Cardiovascular MRI-derived Right Atrial Strain for Improved Risk Stratification in Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis.

Purpose To assess the prognostic implications of cardiac MRI-derived imaging markers in individuals with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Materials and Methods This prospective study (German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00024479) enrolled individuals with severe AS who underwent cardiac MRI before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) from January 2017 to March 2022. Image analyses included myocardial volumes, cardiac MRI feature tracking-derived left atrial (LA) and right atrial (RA) as well as left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) strain, myocardial T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement analyses.

Biomarkers.

Background: Accumulation of amyloid beta in the brain is one of the first events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and starts decades before symptoms arise. It has been hypothesized that brain areas with higher levels of neuronal activation ('hubs') are more prone to amyloid deposition. In this study, we examined the regional relationship between cortical hubs and longitudinal changes in amyloid pathology in a sample of cognitively healthy older subjects.

Biomarkers.

Background: The detrimental effects of air pollution on health are well-documented, yet its impact on brain structure in the early asymptomatic stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains under-explored. This study investigated the relationship between air pollution and brain imaging features, focusing on the moderating role of genetic factors associated with AD and inflammation.

Methods: A total of 1,153 individuals from the ALFA cohort, many within the Alzheimer's continuum, with available genotyping, air pollution estimation and magnetic resonance imaging were included (62.

Biomarkers.

Background: CADASIL, linked to NOTCH3 variants, is a primary monogenic cause of vascular dementia, leading to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) observable in early stages. The NIH-funded USA CADASIL Consortium aims to explore CADASIL's onset and progression in the USA, crucial due to varying phenotype-genotype associations globally. The consortium will identify biological and clinical markers across the disease spectrum, contributing to clinical trial preparations.

Biomarkers.

Background: Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for age-associated cognitive decline (AACD) and, especially in females, for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mechanisms underlying this connection are unknown, but neuronal loss and brain atrophy accompany aging and AD and likely contribute to cognitive deficits. There are currently no means to measure neuronal cell death during life and no means to prevent it.

Public Health.

Background: Global health is increasingly burdened by oral diseases (ODs) affecting 3.9 billion people, and Alzheimer's disease with related dementias (AD/ADRD), impacting 46.8 million globally.

Vesicle-Encapsulated Chemosensing Ensembles Allow Monitoring of Transmembrane Uptake Coupled with Enzymatic Reactions.

Compartmentalized models with coupled catalytic networks are considered as "protocells" in the context of research related to the origin of life. To model the kinetics of a simple cellular uptake-metabolism process, we use a compartmentalized protocell system that combines liposome-encapsulated intravesicular reporter pairs with co-encapsulated enzymes to monitor the membrane transport of a substrate (analyte uptake) and its subsequent enzymatic reaction inside the vesicles (metabolism to the product). The intravesicular chemosensing ensembles consist of the macrocycles cucurbit[7]uril or p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene and matching fluorescent dyes to set up suitable reporter pairs.

Public Health.

Background: Prior research has established a relationship between hearing loss (HL) and cognitive decline. However, this association remains unclear in the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Given the high prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and HL in the AI/AN population, exploring this relationship is crucial.

Public Health.

Background: Individuals' attitudes toward research predict recruitment, engagement, and retention. The Research Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ), developed to predict individuals' willingness to participate, is often used in AD research. It can be used to identify strategies to mitigate individuals' reluctance to engage in research.

Public Health.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) present a growing challenge in the US and has emerged as a significant health concern in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. ADRD prevalence and risk factors among AI/AN adults remain poorly understood and plagued by inconsistent findings. This study addressed this knowledge gap by examining the associations of social determinants of health (SDOH) with ADRD between AI/AN and non-Hispanic White (White) populations.

Biomarkers.

Background: Amyloid-b deposition and tau tangle formation are the key pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The presence of these pathologies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers is used for a biological diagnosis of AD. It remains unclear how the prevalence of AT biomarker profiles depends on apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype.

Biomarkers.

Background: Type 2 diabetes and glucose metabolism have previously been linked to cognitive decline and higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. Yet, the relation of glucose metabolism with amyloid and tau pathology remains unclear. This knowledge will help understanding the importance of glucose regulation in relation to AD.

Biomarkers.

Background: Plasma GFAP, a biomarker of astrogliosis, has previously been linked with Alzheimer's disease clinical status, amyloid levels, and memory performance in older adults. The neuroanatomical pathways by which GFAP might impact cognitive outcomes remains unclear. We evaluated whether fornix structure, which is critically involved in AD-associated cholinergic pathways, is associated with interactive effects of plasma GFAP and amyloid levels.

Biomarkers.

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia. Although its prevalence, DLB is under-investigated and frequently misdiagnosed and there are no available biomarkers. The aim of this study was to investigate salivary a-synuclein (a-syn) and tau species in DLB patients as potential disease biomarkers and to assess their potential in differential diagnosis with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Biomarkers.

Background: As global populations age, both Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) incidence are projected to increase tremendously over the coming 20-30 years. Studies have found that having DM is associated with increased risk of developing AD dementia. It remains unclear however whether DM impacts underlying AD pathology.

Clinical Conundrum: Climbing at the Extremes of High Elevation with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Cornwell, William, Aaron L Baggish, Christoph Dehnert, Benjamin D Levine, and Andrew M Luks. Clinical Conundrum: Climbing at the Extremes of High Elevation with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy. 00:00-00, 2024.

Topochemical Synthesis and Electronic Structure of High-Crystallinity Infinite-Layer Nickelates on an Orthorhombic Substrate.

Superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates has stirred much research interest, to which questions regarding the nature of superconductivity remain elusive. A critical leap forward to address these intricate questions is through the growth of high-crystallinity infinite-layer nickelates, including the "parent" phase. Here, we report the synthesis of a high-quality thin-film nickelate, NdNiO.

Do the biological characteristics of trout (Salmo trutta) smolts influence their spring migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration?

Anadromous salmonids migrate seaward to exploit feeding and growth opportunities in marine habitats, yet how smolt biological characteristics influence their marine migratory behavior remains poorly understood. This study used 9 years of trout (Salmo trutta) population monitoring data from 15,595 tagged age-0+ parr, 1033 smolts detected migrating downstream in spring, and 99 adults detected returning from their first marine migration to the River Frome (Dorset, UK) to investigate the influence of smolt biological characteristics on their migration timing and maiden marine sojourn duration. Age-specific differences in the influence of smolt length on migration timing were found, with longer 1-year-old smolts emigrating later than their shorter counterparts within the same age class, but the opposite association existed for 2-year-old smolts.

Developing Topics.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by a gradual decline in mental function, progressing to death. Evidence suggests the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene influences Alzheimer's risk. Allele E2 is neuroprotective, E3 is neutral, and E4 is associated with a higher genetic risk for AD.

Developing Topics.

Background: We aim to describe the imaging findings in pre-symptomatic and early-symptomatic individuals carrying a recently described novel APP duplication rearrangement causing early-onset AD (EOAD).

Method: We studied individuals from one pedigree that carry APP duplication and CH 5 mutation gain that had structural and resting state functional (rs-f) brain MRI. Non-carrier family members were assessed as controls.

Developing Topics.

Background: Different pathologies can cause dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying these diseases is important in order to develop therapies. Here we performed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomics in AD, DLB and FTD in order to study proteomic changes and identify novel potential biomarkers.

Developing Topics.

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a progressively worsening neurodegenerative disorder, impacts millions globally. Understanding its progression is crucial for developing effective interventions and management strategies. However, high variability in disease progression amongst individuals and the complexity of neuroimaging data pose significant challenges.

Developing Topics.

Background: New studies have linked epidemiological and pathophysiological relationships between oral microbiota and Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease more prevalent in the Puerto Rican population. Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome induces periodontal disease, which increases systemic chronic inflammation, an important component in the multifactorial pathogenesis of AD. This project aims to characterize the oral microbiota's composition and diversity in AD patients compared to healthy controls, and explore the potential role of oral dysbiosis in dementia.

Developing Topics.

Background: The anterior portion of the MTL is one of the first regions targeted by pathology in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) indicating the potential for imaging metrics from this region to serve as valuable imaging biomarkers. However, most existing automated approaches for MTL segmentation do not incorporate anterior MTL subregions, and the few that do fail to account for its complex anatomical variability. Leveraging a unique postmortem dataset consisting of histology and structural MRI scans we aimed to develop an anatomically valid segmentation protocol for anterior entorhinal cortex (ERC), Brodmann Area (BA) 35, and BA36 and apply it for automated MTL segmentation of in vivo 3 tesla (T) MRI.

Developing Topics.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, consisting of a highly debilitating disorder. It disproportionately affects Caribbean Hispanics, including Puerto Ricans living on the island, where it ranks as the fourth leading cause of death. Reported disparities in AD severity and mortality within this population may stem from various factors, including nutrition, lifestyle, socioeconomic risk status, and more prevalent chronic diseases.