International Validation of Echocardiographic AI Amyloid Detection Algorithm.

Background: Diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is often missed or delayed due to confusion with other causes of increased left ventricular wall thickness. Conventional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements like global longitudinal strain (GLS) has shown promise in distinguishing CA, but with limited specificity. We conducted a study to investigate the performance of a computer vision detection algorithm in across multiple international sites.

Host dispersal relaxes selective pressures in rafting microbiomes and triggers successional changes.

What little we know about how microbiomes change over the course of host dispersal has been gleaned from simulations or snapshot sampling of microbiomes of hosts undertaking regular, cyclical migrations. These studies suggest that major changes in both microbiome richness and turnover occur in response to long-distance movements, but we do not yet know how rare or sporadic dispersal events for non-migratory organisms might affect the microbiomes of their hosts. Here we directly examine the microbiomes of rafting seaweed, leveraging host genomic analyses, amplicon sequencing, and oceanographic modelling to study the impacts of ecological dispersal of hosts on their microbiomes.

Actuation-Mediated Compression of a Mechanoresponsive Hydrogel by Soft Robotics to Control Release of Therapeutic Proteins.

Therapeutic proteins, the fastest growing class of pharmaceuticals, are subject to rapid proteolytic degradation in vivo, rendering them inactive. Sophisticated drug delivery systems that maintain protein stability, prolong therapeutic effects, and reduce administration frequency are urgently required. Herein, a mechanoresponsive hydrogel is developed contained within a soft robotic drug delivery (SRDD) device.

ECM Proteins Nidogen-1 and Decorin Restore Functionality of Human Islets of Langerhans upon Hypoxic Conditions.

Transplantation of donor islets of Langerhans is a potential therapeutic approach for patients with diabetes mellitus; however, its success is limited by islet death and dysfunction during the initial hypoxic conditions at the transplantation site. This highlights the need to support the donor islets in the days post-transplantation until the site is vascularized. It was previously demonstrated that the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins nidogen-1 (NID1) and decorin (DCN) improve the functionality and survival of the β-cell line, EndoC-βH3, and the viability of human islets post-isolation.

Virtual reality education on myalgic encephalomyelitis for medical students and healthcare professionals: a pilot study.

Introduction: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic condition which may be characterised by debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive difficulties. ME/CFS has significant negative impact on quality of life for those living with the condition. This may be exacerbated by a lack of knowledge within healthcare regarding the condition.

Unlocking Antarctic molecular time-capsules - Recovering historical environmental DNA from museum-preserved sponges.

Marine sponges have recently emerged as efficient natural environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers. The ability of sponges to accumulate eDNA provides an exciting opportunity to reconstruct contemporary communities and ecosystems with high temporal and spatial precision. However, the use of historical eDNA, trapped within the vast number of specimens stored in scientific collections, opens up the opportunity to begin to reconstruct the communities and ecosystems of the past.

Streamlining large-scale oceanic biomonitoring using passive eDNA samplers integrated into vessel's continuous pump underway seawater systems.

Passive samplers are enabling the scaling of environmental DNA (eDNA) biomonitoring in our oceans, by circumventing the time-consuming process of water filtration. Designing a novel passive sampler that does not require extensive sample handling time and can be connected to ocean-going vessels without impeding normal underway activities has potential to rapidly upscale global biomonitoring efforts onboard the world's oceanic fleet. Here, we demonstrate the utility of an artificial sponge sampler connected to the continuous pump underway seawater system as a means to enable oceanic biomonitoring.

Fluid Biomarkers in Individuals at Risk for Genetic Prion Disease up to Disease Conversion.

Objectives: To longitudinally characterize disease-relevant CSF and plasma biomarkers in individuals at risk for genetic prion disease up to disease conversion.

Methods: This single-center longitudinal cohort study has followed known carriers of pathogenic variants at risk for prion disease, individuals with a close relative who died of genetic prion disease but who have not undergone predictive genetic testing, and controls. All participants were asymptomatic at first visit and returned roughly annually.

Soft robotic platform for progressive and reversible aortic constriction in a small-animal model.

Our understanding of cardiac remodeling processes due to left ventricular pressure overload derives largely from animal models of aortic banding. However, these studies fail to enable control over both disease progression and reversal, hindering their clinical relevance. Here, we describe a method for progressive and reversible aortic banding based on an implantable expandable actuator that can be finely tuned to modulate aortic banding and debanding in a rat model.

Long-distance movement dynamics shape host microbiome richness and turnover.

Host-associated microbial communities are shaped by host migratory movements. These movements can have contrasting impacts on microbiota, and understanding such patterns can provide insight into the ecological processes that contribute to community diversity. Furthermore, long-distance movements to new environments are anticipated to occur with increasing frequency due to host distribution shifts resulting from climate change.

Exploring therapy transport from implantable medical devices using experimentally informed computational methods.

Implantable medical devices that can facilitate therapy transport to localized sites are being developed for a number of diverse applications, including the treatment of diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and tissue regeneration after myocardial infraction. These implants can take the form of an encapsulation device which encases therapy in the form of drugs, proteins, cells, and bioactive agents, in semi-permeable membranes. Such implants have shown some success but the nature of these devices pose a barrier to the diffusion of vital factors, which is further exacerbated upon implantation due to the foreign body response (FBR).

Kelp holdfast microclimates buffer invertebrate inhabitants from extreme temperatures.

Climate change is altering environmental conditions, with microclimates providing small-scale refuges within otherwise challenging environments. Durvillaea (southern bull kelp; rimurapa) is a genus of large intertidal fucoid algae, and some species harbour diverse invertebrate communities in their holdfasts. We hypothesised that animal-excavated Durvillaea holdfasts provide a thermal refuge for epibiont species, and tested this hypothesis using the exemplar species D.

Systematic review of cardiovascular neurocristopathy-contemporary insights and future perspectives.

Introduction: Neural crest cells (NCCs) are multipotent and are attributed to the combination of complex multimodal gene regulatory mechanisms. Cardiac neural crest (CNC) cells, originating from the dorsal neural tube, are pivotal architects of the cardio-neuro-vascular domain, which orchestrates the embryogenesis of critical cardiac and vascular structures. Remarkably, while the scientific community compiled a comprehensive inventory of neural crest derivatives by the early 1980s, our understanding of the CNC's role in various cardiovascular disease processes still needs to be explored.

Emerging long-term trends and interdecadal cycles in Antarctic polynyas.

Polynyas, areas of open water embedded within sea ice, are a key component of ocean-atmosphere interactions that act as hotspots of sea-ice production, bottom-water formation, and primary productivity. The specific drivers of polynya dynamics remain, however, elusive and coupled climate models struggle to replicate Antarctic polynya activity. Here, we leverage a 44-y time series of Antarctic sea ice to elucidate long-term trends.

Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in Northern Ireland during 2020-2021.

Background: With the spread of SARS-CoV-2 impacting upon public health directly and socioeconomically, further information was required to inform policy decisions designed to limit virus spread during the pandemic. This study sought to contribute to serosurveillance work within Northern Ireland to track SARS-CoV-2 progression and guide health strategy.

Methods: Sera/plasma samples from clinical biochemistry laboratories were analysed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Biomarker changes preceding symptom onset in genetic prion disease.

Importance: Genetic prion disease is a universally fatal and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease for which genetically targeted therapies are currently under development. Preclinical proofs of concept indicate that treatment before symptoms will offer outsize benefit. Though early treatment paradigms will be informed by the longitudinal biomarker trajectory of mutation carriers, to date limited cases have been molecularly tracked from the presymptomatic phase through symptomatic onset.

Leveraging 3D Echocardiograms to Evaluate AI Model Performance in Predicting Cardiac Function on Out-of-Distribution Data.

Advancements in medical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) have revolutionized the field of cardiac diagnostics, providing accurate and efficient tools for assessing cardiac function. AI diagnostics claims to improve upon the human-to-human variation that is known to be significant. However, when put in practice, for cardiac ultrasound, AI models are being run on images acquired by human sonographers whose quality and consistency may vary.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Complementary and Integrative Medicines from People Living with Rare Diseases in Northern Ireland: A Mixed Methods Study.

Introduction: Only 5% of rare diseases have an approved treatment available, therefore patients often utilise complementary and integrative medicines (CIMs) to help manage their condition. Limited high-quality evidence-based studies are available which support the effectiveness of CIM, as it is difficult to show that an outcome is a direct result of the CIM intervention and not due to bias. Patients and healthcare professionals must weigh up the evidence quality, safety, efficacy, practical logistics, and financial implications of utilising CIM for rare diseases.

Intermittent actuation attenuates fibrotic behaviour of myofibroblasts.

The foreign body response (FBR) to implanted materials culminates in the deposition of a hypo-permeable, collagen rich fibrotic capsule by myofibroblast cells at the implant site. The fibrotic capsule can be deleterious to the function of some medical implants as it can isolate the implant from the host environment. Modulation of fibrotic capsule formation has been achieved using intermittent actuation of drug delivery implants, however the mechanisms underlying this response are not well understood.

Hybrid genome assemblies of four Shiga toxin-producing strains containing a complete locus of enterocyte effacement and an O-Island 122.

This study describes the hybrid genome assemblies of four Shiga toxin-producing strains isolated from the recto-anal junction of slaughter-age Irish sheep. serotyping and genome analysis determined that each of the strains harbored a Shiga-toxin subtype, a complete locus of enterocyte effacement, and a rare O-island 122.

Restoration of linear disturbances from oil-and-gas exploration in boreal landscapes: How can network models help?

In western Canada, decades of oil-and-gas exploration have fragmented boreal landscapes with a dense network of linear forest disturbances (seismic lines). These seismic lines are implicated in the decline in wildlife populations that are adapted to function in unfragmented forest landscapes. In particular, anthropogenic disturbances have led to a decline of woodland caribou populations due to increasing predator access to core caribou habitat.