Hear*

Conditions to which the cardiac graft is exposed during transplantation with donation after circulatory death (DCD) can trigger the recruitment of macrophages that are either unpolarized (M0) or pro-inflammatory (M1) as well as the release of extracellular vesicles (EV). We aimed to characterize the effects of M0 and M1 macrophage-derived EV administration on post-ischaemic functional recovery and glucose metabolism using an isolated rat heart model of DCD. Isolated rat hearts were subjected to 20 min aerobic perfusion, followed by 27 min global, warm ischaemia or continued aerobic perfusion and 60 min reperfusion with or without intravascular administration of EV...

AIMS: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) using very high-power short-duration (vHPSD) radiofrequency (RF) ablation proved to be safe and effective. However, vHPSD applications result in shallower lesions that might not be always transmural. Multidetector computed tomography-derived left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) maps could enable a thickness-guided switching from vHPSD to the standard-power ablation mode. The aim of this randomized trial was to compare the safety, the efficacy, and the efficiency of a LAWT-guided vHPSD PVI approach with those of the CLOSE protocol for PAF ablation (NCT04298177)...

Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid produced by the Cannabis sativa plant, blocks a variety of cardiac ion channels. We aimed to identify whether CBD regulated the cardiac pacemaker channel or the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN4). HCN4 channels are important for the generation of the action potential in the sinoatrial node of the heart and increased heart rate in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. HCN4 channels were expressed in HEK 293T cells, and the effect of CBD application was examined using a whole-cell patch clamp...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: Military-affiliated individuals (MIs) are at a higher risk of developing hearing loss and tinnitus. While these disorders are well-studied in MIs, their impact relative to non-military-affiliated individuals (non-MIs) remains understudied. Our study compared hearing, speech-in-noise (SIN) perception, and tinnitus characteristics between MIs and non-MIs. METHOD: MIs ( n = 84) and non-MIs ( n = 193) underwent hearing threshold assessment and Quick Speech-in-Noise Test...

PURPOSE: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a key intervention for management of misophonia, hyperacusis, and tinnitus. The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary analysis comparing the scores for self-report questionnaires before and after audiologist-delivered CBT via video calls for adults with misophonia, hyperacusis, or tinnitus or a combination of these. METHOD: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. The data for 37 consecutive patients who received CBT for misophonia, hyperacusis, or tinnitus from a private institute in the United Kingdom were analyzed...

AIMS: To determine if distinct trajectories of coronary heart disease (CHD) self-care behaviours could be identified, linked to differences in quality of life (QoL), and predicted based on baseline characteristics. METHODS AND RESULTS: A secondary analysis of a prospective, longitudinal, observational study. Patients with CHD answered questionnaires at study enrolment and six months later: Self-Care of Coronary Heart Disease Inventory (three subscales: maintenance, management and confidence, scored 0-100, higher score = better self-care), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, 12-Item Short Form Survey, 16-Item European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, CHD Education Questionnaire...

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is a common sequala of Streptococcus suis ( S. suis ) meningitis, but few have addressed cochlear implantation (CI) candidates with S. suis meningitis. OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical characteristics and CI postoperative outcomes in S. suis meningitis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight S. suis meningitis patients underwent CI at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital between 2020 and 2023. Control groups included (1) non-Suis meningitis patients ( n  = 12) and (2) non-meningitis patients ( n  = 35)...

Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is a multisystem disorder characterized by bilateral granulomatous panuveitis resulting in serous retinal detachments, disk edema, and a sunset glow fundus development. Furthermore, it is associated with various extraocular findings, such as tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo, poliosis, and vitiligo (1). VKH is considered to be an autoimmune disease mediated by T-cells targeting melanocyte antigen tyrosinase peptide (2). Moreover, VKH more often occurs in individuals with a genetic predisposition to the disease, including those of Asian and Hispanic heritage (3)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Time in target range (TTR) and blood pressure variability (BPV) of systolic blood pressure (SBP) are independent risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality in hypertensive patients. However, the association of the combination of low TTR and high BPV of SBP with the risk of MACE and all-cause mortality is unclear. This study sought to investigate the combined effect of the TTR and BPV on the risk of MACE and all-cause mortality in patients with hypertension. A total of 11 496 hypertensive patients from the Kailuan cohort study were included in our study...

BACKGROUND: Persons living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) in nursing homes (NH) are often excluded from conversations about their health/safety. These omissions impinge on personhood and the rights to have care preferences heard and honored. While persons with ADRD maintain the ability to communicate their preferences long after their decision-making abilities are affected, little is known about how persons with ADRD understand the risks associated with their preferences...

BACKGROUND: There are major challenges in determining the aetiology of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) clinically, especially in the presence of mixed pathologies, such as vascular and amyloid. Most recently, two criteria (American Heart Association/American Stroke Association [AHA/ASA] and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition [DSM-V]) have been proposed for the clinical diagnosis of VCI but have not as yet been validated using neuroimaging. AIMS: This study aims to determine whether the AHA/ASA and DSM-V criteria for VCI can distinguish between cases with predominantly vascular pathology and cases with mixed pathology...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

We sought to investigate differential metabolism in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) versus those who do not, as a method of identifying potential disease biomarkers. In a nested case-control design, serum metabolites were assayed in SSc subjects who developed right heart catheterization-confirmed PAH (n=22) while under surveillance in a longitudinal cohort from Johns Hopkins, then compared to metabolites assayed in matched SSc patients who did not develop PAH (n=22)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (cardiac MR) reference ranges in Chinese children are lacking. PURPOSE: To establish age- and sex-specific reference ranges for cardiac MR parameters in a cohort of healthy Chinese children. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. SUBJECTS: One hundred ninety-six healthy children (mean age 9.5 ± 3.6 years, 111 boys). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1...

Inhibitory G alpha (GNAI or Gαi) proteins are critical for the polarized morphogenesis of sensory hair cells and for hearing. The extent and nature of their actual contributions remains unclear, however, as previous studies did not investigate all GNAI proteins and included non-physiological approaches. Pertussis toxin can downregulate functionally redundant GNAI1, GNAI2, GNAI3, and GNAO proteins, but may also induce unrelated defects. Here, we directly and systematically determine the role(s) of each individual GNAI protein in mouse auditory hair cells...

The brachiopods are sessile invertebrates with an unusual blood system, which consists of a long-branched dorsal vessel. It is still unknown how blood circulates in this system. In the present study, for the first time we propose the circulation of blood in brachiopod Hemithiris psittacea based on morphological and experimental data. The main heart is located on the dorsal side of the stomach and divides the dorsal vessel into anterior and posterior parts. The anterior part enters the lophophore, where it gives off blind branches to each tentacle...

Background: Cardiogenic shock in children still carries a high mortality risk despite advances in medical therapy. The use of temporary mechanical circulatory supports is an accepted strategy to bridge patients with acute heart failure to recovery, decision, transplantation or destination therapy. These devices are however limited in children and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains the most commonly used device. Veno-arterial ECMO may provide adequate oxygen delivery, but it does not significantly unload the left ventricle, and this may prevent recovery...