Background: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a common chronic degenerative process of the mitral valve. Thrombus formation on MAC is a rare complication that likely contributes to the increased risk of thromboembolic events. Outcomes and management strategies for this condition are unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To measure intervention fidelity of the Photo-with-Movement Program (PMP) and to report the findings of the program.
Methods: This study was a two-arm, pilot randomized controlled trial of the PMP. An intervention fidelity checklist and semi-structured interviews were utilize to evaluate the fidelity of the PMP.
Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is often employed to enhance improvement in inspiratory muscle strength. However, the relationship between inspiratory muscle recruitment patterns and increasing inspiratory load remains unclear. Furthermore, the effect of breathing instructions on diaphragm activity at various inspiratory loads is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To examine the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on pulmonary and diaphragmatic function, exercise capacity, balance and quality of life (QOL), in post-stroke individuals.
Methods: A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PEDro, Web of Science and China Biological Medicine databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a PEDro score ≥6 focusing on the effects of IMT were included.
To compare the clinical outcomes and complication rates of convective water vapor energy ablation (Rezum) and prostatic urethral lift (Urolift). To identify predictive factors for treatment failures in both treatments. Prospective clinico-epidemiological data of patients who underwent Urolift or Rezum in a single institution for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was collected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpaired joint attention is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting social interaction and communication. We explored if group basketball learning could enhance joint attention in autistic children, and how this relates to brain changes, particularly white matter development integrity. Forty-nine autistic children, aged 4-12 years, were recruited from special education centers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging
November 2024
Aims: To characterize left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) function and atrioventricular (AV) coupling in patients with moderate mixed aortic valve disease (MMAVD) against those with isolated moderate or severe aortic valve disease and controls.
Methods And Results: Retrospective LA and LV peak longitudinal strain (LS) analysis were performed on 260 patients [46 MMAVD, 81 moderate aortic stenosis (AS), 50 severe AS, 48 moderate aortic regurgitation (AR), and 35 severe AR] and 66 controls. Peak LV and LA LS and AV coupling, assessed by combined peak LA and LV strain, was compared between the groups.
Psychedelics have emerged as promising therapeutics for several psychiatric disorders. Hypotheses around their mechanisms have revolved around their partial agonism at the serotonin 2 A receptor, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and brain connectivity changes that underlie positive mindset shifts. However, these accounts fail to recognise that the gut microbiota, acting via the gut-brain axis, may also have a role in mediating the positive effects of psychedelics on behaviour.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs society rapidly digitizes, successful aging necessitates using technology for health and social care and social engagement. Technologies aimed to support older adults (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCandida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen responsible for healthcare-associated infections and outbreaks with high mortality around the world. It readily colonizes the skin, nares, respiratory and urinary tract of hospitalized patients, and such colonization may lead to invasive Candida infection in susceptible patients. However, there is no recommended decolonization protocol for C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn caring for patients with stroke, the leading cause of death and disability affecting over 80 million people worldwide, caregivers experience substantial psychological and physical burdens and difficulties in help-seeking owing to physical and time-constraints. Social distancing measures imposed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic further restricted them from using caregiver support services. While the use of telehealth emerged as a global prevailing trend during the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence for utilising instant messaging (IM) applications for psychological intervention is scanty.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) transformed the treatment landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, patients with attenuated MHC-I expression remain refractory to ICIs, and druggable targets for upregulating MHC-I are limited. Here, we found that genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) increased MHC-I levels in HCC cells, promoting antigen presentation and stimulating antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA young male patient presented with an incidental finding of a large supraglottic vascular lesion. The lesion was initially noted during intubation 4 years ago. Although originally listed for elective excision, there was a significant delay and at the time of surgery, the lesion proved too large to remove and a significant threat to the patient's airway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChest pain is a common chief complaint among patients presenting to the emergency department. However, in the scenario where the clinical presentation is consistent with acute coronary syndrome and no culprit lesions are identified on angiography, clinicians and cardiac imagers should be informed of the differential diagnosis and appropriate imaging modalities used to investigate the potential causes. This review describes an imaging-based algorithm that highlights the diagnostic possibilities, their differentiating imaging features, and the important role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for narrowing the differential diagnosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of fulminant COVID-19-related myocarditis requiring venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation where the use of an ultrasound-enhancing agent demonstrated a previously undescribed echocardiographic finding, the "lightbulb" sign. This sign potentially represents a new area for the use of an ultrasound enhancing agent in the echocardiographic diagnosis of myocarditis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Soc Echocardiogr
January 2024
In patients with significant cardiac valvular disease, intervention with either valve repair or valve replacement may be inevitable. Although valve repair is frequently performed, especially for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, valve replacement remains common, particularly in adults. Diagnostic methods are often needed to assess the function of the prosthesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To compare the associations of COVID-19 preventive behaviours and depressive and anxiety symptoms with eHealth literacy and COVID-19 knowledge among Korean adults.
Design: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in April 2020.
Setting: Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea.
Machine learning techniques designed to recognize views and perform measurements are increasingly used to address the need for automation of the interpretation of echocardiographic images. The current study was designed to determine whether a recently developed and validated deep learning (DL) algorithm for automated measurements of echocardiographic parameters of left heart chamber size and function can improve the reproducibility and shorten the analysis time, compared to the conventional methodology. The DL algorithm trained to identify standard views and provide automated measurements of 20 standard parameters, was applied to images obtained in 12 randomly selected echocardiographic studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol
September 2023
Emerging evidence has shown the importance of the tumor microenvironment in tumorigenesis and progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most infiltrated stroma cells of the tumor microenvironment in gastrointestinal tumors. CAFs play crucial roles in tumor development and therapeutic response by biologically secreting soluble factors or structurally remodeling the extracellular matrix.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe performed a systematic review on the agreement and reproducibility of 3 advanced imaging methods, 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE), cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), for quantifying aortic regurgitation (AR) severity. Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using the PICO model from inception to February 4, 2022, for publications that quantified AR severity with 3DE, CCT, or CMR. Measurement agreement and intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility results were extracted from each study.
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