Rationale and Design of the HERZCHECK trial: Detection of Early Heart Failure Using Telemedicine and CMR in Structurally Weak Regions (NCT05122793).

Background And Aims: Heart failure (HF) is an imminent global health problem. Yet established screening algorithms for asymptomatic pre-HF, allowing for early and effective preventive interventions, are largely lacking. The HERZCHECK trial, conducted in structurally underserved rural regions of North-Eastern Germany, aims to close this gap by evaluating the feasibility, diagnostic efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of a fully mobile, telemedically-supervised screening approach, combining cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and laboratory testing as central elements.

Static Versus Expandable Cages in Minimally Invasive Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Study Design: A meta-analysis approach to a systematic review.

Objective: Perform a systematic review to identify all reports directly comparing outcomes of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) using static versus expandable interbody cages. Specifically focusing on periprocedural complications, intraoperative morbidity, and fusion outcomes.

Acromioclavicular joint biomechanics: a systematic review.

Background: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the available literature on the biomechanical characteristics of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint to identify trends in translational parameters and contributions of the various ligamentous structures supporting the joint.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases until October 2023 to identify articles reporting on the biomechanical characteristics of the AC joint. Non cadaveric or projects involving reconstruction were excluded.

Gaze behavior in open-angle glaucoma patients during visuo-cognitive-motor tasks: a cross-sectional study.

This study investigated gaze behavior during visuo-cognitive-motor tasks with a change of movement direction in glaucoma patients and healthy controls. Nineteen glaucoma patients (10 females, 9 males) and 30 healthy sighted controls (17 females, 13 males) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants performed two visuo-cognitive-motor tasks with a change of movement direction: (i) the "Speed-Court-Test" that involved stepping on different sensors in response to a visual sign displayed on either a large or small screen (165″ and 55″, respectively); (ii) the "Trail-Walking-Test" that required walking to 15 cones labeled with numbers (1-8) or letters (A-G) in an alternately ascending order.

Quantification of myocardial extracellular volume without blood sampling.

Aims: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) 1 relaxation time mapping is an established technique primarily used to identify diffuse interstitial fibrosis and oedema. The myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) can be calculated from pre- and post-contrast 1 relaxation times and is a reproducible parametric index of the proportion of volume occupied by non-cardiomyocyte components in myocardial tissue. The conventional calculation of the ECV requires blood sampling to measure the haematocrit (HCT).

Virtual cardiovascular magnetic resonance training proves feasible and effective: survey data from international participants of the CMR Academy Berlin, Germany.

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the success of the cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging Academy Berlin's transition from in-person to online CMR imaging training during the global pandemic 2020 and to gather recommendations for future courses.

Methods And Results: We conducted an online survey targeting CMR course participants from both the pre-pandemic, in-person era and the pandemic, online era of the CMR Academy Berlin. The survey primarily used Likert-type questions to assess participants' experiences and preferences.

Adoptive transfer of personalized neoantigen-reactive TCR-transduced T cells in metastatic colorectal cancer: phase 2 trial interim results.

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) with neoantigen-reactive T lymphocytes can mediate cancer regression. Here we isolated unique, personalized, neoantigen-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancers and incorporated the TCR α and β chains into gamma retroviral vectors. We transduced autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes and adoptively transferred these cells into patients after lymphodepleting chemotherapy.

Reduced dynamic changes in pulmonary artery compliance during isometric handgrip exercise in patients with heart failure.

Exercise intolerance is a debilitating symptom in heart failure (HF), adversely affecting both quality of life and long-term prognosis. Emerging evidence suggests that pulmonary artery (PA) compliance may be a contributing factor. This study aims to non-invasively assess PA compliance and its dynamic properties during isometric handgrip (HG) exercise in HF patients and healthy controls, using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR).

Treadmill-walking impairs visual function in early glaucoma and elderly controls.

Aims: Impaired vision is an additional risk factor in elderly for falls. We investigated the hypothesis that treadmill (TM) walking affects visual function in both healthy elderly and those with early-moderate visual dysfunction due to glaucoma.

Methods: Thirty healthy controls (HC) aged 64-83 years and 18 glaucoma patients (GLA) aged 62-82 years participated in this cross-sectional study.

Acellular Human Dermal Allograft Tuberoplasty Improved the Biomechanics in Mid-Range and Higher Abduction Angles in a Cadaveric Model of Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears.

Purpose: To evaluate the biomechanical effects of acellular human dermal allograft tuberoplasty (AHDAT) in a cadaveric model of an irreparable supraspinatus + anterior one-half infraspinatus (stage III) rotator cuff tear.

Methods: Eight cadaveric shoulders were tested at 20°, 40°, and 60° of glenohumeral abduction (AB) and 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of external rotation (ER). Superior humeral translation, acromiohumeral distance, and subacromial contact were quantified for 4 conditions: (1) intact, (2) stage III tear (entire supraspinatus and anterior one-half infraspinatus), (3) single-layer AHDAT, and (4) double-layer AHDAT.

Increased Levels of VCAM-1 in Patients with High Cardiovascular Risk and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

(1) Background: Although obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity, the link between OSA and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not completely elucidated. Thus, we aim to assess cardiovascular risk (CVR) using SCORE 2 and SCORE 2 for older persons (SCORE 2OP), and to evaluate the association between the endothelial biomarkers VCAM-1, ICAM-1, epicardial fat, and sleep study parameters in order to improve current clinical practices and better understand the short-and long-term CVRs in OSA patients. (2) Methods: 80 OSA patients and 37 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study.

Contemporary Trends in the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Match and the Effects of COVID-19.

Objective: We aimed to elucidate associations between geographic location, size, and ranking of medical schools that orthopaedic surgery residents graduate from and the residencies that they match both pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 pandemic by examining the 2017 to 2022 orthopaedic surgery residency cohorts.

Methods: Demographics were extracted using Doximity Residency Navigator platform, the 2021 US News and World Report, and program websites. Medical schools were classified as large if they had >613 medical students.

Single- and Dual-Task Gait Performance in Patients With Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Cross-sectional Study.

Purpose: To investigate gait kinematics during single- and dual-task walking in glaucoma patients compared with healthy controls.

Methods: Nineteen glaucoma patients (10 females, 9 males) and 30 healthy controls (17 females, 13 males) participated in this cross-sectional study. Spatiotemporal gait parameters (e.

Novel 3D versus traditional transesophageal echocardiography techniques: Defining differences in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis.

Background: Despite the availability of current antibiotic and surgical treatment options, infective endocarditis (IE) remains associated with a high mortality rate. Even though two-dimensional (2D) transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is a major criteria in the diagnosis of IE, it is constrained by the single-plane orientation. Since three-dimensional (3D) TOE provides a comprehensive understanding of the cardiac architecture by allowing for a realistic visualization of the underlying structures in 3D space, it has attracted considerable interest in recent years.

Sympathetic innervation of the supraclavicular brown adipose tissue: A detailed anatomical study.

Background: The supraclavicular fossa is the dominant location for human brown adipose tissue (BAT). Activation of BAT promotes non-shivering thermogenesis by utilization of glucose and free fatty acids and has been the focus of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for modulation in order to improve body weight and glucose homeostasis. Sympathetic neural control of supraclavicular BAT has received much attention, but its innervation has not been extensively investigated in humans.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody changes over time in a general population cohort in rural Uganda, 1992-2008.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is ubiquitous and in sub-Saharan Africa, occurs early in life. In a population-based rural African cohort, we leveraged historical samples from the General Population Cohort (GPC) in Uganda to examine the epidemiology of infection with EBV over time, in the era of HIV.

Methods: We used 9024 serum samples collected from the GPC in 1992, 2000, 2008, from 7576 participants across the age range (0-99 years of age) and tested for anti-EBV immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to EAd, VCA, and EBNA-1 using a multiplex bead-based assay.

Outcomes in orthotopic heart transplantation following pacemaker implantation.

Background: Bradyarrhythmias including sinus node dysfunction (SND) and atrioventricular block (AVB) can necessitate pacemaker (PPM) implantation in orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) recipients. Prior studies have shown conflicting findings regarding the effect of PPM implantation on survival. We evaluated the effect of PPM indication on long-term re-transplant-free survival in OHT patients.

History biases reveal novel dissociations between perceptual and metacognitive decision-making.

Human decision-making and self-reflection often depend on context and internal biases. For instance, decisions are often influenced by preceding choices, regardless of their relevance. It remains unclear how choice history influences different levels of the decision-making hierarchy.

Primary Spinal Infections in Patients With Hematologic Immunocompromising Conditions: A Systematic Literature Review.

Purpose: Primary spinal infections (PSIs) are a group of infectious diseases characterized by inflammation of the end plate-disk unit or its surroundings. PSI is considered more prevalent and aggressive among patients with chronic immunocompromised states. Association of PSIs, immunocompromising cancers, and hemoglobinopathies has not been systematically analyzed.

Rethinking global digital health and AI-for-health innovation challenges.

Digital health technologies can help tackle challenges in global public health. Digital and AI-for-Health Challenges, controlled events whose goal is to generate solutions to a given problem in a defined period of time, are one way of catalysing innovation. This article proposes an expanded investment framework for Global Health AI and digitalhealth Innovation that goes beyond traditional factors such as return on investment.

Reduced functional capacity is associated with the proportion of impaired myocardial deformation assessed in heart failure patients by CMR.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) does not only reduce the life expectancy in patients, but their life is also often limited by HF symptoms leading to a reduced quality of life (QoL) and a diminished exercise capacity. Novel parameters in cardiac imaging, including both global and regional myocardial strain imaging, promise to contribute to better patient characterization and ultimately to better patient management. However, many of these methods are not part of clinical routine yet, their associations with clinical parameters have been poorly studied.

Lights out? COVID-19 containment policies and economic activity.

This paper estimates how strongly COVID-19 containment policies have impacted aggregate economic activity. We use a difference-in-differences methodology to estimate how containment zones of different severity across India impacted district-level nighttime light intensity, as well as household income and consumption. From May to July 2020, nighttime light intensity was 9.