Ability of CHA2DS2-VASc/R2CHA2DS2-VASc Scores to Predict Complications Related to Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices.

Background: Globally, the number of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is increasing. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether CHADS-VASc and RCHADS-VASc scores are predictive of CIED-related complications.

Methods: Our investigation was carried out with a multicenter retrospective design.

Nationwide Outcomes of Heart Transplantation for Postpartum Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Postpartum cardiomyopathy is defined as an incident of acute heart failure in the postpartum period in the absence of any other cause. Up to 10% of postpartum cardiomyopathy may need to undergo heart transplantation later in life. This study aimed to provide a present-day perspective on all-cause mortality and transplant-related complications after heart transplantation for postpartum cardiomyopathy.

High and Low Adherence to Mediterranean and DASH Diet Patterns and the Risk of Heart Failure: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Background: The relationship between heart failure (HF) and Mediterranean and DASH diets is not well delineated. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of high adherence to Mediterranean and DASH diets compared to low adherence in reducing the risk of incident HF (primary prevention of HF) and reducing all-cause mortality in patients with HF (secondary prevention of HF).

Methods: The reporting stages of this meta-analysis closely adhered to the PRISMA guidelines.

Association Between ABO Blood Group, Peripheral Artery Disease Lesion Severity, and Coronary Artery Disease Coexistence.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the relationship between ABO blood groups and the severity of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) lesions, the coexistence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with PAD, and to identify which blood groups may be more predisposed to these conditions.

Methods: This study, which has a single-center and retrospective design, includes 305 patients diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) between 2015 and 2021. The patients were selected from those with at least 50% stenosis detected by computed tomography (CT) angiography.

Predictive strength of inflammatory scores for in-hospital mortality in infective endocarditis.

Background: Inflammatory markers have been proposed as prognostic tools for predicting in-hospital mortality in infective endocarditis (IE). Nonetheless, it is unclear whether these markers provide additional prognostic value over established indicators. This study compared nine different inflammation scores to assess their effectiveness in enhancing the prediction of in-hospital mortality.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Spousal Violence and Quality of Life Experienced by Cancer Patients Receiving Immunosuppressive Therapy.

Starting from the diagnosis stage of it and throughout the terminal period, cancer is an illness that forms serious stress for patients. The aim of this study is to investigate whether spousal violence has an effect on the quality of life of cancer patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. This is a cross-sectional and self-reported study based on quantitative data.

A biomechanical study of locking spongious screws and failure rates are higher than expected in plate fixation.

Locking plates have a rapidly growing process especially in the past decades and results are satisfactory especially in the osteoporotic bones compared to non-locking compression plates. There are many forms of failure in the fracture fixation of locking plates, and screw pull-out is one of the main failure reasons. In this study, we aim to investigate pull-out failure in locking plates using locking spongious screws.

In silico and in vitro evaluation of the potential genotoxic impurities of vildagliptin.

Establishing the safety of impurities in drug substances or products is crucial. The assessment of genotoxicity for these impurities and determining the acceptable limits pose considerable challenges, as recognized in recent guidelines. While the genotoxicity profile of vildagliptin-an oral hypoglycemic drug-is well established, there is limited knowledge about the genotoxic potential of its impurities.

Differences and Similarities Between Children and Adults With Rhupus Syndrome.

Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the characteristics of pediatric and adult rhupus patients.

Methods: Thirty pediatric patients with rhupus syndrome and 15 adult patients with rhupus syndrome were included in this study. Similarities and differences between both groups were evaluated.

Pharyngeal perforations after anterior cervical spinal procedures: A systematic review.

Background: Digestive system perforations after anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS), if left untreated, are life-threatening. These injuries are often categorized as pharyngoesophageal. Although the pharynx and esophagus are continuations of each other, they are two distinct anatomical structures.

Investigation of Sleep Quality and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Liver transplant recipients experience many uncertainties after transplantation. Also, sleep problems are common among them. This study aimed to examine intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality in liver transplant recipients.

TOWARDS FAST HARD-CONSTRAINED PARALLEL TRANSMIT DESIGN IN ULTRAHIGH FIELD MRI WITH PHYSICS-DRIVEN NEURAL NETWORKS.

Parallel transmission (pTx) is an important technique for reducing transmit field inhomogeneities at ultrahigh-field (UHF) MRI. pTx typically involves solving an optimization problem for radiofrequency pulse design, with hard constraints on specific-absorption rate (SAR) and/or power, which may be time-consuming. In this work, we propose a novel approach towards incorporating hard constraints to physics-driven neural networks.

Association between the triglyceride-glucose index and contrast-induced nephropathy in chronic total occlusion patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index is a biomarker of insulin resistance and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is an important complication that causes poor outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the TyG index and CIN and mortality in patients who underwent PCI due to chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO).

Peak frequency analysis and functional substrate mapping to predict critical isthmus of atypical atrial tachycardia: Findings from a novel automated annotation algorithm to detect near-field signals.

Background: Atypical atrial tachycardia (AT) is a commonly encountered rhythm disorder, especially in patients with underlying atrial scar. Peak frequency (PF) annotation of bipolar electrograms is a novel method that mainly aims to discriminate near-field and far-field signals.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the PF annotation of low-voltage zones and deceleration zones during sinus/paced rhythm and their role in predicting the critical isthmus (CI) and termination sites of atypical ATs.

New Kidney-After-Heart Allocation Policy in the United States: Who would benefit from a rescue kidney?

Purpose: The new rescue kidney policy in the United States was implemented in June 2023. To estimate its potential impact, we investigated a historic cohort of heart transplant (HT) recipients who would have been eligible for a kidney-after-heart transplant under this policy.

Methods: Adult heart-only recipients from 1/1/2000 to 3/31/2023 in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were categorized by retroactively applying eligibility criteria from the new policy: eGFR≤20mL/min, CrCl≤20mL/min, or dialysis 60-365 days post-HT.

Zellweger spectrum disorder presenting with opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome: a case report on immunotherapy.

Introduction: Zellweger spectrum disorder (ZSD) refers to a group of autosomal recessive genetic disorders that affect multiple organ systems and are predominantly caused by pathogenic variants in PEX genes. ZSD present a wide clinical spectrum, ranging from the most severe form, Zellweger syndrome, to the mildest form, Heimler syndrome.

Case Report: A 14-month-old male patient was brought to our clinic with recent-onset ocular tremors and unsteady gait.

vNOTES as a salvage method for adnexectomy and high uterosacral ligament suspension after vaginal hysterectomy under epidural anesthesia: A feasibility and safety study.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) for performing adnexectomy and high uterosacral ligament suspension (HUSLS) after vaginal hysterectomy (VH) under epidural anesthesia.

Method: This was a retrospective case series of 42 women who underwent VH for stage II or greater apical prolapse according to pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q); however, adnexectomy could not performed and replace the vNOTES technique. The procedure continued with vNOTES adnexectomy and bilateral HUSLS under epidural anesthesia.

Surgical Management of Fibrosing Mediastinitis Presenting as Superior Vena Cava Syndrome.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare chronic inflammatory condition characterized by excessive fibrotic process in the mediastinum. Although various infectious processes are more common causes, it can also be related to several malignancies. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman with fibrosing mediastinitis related to an aggressive primary gray-zone lymphoma causing complete occlusion of the superior vena cava (SVC) and the innominate veins.

Dose-Dependent Effect of a New Biotin Compound in Hippocampal Remyelination in Rats.

Demyelination is commonly observed in neurodegenerative disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Biotin supplementation is known to stabilize MS progression. To reduce the effective dose of biotin, we synthesized a new and superior form of biotin, a complex of magnesium ionically bound to biotin (MgB) and compared its dose-dependent effect with biotin alone after inducing demyelination using lysolecithin (LPC) in rats.

The Prevalence, Serogroup Distribution and Risk Factors of Meningococcal Carriage in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults in Turkey Meningo-Carr-TR Study PART 3: COVID-19 Pandemic Situation.

Background: The prevalence of meningococcal carriage and serogroup distribution is crucial for assessing the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease, forecasting outbreaks and formulating potential immunization strategies. Following the meningococcal carriage studies conducted in Turkey in 2016 and 2018, we planned to re-evaluate meningococcal carriage in children, adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Methods: In the MENINGO-CARR-3 study, we collected nasopharyngeal samples from 1585 participants 0-24 years of age, across 9 different centers in Turkey.

Factors associated with renal involvement in adult immunoglobulin a vasculitis: what is it?

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the potential of specific parameters in determining renal involvement in adult patients diagnosed with Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV).

Methods: The patients' records with IgAV meeting the EULAR/PRINTO/PRES classification criteria who were diagnosed between January 2017 and January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS) version 3 was used to assess initial disease activity.

Response of miRNA to treatment with L. oil in multiple sclerosis.

MicroRNA‑regulated gene expression plays an important role in autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). This study investigated the expression patterns of microRNAs (miRNAs) in MS in brain tissues using an animal experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model treated with Hypericum perforatum (HP) oil. C57BL/6 J mice were divided into two groups: MS and control.

Clinical improvements after endoscopic lung volume reduction with valves in patients with advanced emphysema and a 6-min walk test ≤140 m at baseline.

Background: Data regarding the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic lung volume reduction with valves (ELVR) in emphysema patients with a very low 6-min walk test (6MWT) are limited. Patients with severe emphysema and very low exercise capacity, as indicated by a 6MWT ≤140 m, are often excluded from clinical studies on ELVR, assuming limited therapeutic benefits and increased complication risk.

Study Designs And Methods: This study utilised data from the Lungenemphysemregister e.

Single-atom single-superatom as catalysts for ammonia production.

A new class of single-superatom catalyst (TiO, ZrO, and WC) supported on graphene is shown to outperform the stability and activity of their corresponding single-atom catalysts (Ni, Pd and Pt) for the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction. The results based on density functional theory point to a paradigm shift in catalyst design.

Head Circumference for Growth Curves and Percentiles for 0-2-Year-Old Children in Ankara: Comparison with GAMLSS and Quantile Regression Methods.

Objective: Growth curves are important tools for assessing the growth and development of children in the target population by age. Measuring head circumference (HC) in infants is an important tool in monitoring infant health and brain development. The aims of this study are to construct current 0-2-year-old HC growth curves and percentiles and compare the methods used in the construction of growth curves for HC measurements by gender.