Hot Phases Cardiomyopathy: Pathophysiology, Diagnostic Challenges, and Emerging Therapies.

Purpose Of Review: Hot phases are a challenging clinical presentation in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), marked by acute chest pain and elevated cardiac troponins in the absence of obstructive coronary disease. These episodes manifest as myocarditis and primarily affect young patients, contributing to a heightened risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and potential disease progression. This review aims to synthesize recent research on the pathophysiology, diagnostic challenges, and therapeutic management of hot phases in ACM.

Dry synthesis of bi-layer nanoporous metal films as plasmonic metamaterial.

Nanoporous metals are a class of nanostructured materials finding extensive applications in multiple fields thanks to their unique properties attributed to their high surface area and interconnected nanoscale ligaments. They can be prepared following different strategies, but the deposition of an arbitrary pure porous metal is still challenging. Recently, a dry synthesis of nanoporous films based on the plasma treatment of metal thin layers deposited by physical vapour deposition has been demonstrated, as a general route to form pure nanoporous films from a large set of metals.

Absence of long-term incremental prognostic value of inducible wall motion abnormalities on dipyridamole stress CMR in patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease.

Objectives: This single-center retrospective study evaluated the long-term (~5 years) prognostic value of dipyridamole stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), assessing the impact of both key phases of the ischemic cascade (perfusion and wall motion).

Material And Methods: We considered 322 consecutive patients who underwent dipyridamole stress CMR. Abnormal wall motion at rest and after dipyridamole, perfusion at stress and at rest, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were analyzed.

Biological metasurfaces based on tailored Luria Bertani Agar growth medium formulations for photonic applications.

Biodegradable alternatives to classic solid-state components are rapidly taking place in front-end photonic systems like metamaterials, meta-surfaces and photonic crystals. From this point of view, numerous solutions have been proposed involving eco-friendly compounds. Among them, the Luria Bertani agar (LBA) growth medium has been recently proposed as a functional option with the remarkable advantage of allowing the growth of fluorescent protein expressing bacteria.

Arrhythmic risk stratification in patients with left ventricular ring-like scar.

Aims: Left ventricular (LV) ring-like scar on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been linked to malignant arrhythmias in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. This study aimed to perform a comprehensive evaluation of this phenotype and to identify risk factors for life-threatening arrhythmic events (LAEs), a composite of sudden cardiac death (SCD), aborted SCD, and sustained ventricular tachycardia.

Methods And Results: One-hundred-fifteen patients (median age 39 [IQR 28-52], 42% females) were identified at 6 referral centres.

In-hospital evolution of secondary mitral regurgitation in acutely decompensated heart failure.

Aims: Secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) negatively affects prognosis in acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF), but can be rapidly sensitive to changes in volume status and medical interventions. We sought to assess the evolution of secondary MR in patients hospitalized for ADHF and its prognostic implications.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 782 patients admitted for ADHF with at least two in-hospital echocardiographic evaluations of MR.

Critical analysis of anatomy and classification of retromolar canal: an observational CBCT study.

Background: The retromolar canal (RMC) is an anatomical structure of the mandibular bone located distal to the last molar. The frequency of anatomical variation in human anatomy is approximately 30-35%. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of the retromolar canal in a population subjected to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Nutraceuticals in Pregnancy: A Special Focus on Probiotics.

The placenta is crucial to fetal development and performs vital functions such as nutrient exchange, waste removal and hormone regulation. Abnormal placental development can lead to conditions such as fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth, affecting both immediate and long-term fetal health. Placental development is a highly complex process involving interactions between maternal and fetal components, imprinted genes, signaling pathways, mitochondria, fetal sexomes and environmental factors such as diet, supplementation and exercise.

Dysfunctional mitochondria elicit bioenergetic decline in the aged heart.

Aging represents a complex biological progression affecting the entire body, marked by a gradual decline in tissue function, rendering organs more susceptible to stress and diseases. The human heart holds significant importance in this context, as its aging process poses life-threatening risks. It entails macroscopic morphological shifts and biochemical changes that collectively contribute to diminished cardiac function.

Abnormal conduction-induced cardiomyopathy: a poorly explored entity.

A dyssynchronous biventricular activation, which can be determined by left bundle branch block, chronic right ventricular pacing, frequent premature ventricular complexes, or pre-excitation, can cause a global abnormal contractility, thus leading to systolic dysfunction and left ventricular remodelling in a unique nosological entities: abnormal conduction-induced cardiomyopathies. In this clinical scenario, the mainstay therapy is eliminating or improving LV dyssynchrony, removing the trigger. This usually ensures the improvement and even recovery of cardiac geometry and left ventricular function, especially in the absence of genetic background.

Raman Scattering Enhancement through Pseudo-Cavity Modes.

Raman spectroscopy plays a pivotal role in spectroscopic investigations. The small Raman scattering cross-section of numerous analytes, however, requires enhancement of the signal through specific structuring of the electromagnetic and morphological properties of the underlying surface. This enhancement technique is known as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

GATA3 and TGF-β in normal placenta and pre-eclampsia.

GATA3 plays critical roles in the development and function of various tissues and organs throughout the body. Likewise, TGF-β signaling is critical for placental development and can interact with GATA3. We aimed to investigate the involvement of the multifunctional cytokine and transcription factor in trophoblast development.

Hepatic T1-time, cardiac structure and function and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aim: Liver damage frequently occurs in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The associations of liver damage with cardiac structure/function measures and the risk of adverse CV events in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are poorly known.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with DCM undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Procedure in Renal Diseases: A Case Report.

Standard ultrasound (US) finds wide use in renal diseases as a screening procedure, but it is not always able to characterize lesions, especially in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lesions. In contrast, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is appropriate in differentiating between solid and cystic lesions as well as between tumors and pseudotumors. We show the case of a nephropathic patient who showed a complex, large, growing renal mass, characterized through a CEUS.

The additive prognostic value of end-systolic pressure-volume relation by stress CMR in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.

Purpose: The difference between rest and peak stress end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ΔESPVR) is an afterload-independent index of left ventricular (LV) contractility. We assessed the independent prognostic value of ΔESPVR index by dipyridamole stress-cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with known/suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We considered 196 consecutive patients (62.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Feature-Tracking Identifies Preclinical Abnormalities in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Sarcomere Gene Mutation Carriers.

Background: Assessing myocardial strain by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (FT) has been found to be useful in patients with overt hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Little is known, however, of its role in sarcomere gene mutation carriers without overt left ventricular hypertrophy (subclinical HCM).

Methods: Thirty-eight subclinical HCM subjects and 42 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this multicenter case-control study.

Role of arrhythmic phenotype in prognostic stratification and management of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with arrhythmic phenotype combines phenotypical aspects of DCM and predisposition to ventricular arrhythmias, typical of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. The definition of DCM with arrhythmic phenotype is not universally accepted, leading to uncertainty in the identification of high-risk patients. This study aimed to assess the prognostic impact of arrhythmic phenotype in risk stratification and the correlation of arrhythmic markers with high-risk arrhythmogenic gene variants in DCM patients.

Antibiotic Therapy for Active Crohn's Disease Targeting Pathogens: An Overview and Update.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a multifactorial chronic disorder that involves a combination of factors, including genetics, immune response, and gut microbiota. Therapy includes salicylates, immunosuppressive agents, corticosteroids, and biologic drugs. International guidelines do not recommend the use of antibiotics for CD patients, except in the case of septic complications.

Bioprosthetic pulmonary valve dysfunction in a primary cardiac sarcoma survivor: Clinical considerations and treatment options.

The case highlights the good survival after radical surgery and chemotherapy of a cardiac sarcoma, and the need for close follow-up due to possible early postsurgical complications.