Cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of syndecan-4 in mice results in activation of calcineurin-NFAT signalling and exacerbated cardiac hypertrophy.

Background: Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a hallmark of cardiac dysfunction in patients with aortic stenosis (AS), and can be triggered by left ventricular (LV) pressure overload in mice by aortic banding (AB). Syndecan-4 is a transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan which is found increased in the myocardium of AS patients and AB mice. The role of syndecan-4 in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is not well understood.

Functional temozolomide sensitivity testing of patient-specific glioblastoma stem cell cultures is predictive of clinical outcome.

Serum-free culturing of patient-derived glioblastoma biopsies enrich for glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) and is recognized as a disease-relevant model system in glioblastoma (GBM). We hypothesized that the temozolomide (TMZ) drug sensitivity of patient-derived GSC cultures correlates to clinical sensitivity patterns and has clinical predictive value in a cohort of GBM patients. To this aim, we established 51 individual GSC cultures from surgical biopsies from both treatment-naïve primary and pretreated recurrent GBM patients.

A Worldwide Survey of Activities and Practices in Clinical Islet of Langerhans Transplantation.

A global online survey was administered to 69 islet transplantation programs, covering 84 centers and 5 networks. The survey addressed questions on program organization and activity in the 2000-2020 period, including impact on activity of national health care coverage policies. We obtained full data from 55 institutions or networks worldwide and basic activity data from 6 centers.

Analysis of the Utility of CO2 and Pulse-Dye Lasers Together and Separately in the Treatment of Hypertrophic Burn Scars.

Introduction: Hypertrophic burn scars (HTBSs) remain a significant source of morbidity. Contemporary treatment has evolved to use CO2 lasers and/or pulse-dye lasers (PDLs) to reduce scar thickness (ST) and erythema. This study seeks to compare treatment efficacy with CO2 or PDL individually and in combination.

Exercise and hypoxia unmask pulmonary vascular disease and right ventricular dysfunction in a 10- to 12-week-old swine model of neonatal oxidative injury.

Prematurely born young adults who experienced neonatal oxidative injury (NOI) of the lungs have increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. Here, we investigated the long-term effects of NOI on cardiopulmonary function in piglets at the age of 10-12 weeks. To induce NOI, term-born piglets (1.

Tracking Early Systolic Motion for Assessing Acute Response to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Real Time.

An abnormal systolic motion is frequently observed in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB), and it has been proposed as a predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Our goal was to investigate if this motion can be monitored with miniaturized sensors feasible for clinical use to identify response to CRT in real time. Motion sensors were attached to the septum and the left ventricular (LV) lateral wall of eighteen anesthetized dogs.

Neck Circumference Measurement for Surveillance and Early Detection of Hemorrhage After Thyroidectomy: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

Importance: Postthyroidectomy hemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening complication with no reliable noninvasive method of early detection.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of neck circumference measurement for early detection of postoperative hemorrhage after thyroidectomy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This diagnostic accuracy study at an academic teaching hospital used a prospective cohort of patients undergoing thyroid surgery from November 1, 2015, to January 31, 2018 (group 1), and a retrospective cohort of patients undergoing the same surgery from January 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021 (group 2).

Antibiotic Bowel Decontamination in Gastrointestinal Surgery-A Single-Center 20 Years' Experience.

Objective: Anastomotic leakage, surgical site infections, and other infectious complications are still common complications in gastrointestinal surgery. The concept of perioperative antibiotic bowel decontamination demonstrates beneficial effects in single randomized controlled trials (RCTs), but data from routine clinical use are still sparse. Our aim was to analyze the data from the routine clinical use of perioperative antibiotic bowel decontamination in gastrointestinal surgery.

A high-throughput study of visceral organs in CT-scanned pigs.

It has been debated whether intensive selection for growth and carcass yield in pig breeding programmes can affect the size of internal organs, and thereby reduce the animal's ability to handle stress and increase the risk of sudden deaths. To explore the respiratory and circulatory system in pigs, a deep learning based computational pipeline was built to extract the size of lungs and hearts from CT-scan images. This pipeline was applied on CT images from 11,000 boar selection candidates acquired during the last decade.

Normal Values for Myocardial Work Indices Derived From Pressure-Strain Loop Analyses: From the CCHS.

Background: Pressure-strain loop analyses is a noninvasive technique capable of evaluating myocardial work. Reference values are needed to benchmark these myocardial work indices for clinical practice.

Methods: Healthy participants from a general population study were used to establish reference values for global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE) measured by pressure-strain loop analyses.

A cervical compartment syndrome impairs cerebral circulation in post-thyroidectomy hemorrhage: data from an animal model.

Background: Post thyroidectomy hemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening complication. As the mechanism leading to hypoxemic brain damage and death is still unknown, our aim was to examine the underlaying pathophysiology in an animal model.

Methods: A series of experiments was performed in our established model for post thyroidectomy hemorrhage in 6 pigs.

Characterization of () and , Essential Paralogous Genes Which Encode the Enzymes That Catalyze the Rate-Limiting Step in the Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway in .

The () locus is known for its essential role in the development of the embryonic cuticle of . We show here that encodes (; ), the enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP). This conserved pathway diverts 2%-5% of cellular glucose from glycolysis and is a nexus of sugar (fructose-6-phosphate), amino acid (glutamine), fatty acid [acetyl-coenzymeA (CoA)], and nucleotide/energy (UDP) metabolism.

Impact of delayed type hypersensitivity arthritis on development of heart failure by aortic constriction in mice.

Aims: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased risk of heart failure (HF). The mechanisms and cardiac prerequisites explaining this association remain unresolved. In this study, we sought to determine the potential cardiac impact of an experimental model of RA in mice subjected to HF by constriction of the ascending aorta.

Spatial Environment Affects HNF4A Mutation-Specific Proteome Signatures and Cellular Morphology in hiPSC-Derived β-Like Cells.

Studies of monogenic diabetes are particularly useful because we can gain insight into the molecular events of pancreatic β-cell failure. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young 1 (MODY1) is a form of monogenic diabetes caused by a mutation in the HNF4A gene. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide an excellent tool for disease modeling by subsequently directing differentiation toward desired pancreatic islet cells, but cellular phenotypes in terminally differentiated cells are notoriously difficult to detect.

International Survey of Clinical Monitoring Practices in Pancreas and Islet Transplantation.

Background: The long-term outcomes of both pancreas and islet allotransplantation have been compromised by difficulties in the detection of early graft dysfunction at a time when a clinical intervention can prevent further deterioration and preserve allograft function. The lack of standardized strategies for monitoring pancreas and islet allograft function prompted an international survey established by an International Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association/European Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association working group.

Methods: A global survey was administered to 24 pancreas and 18 islet programs using Redcap.

Pharmacologic Antagonization of Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Improves Cholestasis in Abcb4 Mice.

Background & Aims: The endocannabinoid system is involved in the modulation of inflammatory, fibrotic, metabolic, and carcinogenesis-associated signaling pathways via cannabinoid receptor (CB)1 and CB2. We hypothesized that the pharmacologic antagonization of CB1 receptor improves cholestasis in Abcb4 mice.

Methods: After weaning, male Abcb4 mice were treated orally with rimonabant (a specific antagonist of CB1) or ACEA (an agonist of CB1) until up to 16 weeks of age.

Early Advanced Weight-Bearing After Periarticular Fractures: A Randomized Trial Comparing Antigravity Treadmill Therapy Versus Standard of Care.

In current clinical practice, weight-bearing is typically restricted for up to 12 weeks after definitive fixation of lower extremity periarticular fractures. However, muscle atrophy resulting from restricting weight-bearing has a deleterious effect on bone healing and overall limb function. Antigravity treadmill therapy may improve recovery by allowing patients to safely load the limb during therapy, thereby reducing the negative consequences of prolonged non-weight-bearing while avoiding complications associated with premature return to full weight-bearing.

Cognitive-Behavioral-Based Physical Therapy for Improving Recovery After Traumatic Orthopaedic Lower Extremity Injury (CBPT-Trauma).

Physical and psychological impairment resulting from traumatic injuries is often significant and affects employment and functional independence. Extremity trauma has been shown to negatively affect long-term self-reported physical function, the ability to work, and participation in recreational activities and contributes to increased rates of anxiety and/or depression. High pain levels early in the recovery process and psychosocial factors play a prominent role in recovery after traumatic lower extremity injury.