Clinical validation of an artificial intelligence-based decision support system for diagnosis and risk stratification of heart failure (STRATIFYHF): a protocol for a prospective, multicentre longitudinal study.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome. Accurate risk stratification and early diagnosis of HF are challenging as its signs and symptoms are non-specific. We propose to address this global challenge by developing the STRATIFYHF artificial intelligence-driven decision support system (DSS), which uses novel analytical methods in determining the risk, diagnosis and prognosis of HF.

Readiness to implement contingency management to promote PrEP initiation and adherence among people who inject drugs: results from a multi-site implementation survey.

Background: Contingency management (CM), an incentive-based intervention to encourage target behaviors, effectively promotes medication adherence. However, efforts to extend CM to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been lacking. As part of a randomized clinical trial to promote HIV Prevention among people who inject drugs (PWID), we examined the readiness of staff in community-based organizations serving PWID to implement CM for PrEP uptake and adherence in this population.

The textures of sarcoidosis: quantifying lung disease through variograms.

. Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease affecting the lungs in over 90% of patients. Qualitative assessment of chest CT by radiologists is standard clinical practice and reliable quantification of disease from CT would support ongoing efforts to identify sarcoidosis phenotypes.

The DERMIS Study: Methodologies, Results, and Implications for the Future.

Ongoing innovation in diabetes technologies has led to the development of advanced tools such as automated insulin delivery (AID) systems that adjust insulin delivery in response to current and predicted glucose levels, residual insulin action, and other inputs (eg, meal and exercise announcements). However, infusion sets continue to be the "Achilles heel" of accurate and precise insulin delivery and continued device use. A recent study by Kalus et al (DERMIS Study) revealed higher vessel density and signals of inflammation by optical coherence tomography (OCT), in addition to increased inflammation, fat necrosis, fibrosis, and eosinophilic infiltration by histopathology.

Sarcoidosis in Beryllium Exposed Workers: A Case-Case Study.

Background: Despite the utility of the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT), distinguishing sarcoidosis, a disease of unknown etiology, from chronic beryllium disease (CBD), has long posed a diagnostic challenge. It is unclear if beryllium-exposed sarcoidosis cases (Be-exp-Sarc) are clinically distinct from CBD, or are misdiagnosed cases of CBD.

Methods: We performed a case-case study of 40 beryllium-exposed individuals diagnosed with Be-exp-Sarc compared to 40 frequency-matched CBD cases.

Prognostic value of N-Acetylglucosaminidase and Kidney-injury-molecule-1 in TAVI patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Aim: Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is common in severe aortic stenosis (AS). Previous studies revealed N-Acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) and Kidney-injury-molecule-1 (KIM-1) as potential markers for CRS. The study aimed to investigate the prognostic capability of NAG, KIM-1, NT-proBNP in severe AS before TAVI.

Urinary NT-proBNP compared head-to-head to plasmatic NT-proBNP in a real life collective with an ICD.

Aims: Plasma NT-proBNP is an established marker of heart failure. Previous studies suggested urinary NT-proBNP has potential as marker of chronic heart failure as well. The objective of this study was to compare urinary NT-proBNP to plasma NT-proBNP in a real-life collective of patients with an ICD, especially regarding ICD-therapies.

Ketamine use in a large global sample: Characteristics, patterns of use and emergency medical treatment.

Background: Ketamine's popularity has surged globally in the past decade, especially among young men. Emergency department visits due to its toxicity remain relatively rare, often linked to co-occurring use of other substances.

Aims: Using data from the Global Drug Survey (GDS) 2018, this study explored the correlates associated with lifetime and past-year ketamine use, and estimated the socio-demographic characteristics, usage patterns and experiences of respondents seeking emergency medical treatment (EMT) after ketamine use.

Monocyte subsets in breast cancer patients under treatment with aromatase inhibitor and mucin-1 cancer vaccine.

Background: Monocytes comprise subsets of classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes with distinct anti- or pro-tumor effects in breast cancer (BC). They are modulated by estrogen, and can contribute to BC control by endocrine therapy in preclinical models.

Methods: To elucidate whether changes in monocyte subsets are associated with treatment and response, we investigated peripheral blood samples of 73 postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor (ER) positive BC, who received aromatase inhibitor therapy with or without the mucin-1 vaccine tecemotide in the ABCSG34 trial.

Impact of postpartum physical activity on cardiometabolic health, breastfeeding, injury and infant growth and development: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To examine the relationship between postpartum physical activity and maternal postnatal cardiometabolic health, breastfeeding, injury, and infant growth and development.

Design: Systematic review with random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Data Sources: Eight online databases were searched up until 12 January 2024.

Simulation of cardiac arrhythmias in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

The effects and mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias are still incompletely understood and an important subject of cardiovascular research. A major difficulty for investigating arrhythmias is the lack of appropriate human models. Here, we present a protocol for a translational simulation of different types of arrhythmias using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) and electric cell culture pacing.

Cellular calcium handling and electrophysiology are modulated by chronic physiological pacing in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Electric pacing of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) has been increasingly used to simulate cardiac arrhythmias in vitro and to enhance cardiomyocyte maturity. However, the impact of electric pacing on cellular electrophysiology and Ca handling in differentiated hiPSC-CM is less characterized. Here we studied the effects of electric pacing for 24 h or 7 days at a physiological rate of 60 beats/min on cellular electrophysiology and Ca cycling in late-stage, differentiated hiPSC-CM (>90% troponin, >60 days postdifferentiation).

Gene editing in common cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, highlighting the high socioeconomic impact. Current treatment strategies like compound-based drugs or surgeries are often limited. On the one hand, systemic administration of substances is frequently associated with adverse side effects; on the other hand, they typically provide only short-time effects requiring daily intake.

Sex specific analysis of patients with and without reported statin intolerance referred to a specialized outpatient lipid clinic.

Background: Lowering LDL-cholesterol is a fundamental goal for both primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Our study aims to analyse potential sex disparities regarding the tolerability and effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy in patients with and without reported statin intolerance who are being treated at a lipid-outpatient clinic.

Methods: From 2017 to 2022, n = 1062 patients (n = 612 men, n = 450 women) at high-risk were referred to our lipid-outpatient clinic because of difficulties in lipid control by primary healthcare providers.

Implementation of a multimodal home-based rehabilitation intervention after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation (GeRas): an early qualitative process evaluation.

Background: Geriatric rehabilitation aims at increasing physical and social activity and maintaining the functional reserve of older people. However, the continuity of geriatric rehabilitation in the outpatient setting is limited due to a lack of structured aftercare programs. In order to overcome this, a three-month multimodal home-based intervention program (GeRas) was implemented.

Limitations of Clustering with PCA and Correlated Noise.

It is now common to have a modest to large number of features on individuals with complex diseases. Unsupervised analyses, such as clustering with and without preprocessing by Principle Component Analysis (PCA), is widely used in practice to uncover subgroups in a sample. However, in many modern studies features are often highly correlated and noisy (e.

COVID-19 infection triggered idiopathic capillary leak syndrome treated with ECMELLA.

Background: Idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome (ISCLS) is characterized by recurrent systemic capillary leakage and hypovolemic shock.

Case Presentation: We report a 59-year-old Caucasian man with ISCLS and persistent hypovolemic and cardiogenic shock after COVID-19 infection. Mechanical circulatory support was provided with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and a microaxial pump.

Antimicrobial Evaluation of Two Polycyclic Polyprenylated Acylphloroglucinol Compounds: PPAP23 and PPAP53.

Polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) comprise a large group of compounds of mostly plant origin. The best-known compound is hyperforin from St. John's wort with its antidepressant, antitumor and antimicrobial properties.

The role of patient-related factors in the implementation of a multimodal home-based rehabilitation intervention after discharge from inpatient geriatric rehabilitation (GeRas): a qualitative process evaluation.

Background: Structured aftercare programs are implemented to facilitate the transition from rehabilitation centers to patients' home environments. Taking the program GeRas as an example, this paper aims to evaluate the influence of patient-related factors on the implementation of the geriatric aftercare program GeRas from patients' and providers' perspectives.

Methods: To capture patients' and providers' perspectives, qualitative interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide.