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SSD1963 LCD Controller Graphics Card Information Sheet

SSD1963 LCD Controller Graphics Card Information Sheet




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Pi Day: How to calculate pi using a cardboard tube and a load of balls

This Pi Day, try calculating everyone’s favourite mathematical constant using balls and a cardboard tube, thanks to a mathematical trick involving the balls’ masses




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Coronavirus-wary Japan tries to take business card ritual online

Japan's time-honoured ritual of exchanging business cards face-to-face is under pressure as the government promotes a "new lifestyle" to combat the coronavirus.




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Cardiopad brings heart health to remote Cameroon communities

June 13 - A touch screen tablet invented by a 22-year-old Cameroonian engineer is helping doctors perform heart examinations on patients in remote, rural locations beyond the reach of specialists. Jim Drury has more.




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Noncardiac Chest Pain May Warrant More Management: Study

Title: Noncardiac Chest Pain May Warrant More Management: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/24/2010 12:10:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/26/2010 12:00:00 AM




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Dispatcher-Assisted CPR Boosts Cardiac Arrest Survival in Kids: Study

Title: Dispatcher-Assisted CPR Boosts Cardiac Arrest Survival in Kids: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2014 4:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2014 12:00:00 AM




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COPD Tied to Raised Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

Title: COPD Tied to Raised Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM




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U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist

Title: U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM




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Many Cardiologists Ill-Equipped to Treat Heart Disease in Cancer Survivors

Title: Many Cardiologists Ill-Equipped to Treat Heart Disease in Cancer Survivors
Category: Health News
Created: 4/29/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM




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Cardiac Rehab Boosts Quality of Life After Heart Attack: Study

Title: Cardiac Rehab Boosts Quality of Life After Heart Attack: Study
Category: Health News
Created: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests On the Rise During COVID-19 Crisis

Title: Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests On the Rise During COVID-19 Crisis
Category: Health News
Created: 4/30/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 5/1/2020 12:00:00 AM




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Multisociety Roadmap for Restarting Elective Cardiac Cases

A new consensus document provides guidance on the safe reintroduction of cardiovascular procedures and testing derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.




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European Society of Cardiology 2020 Congress Goes Virtual

COVID-19 has led the ESC to transition its annual congress to a virtual format; ESC 2020 Congress 'Challenging Times, Infinite Possibilities' will run online from August 29 to September 1.




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Hematopoiesis is regulated by cholesterol efflux pathways and lipid rafts: connections with cardiovascular diseases [Thematic Reviews]

Lipid rafts are highly ordered regions of the plasma membrane that are enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids and play important roles in many cells. In hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), lipid rafts house receptors critical for normal hematopoiesis. Lipid rafts also can bind and sequester kinases that induce negative feedback pathways to limit proliferative cytokine receptor cycling back to the cell membrane. Modulation of lipid rafts occurs through an array of mechanisms, with optimal cholesterol efflux one of the major regulators. As such, cholesterol homeostasis also regulates hematopoiesis. Increased lipid raft content, which occurs in response to changes in cholesterol efflux in the membrane, can result in prolonged receptor occupancy in the cell membrane and enhanced signaling. In addition, certain diseases, like diabetes, may contribute to lipid raft formation and affect cholesterol retention in rafts. In this review, we explore the role of lipid raft-related mechanisms in hematopoiesis and CVD (specifically, atherosclerosis) and discuss how defective cholesterol efflux pathways in HSPCs contribute to expansion of lipid rafts, thereby promoting myelopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. We also discuss the utility of cholesterol acceptors in contributing to lipid raft regulation and disruption, and highlight the potential to manipulate these pathways for therapeutic gain in CVD as well as other disorders with aberrant hematopoiesis.




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Bacillus anthracis Responds to Targocil-Induced Envelope Damage through EdsRS Activation of Cardiolipin Synthesis

ABSTRACT

Bacillus anthracis is a spore-forming bacterium that causes devastating infections and has been used as a bioterror agent. This pathogen can survive hostile environments through the signaling activity of two-component systems, which couple environmental sensing with transcriptional activation to initiate a coordinated response to stress. In this work, we describe the identification of a two-component system, EdsRS, which mediates the B. anthracis response to the antimicrobial compound targocil. Targocil is a cell envelope-targeting compound that is toxic to B. anthracis at high concentrations. Exposure to targocil causes damage to the cellular barrier and activates EdsRS to induce expression of a previously uncharacterized cardiolipin synthase, which we have named ClsT. Both EdsRS and ClsT are required for protection against targocil-dependent damage. Induction of clsT by EdsRS during targocil treatment results in an increase in cardiolipin levels, which protects B. anthracis from envelope damage. Together, these results reveal that a two-component system signaling response to an envelope-targeting antimicrobial induces production of a phospholipid associated with stabilization of the membrane. Cardiolipin is then used to repair envelope damage and promote B. anthracis viability.

IMPORTANCE Compromising the integrity of the bacterial cell barrier is a common action of antimicrobials. Targocil is an antimicrobial that is active against the bacterial envelope. We hypothesized that Bacillus anthracis, a potential weapon of bioterror, senses and responds to targocil to alleviate targocil-dependent cell damage. Here, we show that targocil treatment increases the permeability of the cellular envelope and is particularly toxic to B. anthracis spores during outgrowth. In vegetative cells, two-component system signaling through EdsRS is activated by targocil. This results in an increase in the production of cardiolipin via a cardiolipin synthase, ClsT, which restores the loss of barrier function, thereby reducing the effectiveness of targocil. By elucidating the B. anthracis response to targocil, we have uncovered an intrinsic mechanism that this pathogen employs to resist toxicity and have revealed therapeutic targets that are important for bacterial defense against structural damage.




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Cerebral venous thrombosis: Associations between disease severity and cardiac markers

Background

Plasma cardiac troponin (cTn) elevation occurs in acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage and can suggest a poor prognosis. Because acute cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) might lead to venous stasis, which could result in cardiac stress, it is important to evaluate whether cTn elevation occurs in patients with CVT.

Methods

Inpatients at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 2005 to 2015 meeting the following criteria were included: CVT (ICD-9 codes with radiologic confirmation) and available admission electrocardiogram (ECG) and cTn level. In regression models, presence of ECG abnormalities and cTn elevation (>0.06 ng/mL) were evaluated as dependent variables in separate models, with location and severity of CVT involvement as independent variables, adjusted for age, sex, and hypertension.

Results

Of 81 patients with CVST, 53 (66%) met the inclusion criteria. Participants were, on average, aged 42 years, white (71%), and female (66%). The left transverse sinus was most commonly thrombosed (47%), with 66% having >2 veins thrombosed. Twenty-two (41%) had cTn elevation. Odds of cTn elevation increased per each additional vein thrombosed (adjusted OR 2.79, 95% CI [1.08–7.23]). Of those with deep venous involvement, 37.5% had cTn elevation compared with 4.4% without deep clots (p = 0.02). Venous infarction (n = 15) was associated with a higher mean cTn (0.14 vs 0.02 ng/mL, p = 0.009) and was predictive of a higher cTn in adjusted models (β = 0.15, 95% CI [0.06–0.25]).

Conclusions

In this single-center cohort study, markers of CVT severity were associated with increased odds of cTn elevation; further investigation is needed to elucidate causality and significance.




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Habituation of the cardiovascular response to restraint stress is inhibited by exposure to other stressor stimuli and exercise training [RESEARCH ARTICLE]

Ricardo Benini, Leandro A. Oliveira, Lucas Gomes-de-Souza, Bruno Rodrigues, and Carlos C. Crestani

This study evaluated the effect of exposure to either a chronic variable stress (CVS) protocol or social isolation, as well as treadmill exercise training, in the habituation of the cardiovascular response upon repeated exposure to restraint stress in rats. The habituation of the corticosterone response to repeated restraint stress was also evaluated. For this, animals were subjected to either acute or 10 daily sessions of 60 min of restraint stress. CVS and social isolation protocols lasted for 10 consecutive days, whereas treadmill training was performed for 1 h per day, 5 days per week for 8 weeks. We observed that the increase in serum corticosterone was reduced during both the stress and the recovery period of the 10th session of restraint. Habituation of the cardiovascular response was identified in terms of a faster return of heart rate to baseline values during the recovery period of the 10th session of restraint. The increase in blood pressure and the decrease in tail skin temperature were similar at the 1st and 10th session of restraint. Exposure to CVS, social isolation or treadmill exercise training inhibited the habituation of the restraint-evoked tachycardia. Additionally, CVS increased the blood pressure response at the 10th session of restraint, whereas social isolation enhanced both the tachycardia during the first session and the drop in skin temperature at the 10th session of restraint. Taken together, these findings provide new evidence that pathologies evoked by stress might be related to impairment in the habituation process to homotypic stressors.




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Renal, Cardiovascular, and Safety Outcomes of Canagliflozin by Baseline Kidney Function: A Secondary Analysis of the CREDENCE Randomized Trial

Background

Canagliflozin reduced renal and cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes in the CREDENCE trial. We assessed efficacy and safety of canagliflozin by initial estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods

CREDENCE randomly assigned 4401 participants with an eGFR of 30 to <90 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and substantial albuminuria to canagliflozin 100 mg or placebo. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to analyze effects on renal and cardiovascular efficacy and safety outcomes within screening eGFR subgroups (30 to <45, 45 to <60, and 60 to <90 ml/min per 1.73 m2) and linear mixed effects models to analyze the effects on eGFR slope.

Results

At screening, 1313 (30%), 1279 (29%), and 1809 (41%) participants had an eGFR of 30 to <45, 45 to <60, and 60 to <90 ml/min per 1.73 m2, respectively. The relative benefits of canagliflozin for renal and cardiovascular outcomes appeared consistent among eGFR subgroups (all P interaction >0.11). Subgroups with lower eGFRs, who were at greater risk, exhibited larger absolute benefits for renal outcomes. Canagliflozin’s lack of effect on serious adverse events, amputations, and fractures appeared consistent among eGFR subgroups. In all subgroups, canagliflozin use led to an acute eGFR drop followed by relative stabilization of eGFR loss. Among those with an eGFR of 30 to <45 ml/min per 1.73 m2, canagliflozin led to an initial drop of 2.03 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Thereafter, decline in eGFR was slower in the canagliflozin versus placebo group (–1.72 versus –4.33 ml/min per 1.73 m2; between-group difference 2.61 ml/min per 1.73 m2).

Conclusions

Canagliflozin safely reduced the risk of renal and cardiovascular events, with consistent results across eGFR subgroups, including the subgroup initiating treatment with an eGFR of 30 to <45 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Absolute benefits for renal outcomes were greatest in subgroups with lower eGFR.

Clinical Trial registry name and registration number

Evaluation of the Effects of Canagliflozin on Renal and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Participants With Diabetic Nephropathy (CREDENCE), NCT02065791.




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Abnormal Fetal Echocardiogram at 33 Weeks Gestation




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Pre-eclamptic Fetal Programming Alters Neuroinflammatory and Cardiovascular Consequences of Endotoxemia in Sex-Specific Manners [Neuropharmacology]

Pre-eclampsia (PE)-induced fetal programming predisposes offspring to health hazards in adult life. Here, we tested the hypothesis that pre-eclamptic fetal programming elicits sexually dimorphic inflammatory and cardiovascular complications to endotoxemia in adult rat offspring. PE was induced by oral administration of L-NAME (50 mg/kg per day for seven consecutive days) starting from day 14 of conception. Cardiovascular studies were performed in conscious adult male and female offspring preinstrumented with femoral indwelling catheters. Compared with non-PE male counterparts, intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg) to PE male offspring caused significantly greater 1) falls in blood pressure, 2) increases in heart rate, 3) rises in arterial dP/dtmax, a correlate of left ventricular contractility, and 4) decreases in time- and frequency-domain indices of heart rate variability (HRV). By contrast, the hypotensive and tachycardic actions of LPS in female offspring were independent of the pre-eclamptic state and no clear changes in HRV or dP/dtmax were noted. Measurement of arterial baroreflex activity by vasoactive method revealed no sex specificity in baroreflex dysfunction induced by LPS. Immunohistochemical studies showed increased protein expression of toll-like receptor 4 in heart as well as in brainstem neuronal pools of the nucleus of solitary tract and rostral ventrolateral medulla in endotoxic PE male, but not female, offspring. Enhanced myocardial, but not neuronal, expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was also demonstrated in LPS-treated male offspring. Together, pre-eclamptic fetal programming aggravates endotoxic manifestations of hypotension and autonomic dysfunction in male offspring via exacerbating myocardial and neuromedullary inflammatory pathways.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Current molecular and neuroanatomical evidence highlights a key role for pre-eclamptic fetal programming in offspring predisposition to health hazards induced by endotoxemia in adult life. Pre-eclampsia accentuates endotoxic manifestations of hypotension, tachycardia, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction in male offspring via exacerbating myocardial and central inflammatory pathways. The absence of such detrimental effects in female littermates suggests sexual dimorphism in the interaction of pre-eclamptic fetal programming with endotoxemia.




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COMT-Catalyzed Palmitic Acid Methyl Ester Biosynthesis in Perivascular Adipose Tissue and its Potential Role Against Hypertension [Cardiovascular]

Decreased release of palmitic acid methyl ester (PAME), a vasodilator, from perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) might contribute to hypertension pathogenesis. However, the PAME biosynthetic pathway remains unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that PAME is biosynthesized from palmitic acid (PA) via human catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) catalysis and that decreased PAME biosynthesis plays a role in hypertension pathogenesis. We compared PAME biosynthesis between age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and investigated the effects of losartan treatment on PAME biosynthesis. Computational molecular modeling indicated that PA binds well at the active site of COMT. Furthermore, in in vitro enzymatic assays in the presence of COMT and S-5'-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet), the stable isotope [13C16]-PA was methylated to form [13C16]-PAME in incubation medium or the Krebs–Henseleit solution containing 3T3-L1 adipocytes or rat PVAT. The adipocytes and PVATs expressed membrane-bound (MB)-COMT and soluble (S)-COMT proteins. [13C16]-PA methylation to form [13C16]-PAME in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and rat PVAT was blocked by various COMT inhibitors, such as S-(5'-adenosyl)-L-homocysteine, adenosine-2',3'-dialdehyde, and tolcapone. MB- and S-COMT levels in PVATs of established SHRs were significantly lower than those in PVATs of age-matched normotensive WKY rats, with decreased [13C16]-PA methylation to form [13C16]-PAME. This decrease was reversed by losartan, an angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor antagonist. Therefore, PAME biosynthesis in rat PVAT is dependent on AdoMet, catalyzed by COMT, and decreased in SHRs, further supporting the role of PVAT/PAME in hypertension pathogenesis. Moreover, the antihypertensive effect of losartan might be due partly to its increased PAME biosynthesis.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

PAME is a key PVAT-derived relaxing factor. We for the first time demonstrate that PAME is synthesized through PA methylation via the S-5'-adenosyl-L-methionine–dependent COMT catalyzation pathway. Moreover, we confirmed PVAT dysfunction in the hypertensive state. COMT-dependent PAME biosynthesis is involved in Ang II receptor type 1–mediated blood pressure regulation, as evidenced by the reversal of decreased PAME biosynthesis in PVAT by losartan in hypertensive rats. This finding might help in developing novel therapeutic or preventive strategies against hypertension.




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Increased Cardiovascular Response to a 6-Minute Walk Test in People With Type 2 Diabetes

Background and objective

Exercise is a cornerstone of management for type 2 diabetes; however, little is known about the cardiovascular (CV) response to submaximal functional exercise in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to compare performance and CV response during a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) between people with type 2 diabetes and matched control subjects.

Methods

CV response and distance walked during the 6MWT were assessed in 30 people with type 2 diabetes, matched for age, body composition, physical activity, and estimated aerobic capacity with 34 control subjects (type 2 diabetes group: 16 men, 59.8 ± 8.8 years of age, 33.3 ± 10.9% body fat, physical activity of 7,968 ± 3,236 steps·day–1, estimated aerobic capacity 31.9 ± 11.1 mLO2·kg–1·min–1; control group: 19 men, 59.3 ± 8.8 years of age, 32.7 ± 8.5% body fat, physical activity 8,228 ± 2,941 steps·day–1, estimated aerobic capacity 34.9 ± 15.4 mLO2·kg–1·min–1).

Results

People with type 2 diabetes walked a similar distance (590 ± 75 vs. 605 ± 69 m; P = 0.458) compared with control subjects during the 6MWT and had similar ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) after the 6MWT (4.19 ± 1.56 vs. 3.65 ± 1.54, P = 0.147). However, at the end of the 6MWT, people with type 2 diabetes had a higher heart rate (108 ± 23 vs. 95 ± 18 beats·min–1; P = 0.048), systolic blood pressure (169 ± 26 vs. 147 ± 22 mmHg, P = 0.003), and rate-pressure product (18,762 ± 5,936 vs. 14,252 ± 4,330, P = 0.009) than control subjects.

Conclusion

Although people with type 2 diabetes had similar performance and RPE during the 6MWT compared with control subjects, the CV response was greater for people with type 2 diabetes, indicating greater cardiac effort for similar perceived effort and performance of 6MWT. These data suggest that observation and prescription of exercise intensity should include both perceived effort and CV response.




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Sex Disparities in Cardiovascular Outcome Trials of Populations With Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sex differences have been described in diabetes cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs).

PURPOSE

We systematically reviewed for baseline sex differences in cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and CV protection therapy in diabetes CVOTs.

DATA SOURCES

Randomized placebo-controlled trials examining the effect of diabetes medications on major adverse cardiovascular events in people ≥18 years of age with type 2 diabetes.

STUDY SELECTION

Included trials reported baseline sex-specific CV risks and use of CV protection therapy.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently abstracted study data.

DATA SYNTHESIS

We included five CVOTs with 46,606 participants. We summarized sex-specific data using mean differences (MDs) and relative risks (RRs) and pooled estimates using random effects meta-analysis. There were fewer women than men in included trials (28.5–35.8% women). Women more often had stroke (RR 1.28; 95% CI 1.09, 1.50), heart failure (RR 1.30; 95% CI 1.21,1.40), and chronic kidney disease (RR 1.33; 95% CI 1.17; 1.51). They less often used statins (RR 0.90; 95% CI 0.86, 0.93), aspirin (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.71, 0.95), and β-blockers (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88, 0.97) and had a higher systolic blood pressure (MD 1.66 mmHg; 95% CI 0.90, 2.41), LDL cholesterol (MD 0.34 mmol/L; 95% CI 0.29, 0.39), and hemoglobin A1c (MD 0.11%; 95% CI 0.09, 0.14 [1.2 mmol/mol; 1.0, 1.5]) than men.

LIMITATIONS

We could not carry out subgroup analyses due to the small number of studies. Our study is not generalizable to low CV risk groups nor to patients in routine care.

CONCLUSIONS

There were baseline sex disparities in diabetes CVOTs. We suggest efforts to recruit women into trials and promote CV management across the sexes.




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Facility-Level Variation in Cardiac Stress Test Use Among Patients With Diabetes: Findings From the Veterans Affairs National Database




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Cardiac biomarkers are prognostic in systemic light chain amyloidosis with no cardiac involvement by standard criteria

Patients with systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) with no evidence of cardiac involvement by consensus criteria have excellent survival, but 20% will die within 5 years of diagnosis and prognostic factors remain poorly characterised. We report the outcomes of 378 prospectively followed Mayo stage I patients (N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide <332 ng/L, high sensitivity cardiac troponin <55 ng/L). The median presenting N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide was 161 ng/L, high sensitivity cardiac troponin 10 ng/L, creatinine 76 μmol/L and mean left ventricular septal wall thickness, 10 mm. Median follow up was 42 (1-117 months), with 71 deaths; median overall survival was not reached (78% survival at 5 years). Although no patients had cardiac involvement by echocardiogram, a proportion (n=25/90, 28%) had cardiac involvement by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Age, autonomic nervous system involvement, N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide >152 ng/L, high sensitivity cardiac troponin >10 ng/L and cardiac involvement by magnetic resonance imaging were predictive for survival; on multivariate analysis only N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide >152 ng/L (P<0.008, hazard ratio [HR] 3.180, confidence interval [CI]: 1.349-7.495) and cardiac involvement on magnetic resonance imaging (P=0.026, HR=5.360, CI: 1.219-23.574) were prognostic. At 5 years, 70% of patients with N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide >152 ng/L were alive. In conclusion, N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide is prognostic for survival in patients with no cardiac involvement by consensus criteria and cardiac involvement is detected by magnetic resonance imaging in such cases. This suggests that N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide thresholds for cardiac involvement in AL may need to be redefined.




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Risk Factors for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and Cardiovascular Autonomic Neuropathy in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Study

The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study demonstrated that intensive glucose control reduced the risk of developing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN). We evaluated multiple risk factors and phenotypes associated with DPN and CAN in this large, well-characterized cohort of participants with type 1 diabetes, followed for >23 years. DPN was defined by symptoms, signs, and nerve conduction study abnormalities in ≥2 nerves; CAN was assessed using standardized cardiovascular reflex tests. Generalized estimating equation models assessed the association of DPN and CAN with individual risk factors measured repeatedly. During DCCT/EDIC, 33% of participants developed DPN and 44% CAN. Higher mean HbA1c was the most significant risk factor for DPN, followed by older age, longer duration, greater height, macroalbuminuria, higher mean pulse rate, β-blocker use, and sustained albuminuria. The most significant risk factor for CAN was older age, followed by higher mean HbA1c, sustained albuminuria, longer duration of type 1 diabetes, higher mean pulse rate, higher mean systolic blood pressure, β-blocker use, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, higher most recent pulse rate, and cigarette smoking. These findings identify risk factors and phenotypes of participants with diabetic neuropathy that can be used in the design of new interventional trials and for personalized approaches to neuropathy prevention.




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Pervasive Small RNAs in Cardiometabolic Research: Great Potential Accompanied by Biological and Technical Barriers

Advances in small RNA sequencing have revealed the enormous diversity of small noncoding RNA (sRNA) classes in mammalian cells. At this point, most investigators in diabetes are aware of the success of microRNA (miRNA) research and appreciate the importance of posttranscriptional gene regulation in glycemic control. Nevertheless, miRNAs are just one of multiple classes of sRNAs and likely represent only a minor fraction of sRNA sequences in a given cell. Despite the widespread appreciation of sRNAs, very little research into non-miRNA sRNA function has been completed, likely due to some major barriers that present unique challenges for study. To emphasize the importance of sRNA research in cardiometabolic diseases, we highlight the success of miRNAs and competitive endogenous RNAs in cholesterol and glucose metabolism. Moreover, we argue that sequencing studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are just the tip of the iceberg for sRNAs. We are likely standing at the precipice of immense discovery for novel sRNA-mediated gene regulation in cardiometabolic diseases. To realize this potential, we must first address critical barriers with an open mind and refrain from viewing non-miRNA sRNA function through the lens of miRNAs, as they likely have their own set of distinct regulatory factors and functional mechanisms.




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Association of Serum Uromodulin with Death, Cardiovascular Events, and Kidney Failure in CKD

Background and objectives

Uromodulin is exclusively produced by tubular epithelial cells and released into urine and serum. Higher serum uromodulin has been associated with lower risk for kidney failure in Chinese patients with CKD and with lower risk for mortality in the elderly and in patients undergoing coronary angiography. We hypothesized that lower serum uromodulin is associated with mortality, cardiovascular events, and kidney failure in white patients with CKD.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

We measured serum uromodulin in 5143 participants enrolled in the German CKD (GCKD) study. The associations of baseline serum uromodulin with all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or incident peripheral vascular disease), and kidney failure (dialysis or transplantation) were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses in a cohort study design, adjusting for demographics, eGFR, albuminuria, cardiovascular risk factors, and medication.

Results

The mean age of participants was 60±12 years, 60% were male. Mean serum uromodulin concentration was 98±60 ng/ml, eGFR was 49±18 ml/min per 1.73 m2, and 78% had eGFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. Participants in lower serum uromodulin quartiles had lower eGFR and higher albuminuria, prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and more frequent history of stroke at baseline. During a follow-up of 4 years, 335 participants died, 417 developed MACE, and 229 developed kidney failure. In multivariable analysis, the highest serum uromodulin quartile was associated with lower hazard for mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.87), MACE (HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.90), and kidney failure (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.55) compared with the lowest quartile.

Conclusions

Higher serum uromodulin is independently associated with lower risk for mortality, cardiovascular events, and kidney failure in white patients with CKD.

Clinical Trial registry name and registration number

Deutsches Register für Klinische Studien (DRKS; German national database of clinical studies), DRKS00003971.




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Circulating Uromodulin and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and Kidney Failure




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Associations of Cardiac, Kidney, and Diabetes Biomarkers With Peripheral Neuropathy among Older Adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to assess the association of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnT) and other cardiac, kidney, hyperglycemia, and inflammatory biomarkers with peripheral neuropathy (PN) in a community-based population.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3056 black and white participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who underwent standardized monofilament PN testing and had measures of cardiac function (hs-cTnT, N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], and growth differentiation factor 15 [GDF15]), kidney function (serum creatinine, cystatin C, β-2 microglobulin, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio), hyperglycemia (fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c [Hb A1c], fructosamine, glycated albumin, 1,5-anhydroglucitol), and inflammation (C-reactive protein) assessed at visit 6 (2016–2017; age 71–94 years). We used logistic regression to assess the associations of these biomarkers (modeled in diabetes-specific tertiles) with PN in older adults with and without diabetes after adjusting for traditional risk factors.
Results
In total, 33.5% of participants had PN (37.3% with diabetes and 31.9% without diabetes). There was an independent association of hs-cTnT with PN regardless of diabetes status (diabetes T3 vs. T1: odds ratio [OR], 2.15 [95% CI, 1.44–3.22]; no diabetes: OR, 2.31 [95%CI, 1.76–3.03]; P = 0.72 for interaction). Among participants without diabetes, there were also significant associations of NT-proBNP (OR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.08–1.81]) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (OR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.22–1.97]) with PN. Associations of hyperglycemia biomarkers including Hb A1c (OR, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.22–2.54]), fructosamine (OR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.19–2.46]), and glycated albumin (OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.03–2.03]) with PN were significant only among participants with diabetes.
Conclusions
Overall, hs-cTnT appears to be a global marker of end organ damage, including PN. Laboratory biomarkers may be able to help us identify those individuals with PN.




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Tedizolid as Step-Down Therapy following Daptomycin versus Continuation of Daptomycin against Enterococci and Methicillin- and Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Rat Endocarditis Model [Experimental Therapeutics]

Tedizolid (TZD) and daptomycin (DAP) were assessed in a rat endocarditis model against Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium (resistant to vancomycin and ampicillin), and Staphylococcus aureus. As a monotherapy, TZD for 5 days was not effective in a comparison with no-treatment controls, while DAP for 5 days was significantly effective against these bacteria. Step-down therapy (DAP for 3 days followed by TZD for 2 days) was as effective as DAP for 5 days and was comparable to 3 days of DAP plus ceftriaxone against all bacteria and to 3 days of DAP plus gentamicin against E. faecalis OG1RF.




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[Molecular Pathology] The Formation of Coronary Vessels in Cardiac Development and Disease

Understanding how coronary blood vessels form and regenerate during development and progression of cardiac diseases will shed light on the development of new treatment options targeting coronary artery diseases. Recent studies with the state-of-the-art technologies have identified novel origins of, as well as new, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of coronary vessels in the postnatal heart, including collateral artery formation, endocardial-to-endothelial differentiation and mesenchymal-to-endothelial transition. These new mechanisms of coronary vessel formation and regeneration open up new possibilities targeting neovascularization for promoting cardiac repair and regeneration. Here, we highlight some recent studies on cellular mechanisms of coronary vessel formation, and discuss the potential impact and significance of the findings on basic research and clinical application for treating ischemic heart disease.




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Beneficial Agents for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease or Obesity: Utilization in an Era of Accumulating Evidence

This study was an analysis of a national sample of U.S. medical office visits from 2014 to 2016, a period when evidence of effectiveness was emerging for a variety of beneficial type 2 diabetes agents with regard to potential reduction in diabetes comorbidities. Ideal therapy was defined as an American Diabetes Association–identified beneficial agent plus metformin. The associations between atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or obesity and use of these agents were explored.




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Samsung Hops on the Finance Train, Announces New Debit Card

Big Tech is coming for your transaction data.




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FIFA 20 TOTS La Liga Confirmed with New Team of the Season Ultimate Team Cards



FIFA 20 Team of the Season So Far Premier League Squad is now live and features Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.




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Perdue and federal judge both play the OSHA card on meat and poultry industries

Coronavirus illnesses to date may touch as little as 4 percent of meat and poultry employment, but it been enough to roil the industry over how much protection the plants need to be safe. Actions taken in tight proximity to one another by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. District Court Judge Greg... Continue Reading




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Jacaré Souza dropped from UFC 249 preliminary card after testing positive for coronavirus

The UFC comeback event on Saturday will feature one less match up after middleweight fighter Jacaré Souza tested positive for coronavirus. 




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Jacaré Souza dropped from UFC 249 preliminary card after testing positive for coronavirus

The UFC comeback event on Saturday will feature one less match up after middleweight fighter Jacaré Souza tested positive for coronavirus. 




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Wirecard revamps management board amid probes

Wirecard Chief Executive Markus Braun apologised to shareholders on Friday as the company announced a reshuffle of its management board and appointed a new compliance officer, days after the hedge fund TCI demanded Braun's removal.




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Child, three, has fatal cardiac arrest as mother kept on 111 hold for over an hour

A sick child died after their mother was kept on hold by the NHS 111 helpline for more than an hour as she desperately sought medical help.




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New York woman creates exchange for unused travel cards to go to key workers during coronavirus crisis

As the coronavirus pandemic continues worldwide, one woman in New York has devised a simple system to ease the financial burden for those risking their lives on the frontline.




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NHS fundraising hero Captain Tom Moore sent &apos;tens of thousands&apos; of birthday cards

War veteran Captain Tom Moore, who has raised £28 million for the NHS by walking lengths of his garden, has been sent tens of thousands of cards ahead of his 100th birthday.




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Nicola Sturgeon says lockdown measures could last &apos;beyond end of the year&apos; as she warns return to normal &apos;is not on the cards&apos;

"But as I hope we have started to set out today, if we keep doing the right things and if we consider all of the options carefully and with the right objectives in mind, I do believe there will be a way through and we will find that way through."




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Captain Tom Moore sent 125,000 cards for his 100th birthday

A school in Bedfordshire has been flooded with thousands of cards from well wishers across the globe for Captain Tom Moore's upcoming 100th birthday.




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Woman jailed after stealing NHS doctor&apos;s ID card

A woman has jailed after she stole a doctor's identity card while he was in a pharmacy.




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Captain Tom Moore &apos;in awe&apos; after he receives 140,000 birthday cards on 100th birthday

The 100-year-old war veteran received a total of 140,000 birthday cards





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Raise Gift Cards - Save an extra 5%

Saw this in an email. Save 5% on Raise Gift Cards until 11:59PM

 

Use Coupon Code: APRIL

 

Would be a good time to buy PSN / Xbox / Nintendo cards for digital sales.