Rationale and design of the French Observatory of Acute Heart Failure (OFICA2).

Background: Acute heart failure (AHF) is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality - especially in patients aged≥65 years in high-income countries - and represents a high healthcare burden. In the past decade, the epidemiology and management of heart failure (HF) has changed, with the emergence of new medical and interventional therapeutics, but up-to-date real-life data are scarce.

Aims: The main objectives are to describe baseline characteristics (with an emphasis on lifestyle, cognitive status, HF knowledge and treatment adherence), management, and in-hospital and mid-term outcomes of AHF patients in France.

Sucrose Concentration and Fermentation Temperature Impact the Sensory Characteristics and Liking of Kombucha.

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage consumed for its probiotics and functional properties. It has a unique sensory profile driven by the properties of tea polyphenols and fermentation products, including organic acids. Fermentation temperature and sucrose content affect the fermentation process and the production of organic acids; yet less is known about their impacts on the sensory profile and consumer acceptance.

Glycemic index and insulin index after a standard carbohydrate meal consumed with live kombucha: A randomised, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Introduction: Kombucha is a complex probiotic beverage made from fermented tea, yet despite extensive historical, anecdotal, and evidence for its health benefits, no controlled trials have been published on its effect on humans.

Methods: We conducted a randomised placebo-controlled, cross-over study that examined the Glycemic Index (GI) and Insulin Index (II) responses after a standardised high-GI meal consumed with three different test beverages (soda water, diet lemonade soft drink and an unpasteurised kombucha) in 11 healthy adults. The study was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (anzctr.

United States tea: A synopsis of ongoing tea research and solutions to United States tea production issues.

Tea is a steeped beverage made from the leaves of . Globally, this healthy, caffeine-containing drink is one of the most widely consumed beverages. At least 50 countries produce tea and most of the production information and tea research is derived from international sources.

Effect of Coffee and Tea Consumption on Adolescent Weight Control: An Interventional Pilot Study.

Both catechin polyphenols and caffeine have been shown to have beneficial effects on weight control in the adult population. However, the influence of tea or coffee supplementation on body weight in adolescents has never been tested. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of tea and coffee consumption on body weight and body fat in adolescents with obesity.

Microbial Diversity and Characteristics of Kombucha as Revealed by Metagenomic and Physicochemical Analysis.

Kombucha is a fermented tea made from a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY) with a long history of use as a health tonic. It is likely that most health benefits come from the tea and fermentation metabolites from specific microbial communities. Despite its growing importance as a functional health drink, the microbial ecosystem present in kombucha has not been fully documented.

The Complete Genome Sequence of , the Causal Agent of Canker on Tea Plants, Reveals Novel Secretion Systems in Clade-1 Xanthomonads.

is the causal agent of bacterial canker on tea plants. There is no complete genome sequence available for , a close relative of the species and , thus limiting basic research for this group of pathogens. Here, we release a high-quality complete genome sequence for the type strain, CFBP 4691.

Management of Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Total Elbow Arthroplasty.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a potentially devastating complication after total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) that can lead to significant morbidity for the patient as well as increased health care-related costs. Despite the potential morbidity associated with TEA PJI, evidence is limited regarding an optimal treatment algorithm. Initial management typically consists of either irrigation and debridement or 2-stage revision.

The Developmental Implications of the Use of Reproductive Technologies for Transgender People: A Comparative Cross-Section Protocol.

Background: Today, individuals and couples with fertility issues can use advances in biomedical technologies to conceive. Transgender persons also benefit from these advances and can not only actualize their self-identified gender identities but also experience parenthood. These strategies for persons to self-actualize and to access parenthood have improved the condition of transgender persons.

Liposomal TriCurin, A Synergistic Combination of Curcumin, Epicatechin Gallate and Resveratrol, Repolarizes Tumor-Associated Microglia/Macrophages, and Eliminates Glioblastoma (GBM) and GBM Stem Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly brain tumor with a current mean survival of 12-15 months. Despite being a potent anti-cancer agent, the turmeric ingredient curcumin (C) has limited anti-tumor efficacy in vivo due to its low bioavailability. We have reported earlier a strategy involving the use two other polyphenols, epicatechin gallate (E) from green tea and resveratrol (R) from red grapes at a unique, synergistic molar ratio with C (C:E:R: 4:1:12.

Isolation of neoantigen-specific T cells from tumor and peripheral lymphocytes.

Adoptively transferred tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) that mediate complete regression of metastatic melanoma have been shown to recognize mutated epitopes expressed by autologous tumors. Here, in an attempt to develop a strategy for facilitating the isolation, expansion, and study of mutated antigen-specific T cells, we performed whole-exome sequencing on matched tumor and normal DNA isolated from 8 patients with metastatic melanoma. Candidate mutated epitopes were identified using a peptide-MHC-binding algorithm, and these epitopes were synthesized and used to generate panels of MHC tetramers that were evaluated for binding to tumor digests and cultured TILs used for the treatment of patients.

Identification and quantification of 1,3-dimethylbutylamine (DMBA) from Camellia sinensis tea leaves and dietary supplements.

1,3-dimethylbutylamine (DMBA), is a CNS stimulant, which has recently been identified in multiple dietary supplements and sometimes labeled as a natural constituent of Pouchung tea. DMBA is an homologue of 1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA) which the US Food and Drug Administration has attempted to remove from all dietary supplements after DMAA consumption was linked to strokes, heart disease, and sudden death. To address questions concerning the natural origin of DMBA, three independent analytical methods were developed for analyzing authentic tea samples and dietary supplements.

Effect of thoracic epidural analgesia on clinical outcomes following transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Objective: To determine the impact of perioperative thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) on acute and late outcomes following transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TA-TAVI).

Patients And Intervention: A total of 135 consecutive patients who underwent TA-TAVI were included. All patients received catheter-based pain control, either via TEA (TEA group, n=74) or intercostal local analgesia with a catheter placed at the surgical incision site (non-TEA group, n=61), depending on the preference of the anaesthesiologist responsible for the case.

Prevalence of over-the-counter and complementary medication use in the otolaryngology preoperative patient: a patient safety initiative.

Objectives/hypothesis: To determine the prevalence of over-the-counter and complementary and alternative medication use in the preoperative otolaryngology patient population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Data were collected from preoperative surveys given to all patients undergoing surgery by a single physician with an academic practice over a 6-month period from March to September 2010.

[What are the determinants of early breastfeeding weaning and prolonged breastfeeding in Arab infants?].

Background: Data on the determinants of breastfeeding in the Israeli Arab population are scarce.

Aims: To examine breastfeeding practices and determinants of early breastfeeding weaning (< or =3 months of age) and of prolonged breastfeeding (>1 year of age) among Arab infants.

Methods: A total of 213 heaLthy fuLL term newborns from 2 villages in northern Israel were followed-up until they reached 18 months of age in 2007-2009.

Polyphenols in the prevention and treatment of sepsis syndromes: rationale and pre-clinical evidence.

Sepsis is the overwhelming systemic response to infection of a normally sterile body compartment. Despite advances in elucidating its pathophysiology, severe sepsis remains a leading cause of death in the critically ill. Polyphenols are a family of chemicals found in food and beverages derived from plants, such as cocoa, green tea, turmeric, and soya, as well as in medicinal herbs.

Pore properties and pharmacological features of the P2X receptor channel in airway ciliated cells.

Airway ciliated cells express an ATP-gated P2X receptor channel of unknown subunit composition (P2X(cilia)) which is modulated by Na+ and by long exposures to ATP. P2X(cilia) was investigated by recording currents from freshly dissociated rabbit airway ciliated cells with the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration. During the initial continuous exposure to extracellular ATP, P2X(cilia) currents gradually increase in magnitude (priming), yet the permeability to N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) does not change, indicating that priming does not arise from a progressive change in pore diameter.

1,4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives: a novel class of voltage-gated potassium channel blockers.

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are targets for therapeutic drugs in the treatment of pathologic conditions including cardiac arrhythmia and epilepsy. In this study, we synthesized three classes of novel polyammonium compounds incorporating the bicyclic unit 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.

Effect of administration of caffeine or green tea on the mutation profile in the p53 gene in early mutant p53-positive patches of epidermal cells induced by chronic UVB-irradiation of hairless SKH-1 mice.

Irradiation of SKH-1 mice with UVB light for 20 weeks resulted in a large number of patches of epidermal cells, which was visualized with an antibody that recognizes mutated p53 protein. Oral treatment of mice with caffeine (0.4 mg/ml) or green tea (6 mg tea solids/ml) as the drinking fluid during UVB irradiation decreased the number of patches by approximately 40%.

The specificities of protein kinase inhibitors: an update.

We have previously examined the specificities of 28 commercially available compounds, reported to be relatively selective inhibitors of particular serine/threonine-specific protein kinases [Davies, Reddy, Caivano and Cohen (2000) Biochem. J. 351, 95-105].

IGF-1 up-regulates K+ channels via PI3-kinase, PDK1 and SGK1.

Involvement of voltage-gated (Kv) potassium channels in IGF-1-induced proliferation of HEK293 cells was studied by patch-clamp, RT-PCR and FACS analysis. IGF-1 up-regulated outwardly rectifying whole-cell K+ current starting after 1 h of incubation and reaching a maximum after 4-6 h. The IGF-1-stimulated current was voltage-gated with an activation threshold of -30 mV to -40 mV, a half-maximal activation at +5.

Continuous thoracic epidural anesthesia with 0.2% ropivacaine versus general anesthesia for perioperative management of modified radical mastectomy.

We evaluated in this prospective study the effectiveness of continuous thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) and postoperative analgesia with ropivacaine and compared it with general anesthesia (GA) and opioids for pain relief, side effects, postanesthesia recovery, and hospital discharge after modified radical mastectomy. Sixty ASA physical status II and III patients undergoing mastectomy were randomly assigned to two study groups of 30 patients each. In the TEA group, an epidural catheter was inserted at T6-7, and 5--10 mL of 0.