Co-cultured microfluidic model of the airway optimized for microscopy and micro-optical coherence tomography imaging.

We have developed a human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cell and endothelial cell co-cultured microfluidic model to mimic the human airway. This airway-on-a-chip was designed with a central epithelial channel and two flanking endothelial channels, with a three-dimensional monolayers of cells growing along the four walls of the channel, forming central clear lumens. These cultures mimic airways and microvasculature .

HPAanalyze: an R package that facilitates the retrieval and analysis of the Human Protein Atlas data.

Background: The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) aims to map human proteins via multiple technologies including imaging, proteomics and transcriptomics. Access of the HPA data is mainly via web-based interface allowing views of individual proteins, which may not be optimal for data analysis of a gene set, or automatic retrieval of original images.

Results: HPAanalyze is an R package for retrieving and performing exploratory analysis of data from HPA.

Employment of an algorithm of care including chest physiotherapy results in reduced hospitalizations and stability of lung function in bronchiectasis.

Background: There is a paucity of data on long term clinical effects of high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) in the Bronchiectasis population. Other therapies such as nebulized mucolytics and long term antibiotics have proven benefit on quality of life and exacerbation rate. In this study a treatment algorithm that included HFCWO as a component was initiated to see what the long term effects of the proposed algorithm were on lung function, antibiotic use, and exacerbation rates.

Race-based demographic, anthropometric and clinical correlates of N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide.

Background: Population studies have shown that black race is a natriuretic peptide (NP) deficiency state. We sought to assess whether the effects of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on N-terminal-pro-B-type NP (NT-proBNP) levels differ in white and black individuals.

Methods: The study population consisted of a stratified random cohort from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.

Correction to: Strengthening Surgery Strengthens Health Systems: A New Paradigm and Potential Pathway for Horizontal Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

In the original article, Ziad C. Sifri's first and last names were interchanged. It is correct as reflected here.

Multi-modality imaging: Bird's eye view from the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

This review summarizes key imaging studies that were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2018 in Chicago related to the fields of nuclear cardiology (including single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography), cardiac computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and echocardiography. The aim of this bird's eye view is to inform readers of the various studies discussed at the meeting from these imaging modalities. While this review is directed to the benefit of those of us who were not able to attend the conference, we find that a general overview may also be useful to those that did since it is often difficult to get exposure to all abstracts at large meetings.

Strengthening Surgery Strengthens Health Systems: A New Paradigm and Potential Pathway for Horizontal Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Global health is transitioning toward a focus on building strong and sustainable health systems in developing countries; however, resources, funding, and agendas continue to concentrate on "vertical" (disease-based) improvements in care. Surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) requires the development of health systems infrastructure and can be considered an indicator of overall system readiness. Improving surgical care provides a scalable gateway to strengthen health systems in multiple domains.

The effect of renal transplantation on left ventricular function, electrocardiography, and mechanical synchrony by gated myocardial perfusion imaging.

Background: Depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD), and prolonged QTc interval predict poor outcomes in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal transplantation improves mortality in ESRD patients but the effects of transplantation on these indices remain undefined.

Methods: We identified patients with myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) before and after renal transplantation.

Complete white out of a single transplanted lung in the immediate postoperative period.

Vascular complications are rare but serious events following lung transplantation. Of the potential adverse events post lung transplant, pulmonary vein thrombosis is rare but often fatal. Our case describes a 54 year-old male who underwent single left lung transplantation and suddenly became hemodynamically unstable shortly after the procedure.

Incidence and in-hospital outcomes of single-vessel coronary chronic total occlusion treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) presents a distinct challenge in the field of cardiology owing to multiple reasons including the increased risk of peri-procedural complications. We sought to explore rates of hospitalization, outcomes, use of mechanical circulatory support devices, and economic burden associated with single-vessel coronary CTO undergoing PCI for stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample spanning from 2008 through 2014 was queried to identify hospitalizations associated with single-vessel coronary CTO-PCI for stable CAD by excluding hospitalizations with ST-elevation and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.

α6-Integrin alternative splicing: distinct cytoplasmic variants in stem cell fate specification and niche interaction.

α6-Integrin subunit (also known as CD49f) is a stemness signature that has been found on the plasma membrane of more than 30 stem cell populations. A growing body of studies have focused on the critical role of α6-containing integrins (α6β1 and α6β4) in the regulation of stem cell properties, lineage-specific differentiation, and niche interaction. α6-Integrin subunit can be alternatively spliced at the post-transcriptional level, giving rise to divergent isoforms which differ in the cytoplasmic and/or extracellular domains.