Unveiling Sympathetic Activation and Genetic Therapeutic Perspectives

Introduction: Hypertension, a leading cause of death, was investigated in this study to understand the role of specific brain regions in regulating blood pressure. The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN), Kolliker-fuse nucleus (KF), and periductal grey matter (PAG) were examined for their involvement in hypertension. Methods: Lentiviral vectors were used to alter the activity of these brain regions in hypertensive rats. Over a 75-day period, blood pressure, heart rate, reflex responses, and heart rate variability were measured. Results: Decreasing the activity in the LPBN resulted in a reduced sympathetic outflow, lowering the blood pressure and heart rate. In the KF, the sympathetic activity decreased and chemoreflex variation was attenuated, without affecting the blood pressure. Silencing the PAG had no significant impact on blood pressure or sympathetic tone, but decreased cardiac baroreflex gain. Discussion: These findings highlight the significant role of the LPBN in hypertension-related sympathetic activation. Additionally, LPBN and KF neurons appear to activate mechanisms that control respiration and sympathetic outflow during chemoreceptor activation. Conclusions: The study provided insights into the contribution of the midbrain and pontine regions to neurogenic hypertension and offers potential avenues for future genetic interventions and developing novel treatment approaches.publishersversionpublishe

Hypothalamic Control of Sleep-Wake Circadian Cycle

Sleep-wake cycle is probably the most truthful signature of life. These unavoidable interchangeable states are together the matrix for all that occurs in physiology, and its rhythms are regulated by homeostatic and circadian processes involving different neuronal structures and distinct neural substrates. Hypothalamic regulation of sleep-wake cycle becomes of relevance as several neuropeptide-producing neurons involved in sleep and wakefulness regulation are located there. In this chapter, we provide a review of the hypothalamic regulation of sleep-wake cycle, focusing on the hypocretin system and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH)-producing neurons located in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA)

Survey of Chickpea Rhizobia Diversity in Portugal Reveals the Predominance of Species Distinct from Mesorhizobium ciceri and Mesorhizobium mediterraneum

Several Mesorhizobium species are able to induce effective nodules in chickpea, one of the most important legumes worldwide. Our aims were to examine the biogeography of chickpea rhizobia, to search for a predominant species, and to identify the most efficient microsymbiont, considering Portugal as a case study. One hundred and ten isolates were obtained from continental Portugal and Madeira Island. The 16S ribosomal RNA gene phylogeny revealed that isolates are highly diverse, grouping with most Mesorhizobium type strains, in four main clusters (A-D). Interestingly, only 33% of the isolates grouped with Mesorhizobium ciceri (cluster B) or Mesorhizobium mediterraneum (cluster D), the formerly described specific chickpea microsymbionts. Most isolates belong to cluster A, showing higher sequence similarity with Mesorhizobium huakuii and Mesorhizobium amorphae. The association found between the province of origin and species cluster of the isolates suggests biogeography patterns: most isolates from the north, center, and south belong to clusters B, A, and D, respectively. Most of the highly efficient isolates (symbiotic effectiveness > 75%) belong to cluster B. A correlation was found between species cluster and origin soil pH of the isolates, suggesting that pH is a key environmental factor, which influences the species geographic distribution. To our knowledge, this is one of the few surveys on chickpea rhizobia and the first systematic assessment of indigenous rhizobia in Portugal

Case report: Mutation in NPPA gene as a cause of fibrotic atrial myopathy

Early-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) can be the manifestation of a genetic atrial myopathy. However, specific genetic identification of a mutation causing atrial fibrosis is rare. We report a case of a young patient with an asymptomatic AF, diagnosed during a routine examination. The cardiac MRI revealed extensive atrial fibrosis and the electrophysiology study showed extensive areas of low voltage. The genetic investigation identified a homozygous pathogenic variant in the NPPA gene in the index case and the presence of the variant in heterozygosity in both parents

The atrial fibrillation burden during the blanking period is predictive of time to recurrence after catheter ablation

© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Objective: This study aimed to assess whether atrial fibrillation (AF) occurrence or its corresponding daily mean burden (in minutes/day) during the mid to late blanking period after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), predicts AF recurrence. Methods: Analysis of consecutive first PVI ablation patients undergoing prolonged electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring during the second and third months after PVI. The clinical variables, total AF burden, and their relationship with time to recurrence were studied. Results: 477 patients with a mean age of 56.9 (SD = 12.3) years (63.7 % male; 71.7 % paroxysmal AF), from which 317 (66.5 %) had an external event recorder between 30 and 90 days after ablation. Median follow-up of 16.0 (P 25:12.0: P 75:33.0) months, 177 (37 %) patients had an AF recurrence, with 106 (22.2 %) having the first episode after 12 months of follow-up. In the group of patients with an event recorder, 80 (25.2 %) had AF documented during the blanking period. Multivariable analysis showed that AF during the blanking period was associated with a 4-fold higher risk of recurrence (HR: 3.98; 95 %CI: 2.95-5.37), and, compared to patients in sinus rhythm, those with an AF burden ≥ 23 min/day had an approximately 7-fold higher risk of recurrence (HR estimate: 6.79; 95 %CI: 4.56-10.10). Conclusions: The probability of experiencing AF recurrence can be predicted by atrial tachyarrhythmia episodes during the second and third months after PVI. Atrial arrhythmias burden > 23 min/day has a high predictive ability for recurrence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

acute complications and long-term results

Background: An ablation catheter and a circular mapping catheter requiring a double transeptal puncture (TSP) for left atrial access have been conventionally used for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Recently, different operators have combined a single transseptal puncture technique with 3D high-density mapping catheters for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Objective: This study aims to compare two strategies, single vs. double TSP, regarding the duration of the procedure, radiation time, complication rates, and outcomes. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a large cohort of consecutive patients that underwent first PVI with radiofrequency energy (RF), using a point-by-point strategy, with a 3D mapping system, either with single or double TSP, according to the operator's choice. Results: 285 patients with a mean age of 59.5 ± 11.6 years (36.5% female, 67.7% paroxysmal AF) underwent a point-by-point catheter ablation with RF between July 2015 and March 2020. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 1.7 ± 1.3. Single TSP was performed in 115 (40.3%) patients and double TSP in 170 (59.6%). The operator's experience (≥5 years of AF ablation procedures) was equally distributed among the two groups. The average procedure time (133 ± 31.7 min vs. 123 ± 35.5 min, for single and double TSP, respectively) did reach a statistical difference between both groups (p = 0.008), but there was a substantial advantage regarding fluoroscopy time (13 ± 6.3 min vs. 19 ± 9.1 min, for single and double TSP, respectively; p < 0.001). Acute major complications present similar rates in both groups (2.6% vs. 2.3%, p = 0.799). At the 2-year follow-up, both groups had a similar sinus rhythm maintenance rate (76.5% vs. 78.8%, p = 0.646). Conclusion: A simplified single-TSP technique using high-density multi-electrode 3D mapping is a safe and highly successful option for AF ablation. This approach yields a substantial reduction in fluoroscopy time, with the potential to avoid acute complications, compared to a conventional double-TSP strategy.publishersversionpublishe

The satisfaction and quality of the São Martinho do Porto 2023 Triathlon evento

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a satisfação e qualidade do evento Triatlo de São Martinho do Porto 2023, considerando as perceções dos participantes. Responderam a um questionário online 208 participantes, com idades compreendidas entre os 14 e os 65 (média, M = 41.29; desvio padrão, DP = 11.28), dos quais 71% eram do sexo masculino. Na dimensão Qualidade Percebida, a pontuação atribuída pelos participantes foi de 4.09 (DP = 0.59), na dimensão de Qualidade Geral do Serviço foi de 4.13 (DP = 0.74), na Satisfação Geral 4.37 (DP = 0.66), na dimensão do Valor do Serviço foi de 4.10 (DP = 0.78) e na dimensão das Intenções Futuras 4.46 foi de (DP = 0.63), o que corresponde a uma avaliação positiva de alta pontuação em todas as dimensões. Estes dados deixam-nos indicações de que os participantes do evento ficaram satisfeitos com o evento e consideraram-no de elevada qualidade.El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la satisfacción y la calidad de la prueba de triatlón São Martinho do Porto 2023, teniendo en cuenta las percepciones de los participantes. Respondieron a un cuestionario 208 participantes, con edades entre los 14-65 años (media, M = 41.29; desviación típica, DT = 11.28), de los cuales el 71% eran hombres. En la dimensión Calidad Percibida, la puntuación otorgada por los participantes fue de 4,09 (DT = 0.59), en la dimensión Calidad General del Servicio fue de 4.13 (DT = 0.74), en Satisfacción General de 4.37 (DT = 0.66), en la dimensión Valor del Servicio fue de 4.10 (DT = 0.78) y en la dimensión Intenciones Futuras fue de 4.46 (DT = 0.63), lo que corresponde a una puntuación alta en todas las dimensiones. Estos datos indican que los participantes se mostraron satisfechos con el mismo y lo consideraron de alta calidad.The aim of this study was to analyze the satisfaction and quality of the São Martinho do Porto 2023 Triathlon event, considering the participants' perceptions. A total of 208 participants answered an online questionnaire, aged between 14 and 65 (mean, M = 41.29; standard deviation, SD = 11.28), 71% of whom were male. In the Perceived Quality dimension, the score given by the participants was 4.09 (SD = 0.59), in the General Quality of Service dimension it was 4.13 (SD = 0.74), in General Satisfaction 4.37 (SD = 0.66), in the Value of Service dimension it was 4.10 (SD = 0.78) and in the Future Intentions dimension 4.46 (SD = 0.63), which corresponds to a high score in all dimensions. These data indicate that the event participants were satisfied with the event and considered it to be of high quality.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Economic History and History of Economics: Complementary Approaches to Portuguese Economic Development

This chapter focuses on how the problems of economic development were addressed by the Portuguese historiography of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The ensuing discussion benefits from the simultaneous consideration of two historiographical domains that complement each other: economic history and the history of economics. On the one hand, there are the authors and texts of economic history that seek to describe the facts and circumstances related to the functioning and dynamics of economic reality, for a given period or succession of periods, in order to establish evolutionary trends. On the other hand, there are the authors and texts of the history of economics that seek to adopt analytical forms (principles and laws) and doctrinal and programmatic frameworks (visions and ideologies) aimed at providing explanatory meaning to the observed economic changes, phenomena and regularities. A true understanding of the important issues pertaining to Portuguese economic development is to be found, however, in the intersection of these distinct but complementary historiographical perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio