Advanced training model for beating heart coronary artery surgery: the Zurich heart-trainer

Objective: Coronary artery surgery with beating heart technique is gaining increasing popularity. However, it is a challenging technique even for well-trained cardiac surgeons. Thus, a training model for beating heart surgery was developed to increase safety and accuracy of this procedure. Methods: The model consists of differentially hardened polyurethane resembling mechanical properties of the human heart. The covering used in this model is a 1:1 replica of the human thoracic wall with optionally embedded skeletal structures. Sternotomy, lateral thoracotomy or trocar placement is possible to access the lungs, the pericardium and the heart with adjacent vessels. Disposable artificial coronaries variable in size, wall quality or wall thickness are embedded in the synthetic myocardium. Two-layer vessels, which can simulate dissection, are available. Bypass conduits utilize the same material. Coronaries/bypasses as well as part of the ascending aorta are water-tight and can be rinsed with saline. Lungs can be inflated. A purpose-built pump induces heart movement with adjustable or randomized stroke volume, heart rate and arrhythmia induction. Results: The model was tested in a recent ‘Wet-Lab' course attended by 30 surgeons. All conventional instruments and stabilizers with standard techniques can be used. Training with beating or non-beating heart was possible. Time needed for an anastomosis was similar to clinical experience. Each artificial tissue showed its individual nature-like qualities. Various degrees of difficulty can be selected, according to stroke volume, heart rate, arrhythmia, vessel size and vessel quality. The model can be quickly and easily set up and is fully reusable. Conclusions: The similarity to human tissue and the easy set-up make this completely artificial model an ideal teaching tool to increase the confidence of cardiac surgeons dealing with beating heart and minimally invasive surger

Perforin enhances the granulysin-induced lysis of Listeria innocua in human dendritic cells

Background: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer (NK) cells play an essential role in the host defence against intracellular pathogens such as Listeria, and Mycobacteria. The key mediator of bacteria-directed cytotoxicity is granulysin, a 9 kDa protein stored in cytolytic granules together with perforin and granzymes. Granulysin binds to cell membranes and is subsequently taken up via a lipid raft-associated mechanism. In dendritic cells (DC) granulysin is further transferred via early endosomes to L. innocua-containing phagosomes were bacteriolysis is induced. In the present study we analysed the role of perforin in granulysin-induced intracellular bacteriolysis in DC. Results: We found granulysin-induced lysis of intracellular Listeria significantly increased when perforin was simultaneously present. In pulse-chase experiments enhanced bacteriolysis was observed when perforin was added up to 25 minutes after loading the cells with granulysin demonstrating no ultimate need for simultaneous uptake of granulysin and perforin. The perforin concentration sufficient to enhance granulysin-induced intracellular bacteriolysis did not cause permanent membrane pores in Listeria-challenged DC as shown by dye exclusion test and LDH release. This was in contrast to non challenged DC that were more susceptible to perforin lysis. For Listeria-challenged DC, there was clear evidence for an Ca2+ influx in response to sublytic perforin demonstrating a short-lived change in the plasma membrane permeability. Perforin treatment did not affect granulysin binding, initial uptake or intracellular trafficking to early endosomes. However, enhanced colocalization of granulysin with listerial DNA in presence of perforin was found by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Conclusion: The results provide evidence that perforin increases granulysin-mediated killing of intracellular Listeria by enhanced phagosome-endosome fusion triggered by a transient Ca2+ flux

Total costs and benefits of biomass in selected regions of the European Union

The paper describes results of the BioCosts project in which a comprehensive analysis of the economic and environmental performance of the energy use of biomass was carried out for selected existing facilities throughout the European Union. It is demonstrated that the appropriately organized use of biofuels has significant environmental advantages compared to the use of fossil fuels. Mitigation of global warming is the largest single incentive to use biofuels. However, only a few technologies are economically competitive under prevailing conditions, while others lead to up to 100% higher energy production costs than fossil fuels. Employment effects of using biofuels are small but positive.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V2S-41JM99D-4/1/514a3253589af4590f84544e2966bcb

The DBCLS BioHackathon: standardization and interoperability for bioinformatics web services and workflows. The DBCLS BioHackathon Consortium*

Web services have become a key technology for bioinformatics, since life science databases are globally decentralized and the exponential increase in the amount of available data demands for efficient systems without the need to transfer entire databases for every step of an analysis. However, various incompatibilities among database resources and analysis services make it difficult to connect and integrate these into interoperable workflows. To resolve this situation, we invited domain specialists from web service providers, client software developers, Open Bio* projects, the BioMoby project and researchers of emerging areas where a standard exchange data format is not well established, for an intensive collaboration entitled the BioHackathon 2008. The meeting was hosted by the Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS) and Computational Biology Research Center (CBRC) and was held in Tokyo from February 11th to 15th, 2008. In this report we highlight the work accomplished and the common issues arisen from this event, including the standardization of data exchange formats and services in the emerging fields of glycoinformatics, biological interaction networks, text mining, and phyloinformatics. In addition, common shared object development based on BioSQL, as well as technical challenges in large data management, asynchronous services, and security are discussed. Consequently, we improved interoperability of web services in several fields, however, further cooperation among major database centers and continued collaborative efforts between service providers and software developers are still necessary for an effective advance in bioinformatics web service technologies

IL-32γ inhibits cancer cell growth through inactivation of NF-κB and STAT3 signals

Several studies have shown physiological functions of interleukin (IL)-32, a novel cytokine. However, the role of IL-32 in cancer development has not been reported. In this study, we showed that IL-32γ inhibited tumor growth in IL-32γ-overexpressing transgenic mice inoculated with melanoma as well as colon tumor growth in xenograft nude mice inoculated with IL-32γ-transfected colon cancer cells (SW620). The inhibitory effect of IL-32γ on tumor growth was associated with the inhibition of constitutive activated nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) and of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The expression of antiapoptotic, cell proliferation and tumor-promoting genes (bcl-2, X-chromosome inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP), cellular IAP and cellular FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein, cyclin D), cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cycolooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase was decreased, whereas the expression of apoptotic target genes (caspase-3 and -9, bax) increased. In tumor, spleen and blood, the number of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and CD57+ natural killer cells and the levels of IL-10 increased, but that of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β and IL-6 decreased. We also found that forced overexpression of IL-32γ inhibited colon cancer cell (SW620 and HCT116) growth accompanied with the inhibition of activated NF-κB and STAT3 in vitro. In addition, when IL-32γ was knocked down by small interfering RNA (siRNA) or neutralized with an anti-IL-32γ antibody, IL-32γ-induced colon cancer cell growth inhibition, the IL-32γ-induced decrease of TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 production, and the increase of IL-10 production were abolished. However, siRNA of NF-κB and STAT3 augmented IL-32γ-induced colon cancer cell growth inhibition. These findings indicate significant pathophysiological roles of IL-32γ in cancer development

Energy services

Energy consumers are driven by their demand for energy services (such as space and water heating, cooking, transportation, lighting, entertainment and computing). This piece introduces the reader to the concept of energy services, and explains why it is important to analyze energy markets and climate policies from the perspective of energy services. The paper discusses the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence, particularly related to the rebound effect and the demand in developing economies. The paper concludes that governments should encourage the collection of statistical information about energy services in order to help economists analyse markets and policies through this lens. Most importantly, governments should formulate more integrated policies that focus explicitly on energy services, connecting markets for energy and for energy-using equipment with the development of technologies. Careful and balanced energy service policies are especially important as economies industrialise because they can help reduce economic, political and environmental vulnerability