Plasma Desmosine for Prediction of Outcomes after Actue Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Elastin degradation is implicated in the pathology of vulnerable plaque. Recent studies show promising results for plasma desmosine (pDES), an elastin-specific degradation product, as a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of pDES as a marker of clinical outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case-control study, we studied 236 AMI patients: 79 patients who had death and/or myocardial infarction (MI) at 2 years, and 157 patients who did not have an event at 2 years. pDES was measured using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Association of pDES with adverse outcomes, and the incremental value of pDES to global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) score for risk stratification was assessed. RESULTS: pDES levels were elevated in patients with the composite outcome of death/MI at 2 years (p = 0.002). Logistic regression analyses showed pDES to be associated with death/MI at 2 years [Odds ratio (OR) 5.99 (95% CI 1.81–19.86) p = 0.003]. pDES remained a significant predictor of death/MI at 2 years even after adjustment for age, sex, history of CVD, revascularisation, blood pressure, medications on discharge, Troponin I, and NT-proBNP levels.[OR 5.60 (95% CI 1.04–30.04) p = 0.044]. In another multivariable model including adjustment for eGFR, pDES was significantly associated with the composite outcome at 6 months, but not at 2 years follow up. DES was also able to reclassify risk stratification for death/MI at 6 months, when added to the GRACE risk model [Net Reclassification Index (NRI) 41.2 (95% CI 12.0–70.4) p = 0.006]. CONCLUSION: pDES concentrations predict clinical outcomes in patients with AMI, demonstrating its potential role as a prognostic marker in AMI

Implications of serial measurements of natriuretic peptides in heart failure:insights from BIOSTAT-CHF

Natriuretic peptides [NP, including B-typenatriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino-terminalprohormone of BNP (NT-proBNP)] arethe gold-standard biomarkers in heart failure (HF) management,1 with NP levels atpresentation/admission routinely used fordiagnostic and prognostic purposes. NPlevels at discharge/follow-up also showassociation with outcomes, and NP levelsfollowing HF treatment add further value totailoring risk. However, the usefulness of NPserial measurements beyond conventionalHF treatment in clinical practice still remainsa matter of controversy. A cohort withcurrent HF guideline-based treatment wouldprovide an ideal setting to revisit usefulnessof NP serial measurements in risk stratification of HF patients, including the role ofrecently identified BNP molecular forms.The European multi-national BIOlogy Studyto TAilored Treatment in Chronic HeartFailure (BIOSTAT-CHF) provides an opportunity for the aforementioned analysis, beinga European cohort in which serial sampling ofNPs was done before and after titration of HFmedications according to current Europeanguidelines in a multi-centre, observational,real-world setting.</div

Association of gut-related metabolites with respiratory symptoms in COVID-19: A proof-of-concept study

Gut-related metabolites have been linked with respiratory disease. The crosstalk between the gut and lungs suggests that gut health may be compromised in COVID-19. The aims of the present study were to analyze a panel of gut-related metabolites (acetyl-L-carnitine, betaine, choline, L-carnitine, trimethylamine, and trimethylamine N-oxide) in patients with COVID-19, matched with healthy individuals and patients with non-COVID-19 respiratory symptoms. As results, metabolites from this panel were impaired in patients with COVID-19 and were associated with the symptoms of breathlessness and temperature, and it was possible to differentiate between COVID-19 and asthma. Preliminary results showed that lower levels of betaine appeared to be associated with poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19, suggesting betaine as a marker of gut microbiome health

Hepatitis B virus infection among different sex and age groups in Pakistani Punjab

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem in the developing countries including Pakistan. Various risk factors are responsible for the spread of this infectious disease. Prevalence of HBV infection in apparently suspected individual of Punjab province of Pakistan was analyzed during January 2008 to December 2010. Current study was aimed to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of HBV infection.</p> <p>Methodology</p> <p>Four thousand eight hundred and ninety patients suffering from chronic liver disease were screened for the presence of HBV DNA using qualitative Real Time PCR methodology to confirm their status of infection. A predesigned standard questionnaire was filled for all the patients that included information about the possible risk factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 4890 ELISA positive patients were screened for Hepatitis B virus infection. Of these 3143 were positive for HBV, includes 68.15% males and 31.85% females. Male were observed to be more frequently infected as compared to the female with a positivity ratio of 2.14: 1. The rate of infection increases with the passage of time in the course of three years. Highest frequency of infection was found in the age of 21-30 was 34.93% followed by 23.83% in 31-40. Only (13.39%) were belonging to the age group 11-20 year. The rate of infection declines with increasing age as shown by age groups 41-50 (16.13%) and 51-60 (7.09%). While children aged 0-10 and very old >60 age groups were very less frequently 1.49% and 1.65% infected respectively. Important risk factors contributing to HBV spread include barber risk (23.60%), blood transfusion (4.04%), History of injection 26.19%, Reuse of syringes 26.60%, dental risk (11.20%) and surgical procedure (4.26%). Among the entire respondents trend sharing personal items was very common. History of injection, barber risk, surgery and dental procedure and reuse of syringes appear as major risk factors for the transmission.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Male were more frequently exposed to the risk factors as compared to female. Similarly the younger age group had high rate of infection as compared to the children's and the older age groups. Reuse of syringes', barber risk and History of injection were main risk identified during the present study. To lower HBV transmission rate Government should take aggressive steps towards massive awareness and vaccination programs to decrease the burden of HBV from the Punjab province of Pakistan.</p

Implications of serial measurements of natriuretic peptides in heart failure: insights from BIOSTAT‐CHF

No abstract available

Comparison of heat sink’s fin-spacing using CuO–H2O-based nanofluids for high heat generating microprocessor: an experimental study

Technological advancement in previous years has resulted in decrease in the size of microprocessors and thus, high heat generation. To address this problem, experiments were carried out to optimize the performance of nanofluid-cooled heat sinks at a power of 300 W for better thermal management. The optimization process involved varying both the concentration of the coolant (and by extension, its thermo-physical properties) and the fin spacing of the heat sink (to modify the convective and conductive heat transfer area) to achieve the lowest thermal resistance at different flow rates. Instead of an actual microprocessor, a copper block heated by a mica insulated clamp heater (rated at 285 W) was used to simulate the microprocessor. The evaluation of the heat sink performance was also based on the lowest base temperature achieved, the total heat rejected and the overall heat transfer coefficients for all iterations

Assessing challenges to sustainability and resilience of energy supply chain in Pakistan: a developing economy from Triple Bottom Line and UN SDGs’ perspective

This research aims to identify and analyse the challenges faced by the energy–power supply chain (LNG Power) in Pakistan a developing economy from combined perspectives of supply chain sustainability and resilience in the context of the Triple Bottom Line framework, UN SDGs 7, 13 and energy security. The significance of this research increases many folds as energy-power supply chains have been severely disrupted by events such as COVID-19, the Russia–Ukraine war and massive devastation caused by floods in Pakistan. Pakistan meets more than 60% of its energy-power needs from natural gas (including LNG), being less harmful than coal and oil power generation. The industry is in a state of deep crisis as it faces a complex set of challenges. Exploratory research design using a mixed method case study approach was used for the identification and shortlisting of challenges. Later these were ranked using group BWM. Major challenges were lack of strategy, top management commitment, weak compliance to UN SDGs, stalled structural reforms, disasters, lack of supply chain orientation, risk management culture, financial instability, LNG non-availability, demand uncertainty, infrastructure inadequacies and lack of awareness of Industry 4.0. The research enables policy-making besides providing energy practitioners a roadmap to overcome these challenges

Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease: The Dilemma of Racial Differences.

See Article Hackler et al. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.01272

Proteomic Biomarkers of Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Biomarkers are used to assist clinicians with timely diagnosis, prognosis, and risk prediction of patients for personalized treatment. Using modern proteomic methods such as mass spectrometry, an increasing number of novel biomarkers have been identified that further aid clinicians in the early diagnosis and outcome prediction of HF. This article focuses on the array of common and novel protein-based biomarkers that provide diagnostic and prognostic information in HF