Structural insight into SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and modulation of syncytia.

Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is initiated by binding of the viral Spike protein to host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), followed by fusion of viral and host membranes. Although antibodies that block this interaction are in emergency use as early coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) therapies, the precise determinants of neutralization potency remain unknown. We discovered a series of antibodies that potently block ACE2 binding but exhibit divergent neutralization efficacy against the live virus. Strikingly, these neutralizing antibodies can inhibit or enhance Spike-mediated membrane fusion and formation of syncytia, which are associated with chronic tissue damage in individuals with COVID-19. As revealed by cryoelectron microscopy, multiple structures of Spike-antibody complexes have distinct binding modes that not only block ACE2 binding but also alter the Spike protein conformational cycle triggered by ACE2 binding. We show that stabilization of different Spike conformations leads to modulation of Spike-mediated membrane fusion with profound implications for COVID-19 pathology and immunity.

Systematic Analysis of Monoclonal Antibodies against Ebola Virus GP Defines Features that Contribute to Protection.

Antibodies are promising post-exposure therapies against emerging viruses, but which antibody features and in vitro assays best forecast protection are unclear. Our international consortium systematically evaluated antibodies against Ebola virus (EBOV) using multidisciplinary assays. For each antibody, we evaluated epitopes recognized on the viral surface glycoprotein (GP) and secreted glycoprotein (sGP), readouts of multiple neutralization assays, fraction of virions left un-neutralized, glycan structures, phagocytic and natural killer cell functions elicited, and in vivo protection in a mouse challenge model. Neutralization and induction of multiple immune effector functions (IEFs) correlated most strongly with protection. Neutralization predominantly occurred via epitopes maintained on endosomally cleaved GP, whereas maximal IEF mapped to epitopes farthest from the viral membrane. Unexpectedly, sGP cross-reactivity did not significantly influence in vivo protection. This comprehensive dataset provides a rubric to evaluate novel antibodies and vaccine responses and a roadmap for therapeutic development for EBOV and related viruses.

Cytosolic galectin-4 enchains bacteria, restricts their motility, and promotes inflammasome activation in intestinal epithelial cells.

Galectin-4, a member of the galectin family of animal glycan-binding proteins (GBPs), is specifically expressed in gastrointestinal epithelial cells and is known to be able to bind microbes. However, its function in host-gut microbe interactions remains unknown. Here, we show that intracellular galectin-4 in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) coats cytosolic Salmonella enterica serovar Worthington and induces the formation of bacterial chains and aggregates. Galectin-4 enchains bacteria during their growth by binding to the O-antigen of lipopolysaccharides. Furthermore, the binding of galectin-4 to bacterial surfaces restricts intracellular bacterial motility. Galectin-4 enhances caspase-1 activation and mature IL-18 production in infected IECs especially when autophagy is inhibited. Finally, orally administered S. enterica serovar Worthington, which is recognized by human galectin-4 but not mouse galectin-4, translocated from the intestines to mesenteric lymph nodes less effectively in human galectin-4-transgenic mice than in littermate controls. Our results suggest that galectin-4 plays an important role in host-gut microbe interactions and prevents the dissemination of pathogens. The results of the study revealed a novel mechanism of host-microbe interactions that involves the direct binding of cytosolic lectins to glycans on intracellular microbes.

Lower contact force predicts right pulmonary vein carina breakthrough after ablation index-guided pulmonary vein isolation using high-power short-duration.

INTRODUCTION: Carina breakthrough (CB) at the right pulmonary vein (RPV) can occur after circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) due to epicardial bridging or transient tissue edema. High-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation may increase the incidence of RPV CB. Currently, the surrogate of ablation parameters to predict RPV CB is not well established. This study investigated predictors of RPV CB in patients undergoing ablation index (AI)-guided PVI with HPSD. METHODS: The study included 62 patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent AI-guided PVI using HPSD. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of RPV CB. Lesions adjacent to the RPV carina were assessed, and CB was confirmed through residual voltage, low voltage along the ablation lesions, and activation wavefront propagation. RESULTS: Out of the 62 patients, 21 (33.87%) experienced RPV CB (Group 1), while 41 (66.13%) achieved first-pass RPV isolation (Group 2). Despite similar AI and HPSD, patients with RPV CB had lower contact force (CF) at lesions adjacent to the RPV carina. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified CF < 10.5 g as a predictor of RPV CB, with 75.7% sensitivity and 56.2% specificity (area under the curve: 0.714). CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing AI-guided PVI with HPSD, lower CF adjacent to the carina was associated with a higher risk of RPV CB. These findings suggest that maintaining higher CF during ablation in this region may reduce the occurrence of RPV CB.

Leaf abaxial immunity to powdery mildew in Arabidopsis is conferred by multiple defense mechanisms.

Powdery mildew fungi are obligate biotrophic pathogens that only invade plant epidermal cells. There are two epidermal surfaces in every plant leaf: the adaxial (upper) side and the abaxial (lower) side. While both leaf surfaces can be susceptible to adapted powdery mildew fungi in many plant species, there have been observations of leaf abaxial immunity in some plant species including Arabidopsis. The genetic basis of such leaf abaxial immunity remains unknown. In this study, we tested a series of Arabidopsis mutants defective in one or more known defense pathways with the adapted powdery mildew isolate Golovinomyces cichoracearum UCSC1. We found that leaf abaxial immunity was significantly compromised in mutants impaired for both the EDS1/PAD4- and PEN2/PEN3-dependent defenses. Consistently, expression of EDS1-yellow fluorescent protein and PEN2-green fluorescent protein fusions from their respective native promoters in the respective eds1-2 and pen2-1 mutant backgrounds was higher in the abaxial epidermal cells than in the adaxial epidermal cells. Altogether, our results indicate that leaf abaxial immunity against powdery mildew in Arabidopsis is at least partially due to enhanced EDS1/PAD4- and PEN2/PEN3-dependent defenses. Such transcriptionally pre-programmed defense mechanisms may underlie leaf abaxial immunity in other plant species such as hemp and may be exploited for engineering adaxial immunity against powdery mildew fungi in crop plants.

Quantum pBac: An effective, high-capacity piggyBac-based gene integration vector system for unlocking gene therapy potential.

Recent advances in gene therapy have brought novel treatment options for cancer. However, the full potential of this approach has yet to be unlocked due to the limited payload capacity of commonly utilized viral vectors. Virus-free DNA transposons, including piggyBac, have the potential to obviate these shortcomings. In this study, we improved a previously modified piggyBac system with superior transposition efficiency. We demonstrated that the internal domain sequences (IDS) within the 3' terminal repeat domain of hyperactive piggyBac (hyPB) donor vector contain dominant enhancer elements. Plasmid-free donor vector devoid of IDS was used in conjunction with a helper plasmid expressing Quantum PBase™ v2 to generate an optimal piggyBac system, Quantum pBac™ (qPB), for use in T cells. qPB outperformed hyPB in CD20/CD19 CAR-T production in terms of performance as well as yield of the CAR-T cells produced. Furthermore, qPB also produced CAR-T cells with lower donor-associated variabilities compared to lentiviral vector. Importantly, qPB yielded mainly CD8+ CAR-TSCM cells, and the qPB-produced CAR-T cells effectively eliminated CD20/CD19-expressing tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings confirm qPB as a promising virus-free vector system with an enhanced payload capacity to incorporate multiple genes. This highly efficient and potentially safe system will be expected to further advance gene therapy applications.

Direct Current Pulse Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Treatment on Electrochemically Deposited NiFe/Carbon Paper and Its Potential Application in an Anion-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer.

An atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is used to process electrochemically deposited NiFe on carbon paper (NiFe/CP). The reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONs) of the APPJ modify the surface properties, chemical bonding types, and oxidation states of the material at the self-sustained temperature of the APPJ. The APPJ treatment further enhances the hydrophilicity and creates a higher disorder level in the carbon material. Moreover, the metal carbide bonds of NiFe/CP formed in the electrochemical deposition (ED) process are converted to metal oxide bonds after APPJ processing. The potential application of APPJ treatment on NiFe/CP in alkaline water electrolysis is demonstrated. With more oxygen-containing species and better hydrophilicity after APPJ treatment, APPJ-treated NiFe/CP is applied as the electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline water electrolysis. APPJ-treated NiFe/CP is also used in a custom-made anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE); this should contribute toward realizing the practical large-scale application of AEM for hydrogen production.

Uterine cancer among Asian Americans - Disparities & clinical characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the patterns and trends of uterine cancer among Asian subgroups living in the U.S. METHODS: Data were obtained from United States Cancer Statistics (2001-2017), National Cancer Database (2004-2015), and World Population Review (2023). SEER*Stat version 8.3.9.2, Joinpoint regression program 4.9.0.0, and SAS v 9.4 were employed for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Based on data from 778,891 women in the United States Cancer Statistics database, Asians had a 3.4-fold higher rate of incident uterine cancer compared to White populations (2.14% vs. 0.63%; p < 0.001). Using the National Cancer Database, 7,641 Asian women from six subgroups were analyzed: Filipino, Korean, Indian/Pakistani, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese. Indian and Pakistani women had the greatest increase in the proportion of cancer diagnoses (5.0% to 14.4%; p = 0.0003). Additionally, Indian and Pakistani patients had higher comorbidity scores while Koreans had the lowest (22.7% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.0001). Regarding stage of disease, 25.3% of Filipinos presented with advanced stage disease compared to 19.2% of Indians and Pakistanis (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, Filipinos had the highest proportion of non-endometrioid cancers at 18.4% compared to other subgroups (p = 0.0003). Using the World Population Review, female obesity was highest in Pakistan (8.6%) and the Philippines (7.5%) and lowest in Vietnam (2.6%). CONCLUSION: Uterine cancer incidence increased at higher rates among Asians compared to White populations. Specifically, Indian and Pakistani uterine cancer patients were more likely to have higher comorbidity rates and Filipino patients had more advanced stage cancer with non-endometrioid histologies than other Asian subgroups. Further research is warranted to better understand these trends.

Racial, ethnic and country of origin disparities in aggressive endometrial cancer histologic subtypes.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the risk of an aggressive endometrial cancer (EC) diagnosis by race, ethnicity, and country of origin to further elucidate histologic disparities in non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander (API), American Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) vs. non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients, particularly in Hispanic or API subgroups. METHODS: Patient diagnosed between 2004 and 2020 with low grade (LG)-endometrioid endometrial cancer (ECC) or an aggressive EC including grade 3 EEC, serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, mixed epithelial carcinoma, or carcinosarcoma in the National Cancer Database were studied. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for diagnosis of an aggressive EC histology was estimated using logistic modeling. RESULTS: There were 343,868 NHW, 48,897 NHB, 30,013 Hispanic, 15,015 API and 1646 AIAN patients. The OR (95% CI) for an aggressive EC diagnosis was 3.07 (3.01-3.13) for NHB, 1.08 (1.06-1.11) for Hispanic, 1.17 (1.13-1.21) for API and 1.07 (0.96-1.19) for AIAN, relative to NHW patients. Subset analyses by country of origin illustrated the diversity in the OR for an aggressive EC diagnosis among Hispanic (1.18 for Mexican to 1.87 for Dominican), Asian (1.14 Asian Indian-Pakistani to 1.48 Korean) and Pacific Islander (1.00 for Hawaiian to 1.33 for Samoan) descendants. Hispanic, API and AIAN patients were diagnosed 5-years younger that NHW patients, and the risk for an aggressive EC histology were all significantly higher than NHW patients after correcting for age. Insurance status was another independent risk factor for aggressive histology. CONCLUSIONS: Risk of an aggressive EC diagnosis varied by race, ethnicity, and country of origin. NHB patients had the highest risk, followed by Dominican, South/Central American, Cuban, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino descendants.

Feasibility of Auto-Quantified Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Predicting Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to build an auto-segmented artificial intelligence model of the atria and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) on computed tomography (CT) images, and examine the prognostic significance of auto-quantified left atrium (LA) and EAT volumes for AF.Methods and Results: This retrospective study included 334 patients with AF who were referred for catheter ablation (CA) between 2015 and 2017. Atria and EAT volumes were auto-quantified using a pre-trained 3-dimensional (3D) U-Net model from pre-ablation CT images. After adjusting for factors associated with AF, Cox regression analysis was used to examine predictors of AF recurrence. The mean (±SD) age of patients was 56±11 years; 251 (75%) were men, and 79 (24%) had non-paroxysmal AF. Over 2 years of follow-up, 139 (42%) patients experienced recurrence. Diabetes, non-paroxysmal AF, non-pulmonary vein triggers, mitral line ablation, and larger LA, right atrium, and EAT volume indices were linked to increased hazards of AF recurrence. After multivariate adjustment, non-paroxysmal AF (hazard ratio [HR] 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4-0.8; P=0.003) and larger LA-EAT volume index (HR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.2; P=0.009) remained independent predictors of AF recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: LA-EAT volume measured using the auto-quantified 3D U-Net model is feasible for predicting AF recurrence after CA, regardless of AF type.

Mediator subunit MED1 is required for E2A-PBX1-mediated oncogenic transcription and leukemic cell growth.

The chimeric transcription factor E2A-PBX1, containing the N-terminal activation domains of E2A fused to the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of PBX1, results in 5% of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). We recently have reported a mechanism for RUNX1-dependent recruitment of E2A-PBX1 to chromatin in pre-B leukemic cells; but the subsequent E2A-PBX1 functions through various coactivators and the general transcriptional machinery remain unclear. The Mediator complex plays a critical role in cell-specific gene activation by serving as a key coactivator for gene-specific transcription factors that facilitates their function through the RNA polymerase II transcriptional machinery, but whether Mediator contributes to aberrant expression of E2A-PBX1 target genes remains largely unexplored. Here we show that Mediator interacts directly with E2A-PBX1 through an interaction of the MED1 subunit with an E2A activation domain. Results of MED1 depletion by CRISPR/Cas9 further indicate that MED1 is specifically required for E2A-PBX1-dependent gene activation and leukemic cell growth. Integrated transcriptome and cistrome analyses identify pre-B cell receptor and cell cycle regulatory genes as direct cotargets of MED1 and E2A-PBX1. Notably, complementary biochemical analyses also demonstrate that recruitment of E2A-PBX1 to a target DNA template involves a direct interaction with DNA-bound RUNX1 that can be further stabilized by EBF1. These findings suggest that E2A-PBX1 interactions with RUNX1 and MED1/Mediator are of functional importance for both gene-specific transcriptional activation and maintenance of E2A-PBX1-driven leukemia. The MED1 dependency for E2A-PBX1-mediated gene activation and leukemogenesis may provide a potential therapeutic opportunity by targeting MED1 in E2A-PBX1+ pre-B leukemia.

Galectin-3 promotes noncanonical inflammasome activation through intracellular binding to lipopolysaccharide glycans.

Cytosolic lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) bind directly to caspase-4/5/11 through their lipid A moiety, inducing inflammatory caspase oligomerization and activation, which is identified as the noncanonical inflammasome pathway. Galectins, ß-galactoside-binding proteins, bind to various gram-negative bacterial LPS, which display ß-galactoside-containing polysaccharide chains. Galectins are mainly present intracellularly, but their interactions with cytosolic microbial glycans have not been investigated. We report that in cell-free systems, galectin-3 augments the LPS-induced assembly of caspase-4/11 oligomers, leading to increased caspase-4/11 activation. Its carboxyl-terminal carbohydrate-recognition domain is essential for this effect, and its N-terminal domain, which contributes to the self-association property of the protein, is also critical, suggesting that this promoting effect is dependent on the functional multivalency of galectin-3. Moreover, galectin-3 enhances intracellular LPS-induced caspase-4/11 oligomerization and activation, as well as gasdermin D cleavage in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells, and it additionally promotes interleukin-1ß production and pyroptotic death in macrophages. Galectin-3 also promotes caspase-11 activation and gasdermin D cleavage in macrophages treated with outer membrane vesicles, which are known to be taken up by cells and release LPSs into the cytosol. Coimmunoprecipitation confirmed that galectin-3 associates with caspase-11 after intracellular delivery of LPSs. Immunofluorescence staining revealed colocalization of LPSs, galectin-3, and caspase-11 independent of host N-glycans. Thus, we conclude that galectin-3 amplifies caspase-4/11 oligomerization and activation through LPS glycan binding, resulting in more intense pyroptosis-a critical mechanism of host resistance against bacterial infection that may provide opportunities for new therapeutic interventions.

"To do or not to do", male nurses' experiences of providing intimate care to female patients in China, a constructivist grounded theory study.

BACKGROUND: Some studies suggest that female patients have more concerns about receiving intimate care from male than female nurses. Thus, providing intimate care to female patients is a challenging experience for male nurses. The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese male nurses' experiences and process of providing intimate clinical care to female patients. METHODS: A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to develop a theoretical understanding of male nurses' experiences. This study included participants from 3 hospitals in different locations in China. Twenty-five male nurses were recruited using purposive and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data analysis was completed using initial coding, focused coding, theoretical coding and memo writing to produce core concepts and categories, and theory development. RESULTS: Chinese male nurses' experiences of providing intimate care to female patients can be constructed as a three-stage process: (1) anticipation of the level of embarrassment, (2) deciding on the process: do it or not do it and (3) protecting both parties and dealing with embarrassment. Additionally, seven themes and associated categories were identified to represent the important factors in the process of male nurses providing intimate care to female patients in China. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese traditional culture may affect the embarrassment in Chinese male nurses providing intimate care to female patients. The embarrassing situation can be divided into three different stages, and male nurses have different main concerns in each stage. Hospital nursing administrators should consider the experiences and needs of male nurses in providing intimate care and provide them with psychological support, education and training.

Oncology nurses' experiences of providing emotional support for cancer patients: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: A high percentage of cancer patients may experience emotional distress. Oncology nurses are expected to play an important role in recognizing emotional distress and planning and delivering care that meets the individual needs of each patient. However, few studies have focused on the experiences of clinical nurses in such cases. This study adopted a qualitative research method to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of nursing staff in caring for cancer patients with emotional distress. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design and semi-structured interviews were used in this study. Twenty-one oncology nurses were interviewed, and the qualitative content analysis suggested by Graneheim & Lundman (2004) was used to interpret the data. RESULTS: Six themes were identified, as follows: (1) dictating the abnormality of emotion, (2) soothing and comforting patients, (3) a lack of psychology knowledge and communication skills, (4) negative impacts of a lack of time, (5) managing emotional labor, and (6) reflecting on the experiences. CONCLUSION: Hospital administrators should arrange pre-employment education and training as well as on-the-job education to help nurses in caring for cancer patients with emotional distress. They should also focus attention on the personal emotional states of nursing staff in a timely manner and provide psychological support and emotional counseling as necessary.

Variant-specific IgA protects against Omicron infection.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants, coupled with waning vaccine-induced immunity, has contributed to the rise of vaccine breakthrough infections. It is crucial to understand how vaccine-induced protection is mediated. METHODS: We examined two prospective cohorts of mRNA-vaccinated-and-boosted individuals during the Omicron wave of infection in Singapore. RESULTS: We found that, individuals, who remain uninfected over the follow-up period, had a higher variant-specific IgA, but not IgG, antibody response at 1-month post booster vaccination, compared with individuals who became infected. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that IgA may have a potential contributory role in protection against Omicron infection.

Biosensing with Polymerase Chain Reaction-Stable DNA-Functionalized Magnetically Susceptible Carbon-Iron Microparticles.

We demonstrate a rapid and sensitive method for DNA detection without the need for fluorescence. This is based on carbon-coated magnetic iron (Fe) microparticles with a covalent surface attachment of DNA. We show that these magnetic microparticles can capture complementary DNA. Significantly, the DNA covalent surface bonds are robust to high temperatures and can be included in a sample during polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This method is employed for the detection of targeted DNA sequences (40-50 bp). Hybridization probes on the surface of the magnetically susceptible Fe microparticle recognize the target DNA sequence-specifically. The double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) microparticles are then quickly captured with a magnet from the sample matrix. This foregoes postpurification processes, such as electrophoresis, which make our technique time- and cost-effective. Captured dsDNA can be detected with intercalating dyes such as ethidium bromide through a loss in the UV absorption signal with a limit of detection (LOD) of 24 nM within 15 min. Likewise, surface-bound DNA can act as a primer in PCR to decrease the LOD to 5 pM within 2 h. This is the first instance of a nucleotide-modified magnetically susceptible carbon substrate that is PCR-compatible. Besides DNA capture, this strategy can eventually be applied to sequence-specific nucleic acid purification and enrichment, PCR cleanup, and single-strand generation. The DNA-coated particles are stable under PCR conditions (unlike commonly used polystyrene or gold particles).

Efficient recall of SARS-CoV-2 variant-reactive B cells and T responses in the elderly upon heterologous mRNA vaccines as boosters.

Waning antibody levels against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the emergence of variants of concern highlight the need for booster vaccinations. This is particularly important for the elderly population, who are at a higher risk of developing severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease. While studies have shown increased antibody responses following booster vaccination, understanding the changes in T and B cell compartments induced by a third vaccine dose remains limited. We analyzed the humoral and cellular responses in subjects who received either a homologous messenger RNA(mRNA) booster vaccine (BNT162b2 + BNT162b2 + BNT162b2; ''BBB") or a heterologous mRNA booster vaccine (BNT162b2 + BNT162b2 + mRNA-1273; ''BBM") at Day 0 (prebooster), Day 7, and Day 28 (postbooster). Compared with BBB, elderly individuals (≥60 years old) who received the BBM vaccination regimen display higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against the Wuhan and Delta strains along with a higher boost in immunoglobulin G memory B cells, particularly against the Omicron variant. Circulating T helper type 1(Th1), Th2, Th17, and T follicular helper responses were also increased in elderly individuals given the BBM regimen. While mRNA vaccines increase antibody, T cell, and B cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 1 month after receiving the third dose booster, the efficacy of the booster vaccine strategies may vary depending on age group and regimen combination.

Insight of electrocardiographic and electrophysiological parameters on the left ventricular function in patients with ventricular arrhythmia from left ventricular summit.

INTRODUCTION: Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) commonly originate from the left ventricular summit (LVS) and results in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in some patients; however, factors related to LV cardiomyopathy have not been well elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the risk factors for LV cardiomyopathy and the outcomes of patients with LVS VA. METHODS: Between 2013 and 2018, a total of 139 patients (60.7% men; mean age 53.2 ± 13.9 years old) underwent catheter ablation for LVS VA in two centers. Detailed patient demographics, electrocardiograms, electrophysiological characteristics, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. LV cardiomyopathy was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%. RESULTS: Acute procedural success was achieved in 92.8% of patients. There were 40 patients (28.8%) with LV cardiomyopathy, and the mean LVEF improved from 37.5 ± 9.3% to 48.5 ± 10.2% after ablation (p < .001). After multivariate analysis, the independent factors of LV dysfunction were wider QRS duration (QRSd) of the VA (odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.04; p = .046) and the absolute earliest activation time discrepancy (AEAD) between epicardium and endocardium (OR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00-1.09; p = .048). After ablation, the LV function was completely recovered in 20 patients (50%). The factors for LV dysfunction without recovery included wider premature ventricular complex (PVC) QRSd (OR 1.09; 95% CI: 1.02-1.17; p = .012) and poorer LVEF (OR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.74-0.97; p = .020). CONCLUSION: In patients with VA from the LVS, PVC QRSd and AEAD are factors associated with deteriorating LV systolic function. Catheter ablation can reverse LV remodeling. Narrower QRSd and better LVEF are associated with better recovery of LV function after ablation.

Mask design, fabrication, and experimental ghost imaging applications for patterned X-ray illumination.

A set of non-configurable transversely-displaced masks has been designed and fabricated to generate high-quality X-ray illumination patterns for use in imaging techniques such as ghost imaging (GI), ghost projection, and speckle tracking. The designs include a range of random binary and orthogonal patterns, fabricated through a combination of photolithography and gold electroplating techniques. We experimentally demonstrated that a single wafer can be used as an illumination mask for GI, employing individual illumination patterns and also a mixture of patterns, using a laboratory X-ray source. The quality of the reconstructed X-ray ghost images has been characterized and evaluated through a range of metrics.

Correction: Voltammetric pH sensor based on electrochemically modified pseudo-graphite.

Correction for 'Voltammetric pH sensor based on electrochemically modified pseudo-graphite' by Haoyu Zhu et al., Analyst, 2020, 145, 7252-7259, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0AN01405B.