Long-term prognosis of idiopathic ventricular fibrillation: An eighteen-year experience from a tertiary center.

Introduction And Objectives: Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) is diagnosed in patients who survive sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), preferably with documented ventricular fibrillation (VF), without any identifiable structural or electrical abnormality. Current evidence provides limited guidance on the diagnosis and follow-up of these patients. Our aim was to assess the clinical outcomes of survivors of an aborted SCA attributed to IVF.

"Real-world" analysis of battery longevity of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators: an in-depth analysis of a prospective defibrillator database.

Background: There is a lack of evidence regarding contemporary implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) battery longevity. Our aim was to assess battery longevity in ICDs in a real-world setting.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional single center study of a prospectively collected database of consecutive patients who underwent ICD implantation from January 2010 to December 2015.

Digoxin in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure and Sinus Rhythm Submitted to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy-Is There Any Benefit?

Digoxin (DG) use in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and sinus rhythm remains controversial. We aimed to assess the prognostic effect of DG in patients in sinus rhythm submitted to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Retrospective study including 297 consecutive patients in sinus rhythm, with advanced HFrEF submitted to CRT.

The Impact of Writing About Gratitude on the Intention to Engage in Prosocial Behaviors During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has quickly swept the globe leaving a devastating trail of lost human lives and leading to a public health and economic crisis. With this in mind, prosociality has been heralded as a potential important factor to overcome the negative effects of the pandemic. As such, in this study, we examined the effectiveness of a brief reflexive writing exercise about recent experiences of gratitude on individuals' intentions to engage in prosocial behaviors using a sample of 253 participants living in Portugal and 280 participants living in Brazil.

Effect of dietary inclusion of Spirulina on production performance, nutrient digestibility and meat quality traits in post-weaning piglets.

The effect of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), individually or in combination with two commercial carbohydrases, in piglet diets was assessed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and meat quality traits. Forty post-weaned male piglets from Large White × Landrace sows crossed with Pietrain boars with an initial live weight of 12.0 ± 0.

A two-enzyme constituted mixture to improve the degradation of Arthrospira platensis microalga cell wall for monogastric diets.

The main goal of this study was to test a rational combination of pre-selected carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and sulphatases, individually or in combination, in order to evaluate its capacity to disrupt Arthrospira platensis cell wall, allowing the release of its valuable nutritional bioactive compounds. By the end, a two-enzyme constituted mixture (Mix), composed by a lysozyme and a α-amylase, was incubated with A. platensis suspension.

Amino acid profiles of muscle and liver tissues of Australian Merino, Damara and Dorper lambs under restricted feeding.

Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a major constraint in extensive animal production systems in the tropics and Mediterranean. The objective of this study was to characterize the amino acid profile of muscle and hepatic tissues of Australian Merino, Damara and Dorper lambs under restricted feeding to evaluate the impact of SWL at the metabolic and physiological levels. SWL induced generalized muscle protein breakdown among restricted groups of all breeds, with varying intensity.

Novel combination of feed enzymes to improve the degradation of Chlorella vulgaris recalcitrant cell wall.

In this study, a rational combination of 200 pre-selected Carbohydrate-Active enzymes (CAZymes) and sulfatases were tested, individually or combined, according to their ability to degrade Chlorella vulgaris cell wall to access its valuable nutritional compounds. The disruption of microalgae cell walls by a four-enzyme mixture (Mix) in comparison with the control, enabled to release up to 1.21 g/L of reducing sugars (p < 0.

Modulation of aquaporin gene expression by n-3 long-chain PUFA lipid structures in white and brown adipose tissue from hamsters.

EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3) fatty acids have weight-reducing properties with physiological activity depending on their molecular structure - that is, as TAG or ethyl esters (EE). Aquaporins (AQP) are membrane protein channels recognised as important players in fat metabolism, but their differential expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), as well as their modulation by dietary n-3 long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) such as EPA and DHA, has never been investigated. In this study, the transcriptional profiles of AQP3, AQP5, AQP7 and selected lipid markers of WAT (subcutaneous and visceral) and BAT (interscapular) from hamsters fed diets containing n-3 LCPUFA in different lipid structures such as fish oil (FO, rich in EPA and DHA in the TAG form) and FO-EE (rich in EPA and DHA in the EE form) were used and compared with linseed oil (LSO) as the reference group.

Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: What has Changed in The Guidelines?

Background: The new European Society of Cardiology guidelines for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) define the estimation of sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk as an integral part of clinical management. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is recommended (class IIa) when the risk is ≥ 6%.

Objectives: To compare the SCD risk stratification according to the 2011 and 2014 recommendations for ICD implantation in patients with HCM.

Registry of left atrial appendage closure and initial experience with intracardiac echocardiography.

Introduction: Percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) is a promising therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation with high risk for stroke and contraindication for oral anticoagulation (OAC). Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) may make this percutaneous procedure feasible in patients in whom transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is inadvisable. Our aim was to assess the efficacy and safety of LAA closure and the feasibility of ICE compared to TEE to guide the procedure.

Unsafe Drug Use and Arrhythmic Events in Brugada Patients with ICD: Results of a Long-Term Follow-Up.

Purpose: Brugada syndrome is a hereditary disease linked with an increased risk of sudden death that may require an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in order to halt the arrhythmic events. The aim of this study was to identify possible triggers for appropriate ICD therapies in patients with Brugada syndrome, focusing on their past and current therapeutic profiles.

Methods: Thirty patients with high-risk Brugada syndrome, with ICD implanted at the Coimbra Hospital and University Center, were enrolled.

Markers of neuroprotection of combined EPA and DHA provided by fish oil are higher than those of EPA () and DHA () from microalgae oils in Wistar rats.

Background: To overcome the current overexploitation of fish rich in 3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), microalgae have become a promising marine lipid source. The purpose of this study was to assess eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6-3), isolated or combined from distinct marine origins, on the promotion of neuroprotective effects.

Methods: The experiment lasted for 10 weeks and involved 32 Wistar rats, divided into 4 diets ( = 8): a diet rich in milk fat was taken as control (Milk Fat) and compared to -3 LCPUFA enriched diets, either in EPA + DHA form through fish oil (Fish Oil), or EPA through oil (Nanno), or DHA through oil (Schyzo), while maintaining Milk Fat incorporation.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols increases DHA incorporation in brown, but not in white adipose tissue, of hamsters.

We hypothesised that the incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) across adipose tissues will be higher when it is ingested as triacylglycerols (TAG) structured at the sn-2 position. Ten-week old male hamsters were allocated to 4 dietary treatments (n = 10): linseed oil (LSO-control group), fish oil (FO), fish oil ethyl esters (FO-EE) and structured DHA at the sn-2 position of TAG (DHA-SL) during 12 weeks. In opposition to the large variations found for fatty acid composition in retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT) was less responsive to diets.

Who still remains at risk of arrhythmic death at time of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator generator replacement?

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is associated with reduction in arrhythmic mortality. However, at the time of generator replacement (GR) some patients had not experienced therapies and had a different clinical profile. Therefore, the risk-benefit ratio of ICD may have changed.

Inotropes and cardiorenal syndrome in acute heart failure - A retrospective comparative analysis.

Introduction: Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is common in acute heart failure (AHF), and is associated with dire prognosis. Levosimendan, a positive inotrope that also has diuretic effects, may improve patients' renal profile. Published results are conflicting.

Betaine and arginine supplementation of low protein diets improves plasma lipids but does not affect hepatic fatty acid composition and related gene expression profiling in pigs.

Background: The individual and combined effects of betaine and arginine supplemented to reduced protein diets were investigated on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors in commercial pigs. Betaine has previously been shown to reduce carcass fat deposition and arginine improves meat quality of finishing pigs. Forty male crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to one of five diets (n = 8): 160 g kg of crude protein (NPD), 130 g kg of crude protein (RPD), RPD with 3.

Arginine supplementation modulates pig plasma lipids, but not hepatic fatty acids, depending on dietary protein level with or without leucine.

Background: In the present study, the effect of arginine and leucine supplementation, and dietary protein level, were investigated in commercial crossbred pigs to clarify their individual or combined impact on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid sensitive factors. The experiment was conducted on fifty-four entire male pigs (Duroc × Pietrain × Large White × Landrace crossbred) from 59 to 92 kg of live weight. Each pig was randomly assigned to one of six experimental treatments (n = 9).

Two-dimensional speckle tracking cardiac mechanics and constrictive pericarditis: systematic review.

Transthoracic echocardiography has a pivotal role in the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis (CP). In addition to the classic M-mode, two-dimensional and Doppler indices, newer methodologies designed to evaluate myocardial mechanics, such as two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE), provide additional diagnostic and clinical information in the context of CP. Research has demonstrated that cardiac mechanics can improve echocardiographic diagnostic accuracy of CP and aid in differentiating between constrictive and restrictive ventricular physiology.

Restriction of dietary protein does not promote hepatic lipogenesis in lean or fatty pigs.

The influence of genotype (lean v. fatty) and dietary protein level (normal v. reduced) on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors is reported for the first time, using the pig as an experimental model.

Influence of betaine and arginine supplementation of reduced protein diets on fatty acid composition and gene expression in the muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue of cross-bred pigs.

The isolated or combined effects of betaine and arginine supplementation of reduced protein diets (RPD) on fat content, fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of genes controlling lipid metabolism in pig m. longissimus lumborum and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were assessed. The experiment was performed on forty intact male pigs (Duroc×Large White×Landrace cross-breed) with initial and final live weights of 60 and 93 kg, respectively.