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Sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) improves left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction regardless of previous treatments. Improvements in LVEF may change eligibility for primary implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement. Awaiting LVEF improvement may expose patients to potential risks for arrhythmic complications.The authors sought to develop a model predicting LVEF change after Sac/Val therapy.A total of 416 persons with HF and LVEF of 35% were included in this analysis. Following initiation of Sac/Val, echocardiographic parameters were measured serially for 1 year. A machine learning algorithm was implemented to develop a risk model for predicting the persistence of LVEF of 35% after 1 year and was validated in a separate group of study participants.Baseline LVEF, left ventricular mass index, HF duration, age, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration at baseline and change by day 14, and body mass index were the most significant factors for identifying lack of LVEF improvement to ≥35% after 1 year. In the training and validation cohorts, the areas under the model curve for predicting lack of LVEF improvement were 0.92 and 0.86, respectively. Three categories of likelihood for LVEF of 35% after 1 year of Sac/Val treatment were developed based on the model predictions: 3.8%, 30.1%, and 83.7%. During follow-up, arrhythmia event rates were 0.9%, 2.9%, and 6.7% in these groups, respectively.Many persons with HF with reduced ejection fraction eligible for ICD insertion experience an increase in LVEF to ≥35% after treatment with Sac/Val. Early identification of those less likely to improve their LVEF might allow for more refined selection of primary ICD candidates. (Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan Therapy on biomarkers, Myocardial Remodeling, and Outcomes [PROVE-HF]; NCT02887183).

Although sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) is indicated for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), gaps in care continue to exist for those with newer onset HFrEF vs those with longer durations of disease.We categorized 794 persons with HFrEF (EF of ≤40%) according to a HF duration of less than 12 months, 12-24 months, 24-60 months, and more than60 months. After the initiation of Sac/Val, concentrations of N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide, high sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and soluble ST2 were measured, and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 23 scores were obtained serially from baseline to 12 months. The left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by echocardiography. Significant decreases in the concentrations of N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide, high sensitivity cardiac troponin T, and soluble ST2 were observed regardless of HF duration (P.001). Comparable gains in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 23 scores were achieved in all HF duration categories. Moreover, consistent reverse cardiac remodeling in all HF duration categories occurred, with the absolute left ventricular ejection fraction improvement by 12 months across HF duration groups of 12.2%, 6.9%, 8.5%, and 8.6% for HF duration of less than 12 months, 12-24 months, 24-60 months, and more than 60 months, respectively.The initiation of Sac/Val decreases prognostic biomarkers, improves health status, and reverses cardiac remodeling processes, regardless of HF duration.We categorized 794 persons with heart failure owing to a low ejection fraction according to disease duration into 4 groups: less than 12 months, 12-24 months, 24-60 months, and more than 60 months. After the initiation of sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto), we found that regardless of the duration of heart failure significant improvements occurred in cardiac biomarkers, patients felt better with improved health status and on testing with cardiac ultrasound examination, improvement in heart size, and function occurred. These results suggest that, regardless of heart failure duration, patients with a reduced ejection fraction would benefit from use of sacubitril/valsartan for their care.

Doses of sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) achieved in clinical trials of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are often not reached in clinical practice.The purpose of this study was to investigate associations among Sac/Val doses and changes in prognostic biomarkers, health status, and cardiac remodeling among individuals with HFrEF through 12 months of treatment with Sac/Val administered per usual care.A total of 794 persons with HFrEF (ejection fraction [EF] ≤40%) were categorized according to average daily doses of Sac/Val divided into tertiles. Change from baseline to 12 months in biomarkers (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, soluble ST2, atrial natriuretic peptide, urinary cyclic guanosine monophosphate), Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-23 scores, and parameters of cardiac reverse remodeling (left ventricular EF, indexed left atrial and ventricular volumes, and E/e') were assessed.The average daily dose was 112 mg in Tertile 1 (low dose), 342 mg in Tertile 2 (moderate dose), and 379 mg in Tertile 3 (high dose). Similar changes in prognostic biomarkers were observed in all dose tertiles. Gains in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-23 scores were comparable regardless of dose category. Consistent reverse cardiac remodeling in all dose categories occurred; the median absolute left ventricular EF improvement across HF dose groups was 9.3%, 8.7%, and 10.2%, for low, moderate, and high doses, respectively; similar improvements in left atrial and ventricular volumes and E/e' were also observed across dose categories.Among patients with HFrEF, similar improvement in prognostic biomarkers, health status, and cardiac remodeling were observed across various Sac/Val doses. (Effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan Therapy on Biomarkers, Myocardial Remodeling and Outcomes [PROVE-HF]; NCT02887183.

The relation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) concentration and presence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients without myocardial infarction (MI) is unclear. Study participants selected from patients free of MI who underwent coronary angiography with or without intervention were enrolled, and hs-cTnI measured. A gradient boosting model was implemented to build a model for detection of CAD. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to assess the association of hs-cTnI and adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcome. Among 978 study participants, 607 patients (62%) had CAD. Higher concentrations of hs-cTnI were associated with chronic kidney disease, heart failure, CAD, male gender, current tobacco use, anemia, age, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. History of CAD, male gender, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hs-cTnI, anemia, age, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were the most influential factors for detection of CAD. The gradient boosting model had an area under the curve of 0.82, accuracy of 75%, sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 52%, positive predictive value of 76%, and negative predictive value of 72% for detection of CAD. Increase in 1 log unit of hs-cTnI was significantly associated with increased risk of incident MI (hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22 to 1.47, p0.001), CV mortality (HR 1. 24, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.39, p0.001), and composite of incident MI or CV mortality (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.40, p0.001). In conclusion, among patients without acute MI and CAD, higher concentrations of hs-cTnI were associated with the presence of CAD and linked to increased risk of future CV events. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00842868.

Contains fulltext : 283514.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Inflammation, measured by traditional biomarkers such as C-reactive protein, has been linked to cardiovascular (CV) events. Recent technological advancement has allowed for measuring larger numbers of inflammatory biomarkers. A contemporary evaluation with established and novel biomarkers of inflammation is needed. METHODS: 1,090 individuals who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled. Twenty-four inflammatory biomarkers were collected prior to angiography. Unsupervised machine learning cluster analyses determined unique patterns of inflammatory biomarkers. Cox proportional hazard regression assessed both association of inflammatory biomarker clusters and individual biomarker associations with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke, and CV death) during a median follow-up of 3.67 years. RESULTS: Four distinct clusters were recognized. Incremental increases in inflammatory biomarkers were observed from cluster 1 to cluster 4. During follow-up, 263 MACE were ascertained. Considering cluster 1 as a reference, study participants with inflammatory cluster 2 (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.55, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.37), cluster 3 (HR 1.89, CI: 1.25-2.85), and cluster 4 (HR 2.93, CI: 1.95-4.42) were at increased risk of MACE. Interleukin (IL)-1α IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, Adhesion molecule-1 high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, ferritin, myeloperoxidase, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1a, MIP 3, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor-1 were independently associated with MACE. CONCLUSIONS: Among persons undergoing coronary angiography procedures, distinct clusters of inflammatory biomarker distributions with significant prognostic meaning may be identified. These results may identify unique targets for anti-inflammatory treatments aimed at CV disease.

An alarmingly increasing number of outbreaks caused by contaminated gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes are being reported as a particularly concerning issue. This study is the first large-scale multicenter survey to evaluate the contamination of GI endoscopes in Tehran, Iran. This multicenter study was conducted among 15 tertiary referral and specialized gastrointestinal settings. Reprocessed GI endoscopes were sampled by the sequence of the flush-brush-flush method. Bacterial and viral contamination, as well as antimicrobial resistance, were explored by culture and molecular assays. A total of 133 reprocessed and ready-to-use GI endoscopes were investigated. In phase I and phase II, 47% and 32%, respectively, of the GI endoscopes were determined to be contaminated. GI flora was the most prevalent contaminant isolated from GI endoscopes, in which the most predominant bacteria were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, in both phase I and II evaluations. The majority of the isolated bacteria in the current study were considered multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). More importantly, we recovered carbapenem-resistant nonfermentative Gram-negative bacilli (CRNFGNB), carbapenem-resistant

Understanding trends in cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and CV disease according to age, sex, race, and ethnicity is important for policy planning and public health interventions.The goal of this study was to project the number of people with CV risk factors and disease and further explore sex, race, and ethnical disparities.The prevalence of CV risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity) and CV disease (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke) according to age, sex, race, and ethnicity was estimated by using logistic regression models based on 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and further combining them with 2020 U.S. Census projection counts for years 2025-2060.By the year 2060, compared with the year 2025, the number of people with diabetes mellitus will increase by 39.3% (39.2 million [M] to 54.6M), hypertension by 27.2% (127.8M to 162.5M), dyslipidemia by 27.5% (98.6M to 125.7M), and obesity by 18.3% (106.3M to 125.7M). Concurrently, projected prevalence will similarly increase compared with 2025 for ischemic heart disease by 31.1% (21.9M to 28.7M), heart failure by 33.0% (9.7M to 12.9M), myocardial infarction by 30.1% (12.3M to 16.0M), and stroke by 34.3% (10.8M to 14.5M). Among White individuals, the prevalence of CV risk factors and disease is projected to decrease, whereas significant increases are projected in racial and ethnic minorities.Large future increases in CV risk factors and CV disease prevalence are projected, disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minorities. Future health policies and public health efforts should take these results into account to provide quality, affordable, and accessible health care.

BACKGROUND: Diurnal variation of natriuretic peptide (NP) levels and its relationship with 24-h blood pressure (BP) rhythm has not been established. Obese individuals have a relative NP deficiency and disturbed BP rhythmicity. OBJECTIVES: This clinical trial evaluated the diurnal rhythmicity of NPs (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP], mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide [MR-proANP], N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) and the relationship of NP rhythm with 24-h BP rhythm in healthy lean and obese individuals. METHODS: On the background of a standardized diet, healthy, normotensive, lean (body mass index 18.5 to 25 kg/m(2)) and obese (body mass index 30 to 45 kg/m(2)) individuals, age 18 to 40 years, underwent 24-h inpatient protocol involving ambulatory BP monitoring starting 24 h prior to the visit, controlled light intensity, and repeated blood draws for assessment of analytes. Cosinor analysis of normalized NP levels (normalized to 24-h mean value) was conducted to assess the diurnal NP rhythm and its relationship with systolic BP. RESULTS: Among 52 participants screened, 40 participants (18 lean, 22 obese; 50% women; 65% Black) completed the study. The median range spread (percentage difference between the minimum and maximum values) over 24 h for MR-proANP, BNP, and NT-proBNP levels was 72.0% (interquartile range [IQR]: 50.9% to 119.6%), 75.5% (IQR: 50.7% to 106.8%), and 135.0% (IQR: 66.3% to 270.4%), respectively. A cosine wave-shaped 24-h oscillation of normalized NP levels (BNP, MR-proANP, and NT-proBNP) was noted both in lean and obese individuals (p(rhythmicity) < 0.05 for all). A larger phase difference between MR-proANP BP rhythm (−4.9 h vs. −0.7 h) and BNP BP rhythm (−3.3 h vs. −0.9 h) was seen in obese compared with lean individuals. CONCLUSIONS: This human physiological trial elucidates evidence of diurnal NP rhythmicity and the presence of an NP-BP rhythm axis. There exists a misalignment of the NP-BP diurnal rhythm in the obese, which may contribute to the disturbed diurnal BP pattern observed among obese individuals. (The Diurnal Rhythm in Natriuretic Peptide Levels; NCT03834168)

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are at increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, also known as gliflozins, are a class of medications used to treat T2D by preventing the reabsorption of glucose filtered through the kidney and thereby facilitating glucose excretion in the urine. Over the past 5 years, many cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) have evaluated the safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors in preventing CV events. The results of 7 CVOTs have provided solid evidence that the use of SGLT2 in patients with T2D and at high CV risk significantly reduced the risk of death from CV causes. Moreover, in patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, regardless of the presence or absence of T2D, SGLT2 inhibitors use significantly reduced the risk of worsening heart failure and death from CV causes. Although the exact mechanism of the cardiorenal benefit of SGLT2 inhibitors is still unknown, studies have shown that the beneficial effect of these drugs cannot be exclusively explained by their glucose lowering effect, and several possible mechanisms have been proposed. This review will explore the changing role of SGLT2 inhibitors from a diabetes drug to clinical practice guideline-supported therapy for the prevention and treatment of CV diseases, including heart failure.

This study sought to determine correlates and consequences of contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) on clinical outcomes in patients with or without pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD).The incidence and impact of CA-AKI on clinical outcomes during contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not fully defined.The ADAPT-DES (Assessment of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy With Drug Eluting Stents) study was a prospective, multicenter registry of 8,582 patients treated with ≥1 drug-eluting stent(s). CA-AKI was defined as a post-PCI increase in serum creatinine of0.5 mg/dL or a relative increase of ≥25% compared with pre-PCI. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate 60 mL/min/1.73 mOf 7287 (85%) patients with evaluable data, 476 (6.5%) developed CA-AKI. In a multivariable model, older age, female sex, Caucasian race, congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, CKD, presentation with ST-segment elevation MI, Killip class II to IV, radial access, intra-aortic balloon pump use, hypotension, and number of stents were independent predictors of CA-AKI. The 2-year NACE rate was higher in patients with CA-AKI (adjusted HR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.42-2.49), as was each component of NACE (all-cause mortality, HR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.22-2.55; MI, HR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.18-2.36; definite/probable stent thrombosis, HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.10-2.65; and major bleeding, HR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.06-1.80). Compared with the CA-AKI-/CKD- group, the CA-AKI+/CKD- (HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.33-2.52), CA-AKI-/CKD+ (HR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.15-2.13), CA-AKI+/CKD+ (HR: 3.29; 95% CI: 1.92-5.67), and maintenance dialysis (HR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.65-4.31) groups were at higher risk of NACE.CA-AKI was relatively common after contemporary PCI and was associated with increased 2-year rates of NACE. Patients with pre-existing CKD were at particularly high risk for NACE after CA-AKI.

Background: Symptom-to-balloon time (SBT) and door-to-balloon time (DBT) are both considered important metrics in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We sought to assess the relationship of SBT and DBT with infarct size and microvascular obstruction (MVO) after pPCI. Methods: Individual patient data for 3115 ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing pPCI in 10 randomized trials were pooled. Infarct size (% left ventricular mass) was assessed within 1 month after randomization by technetium-99 m sestamibi single-photon emission computerized tomography (3 studies) or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (7 studies). MVO was assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance. Patients were stratified by short (≤2 hours), intermediate (2–4 hours), or long (>4 hours) SBTs, and by short (≤45 minutes), intermediate (45–90 minutes), or long (>90 minutes) DBTs. Results: Median [interquartile range] SBT and DBT were 185 [130–269] and 46 [28–83] minutes, respectively. Median [interquartile range] time to infarct size assessment after pPCI was 5 [3–12] days. There was a stepwise increase in infarct size according to SBT category (adjusted difference, 2.0% [95% CI, 0.4–3.5] for intermediate versus short SBT and 4.4% [95% CI, 2.7–6.1] for long versus short SBT) but not according to DBT category (adjusted difference, 0.4% [95% CI, −1.2 to 1.9] for intermediate versus short DBT and −0.1% [95% CI, −1.0 to 3.0] for long versus short SBT). MVO was greater in patients with long versus short SBT (adjusted difference, 0.9% [95% CI, 0.3–1.4]) but was not different between patients with intermediate versus short SBT (adjusted difference, 0.1 [95% CI, −0.4 to 0.6]). There was no difference in MVO according to DBT. Results were similar in multivariable analysis with SBT and DBT included as continuous variables. Conclusions: Among 3115 patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction undergoing infarct size assessment after pPCI, SBT was more strongly correlated with infarct size and MVO than DBT.

To be effective, therapeutic cancer vaccines should stimulate both an effective cell-mediated and a robust cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell response against human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected cells to treat the pre-existing tumors and prevent potential future tumors. In this study, the therapeutic experiments were designed in order to evaluate antitumor effect against the syngeneic TC-1 tumor model. The anti-tumor efficacy of a HPV-16 E7 DNA vaccine adjuvanted with melatonin (MLT) was evaluated in a C57BL/6 mouse tumor model by measuring tumor growth post vaccination and the survival rate of tumor-bearing mice, analyzing the specific lymphocyte proliferation responses in control and vaccinated mice by MTT assay. The E7-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL) were analyzed by lymphocyte proliferation and lactate dehydrogenates (LDH) release assays. IFN-γ, IL-4 and TNF-α secretion in splenocyte cultures as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and IL-10 in the tumor microenvironment were assayed by ELISA. Our results demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of C57BL/6 mice with a DNA vaccine adjuvanted with MLT dose-dependently and significantly induced strong HPV16 E7-specific CD8+ cytotoxicity and IFN-γ and TNF-α responses capable of reducing HPV-16 E7-expressing tumor volume. A significantly higher level of E7-specific T-cell proliferation was also found in the adjuvanted vaccine group. Furthermore, tumor growth was significantly inhibited when the DNA vaccine was combined with MLT and the survival time of TC-1 tumor bearing mice was also significantly prolonged. In vivo studies further demonstrated that MLT decreased the accumulation of IL-10 and VEGF in the tumor microenvironment of vaccinated mice. These data indicate that melatonin as an adjuvant augmented the cancer vaccine efficiency against HPV-associated tumors in a dose dependent manner.

Background The results from studies of the association of QT prolongation with cardiovascular death (CVD) have been inconsistent. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the major correction formulas to percentile values of QT for heart rate ranges as to their ability to remove the relationship of QT to heart rate and to predict CVD. Methods Participants were 16,531 veterans who had an initial ECG at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, between March 31, 1987, and December 20, 1999, and were followed for CVD. The 4 major correction formulas (Bazett, Fridericia, Framingham, and Hodges) were used to correct QT interval. In addition, the percentiles for heart rate ranges as proposed by Schwartz were calculated. Results During median follow-up of 17.8 years, 455 CVD events occurred. When compared to the other equations, QTc Bazett had the greatest dependence on heart rate (R 2 = 0.18). The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for CVD was 2.08 (1.28–3.9) for the 98th percentile of QT interval by heart rate ranges, 2.05 (1.27–3.33) for QTc Bazett, 1.39 (0.44–4.34) for QTc Fridericia, 1.05 (0.26–4.24) for QTc Hodges, and 1.12 (0.28–4.52) for QTc Framingham. The hazard ratio of QTc Bazett was significantly higher than the other formulas except for the 98th percentile method. Conclusion The Framingham, Hodges, and Fridericia equations remove the effect of heart rate on QT interval significantly better than the Bazett equation. Using QT-interval percentiles based on heart rate provides a consistent approach both for identifying those whose QT intervals prolong due to drugs or other stressors and for assessing CVD risk.

Background: Infection is a serious problem in medicine and appropriate antibiotic therapy is very important. Because of broad spectrum activity and low toxicity of β-lactam antibiotics, they are the most commonly used drugs. But, bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, has been considered as the global healthcare concern. The aim of study was to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance pattern and molecular characterization among ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolated from patients with diarrhea admitted to a hospital in Ilam, Iran. Methods: Totally, fifty E. coli isolates were investigated. Confirmatory tests for phenotypic detection of ESBLs were performed. Molecular identification of the blaTEM and blaSHV genes was carried out by PCR method. To identify genetic relatedness among isolates, Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was performed. Results: The antibiotic susceptibility results showed that the most effective antibiotic was imipenem and minimum effect was related to gentamicin. Thirty-one isolates (62%) were ESBL-producing organisms according to phenotypic method. The distribution of blaTEM and blaSHV genes among ESBL-producing isolates were 20 (64.5%) and 6 (19.3%), respectively. RAPD-PCR typing among isolates gave us eight different types. Twelve isolates were clustered in genotype A and all of them were ESBL-producer. Conclusion: The present study showed noticeable incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from outpatients and hospitalized patients with diarrhea. Therefore, it seems that constant supervision is crucial to monitor the ESBL-producing microorganisms in hospitals and community.

Cell cultures are developed from tissue samples and then disaggregated by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods to extract cells suitable for isolation of viruses. With the recent advances in technology, cell culture is considered a gold standard for virus isolation. This paper reviews the evolution of cell culture methods and demonstrates why cell culture is a preferred method for identification of viruses. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional and modern cell culture methods for diagnosis of each type of virus are discussed. Detection of viruses by the novel cell culture methods is considered more accurate and sensitive. However, there is a need to include some more accurate methods such as molecular methods in cell culture for precise identification of viruses.

ObjectivesIn an attempt α-amylase gene from Pyrococcus woesei was amplified and cloned into a pTYB2 vector to generate the recombinant plasmid pTY- α-amylase.MethodsEscherichia coli BL21 used as a host and protein expression was applied using IPTG. SDS-PAGE assay demonstrated the 100 kDa protein. Amylolytic activity of proteins produced by transformed E. coli cells was detected by zymography, and the rate of active α-amylase with and without the intein tag in both soluble conditions and as inclusion bodies solubilized by 4M urea were measured.ResultsAmylolytic activity of ∼185,000 U/L of bacterial culture was observed from the soluble form of the protein using this system.ConclusionThese results indicate that this expression system was appropriate for the production of thermostable α-amylase.

In this study, abrasion resistance of Alkali-Activated Slag (AAS) concrete was investigated according to ASTM C1138. Four affecting factors including curing temperature, alkaline solution to slag weight ratio, concentration of sodium hydroxide solution and sodium hydroxide to sodium silicate weight ratio were considered to achieve the maximum compressive strength and abrasion resistance of AAS concrete using the Taguchi design of experiment method. Based on the results, the mixture with alkaline solution to slag weight ratio of 0.45, sodium hydroxide concentration of 6 M and sodium hydroxide to sodium silicate weight ratio of 3, that had been cured at 95 °C, and the mixture with alkaline solution to slag weight ratio of 0.4, sodium hydroxide concentration of 6 M and sodium hydroxide to sodium silicate weight ratio of 3, that had been cured at 25 °C, were obtained as the optimal mixtures for maximum compressive strength and abrasion resistance, respectively. The results also showed that abrasion resistance of AAS concrete was significantly increased by improving the quality of surface and changing the curing regime. Water curing as an appropriate method improved the surface conditions and considerably increased the abrasion resistance of AAS concrete too. In addition, the results showed that the CO 2 footprint of AAS concrete was approximately 51% less than that of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete and therefore the eco-mechanical performance of AAS concrete was superior.

SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce glycemia. However, their effects on lipid parameters remain unclear because available studies offer discordant results and have small sample sizes. We performed meta-analysis to reliably assess the effects of SGLT2i on lipids We conducted a systematic review and

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) plays a role in the development and outcomes of coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation. However, the role of EAT in heart failure (HF) remains obscure. The aim of this study was to determine whether EAT predicts outcomes in HF patients Cardiac magnetic

Cell cultures are developed from tissue samples and then disaggregated by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods to extract cells suitable for isolation of viruses. With the recent advances in technology, cell culture is considered a gold standard for virus isolation. This paper reviews the evolution of cell culture methods and demonstrates why cell culture is a preferred method for identification of viruses. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional and modern cell culture methods for diagnosis of each type of virus are discussed. Detection of viruses by the novel cell culture methods is considered more accurate and sensitive. However, there is a need to include some more accurate methods such as molecular methods in cell culture for precise identification of viruses.

Objective To evaluate the effect of different fat distribution measures on the risk of all-cause mortality events among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, which has not been previously evaluated. Methods The present study consisted of 1,860 individuals with CKD, aged ≥30 years who participated in Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the abbreviated prediction equation, provided by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula, and CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate 2 . Cox proportional hazard regression was implemented to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of different anthropometric measures for predicting mortality events. Results During 10.1 years of follow-up, 221 cases of all-cause mortality events occurred. In confounder-adjusted model (age, sex, creatinine, the history of cardiovascular disease, and smoking), none of the HRs of different anthropometric measures reached the significant level; however, when we also considered mediator variables (hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia) in the model, there was significant interaction between sex and waist circumference for the risk prediction of mortality events. Among men, the HRs of mortality for 1 standard deviation increase in anthropometric measures were 0.73 (0.57–0.92) for weight, 0.67 (0.54–0.83) for waist circumference, 0.75 (0.58–0.97) for body mass index, and 0.71 (0.52–0.96) for hip circumference. However among women, none of the measures were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality events. Conclusion Among men with CKD, regardless of fat distribution in hip, waist, or in whole body, having more fat mass results in better survival.

In this research work, the application of alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete in manufacturing prestressed concrete railway sleepers was experimentally studied. Today, the cement industry is responsible for emitting between 6% and 7% of all the CO 2 emission into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is essential to seek alternative binders to provide environmentally friendly materials. One possible alternative is the application of alkali activated binders such as alkali activated slag concrete. The optimal design of its mixture was studied in this investigation. By considering four influential factors including the concentration of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, sodium hydroxide to sodium silicate ratio, alkaline solution to slag ratio, and aggregate content, the optimal mixture design that provided the maximum compressive strength was identified by the Taguchi design of the experiment method. B70 prestressed concrete sleepers were made and tested based on the requirements of the European standard EN 13230. The results showed that prestressed concrete sleepers made by alkali activated slag concrete could meet the requirements of railway standards. In addition, comparison between AAS and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete efficiency by means of eco-mechanical indicator showed that the eco-mechanical performance of AAS mixture is better than that of ordinary concrete used for railway sleepers.