Current Advances and Future Directions of Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Engineered Heart Tissue for Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases resulting from myocardial infarction (MI) remain a leading cause of death worldwide, imposing a substantial burden on global health systems. Current MI treatments, primarily pharmacological and surgical, do not regenerate lost myocardium, leaving patients at high risk for heart failure. Engineered heart tissue (EHT) offers a promising solution for MI and related cardiac conditions by replenishing myocardial loss.

Agreement and repeatability of an infrared thermometer.

Recently, manufacturers have devised thermometers for home use by patients, such as the TempTouch Infrared Thermometer (TTIR; Diabetica Solutions, San Antonio, TX), which is designed with a long handle that can be used for self-monitoring localized skin temperature of the feet and legs. This study assessed the level of agreement and repeatability of the TTIR compared to a thermistor-type thermometer (TT; PeriFlux, 5020 Temperature Unit, Perimed, Stockholm, Sweden), the reference standard. In 17 healthy subjects, localized skin temperature was measured 8 cm above the right medial malleolus at baseline (Time 1), after a 10-minute rest period (Time 2), and after 10 minutes of cold provocation (Time 3) with a cryotherapy gel wrap placed around the lower legs using the TTIR and TT for temperature measurement.

A risk quantification instrument for acute acetaminophen overdose patients treated with N-acetylcysteine.

Study Objective: The risk of hepatotoxicity after acute acetaminophen overdose varies with timed serum acetaminophen concentration and delay to treatment. The ability to accurately predict hepatotoxicity is needed to reduce confusion about the optimal treatment regimen for individual patients and the effects of risk modifiers such as ethanol. We quantitatively estimate the risk of hepatotoxicity based on the degree and duration of pretreatment exposure to supratherapeutic concentrations of acetaminophen.

A new predictor of toxicity following acetaminophen overdose based on pretreatment exposure.

Introduction: Despite extensive clinical experience, no dose-response curve exists for acetaminophen toxicity in man. The absence of accurate toxicodynamics has hampered efforts to optimize patient therapy and to identify risk modifiers following overdose. We set out to parameterize both the degree and duration of pretreatment exposure into a single, continuous measure of exposure, which will serve as the x-axis of an eventual dose-response curve.