Cardiovascular imaging in children with cardiac implantable electronic devices.

The number of children with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is increasing at a time of rapid growth in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) and cardiac computed tomography (CT) utilization. The presence of CIEDs poses challenges with respect to imaging safety and quality. A thoughtful approach to cardiovascular imaging in patients with CIEDs begins with an awareness of the clinical indications to determine the most appropriate imaging modality.

Production of Starch-Based Flexible Food Packaging in Developing Countries: Analysis of the Processes, Challenges, and Requirements.

Biodegradable packaging offers an affordable and sustainable solution to global pollution, particularly in developing countries with limited recycling infrastructure. Starch is well suited to develop biodegradable packages for foods due to its wide availability and simple, low-tech production process. Although the development of starch-based packaging is well documented, most studies focus on the laboratory stages of formulation and plasticization, leaving gaps in understanding key phases such as raw material conditioning, industrial-scale molding, post-production processes, and storage.

Biomechanical modeling combined with pressure-volume loop analysis to aid surgical planning in patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) can be treated with a double switch operation (DSO) to restore the normal anatomical connection of the left ventricle (LV) to the systemic circulation and the right ventricle (RV) to the pulmonary circulation. The subpulmonary LV progressively deconditions over time due to its connection to the low pressure pulmonary circulation and needs to be retrained using a surgical pulmonary artery band (PAB) for 6-12 months prior to the DSO. The subsequent clinical follow-up, consisting of invasive cardiac pressure and non-invasive imaging data, evaluates LV preparedness for the DSO.

Anatomic characteristics of the right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery in patients who do and do not undergo vascular ring repair.

Introduction: It is unclear if certain anatomic characteristics in patients with a right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery (RAA ALSCA) are associated with undergoing surgical repair.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of patients with RAA ALSCA and computed tomography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance from July 2013-September 2023. The size of the proximal ALSCA or diverticulum of Kommerell (DoK), thoracic inlet index, angle of the proximal ALSCA/DoK from the aortic arch, the position of descending aorta, location of the DoK, and tracheal size were compared between patients who did or did not undergo surgery.

Evaluation of perforation-mediated modified atmosphere packaging for the commercialization of bulk purple passion fruit under refrigeration.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is widely used to preserve fresh fruits. In the case of exporting products in bulk formats (2-5 kg), perforated MAP can help extend shelf life if appropriately configured to reach suitable gas levels. This study evaluated the configuration of a perforated MAP system for purple passion (Passiflora edulis Sims) fruits based on modeling and simulation of changes in gas levels within the package headspace and experimental data on the respiration and transpiration of the fruits.

Not From Around Here: Evaluation of In-Person Interviews in an Urban General Surgery Residency Program.

Objective: This study used a program evaluation approach to investigate the perceptions of utilizing in-person applicant interviews for a general surgery residency program.

Design: The study utilized de-identified data routinely collected during the residency program applicant interviews in the General Surgery Residency Program during the fall of 2023. Applicant and faculty/resident exit interview questionnaires were developed to evaluate perceptions of in-person interviewing; the questions were informed by domains for considering the appropriateness and feasibility of continuing in-person interviews as identified by the institution's Graduate Medical Education Committee.

Bisphosphonium Benzene Diimides.

The incorporation of cationic groups onto electron-poor compounds is a viable strategy for achieving potent electron acceptors, as evidenced by reports of air-stable radical forms of large aromatic diimides such as naphthalene and perylene diimides. These ions have also been observed to exhibit anion-π interaction tendencies of interest in molecular recognition applications. The benefits of phosphonium incorporation, however, have not yet been extended to the smallest benzene diimides.

Synthesis and characterization of 1,2,3,4-naphthalene and anthracene diimides.

We report the synthesis and characterization of naphthalene and anthracene scaffolds end-capped by cyclic imides. The solid-state structures of the -phenyl derivatives, determined by X-ray crystallography, reveal changes in packing preference based on the number of aromatic rings in the core. The optical and electronic properties of the title compounds compare favorably with other previously described isomers and expand the toolbox of electron-deficient aromatic compounds available to organic materials chemists.

Antagonistic interactions of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella under simultaneous warming and acidification.

There is a concern that harmful algal bloom (HAB) species may increase under climate change. Yet, we lack understanding of how ecological interactions will be affected under ocean warming and acidification (OWA) conditions. We tested the antagonistic effects of three strains of the dinoflagellate HAB species Alexandrium catenella on three target species (the chlorophyte Tetraselmis sp.

The impact of audiovisual breathing guidance on respiratory-triggered cardiac magnetic resonance cine imaging.

Background: In patients who have difficulty holding their breath, a free breathing (FB) respiratory-triggered (RT) bSSFP cine technique may be used. However, this technique may have inferior image quality and a longer scan time than breath-hold (BH) bSSFP cine acquisitions. This study examined the effect of an audiovisual breathing guidance (BG) system on RT bSSFP cine image quality, scan time, and ventricular measurements.

Evaluation and modeling of acrylonitrile migration from polypropylene for food packaging.

This study validated an analytical technique using headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection to quantify acrylonitrile monomer with a quantification limit of 0.10 ± 0.04 µg kg .

Parental perceptions of nutritional intake, cooking skills, and food skills among preschoolers.

To determine parents' perceptions of cooking skills, food skills, and nutritional status of children ages 3 to 5 years. Parents of preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years completed two questionnaires, a Nutri-STEP questionnaire, assessing nutritional status, and a cooking exposure questionnaire. This parent recall questionnaire assessed cooking skills and food skills children possessed.

Assessment of carbon, oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic variation in modern Colombian teeth: An application to human identification.

Colombia faces the complex humanitarian challenges of locating approximately 100,000 missing persons and identifying thousands who are deceased. Identification is a difficult task in many cases, because the skeletonized bodies are deteriorated, missing person data are unavailable for comparison, and the provenance of the remains is often totally unknown. Isotopic analysis of human tissues (e.

Pacemaker lead insertion sites contribute to abnormalities of myocardial function and histopathology.

Background: Ventricular pacing can cause myocardial dysfunction, but how lead anchoring to the myocardium affects function has not been studied.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patterns of regional and global ventricular function in patients with a ventricular lead using cine cardiac computed tomography (CCT) and histology.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study with 2 groups of patients with a ventricular lead: (1) those who underwent cine CCT from September 2020 to June 2021 and (2) those whose cardiac specimen was analyzed histologically.

Magnetic resonance three-dimensional steady-state free precession imaging of the thoracic duct in patients with Fontan circulation and its relationship to outcomes.

Background: Lymphatic complications are common in patients with Fontan circulation. Three-dimensional balanced steady-state free precession (3D bSSFP) angiography by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is widely used for cardiovascular anatomical assessment. We sought to determine the frequency of thoracic duct (TD) visualization using 3D bSSFP images and assess whether TD characteristics are associated with clinical outcomes.

The Effects of a Blood-Brain Barrier Penetrating Erythropoietin in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy.

Erythropoietin (EPO), a hematopoietic neurotrophin, is a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease (AD) but has limited blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. EPO fused to a chimeric transferrin receptor monoclonal antibody (cTfRMAb) enters the brain via TfR-mediated transcytosis across the BBB. We previously showed that cTfRMAb-EPO is protective in a mouse model of amyloidosis, but its effects on tauopathy are not known.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and vascular function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic males.

Hispanic men have one of the highest consumptions of sugar-sweetened beverages in the United States. Frequent sugar-sweetened beverage consumption has been associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular disease through altered vascular function. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in the Hispanic population.

Longitudinal changes in ventricular size and function are associated with death and transplantation late after the Fontan operation.

Background: Cross-sectional studies have reported that ventricular dilation and dysfunction are associated with adverse clinical outcome in Fontan patients; however, longitudinal changes and their relationship with outcome are not known.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of Fontan patients with at least 2 cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scans without intervening interventions. Serial measures of end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), end-systolic volume index (ESVI), ejection fraction (EF), indexed mass (mass), mass-to-volume ratio, and end-systolic wall stress (ESWS) were used to estimate within-patient change over time.

Physicochemical characterization of cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.) fruits ecotype Colombia during preharvest development and growth.

Cape gooseberry fruits are increasingly recognized due to their excellent organoleptic and functional characteristics as a food. As the cultivation of this fruit expands, it is necessary to determine the quality characteristics and evolution of the new growing zones. This study sought to characterize the growth and development of cape gooseberry fruits, Ecotype Colombia, in the Ventaquemada region (Department of Boyacá in Colombia).

The Exploration of the Eating Experience in Adults with Celiac Disease: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study.

Background: The adjustment to a strict gluten-free diet for adults diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) may lead to changes in the eating experience affecting the physical, social, and emotional states.

Objective: Through the application of the Social Cognitive Transition Model of Adjustment, the aim of the study was to explore the adjustment in the eating experience in adults recently diagnosed with CD and transitioning to a gluten-free diet.

Design: This was a qualitative phenomenological study conducted using semistructured interviews.

Metabolomic Analysis of Human Astrocytes in Lipotoxic Condition: Potential Biomarker Identification by Machine Learning Modeling.

The association between neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and obesity has been well studied in recent years. Obesity is a syndrome of multifactorial etiology characterized by an excessive accumulation and release of fatty acids (FA) in adipose and non-adipose tissue. An excess of FA generates a metabolic condition known as lipotoxicity, which triggers pathological cellular and molecular responses, causing dysregulation of homeostasis and a decrease in cell viability.