Idiopathic malignant premature ventricular contractions.

The presence of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in patients with structurally normal hearts was once considered a benign phenomenon. However, in susceptible patients, these "benign" or idiopathic PVCs may develop malignant potential and trigger ventricular fibrillation and result in sudden cardiac death. Alternatively, idiopathic PVCs can also induce cardiomyopathy.

Examining Internet and eHealth Practices and Preferences: Survey Study of Australian Older Adults With Subjective Memory Complaints, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or Dementia.

Background: Interest in electronic health (eHealth) technologies to screen for and treat a variety of medical and mental health problems is growing exponentially. However, no studies to date have investigated the feasibility of using such e-tools for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe patterns of Internet use, as well as interest in and preferences for eHealth technologies among older adults with varying degrees of cognitive impairment.

A worldwide experience of the management of battery failures and chronic device retrieval of the Nanostim leadless pacemaker.

Background: The Nanostim leadless pacemaker (LP) met the primary endpoints in an investigational device exemption trial, and was shown to be fully retrievable percutaneously. In October 2016, St Jude Medical issued a worldwide alert of a battery malfunction that caused lost pacing output and LP communication.

Objective: To report the battery failure mechanism and incidence and the worldwide patient management, including device retrieval experiences.

Recovery of atrioventricular conduction in patients with heart block after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Introduction: Recovery of conduction has been demonstrated in >50% of patients who receive pacemakers (PPMs) for high-degree atrioventricular block (HD-AVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Little information is available about the time course of conduction recovery in these patients and if any features predict early recovery of conduction.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent TAVR with balloon and self-expanding valves who required PPMs for HD-AVB.

Prevalence of early repolarization pattern in patients with lone atrial fibrillation.

Background: The objective of this study was to test the association of early repolarization pattern (ER) with lone atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were analyzed in blinded fashion in a case-control study of 182 patients with lone AF and 182 controls without AF.

Results: Patients with lone AF and controls had similar frequencies of ER pattern (15% vs.

Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shock: Appropriate or Inappropriate?

In this report, an unusual case of different defibrillator shocks in a single patient is described, and the interpretation and appropriate classification of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy is discussed.

MeCP2-regulated miRNAs control early human neurogenesis through differential effects on ERK and AKT signaling.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked, neurodevelopmental disorder caused primarily by mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene, which encodes a multifunctional epigenetic regulator with known links to a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders. Although postnatal functions of MeCP2 have been thoroughly investigated, its role in prenatal brain development remains poorly understood. Given the well-established importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in neurogenesis, we employed isogenic human RTT patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and MeCP2 short hairpin RNA knockdown approaches to identify novel MeCP2-regulated miRNAs enriched during early human neuronal development.

Asian consortium on radiation dose of pediatric cardiac CT (ASCI-REDCARD).

Background: With incremental utilization of pediatric cardiac CT in congenital heart disease, it is imperative to define its current radiation dose levels in clinical practice in order to help imagers optimize CT protocols, particularly in Asia and other developing countries where CT physicists are not readily available.

Objective: To evaluate current radiation dose levels and influencing factors in cardiac CT in children with congenital heart disease in Asia by conducting a retrospective multi-center, multi-vendor study.

Materials And Methods: We included 1,043 pediatric cardiac CT examinations performed in 8 centers between January 2014 and December 2014 to evaluate congenital heart disease.

Asystole during pacemaker magnet application.

Pacemaker magnet application during surgery for patients who are pacemaker-dependent is often utilized to avoid perioperative inhibition from electromagnetic interference. We present a case during which such routine magnet use resulted in an unexpected response and discuss the limitations and nuances of this common practice.

Photosynthetic and transcriptional responses of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana to the combined effect of temperature stress and copper exposure.

A 96-h exposure experiment was conducted to elucidate the toxicity responses of the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana upon exposure to different temperatures and copper (Cu) concentrations. Three Cu treatments (seawater control; 200μg/L Cu, EC for the yield at 25°C; and 1000μg/L Cu, EC for growth inhibition at 25°C) were conducted against four temperatures (10°C, 15°C, 25°C and 30°C). Growth rate and photosynthetic responses showed a significant interacting thermal-chemical effect with strong synergistic responses observed at 30°C treatments.

Methylation of MYLK3 gene promoter region: a biomarker to stratify surgical care in ovarian cancer in a multicentre study.

Background: Survival benefit from surgical debulking of ovarian cancer (OC) is well established, but some women, despite total macroscopic clearance of disease, still have poor prognosis. We aimed to identify biomarkers to predict benefit from conventional surgery.

Methods: Clinical data from women debulked for high-stage OC were analysed (Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK; 2001-2014).

Somatic PIK3CA mutations in seven patients with PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum.

Somatic mutations in PIK3CA cause many overgrowth syndromes that have been recently coined the "PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum." Here, we present seven molecularly confirmed patients with PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum, including patients with Congenital Lipomatous Overgrowth, Vascular Malformations, Epidermal Nevi, Scoliosis/Skeletal and Spinal syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, lymphatic malformation and two with atypical phenotypes that cannot be classified into existing disease categories. The literature on PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum, suggests that PIK3CA c.

Utility of Pre-Induction Ventriculoatrial Response to Adenosine in the Diagnosis of Orthodromic Reciprocating Tachycardia.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the utility of ventriculoatrial (VA) conduction patterns in response to adenosine in predicting inducibility of orthodromic reciprocating tachycardia (ORT).

Background: Adenosine is known to consistently block atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction. We hypothesized that persistent VA conduction despite administration of adenosine would have a high predictive value for identifying the presence of a retrograde accessory pathway (AP) and associated ORT.

Developmental toxicity and molecular responses of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos to ciguatoxin P-CTX-1 exposure.

Ciguatoxins are produced by toxic benthic dinoflagellates and cause ciguatera fish poisoning worldwide, but the toxic effects on developing marine fish have not been well investigated. The Pacific ciguatoxin (P-CTX-1), is a potent sodium channel agonist, which is one of the most toxic members among all CTXs. This study evaluated the toxic effects of microinjecting purified Pacific ciguatoxin-1 (P-CTX-1) on embryonic development of marine medaka Oryzias melastigma.

Trends and outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy upgrade procedures: A comparative analysis using a United States National Database 2003-2013.

Background: While outcomes after de novo cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantations have been reported, there are limited data on CRT upgrade procedures.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine trends and in-hospital outcomes of patients undergoing CRT upgrade procedures by using a large national inpatient database.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample database, we identified all patients undergoing CRT upgrade and de novo CRT implants between 2003 and 2013.

Eligibility of Pacemaker Patients for Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators.

Introduction: The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has emerged as a viable therapeutic option for patients who are deemed high risk for sudden cardiac death. Previous studies have shown that 7-15% of patients are not candidates for the S-ICD based on their intrinsic QRS/T-wave morphology. Presently, it is not known if the S-ICD can be considered as supplementary therapy in patients who are ventricularly paced.

Molecular phylogeny and toxicity of harmful benthic dinoflagellates Coolia (Ostreopsidaceae, Dinophyceae) in a sub-tropical marine ecosystem: The first record from Hong Kong.

Coolia are marine benthic dinoflagellates which are globally distributed and potentially toxic. This study provides the first investigation of species diversity and toxicity assessment of Coolia in Hong Kong waters. Fifty-one strains of four Coolia species, including C.