Modified torso vs distal limb electrode placement for performing ECGs in children: A method comparison study.

Background: The electrocardiogram (ECG) is routinely performed in children with the limb electrodes positioned on the torso, but few studies have investigated the effects of this modification on the pediatric ECG. Our objective was to assess the agreement between the standard limb lead configuration and a modified torso electrode configuration in normal, healthy children, and to assess the effect of height on that agreement.

Methods: 185 children aged 5-18 years underwent two consecutive 12‑lead ECGs, one with standard distal limb lead placement and one with the limb leads placed on the torso.

There are multiple clocks that time us: Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among 14 alternative indicators of age and aging.

Aging is a complex process influenced by mechanisms operating at numerous levels of functioning. Multiple biomarkers of age have been identified, yet we know little about how the different alternative age indicators are intertwined. In the Berlin Aging Study II (nmin= 328; nmax= 1,517, women = 51%; 14.

Evaluation of easy-to-implement anti-stress interventions in a series of N-of-1 trials: study protocol of the anti-stress intervention among physicians study.

Background: Adverse effects of chronically high levels of stress on physical and mental health are well established. In physicians, the effects of elevated stress levels exceed the individual level and include treatment errors and reduced quality of patient-doctor relationships. Breathing and mindfulness-based exercises have been shown to reduce stress and could serve as an immediate and easy-to-implement anti-stress intervention among physicians.

Immune Phenotype-Genotype Associations in Primary Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Matched Metastatic Tissue.

Adjuvant immunotherapy has been recently recommended for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but there are no tissue biomarkers to predict treatment response in ccRCC. Potential predictive biomarkers are mainly assessed in primary tumor tissue, whereas metastases (METs) remain understudied. To explore potential differences between genomic alterations and immune phenotypes in primary tumors and their matched METs, we analyzed primary tumors (PTs) of 47 ccRCC patients and their matched distant METs by comprehensive targeted parallel sequencing, whole-genome copy number variation analysis, determination of microsatellite instability, and tumor mutational burden.

In Vivo Endothelial Cell Gene Silencing by siRNA-LNPs Tuned with Lipoamino Bundle Chemical and Ligand Targeting.

Although small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are specific silencers for numerous disease-related genes, their clinical applications still require safe and effective means of delivery into target cells. Highly efficient lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are developed for siRNA delivery, showcasing the advantages of novel pH-responsive lipoamino xenopeptide (XP) carriers. These sequence-defined XPs are assembled by branched lysine linkages between cationizable polar succinoyl tetraethylene pentamine (Stp) units and apolar lipoamino fatty acids (LAFs) at various ratios into bundle or U-shape topologies.

Outcomes Associated with Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysms after Kawasaki Disease: A Single-Center United States Experience.

Objectives: To determine the long-term outcomes among a cohort of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) and a history of giant coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) at a single US center.

Study Design: Medical records for all patients with KD and giant CAAs at a pediatric academic institution were reviewed. Primary outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and normalization of CA luminal diameter, using Kaplan-Meier analyses.

Change in body weight of older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal results from the Berlin Aging Study II.

Objectives: Change in body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic as an unintended side effect of lockdown measures has been predominantly reported for younger and middle-aged adults. However, information on older adults for which weight loss is known to result in adverse outcomes, is scarce. In this study we describe the body weight change in older adults before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown measures and explore putative associated factors with a focus on the period that includes the first six months of the COVID-19 containment measures.

"But for the blind spot": Accuracy and diagnostic performance of smart watch cardiac features in pediatric patients.

Background: The Apple Watch™ (AW) offers heart rate (HR) tracking by photoplethysmography (PPG) and single-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings. The accuracy of AW-HR and diagnostic performance of AW-ECGs among children during both sinus rhythm and arrhythmias have not been explored.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to assess the accuracy of AW-HR measurements compared to gold standard modalities in children during sinus rhythm and arrhythmias and to identify non-sinus rhythms using AW-ECGs.

Genome-wide QTL mapping across three tissues highlights several Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease loci potentially acting via DNA methylation.

DNA methylation (DNAm) is an epigenetic mark with essential roles in disease development and predisposition. Here, we created genome-wide maps of methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTL) in three peripheral tissues and used Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to assess the potential causal relationships between DNAm and risk for two common neurodegenerative disorders, i.e.

Longitudinal echocardiographic parameters before and after pacemaker placement in congenital complete heart block.

Background: Congenital complete heart block (CCHB) is seen in 1:15,000-1:20,000 live births, with risk of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or dilated cardiomyopathy in 7%-23% of subjects.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate serial changes in LV size and systolic function in paced CCHB subjects to examine the effect of time from pacemaker on echocardiographic parameters.

Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort analysis of paced CCHB subjects was performed.

Electrocardiographic Findings in Genotype-Positive and Non-sarcomeric Children with Definite Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Subclinical Variant Carriers.

In children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the genotype-phenotype association of abnormal electrocardiographic (ECG) features in the backdrop of gene positivity has not been well described. This study aimed to describe the abnormal ECG findings in children with HCM harboring who have genetic variants and determine the association with major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We retrospectively analyzed 81 variants-positive, phenotype-positive (V+P+), 66 variant-positive, phenotype-negative (V+P-), and 85 non-sarcomeric subjects.

Risk Stratification in Pediatric Wolff-Parkinson-White: Practice Variation Among Pediatric Cardiologists and Electrophysiologists.

Background: Published guidelines provide recommendations for risk stratification in pediatric Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW). There are no data on provider concordance with these guidelines. We hypothesized that significant practice variation exists between pediatric cardiologists (PC) and electrophysiologists (EP).

Sex-specific associations of serum selenium and selenoprotein P with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the Berlin Aging Study II.

Background: Selenium is essential for expression and proper function of a set of redox active selenoproteins implicated in aging-relevant diseases, e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and hypertension.

Self-reported and accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity in older adults: results from the Berlin Aging Study II.

Physical activity (PA) has a substantial impact on health and mortality. Besides questionnaires that rely on subjective assessment of activity levels, accelerometers can help to objectify an individual's PA. In this study, variables estimating PA and sleep time obtained through the wGT3X-BT activity monitor (ActiGraph LLC, USA) in 797 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) were analyzed.

A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Intranasal Oxytocin to Promote Weight Loss in Individuals With Hypothalamic Obesity.

Context: Hypothalamic obesity is a rare, treatment-resistant form of obesity. In preliminary studies, the hypothalamic hormone oxytocin (OXT) has shown promise as a potential weight loss therapy.

Objective: To determine whether 8 weeks of intranasal OXT (vs 8 weeks of placebo) promotes weight loss in children, adolescents, and young adults with hypothalamic obesity.

Diabetes type 2 in the Berlin Aging Study II: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data on prevalence, incidence and severity over on average seven years of follow-up.

Aims: Aim of the current study was to describe the prevalence, incidence, and severity of diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2D) in a cohort of older men and women aged 60 years and above over the course of on average 7 years, since longitudinal data on this topic are scarce for this age group in Germany.

Methods: Baseline data of 1671 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II; 68.8 ± 3.

Land-use induced soil carbon stabilization at the expense of rock derived nutrients: insights from pristine Andean soils.

Soils contain significantly more carbon than the atmosphere, hence we should understand how best to stabilize it. Unfortunately, the role of human interventions on soil organic carbon (SOC) persistence in the Anthropocene remains vague, lacking adequate sites that allow unbiased direct comparisons of pristine and human influenced soils. Here we present data from a unique study system in the High Andes that guarantees pristineness of the reference sites by physical inaccessibility through vertical cliffs.

DNA methylation age acceleration is associated with risk of diabetes complications.

Background: Patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are at risk for micro- and macrovascular complications. Implementable risk scores are needed to improve targeted prevention for patients that are particularly susceptible to complications. The epigenetic clock estimates an individual's biological age using DNA methylation profiles.

Epigenetic aging in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease: results of the LipidCardio study.

Introduction: People age biologically at different rates. Epigenetic clock-derived DNA methylation age acceleration (DNAmAA) is among the most promising markers proposed to assess the interindividual differences in biological age. Further research is needed to evaluate the characteristics of the different epigenetic clock biomarkers available with respect to the health domains they reflect best.

Epigenome-Wide Association Study in Peripheral Tissues Highlights DNA Methylation Profiles Associated with Episodic Memory Performance in Humans.

The decline in episodic memory (EM) performance is a hallmark of cognitive aging and an early clinical sign in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) using DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from buccal and blood samples for cross-sectional (n = 1019) and longitudinal changes in EM performance (n = 626; average follow-up time 5.4 years) collected under the auspices of the Lifebrain consortium project.

Palliative care screening tools in the gynecologic oncology population: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: Patients with gynecologic malignancies experience high symptom burden associated with both their disease and sequelae of treatment, and are at risk for aggressive (and often futile) care at end-of-life. Early palliative care (PC) involvement is essential to improving quality of life in this population of patients through symptom management and advanced care planning discussions. The purpose of this review article is to discuss current PC screening tools used to trigger PC consultations for patients with gynecologic malignancies.