Explore the vast range of titles available.

Robust methods to compute tissue displacements in optical coherence elastography (OCE) data are paramount, as they play a significant role in the accuracy of tissue elastic properties estimation. In this study, the accuracy of different phase estimators was evaluated on simulated OCE data, where the displacements can be accurately set, and on real data. Displacement (∆d) estimates were computed from (i) the original interferogram data (Δφori) and two phase-invariant mathematical manipulations of the interferogram: (ii) its first-order derivative (Δφd) and (iii) its integral (Δφint). We observed a dependence of the phase difference estimation accuracy on the initial depth location of the scatterer and the magnitude of the tissue displacement. However, by combining the three phase-difference estimates (Δdav), the error in phase difference estimation could be minimized. By using Δdav, the median root-mean-square error associated with displacement prediction in simulated OCE data was reduced by 85% and 70% in data with and without noise, respectively, in relation to the traditional estimate. Furthermore, a modest improvement in the minimum detectable displacement in real OCE data was also observed, particularly in data with low signal-to-noise ratios. The feasibility of using Δdav to estimate agarose phantoms’ Young’s modulus is illustrated.

Atrial secondary tricuspid regurgitation (A-STR) and ventricular secondary tricuspid regurgitation (V-STR) have unique physiological and anatomical differences, but long-term outcomes based on TR etiology remain poorly understood. This study aimed to assess the characteristics and outcomes of severe A-STR and V-STR. Adults diagnosed with severe secondary TR between January 2017 and December 2019 in a quaternary-care health system were included. TR was classified into left-sided V-STR (left-sided cardiac diseases), right-sided V-STR (pulmonary/vascular diseases), and A-STR (atrial pathology). The primary endpoint was to assess survival at follow-up. Incidence of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and cardiovascular mortality were secondary endpoints. Among 1,037 patients with STR, 125 (12.0%) had A-STR, 737 (71.1%) left-sided V-STR, and 175 (16.9%) right-sided V-STR. Survival was significantly higher for A-STR compared to left and right-sided V-STR (46.9% vs 30.6% vs 22.0%, log-rank p = 0.042, respectively). At multivariable Cox regression analysis, left and right-sided V-STR were independently associated with worse survival compared to A-STR (HR: 1.439, p = 0.039 and HR: 1.816, p = 0.001, respectively). A-STR patients also experienced lower rates of HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular mortality. A-STR was associated with better survival and fewer HF hospitalizations than V-STR groups, with right-sided V-STR being the strongest independent predictor of all-cause mortality.

About 70 loci are associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD), particularly in pathways of innate immunity, autophagy, and pathogen recognition. Phenotype–genotype associations are inconsistent.MethodsCD susceptibility polymorphisms ATG16L1 rs2241880, ICAM1 rs5498, IL4 rs2070874, IL17F rs763780, IRGM rs13361189, ITLN1 rs2274910, LRRK2 rs11175593, and TLR4 rs4986790 were genotyped in a Portuguese population (511 CD patients, 626 controls) and assessed for association with CD clinical characteristics.ResultsThere is a significant association of CD with the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ATG16L1 (odds ratio [OR] 1.36 [1.15–1.60], P = 2.7 × 10−4 for allele G), IRGM (OR 1.56 [1.21–1.93], P = 3.9 × 10−4 for allele C), and ITLN1 (OR 1.55 [1.28–1.88], P = 4.9 × 10−6 for allele C). These SNPs are associated with ileal location (OR, respectively, 1.49, 1.52, and 1.70), ileocolonic location (OR, respectively, 1.31, 1.57, and 1.68), and involvement of the upper digestive tract (OR, respectively for ATG16L1 and IRGM, 1.96 and 1.95). The risk genotype GG in ATG16L1 is associated with patients who respond to steroids (OR 1.89), respond to immunosuppressants (OR 1.77), and to biologic therapy (OR 1.89). The SNPs in ITLN1 and IRGM are both associated with a positive response to biologic therapy. The risk for ileal, ileocolonic, and upper digestive tract locations increases with the number of risk alleles (OR for three alleles, respectively, 7.10, 3.54, and 12.07); the OR for positive response to biologic therapy is 3.66.ConclusionsA multilocus approach using autophagy-related genes provides insight into CD phenotype–genotype associations and genetic markers for predicting therapeutic responses.

We measured plasma‐derived extracellular vesicle (EV) proteins and their microRNA (miRNA) cargos in normoglycemic (NG), glucose intolerant (GI), and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) in middle‐aged male participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA‐Brazil). Mass spectrometry revealed decreased IGHG‐1 and increased ITIH2 protein levels in the GI group compared with that in the NG group and higher serotransferrin in EVs in the DM group than in those in the NG and GI groups. The GI group also showed increased serum ferritin levels, as evaluated by biochemical analysis, compared with those in both groups. Seventeen miRNAs were differentially expressed (DEMiRs) in the plasma EVs of the three groups. DM patients showed upregulation of miR‐141‐3p and downregulation of miR‐324‐5p and ‐376c‐3p compared with the NG and GI groups. The DM and GI groups showed increased miR‐26b‐5p expression compared with that in the NG group. The DM group showed decreased miR‐374b‐5p levels compared with those in the GI group and higher concentrations than those in the NG group. Thus, three EV proteins and five DEMiR cargos have potential prognostic importance for diabetic complications mainly associated with the immune function and iron status of GI and DM patients.