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Background: Cardiac involvement is central in MIS-C and represents the main cause of morbidity. In this study, we aimed to assess myocardial damage in patients with MIS-C using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) during the acute phase, as well as left ventricular and atrial longitudinal strain on admission, at discharge, and after 3 months., Methods: We performed a single-center prospective cohort study and case-control study. Between September 2020 and February 2022, we enrolled 39 patients hospitalized for MIS-C at our center. We performed left ventricular and atrial longitudinal 2D strain analysis on admission and during follow-up; echocardiographic data were compared to a matched control population. Patients above 4 years old with increased troponin underwent CMR., Results: Of 24 patients (mean age: 8.2 ± 4.9 years) who underwent CMR, 14 (58%) presented myocardial edema and 6 (25%) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). LGE was associated with older age ( p  < 0.01), increased BMI ( p  = 0.03), increased ferritin levels ( p  < 0.001), lower left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ( p  < 0.001), LV longitudinal strain ( p  = 0.004), left atrial (LA) strain ( p  = 0.05), and prolonged hospital stay ( p  = 0.02). On admission, LV ejection fraction, LV longitudinal strain, and LA strain were impaired, but each improved gradually over time; LVEF was the fastest to recover, while global LV longitudinal strain was still impaired as compared to controls after 3 months ( p  = 0.01)., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that myocardial injury is present in a quarter of MIS-C patients, and impaired LA and LV myocardial deformation persist for at least several weeks after the acute phase. CMR and LV/LA strain could help us to individualize follow-up of MIS-C patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Scarduelli, De Guillebon De Resnes, Ducreux, Bernardor, Afanetti, Dupont, Barthelemy, Gondon, Leporati, Giovannini-Chami and Moceri.)

Across much of Latin America, prison systems are characterized as having significantly high incarceration and overcrowding rates. In recent years, some of these systems have sought to address such problems by implementing rehabilitation and early release programs. However, the extent to which rehabilitation has been embraced and the nature of said efforts is not known. Using content analysis methods, this exploratory study examines the existence of language supporting rehabilitative practices and goals on official prison system websites across the region. While our findings suggest that prison systems have largely embraced rehabilitative goals, there is limited evidence to indicate that evidence-based practices are emphasized when it comes to assessment and correctional programs. As countries embrace rehabilitative efforts, it is important that they use empirically supported practices, as a perceived failure of the rehabilitative approach could shift the pendulum away from treatment and toward punishment. Implications for future research are discussed.

Wallerian degeneration (WD) is a process of autonomous distal degeneration of axons upon injury. Macrophages (MPs) of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are the main cellular agent controlling this process. Some evidence suggests that resident PNS-MPs along with MPs of hematogenous origin may be involved, but whether these two subsets exert distinct functions is unknown. Combining MP-designed fluorescent reporter mice and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging of the sciatic nerve, we deciphered the spatiotemporal choreography of resident and recently recruited MPs after injury and unveiled distinct functions of these subsets, with recruited MPs being responsible for efficient myelin stripping and clearance and resident MPs being involved in axonal regrowth. This work provides clues to tackle selectively cellular processes involved in neurodegenerative diseases., Competing Interests: Disclosures: The authors declare no competing interests exist., (© 2020 Boissonnas et al.)

In mice, monocytes (Mo) are conventionally described as CX3CR1 low classical Mo (CMo) and CX3CR1 high non-classical Mo (NCMo) based on the expression of EGFP in Cx3cr1 +/ EGFP mice and by analogy with human CX3CR1 expression. Although this terminology is widely used, it may not reflect the expression of CX3CR1 on Mo subsets. Using an unsupervised multiparametric analysis of blood Mo in steady state and after sterile peritonitis, we observed that CX3CR1 expression did not discriminate the CMo from the NCMo subsets. Our results highlight that despite being a reliable reporter to discriminate Mo subpopulations, EGFP level in Cx3cr1 +/ EGFP mice does not reflect CX3CR1 expression measured by a fluorescently-labeled CX3CL1 chemokine and a CX3CR1 specific antibody. In conclusion, authors should be cautious not to identify murine classical and non-classical Mo as CX3CR1 low and CX3CR1 high but rather use alternative markers such as the combination of Ly6C and CD43., (Copyright © 2020 Meghraoui-Kheddar, Barthelemy, Boissonnas and Combadière.)

Sepsis is characterized by a systemic inflammation that can cause an immune dysfunction, for which the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We investigated the impact of cecal ligature and puncture (CLP)-mediated polymicrobial sepsis on monocyte (Mo) mobilization and functions. Our results show that CLP led to two consecutive phases of Mo deployment. The first one occurred within the first 3 days after the induction of the peritonitis, while the second phase was of a larger amplitude and extended up to a month after apparent clinical recovery. The latter was associated with the expansion of Mo in the tissue reservoirs (bone marrow and spleen), their release in the blood and their accumulation in the vasculature of peripheral non-lymphoid tissues. It occurred even after antibiotic treatment but relied on inflammatory-dependent pathways and inversely correlated with increased susceptibility and severity to a secondary infection. The intravascular lung Mo displayed limited activation capacity, impaired phagocytic functions and failed to transfer efficient protection against a secondary infection into monocytopenic CCR2-deficient mice. In conclusion, our work unveiled key dysfunctions of intravascular inflammatory Mo during the recovery phase of sepsis and provided new insights to improve patient protection against secondary infections., (Copyright © 2020 Baudesson de Chanville, Chousterman, Hamon, Laviron, Guillou, Loyher, Meghraoui-Kheddar, Barthelemy, Deterre, Boissonnas and Combadière.)

Young people (15-24 years) in the United States are disproportionately affected by infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). Shortfalls in HIV/STD-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions (KABI) likely contribute to this discrepancy. In this report we describe our experience developing a novel means of health communication combining entertainment-education theory and recent technological advances to create a HIV/STD-focused "motion comic." We also report the audience satisfaction and acceptance of the intervention. We used the Health Belief Model (HBM), entertainment-education (EE) principles, and the Sabido Method (SM) and conducted three rounds of focus groups to develop a 38-minute HIV/STD focused motion comic for young people between the ages 15 and 24 years. Participants indicated that motion comics were an acceptable method of delivering HIV/STD prevention messages. They also expressed satisfaction with motion comics plot, story settings, the tone of humor, and drama. Our results suggest that motion comics are a viable new method of delivering health communication messages about HIV/STD and other public health issues, and warrant further development and broader evaluation.

Objectives: The prevalence of chronic heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction (CHF-REF) has increased over the last decade. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is an established tool for managing these patients. For patients who are administered beta-blockers, its predictive value is debated. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic values of several parameters in patients with CHF-REF who were on beta-blockers., Study Design: 390 patients with CHF-REF underwent CPET after cardiac rehabilitation and were followed for two years., Results: The primary endpoints were all-cause mortality, cardiac-related mortality and major cardiovascular events (hospitalization for HF, heart transplantation and acute coronary syndrome or arrhythmia). The mean beta-blockers dosage was 68.9% of the target dose. The two-year mortality rate was 13%, while the mean age of the population was 57.1 years. In addition, most of the patients were men (85.5% vs. 14.5%). The resting LVEF was 35.7 ± 9.4 and the maximal oxygen uptake (peak VO₂) was 19.5 ml/kg/min. The peak VO₂, VE/VCO₂ slope and circulatory power were significant predictors of risk. The prognosis was better when the initial linear VE/VCO₂ slope was lower than 30, and the final steeper VE/VCO₂ slope was lower than 32. There was no difference between the two slopes. The oxygen uptake efficiency slope, oxygen uptake, heart rate recovery, VE/VCO₂/VO₂ index and ventilatory threshold had no prognostic value., Conclusion: The peak VO₂, circulatory power and VE/VCO₂ slope were prognostic indicators for patients with CHF-REF who were on beta-blockers.

Curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is a natural compound with antiproliferative properties. Recent studies suggest that these properties might be due to the ability of curcumin to induce apoptosis in tumor cells by increasing the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane. In the present study, we confirm these observations and provide a molecular mechanism for the action of curcumin in rat liver mitochondria. Curcumin induced mitochondrial swelling, the collapse of Deltapsi, and the release of cytochrome C, events associated with the opening of the permeability transition pore (PTP). Experiments were performed with chemically substituted curcumin derivatives. Some derivatives were obtained by modification of groups on the terminal aromatic rings, and others were obtained by substitution of the diketone function with the cyclohexanone function. They demonstrated that phenol and methoxy groups were essential to promote PTP opening. Curcumin and curcumin derivatives that open the PTP were able to oxidize thiol groups. In addition, PTP opening was abolished in medium devoid of O2 and decreased in the presence of catalase, ferrozine, o-phenanthroline, mannitol, or N-ethylmaleimide. These data suggest that the mechanism by which curcumin promotes PTP opening involves the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+, inducing hydroxyl radical (HO*) production and oxidation of thiol groups in the membrane, leading to pore opening.

The content of the uterus and ovaries of L. diatraeae (an ovolarviparous tachinid fly) was studied by dissecting 121 females 0 to 25 days old. Several size classes of flies (p: small; m: medium; g: big) were used, weighing 10 to 12.5 mg, 12.5 to 13.5 mg, and 13.5 to 16 mg, respectively. The mean number of ovarioles per ovary, correlated to female size, was 12.1 for p as against 12.9 for m + g females. The total mean number of eggs and oocytes changed with female age and weight. For 0, 5, 10 and 15-day old females, this number was 56, 149, 158 and 202, respectively in g flies and 51, 128, 141 and 139, respectively, in p ones. To study egg maturation dynamics, we counted the total number of eggs + oocytes per p female (Y1), the eggs in the uterus (Y2), partially embryonated eggs (Y3), and entirely embryonated eggs (Y4). The experimental results were fitted to various age functions using a non-linear adjustment program. The models fitting each datum best were asymptotic functions of the form, Y = A [1-e-K(x-D)], where A is the asymptotic value, K a speed constant of the studied phenomenon and D age at the beginning of the phenomenon. At emergence time, each female contained a mean of 50 oocytes which passed into the uterus immediately after mating. Egg production continued for at least 10 days after emergence. The rate of embryogenesis seemed to be influenced by the number of eggs in the uterus and/or the age of the fly; it was high for the first eggs then decreased progressively. In our conditions, the first eggs with a planidium ready to hatch appeared at 10 days post-emergence. To obtain a maximum number of larvae in good health, it is better to dissect 12 to 18-day old females. The egg volume increases slightly during embryogenesis.