Spatial QRS-T angle can indicate presence of myocardial fibrosis in pediatric and young adult patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Myocardial fibrosis, expressed as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), is an important risk factor for malignant cardiac events in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, CMR is not easily available, expensive, also needing intravenous access and contrast.

Objective: To determine if derived vectorcardiographic spatial QRS-T angles, an aspect of advanced ECG (A-ECG), can indicate LGE to appropriately prioritize young HCM-patients for CMR.

Nintedanib in rheumatoid arthritis related interstitial lung disease: real-world safety profile and risk of side effects and discontinuation.

Objective: Some concerns remain about the safety of nintedanib in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA-ILD), such as in presence of comorbidities or in combination with biologic, targeted synthetic and/or conventional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). In this multicentre study, we retrospectively evaluated the safety of nintedanib in a real-world population of RA-ILD patients from Italian GISEA registry and the possible role of comorbidities and DMARDs on drug safety and withdrawal. Secondary aim was to investigate the causes of nintedanib discontinuation.

Specific Degradation of the Mucin Domain of Lubricin in Synovial Fluid Impairs Cartilage Lubrication.

Progressive cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and joint lubrication dysfunction are key markers of osteoarthritis. The composition of synovial fluid (SF) is altered in OA, with changes to both hyaluronic acid and lubricin, the primary lubricating molecules in SF. Lubricin's distinct bottlebrush mucin domain has been speculated to contribute to its lubricating ability, but the relationship between its structure and mechanical function in SF is not well understood.

Impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: a national Swedish registry study on high-risk treatments and vulnerable patient groups.

Background: Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are known psychiatric conditions in Parkinson's disease (PD), especially as a side effect of antiparkinsonian therapy. Screening for vulnerable patients and avoiding high-risk treatments can be an effective approach to reduce the ICD burden in patients with PD. Thus, our goal was to identify risk factors for ICDs in PD in the Swedish total population.

Going Beyond Childhood and Gender-Based Violence: Epigenetic Modifications and Inheritance.

Being exposed to childhood or gender-based violence is associated with subsequent adverse events in individual lives. Not only can it cause psychological distress but violence survivors suffer from a range of long-term adverse health outcomes, including higher morbidity, higher mortality, and higher risk of chronic diseases. Epigenetics may be involved in the determinisms of these long-term detrimental effects.

Global longitudinal strain in long-term risk prediction after acute coronary syndrome: an investigation of added prognostic value to ejection fraction.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the additional value of global longitudinal strain (GLS) on top of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in long-term risk prediction of combined death and heart failure (HF) re-hospitalization after acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Method And Results: This retrospective study included patients admitted with ACS between 2008 and 2014 from the three participating university hospitals. LVEF and GLS were assessed at a core lab from images acquired during the index hospital stay.

Salt preferences of horses for types of NaCl offered.

Salt (NaCl) is an essential nutrient for horses because their diet is low in sodium and they lose salt in sweat. Given the many types of salt block available, 342 horse owners were surveyed to see what type they offered their horses. The owners most often offered plain(30%) mineralized (29%) or Himalayan salt blocks.

Sensitivity and specificity of handheld one lead ECG detecting atrial fibrillation in an outpatient clinic setting.

Aims: To validate the sensitivity and specificity of the Zenicor One handheld ECG device for detection of atrial fibrillation in an outpatient clinical setting.

Methods And Results: Patients attending outpatient clinics at Danderyd Hospital (n = 220) were examined with one lead handheld ECG immediately after standard care 12‑lead ECG recording. Twelve recordings were excluded (atrial flutter or pacing) or missing.

Pediatric post-discharge mortality in resource-poor countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Under-five mortality remains concentrated in resource-poor countries. Post-discharge mortality is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to overall child mortality. With a substantial recent expansion of research and novel data synthesis methods, this study aims to update the current evidence base by providing a more nuanced understanding of the burden and associated risk factors of pediatric post-discharge mortality after acute illness.

Plasma levels of PRO-C3, a type III collagen synthesis marker, are associated with arterial stiffness and increased risk of cardiovascular death.

Background And Aims: The N-terminal propeptide of type III collagen (PRO-C3) assay measures a pro-peptide released during type III collagen synthesis, an important feature of arterial stiffening and atherogenesis. There is a clinical need for improved non-invasive, cheap and easily accessible methods for evaluating individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we investigate the potential of using circulating levels of PRO-C3 to mark the degree of vascular stenosis and risk of cardiovascular events.

Impulse oscillometry indices in relation to respiratory symptoms and spirometry in the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study.

Background: Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is sensitive in detecting lung function impairment. In small studies, impaired IOS relates better to respiratory symptoms than spirometry. We studied how IOS related to spirometry and respiratory symptoms in a large population of individuals (n=10 360) in a cross-sectional analysis.

Proteomic characteristics and diagnostic potential of exhaled breath particles in patients with COVID-19.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to predominantly infect the airways and the respiratory tract and too often have an unpredictable and different pathologic pattern compared to other respiratory diseases. Current clinical diagnostical tools in pulmonary medicine expose patients to harmful radiation, are too unspecific or even invasive. Proteomic analysis of exhaled breath particles (EBPs) in contrast, are non-invasive, sample directly from the pathological source and presents as a novel explorative and diagnostical tool.

Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma: clinical and serological features and relationship with other cutaneous subsets in a large series of patients from the national registry 'SPRING' of the Italian Society for Rheumatology.

Objective: To describe demographic, clinical and laboratory features of systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc) in a large multicentre systemic sclerosis (SSc) cohort.

Methods: Data involving 1808 SSc patients from Italian Systemic sclerosis PRogression INvestiGation registry were collected. The ssSSc was defined by the absence of any cutaneous sclerosis and/or puffy fingers.

Drug-Induced Gambling Disorder: Epidemiology, Neurobiology, and Management.

Problematic gambling has been suggested to be a possible consequence of dopaminergic medications used mainly in neurological conditions, i.e. pramipexole and ropinirole, and possibly by one antipsychotic compound, aripiprazole.

Description of the technique for laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in canine cadavers: 2D vs. 3D camera.

Objective: To describe the technique of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy in canine cadavers.

Study Design: Cadaveric study.

Animals: 8 canine cadavers.

Long term outcome after toxic nodular goitre.

Background: The purpose of treating toxic nodular goitre (TNG) is to reverse hyperthyroidism, prevent recurrent disease, relieve symptoms and preserve thyroid function. Treatment efficacies and long-term outcomes of antithyroid drugs (ATD), radioactive iodine (RAI) or surgery vary in the literature. Symptoms often persist for a long time following euthyroidism, and previous studies have demonstrated long-term cognitive and quality of life (QoL) impairments.

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with critical influenza pneumonia.

Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie critical COVID-19 pneumonia and yellow fever vaccine disease. We report here on 13 patients harboring autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 alone (five patients) or with IFN-ω (eight patients) from a cohort of 279 patients (4.7%) aged 6-73 yr with critical influenza pneumonia.

The 6-min walk test as a primary end-point in interstitial lung disease.

There is a need for clinical trial end-points to better assess how patients feel and function, so that interventions can be developed which alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. Use of 6-min walk test (6MWT) outcomes as a primary end-point in interstitial lung disease (ILD) trials is growing, particularly for drugs targeting concurrent pulmonary hypertension. However, 6MWT outcomes may be influenced differentially by interstitial lung and pulmonary vascular components of ILD, making interpretation complicated.

Obesity, leptin and host defence of : the case for more human research.

Pneumococcal pneumonia is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Obesity is a risk factor for pneumonia. Host factors play a critical role in susceptibility to pulmonary pathogens and outcome from pulmonary infections.

Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature.

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas.