Cardiothoracic Morphology Measures in Heart Failure Patients to Inform Device Designs.

Purpose: Approximately 5.7 million people in the US are affected by congestive heart failure. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate cardiothoracic morphology and variability within a cohort of heart failure patients for the purpose of optimally engineering cardiac devices for a variety of heart failure patients.

A problematic animal fossil from the early Cambrian Hetang Formation, South China.

The lower-middle Hetang Formation (Cambrian Stage 2-3) deposited in slope-basinal facies in South China is well-known for its preservation of the earliest articulated sponge fossils, providing an important taphonomic window into the Cambrian explosion. However, the Hetang Formation also hosts a number of problematic animal fossils that have not been systematically described. This omission results in an incomplete picture of the Hetang biota and limits its contribution to the understanding of the early evolution of animals.

3-1,2-Dithiole-3-Thione as a Potentially Novel Therapeutic Compound for Sepsis Intervention.

Through the history of modern medicine, bioactive components in natural products have been either employed directly as medicines or used as prototypes for synthetic drug development. This brief Research Highlights paper considers 3-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T), a member of the 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones-compounds which may naturally occur in cruciferous vegetables. Among 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones, D3T is the most potent member with regard to the capacity of inducing tissue defenses against oxidative and inflammatory stress.

Lumbopelvic Muscle Changes Following Long-Duration Spaceflight.

Long-duration spaceflight has been shown to negatively affect the lumbopelvic muscles of crewmembers. Through analysis of computed tomography scans of crewmembers on 4- to 6-month missions equipped with the interim resistive exercise device, the structural deterioration of the psoas, quadratus lumborum, and paraspinal muscles was assessed. Computed tomography scans of 16 crewmembers were collected before and after long-duration spaceflight.

Simple and Efficient Room-Temperature Release of Biotinylated Nucleic Acids from Streptavidin and Its Application to Selective Molecular Detection.

The biotin-streptavidin bond is the strongest noncovalent bond in nature and is thus used extensively in biotechnology applications. However, the difficulty of releasing the bond without high temperatures or corrosive solutions can be a barrier to applications involving nucleic acids and other delicate substrates. Here, room-temperature phenol is employed to release biotin-tagged DNA constructs from streptavidin rapidly and efficiently.

Experimental High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation Using a Single-Needle Delivery Approach for Nonthermal Pancreatic Ablation In Vivo.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of single-needle high-frequency irreversible electroporation (SN-HFIRE) to create reproducible tissue ablations in an in vivo pancreatic swine model.

Materials And Methods: SN-HFIRE was performed in swine pancreas in vivo in the absence of intraoperative paralytics or cardiac synchronization using 3 different voltage waveforms (1-5-1, 2-5-2, and 5-5-5 [on-off-on times (μs)], n = 6/setting) with a total energized time of 100 μs per burst. At necropsy, ablation size/shape was determined.

GPx4 in Bacterial Infection and Polymicrobial Sepsis: Involvement of Ferroptosis and Pyroptosis.

While it is well known that bacterial infection is the predominant cause of sepsis, the molecular pathophysiology of this clinical syndrome remains ill-defined. In this Research Highlights article, we discuss the recent research findings regarding a protective role for glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPx4) in bacterial infection and polymicrobial sepsis via modulating ferroptosis and pyroptosis, two novel modes of regulated cell death. It is suggested that GPx4, being a requisite gateway to both ferroptosis and pyroptosis, may serve as a critical molecular target for developing effective drugs for controlling infection and sepsis.

Characterizing head impact exposure in youth female soccer with a custom-instrumented mouthpiece.

While many research efforts have focused on head impact exposure in professional soccer, there have been few studies characterizing exposure at the youth level. The aim of this study is to evaluate a new instrumentation approach and collect some of the first head impact exposure data for youth female soccer players. Athletes were instrumented with custom-fit mouthpieces that measure head impacts.

Dietary Supplementation with Anti-Inflammatory Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Cardiovascular Protection: Help or Hoax?

Dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, also known as n-3 fatty acids, has been widely considered cardiovascular protective in the general human population. This widely acclaimed status of omega-3 fatty acids as cardiovascular protective molecules has, however, been questioned by findings from multiple rigorously designed randomized controlled trials, recently reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Although the anti-inflammatory and other beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids are substantiated by research in experimental models as well as findings from observational epidemiological studies, dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids at the typical dosage of 1 g daily does not appear to be an effective strategy for either primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in humans.

Sliding window correlation analysis: Modulating window shape for dynamic brain connectivity in resting state.

The sliding window correlation (SWC) analysis is a straightforward and common approach for evaluating dynamic functional connectivity. Despite the fact that sliding window analyses have been long used, there are still considerable technical issues associated with the approach. A great effort has recently been dedicated to investigate the window setting effects on dynamic connectivity estimation.

Comparison of head impact exposure in practice drills among multiple youth football teams.

Objective: Limiting contact in football practice can reduce the number of head impacts a player receives, but further research is needed to inform the modification of optimal drills that mitigate head impact exposure (HIE) while the player develops the skills needed to safely play the game. This study aimed to compare HIE in practice drills among 6 youth football teams and to evaluate the effect of a team on HIE.

Methods: On-field head impact data were collected from athletes (ages 10–13 years) playing on 6 local youth football teams (teams A–F) during all practices using the Head Impact Telemetry System.

Graphene Quantum Dots Potently Block Copper-Mediated Oxidative DNA Damage: Implications for Cancer Intervention.

Our early work suggested that graphene quantum dots (GQDs) block Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox cycle in biological systems. Here we report that GQDs could also potently protect against copper redox-mediated oxidative DNA damage. Using Cu(II)/hydrogen peroxide, Cu(II)/hydroquinone, and Cu(II)/ascorbic acid as three biologically relevant systems for inducing oxidative DNA damage, we demonstrated that GQDs protected against the above system-induced DNA strand breaks in ϕx-174 plasmid DNA in a concentration-dependent manner.

Folic Acid-Conjugated Cellulose Nanocrystals Show High Folate-Receptor Binding Affinity and Uptake by KB and Breast Cancer Cells.

The study evaluates cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as nanocarriers for targeted, intracellular delivery of molecular agents. CNCs were labeled with fluorescein-5'-isothiocyanate as an imaging agent and conjugated to folic acid (FA) as a targeting ligand. The CNC conjugates were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, ζ-potential analysis, dynamic light scattering, and atomic force microscopy.

Dynamic Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Connectivity Tensor Decomposition: A New Approach to Analyze and Interpret Dynamic Brain Connectivity.

There is a growing interest in using so-called dynamic functional connectivity, as the conventional static brain connectivity models are being questioned. Brain network analyses yield complex network data that are difficult to analyze and interpret. To deal with the complex structures, decomposition/factorization techniques that simplify the data are often used.

Associations between upper extremity injury patterns in side impact motor vehicle collisions with occupant and crash characteristics.

Introduction: Side impact motor vehicle collisions (MVC) represent a significant burden of mortality and morbidity caused by automotive injury within the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between upper extremity (UE) injury patterns and contact sources in side impact MVC with occupant and crash variables.

Methods: Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network data obtained from 1998 to 2012 were used to evaluate UE injuries in side impact crashes.

Graphene Quantum Dots Protect against Copper Redox-Mediated Free Radical Generation and Cardiac Cell Injury.

In this work, we investigated the effects of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on copper redox-mediated free radical generation and cell injury. Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry in conjunction with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline -oxide (DMPO) as a spin trap, we found that GQDs at a concentration as low as 1 μg/ml significantly inhibited Cu(II)/HO-mediated hydroxyl radical formation. GQDs also blocked Cu(II)-catalyzed nucleophilic addition of HO to DMPO to form a DMPO-OH adduct in the absence of HO, suggesting a potential for GQDs to inhibit copper redox activity.

High-Frequency Irreversible Electroporation for Intracranial Meningioma: A Feasibility Study in a Spontaneous Canine Tumor Model.

High-frequency irreversible electroporation is a nonthermal method of tissue ablation that uses bursts of 0.5- to 2.0-microsecond bipolar electric pulses to permeabilize cell membranes and induce cell death.

Emerging and Established Models of Bone Metastasis.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death and drives patient morbidity as well as healthcare costs. Bone is the primary site of metastasis for several cancers-breast and prostate cancers in particular. Efforts to treat bone metastases have been stymied by a lack of models to study the progression, cellular players, and signaling pathways driving bone metastasis.

Novel approach to temozolomide resistance in malignant glioma: connexin43-directed therapeutics.

Resistance of malignant glioma, including glioblastoma (GBM), to the chemotherapeutic temozolomide (TMZ) remains a key obstacle in treatment strategies. The gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) has complex roles in the establishment, progression, and persistence of malignant glioma. Recent findings demonstrate that connexins play an important role in the microenvironment of malignant glioma and that Cx43 is capable of conferring chemotherapeutic resistance to GBM cells.

A Simple Bioluminescence Imaging Method for Studying Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis after Subcutaneous Injection of Lewis Lung Carcinoma Cells in Syngeneic C57BL/6 Mice.

In vivo imaging of cancer cell growth and invasion is instrumental in studying cancer cell behavior and in developing effective anticancer agents. In this ROS Protocols article, we report the experimental protocol and steps involving the implantation of luciferase-expressing Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells in normal syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Using the Berthold NightOwl LB981 in vivo imaging system, we observe the time-dependent growth and invasion of the lung cancer cells following subcutaneous injection of luciferase-expressing LLC cells.

In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Nuclear Factor kappaB Activation: A Valuable Model for Studying Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress in Live Mice.

The nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that plays a critical role in inflammation among other biological functions. This ROS Protocol article describes an in vivo bioluminescence imaging assay for assessing NF-κB activation using the commercially available transgenic mice carrying NF-κB response element-luciferase reporter gene (NF-κB-RE-Luc). Using the highly sensitive Berthold NightOwl LB981 in vivo bioluminescence imaging system, we are able to visualize the NF-κB activation in live mice under basal conditions, suggesting constitutive activation of NF-κB as a part of its fundamental biology.

Head Impact Exposure in Practices Correlates With Exposure in Games for Youth Football Players.

This study aimed to compare head impact exposures between practices and games in football players ages 9 to 14 years, who account for approximately 70% of all football players in the United States. Over a period of 2 seasons, 136 players were enrolled from 3 youth programs, and 49,847 head impacts were recorded from 345 practices and 137 games. During the study, individual players sustained a median of 211 impacts per season, with a maximum of 1226 impacts.

Label-free analysis of physiological hyaluronan size distribution with a solid-state nanopore sensor.

Hyaluronan (or hyaluronic acid, HA) is a ubiquitous molecule that plays critical roles in numerous physiological functions in vivo, including tissue hydration, inflammation, and joint lubrication. Both the abundance and size distribution of HA in biological fluids are recognized as robust indicators of various pathologies and disease progressions. However, such analyses remain challenging because conventional methods are not sufficiently sensitive, have limited dynamic range, and/or are only semi-quantitative.