Clinical Utility of Systolic Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Atrial Fibrillation: Role of Prospective ECG-Triggered Cardiac CT.

Background: The assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic function and quantification of LV ejection fraction (EF) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) can be difficult. We previously demonstrated that LV volume changes over the 100 ms of systole (LVEF) can be used as a measure of LV systolic function.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the applicability of LVEF in AF patients.

Rationale and Design of the Prevail Global Trial Program Evaluating the Prevail Drug-Coated Balloon in Patients with In-stent Restenosis and De Novo Small Vessel Disease.

Background And Rationale: In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains the leading cause of treatment failure following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with contemporary drug-eluting stents. Especially in small caliber coronary arteries, restenosis is common following PCI and represents a treatment challenge. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) are an attractive alternative to stents for treatment of both ISR and small vessel disease.

Dichloroacetate: A metabolic game-changer in alleviating macrophage inflammation and enhancing recovery after myocardial infarction.

Background: Dichloroacetate (DCA) has shown potential in modulating cellular metabolism and inflammation, particularly in cardiac conditions. This study investigates DCA's protective effects in a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI), focusing on its ability to enhance cardiac function, reduce inflammation, and shift macrophage polarization from the pro-inflammatory M1 to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype.

Methods: An acute MI model was created using left anterior descending coronary artery ligation.

TARGETING LUNG HEME IRON BY AEROSOL HEMOPEXIN ADMINSTRATION IN SICKLE CELL DISEASE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION.

Lung tissue from human patients and murine models of sickle cell disease pulmonary hypertension (SCD-PH) show perivascular regions with excessive iron accumulation. The iron accumulation arises from chronic hemolysis and extravasation of hemoglobin (Hb) into the lung adventitial spaces, where it is linked to nitric oxide depletion, oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue hypoxia, which collectively drive SCD-PH. Here, we tested the hypothesis that intrapulmonary delivery of hemopexin (Hpx) to the deep lung is effective at scavenging heme-iron and attenuating the progression of SCD-PH.

Psychophysiological stress response, emotion dysregulation and sleep parameters as predictors of psychopathology in adolescents and young adults.

Background: Increased emotional reactivity to stress, emotional dysregulation and sleep disturbances are interdependent trans-diagnostic processes that are present in internalising disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. This study investigated which objective and subjective parameters of stress reactivity, sleep and emotional processing would predict symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents and young adults.

Methods: Participants were adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 to 21 (N = 106, 25[24 %] male, M age = 17.

Six-month safety and efficacy outcomes from the randomized-controlled arm of the WRAPSODY Arteriovenous Access Efficacy (WAVE) trial.

Stenosis within the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) of hemodialysis patients leads to vascular access dysfunction and inadequate hemodialysis. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the standard therapy for stenosis. However, rates of restenosis and loss of access patency remain high.

Atrial fibrillation versus. atrial myopathy in thrombogenesis: Two sides of the same coin?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial myopathy are recognized contributors to cardiovascular morbidity, particularly ischemic stroke. AF poses an elevated risk of thrombogenesis due to irregular heart rhythm leading to blood stasis and clot formation. Atrial myopathy, marked by structural and functional alterations in the atria, is emerging as a crucial factor influencing thromboembolic events, independently of AF.

Apixaban versus aspirin for stroke prevention in people with subclinical atrial fibrillation and a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack: subgroup analysis of the ARTESiA randomised controlled trial.

Background: People with subclinical atrial fibrillation are at increased risk of stroke, albeit to a lesser extent than those with clinical atrial fibrillation, leading to an ongoing debate regarding the benefit of anticoagulation in these individuals. In the ARTESiA trial, the direct-acting oral anticoagulant apixaban reduced stroke or systemic embolism compared with aspirin in people with subclinical atrial fibrillation, but the risk of major bleeding was increased with apixaban. In a prespecified subgroup analysis of ARTESiA, we tested the hypothesis that people with subclinical atrial fibrillation and a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack, who are known to have an increased risk of recurrent stroke, would show a greater benefit from oral anticoagulation for secondary stroke prevention compared with those without a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack.

An electrochemical aptasensor based on bimetallic carbon nanocomposites AuPt@rGO for ultrasensitive detection of adenosine on portable potentiostat.

Adenosine plays a crucial role in the cardiovascular and nervous systems of living organisms. Excessive adenosine can lead to arrhythmias or heart failure, making the accurate detection of adenosine highly valuable. Given the widespread use of sensors for detecting small molecules, we propose a sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for adenosine detection in this study.

Integrative deep immune profiling of the elderly reveals systems-level signatures of aging, sex, smoking, and clinical traits.

Background: Aging increases disease susceptibility and reduces vaccine responsiveness, highlighting the need to better understand the aging immune system and its clinical associations. Studying the human immune system, however, remains challenging due to its complexity and significant inter-individual variability.

Methods: We conducted an immune profiling study of 550 elderly participants (≥60 years) and 100 young controls (20-40 years) from the RESIST Senior Individuals (SI) cohort.

The endothelial surface layer-glycocalyx - Universal nano-infrastructure is fundamental to physiology, cell traffic and a complementary neural network.

The glycocalyx and its associated endothelial surface layer which lines all cell membranes and most tissues, dwarfs the phospholipid membrane of cells in extent. Its major components are sulphated polymers like heparan and chondroitin sulphates and hyaluronic acid. These form a fuzzy layer of unknown structure and function.

Isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism identification based on international classification of diseases (ICD)-10 codes and imaging reports.

Background: Isolated subsegmental pulmonary embolism (issPE) is a commonly encountered diagnosis. Although the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes are used for research, their validity for identifying issPE is unknown. Moreover, issPE diagnosis is challenging, and the findings from radiology reports may conflict with those from expert radiologists.

Dynamics of troponins and 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with pulmonary embolism.

Background: In patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), the impact of repeated troponin I or T (TnI/TnT) measurements remains unclear.

Methods: Using Danish national registries, we identified PE patients (≥18 years) hospitalized between 2013 and 2018 with initial TnI or TnT measurement within -1/+1 day from admission and >1 repeated measurement within three days. Trajectories of TnI and TnT were identified using latent class trajectory modeling.

Immersive exposure to simulated visual hallucinations modulates high-level human cognition.

Psychedelic drugs offer valuable insights into consciousness, but disentangling their causal effects on perceptual and high-level cognition is nontrivial. Technological advances in virtual reality (VR) and machine learning have enabled the immersive simulation of visual hallucinations. However, comprehensive experimental data on how these simulated hallucinations affects high-level human cognition is lacking.

A Comparative Study Between Cold Static Storage and Normothermic Ex-Situ Donor Heart Preservation in a Rat Model of Heterotopic Heart Transplantation.

Introduction: Cold static storage (CSS) and normothermic ex-situ preservation are the most widely used donor heart preservation techniques worldwide. The current study compares both CSS and normothermic ex-situ preservation methods in terms of graft performance, morphologic changes, and acute immune response in an experimental model.

Method And Materials: Twenty rats underwent heterotopic abdominal heart transplantation after 2 h of CSS (group 1; n = 10) or normothermic ex-situ perfusion (group 2; n = 10).

Gentisic acid protects Sprague-Dawley rats from myocardial infarction through reversing electrocardiographical, biochemical and histopathological abnormalities.

Gentisic acid (GA), a cytochrome P450 metabolite of the antiplatelet drug aspirin, exhibits smooth muscle relaxant, antiatherogenic, and antioxidant activities. It also has a protective role in hypertrophic heart failure, suggesting its role in the management of myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to explore the protective activity of GA in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced MI in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats in-vivo, followed by mechanistic investigation ex-vivo.

Cardiac Implications in Dravet Syndrome: Can Electrocardiogram and Echocardiography Detect Hidden Risks?

Background: Dravet syndrome (DS) is a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy associated with loss-of-function variants in the SCN1A gene. Although predominantly expressed in the central nervous system, SCN1A is also expressed in the heart, suggesting a potential link between neuronal and cardiac channelopathies. Additionally, DS carries a high risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Associations of Serum Urate and Cardiovascular Events in a Clinical Trial of Interleukin-1β Blockade.

Background: Serum urate (SU) associates with cardiovascular (CV) events, mortality, and gout.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess whether SU predicts CV risk in a trial of interleukin (IL)-1β inhibition with canakinumab, and whether IL-1β blockade, kidney function, or gout alter these associations.

Methods: This study is a subanalysis of the Canakinumab Antiinflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study (CANTOS), which randomized 10,061 patients with prior myocardial infarction and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to 3 doses of canakinumab or placebo.

Precision of in vivo pressure gradient estimations using synthetic aperture ultrasound.

Non-invasive estimation of pressure differences using 2D synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging offers a precise, low-cost, and risk-free diagnostic tool. Unlike invasive techniques, this preserves natural blood flow and avoids the limitations of devices that occupy lumen space. This paper evaluates a previously published estimator, modified to incorporate Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) echo-cancellation, using data from ten healthy volunteers and one patient.

How to correct QT interval after cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

Introduction: This study evaluates various formulae used to correct the QT interval in patients with wide QRS complexes to calculate corrected QT (QTc) following Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT).

Methods: We included patients with severe heart failure and left bundle branch block, presenting with a QRS duration of at least 120 milliseconds, who underwent successful CRT implantation. Patients were excluded if they had non-lateral left ventricular lead placement, metabolic disorders, atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, or high-degree atrioventricular block prior to implantation.