The impact of different peripheral suture techniques on the biomechanical stability in flexor tendon repair.

Purpose: Flexor tendon repair consists of circumferential peripheral sutures in combination with core sutures to avoid fraying and reduces the exposure of suture material on tendon surface. The peripheral suture adds up to a tenfold increase of the biomechanical stability compared to the core suture alone. The purpose of our study was to determine the most favourable peripheral repair technique for tendon repair.

Oxidative stress-triggered interactions between the succinyl- and acetyl-proteomes of rice leaves.

Protein lysine acylations, such as succinylation and acetylation, are important post-translational modification (PTM) mechanisms, with key roles in cellular regulation. Antibody-based affinity enrichment, high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry analysis, and integrated bioinformatics analysis were used to characterize the lysine succinylome (K ) and acetylome (K ) of rice leaves. In total, 2,593 succinylated and 1,024 acetylated proteins were identified, of which 723 were simultaneously acetylated and succinylated.

A Comparison of Wolbachia Infection Frequencies in Varroa With Prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus.

Wolbachia are widely distributed bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and filarial nematodes. These bacteria can affect host fitness in a variety of ways, such as protecting hosts against viruses and other pathogens. Here, we investigate the possible role of Wolbachia in the prevalence of the deformed wing virus (DWV), a highly virulent pathogen of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that is transmitted by parasitic Varroa mites (Varroa destructor).

PARTICLE triplexes cluster in the tumor suppressor WWOX and may extend throughout the human genome.

The long non-coding RNA PARTICLE (Gene PARTICL- 'Promoter of MAT2A-Antisense RadiaTion Induced Circulating LncRNA) partakes in triple helix (triplex) formation, is transiently elevated following low dose irradiation and regulates transcription of its neighbouring gene - Methionine adenosyltransferase 2A. It now emerges that PARTICLE triplex sites are predicted in many different genes across all human chromosomes. In silico analysis identified additional regions for PARTICLE triplexes at >1600 genomic locations.

Long non-coding RNA PARTICLE bridges histone and DNA methylation.

PARTICLE (Gene PARTICL- 'Promoter of MAT2A-Antisense RadiaTion Induced Circulating LncRNA) expression is transiently elevated following low dose irradiation typically encountered in the workplace and from natural sources. This long non-coding RNA recruits epigenetic silencers for cis-acting repression of its neighbouring Methionine adenosyltransferase 2A gene. It now emerges that PARTICLE operates as a trans-acting mediator of DNA and histone lysine methylation.

The MEK-inhibitor CI-1040 displays a broad anti-influenza virus activity in vitro and provides a prolonged treatment window compared to standard of care in vivo.

Influenza viruses (IV) continue to pose an imminent threat to human welfare. Yearly re-occurring seasonal epidemic outbreaks and pandemics with high mortality can occur. Besides vaccination against a limited number of viral strains only a few antiviral drugs are available, which are losing their effectiveness as more and more IV strains become resistant.

Directional spread of activity in synaptic networks of the human lateral amygdala.

Spontaneous epileptiform activity has previously been observed in lateral amygdala (LA) slices derived from patients with intractable-temporal lobe epilepsy. The present study aimed to characterize intranuclear LA synaptic connectivity and to test the hypothesis that differences in the spread of flow of neuronal activity may relate to spontaneous epileptiform activity occurrence. Electrical activity was evoked through electrical microstimulation in acute human brain slices containing the LA, signals were recorded as local field potentials combined with fast optical imaging of voltage-sensitive dye fluorescence.

Giant Left Atrial Myxoma: Cause for Position-Dependent Nocturnal Dyspnea and Cardiac Murmur.

Primary tumors of the heart are rare. The majority of them are benign, the left atrial myxoma being the most frequent one. Clinical appearance varies from unapparent to life-threatening complications such as stroke, acute heart failure, or even sudden death.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate IL-6 over-production during concomitant influenza virus and Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Bacterial super-infections are a major complication of influenza virus (IV) infections and often lead to severe pneumonia. One hallmark of IV-associated Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection is rapid progression to a serious disease outcome.

Redo Operation of Recurrent Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm: Optimizing Surgical Strategy.

 Giant coronary artery aneurysms (GCAA) are extremely rare, but they can cause life-threatening complications. Indications for surgical intervention are the occurrence of complications such as fistulas, compression, embolization, or rapid enlargement. The optimal therapeutic approach is still under debate.

Minimally Invasive Implantation of HeartWare Assist Device and Simultaneous Tricuspid Valve Reconstruction Through Partial Upper Sternotomy.

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a well-established therapy to support patients with end-stage heart failure. However, the operative procedure is associated with severe trauma. Third generation LVADs like the HeartWare assist device (HeartWare, Inc.

Early outcomes in re-do operation after acute type A aortic dissection: results from the multicenter REAAD database.

This study provides early results of re-operations after the prior surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) and identifies risk factors for mortality. Between May 2003 and January 2014, 117 aortic re-operations after an initial operation for AAD (a mean time from the first procedure was 3.98 years, with a range of 0.

Acute transfusion-related abdominal injury in trauma patients: a case report.

Background: Secondary abdominal compartment syndrome is well known as a life-threatening complication in critically ill patients in an intensive care unit. Massive crystalloid fluid resuscitation has been identified as the most important risk factor. The time interval from hospital admittance to the development of manifest abdominal compartment syndrome is usually greater than 24 hours.

Influenza A viruses suppress cyclooxygenase-2 expression by affecting its mRNA stability.

Infection with influenza A viruses (IAV) provokes activation of cellular defence mechanisms contributing to the innate immune and inflammatory response. In this process the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays an important role in the induction of prostaglandin-dependent inflammation. While it has been reported that COX-2 is induced upon IAV infection, in the present study we observed a down-regulation at later stages of infection suggesting a tight regulation of COX-2 by IAV.

Digital Carotid Compression: A Simple Method to Reduce Solid Cerebral Emboli During Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives: Serious neurologic injury can be attributed to embolization of solid particles into cerebral vessels during cardiac surgery. Previous studies using transcranial Doppler (TCD) identified arterial cannulation and aortic declamping to be associated with cerebral embolization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of transient compression of the carotid arteries during these maneuvers on the embolic load during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Phosphorylation of influenza A virus NS1 protein at threonine 49 suppresses its interferon antagonistic activity.

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation acts as a fundamental molecular switch that alters protein function and thereby regulates many cellular processes. The non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza A virus is an important factor regulating virulence by counteracting cellular immune responses against viral infection. NS1 was shown to be phosphorylated at several sites; however, so far, no function has been conclusively assigned to these post-translational events yet.

Axillary artery cannulation provides balanced cerebral oxygenation.

Deterioration of cerebral performance remains a major problem after cardiac surgery. Axillary artery cannulation can improve clinical outcome, but some experimental series show a malperfusion of the right hemisphere. The aim of our clinical study was to analyze the intraoperative investigation of cerebral oxygenation in two different arterial cannulation sites by use of near-infrared spectroscopic oximetry (NIRO).

Implantation of left ventricular assist devices under extracorporeal life support in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but life-threatening side effect of heparin therapy. It is a demanding therapeutic challenge in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. We present our experience with LVAD implantation under extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in patients suffering from HIT.

Physiology-based pharmacokinetics of caspofungin for adults and paediatrics.

Purpose: Caspofungin (CAS) is an antifungal agent for intravenous application in adults and children. Our aim was the development and validation of a physiology-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model in order to predict the pharmacokinetics in different patient populations, particularly in paediatrics.

Methods: A PBPK model for adults was built and validated with raw data of the two clinical trials CASLAMB and CASMTD.

Nitrogen regulation of fungal secondary metabolism in fungi.

Fungi occupy diverse environments where they are constantly challenged by stressors such as extreme pH, temperature, UV exposure, and nutrient deprivation. Nitrogen is an essential requirement for growth, and the ability to metabolize a wide variety of nitrogen sources enables fungi to colonize different environmental niches and survive nutrient limitations. Favored nitrogen sources, particularly ammonium and glutamine, are used preferentially, while the expression of genes required for the use of various secondary nitrogen sources is subject to a regulatory mechanism called nitrogen metabolite repression.

Super-infection with Staphylococcus aureus inhibits influenza virus-induced type I IFN signalling through impaired STAT1-STAT2 dimerization.

Bacterial super-infections are a major complication in influenza virus-infected patients. In response to infection with influenza viruses and bacteria, a complex interplay of cellular signalling mechanisms is initiated, regulating the anti-pathogen response but also pathogen-supportive functions. Here, we show that influenza viruses replicate to a higher efficiency in cells co-infected with Staphylococcus aureus (S.

β-catenin promotes the type I IFN synthesis and the IFN-dependent signaling response but is suppressed by influenza A virus-induced RIG-I/NF-κB signaling.

Background: The replication cycle of most pathogens, including influenza viruses, is perfectly adapted to the metabolism and signal transduction pathways of host cells. After infection, influenza viruses activate several cellular signaling cascades that support their propagation but suppress those that interfere with viral replication. Accumulation of viral RNA plays thereby a central role.

Will omics help to cure the flu?

Influenza virus infections are still a major burden to mankind and our antiviral arsenal against these pathogens is limited. The cellular responses to infection might provide novel targets for intervention strategies. Josset et al.

The LIM-only protein FHL2 attenuates lung inflammation during bleomycin-induced fibrosis.

Fibrogenesis is usually initiated when regenerative processes have failed and/or chronic inflammation occurs. It is characterised by the activation of tissue fibroblasts and dysregulated synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins. FHL2 (four-and-a-half LIM domain protein 2) is a scaffolding protein that interacts with numerous cellular proteins, regulating signalling cascades and gene transcription.