Left ventricular elastance with resting volumetric transthoracic echocardiography identifies different phenotypes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A retrospective analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous entity including patients with different phenotypes of near normal, normal, and supernormal left ventricular (LV) function.

Objectives: To assess the value of resting LV elastance (also known as force) with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to identify HFpEF phenotypes.

Methods: In a prospective, observational, multicenter study, 2380 HFpEF patients were recruited from July 2016 to May 2024.

Clostridioides difficile infection and recurrence in cancer patients (CIRCA): a multicentre, international study.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in cancer patients, analysing risk factors for 90-day recurrence and attributable mortality.

Methods: Retrospective analysis on all CDI episodes from 2020 to 2022 in three Australian hospitals and one Spanish hospital. Logistic regression analyses were performed.

Survival of viruses in water microcosms.

Human enteric viruses and emerging viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, influenza virus and monkeypox virus, are frequently detected in wastewater. Human enteric viruses are highly persistent in water, but there is limited information available for non-enteric viruses. The present study evaluated the stability of hepatitis A virus (HAV), murine norovirus (MNV), influenza A virus H3N2 (IAV H3N2), human coronavirus (HCoV) 229E, and vaccinia virus (VACV) in reference water (RW), effluent wastewater (EW) and drinking water (DW) under refrigeration and room temperature conditions.

HEBE: A novel chimeric chronokine for ameliorating memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-β and Tau protein depositions, with treatments focusing on single proteins have shown limited success due to the complexity of pathways involved. This study explored the potential of chronokines -proteins that modulate aging-related processes- as an alternative therapeutic approach. Specifically, we focused on a novel pleiotropic chimeric protein named HEBE, combining s-KL, sTREM2 and TIMP2, guided by bioinformatic analyses to ensure the preservation of each protein's conformation, crucial for their functions.

Long-term outcome and risk stratification in compensated advanced chronic liver disease after HCV-cure.

Background And Aims: Around 750,000 patients per year will be cured of HCV infection until 2030. Those with compensated advanced chronic liver disease remain at risk for hepatic decompensation and de novo HCC. Algorithms have been developed to stratify risk early after cure; however, data on long-term outcomes and the prognostic utility of these risk stratification algorithms at later time points are lacking.

Unveiling the Origin of the Scale-Dependent Conductivity of Ni(HITP) Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films.

Conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline, intrinsically porous materials that combine remarkable electrical conductivity with exceptional structural and chemical versatility. This rare combination makes these materials highly suitable for a wide range of energy-related applications. However, the electrical conductivity in MOF-based devices is often limited by the presence of different types of structural disorder.

A Homozygous ATP2A2 Variant Alters Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 Function in Skeletal Muscle and Causes a Novel Vacuolar Myopathy.

Aims: Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 (SERCA2), encoded by ATP2A2, is a key protein involved in intracellular Ca homeostasis. The SERCA2a isoform is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes and type I myofibres. Variants in this gene are related to Darier disease, an autosomal dominant dermatologic disorder, but have never been linked to myopathy.

Detecting two circulating antigens - CCA and CAA - in urine and serum to improve diagnosis of human schistosomiasis.

Background: Schistosomiasis is caused by infection with parasitic worms and affects more than 250 million people globally. The detection of schistosome derived circulating cathodic and anodic antigens (CCA and CAA) has proven highly valuable for detecting active infections, causing both intestinal and urinary schistosomiasis.

Aim: The combined detection of CCA and CAA was explored to improve accuracy in detecting infections.

New Potent Inhibitor of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGFβ) Signaling that is Efficacious against Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer Metastasis in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Therapy in Mice.

Blockade of the TGFβ signaling pathway has emerged from preclinical studies as a potential treatment to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) and several other types of cancer. However, clinical translation of first-generation inhibitors has shown little success. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of HYL001, a potent inhibitor of TGFβ receptor 1 (ALK5), that is approximately 9 times more efficacious than the structurally related compound galunisertib, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Incidental Findings Identified by Prenatal Microarray Analysis and Consensus Reporting Criteria of the Catalan Public Health Network XIGENICS.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the frequency of pathogenic copy number variants (CNVs) classified as incidental findings (IFs) in prenatal diagnosis and to develop consensus recommendations for standardizing their reporting across six centers within the Catalan public health system (XIGENICS network).

Method: A retrospective review of 4219 consecutive prenatal microarrays performed within the network from 2018 to 2023 was conducted, including all referral reasons. To develop consensus recommendations, several discussion meetings were held along with an extensive review of the existing literature.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are refractory to disease-modifying therapy (DMT). AHSCT after failure of high-efficacy DMT in aggressive forms of relapsing-remitting MS is a generally accepted indication, yet the optimal placement of this approach in the treatment sequence is not universally agreed upon. Uncertainties also remain with respect to other indications, such as in rapidly evolving, severe, treatment-naive MS, progressive MS, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

The Octocoral Trait Database: a global database of trait information for octocoral species.

Trait-based approaches are revolutionizing our understanding of high-diversity ecosystems by providing insights into the principles underlying key ecological processes, such as community assembly, species distribution, resilience, and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In 2016, the Coral Trait Database advanced coral reef science by centralizing trait information for stony corals (i.e.

The effect of brief, repetitive balance training on balance and fall risk in older people with stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of integrating a specific balance-training program focused on static balance to the conventional rehabilitation program on dynamic balance, risk of falls, and activities of daily living (ADLs) in older adults post-stroke.

Design: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Institutional Intermediate Care Hospital.

Clinical expression of radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and its association with HLA-B27 in European and Ibero-American populations.

Objective: To compare the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of Ibero-American patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) to those of European patients, with a particular focus on the influence of HLA-B27.

Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, and multicentre study of patients who fulfilled the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) criteria for SpA from the REGISPONSER and RESPONDIA registries. Univariate and multivariate analyses between European and Ibero-American populations stratified by HLA-B27 status were conducted.

The impact of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer: an international multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess the association between neoadjuvant therapy and overall survival (OS) in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) compared to upfront surgery.

Background: Left-sided pancreatic cancer is associated with worse OS compared to right-sided pancreatic cancer. Although neoadjuvant therapy is currently seen as not effective in patients with RPC, current randomized trials included mostly patients with right-sided RPC.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mHealth adoption: Identification of the main barriers through an international comparative analysis.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly challenged health systems worldwide. The adoption and application of mHealth technology emerged as a critical response. However, the permanent implementation and use of such technology faces several barriers, which vary by each country's innovation level and specific health policies.

High-fidelity simulation training for improving nursing professional values acquisition.

Background: Nursing professional values form the basis of nursing interventions and serve as a guide for professional practice, reflecting in all interactions with patients and other healthcare professionals. As nursing professional values constitute powerful influencers in nursing practice, a strong commitment to these values is essential for nursing students to provide high-quality care.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of high-fidelity simulation training on first-year nursing students' nursing professional values acquisition.

Insights on the evolution and adaptation toward high-altitude and cold environments in the snow leopard lineage.

How snow leopard gradually adapted to the extreme environments in Tibet remains unexplored due to the scanty fossil record in Tibet. Here, we recognize five valid outside-Tibet records of the snow leopard lineage. Our results suggest that the snow leopard dispersed out of the Tibetan Plateau multiple times during the Quaternary.

Epithelial OPA1 links mitochondrial fusion to inflammatory bowel disease.

Dysregulation at the intestinal epithelial barrier is a driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the molecular mechanisms of barrier failure are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate dysregulated mitochondrial fusion in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of patients with IBD and show that impaired fusion is sufficient to drive chronic intestinal inflammation.

Differences in technical and clinical perspectives on AI validation in cancer imaging: mind the gap!

Good practices in artificial intelligence (AI) model validation are key for achieving trustworthy AI. Within the cancer imaging domain, attracting the attention of clinical and technical AI enthusiasts, this work discusses current gaps in AI validation strategies, examining existing practices that are common or variable across technical groups (TGs) and clinical groups (CGs). The work is based on a set of structured questions encompassing several AI validation topics, addressed to professionals working in AI for medical imaging.

Audiovisual analysis of the diagnostic video polysomnography in patients with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder.

Background: The diagnosis of isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (IRBD) requires video polysomnography (V-PSG) showing increased muscle activity and abnormal behaviors in REM sleep.

Objective: To describe in IRBD the behavioral manifestations occurring during REM sleep in the diagnostic V-PSG.

Methods: This is a systematic audiovisual V-PSG analysis of consecutive IRBD patients.

Clinical and imaging spectrum of non-congenital dominant ACTN2 myopathy.

Background: Alpha-actinin-2, a protein with high expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle, is located in the Z-disc and plays a key role in sarcomere stability. Mutations in ACTN2 have been associated with both hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy and, more recently, with skeletal myopathy.

Methods: Genetic, clinical, and muscle imaging data were collected from 37 patients with an autosomal dominant ACTN2 myopathy belonging to 11 families from Spain and Belgium.

Vascularized Periosteal Grafts for Bone Union in Children: A Systematic Review.

Background: The periosteum is the main organ responsible for bone regeneration. Vascularized Periosteal Grafts (VPG) have demonstrated exceptional efficacy and speed in facilitating bone union among children with challenging bone healing conditions. Despite their promising results, the overall impact of these interventions has yet to be comprehensively evaluated through systematic review.