The ability of hydrogen peroxide (HO) to degrade saxitoxin-, microcystin-, anatoxin-, and non-toxin-producing strains of the harmful cyanobacterium, Dolichospermum.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) has been used to mitigate cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs), yet little is known about how HO affects specific CHAB-forming genera as well as cyanotoxins beyond microcystin. This project examined the dose-dependent effects of HO on six strains of Dolichospermum spp. including those that produce saxitoxin, anatoxin-a, and microcystin.

IL-17A-producing NKp44(-) group 3 innate lymphoid cells accumulate in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis duodenal tissue.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited gastrointestinal syndrome associated with duodenal adenoma formation. Even among carriers of the same genetic variant, duodenal phenotypes vary, indicating that additional factors, such as the local immune system, play a role. We observe an increase in duodenal IL-17A(+)NKp44(-) innate lymphoid type 3 cell (ILC3) in FAP, localized near the epithelium and enriched in adenomas and carcinomas.

Abnormal activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron contributes to fructose-induced salt-sensitive hypertension.

Fructose high-salt (FHS) diets increase blood pressure (BP) in an angiotensin II (Ang II)-dependent manner. Ang II stimulates aldosterone release, which, by acting on the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), regulates Na reabsorption by the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron (ASDN). The MR can be transactivated by glucocorticoids, including those locally produced by 11β-HSD1.

Physical activity interventions for the promotion of mental health outcomes in at-risk children and adolescents: a systematic review.

Many young people are exposed to risk factors that increase their risk of mental illness. Physical activity provision is an increasingly popular approach to protect against mental illness in the face of these risk factors. We examined the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for the promotion of mental health outcomes in at-risk children and adolescents.

American Association for Thoracic Surgery Quality Gateway: A surgeon case study of its application in adult cardiac surgery for quality assurance.

Objective: To demonstrate the application of American Association for Thoracic Surgery Quality Gateway (AQG) outcomes models to a Surgeon Case Study of quality assurance in adult cardiac surgery.

Methods: The case study includes 6989 cardiac and thoracic aorta operations performed in adults at Cleveland Clinic by a single surgeon between 2001 and 2023. AQG models were used to predict expected probabilities for operative mortality and major morbidity and to compare hospital outcomes, surgery type, risk profile, and individual risk factor levels using virtual (digital) twin causal inference.

The life-saving benefit of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19 is linked to a reversal of monocyte dysregulation.

Dexamethasone is a life-saving treatment for severe COVID-19, yet its mechanism of action is unknown, and many patients deteriorate or die despite timely treatment initiation. Here, we identify dexamethasone treatment-induced cellular and molecular changes associated with improved survival in COVID-19 patients. We observed a reversal of transcriptional hallmark signatures in monocytes associated with severe COVID-19 and the induction of a monocyte substate characterized by the expression of glucocorticoid-response genes.

Profiling Cell Heterogeneity and Fructose Transporter Expression in the Rat Nephron by Integrating Single-Cell and Microdissected Tubule Segment Transcriptomes.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is a crucial tool in kidney research. These technologies cluster cells based on transcriptome similarity, irrespective of the anatomical location and order within the nephron. Thus, a transcriptome cluster may obscure the heterogeneity of the cell population within a nephron segment.

Profiling cellular heterogeneity and fructose transporter expression in the rat nephron by integrating single-cell and microdissected tubule segment transcriptomes.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is a crucial tool in kidney research. These technologies cluster cells according to transcriptome similarity, irrespective of the anatomical location and ordering within the nephron. Thus, a cluster transcriptome may obscure heterogeneity of the cell population within a nephron segment.

Age is superior to aortopathy phenotype as a predictor of aortic mechanics in patients with bicuspid valve.

Objectives: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) aortopathy is defined by 3 phenotypes-root, ascending, and diffuse-based on region of maximal aortic dilation. We sought to determine the association between aortic mechanical behavior and aortopathy phenotype versus other clinical variables.

Methods: From August 1, 2016, to March 1, 2023, 375 aortic specimens were collected from 105 patients undergoing elective ascending aortic aneurysm repair for BAV aortopathy.

Multifocal disease progression and subsequent intervention in patients with actin alpha-2 variants: A single-center experience.

Objectives: To describe patient characteristics and indications for surgical intervention, reoperation, and outcomes in patients with actin alpha-2 (ACTA2) variants.

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study with prospective follow-up was performed for 38 patients with an ACTA2 variant.

Results: From 1999 to 2020, 26 (70%) patients underwent surgery; 11 remain under surveillance (mean follow-up, 7.

Identification of protein biomarkers associated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in human amniotic fluid.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a severe birth defect frequently associated with pulmonary hypoplasia, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. Since amniotic fluid comprises proteins of both fetal and maternal origin, its analysis could provide insights on mechanisms underlying CDH and provide biomarkers for early diagnosis, severity of pulmonary changes and treatment response. The study objective was to identify proteomic changes in amniotic fluid consistently associated with CDH.

IL-6-Dependent STAT3 Activation and Induction of Proinflammatory Cytokines in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare cholestatic liver disease with periductal inflammation and fibrosis. Genetic studies suggest inflammatory cytokines and IL-6-dependent activation of transcription factor STAT3 as pivotal steps in PSC pathogenesis. However, details of inflammatory regulation remain unclear.

The modified frozen elephant trunk may outperform limited and extended-classic repair in acute type I dissection.

Objectives: A better surgical approach for acute DeBakey type I dissection has been sought for decades. We compare operative trends, complications, reinterventions and survival after limited versus extended-classic versus modified frozen elephant trunk (mFET) repair for this condition.

Methods: From 1 January 1978 to 1 January 2018, 879 patients underwent surgery for acute DeBakey type I dissection at Cleveland Clinic.

Lengthwise regional mechanics of the human aneurysmal ascending thoracic aorta.

The prognosis of patients undergoing emergency endovascular repair of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) depends on defect location, with root disease bearing worse outcomes than proximal or distal aortopathy. We speculate that a spatial gradient in aneurysmal tissue mechanics through the length of the ascending thoracic aorta may fuel noted survival discrepancies. To this end, we performed planar biaxial testing on 153 root, proximal, and distal segments of ATAA samples collected from 80 patients receiving elective open surgical repair.

High producer variant of lipoprotein lipase may protect from hepatocellular carcinoma in alcohol-associated cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Progression of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is driven by genetic predisposition. The rs13702 variant in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene is linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We aimed at clarifying its role in ALD.

Choosing transcatheter aortic valve replacement in porcelain aorta: outcomes versus surgical replacement.

Objectives: Porcelain aorta complicates aortic valve replacement and is an indication for transcatheter approaches. No study has compared surgical and transcatheter valve replacement in the setting of porcelain aorta. We characterize porcelain aorta patients undergoing aortic valve replacement and the association of aortic calcification and outcomes.

Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies a population of human liver-type ILC1s.

Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) comprise a heterogeneous family of cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells and ILC1s. We identify a population of "liver-type" ILC1s with transcriptional, phenotypic, and functional features distinct from those of conventional and liver-resident NK cells as well as from other previously described human ILC1 subsets. LT-ILC1s are CD49aCD94CD200R1, express the transcription factor T-BET, and do not express the activating receptor NKp80 or the transcription factor EOMES.

Aortic diameter is a poor predictor of aortic tissue failure metrics in patients with ascending aneurysms.

Objectives: There is growing consensus that aortic diameter is a flawed predictor of aortic dissection risk. We hypothesized that aortic tissue metrics would be better predicted by clinical metrics other than aortic diameter. Our objectives were to (1) characterize circumferential aortic failure stress and stretch as a result of aortic size and patient demographics, and (2) identify the influence of bicuspid aortic valve on failure metrics.