Association with Outcome of the Regurgitant-Volume Adjusted Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: In patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) may not accurately reflect the actual RV systolic performance since a considerable amount of the RV stroke volume (SV) is regurgitated back into the right atrium. To overcome this limitation, we explored the association with the outcome of the effective RVEF (eRVEF), which accounts for the tricuspid regurgitant volume (RegVol).

Methods: 513 patients with STR (mean age 75±13 years, 39% atrial STR, 58% severe) underwent complete two-, three-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography.

Utility of the Ratio Between the Size of the Right Atrium and the Right Ventricle at End-Systole to Diagnose Atrial Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: In the multiparametric framework for diagnosing atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation (A-STR), an end-systolic (ES) right atrial (RA)-to-right ventricular (RV) volume or area ratio ≥1.5 supports the diagnosis of A-STR over the ventricular secondary tricuspid regurgitation phenotype (V-STR). However, this threshold value has never been tested.

Association With Outcomes of Correcting the Proximal Isovelocity Surface Area Method to Quantitate Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: Although the correction of the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method has been shown to improve the accuracy of assessing the severity of secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), its clinical impact remains to be investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the association of the quantitative parameters of STR severity obtained from the corrected and conventional PISA methods with outcomes.

Methods: Both conventional and corrected effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) (EROA vs corrected EROA [EROAc]), regurgitant volume (RegVol) (RegVol vs corrected RegVol [RegVolc]), and regurgitant fraction (RegFr) (RegFr vs corrected RegFr [RegFrc]) were measured in 519 consecutive patients (mean age, 75 ± 12 years; 44% men; 74% with ventricular STR) with moderate and severe STR.

Prognostic roles of neutrophil-lymphocyte, monocyte-lymphocyte and platelet-lymphocyte ratios for long-term all-cause mortality in heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) and inflammation have a bidirectional relation leading to activation and adaptation of multiple cellular lines, including leucocyte subtypes and platelets. We aimed to assess and compare the predictive value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte (MLR) and platelet-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios for all-cause long-term mortality in HF.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective cohort study that included patients from the HI-HF cohort that survived the initial hospitalization.

Biomarkers in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Perpetually Evolving Frontier.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents a complex clinical syndrome, often very difficult to diagnose using the available tools. As the global burden of this disease is constantly growing, surpassing the prevalence of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, during the last few years, efforts have focused on optimizing the diagnostic and prognostic pathways using an immense panel of circulating biomarkers. After the paradigm of HFpEF development emerged more than 10 years ago, suggesting the impact of multiple comorbidities on myocardial structure and function, several phenotypes of HFpEF have been characterized, with an attempt to find an ideal biomarker for each distinct pathophysiological pathway.

In vitro photothermal therapy of pancreatic cancer mediated by immunoglobulin G-functionalized silver nanoparticles.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, and treatment options are limited. One therapeutic approach is to use nanoparticles to deliver the active agent directly to pancreatic cancer cells. Nanoparticles can be designed to specifically target cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

Role of Biofunctionalized Nanoparticles in Digestive Cancer Vaccine Development.

Nanotechnology has provided an opportunity for unparalleled development of the treatment of various severe diseases. The unique properties of nanoparticles offer a promising strategy for enhancing antitumor immunity by enhancing immunogenicity and presentation of tumor autoantigens for cancer immunotherapy. Polymeric, liposomal, carbon or silica-based nanoparticles are among those with major immunomodulatory roles in various cancer treatments.

Clinical Impact of the Volumetric Quantification of Ventricular Secondary Mitral Regurgitation by Three-Dimensional Echocardiography.

Background: The assessment of ventricular secondary mitral regurgitation (v-SMR) severity through effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) and regurgitant volume (RegVol) calculations using the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method and the two-dimensional echocardiography volumetric method (2DEVM) is prone to underestimation. Accordingly, we sought to investigate the accuracy of the three-dimensional echocardiography volumetric method (3DEVM) and its association with outcomes in v-SMR patients.

Methods: We included 229 patients (70 ± 13 years, 74% men) with v-SMR.

Alpha-lipoic acid for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a frequent complication in people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. There is currently no effective treatment for DPN. Although alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, also known as thioctic acid) is widely used, there is no consensus about its benefits and harms.

Posttraumatic Growth, Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas and Psychological Distress in Individuals Involved in Road Traffic Accidents-A Conservation of Resources Theory Perspective.

Road traffic accidents can have profound psychological impacts on the individuals involved, encompassing both negative distress and positive growth. This study, guided by the conservation of resources (COR) theory, investigates the intricate relationship between posttraumatic growth (PTG), maladaptive cognitive schemas, and psychological distress in individuals involved in road traffic accidents. PTG reflects an individual's ability to derive positive changes from adversity, while maladaptive schemas represent negative cognitive patterns.

Unveiling Vaccine Hesitancy on Twitter: Analyzing Trends and Reasons during the Emergence of COVID-19 Delta and Omicron Variants.

Given the high amount of information available on social media, the paper explores the degree of vaccine hesitancy expressed in English tweets posted worldwide during two different one-month periods of time following the announcement regarding the discovery of new and highly contagious variants of COVID-19-Delta and Omicron. A total of 5,305,802 COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets have been extracted and analyzed using a transformer-based language model in order to detect tweets expressing vaccine hesitancy. The reasons behind vaccine hesitancy have been analyzed using a Latent Dirichlet Allocation approach.

Sarcopenia assessed by total psoas index - is it correlated with post-operative complications in all digestive cancers?

Background And Aims: In cancer patients sarcopenia may be a predictor for postoperative complications of curative or palliative surgery. Several indices including the total psoas area index (TPAI) are proposed for the diagnosis of this condition, but there is no validated cut-off point.Our study aimed to assess the role of TPAI as a marker for sarcopenia and to compare the utility of previously proposed cut-off values for predicting post-operative complications in patients with digestive cancers undergoing surgery.

Coronary artery tortuosity and mid-term all-cause mortality of patients with ischemia and non-obstructive coronary arteries.

Coronary artery tortuosity (CAT) is a frequently encountered angiographic feature of patients with ischemia and non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA). However, there is limited data regarding the possible correlation between CAT and all-cause mortality in these patients. To assess the survival prognostic implications of CAT in INOCA patients and the predictors of all-cause mid-term mortality of these patients.

The platelet to lymphocyte ratio in heart failure: a comprehensive review.

: At the crossroads of heart failure (HF) and systemic inflammation, platelets and lymphocytes are both influenced as well as actively participating in the bidirectional relationship. The platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) could therefore be a marker of severity. This review aimed to assess the role of PLR in HF.

The complex interplay between right ventricular dysfunction and atrial fibrillation - a narrative review.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common sustained arrhythmias in clinical practice, associated with multiple comorbidities and complication. The potential predictors of AF onset and perpetuation or specific drivers of complications need future investigation. Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction plays an important role in the development of new-onset AF warranting in-depth analysis in relation to AF.

Prognostic Impact of Severe Atrial Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation in Atrial Fibrillation Patients.

Background and Aim: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an epidemic disease with a significant global health impact. Atrial functional tricuspid regurgitation (AF-TR) is a more recently acknowledged complication of AF. The main purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic value of severe AF-TR in patients with AF, and its determinants.

The Influence of HLA Alleles on the Affective Distress Profile.

(1) Background: Affective distress can be triggered by aggressive stimuli with an unfavorable role for the individual. Some of the factors that lead to the development and evolution of a mental disorder can be genetic. The aim of this study is to determine some correlations between the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and the affective distress profile (PDA).

Health risks of airplane boarding methods with apron buses when some passengers disregard safe social distancing.

Many airlines instituted social distancing practices to keep passengers safe during the pandemic. The practices include keeping the middle seats empty, reducing the number of passengers taking an apron bus from the terminal to the airplane, and prescribing that passengers maintain 1 m social distance of separation from other passengers in the aisle while advancing to their seats. However, not all passengers comply with a prescribed 1 m aisle social distance.

Quality of Life and Psychological Distress among Patients with Small Renal Masses.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) and psychological distress represent an important aspect of the daily life of cancer patients. The aim of this systematic review was to critically analyze available literature regarding QoL and psychological distress in patients with small renal masses (SRMs). (2) Methods: A systematic search of EMBASE, PUBMED and American Psychological Association (APA-net) was performed on 30 April 2022.

New Wave of COVID-19 Vaccine Opinions in the Month the 3rd Booster Dose Arrived.

Vaccination has been proposed as one of the most effective methods to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the day the first vaccine, with an efficiency of more than 90%, was announced, the entire vaccination process and its possible consequences in large populations have generated a series of discussions on social media. Whereas the opinions triggered by the administration of the initial COVID-19 vaccine doses have been discussed in depth in the scientific literature, the approval of the so-called 3rd booster dose has only been analyzed in country-specific studies, primarily using questionnaires.

Stroke risk scores for prediction of mortality and hemorrhages in atrial fibrillation patients.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an emerging epidemic worldwide, responsible for a twofold increase in mortality, independent of other risk factors. Stroke prevention is the cornerstone of AF management. However, oral anticoagulation imposes an increased risk of bleeding.

The Longest Month: Analyzing COVID-19 Vaccination Opinions Dynamics From Tweets in the Month Following the First Vaccine Announcement.

The coronavirus outbreak has brought unprecedented measures, which forced the authorities to make decisions related to the instauration of lockdowns in the areas most hit by the pandemic. Social media has been an important support for people while passing through this difficult period. On November 9, 2020, when the first vaccine with more than 90% effective rate has been announced, the social media has reacted and people worldwide have started to express their feelings related to the vaccination, which was no longer a hypothesis but closer, each day, to become a reality.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the Month Following the Start of the Vaccination Process.

The occurrence of the novel coronavirus has changed a series of aspects related to people's everyday life, the negative effects being felt all around the world. In this context, the production of a vaccine in a short period of time has been of great importance. On the other hand, obtaining a vaccine in such a short time has increased vaccine hesitancy and has activated anti-vaccination speeches.