Prolonged Relaxation Research Articles

Slow Equilibrium Relaxation in a Chiral Magnet Mediated by Topological Defects.

We performed a pump-probe experiment on the chiral magnet Cu_{2}OSeO_{3} to study the relaxation dynamics of its noncollinear magnetic orders, employing a millisecond magnetic field pulse as the pump and resonant elastic x-ray scattering as the probe. Our findings reveal that the system requires ∼0.2 s to stabilize after the perturbation applied to both the conical and skyrmion lattice phase, which is significantly slower than the typical nanosecond timescale observed in micromagnetics. This prolonged relaxation is attributed to the formation and slow dissipation of local topological defects, such as emergent monopoles. By unveiling the experimental lifetime of these emergent singularities in a noncollinear magnetic system, our study highlights a universal relaxation mechanism in solitonic textures within the slow dynamics regime, offering new insights into topological physics and advanced information storage solutions.

Thermodynamics and kinetics of cation partitioning between plagioclase and trachybasaltic melt in static and dynamic systems: A reassessment of the lattice strain and electrostatic energies of substitution

Most of the solidification history of magmas beneath active volcanoes takes place in chemically and physically perturbed plumbing systems where the growth of crystals is collectively governed by a range of kinetic processes related to the dynamics of crustal reservoirs and eruptive conduits. In this context, we have experimentally investigated the partitioning of major, minor, and trace cations between plagioclase and trachybasaltic melt under conventional static (no physical perturbation) and dynamic (melt stirring) crystallization regimes. Slow interface reaction kinetics are established between the advancing crystal surface and the adjacent melt, as the result of the combined control of a small degree of effective undercooling, prolonged diffusive relaxation, and convective homogenization. The kinetic aspects of plagioclase growth influence the partitioning of trace cations during transport of structural units across the crystal-melt interface, with consequent departure from macroscopic equilibrium in the system. The type and number of charge–balanced and −imbalanced configurations produced by the accommodation of trace cations into the coordination polyhedron can be thermodynamically rationalized in terms of lattice strain and electrostatic partitioning energetics. However, the overall solution energy accompanying trace cation kinetic substitutions cannot be entirely deconvoluted from major component activities in both melt and plagioclase phases. The emerging view that slow interface kinetic processes may lead to strong compositional dependence for the partition coefficient in dynamic subvolcanic environments contrasts markedly with the conventional idea that the energetics of cation partitioning are dominantly controlled by the effect of isothermal changes in the bulk system.

Tissue Doppler ultrasound of arm muscles to assess myotonia in myotonic dystrophies: An exploratory study.

Myotonia is a key symptom of myotonic dystrophies (DM), and its quantification is challenging. This exploratory study evaluated the utility of tissue Doppler ultrasound (TDU) to assess myotonia in DM. Twelve DM patients (seven type-1 DM [DM1] and five type-2 DM [DM2]) and 20 age-matched healthy subjects were included in this cross-sectional study. After measuring cross-sectional areas of the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscles in a resting state, muscle contraction/relaxation time, time to peak tissue velocity, peak tissue velocity and velocity gradients of these muscles were measured via TDU while performing forced fist unclenching after fist closure. Additionally, grip strength, Medical Research Council Sum score and patient-reported myotonia severity scores were assessed. DM1 and DM2 patients had a lower grip strength than healthy subjects (p = .0001/p = .002). Patient-reported myotonia did not differ between DM1 and DM2 patients. DM1 patients revealed FDS and EDC atrophy compared to DM2 patients and healthy subjects (p = .003/p = .004). TDU revealed prolonged muscle contraction and relaxation times in both DM subtypes, with prolonged time to reach FDS peak relaxation velocity and altered peak FDS relaxation velocity only in DM1 patients (p = .03/p = .003). Peak FDS relaxation velocity correlated inversely with C(C)TG repeat numbers in DM patients. Sensitivity of TDU parameters to detect myotonic dystrophy varied between 50% and 75%, with a specificity of 95%. Our exploratory study suggests that TDU could serve as a novel tool to quantify myotonia in DM patients, but larger follow-up studies are warranted to validate its diagnostic accuracy.

Abstract Tu039: Intestinal atrophy contributes to low-grade inflammation, cardiac dysfunction and metabolic syndrome-like phenotype in a model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Introduction: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) comprises half of all HF cases and lacks effective treatment. HFpEF is now seen as a systemic syndrome often linked to comorbidities like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. These conditions are commonly associated with unhealthy diets rich in fats but lacking in fiber. We explored the effects of a 3-week exposure to excess mineralocorticoids, salt, and high fat diet (HFD) deficient in fiber. We hypothesize that these challenges lead to intestinal atrophy, contributing to low-grade inflammation that promotes the progression of heart failure and metabolic disease. Methods: We used a mix of 1% saline in drinking water and subcutaneous implantation of controlled-release DOCA pellets (0.83 mg/day) alongside a high-fat diet (60% fat) in 8-week-old female and male C57BL6/J mice. Control mice received a standard chow diet and regular water. Results: The challenge resulted in significant reductions in colon mass, colon length, crypt length, and mucus layer thickness compared to the control group. Additionally, elevated levels of C-reactive protein and IL-6 were detected in the plasma. These changes were accompanied by alterations in diastolic function, including decreased peak myocardial relaxation velocity (e'), elevated E/e' ratio, increased E/A ratio, and prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), while the ejection fraction (EF) remained unchanged. Contractility parameters, such as peak myocardial contraction velocity (s'), declined in challenged mice, along with diminished stroke volume (SV). We also found increased organ weight in the liver, spleen, and lungs indicative of organ congestion. Furthermore, signs of metabolic syndrome were identified, including increased body weight, increased adiposity characterized by gonadal and subcutaneous fat accumulation, and dysglycemia (see Data Table). Conclusions: Our data suggests that in this model, heart failure triggers intestinal hypoperfusion, resulting in intestinal atrophy and compromising the integrity of the intestinal lining. Additionally, a diet rich in fat and lacking in fiber alters the gut environment by diminishing mucus production and promoting a closer interaction between the microbiome and host cells. This compromised mucus layer and intestinal barrier facilitates bacterial wall products to move into the circulation, resulting in a pro-inflammatory state that subsequently affects both cardiac function and metabolism.

Poor Self-Reported Sleep is Associated with Prolonged White Matter T2 Relaxation in Psychotic Disorders.

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are characterized by white matter (WM) abnormalities, however, their relationship with illness presentation is not clear. Sleep disturbances are common in both disorders, and recent evidence suggests that sleep plays a critical role in WM physiology. Therefore, it is plausible that sleep disturbances are associated with impaired WM integrity in these disorders. To test this hypothesis, we examined the association of self-reported sleep disturbances with WM transverse (T2) relaxation times in patients with SZ spectrum disorders and BD with psychotic features. 28 patients with psychosis (17 BD-I, with psychotic features and 11 SZ spectrum disorders) were included. Metabolite and water T2 relaxation times were measured in the anterior corona radiata at 4T. Sleep was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. PSQI total score showed a moderate to strong positive correlation with water T2 (r = 0.64, p<0.001). Linear regressions showed that this association was specific to sleep disturbance but was not a byproduct of exacerbation in depressive, manic, or psychotic symptoms. In our exploratory analysis, sleep disturbance was correlated with free water percentage, suggesting that increased extracellular water may be a mechanism underlying the association of disturbed sleep and prolonged water T2 relaxation. Our results highlight the connection between poor sleep and WM abnormalities in psychotic disorders. Future research using objective sleep measures and neuroimaging techniques suitable to probe free water is needed to further our insight into this relationship.

Characterization of systolic and diastolic function, alongside proteomic profiling, in doxorubicin-induced cardiovascular toxicity in mice

BackgroundThe anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) is a highly effective anticancer agent, especially in breast cancer and lymphoma. However, DOX can cause cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT) in patients during treatment and in survivors. Current diagnostic criteria for CTR-CVT focus mainly on left ventricular systolic dysfunction, but a certain level of damage is required before it can be detected. As diastolic dysfunction often precedes systolic dysfunction, the current study aimed to identify functional and molecular markers of DOX-induced CTR-CVT with a focus on diastolic dysfunction.MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice were treated with saline or DOX (4 mg/kg, weekly i.p. injection) for 2 and 6 weeks (respectively cumulative dose of 8 and 24 mg/kg) (n = 8 per group at each time point). Cardiovascular function was longitudinally investigated using echocardiography and invasive left ventricular pressure measurements. Subsequently, at both timepoints, myocardial tissue was obtained for proteomics (liquid-chromatography with mass-spectrometry). A cohort of patients with CTR-CVT was used to complement the pre-clinical findings.ResultsDOX-induced a reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction from 72 ± 2% to 55 ± 1% after 2 weeks (cumulative 8 mg/kg DOX). Diastolic dysfunction was demonstrated as prolonged relaxation (increased tau) and heart failure was evident from pulmonary edema after 6 weeks (cumulative 24 mg/kg DOX). Myocardial proteomic analysis revealed an increased expression of 12 proteins at week 6, with notable upregulation of SERPINA3N in the DOX-treated animals. The human ortholog SERPINA3 has previously been suggested as a marker in CTR-CVT. Upregulation of SERPINA3N was confirmed by western blot, immunohistochemistry, and qPCR in murine hearts. Thereby, SERPINA3N was most abundant in the endothelial cells. In patients, circulating SERPINA3 was increased in plasma of CTR-CVT patients but not in cardiac biopsies.ConclusionWe showed that mice develop heart failure with impaired systolic and diastolic function as result of DOX treatment. Additionally, we could identify increased SERPINA3 levels in the mice as well as patients with DOX-induced CVT and demonstrated expression of SERPINA3 in the heart itself, suggesting that SERPINA3 could serve as a novel biomarker.

Evidence of abnormal hot carrier thermalization at van Hove singularity of twisted bilayer graphene

Interlayer twist evokes revolutionary changes to the optical and electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) for electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. Although the ground state responses in TBG have been vastly and clearly studied, the dynamic process of its photoexcited carrier states mainly remains elusive. Here, we unveil the photoexcited hot carrier dynamics in TBG by time-resolved ultrafast photoluminescence (PL) autocorrelation spectroscopy. We demonstrate the unconventional ultrafast PL emission between the van Hove singularities (VHSs) with a ∼4 times prolonged relaxation lifetime. This intriguing photoexcited carrier behavior is ascribed to the abnormal hot carrier thermalization brought by bottleneck effects at VHSs and interlayer charge distribution process. Our study on hot carrier dynamics in TBG offers new insights into the excited states and correlated physics of graphene twistronics systems.

Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mouse model reveals impaired relaxation kinetics as novel pathomechanism for NEM6 cardiomyopathy

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): VENI-Nederlandse organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) We identified a novel cardiomyopathy gene: KBTBD13 encoding kelch repeat and BTB (POZ) domain containing 13. The Dutch founder variant KBTBD13R408C not only affects skeletal muscle function resulting in nemaline myopathy type 6 (NEM6), but also affects the heart. In the Dutch NEM6 cohort, various cardiac abnormalities were observed, including systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and three patients died of sudden cardiac death. The majority of NEM6 patients harbors the Dutch founder variant, c.1222C&amp;gt;T, p.Arg408Cys (KBTBD13R408C). To provide insight in the mechanism underlying cardiac dysfunction in NEM6, here we assessed cardiac structure and function in Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice, which closely recapitulate the well characterized skeletal muscle phenotype, i.e. impaired relaxation kinetics and mitochondrial dysfunction. Pressure-volume loop analyses showed that the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation was steeper in Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice, indicating diastolic dysfunction. Histological evaluation of cardiac structure revealed no increase in fibrosis in Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice. Also, no alterations in titin isoform composition or myosin heavy chain composition were observed that could account for the increased diastolic stiffness. Next, we studied the contraction and relaxation kinetics in wild type (WT) and Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice at the intact single cardiomyocyte level by a high-throughput contractility set-up. Our data showed a prolonged relaxation time in Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice compared to WT mice, indicating impaired relaxation kinetics. No differences in the magnitude of contraction (percentage of shortening) was found between cardiomyocytes of Kbtbd13R408C-knockin and WT mice. In parallel, calcium-handling was assessed by calcium indicator Fura-2AM. These studies reveal that calcium-release is not affected, but calcium-reuptake is slower in Kbtbd13R408C-knockin mice, which might contribute to the impaired relaxation kinetics. Current studies focus on how KBTBD13R408C affects calcium-reuptake kinetics and sarcomere kinetics in NEM6 cardiomyocytes. Hence, our studies provide the first insights in the pathomechanism underlying cardiac dysfunction in NEM6.

Early postoperative beta-blockers are associated with improved cardiac output after late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot: a retrospective cohort study

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. For decades, our institution has cared for humanitarian patients with late presentation of tetralogy of Fallot. They are characterized by severe right ventricular hypertrophy with consecutive diastolic dysfunction, increasing the risk of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS). By right ventricular restrictive physiology, we hypothesized that patients receiving early postoperative beta-blockers (within 48 h after cardiopulmonary bypass) may have better diastolic function and cardiac output. This is a retrospective cohort study in a single-center tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. We included > 1-year-old humanitarian patients with a confirmed diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot undergoing a complete surgical repair between 2005 and 2019. We measured demographic data, preoperative echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization measures, postoperative mean heart rate, vasoactive-inotropic scores, LCOS scores, length of stay, and mechanical ventilation duration. One hundred sixty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-nine patients (36%) received early postoperative beta-blockers, associated with a lower mean heart rate, higher vasoactive-inotropic scores, and lower LCOS scores during the first 48 h following cardiopulmonary bypass. There was no significant difference in lengths of stay and ventilation. Conclusion: Early postoperative beta-blockers lower the prevalence of postoperative LCOS at the expense of a higher need for vasoactive drugs without any consequence on length of stay and ventilation duration. This approach may benefit the specific population of children undergoing a late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot.What is Known:• Prevalence of low cardiac output syndrome is high following a late complete surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot.What is New:• Early postoperative beta-blockade is associated with lower heart rate, prolonged relaxation time, and lower prevalence of low cardiac output syndrome.• Negative chronotropic agents like beta-blockers may benefit selected patients undergoing a late complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot, who are numerous in low-income countries.

Modulation of Cardiac Sarcomeric Function in Mouse Models of Hyperglycemia

Diabetes is a major risk factor for developing heart failure (HF) and patients with diabetes and HF have worse outcomes than patients with HF alone. Given that diabetes is associated with multiple metabolic impairments, it is critical to determine the mechanisms that exacerbate and worsen cardiac outcomes. Hyperglycemia has been associated with cardiac diastolic dysfunction, which is characterized by prolonged relaxation. The specific mechanisms underlying hyperglycemia-induced diastolic dysfunction are unclear. It is known that hyperglycemia induces profound perturbations in cardiac metabolism modifying acyl-based post-translational modifications (PTMs), which are a class of PTMs that have been gaining increasing focus as modulators of non-genomic protein function. We hypothesize that hyperglycemia contributes to cardiac dysfunction by modulating acyl-based modifications on sarcomeric proteins; thereby, leading to prolonged myofilament relaxation. We evaluated sarcomeric function and specific PTMs (acetylation, crotonylation, malonylation, propionylation, and hydoxy-butyrylation) on sarcomeric proteins in two mouse models that have elevated glucose without hyperinsulinemia: mice with inducible deletion of beta islet glucokinase and mice treated with streptozotocin (STZ) induced damage of the beta islet cells. In male and female mice of both models, myofibrils isolated from the hearts of animals with hyperglycemia demonstrated prolonged sarcomeric relaxation compared to myofibrils isolated from euglycemic mice. We found that sarcomeric proteins isolated from the hearts of hyperglycemic mice from both models have decreased protein acetylation. While crotonylation, malonylation, propionylation, and hydoxy-butyrylation are not different between hyperglycemic and euglycemic mice. To determine how decreased acetylation impacts sarcomeric mechanical function, myofibrils isolated from male and female euglycemic mice were treated with histone deacetylases decrease acetylation and mechanics were assessed. We found that decreased acetylation of myofibrils leads to prolonged relaxation similar to what was observed in hyperglycemic hearts. These findings indicate that specific modifications of acyl-PTMs on sarcomeric proteins modulate sarcomeric function and may contribute to overall diastolic dysfunction observed in hyperglycemia. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [K01AG066845 KCW] the American Heart Association [22CDA937598 KCW] and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health and Specialized Center for Research Excellence (SCORE) pilot award [KCW], Colorado Diabetes Research Center Pilot and Feasibility Award [P30DK11607 KCW)]. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Estrogen Regulation of PAD2 and Citrullination in the Aging Female Heart

Advanced age is the primary risk factor for heart failure, an enormous public health burden. With aging, men tend to develop systolic dysfunction whereas women are predisposed to develop diastolic dysfunction. Despite these known phenotype differences, underlying molecular mechanisms of sex differences in cardiac aging are unknown. Citrullination, a post-translational modification catalyzed by the peptidylarginine deiminases (PAD) enzyme family, is positively regulated by the sex hormone estrogen (E2) suggesting a potential novel mechanism of age-related cardiac functional changes in women. We hypothesized that PAD expression and citrullination are sexually dimorphic with aging such that as E2 levels decline, so too does citrullination, thus contributing to diastolic dysfunction. We quantified expression of PAD2, the primary cardiac isoform, in female young reproductively competent adult (3 months) and aged (21 months) C57Bl6 mice. Consistent with clinical reports, in our model of aging, female mice developed diastolic dysfunction, with a prolonged linear phase relaxation (54.0 ± 1.7 msec, adult and 66.0 ± 3.3 msec aged, p&lt;0.05). PAD2 expression decreased with age in the female heart, concomitant with decreases in myocardial protein citrullination. To identify potential mechanisms of differential citrullination by age, we performed cit-mass spectrometry. Adult female mice had higher overall citrullination patterns than aged females with enrichment of citrullinated proteins in metabolic, mitochondrial, and sarcomeric pathways. In reproductively competent adult females, cardiac PAD2 expression was higher during estrus compared to diestrus. To confirm direct regulation of PAD2 by E2, a cohort of adult mice underwent ovariectomy (OVX) with or without E2 replacement, provided orally in the water (0.5μM E2) for three weeks. Exogenous E2 supplementation post-OVX increased uterine weight and PAD2 expression, further confirming positive regulation by E2. Together, we suggest that hormonally regulated changes in PAD2 and citrullination with age contribute to sex-specific cardiac aging. Ongoing experiments will directly test the role of PAD2 in the heart by generation of a novel myocyte specific PAD2 deleted mouse across the female lifespan. This abstract was made possible by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under 2P20GM103432. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [K01 AG058810 DRB, [K01 AG066845 KCW]. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Numerical analysis of a poroelastic cartilage model: Investigating the influence of changing material properties in osteoarthritis

Several changes occur in both the cartilage's material properties and anatomical structure as osteoarthritis progresses. Unlike most numerical studies that solely consider individual changes, our study aimed to understand the impact on cartilage mechanics by considering the combined effect of material properties and cartilage thickness varied with osteoarthritis progression. In total, 3 three-dimensional finite element models, representing the intact, early, and late osteoarthritis conditions, were developed to simulate a load-bearing area in the knee. The articular cartilage was modelled as fluid-saturated linear biphasic poroelastic to incorporate solid-fluid interaction. All models underwent prolonged creep (50 N) and relaxation (0.3 mm) analyses for 600 s. In the early stage of osteoarthritis, the tibial cartilage demonstrated an overall stiffer behaviour attributed to cartilage swelling despite decreased stiffness at the material level. On the other hand, in the late stage of osteoarthritis, the decrease in cartilage thickness led to increased knee deformation. Additionally, increased permeability resulted in accelerated fluid exudation across all osteoarthritis models, and the elevation in void ratio further intensified fluid pressure within the cartilage to a higher magnitude. Furthermore, these changes collectively influenced both the magnitude and distribution of the outcomes. A holistic understanding of the material properties altered in osteoarthritis may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanical performance of cartilage during disease progression.

Revolutionizing energy flow: Unleashing the influence of MHD in the presence of free convective heat transfer with radiation

This study investigates the complex interplay between radiation and magneto-flow on a porous, perpendicular plate immersed in a viscoelastic Maxwell fluid. The significance lies in understanding how the Lorentz force shapes dynamics and energy transfer in such systems, which is crucial for various industrial applications. Utilizing a comprehensive model that accounts for heat generation and absorption, we transform partial differential equations into ordinary ones through flow similarity analysis, providing valuable insights into the system's behavior. Employing the bvp4c solver in MATLAB, we evaluate velocity and energy profiles in Maxwell fluid flow. Graphical representations allow for a thorough examination of the influence of thermophysical parameters. Our findings reveal an intensified velocity profile attributed to prolonged material relaxation times.Furthermore, temperature profiles progressively increase with higher radiation and porous parameters. These results hold significant implications for industrial applications, particularly in Maxwell fluids' heat transport studies. Insights from this research can inform the design and optimization of systems such as ovens, boilers, cross-flow heat exchangers, and solar panels, enhancing efficiency and performance. Overall, this study contributes novel insights that advance understanding beyond previous efforts in the literature, paving the way for further exploration in this field. The primary finding of this study indicates that as the Rayleigh number increases, the velocity profile experiences an increase, whereas the temperature profile shows a decrease.

Systematic review of cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging T1 and T2 mapping in patients with Takotsubo syndrome

BackgroundCurrent imaging advancements quantify the use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) derived T1 and T2 tissue characterization as robust indicators for cardiomyopathies, but limited literature exists on its clinical application in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). This systematic review evaluated the T1 and T2 parametric mapping to delineate the current diagnostic and prognostic CMR imaging outcomes in TTS. MethodsA comprehensive literature search until October 2023 was performed on ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library by two independent reviewers adhering to the PRISMA framework. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the methodological quality of studies. ResultsOut of 198 results, 8 studies were included in this qualitative synthesis, accounting for a total population of 399 subjects (TTS = 201, controls = 175, acute myocarditis = 14, and acute regional myocardial oedema without infarction = 9). Approximately 50.4 % were TTS patients aged between 61 and 73 years, whereof, females (n = 181, 90.0 %) and apical variants (n = 180, 89.6 %) were significantly higher, and emotional stressor (n = 42; 20.9 %) was more prevalent than physical (n = 27; 13.4 %). The NOS identified 62.5 % of studies as moderate and 37.5 % as high quality. Parametric tissue mapping revealed significantly prolonged T1 and T2 relaxation times at 1.5T and 3T respectively in TTS (1053–1164 msec, 1292–1438 msec; and 56–67 msec, 60–90 msec) with higher extracellular volume (ECV) fraction (29–36 %), compared to healthy subjects (944–1211 msec, 1189–1251 msec; and 46–54 msec, 32–68 msec; 23–29 %) and myocarditis (1058 msec, 60 msec). Other significant myocardial abnormalities included increased left ventricular (LV) end-systolic and diastolic volume and reduced global longitudinal strain. Overall, myocardial oedema, altered LV mass and strain, and worse LV systolic function, with higher native T1, T2, and ECV values were consistent. ConclusionsFuture research with substantially larger clinical trials is vital to explore the CMR imaging findings in diverse TTS patient cohorts and correlate the T1 and T2 mapping outcomes with demographic/clinical covariates. CMR is a valuable imaging tool for TTS diagnosis and prognostication. T1 and T2 parametric mapping facilitates the quantification of oedema, inflammation, and myocardial injury in Takotsubo.

Ethnicity differences in geometric remodelling and myocardial composition in hypertension unveiled by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Hypertensive patients of African ancestry (Afr-a) have higher incidences of heart failure and worse clinical outcomes than hypertensive patients of European ancestry (Eu-a), yet the underlying mechanisms remain misunderstood. This study investigated right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular remodelling alongside myocardial tissue derangements between Afr-a and Eu-a hypertensives. 63 Afr-a and 47 Eu-a hypertensives underwent multi-parametric cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Biventricular volumes, mass, function, mass/end-diastolic volume (M/V) ratios, T2 and pre-/post-contrast T1 relaxation times, synthetic extracellular volume, and myocardial fibrosis (MF) were measured. 3D shape modelling was implemented to delineate ventricular geometry. LV and RV mass (indexed to body-surface-area) and M/V ratio were significantly greater in Afr-a than Eu-a hypertensives (67.1 ± 21.7 vs. 58.3 ± 16.7 g/m2, 12.6 ± 3.48 vs. 10.7 ± 2.71 g/m2, 0.79 ± 0.21 vs. 0.70 ± 0.14 g/mL, and 0.16 ± 0.04 vs. 0.13 ± 0.03 g/mL, respectively; P < 0.03). Afr-a patients showed greater basal interventricular septum thickness than Eu-a patients, influencing LV hypertrophy and RV cavity changes. This biventricular remodelling was associated with prolonged T2 relaxation time (47.0 ± 2.2 vs. 45.7 ± 2.2 ms, P = 0.005) and higher prevalence (23% vs. 4%, P = 0.001) and extent of MF [2.3 (0.6-14.3) vs. 1.6 (0.9-2.5) % LV mass, P = 0.008] in Afr-a patients. Multivariable linear regression showed that modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and greater end-diastolic volume, but not ethnicity, were independently associated with greater LV mass. Afr-a hypertensives had distinctive biventricular remodelling, including increased RV mass, septal thickening and myocardial tissue abnormalities compared with Eu-a hypertensives. From this study, modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and ventricular geometry, but not ethnicity, were independently associated with greater LV myocardial mass.

Serial tissue Doppler imaging in the evaluation of bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension among extremely preterm infants: a prospective observational study.

To evaluate serial tissue Doppler cardiac imaging (TDI) in the evolution of bronchopulmonary dysplasia-associated pulmonary hypertension (BPD-PH) among extremely preterm infants. Prospective observational study. Single-center, tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit. Infant born <28 weeks gestation. Utility of TDI in the early diagnosis and prediction of BPD-PH and optimal timing for screening of BPD-PH. A total of 79 infants were included. Of them, 17 (23%) had BPD-PH. The mean gestational age was 25.9 ± 1.1 weeks, and mean birth weight was 830 ± 174 g. The BPD-PH group had a high incidence of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (83% vs. 56%, p < 0.018), longer oxygen days (96.16 ± 68.09 vs. 59.35 ± 52.1, p < 0.008), and prolonged hospital stay (133.8 ± 45.9 vs. 106.5 ± 37.9 days, p < 0.005). The left ventricular eccentricity index (0.99 ± 0.1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.7, p < 0.01) and the ratio of acceleration time to right ventricular ejection time showed a statistically significant trend from 33 weeks (0.24 ± 0.05 vs. 0.28 ± 0.05, p < 0.05). At 33 weeks, the BPD-PH group showed prolonged isovolumetric contraction time (27.84 ± 5.5 vs. 22.77 ± 4, p < 0.001), prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time (40.3 ± 7.1 vs. 34.9 ± 5.3, p < 0.003), and abnormal myocardial performance index (0.39 ± 0.05 vs. 0.32 ± 0.03, p < 0.001). These differences persisted at 36 weeks after conceptional gestational age. TDI parameters are sensitive in the early evolution of BPD-PH. Diagnostic accuracy can be increased by combining the TDI parameters with conventional echocardiographic parameters. BPD-PH can be recognizable as early as 33-34 weeks of gestation.

Deciphering the Internal Conversion Processes Involved in the Photochemical Ring-Opening of 1,3-Cyclohexadiene by Symmetric sp2-Carbon Substitutions.

Chemical substituents hold the potential to markedly influence the photochemical behavior in molecular systems and assist in gaining a comprehensive understanding of nonadiabatic phenomena. In this study, we have conducted a comparative analysis of the influence of chemical substituents on the photochemical ring-opening of 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD), considering four systems: CHD, 2,3-dimethylcyclohexadiene (CHD-Me2-1), 1,4-dimethylcyclohexadiene (CHD-Me2-2), and 1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclohexadiene (CHD-Me4), using electronic structure theory calculations and nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulations. Employing extended multistate complete active space second-order perturbation (XMS-CASPT2) theory, we optimized reactants, S1 states, conical intersections (CIns), and products, revealing structural and energetic variations consistent with prior research. Nonadiabatic molecular dynamics simulation was used to gain insights into photochemical dynamics at state-averaged complete active space self-consistent field (SA-CASSCF) theory. CHD-Me4 exhibited reduced carbon-carbon single bond rupture rates, responsible for ring-opening, due to substituent proximity. Further, CHD-Me2-2 and CHD-Me4 displayed prolonged excited-state relaxation times, highlighting notable substituents' impact. Analysis of kinetic energy profiles of specific carbon atoms also revealed restrained atomic displacements, particularly in CHD-Me2-2 and CHD-Me4. These findings advance our understanding of how substituents modulate photochemical reactions in cyclohexadiene derivatives, guiding new molecular design and future research.

A Review of Muscular Dystrophies.

Muscular dystrophy encompasses a group of genetic conditions with progressive muscle damage and weakness. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are X-linked recessive disorders that affect the production of the protein dystrophin. Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is typically an X-linked-recessive disorder involving the gene that codes for emerin. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) are both autosomal dominant disorders. Although commonly mistaken as a condition in which patients are susceptible to malignant hyperthermia with volatile inhalational anesthetics, muscular dystrophy is more closely associated with rhabdomyolysis. Providers developing an anesthetic plan for dental patients with muscular dystrophy must take into consideration the patient's baseline cardiac and pulmonary function as well as the potential for abnormalities. Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker use is safe but likely to result in prolonged skeletal muscle relaxation. Succinylcholine and volatile anesthetics are generally contraindicated due to the risks of rhabdomyolysis and hyperkalemia with subsequent ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest, and death if left untreated. In-depth understanding of the more commonly encountered forms of muscular dystrophy is vital to providing safe and effective ambulatory anesthesia care for patients undergoing dental treatment outside the traditional hospital operating room setting.

Cooperation transitions in social games induced by aspiration-driven players.

Cooperation and defection are social traits whose evolutionary origin is still unresolved. Recent behavioral experiments with humans suggested that strategy changes are driven mainly by the individuals' expectations and not by imitation. This work theoretically analyzes and numerically explores an aspiration-driven strategy updating in a well-mixed population playing games. The payoffs of the game matrix and the aspiration are condensed into just two parameters that allow a comprehensive description of the dynamics. We find continuous and abrupt transitions in the cooperation density with excellent agreement between theory and the Gillespie simulations. Under strong selection, the system can display several levels of steady cooperation or get trapped into absorbing states. These states are still relevant for experiments even when irrational choices are made due to their prolonged relaxation times. Finally, we show that for the particular case of the prisoner dilemma, where defection is the dominant strategy under imitation mechanisms, the self-evaluation update instead favors cooperation nonlinearly with the level of aspiration. Thus, our work provides insights into the distinct role between imitation and self-evaluation with no learning dynamics.

An end-to-end LSTM-Attention based framework for quasi-steady-state CEST prediction.

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often takes prolonged saturation duration (Ts) and relaxation delay (Td) to reach the steady state, and yet the insufficiently long Ts and Td in actual experiments may underestimate the CEST measurement. In this study, we aimed to develop a deep learning-based model for quasi-steady-state (QUASS) prediction from non-steady-state CEST acquired in experiments, therefore overcoming the limitation of the CEST effect which needs prolonged saturation time to reach a steady state. To support network training, a multi-pool Bloch-McConnell equation was designed to derive wide-ranging simulated Z-spectra, so as to solve the problem of time and labor consumption in manual annotation work. Following this, we formulated a hybrid architecture of long short-term memory (LSTM)-Attention to improve the predictive ability. The multilayer perceptron, recurrent neural network, LSTM, gated recurrent unit, BiLSTM, and LSTM-Attention were included in comparative experiments of QUASS CEST prediction, and the best performance was obtained by the proposed LSTM-Attention model. In terms of the linear regression analysis, structural similarity index (SSIM), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and mean-square error (MSE), the results of LSTM-Attention demonstrate that the coefficient of determination in the linear regression analysis was at least R2 = 0.9748 for six different representative frequency offsets, the mean values of prediction accuracies in terms of SSIM, PSNR and MSE were 0.9991, 49.6714, and 1.68 × 10-4 for all frequency offsets. It was concluded that the LSTM-Attention model enabled high-quality QUASS CEST prediction.