Implementation of a Cellular Automaton for efficient simulations of atrial arrhythmias.

In silico models offer a promising advancement for studying cardiac arrhythmias and their clinical implications. However, existing detailed mathematical models often suffer from prolonged computational time compared to diagnostic needs. This study introduces a Cellular Automaton (CA) model tailored to replicate atrial electrophysiology in different stages of Atrial Fibrillation (AF), including persistent AF (PsAF).

Management of menopausal hot flushes. Recommendations from the Spanish Menopause Society.

This project aims to develop recommendations for treating vasomotor symptoms (VMS) based on the Cervantes short-form scale score (menopausal domain) using the best available evidence. A total of 166 studies were selected: 108 randomized controlled trials, 23 systematic reviews, 3 reviews, 3 meta-analyses, 11 case-control studies, 9 observational studies, and 12 transversal studies. To achieve this objective, a series of PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) questions have been established for the treatment of VMS.

Droplet microfluidic screening to engineer angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) catalytic activity.

Background: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a crucial peptidase in human peptide hormone signaling, catalyzing the conversion of Angiotensin-II to Angiotensin-(1-7), which activates the Mas receptor and elicits vasodilation, increased blood flow, reduced inflammation, and decreased pathological tissue remodeling. This study leverages protein engineering to enhance ACE2's therapeutic potential for treating conditions such as respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and diabetes. Surrogate substrates used in traditional high-throughput screening methods for peptidases often fail to accurately mimic native substrates, leading to less effective enzyme variants.

Multimodal integration of blood RNA and ctDNA reflects response to immunotherapy in metastatic urothelial cancer.

Background: Previously, we demonstrated that changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are promising biomarkers for early response prediction (ERP) to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC). In this study, we investigated the value of whole-blood immunotranscriptomics for ERP-ICI and integrated both biomarkers into a multimodal model to boost accuracy.

Methods: Blood samples of 93 patients were collected at baseline and after 2-6 weeks of ICI for ctDNA (n = 88) and immunotranscriptome (n = 79) analyses.

Sexual practices and risk behaviours towards human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among Ecuadorian university students: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To describe the sexual practices and behaviour towards HIV infection among Ecuadorian university students.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out between February 2019 and August 2020 among university students from all over the country. Students aged 18 years and older of each participating institution were contacted by an official email account and invited to fill out a survey through Google Forms.