Flecainide in Structural Heart Diseases: A Contemporary Reappraisal Beyond the CAST Trial.

Flecainide has been contraindicated in patients with structural heart disease (SHD) since the 1991 Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) showed increased mortality in post-myocardial infarction patients. This review argues that the CAST findings were overgeneralized, resulting in the underutilization of a valuable antiarrhythmic medication. Emerging observational evidence suggests that flecainide may be safe and effective in specific SHD populations, including those with stable coronary artery disease without active ischemia and preserved ventricular function.

Evaluation of the thoracic epidural spread after caudal thoracic contrast medium injections in cat cadavers.

Background: Thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) offers significant analgesic benefits in humans undergoing major surgery. However, this technique remains underexplored in feline medicine due to anatomical challenges and limited data on epidural drug distribution.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a paramedian approach and characterize the epidural spread of 0.

Intermittent Ventricular Pre-Excitation: Clinical Features and Electrophysiological Properties.

Background: Intermittent ventricular pre-excitation has long been considered a low-risk marker for sudden death. Accessory pathways (APs) with high-risk intermittent antegrade conductive properties may exist, but this still represents a gray area in current guidelines. We evaluated differences in risk characteristics between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with intermittent pre-excitation (IPX) and those with persistent pre-excitation (PPX) in a multicenter international registry.

A 69.9-kb long inverted repeat increases genome instability in a strain of .

Long inverted repeats (LIRs) of DNA sequences longer than 30 kb are rare in prokaryotes. Here, we identified two 69.9-kb LIRs in the genome of M247_Siena, a derivative of strain M247.

Caveolin 3 Variant T78M in a Large Family With Brugada Syndrome: Clinical Features and Coexistence of ADRB1 and GRK5 Gene Mutation.

Aims: Genetic mutations involving sodium channel Nav 1.5 have been linked with Brugada Syndrome (BrS). Caveolin-3(CAV-3) is a protein that could modulate Nav1.

Anti- Activity and Structural Characterization of Rationally Designed Peptides.

: Microbial infections represent a significant threat to public health due to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Adjunctive and alternative therapeutic strategies are explored to tackle this issue, including the use of natural or synthetic antimicrobial peptides. Previous research showed that antibody-derived peptides possess antimicrobial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties.

Periprocedural Safety of Interventional Electrophysiological Procedures in Octogenarians and Nonagenarians.

Background: Catheter ablation is an established treatment for cardiac arrhythmia. There is a lack of data on invasive electrophysiological (EP) procedures in aged patients.

Methods: Consecutive patients ≥ 80 years who underwent catheter ablation or left atrial appendage closure procedures between January 2005 and December 2017 in a high-volume center were retrospectively studied and compared to a matched control group of individuals < 80 years of age.

Transcriptomic analysis after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination reveals a specific gene signature in low-responder hemodialysis patients.

Introduction: Individuals with comorbidities, such as chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis patients (HDP), are particularly susceptible to severe COVID-19 and to its complications. Furthermore, their immune response to vaccines is impaired, requiring tailored vaccination strategies. In this study, we investigated through transcriptomic profiling the immune response heterogeneity of HDP vaccinated with two doses of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine.

Post-pandemic upsurge in Group A infections at an Italian tertiary university hospital.

Unlabelled: (Group A ; GAS) is a pathogen of global significance. In the pre-antibiotic era, GAS was a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality, but its spread rapidly declined until the mid-2010s. The continuing increase in GAS infections, associated with the expansion of the M1 lineage, was observed first in the United Kingdom (UK) and, later, globally.

Genetic Background and Clinical Phenotype in an Italian Cohort with Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromes and Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (ACM): A Whole-Exome Sequencing Study.

Inherited arrhythmia syndromes include several different diseases, as well as Brugada syndrome (BrS), long QT syndrome (LQTS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), and short QT syndrome (SQTS). They represent, together with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C), an important cause of sudden cardiac death in the young. Most arrhythmia syndromes are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, and genetic studies are suggested.

Beta-Blockers and Long-Term Mortality in Takotsubo Syndrome: Results of the Multicenter GEIST Registry.

Background: Beta-blockers are considered a reasonable therapy for patients with Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), commonly used despite the absence of consistent evidence about its prognosis impact.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of beta-blocker therapy on long-term mortality and TTS recurrence.

Methods: The authors analyzed 2,853 patients discharged with a confirmed TTS diagnosis, enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (The GErman Italian Spanish Takotsubo Registry).

Biomarker profiles that differentiate type-1 and type 2 myocardial infarction.

Background: It is crucial to distinguish type-1 myocardial infarction (T1MI) from type-2 myocardial infarction (T2MI) at admission and during hospitalization to avoid unnecessary invasive exams and inappropriate admissions to the acute cardiac care unit.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to define a simple profile derived from commonly used biomarkers to differentiate T1MI from T2MI.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled in an observational study 213 iconsecutive patients with a provisional diagnosis of non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) admitted to the Cardiology Department.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with Takotsubo syndrome: Clinical correlates of T2 mapping.

Background: Extensive myocardial edema is a key feature of acute takotsubo syndrome (TTS) and it can be quantitatively assessed by T2 mapping cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Clinical correlates of myocardial edema in TTS are not well characterized.

Methods: Sixty patients with acute TTS underwent CMR with T2 mapping within one week of hospitalization.

Estimation of outer-wall length in optimizing cochlear implantation in malformed inner ears.

Estimation of cochlear length is gaining attention in the field of cochlear implants (CIs), mainly for selecting of CI electrode lengths. The currently available tools to estimate the cochlear duct length (CDL) are only valid for normal inner anatomy. However, inner ear malformation (IEM) types are associated with different degrees of cystic apices, limiting the application of CDL equations of normal anatomy inner ear.

A nisin-inducible chromosomal gene expression system based on ICE Tn5253 of Streptococcus pneumoniae, transferable among streptococci and enterococci.

The present work reports the development and validation of a chromosomal expression system in Streptococcus pneumoniae which permits gene expression under the control of Lactococcus lactis lantibiotic nisin. The system is based on the integrative and conjugative element (ICE) Tn5253 of S. pneumoniae capable of site-specific chromosomal integration and conjugal transfer to a variety of bacterial species.

Renin angiotensin system inhibitors and outcome in patients with takotsubo syndrome: A propensity score analysis of the GEIST registry.

Background: Few data are available on long-term drug therapy and its potential prognostic impact after Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Aim of the study is to evaluate clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of TTS patients on Renin Angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi).

Methods: TTS patients were enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (GErman Italian Spanish Takotsubo) registry.