Progression and prognostic significance of electrocardiographic findings in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the change of the main electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics and their prognostic role across the main subtypes of cardiac amyloidosis [light-chain amyloidosis (AL) and hereditary (ATTRv) and wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt)].

Methods And Results: This multicentre, retrospective study was performed in six referral centres for cardiac amyloidosis. Clinical and ECG data were collected at the first and last evaluations.

Health text simplification: An annotated corpus for digestive cancer education and novel strategies for reinforcement learning.

Objective: The reading level of health educational materials significantly influences the understandability and accessibility of the information, particularly for minoritized populations. Many patient educational resources surpass widely accepted standards for reading level and complexity. There is a critical need for high-performing text simplification models for health information to enhance dissemination and literacy.

Impact of the Noninvasive Diagnostic Algorithm on Clinical Presentation and Prognosis in Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Background: The introduction of a noninvasive diagnostic algorithm in 2016 led to increased awareness and recognition of cardiac amyloidosis (CA).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the introduction of the noninvasive diagnostic algorithm on diagnosis and prognosis in a multicenter Italian CA cohort.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 887 CA patients from 5 Italian Cardiomyopathies Referral Centers: 311 light-chain CA, 87 variant transthyretin (TTR)-related CA, 489 wild-type TTR-related CA.

Competitive (but not cooperative) body odors bias the discrimination of action intentions towards cooperation.

Odors help us to interpret the environment, including the nature of social interactions. But, whether and how they influence the ability to discriminate the intentional states embedded in actions is unclear. In two experiments, we asked two independent groups of participants to discriminate motor intentions from videos showing one agent performing a reach-to-grasp movement with another agent with a cooperative or a competitive intent, and the same movement performed alone at either natural- or fast-speed, as controls.

An APEX2-based proximity-dependent biotinylation assay with temporal specificity to study protein interactions during autophagy in the yeast .

Autophagosome biogenesis is a complex process orchestrated by dynamic interactions between Atg (autophagy-related) proteins and characterized by the turnover of specific cargoes, which can differ over time and depending on how autophagy is stimulated. Proteomic analyses are central to uncover protein-protein interaction networks and when combined with proximity-dependent biotinylation or proximity labeling (PL) approaches, they also permit to detect transient and weak interactions. However, current PL procedures for yeast , one of the leading models for the study of autophagy, do not allow to keep temporal specificity and thus identify interactions and cargoes at a precise time point upon autophagy induction.

PAR level mediates the link between ROS and inflammatory response in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by disrupted glucose homeostasis and metabolic abnormalities, with oxidative stress and inflammation playing pivotal roles in its pathophysiology. Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) is a post-translational process involving the addition of ADP-ribose polymers (PAR) to target proteins. While preclinical studies have implicated PARylation in the interplay between oxidative stress and inflammation in T2DM, direct clinical evidence in humans remains limited.

Morphology characterization of dendrites on lithium metal electrodes by NMR spectroscopy.

Despite the considerable potential offered by lithium metal's high capacity for rechargeable batteries, challenges such as dendrite formation and safety concerns persist. As strategies continue to advance in dendrite management, the demand for efficient monitoring tools becomes increasingly pronounced. In this study, we delve into the characterization of dendrites, elucidating the influence of microstructure morphology on the NMR spectrum using a combination of simulations and experiments.

Hyperthermia-induced changes in leukocyte survival and phagocytosis: a comparative study in bovine and buffalo leukocytes.

Heat stress negatively affects health, welfare, and livestock productivity by impairing immune function, increasing disease incidence. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in understanding the immune system of water buffalo due to the growing economic impact of this species for the high quality and nutritional value of buffalo milk. While there are common responses across bovine and buffalo species, there are also some species-specific variations in the physiological responses to heat stress, mainly attributed to differences in metabolism and heat dissipation efficiency.

Clinical characteristics and outcome of end stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Role of age and heart failure phenotypes.

Background: A minority of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) presents advanced heart failure (HF) during their clinical course, in the context of left ventricular (LV) remodeling with reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF), or of severe diastolic dysfunction without impaired LVEF. Aim of this study was to describe a multicentric end stage (ES) HCM population and analyze clinical course and outcome among its different phenotypes.

Methods: Data of all HCM patients from 7 Italian referral centres were retrospectively evaluated.

Cancer Treatment-Related Complications in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Objective: To describe the potential clinical cardiotoxicity of oncological treatments in a cohort of consecutive patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), systematically followed-up at two national referral centers for HCM. Cardiotoxicity relates to the direct effects of cancer-related treatment on heart function, commonly presenting as left ventricular contractile dysfunction. However, limited data are available regarding cardiotoxic effects on HCM as most studies have not specifically analyzed the effects of oncological treatment in HCM populations.

Cardiac Involvement in Classical Organic Acidurias: Clinical Profile and Outcome in a Pediatric Cohort.

Background: Cardiac involvement is reported in a significant proportion of patients with classical organic acidurias (OAs), contributing to disability and premature death. Different cardiac phenotypes have been described, among which dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is predominant. Despite recent progress in diagnosis and treatment, the natural history of patients with OAs remains unresolved, specifically with regard to the impact of cardiac complications.

Focus on Paediatric Restrictive Cardiomyopathy: Frequently Asked Questions.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is characterized by restrictive ventricular pathophysiology determined by increased myocardial stiffness. While suspicion of RCM is initially raised by clinical evaluation and supported by electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings, invasive hemodynamic evaluation is often required for diagnosis and management of patients during follow-up. RCM is commonly associated with a poor prognosis and a high incidence of heart failure, and PH is reported in paediatric patients with RCM.

Features of lexical complexity: insights from L1 and L2 speakers.

We discover sizable differences between the lexical complexity assignments of first language (L1) and second language (L2) English speakers. The complexity assignments of 940 shared tokens without context were extracted and compared from three lexical complexity prediction (LCP) datasets: the CompLex dataset, the Word Complexity Lexicon, and the CERF-J wordlist. It was found that word frequency, length, syllable count, familiarity, and prevalence as well as a number of derivations had a greater effect on perceived lexical complexity for L2 English speakers than they did for L1 English speakers.

Inhibition of glutaminase-1 in DLBCL potentiates venetoclax-induced antitumor activity by promoting oxidative stress.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma in adults, but first-line immunochemotherapy fails to produce a durable response in about one-third of the patients. Because tumor cells often reprogram their metabolism, we investigated the importance of glutaminolysis, a pathway converting glutamine to generate energy and various metabolites, for the growth of DLBCL cells. Glutaminase-1 (GLS1) expression was robustly detected in DLBCL biopsy samples and cell lines.

Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is associated with DNA methylation changes at DNA repeats: A pilot study.

The control of non-coding repeated DNA by DNA methylation plays an important role in genomic stability, contributing to health and healthy aging. Mind-body practices can elicit psychophysical wellbeing via epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation. However, in this context the effects of movement meditations have rarely been examined.

Serial Changes in Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Parameters in Untreated Patients With Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Background: Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is associated with a progressive reduction of functional capacity. The progression of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters over time is still unknown.

Methods: In this study, 55 patients with ATTR-CM underwent 2 serial cardiologic evaluations and CPETs in a national referral center for cardiac amyloidosis (Careggi University Hospital, Florence).