Long-Term Outcomes of Mild Paravalvular Leak Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) remains a frequent complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The long-term consequences of mild PVL on outcomes have been debated. This study aimed to investigate the clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of mild PVL over a 2-year period.

Neo-Sinus Washout Time Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Hemodynamic Outcomes.

Background: Leaflet thrombosis and transcatheter heart valve dysfunction are key concerns following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Prolonged neo-sinus washout time (NWT) may predispose patients to hypoattenuated leaflet thickening (HALT) and leaflet thrombosis, increasing the risk of valve degeneration. This study evaluates the association between in vivo NWT derived from aortograms using computer vision and hemodynamic outcomes at 30 days and 1 year post-TAVR.

Profibrotic monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages as a biomarker and therapeutic target in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is present in over 60% of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is the leading cause of SSc-related deaths. Profibrotic monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages (MoAM) play a causal role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in animal models where their persistence in the niche requires signaling through Colony Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor (CSF1R). We hypothesized that the presence and proportion of MoAM in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from patients with SSc-ILD may be a biomarker of ILD severity.

Development of a pilot machine learning model to predict successful cure in critically ill patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a major cause of critical illness, yet there are no validated early clinical criteria to predict short-term treatment outcomes in these patients. Short-term pneumonia treatment outcomes are less affected by confounding factors introduced by a prolonged hospital course, and early prediction of short-term treatment outcomes can help physicians identify those who are likely to fail the current treatment and implement adjustments to existing diagnostic and therapeutic plans. Traditional clinical stability criteria such as Halm's criteria are not calibrated for early outcome prediction in critically ill severe pneumonia patients.

Safety review of antithrombotic therapy options after left atrial appendage occlusion.

Introduction: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is a viable alternative to anticoagulation for treatment in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who cannot tolerate anticoagulation. Post-procedure patients are generally prescribed oral anticoagulation (OAC) for 45 days, while the device is undergoing endothelialization, following which patients are continued on antiplatelet agents. Recommendations for antithrombotic agents following LAAO arrived by consensus, which are not tolerated by all patients.

Severe Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Origin in Children: Exploring the Role of Adenovirus and Potential Cofactors.

Adenoviruses are a known cause of self-limiting respiratory, ocular, and gastrointestinal infections in children. However, during the recent outbreak in 2021-2022, the identification of human adenoviruses (HAdV), particularly type F41, as a potential cause of severe acute hepatitis in immunocompetent children has sparked global debate. The unusual severity of liver injury and clustering of cases in immunocompetent children have prompted investigations into whether HAdV is truly hepatotropic or merely an incidental finding.

Cardiovascular disease in Sickle cell: mechanisms, diagnostics and therapeutic advances.

Cardiovascular complications are increasingly recognised as a major driver of morbidity and early mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), yet they remain underdiagnosed and underappreciated. This contemporary review synthesises current knowledge across a spectrum of cardiovascular manifestations-including myocardial dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac iron overload, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, stroke and sudden death-with emphasis on their unique pathophysiological mechanisms in SCD. We highlight emerging diagnostic tools such as cardiac magnetic resonance with T2* mapping and extracellular volume sequences, speckle-tracking echocardiography and invasive exercise testing, which can revealing a distinct phenotype combining restrictive cardiomyopathy and high-output heart failure.

Developing and validating machine learning models to predict next-day extubation.

Criteria to identify patients who are ready to be liberated from mechanical ventilation (MV) are imprecise, often resulting in prolonged MV or reintubation, both of which are associated with adverse outcomes. Daily protocol-driven assessment of the need for MV leads to earlier extubation but requires dedicated personnel. We sought to determine whether machine learning (ML) applied to the electronic health record could predict next-day extubation.

An AI framework for time series microstructure prediction from processing parameters.

In this study, we present an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven framework for predicting the microstructural texture of polycrystalline materials after a specific deformation process. The microstructural texture is defined in terms of the orientation distribution function (ODF) which indicates the volume density of crystal orientations. Our approach leverages an encoder-decoder model with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) layers to model the relationship between processing conditions and material properties.

Machine Learning Analysis of Electronic Health Records Identifies Interstitial Lung Disease and Predicts Mortality in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the leading cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), affecting more than 40% of this population. Despite the availability of effective treatments to stabilize or improve lung function, survival for patients with SSc-ILD remains poor. Poor outcomes have been attributed to delayed diagnosis and initiation of treatment for SSc-ILD.

Contemporary review of the clinical features, multi-modality imaging, and management of coronary artery aneurysms.

Coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) is a rare, dilated segment of the coronary artery. Phenotypically, it can have different morphologies, patterns, content, and affected vessels, making multimodality invasive and noninvasive imaging play a significant role in its evaluation. In this review article, we discuss in depth the contemporary perspectives in pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, multimodality imaging evaluation, treatment strategies (medical, percutaneous and surgical) and outcomes of CAA.

Automated image segmentation for accelerated nanoparticle characterization.

Recent developments in materials science have made it possible to synthesize millions of individual nanoparticles on a chip. However, many steps in the characterization process still require extensive human input. To address this challenge, we present an automated image processing pipeline that optimizes high-throughput nanoparticle characterization using intelligent image segmentation and coordinate generation.

Aortic Valve Calcium Score Quantification by Contrast Cardiac CT: Correlations With Echocardiography and Optimal Thresholds.

Background: Aortic valve calcium score (AVCa) measured on noncontrast computed tomography (CT) is well-established for grading aortic stenosis (AS) severity. However, thresholds for AVCa measured on contrast CT remain uncertain. We evaluated correlations, associated factors, and severity thresholds of AVCa measured on contrast CT against transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) measures of AS.

Normal ranges of right atrial strain by contemporary echocardiography software: a prospective comparative cohort study.

Background: Right atrial (RA) strains (RASr, RAScd, and RASct) are increasingly used in clinical and research settings, such as heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, but their feasibility and reference ranges across different strain software vendors are not well established. We aim to evaluate and compare two-dimensional RA strain values, reference ranges, and related factors across four strain software vendors in healthy subjects.

Methods: Healthy subjects (n = 100) undergoing echocardiography during January-April 2023 were prospectively studied, with equal numbers by age groups, gender, and GE versus Philips scans.

Temporal Trends in Utilization of Structural Heart Interventions Among Patients With Amyloidosis.

•There is an increasing prevalence of amyloidosis in the general population.•The data for structural interventions in this population are limited.•We demonstrate increasing utilization of all structural interventions in patients with amyloidosis.

Left atrial strain by vendor-neutral echocardiography software in healthy subjects: vendor comparisons and associated factors.

Aims: Left atrial strains [reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd), and contractile (LASct)] are increasingly utilized, primarily in the areas of heart failure and valvulopathy. Commercially available software to measure strain are marketed as imaging machine vendor independent, although the normal ranges of their performance and external validation studies are lacking. We evaluated and compared LAS values, reference ranges, and associated factors using contemporary strain software.

Machine learning risk-prediction model for in-hospital mortality in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is an acute heart failure syndrome characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction, often triggered by stress. Data on risk scores predicting mortality in TC is sparse. We developed a machine-learning risk score model to predict in-hospital mortality in patients with TC.