Measurement of Intracellular Ca in Muscle Isolated from Rat and Human Hearts.

Contraction and relaxation within the heart is controlled by the coordinated rise and fall of Ca levels within the cytosol of cardiomyocytes. This requires Ca to be moved between subcellular and extracellular compartments with each cardiac cycle, since Ca is not destroyed or broken down by the excitation-contraction and relaxation cycles. Many cardiac pathologies alter Ca homeostasis and can lead to impaired contraction, incomplete relaxation, and arrhythmias.

Projecting the Population Level Burden of CKD Progression According to Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio Categories.

Introduction: Urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) is an independent predictor of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. However there is limited evidence on the burden of CKD according to uACR categories at the population level. This study estimates future clinical and financial burden of CKD according to uACR categories using the Inside CKD microsimulation.

Bartonella quintana Endocarditis Associated With Head Lice in a Canadian Indigenous Youth.

Bartonella quintana is a rare but important cause of culture-negative endocarditis, classically associated with body lice infestation. We report the first known pediatric case of Bartonella quintana endocarditis associated with head lice. The importance of sending targeted testing for this organism in at-risk patients, ideally on tissue specimens, is emphasized.

Decreasing Endomyocardial Biopsy Frequency in Pediatric Heart Transplantation Using A Rejection Risk Prediction Score-A Single Center Study.

Background: Rejection remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality after pediatric heart transplantation (HT). Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is the gold standard for rejection diagnosis, but it comes with procedural risk. The frequency of EMB varies significantly across centers.