Battery life of cardiac implantable electronic devices explanted in funeral homes: a potential resource for underserved nations.

Introduction: Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) could still have adequate battery life and functionality when they are explanted after the death of the carrier, supposing an important resource for low- and middle- income countries where patients cannot afford new devices.

Objective: The aim was to analyze the remaining battery life and reusability of CIEDs recovered from funeral homes.

Method: A descriptive study of postmortem explanted CIEDs was conducted.

Female Infertility Is Associated with an Altered Expression Profile of Different Members of the Tachykinin Family in Human Granulosa Cells.

Neurokinin B (NKB) and its cognate receptor, NK3R, play a key role in the regulation of reproduction. NKB belongs to the family of tachykinins, which also includes substance P and neurokinin A, both encoded by the by the gene TAC1, and hemokinin-1, encoded by the TAC4 gene. In addition to NK3R, tachykinin effects are mediated by NK1R and NK2R, encoded by the genes TACR1 and TACR2, respectively.

Female infertility is associated with an altered expression of the neurokinin B/neurokinin B receptor and kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptor systems in ovarian granulosa and cumulus cells.

Objective: To analyze and compare the expression profile of TAC3, TACR3, KISS1, and KISS1R in mural granulosa and cumulus cells from healthy oocyte donors and patients with different infertility etiologies, including advanced maternal age, endometriosis, and low ovarian response.

Design: Genetic association study.

Setting: Private fertility clinic and public research laboratory.

Altered expression of the kisspeptin/KISS1R and neurokinin B/NK3R systems in mural granulosa and cumulus cells of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Purpose: The neurokinin B (NKB)/NK receptor (NK3R) and kisspeptin (KISS1)/kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R), two systems essential for reproduction, are present in human granulosa cells (GCs) of healthy women and contribute to the control of fertility, at least partially, by acting on the gonads. However, little is known about the expression of these systems in GCs of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of NKB/NK3R and KISS1/KISS1R in mural granulosa (MGCs) and cumulus cells (CCs) of PCOS women.

Associations of Anthropometric Characteristics, Dietary Habits, and Aerobic Capacity With Cardiovascular Risk Factors of Health-Science Students.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to study the relative importance of dietary habits and aerobic capacity in parameters related to cardiovascular risk in 271 female and 95 male health-science students (mean age = 19.1 ± 1.4 years).

Plasma peptidases as prognostic biomarkers in patients with first-episode psychosis.

The plasma activity of nine aminopeptidases was monitored over a year in first-episode psychotic patients. We observed significant differences in aminopeptidase B (APB), aminopeptidase N (APN) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV), but not in puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA), prolyl endopeptidase (PEP), cysteine aminopeptidase (Cys-AP), aspartate aminopeptidase (Asp-AP), glutamate aminopeptidase (Glu) or piroglutamate aminopeptidase (PGI) in these patients compared to controls, and also a progressive increase in plasma activity, correlated to changes in scores on clinical scales, Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), at 1 month of follow-up. At 1 month after diagnosis, the median score obtained by patients on the GAF was negatively associated with the plasma activity of APB and PEP measured at the beginning of the psychotic episode, indicating a role as a negative prognostic factor that can predict psychiatric symptomatology.