The Role of Multimodality Imaging in Multiple Valvular Heart Diseases. A Clinical Consensus Statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC.

With this document, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) provides an Expert Consensus on the role of multi-modality imaging (MMI) in the management of patients with multiple valvular heart disease (MVD). Emphasis is given to the use of MMI to unravel the diagnostic challenges that characterize these patients and to improve risk stratification. Complementing the last European Society of Cardiology and European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery guidelines on valvular heart disease, this Expert Consensus document also outlines how MMI assessment should form an integral part of the multi-disciplinary heart team discussion for patients with MVD to help with complex decision-making regarding the choice and timing of treatment.

Cellular Response of Immune Cells in the Upper Respiratory Tract After Treatment with Cold Atmospheric Plasma In Vitro.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has antimicrobial properties and is also known to stimulate the immune system. These properties could be useful for the development of a novel therapeutic or preventive strategy against respiratory infections in the upper respiratory tract (URT) such as ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) without inducing an immune overreaction. This study investigated the cellular responses of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) after exposure to CAP in a three-dimensional (3D) model of the URT.

Bacterial Communities From Two Freshwater Aquaculture Systems in Northern Germany.

The microbial communities in aquaculture systems are primarily affected by changes in water quality, fish metabolism, feeding strategies and fish disease prevention treatments. Monitoring changes in aquatic microbiomes related to aquaculture activities is necessary to improve management strategies and reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture water discharge. This study assessed the effects of activities within two fish farms on water microbiome composition by analysing the water entering and leaving both systems.

Effects of Pressure, Hypoxia, and Hyperoxia on Neutrophil Granulocytes.

The application of normo- and hyperbaric O is a common therapy option in various disease patterns. Thereby, the applied O affects the whole body, including the blood and its components. This study investigates influences of pressure and oxygen fraction on human blood plasma, nutrient media, and the functions of neutrophil granulocytes (PMNs).

Optimization of the Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Combining Photodynamic Therapy with Cold Atmospheric Plasma.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is characterized by a reddish or occasionally skin-toned rough patch on sun-damaged skin, and it is regarded as a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Photodynamic therapy (PDT), utilizing 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) along with red light, is a recognized treatment option for AK that is limited by the penetration depth of light and the distribution of the photosensitizer into the skin. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a partially ionized gas with permeability-enhancing and anti-cancer properties.

In Vitro Safety Study on the Use of Cold Atmospheric Plasma in the Upper Respiratory Tract.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) devices generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, have antimicrobial and antiviral properties, but also affect the molecular and cellular mechanisms of eukaryotic cells. The aim of this study is to investigate CAP treatment in the upper respiratory tract (URT) to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (especially superinfections with multi-resistant pathogens) or viral infections (e.g.

Hemoglobin-Albumin-Lymphocyte-Platelet (HALP) Score as a Predictive Value of Incidental Prostate Cancer for Patients Going for Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP): A Single-Center Study.

Aims Prostate cancer (PC) is a significant health concern worldwide, and early detection is crucial for effective treatment. This study aimed to investigate the role of the hemoglobin-albumin-lymphocyte-platelet (HALP) score in detecting prostate cancer in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Additionally, a comprehensive analysis was performed to explore clinical parameters associated with incidentally diagnosed prostate cancer post TURP.

Infective Endocarditis in Belgium: Prospective Data in Adults from the ESC EORP European Endocarditis Registry.

(1) Background: infective endocarditis (IE) is a significant health concern associated with important morbidity and mortality. Only limited, often monocentric, retrospective data on IE in Belgium are available. This prospective study sought to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of Belgian IE patients in the ESC EORP European endocarditis (EURO-ENDO) registry; (2) Methods: 132 IE patients were identified based on the ESC 2015 criteria and included in six tertiary hospitals in Belgium; (3) Results: The average Belgian IE patient was male and 62.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Patients With Discordant High-Gradient Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Conflicting prognostic results have been reported in patients with discordant high-gradient aortic stenosis ([DHG-AS] the combination of a mean pressure gradient ≥40 mm Hg and an aortic valve area [AVA] >1 cm). Moreover, existing studies only included selected patients without concomitant aortic regurgitation.

Objectives: The authors assessed the prevalence and survival of patients presenting with DHG-AS in an unselected group of consecutive patients presenting to the echocardiography laboratory of a tertiary referral center.

Papillary muscle rupture without severe mitral regurgitation following percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy: a case report.

Background: Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is the first-line therapy of clinically significant rheumatic mitral stenosis. While the procedure is generally safe, new onset or aggravation of mitral regurgitation (MR) may occur, mainly due to commissural splitting and, less frequently, to leaflet tear and chordal rupture. Papillary muscle rupture (PMR) is exceedingly rare in this setting.

Reaching the steady state: 30 years of infection of European eel, L., in Northern Germany.

A 30 years long data series on the infection dynamics of European eel ( L.) with the non-native invasive nematode Kuwahara, Niimi & Hagaki, 1974 is presented. Parasite burden was evaluated for 30 years in inland and coastal waters in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from 1991 to 2020.

Valorising pasta industry wastes by the scale up and integration of solid-state and liquid-submerged fermentations.

Pasta waste has previously been studied in a process to obtain lactic acid through a sequential hydrolysis and fermentation. The process was improved by using enzymes produced via solid-state fermentation of wheat bran in shake flasks. However, the scale-up of the solid-state fermentation is a complex task.

Locally Invasive Papillary Intralymphatic Angioendothelioma Arising Within a Lymphatic/Venous Malformation.

BACKGROUND Papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma (PILA) is a rare vascular tumor affecting children and young adults, with less than 50 cases reported in the literature. This tumor typically presents in the extremities, exhibits borderline behavior, and has a prominent lymphatic phenotype. Originally thought to be malignant, PILA was later recognized for its borderline behavior and lymphatic features, leading to its current classification as a "rarely metastasizing lymphatic vascular neoplasm".

Single-cell analysis reveals dynamics of human B cell differentiation and identifies novel B and antibody-secreting cell intermediates.

Differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) is a key process to generate protective humoral immunity. A detailed understanding of the cues controlling ASC differentiation is important to devise strategies to modulate antibody formation. Here, we dissected differentiation trajectories of human naive B cells into ASCs using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Selective emergence of antibody-secreting cells in the multiple sclerosis brain.

Background: Although distinct brain-homing B cells have been identified in multiple sclerosis (MS), it is unknown how these further evolve to contribute to local pathology. We explored B-cell maturation in the central nervous system (CNS) of MS patients and determined their association with immunoglobulin (Ig) production, T-cell presence, and lesion formation.

Methods: Ex vivo flow cytometry was performed on post-mortem blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), meninges and white matter from 28 MS and 10 control brain donors to characterize B cells and antibody-secreting cells (ASCs).

Parasites of pufferfish, spp. and of the Israeli Mediterranean: A new case of Lessepsian endoparasites.

With the opening of the Suez Canal as a link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in 1869, the biogeographical event of the Lessepsian migration has been starting. Aided by beneficial conditions in the new habitat, almost 500 marine species have immigrated and often established themselves in the Mediterranean Sea, including several pufferfish species, with all of them extending their range and becoming important components of the local fauna. The parasitic fauna of these pufferfish has scarcely been examined in the Mediterranean Sea or in their native range, which provides the opportunity to study host-parasite interaction in a new habitat.

T-cells in human trigeminal ganglia express canonical tissue-resident memory T-cell markers.

Background: Trigeminal ganglia (TG) neurons are the main site of lifelong latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection. T-cells in ganglia contribute to long-term control of latent HSV-1 infection, but it is unclear whether these cells are bona fide tissue-resident memory T-cells (T). We optimized the processing of human post-mortem nervous tissue to accurately phenotype T-cells in human TG ex vivo and in situ.