Multicenter Experience of Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Current Indications and Different Anesthetic Approaches.

Background: Stroke remains a concern in patients with atrial fibrillation despite the efficacy of oral anticoagulants. Left atrial appendage closure has emerged as a treatment option for patients with suboptimal pharmacological therapy.

Objectives: This retrospective multicenter study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of left atrial appendage occlusion procedures for two different indications.

Comparative Analysis of the Sensitivity, Specificity, Concordance, and 5-Year Predictive Power of Diabetes-Related Autoantibody Assays.

Interassay concordance and 5-year diabetes prediction of islet cell autoantibody detection using the radiobinding assay (TrialNet), two independently developed multiplex electrochemiluminescence detection methods, the luciferase immune precipitation system, detection by agglutination-PCR, and truncated GADA, and IA2βA radiobinding assays are reported. There was considerable discordance that varied by type of autoantibody across the assays. Type 1 diabetes prediction was relatively high and uniform, implying confirmation of increased diabetes risk among those who are multiple autoantibody positive, although substantial false positive rates need to be considered when autoantibodies alone are used for screening to identify high diabetes risk.

The association of coronary microvascular dysfunction and cardiac maladaptation with clinical outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A prospective dynamic SPECT study.

Background: Accumulating evidences have suggested a pathophysiological link between coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The clinical relevance and prognostic impact of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) among HFpEF patients remain unexplored clearly.

Methods: Fifty-five patients with HFpEF and 48 controls were prospectively enrolled.

Early Detection of Type 1 Diabetes in First-Degree Relatives in Saudi Arabia (VISION-T1D): Protocol for a Pilot Implementation Study.

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a growing global health concern, with a notable rise in incidence in Saudi Arabia. Despite the potential benefits of early detection through screening programs, such initiatives are currently lacking in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of a T1D-screening program targeting high-risk individuals, specifically children with a first-degree relative diagnosed with T1D.

Functional and prognostic impacts of serum albumin with thoracic arterial calcification among asymptomatic individuals.

Although several studies have demonstrated the cardiovascular (CV) implication of hypoalbuminemia and arterial calcification among hemodialysis patients, little is known regarding their cardiac correlates and relevant CV outcomes in asymptomatic individuals. We assessed the potential CV interrelation between serum albumin (SA) and aortic calcification. Among 2,723 asymptomatic individuals underwent cardiovascular health check-up, we assessed serum albumin (SA) level, thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) by multi-detector computed tomography, and ultrasound-determined carotid plaque burden.

Polymer free biolimus coated stents to treat acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Asian patients.

Background: Patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have a high thrombotic burden and often have a high bleeding risk (HBR). Asian patients have different patterns of thrombotic and bleeding risk from other populations which may be particularly relevant in the setting of PPCI for STEMI.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of the polymer free biolimus coated coronary stent (PF-BCS, BioFreedom, Biosensors International) in Asian STEMI patients.

Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis autoantibodies in population-based type 2 diabetes patients.

Aims: The study aims were to determine autoantibodies associated with type 1 diabetes (T1D), celiac disease (CD) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in individuals living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to T1D and matched controls.

Methods: Individuals with T1D and T2D were randomly identified in health-care registers. Blood was collected through home-capillary sampling and autoantibodies associated with either T1D against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), insulin (IAA), insulinoma antigen-2 (IA-2A), and zinc transporter 8 (ZnT8A), CD against tissue transglutaminase (tTGA) or AITD against thyroid peroxidase (TPOA) were determined in an automated, multiplex Antibody Detection by Agglutination-PCR (ADAP) assay.

Impact of aging on long-term cardiac outcomes of true-lumen recanalized chronic total occlusions in patients with overweight/obesity.

Background: Obesity paradox addressing all-cause mortality has been described in several chronic total occlusion (CTO) studies. However, the impact of aging on long-term cardiac events in patients with overweight and obesity with CTO recanalization were less studied.

Methods: A total of 458 patients (64.

Role of calcification in J-CTO score: a viewpoint of intraplaque guidewire tracking techniques.

Background: As the burden and distribution of calcification within chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions can be diverse, its effect on CTO recanalization using multiple devices and techniques is debatable. This study investigated the role of calcification in wiring-based intraplaque tracking techniques for CTO recanalization.

Methods: A modified J-CTO score without counting calcification was used to analyze the procedures of 458 consecutive patients who underwent CTO interventions.

Patient Preference for Catheter-Based Hypertension Therapy and Subgroup Analysis: A Pilot Study Based on Taiwan Consensus on Renal Denervation.

Ojective: To understand hypertensive patients' preference for catheter-based therapy to manage hypertension.

Methods: Survey data regarding catheter-based therapies performed at MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, between 2019-2020 were analyzed. The questionnaire was circulated either in the clinics or during admission.

CalScope: methodology and lessons learned for conducting a remote statewide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in California using an at-home dried blood spot collection kit and online survey.

Background: To describe the methodology for conducting the CalScope study, a remote, population-based survey launched by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to estimate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and understand COVID-19 disease burden in California.

Methods: Between April 2021 and August 2022, 666,857 randomly selected households were invited by mail to complete an online survey and at-home test kit for up to one adult and one child. A gift card was given for each completed survey and test kit.

Significant Association of Serum Albumin With the Severity of Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction Using Dynamic CZT-SPECT.

Objective: Both low serum albumin (SA) concentration and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) are risk factors for the development of heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that SA concentration is associated with myocardial flow reserve (MFR) and implicated in pathophysiological mechanism of HF.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 454 patients undergoing dynamic cardiac cadmium-zinc-telluride myocardial perfusion imaging from April 2018 to February 2020.

Stacking architecture for collimated backlight using cylindrical lens sheet with linear light sources or edge-lit/direct-lit BLU.

Highly collimated and directional backlights are essential for realizing advanced display technologies such as autostereoscopic 3D displays. Previously reported collimated backlights, either edge-lit or direct-lit, in general still suffer unsatisfactory form factors, directivity, uniformity, or crosstalk etc. In this work, we report a simple stacking architecture for the highly collimated and uniform backlights, by combining linear light source arrays and carefully designed cylindrical lens arrays.

Detection of Islet Autoantibodies in Whole Blood by Antibody Detection by Agglutination-PCR (ADAP) Technology Is Sensitive and Suitable for General Population Screening Programs.

Background: Detection of type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the preclinical stage is possible by detecting islet autoantibodies (IAs) years before the appearance of symptomatic diabetes. The Antibody Detection Israeli Research is a general population screening program searching for children with multiple IAs who are at risk of developing T1D. IAs are measured in capillary or venous whole blood (WB) samples using the novel ultrasensitive antibody detection by agglutination-PCR (ADAP) technology.

Preclinical systolic dysfunction relating to ankle-brachial index among high-risk PAD population with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) shares common clinical risk factors, for example, endothelial dysfunction, with preserved ejection fraction (LVEF) heart failure (HFpEF). Whether PAD is associated with preclinical systolic dysfunction and higher HF risk among individuals presenting preserved LVEF remains uncertain. We retrospectively included outpatients with at least one known or established cardiovascular (CV) risk factor with LVEF ≥ 50%.

Accelerating Antimicrobial Peptide Discovery for WHO Priority Pathogens through Predictive and Interpretable Machine Learning Models.

The escalating menace of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens necessitates a paradigm shift from conventional antibiotics to innovative alternatives. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) emerge as a compelling contender in this arena. Employing methodologies, we can usher in a new era of AMP discovery, streamlining the identification process from vast candidate sequences, thereby optimizing laboratory screening expenditures.

Advances in risk predictive performance of pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes via the multiplex Antibody-Detection-by-Agglutination-PCR assay.

Introduction: Achieving early diagnosis of pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes is critical to reduce potentially life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at symptom onset, link patients to FDA approved therapeutics that can delay disease progression and support novel interventional drugs development. The presence of two or more islet autoantibodies in pre-symptomatic type 1 diabetes patients indicates high-risk of progression to clinical manifestation.

Method: Herein, we characterized the capability of multiplex ADAP assay to predict type 1 diabetes progression.

Shadow of a Pandemic: Persistence of Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Newborn Blood Spots.

To investigate COVID-19 surveillance among pregnant women, the California Genetic Disease Screening Program conducted a screening performance and seroprevalence evaluation of maternal SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected in banked newborn dried blood spots (DBS). We obtained seropositive results for 2890 newborn DBS from cohorts in 2020 and 2021 using Enable Bioscience's Antibody Detection by Agglutination-PCR (ADAP) assay for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. To infer maternal infection, we linked 312 women with a known laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 episode with their newborn's DBS SARS-CoV02 antibody result.

Personalized Management for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome with multiple underlying mechanisms and comorbidities that leads to a variety of clinical phenotypes. The identification and characterization of these phenotypes are essential for better understanding the precise pathophysiology of HFpEF, identifying appropriate treatment strategies, and improving patient outcomes. Despite accumulating data showing the potentiality of artificial intelligence (AI)-based phenotyping using clinical, biomarker, and imaging information from multiple dimensions in HFpEF management, contemporary guidelines and consensus do not incorporate these in daily practice.

Impact of Selection Preference on Longer-Term Outcomes between Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold versus Everolimus-Eluting Stent for True Lumen Tracking-Recanalized Chronic Total Occlusion.

Creation of sizable subintima during intervention for chronic total occlusions (CTO) could lead to the key selection preference of metallic stents rather than bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (BVS) and then possibly deviate the outcome comparisons in real-world studies. By including recanalized CTO with true lumen tracking, we tested if any selection preference remained and compared the outcomes between everolimus-eluting stent (EES) and BVS implantation.Among 211 consecutive CTO interventions with true lumen tracking from August 2014 to April 2018 when BVS was available, we compared the clinical and interventional features between 28 patients with BVS and 77 patients with EES implantation.

Pulse Wave Analysis Predicts Invasive Hemodynamics in Pre-Capillary Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: We tested the hypothesis that non-invasive pulse wave analysis (PWA)-derived systemic circulation variables can predict invasive hemodynamics of pulmonary circulation and the indicator of right heart function, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: This prospective study enrolled patients with group 1 and 4 PH who had complete PWA, NT-proBNP, and hemodynamics data. Risk assessment-based "hemodynamic score (HS)" and principal component analysis-based PWA variable grouping were determined/performed.