Primary axillary venous aneurysm in a young patient presenting with cardiac arrest.

Primary venous aneurysms are rare and usually asymptomatic. Venous aneurysms are manifested more frequently in the lower extremities than in the upper extremities. Primary venous aneurysms of the upper extremities are more often reported as aesthetically displeasing bulges or incidental findings.

Laparoscopic aortobifemoral bypass in a USA academic center.

Background: Although aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) is preferentially treated endovascularly, some patients are still better served with an aortobifemoral bypass (ABF). For those patients, surgical treatment options include both standard open operations as well as laparoscopic ABF (LapABF). Several European centers perform LapABF with favorable results instead of open surgery, but this has not been widely embraced in the United States.

Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictor of Outcomes after Amputation.

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has become a prognostic marker for proinflammatory states. It is associated with outcomes in many clinical processes including critical limb ischemia. We sought to identify predictors of amputation failure and mortality, in addition to the role of NLR in patients undergoing above-knee amputations (AKAs) or below-knee amputations (BKAs).

Inferring developmental stage composition from gene expression in human malaria.

In the current era of malaria eradication, reducing transmission is critical. Assessment of transmissibility requires tools that can accurately identify the various developmental stages of the malaria parasite, particularly those required for transmission (sexual stages). Here, we present a method for estimating relative amounts of Plasmodium falciparum asexual and sexual stages from gene expression measurements.

LKB1 destabilizes microtubules in myoblasts and contributes to myoblast differentiation.

Background: Skeletal muscle myoblast differentiation and fusion into multinucleate myotubes is associated with dramatic cytoskeletal changes. We find that microtubules in differentiated myotubes are highly stabilized, but premature microtubule stabilization blocks differentiation. Factors responsible for microtubule destabilization in myoblasts have not been identified.

Heparin activates PKR by inducing dimerization.

Protein kinase R (PKR) is an interferon-induced kinase that plays a pivotal role in the innate immunity pathway. PKR is activated to undergo autophosphorylation upon binding to double-stranded RNAs or RNAs that contain duplex regions. Activated PKR phosphorylates the α subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis.