In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients With a History of Malignancy Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

A history of malignancy is incorporated in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score to assess presurgical risk in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement, however data on the prognostic importance in those undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains limited. We sought to investigate the utilization and in-hospital outcomes of TAVI in patients with a history of malignancy. The National Inpatient Sample Database was queried from 2012 to 2017 to identify patients who underwent TAVI using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 and ICD-10 procedure codes.

Monoamine Release in the Cat Lumbar Spinal Cord during Fictive Locomotion Evoked by the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region.

Spinal cord neurons active during locomotion are innervated by descending axons that release the monoamines serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) and these neurons express monoaminergic receptor subtypes implicated in the control of locomotion. The timing, level and spinal locations of release of these two substances during centrally-generated locomotor activity should therefore be critical to this control. These variables were measured in real time by fast-cyclic voltammetry in the decerebrate cat's lumbar spinal cord during fictive locomotion, which was evoked by electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) and registered as integrated activity in bilateral peripheral nerves to hindlimb muscles.

Recent Advancements in the Regeneration of Auditory Hair Cells and Hearing Restoration.

Neurosensory responses of hearing and balance are mediated by receptors in specialized neuroepithelial sensory cells. Any disruption of the biochemical and molecular pathways that facilitate these responses can result in severe deficits, including hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction. Hearing is affected by both environmental and genetic factors, with impairment of auditory function being the most common neurosensory disorder affecting 1 in 500 newborns, as well as having an impact on the majority of elderly population.

Pannexins Are Potential New Players in the Regulation of Cerebral Homeostasis during Sleep-Wake Cycle.

During brain homeostasis, both neurons and astroglia release ATP that is rapidly converted to adenosine in the extracellular space. Pannexin-1 (Panx1) hemichannels represent a major conduit of non-vesicular ATP release from brain cells. Previous studies have shown that Panx1 mice possess severe disruption of the sleep-wake cycle.

LFP Oscillations in the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region during Voluntary Locomotion.

Oscillatory rhythms in local field potentials (LFPs) are thought to coherently bind cooperating neuronal ensembles to produce behaviors, including locomotion. LFPs recorded from sites that trigger locomotion have been used as a basis for identification of appropriate targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS) to enhance locomotor recovery in patients with gait disorders. Theta band activity (6-12 Hz) is associated with locomotor activity in locomotion-inducing sites in the hypothalamus and in the hippocampus, but the LFPs that occur in the functionally defined mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) during locomotion have not been determined.

Blood Pressure Control in Aging Predicts Cerebral Atrophy Related to Small-Vessel White Matter Lesions.

Cerebral small-vessel damage manifests as white matter hyperintensities and cerebral atrophy on brain MRI and is associated with aging, cognitive decline and dementia. We sought to examine the interrelationship of these imaging biomarkers and the influence of hypertension in older individuals. We used a multivariate spatial covariance neuroimaging technique to localize the effects of white matter lesion load on regional gray matter volume and assessed the role of blood pressure control, age and education on this relationship.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Cardiac Troponin C Mutations Differentially Affect Slow Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Regulation.

Mutations in -the gene encoding cardiac troponin C (cTnC)-that have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and cardiac dysfunction may also affect Ca-regulation and function of slow skeletal muscle since the same gene is expressed in both cardiac and slow skeletal muscle. Therefore, we reconstituted rabbit soleus fibers and bovine masseter myofibrils with mutant cTnCs (A8V, C84Y, E134D, and D145E) associated with HCM to investigate their effects on contractile force and ATPase rates, respectively. Previously, we showed that these HCM cTnC mutants, except for E134D, increased the Ca sensitivity of force development in cardiac preparations.

Regulating Axonal Responses to Injury: The Intersection between Signaling Pathways Involved in Axon Myelination and The Inhibition of Axon Regeneration.

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors adversely affect the gene programs that govern the expression of regeneration-associated genes (RAGs) and the production of a diversity of extracellular matrix molecules (ECM). Insufficient RAG expression in the injured neuron and the presence of inhibitory ECM at the lesion, leads to structural alterations in the axon that perturb the growth machinery, or form an extraneous barrier to axonal regeneration, respectively. Here, the role of myelin, both intact and debris, in antagonizing axon regeneration has been the focus of numerous investigations.

Characterization of ATPase Activity of P2RX2 Cation Channel.

P2X purinergic receptors are plasma membrane ATP-dependent cation channels that are broadly distributed in the mammalian tissues. P2RX2 is a modulator of auditory sensory hair cell mechanotransduction and plays an important role in hair cell tolerance to noise. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time in vitro and in cochlear neuroepithelium, that P2RX2 possesses the ATPase activity.

Systemic Activation of TLR3-Dependent TRIF Signaling Confers Host Defense against Gram-Negative Bacteria in the Intestine.

Recognition of Gram-negative bacteria by toll-like receptor (TLR)4 induces MyD88 and TRIF mediated responses. We have shown that TRIF-dependent responses play an important role in intestinal defense against Gram-negative enteropathogens. In the current study, we examined underlying mechanisms of how systemic TRIF activation enhances intestinal immune defense against Gram-negative bacteria.

Ocular Neuromyotonia Noted after Recent Botulinum Toxin Injection for Sixth Nerve Palsy Following Resection of a Posterior Fossa Skull Base Meningioma.

A 56-year-old female complained of diplopia immediately after surgical excision of a recurrent left skull base tuberculum meningioma. She was found to have a left sixth nerve palsy, which was subsequently treated with botulinum toxin injection to the medial rectus muscle. Three months post injection, the patient had partial recovery of the sixth nerve palsy and new-onset ocular neuromyotonia.