Transient loss of consciousness initially diagnosed as epileptic seizures and then documented as paroxysmal atrioventricular block. Cardiac resynchronization and defibrillator therapy guided by a ...multimodality approach.
Drug-eluting stents (DES) have made a tremendous impact on the practice of percutaneous coronary intervention. Recently however, long-term DES failures have become a focal point, particularly with ...restenosis and thrombosis. An uncommon, yet important cause of DES failure is stent fracture. Of the two established first generation DES, the sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) has been particularly linked to cases of stent fracture, likely as a result of its closed cell design compared with other DES employing an open cell system. We present 2 cases of SES fracture confirmed using high-resolution intravascular optical coherence tomography giving unique insights into the in-vivo appearance of this complication.
Antibody validation for tissue staining is required for reproducibility; criteria to ensure validity have been published recently. The majority of these recommendations imply the use of routinely ...processed (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) tissue.
We applied to lightly fixed frozen sections a panel of 126 antibodies validated for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue with extended criteria.
Less than 30% of the antibodies performed as expected with all fixations. 35% preferred one fixation over another, 13% gave nonspecific staining and 23% did not stain at all.
Individual antibody variability of the paratope’s fitness for the fixed antigen may be the cause. Revalidation of established antibody panels is required when they are applied to sections whose fixation and processing are different from the tissue where they were initially validated.
Immunostaining on routinely processed tissue, such as that used for human diagnostic purposes, requires a thorough antibody validation. When antibodies validated for such tissue are applied to frozen tissue sections, contrary to expectation, the different type of fixation may change antibody performance in an unpredictable fashion.
We demonstrate three-dimensional (3D) super-resolution live-cell imaging through thick specimens (50-150 μm), by coupling far-field individual molecule localization with selective plane illumination ...microscopy (SPIM). The improved signal-to-noise ratio of selective plane illumination allows nanometric localization of single molecules in thick scattering specimens without activating or exciting molecules outside the focal plane. We report 3D super-resolution imaging of cellular spheroids.
Light-sheet microscopy is a useful tool for performing biological investigations of thick samples and it has recently been demonstrated that it can also act as a suitable architecture for ...super-resolution imaging of thick biological samples by means of individual molecule localization. However, imaging in depth is still limited since it suffers from a reduction in image quality caused by scattering effects. This paper sets out to investigate the advantages of non-linear photoactivation implemented in a selective plane illumination configuration when imaging scattering samples. In particular, two-photon excitation is proven to improve imaging capabilities in terms of imaging depth and is expected to reduce light-sample interactions and sample photo-damage. Here, two-photon photoactivation is coupled to individual molecule localization methods based on light-sheet illumination (IML-SPIM), allowing super-resolution imaging of nuclear pH2AX in NB4 cells.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common disease that, in many cases, can be conservatively treated through bracing. High adherence to brace prescription is fundamental to gaining the ...maximum benefit from this treatment approach. Wearable sensors are available that objectively monitor the brace-wearing time, but their use, combined with other interventions, is poorly investigated. The aims of the current review are as follows: (i) to summarize the real compliance with bracing reported by studies using sensors; (ii) to find out the real brace wearing rate through objective electronic monitoring; (iii) to verify if interventions made to increase adherence to bracing can be effective according to the published literature. We conducted a systematic review of the literature published on Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, CENTRAL, and Web of Science. We identified 466 articles and included examples articles, which had a low to good methodological quality. We found that compliance a greatly varied between 21.8 and 93.9% (weighted average: 58.8%), real brace wearing time varied between 5.7 and 21 h per day (weighted average 13.3), and specific interventions seemed to improve both outcomes, with compliance increasing from 58.5 to 66% and brace wearing increasing from 11.9 to 15.1 h per day. Two comparative studies showed positive effects of stand-alone counseling and information on the sensors’ presence when added to counseling. Sensors proved to be useful tools for objectively and continuously monitoring adherence to therapy in everyday clinical practice. Specific interventions, like the use of sensors, counseling, education, and exercises, could increase compliance. However, further studies using high-quality designs should be conducted in this field.
Septic shock is characterized by breakdown of the endothelial glycocalyx and endothelial damage, contributing to fluid extravasation, organ failure and death. Albumin has shown benefit in septic ...shock patients. Our aims were: (1) to identify the relations between circulating levels of syndecan-1 (SYN-1), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) (endothelial glycocalyx), and VE-cadherin (endothelial cell junctions), severity of the disease, and survival; (2) to evaluate the effects of albumin supplementation on endothelial dysfunction in patients with septic shock.
This was a retrospective analysis of a multicenter randomized clinical trial on albumin replacement in severe sepsis or septic shock (the Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis Trial, ALBIOS). Concentrations of SYN-1, S1P, soluble VE-cadherin and other biomarkers were measured on days 1, 2 and 7 in 375 patients with septic shock surviving up to 7 days after randomization.
Plasma concentrations of SYN-1 and VE-cadherin rose significantly over 7 days. SYN-1 and VE-cadherin were elevated in patients with organ failure, and S1P levels were lower. SYN-1 and VE-cadherin were independently associated with renal replacement therapy requirement during ICU stay, but only SYN-1 predicted its new occurrence. Both SYN-1 and S1P, but not VE-cadherin, predicted incident coagulation failure. Only SYN-1 independently predicted 90-day mortality. Albumin significantly reduced VE-cadherin, by 9.5% (p = 0.003) at all three time points.
Circulating components of the endothelial glycocalyx and of the endothelial cell junctions provide insights into severity and progression of septic shock, with special focus on incident coagulation and renal failure. Albumin supplementation lowered circulating VE-cadherin consistently over time.
ALBIOS ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00707122.
Cryohydrocytosis is a form of stomatocytosis characterized by the leakage of sodium and potassium from red blood cells at low temperatures, characterized by pseudohyperkalemia. Stomatin‐deficient ...cryohydrocytosis is an extremely rare variant that only recently has been related to pathogenic variants in the SLC2A1 gene, encoding the main glucose transporter of the blood–brain barrier and red blood cells, GLUT1. It follows that GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, a rare but significant cause of metabolic epilepsy, may present with stomatin‐deficient cryohydrocytosis, although this correlation has only been reported in a few instances. We present the case of a patient carrying a novel de novo SLC2A1 pathogenic variant presenting with GLUT1 deficiency syndrome, pseudohyperkalemia, and splenomegaly consistent with cryohydrocytosis. We also review the previously reported cases of stomatin‐deficient cryohydrocytosis in the literature. As highlighted by our case, elevated potassium levels are a cause of concern, and GLUT1 deficiency syndrome patients are thus at risk of being subjected to unnecessary examinations; pseudohyperkalemia may be underrecognized in clinical practice.
Epilepsy with auditory features (EAF) is a focal epilepsy belonging to the focal epileptic syndromes with onset at variable age according to the new ILAE Classification. It is characterized by ...seizures with auditory aura or receptive aphasia suggesting a lateral temporal lobe involvement of the epileptic discharge. Etiological factors underlying EAF are largely unknown. In the familial cases with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance several genes have been involved, among which the first discovered,
, was thought to be predominant. However, increasing evidence now points to a multifactorial etiology, as familial and sporadic EAF share a virtually identical electro-clinical characterization and only a few have a documented genetic etiology. Patients with EAF usually have an unremarkable neurological examination and a good response to antiseizure medications. However, it must be underscored that total remission might be lower than expected and that treatment withdrawal might lead to relapses. Thus, a proper understanding of this condition is in order for better patient treatment and counseling. Further studies are still required to further characterize the many facets of EAF.
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