background: The phenomenon of functional site turnover has important implications for the study of regulatory region evolution, such as for promoter sequence alignments and transcription factor binding site (TFBS) identification. At present, it remains difficult to estimate TFBS turnover rates on real genomic sequences, as reliable mappings of functional sites across related species are often not available. As an alternative, we introduce a flexible new simulation system, Phylogenetic Simulation of Promoter Evolution (PSPE), designed to study functional site turnovers in regulatory sequences.

Role of shortened QTc dispersion in in-hospital cardiac events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome.

Background: QT dispersion (QTD) refers to the difference between maximal and minimal QT values on the electrocardiogram (ECG). QTD values are calculated and corrected with Bazett's formula (corrected QTD = QTcD = QTD/square root of RR). QTcD increases in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).