Short RP Interval and Long PR Interval: What Is the Cardiac Rhythm?

Marked first-degree atrioventricular block with a PR interval ≥500 ms is rare, leading to unusual P-wave placement. In this case, the P waves immediately after the QRS waves complicated rhythm interpretation. Close attention to P-wave morphology and fused premature ventricular complexes can be important for a proper diagnosis.

Impact of Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 Inhibitors on Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.

Patients with borderline pulmonary hypertension (PH) often experience shortness of breath or exacerbation of PH during exercise, known as exercise-induced PH. However, the pathogenesis of exercise-induced post-capillary PH (post-EIPH) and its treatment strategies remain unclear. Recent guidelines and consensus documents have highlighted the benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Coronary artery injury in pulsed field ablation.

Purpose Of Review: Although pulsed field ablation (PFA) has emerged as an innovative nonthermal catheter ablation modality, recent reports raise concerns about its potential impact on nearby coronary arteries. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding and future directions regarding the effects of PFA on or near coronary arteries.

Recent Findings: Clinical studies have demonstrated the risks of acute transient vasospasm after delivery of PFA, especially with ablation of structures in proximity to the coronary arteries, such as the cavotricuspid and mitral isthmuses.

Adult Height in Girls with Central Precocious Puberty with Onset after 6 Years: Effects of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analog Therapy.

Introduction: Precocious puberty (PP), which is sometimes divided into gonadotropin-dependent or gonadotropin-independent PP, is a pathological condition characterized by premature secretion of gonadal steroids resulting in the early development of secondary sexual characteristics. Girls younger than 6 years with idiopathic gonadotropin-dependent PP (referred to as central PP or CPP) who receive gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) therapy experience an increase in their adult height (AH) in contrast to girls who are aged 6 years or more, who show no consistent pattern of increase even with GnRHa therapy.

Methods: In total, 133 girls aged 6 years or more who visited any one of the seven study centers between April 2000 and March 2020 and who met the diagnostic criteria for PP in Japan were retrospectively examined.

Evidence and Mechanism of Bile Acid-Mediated Gut-Brain Axis in Anxiety and Depression.

Bidirectional communication between the brain and gastrointestinal tract, called the gut-brain axis, is linked with our emotions. Intestinal lipids, hormones, and molecules, such as bile acids (BAs), have been known to impact our mood, motivation, and emotions via the gut-brain axis. BAs are synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and serve as a regulator of lipid metabolism and hormonal secretion in the intestine.

Effect of basic activities of daily living independence on home discharge and long-term outcomes in patients hospitalized with heart failure.

Patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) experience impairments in functional status, primarily affecting basic activities of daily living (ADL). We investigated the independent effect of functional status for ADL on patient-centered outcomes (i.e.

Evaluation of the impact of hollow fiber pore size and membrane material on virus concentration using a handheld hollow fiber method.

Virus concentration using hollow fibers is widely used for vaccine production to maintain viral infectivity with low shear stress and to allow for easier scale-up of production. However, research laboratories often have limited available viral materials at the early stage of vaccine development, making it difficult to find an optimal hollow-fiber. In addition, few research articles have reported on optimizing hollow fiber pore size and membrane structure for virus concentration.

Shorter Premature Atrial Complex Coupling Interval Leads to Mechanical Dysfunction, Fibrosis, and AF in Swine.

Background: We have previously shown that dyssynchronous premature atrial complexes (PACs) from the lateral left atrium (LA) lead to greater atrial mechanical dysfunction, remodeling, and sustained atrial fibrillation (AF) than synchronous PACs from the interatrial septum. However, the impact of PAC coupling interval (CI) on atrial remodeling is unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to explore the effect of PAC CI on atrial mechanics and remodeling in the swine model.

Improving Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Through Target Endpoint Optimization With Pressure Catheter and Angiographic Lung Perfusion.

Background: Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has exhibited substantial progress in the management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, nearly one-half of the patients with CTEPH experience persistent pulmonary hypertension after undergoing BPA, emphasizing the need for enhanced therapies.

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate the clinical significance of functional assessment-guided dilation of the pulmonary artery (PA) in patients with CTEPH undergoing BPA treatment.

High β-carotene accumulation in transgenic eggplant fruits grown under artificial light.

Eggplant ( L.) fruits are known to contain few carotenoids such as β-carotene, which are abundant in congener tomato fruits. In a previous study, we introduced a fruit-specific gene promoter-driven gene encoding phytoene synthase (PSY) of into eggplant 'Senryo No.

Microporous polysaccharide hemospheres for reducing pocket hematomas after cardiac device implantation in patients on antithrombotic therapy.

Background: Various surgical procedures have employed microporous polysaccharide hemosphere (MPH) hemostatic agents. However, data regarding their effectiveness in preventing pocket hematomas (PHs) during the implantation of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) among the Asian population are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential benefits of using MPH hemostatic agents during CIED implantations as a preventive measure against post-procedural PHs.

Prospective evaluation of PI-RADSv2.1 using multiparametric and biparametric MRI for detecting clinically significant prostate cancer based on MRI/US fusion-guided biopsy.

Purpose: To evaluate the cancer detection rates for each category of Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADSv2.1) using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and biparametric MRI (bpMRI) based on MRI/ultrasound (US)-fusion biopsy.

Head and neck free flap reconstruction under the COVID-19 pandemic.

High perioperative mortality and complication rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have been reported. In head and neck reconstruction, not only is patient safety important, but the prevention of infection introduced by the surgical team is also important because the procedure is performed in close proximity to the upper respiratory tract. In addition, recent studies have reported an increased risk for thrombus formation after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or COVID-19 vaccination, which is problematic for microsurgical reconstruction procedures.

Outcome evaluation of pharmacist-physician collaborative protocol-based antimicrobial treatment for hospitalized stroke patients with aspiration pneumonia.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and patient outcomes of pharmacist-physician collaborative protocol-based antimicrobial treatment regimens for antimicrobial stewardship.

Methods: Patients treated for aspiration pneumonia due to stroke within 48 h after admission to Kochi Medical School Hospital (January 2019 to December 2022) were included. Primary outcomes were the cumulative number of days of antimicrobial treatment and length of hospital stay.

PI gain tuning for pressure-based MFCs with Gaussian mixture model.

A vast number of mass flow controllers (MFCs) are used in semiconductor industry. For the stable supply, an efficient production method of MFC is required. The gain tuning of the proportional-integral (PI) control to realize a setting flow rate is essential for efficient mass production.

Coronary Plaque Characterization with T1-weighted MRI and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Periprocedural Myocardial Injury.

Purpose To clarify the predominant causative plaque constituent for periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) following percutaneous coronary intervention: erythrocyte-derived materials, indicated by a high plaque-to-myocardium signal intensity ratio (PMR) at coronary atherosclerosis T1-weighted characterization (CATCH) MRI, or lipids, represented by a high maximum 4-mm lipid core burden index (maxLCBI) at near-infrared spectroscopy intravascular US (NIRS-IVUS). Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent CATCH MRI before elective NIRS-IVUS-guided percutaneous coronary intervention at two facilities. PMI was defined as post-percutaneous coronary intervention troponin T values greater than five times the upper reference limit.