Conduction time from the region of the sinus node to the region of the atrioventricular (A-V) node was studied during open heart surgery in 13 patients with an endocardial cushion type atrial septal defect, eight patients with a secundum type atrial septal defect, one patient with a sinus venosus type atrial septal defect, and eight patients with an intact atrial septum. Internodal conduction t...

Distal outgrowth and maturation of mesenchymalized endocardial cushions are critical morphogenetic events during post-EMT atrioventricular (AV) valvuloseptal morphogenesis. We explored the role of BMP-2 in the regulation of valvulogenic extracellular matrix (ECM) components, versican and hyaluronan (HA), and cell migration during post-EMT AV cushion distal outgrowth/expansion. We observed inten...

BACKGROUND The exact mechanisms of action responsible for the effectiveness of silicone gel dressings are unknown, although it has been proposed that static electricity generated by friction could be the reason for their anti-scarring effects. OBJECTIVE We compared the efficacy of a cushion of silicone filled with liquid silicone gel reported to induce greater negative static-electric charge ...

Arenaria polytrichoides (Caryophyllaceae) is a common cushion plant occurring at high elevations in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, SW China. It frequently has other non-cushion species growing within its canopy, forming a contrast with the surrounding areas because it creates patches of higher diversity and greater biomass. In this study, we examined the relationship between the cushions and ...

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play many roles in mammalian cardiac development. Here we address the functions of Noggin, a dedicated BMP antagonist, in the developing mouse heart. In early cardiac tissues, the Noggin gene is mainly expressed in the myocardial cells of the outflow tract, atrioventricular canal, and future right ventricle. The major heart phenotypes of Noggin mutant embryos ...