Role of Multimodality Imaging in Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a rare entity characterized by granulomatous infiltration of the myocardium, which can lead to myocardial fibrosis, conduction abnormalities, and the development of heart failure, thereby elevating the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). While endomyocardial biopsy (EMBx) is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis, its low sensitivity and inherent procedural risks may limit its practical application. This study retrospectively explored the role of advanced imaging modalities, specifically cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), in the diagnosis and management of CS within a single center.

Association of Proximal Vessel Tortuosity with Technical Success and Clinical Outcomes: Analysis From the Progress-CTO Registry.

Background: Proximal vessel tortuosity can hinder wiring and equipment delivery during chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Aims: We sought to examine the association of proximal vessel tortuosity with the short and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing CTO PCI.

Methods: We examined the association of proximal vessel tortuosity with clinical outcomes in patients who underwent CTO PCI at 50 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2024.

OmniSegger: A time-lapse image analysis pipeline for bacterial cells.

Time-lapse microscopy is a powerful tool for studying the cell biology of bacterial cells. The development of pipelines that facilitate the automated analysis of these datasets is a long-standing goal of the field. In this paper, we describe , an updated version of our pipeline, developed as an open-source, modular, and holistic suite of algorithms whose input is raw microscopy images and whose output is a wide range of quantitative cellular analyses, including dynamical cell cytometry data and cellular visualizations.

SCOUT: Skull-Corrected Optimization for Ultrasound Transducers.

Transcranial focused ultrasound has been studied for non-invasive and localized treatment of many brain diseases. The biggest challenge for focusing ultrasound onto the brain is the skull, which attenuates ultrasound and changes its propagation direction, leading to pressure drop, focus shift, and defocusing. We presented an optimization algorithm which automatically found the optimal location for placing a single-element focused transducer.

Outcomes on 287 Patients with Complex Abdominal Wall Defects Undergoing Abdominal Wall Reconstruction with a Porcine-Derived Acellular Matrix.

Introduction: Complex abdominal wall defects (CAWD) requiring complex abdominal wall reconstruction (CAWR) represent an important surgical challenge in the presence of significant comorbidities. We aimed to report the results on a large patient cohort and identify independent outcome predictors.

Materials And Methods: All patients who underwent CAWR with biologic mesh (Strattice™; Reconstructive Tissue Matrix ®, a porcine-derived acellular dermal matrix; Allergan plc, Branchburg, New Jersey) between July 2016 and November 2021 at the tertiary academic center were studied using univariable and multivariable regressions.

Association between tumor location and toxicity outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases.

Purpose: Toxicities associated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are important when considering treatment and supportive management for patients with brain metastases. We herein assessed the association between brain metastasis location and risk of toxicity after SRS.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective institutional review of patients treated with SRS for brain metastases between 2008 and 2023.

Validation of the coronary artery specific chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention angiographic difficulty scores in the PROGRESS-CTO registry.

Background: The J-CTO investigators recently developed angiographic difficulty scores for each of the three major coronary arteries in patients undergoing first-attempt chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in de novo occlusions.

Methods: We examined the performance of the individual J-CTO scores in a large multicenter registry.

Results: The CTO lesion location was as follows: right coronary artery (RCA) 3,805 (54%), left anterior descending artery (LAD) 2,303 (33%), and left circumflex (LCX) 935 (13%).

Randomized Comparison of Novel Low-Dose Sirolimus-Eluting Biodegradable Polymer Stent vs Second-Generation DES: TARGET-IV NA Trial.

Background: Drug-eluting stents (DESs) with controlled antiproliferative drug release reduce restenosis risk, but durable polymers can delay healing and inhibit reendothelialization. The Firehawk biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) has a fully biodegradable sirolimus-containing polymer coating localized to recessed abluminal grooves on the stent surface and delivers roughly one-third the drug dose of other DESs.

Objectives: We report the primary results of the TARGET-IV NA (Firehawk Rapamycin Target Eluting Coronary Stent North American Trial) randomized controlled trial comparing clinical outcomes with BP-SES vs currently used second-generation DESs.

Intravascular Lithotripsy Versus Rotational Atherectomy in Coronary Chronic Total Occlusions: Analysis from the Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention Registry.

There are limited comparative data on the use of plaque modification devices during chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We compared intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) with rotational atherectomy (RA) for lesion preparation in patients who underwent CTO PCI across 50 US and non-US centers from 2019 to 2024. Of 15,690 patients who underwent CTO PCI during the study period, 436 (2.

Interaction between subventricular zone microglia and neural stem cells impacts the neurogenic response in a mouse model of cortical ischemic stroke.

After a stroke, the neurogenic response from the subventricular zone (SVZ) to repair the brain is limited. Microglia, as an integral part of the distinctive SVZ microenvironment, control neural stem / precursor cell (NSPC) behavior. Here, we show that discrete stroke-associated SVZ microglial clusters negatively impact the innate neurogenic response, and we propose a repository of relevant microglia-NSPC ligand-receptor pairs.

Protein overabundance is driven by growth robustness.

Protein expression levels optimize cell fitness: Too low an expression level of essential proteins will slow growth by compromising essential processes; whereas overexpression slows growth by increasing the metabolic load. This trade-off naïvely predicts that cells maximize their fitness by sufficiency, expressing just enough of each essential protein for function. We test this prediction in the naturally-competent bacterium by characterizing the proliferation dynamics of essential-gene knockouts at a single-cell scale (by imaging) as well as at a genome-wide scale (by TFNseq).

A Ketogenic Diet Sensitizes Pancreatic Cancer to Inhibition of Glutamine Metabolism.

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and while conventional chemotherapy remains the standard treatment, responses are poor. Safe and alternative therapeutic strategies are urgently needed . A ketogenic diet has been shown to have anti-tumor effects across diverse cancer types but will unlikely have a significant effect alone.

Protein overabundance is driven by growth robustness.

Protein expression levels optimize cell fitness: Too low an expression level of essential proteins will slow growth by compromising essential processes; whereas overexpression slows growth by increasing the metabolic load. This trade-off naïvely predicts that cells maximize their fitness by sufficiency, expressing just enough of each essential protein for function. We test this prediction in the naturally-competent bacterium by characterizing the proliferation dynamics of essential-gene knockouts at a single-cell scale (by imaging) as well as at a genome-wide scale (by TFNseq).

Noise robustness and metabolic load determine the principles of central dogma regulation.

The processes of gene expression are inherently stochastic, even for essential genes required for growth. How does the cell maximize fitness in light of noise? To answer this question, we build a mathematical model to explore the trade-off between metabolic load and growth robustness. The model provides insights for principles of central dogma regulation: Optimal protein expression levels for many genes are in vast overabundance.

Introducing a novel approach to dental color reproduction using AI technology.

Objective: This article aims to describe a systematic method for tooth color reproduction with ceramics restorations employing artificial intelligence (AI) software named Matisse. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the entire process, beginning with shade-taking and extending to ceramic application in a complex clinical case in the anterior region-specifically, a single central restoration supported by an implant.

Clinical Considerations: The clinical case presented highlights the potential of Matisse software for generating ceramic (inSync-Jensen Dental, USA) and staining (Miyo-Jensen Dental, USA) recipes over a zirconia abutment (Katana-Noritake Dental, Japan).

Confirmation of Recurrent Lung Cancer Following Resection Using Liquid Biopsy, a Proof-of-Concept Real-World Study.

Appropriate management requires timely and accurate confirmation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recurrence in patients who have had curative-intent surgical resection. We assessed the association between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) identified using amplicon sequencing and evidence of recurrence on CT surveillance. A prospective cohort study of NSCLC patients with early-stage disease undergoing curative-intent resection was conducted.

The Interplay Between Cardiovascular Disease and Lung Cancer.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and lung cancer are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with a significant interplay that complicates patient management and treatment outcomes. This review explores the complex relationship between various forms of CVD - such as coronary artery disease, heart failure (HF), arrhythmias, and valvular heart disease - and lung cancer. Shared risk factors, including smoking, aging, and chronic inflammation, contribute to the co-occurrence of these conditions.

Is it a thrombus or a tumor? An imaging dilemma for clinicians.

Atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the Western world, confers a 5-fold increase in stroke, mainly due to thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage. Early rhythm control is often beneficial in reducing adverse cardiovascular events in higher-risk populations. Here, we present a patient who was found to have a 1 cm stalk-like lesion in the left atrial appendage on transesophageal echocardiogram prior to electrical cardioversion.

Noise robustness and metabolic load determine the principles of central dogma regulation.

The processes of gene expression are inherently stochastic, even for essential genes required for growth. How does the cell maximize fitness in light of noise? To answer this question, we build a mathematical model to explore the trade-off between metabolic load and growth robustness. The model predicts novel principles of central dogma regulation: Optimal protein expression levels for many genes are in vast overabundance.