Electrophysiological phenotyping of left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy in pediatric populations: A systematic review.

Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (LVNC) is a structural heart defect that has been associated with generation of arrhythmias in the population and is a cause of sudden cardiac death with severe systolic dysfunction and fatal arrhythmias. LVNC has gained increasing acknowledgment with increased prevalence. We conducted a systematic review of reported electrocardiogram (ECG) results for pediatric LVNC patients. EMBASE database query was performed, yielding 4531 articles related to LVNC between 1990 and December 2023. Patient age ranged from prenatal to 18 years of age. Qualitative analyses were performed to characterize individual arrhythmias, and summative interpretation of ECG evaluations was gathered for the entire cohort. Systematic review of 57 LVNC cases and ECG presentation revealed many waveform consistencies, including abnormal left ventricular, atrioventricular node, and interventricular septal patterns, and specifically a high incidence of Mobitz type II and Wolff-Parkinson-White waveforms. This review of ECG analysis reinforces the clinical and etiologic significance of pediatric LVNC. While LVNC in pediatric populations may not always present as acute clinical cases, further investigation into the electrophysiology of the disease supports the need for further evaluation and risk stratification for patients with suspected LVNC and/or ventricular arrhythmia.

Trophic transfer mechanisms of potentially toxic elements from sediment and plant leaves (Rhizophora mangle) to fiddler crabs (Minuca rapax) ().

To assess "bottom-up" to "top-down" trophic transfer, we analyze As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se, Zn, Fe, and Mn from two sediment chemical fractions (exchangeable and organic-bound), red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) leaves, and fiddler crab (M. rapax) soft tissues from Isla del Carmen, Yucatán Peninsula. Both mechanisms were observed indictive that R. mangle and M. rapax indeed bioaccumulated the toxic elements from the different matrices with the latter being a macro-concentrator only for Cu and Zn. Although the modified Geo-accumulation factor (combined exchangeable and organic matter fractions) suggested that the studied sites are practically "uncontaminated", Hg is the only toxic element to be having a "moderately to strongly" impact. Data shows how M. rapax had progressively bioaccumulated Hg, but no biomagnification could be corroborated given that the fiddler crab behaved as a de-concentrator.

Spatial distribution of pollution levels and assessment of benthic foraminifera in Apapa-Badagry Creek, Nigeria.

The Apapa and Badagry creeks in Nigeria are a corridor of long-term anthropogenic activities, including mangrove removal, urban expansion, and industrialization. Consequently, this uncontrolled development led to the release of untreated effluents and wastes, which resulted in sediment and water quality degradation. This area has the highest degree of pollution (Enrichment and Contamination Factors) especially north of Tincan Island where potentially toxic element (PTE) depocenters occur. Our data shows that salinity and pH are the two main factors favoring foraminiferal distributions, but the sediments in the depocenters with the highest degree of PTE pollution are barren of foraminifera. Bioavailable sediment-bound PTEs have been found to negatively impact the assemblage distribution and diversity. It is important to highlight that dissolved phosphorous was the only PTE that negatively impacted species richness. This study highlights the significance of implementing PTE bioavailability as an integral part of ecosystem functioning in all nearshore environments.

Can the bioturbation activity of the fiddler crab Minuca rapax modify the distribution of microplastics in sediments?

Fiddler crabs are known as "eco-engineers" who maintain habitat health through sediment bioturbation. They regularly interact with microplastics (MPs) due to their contact with the sediment. In this study we compared MPs concentration between burrows and pellets resulting from bioturbation, and MPs bioaccumulation in the soft tissues of Minuca rapax (Smith, 1870), along a gradient of urbanization in Isla del Carmen, southern Gulf of Mexico. Overall, MPs shape and color in the pellets and in the tissues reflected those of the burrow's sediments. MPs were more abundant and diverse in burrows (9 ± 12 MPs.g-1) than in pellets (5 ± 5 MPs.g-1) or in the soft tissues (1.3 ± 1.2 MPs.g-1). Bioturbation can concentrate MPs in pellets and tissues, depending on the MPs contamination and urbanization level. M. rapax is an important structuring agent of sedimentary MPs, showing a strong top-down translocation of MPs in subtropical tidal flats.

Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution.

We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical treatment of the dataset based on a multiproxy approach enabled us to identify and disentangle factors influencing the depositional processes and the preservation of the records of this activity in the area over the last ≈3000 years BP. Some layers of the analyzed core have significant enrichment in Cu and a moderate enrichment in Ag, Mo, As, Sb, S, Zn, Ni, Sn, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, and Li. The enrichment of these elements in some layers of this core may be related to mining activities that have taken place since classical times in the region. Successive phases of pollution were identified along the core KSGX24 related to the Late Bronze Age (≈3000-2450 years BP), Iron Age (≈2450-1850 years BP), Roman times (≈1850-1550 years BP), Middle Ages (≈1250-500 years BP), and industrial and modern (≈250-0 years BP) anthropic activities. The protection of the Cies Islands, the erosive and transport capacity of the rivers in the region, oscillations of the oceanographic and climatic regime, atmospheric contamination, and diagenetic sedimentary processes might have contributed to the accumulation and preservation of this record in the distal region of the Ria de Vigo. The studied core shows that the industrial and preindustrial anthropic impacts caused an environmental liability and contributed to the presence of moderate to heavy pollution of various metals in surface and subsurface sediment layers in the distal sector of the Ria de Vigo, which could be a hazard to biota.

Acute Myopericarditis after COVID-19 Vaccine in Teenagers.

BACKGROUND: There have been an increasing number of reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults after coronavirus disease 19 vaccinations. The pathophysiology of myocarditis after this vaccination is indeterminate currently. The problem is a relatively new phenomenon, and so there are no current guidelines on how to manage these cases of myopericarditis. We intend to describe our management in these two cases so that it can help guide pediatricians, intensivists, and cardiologists taking care of similar cases. Case Summaries. The first case is a young adolescent who presented with chest pain after receiving his second dose of coronavirus disease 19 vaccination with no other symptoms. His troponin was found to be 40 ng/mL. He had a normal echocardiogram and chest CT angiogram. His troponins trended down with symptomatic pain management after 3 days. The second case is another adolescent who presented with fever, fatigue, headache, and chest pain 3 days after receiving his second dose of coronavirus vaccine. His troponin was elevated to 5 ng/mL, electrocardiogram with ST segment elevations, and mildly decreased systolic function on echocardiogram. His troponins and electrocardiogram were normalized in 3 days at the time of his discharge. CONCLUSION: The clinical course of vaccine-associated myocarditis appears favorable as both our patients have responded well to medications and rest with prompt improvement in symptoms with full recovery. The experience remains limited at this time regarding the investigations, management, and follow-up of this novel clinical entity. It is vital for all the health care providers taking care of adolescents to have knowledge about this phenomenon and make correct diagnosis in those presenting with chest pain after COVID-19 vaccine and in preventing unnecessary invasive procedures such as coronary angiogram to rule out acute coronary syndromes.

Relative abundances of benthic foraminifera in response to total organic carbon in sediments: Data from European intertidal areas and transitional waters.

We gathered total organic carbon (%) and relative abundances of benthic foraminifera in intertidal areas and transitional waters from the English Channel/European Atlantic Coast (587 samples) and the Mediterranean Sea (301 samples) regions from published and unpublished datasets. This database allowed to calculate total organic carbon optimum and tolerance range of benthic foraminifera in order to assign them to ecological groups of sensitivity. Optima and tolerance range were obtained by mean of the weighted-averaging method. The data are related to the research article titled "Indicative value of benthic foraminifera for biomonitoring: assignment to ecological groups of sensitivity to total organic carbon of species from European intertidal areas and transitional waters" [1].

Indicative value of benthic foraminifera for biomonitoring: Assignment to ecological groups of sensitivity to total organic carbon of species from European intertidal areas and transitional waters.

This work contributes to the ongoing work aiming at confirming benthic foraminifera as a biological quality element. In this study, benthic foraminifera from intertidal and transitional waters from the English Channel/European Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean Sea were assigned to five ecological groups using the weighted-averaging optimum with respect to TOC of each species. It was however not possible to assign typical salt marsh species due to the presence of labile and refractory organic matter that hampers TOC characterization. Tests of this study species' lists with Foram-AMBI on two independent datasets showed a significant correlation between Foram-AMBI and TOC, confirming the strong relation between foraminifera and TOC. For one of the validation datasets, associated macrofaunal data were available and a significant correlation was found between the foraminiferal Foram-AMBI and the macrofaunal AMBI. The here proposed lists should be further tested with sensitivity-based indices in different European regional settings.

Disentangling natural vs. anthropogenic induced environmental variability during the Holocene: Marambaia Cove, SW sector of the Sepetiba Bay (SE Brazil).

Multiproxy approach based on textural, mineralogical, geochemical, and microfaunal analyses on a 176-cm-long core (SP8) has been applied to reconstruct the Holocene paleoenvironmental changes and disentangling natural vs. anthropogenic variability in Marambaia Cove of the Sepetiba Bay (SE Brazil). Sepetiba Bay became a lagoonal system due to the evolution and development of the Marambaia barrier island during the Holocene and the presence of an extensive river basin. Elemental concentrations from pre-anthropogenic layers from the nearby SP7 core have been used to estimate the baseline elemental concentrations for this region and to determine metals enrichment factors (EF), pollution load index (PLI), and sediment pollution index (SPI). Record of the core SP8 provides compelling evidence of the lagoon evolution differentiating the effects of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) under natural vs. anthropic forcing in the last ~ 9.5 ka BP. The study area was probably part of coastal sand ridges between ≈ 9.5 and 7.8 ka BP (radiocarbon date). Events of wash over deposited allochthonous material and organic matter between ≈ 8.6 and 7.8 ka. Climatic event 8.2 ka BP, in which the South American Summer Monsoon was intensified in Brazil causing higher rainfall and moisture was scored by an anoxic event. Accumulation of organic matter resulted in oxygen depletion and even anoxia in the sediment activating biogeochemical processes that resulted in the retention of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). After ≈ 7.8 ka BP at the onset of the Holocene sea-level rise, a marine incursion flooded the Marambaia Cove area (previously exposed to subaerial conditions). Environmental conditions became favorable for the colonization of benthic foraminifera. The Foram Stress Index (FSI) and Exp(H'bc) indicate that the environmental conditions turned from bad to more favorable since ≈ 7.8 ka BP, with maximum health reached at ≈ 5 ka BP, during the mid-Holocene relative sea-level highstand. Since then, the sedimentological and ecological proxies suggest that the system evolved to an increasing degree of confinement. Since ≈ 1975 AD, a sharp increase of silting, Cd, Zn, and organic matter also induced by anthropic activities caused major changes in foraminiferal assemblages with a significant increase of Ammonia/Elphidium Index (AEI), EF, and SPI values and decreasing of FSI and Exp(H'bc) (ecological indicators) demonstrating an evolution from "moderately polluted" to "heavily polluted" environment (bad ecological conditions), under variable suboxic conditions. Thus, core SP8 illustrates the most remarkable event of anthropogenic forcing on the geochemistry of the sediments and associated pollution loads and its negative effect on benthic organisms.

Late Acetaminophen Therapy for Patent Ductus Arteriosus in the Preterm Neonate.

OBJECTIVE: In preterm infants, the standard pharmacologic treatment for a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) is either ibuprofen or indomethacin. However, these medications may be less effective after 2 weeks of age. We investigated the use of acetaminophen in hsPDA closure beyond 2 weeks of age. METHODS: An observational study of 11 infants, <30 weeks' gestation at birth and postnatal age > 2 weeks, who received acetaminophen treatment for their hsPDA. Echocardiograms (ECHOs), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, and the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) were obtained before and after treatment to analyze ductal characteristics. Renal and liver functions were monitored pretreatment and posttreatment to look for potential medication side effects. RESULTS: Of the 10 infants with ECHO data for before and after acetaminophen treatments, 4/10 (40%) had a decrease in PDA size, with no infants having complete closure immediately posttreatment. Eight of 11 (73%) infants had a decreased FiO2 requirement after treatment. Of the 5 infants with pretreatment and posttreatment BNP data, 2/5 (40%) infants had a decrease in BNP level. One infant received an additional course of acetaminophen. Four infants underwent a surgical ligation. Two infants died. No medication side effects occurred with regard to hepatic and renal function. CONCLUSION: Acetaminophen is a safe and effective pharmacologic treatment to reduce the significance of the hsPDA in some infants beyond 2 weeks of age, as shown by ECHO and BNP data.

Ecological quality status of the NE sector of the Guanabara Bay (Brazil): A case of living benthic foraminiferal resilience.

The ecological quality status of the NE region of the Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil), one of the most important Brazilian embayments, is evaluated. For this purpose, sediment samples from in the inner of the Guanabara Bay (GB) were collected and analyzed (grain-size, mineralogy, geochemistry and living foraminifera). In this study, it is hypothesized that the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) concentrations, in solution and associated with organic matter (OMPTEs, potential nutrient source), may represent two potential pathways to impact benthic foraminifers. A multiproxy approach applied to complex statistical analyses and ecological indexes shows that the study area is, in general, eutrophic (with high organic matter and low oxygen content), polluted by PTEs and oil. As a consequence, foraminifera are not abundant and their assemblages are poorly diversified and dominated by some stress-tolerant species (i.e., Ammonia tepida, Quinqueloculina seminula, Cribroelphidium excavatum). The results allow us to identify a set of species sensitive to eutrophication and OMPTEs. Factors such as the increase of organic matter contents and OMPTEs and, in particular of Zn, Cd and Pb, the oxygen depletion and the presence of oil, altogether contribute to a marked reduction in the abundance and diversity of foraminifera. Ammonia-Elphidium Index and the Foram Stress Index confirm that the NE zone of GB is, in general, "heavily polluted", with "poor ecological quality status" and experiences suboxic to anoxic conditions. In light of it, special attention from public authorities and policymakers is required in order to take immediate actions to enable its environmental recovery.

Foraminifera as bioindicators of water quality: The FoRAM Index revisited.

Coral reefs worldwide are degrading at alarming rates due to local and global stressors. There are ongoing needs for bioindicator systems that can be used to assess reef health status, the potential for recovery following destructive events such as tropical storms, and for the success of coral transplants. Benthic foraminiferal shells are ubiquitous components of carbonate sediment in reef environments that can be sampled at minimal cost and environmental impact. Here we review the development and application of the FoRAM Index (FI), which provides a bioindicator metric for water quality that supports reef accretion. We outline the strengths and limitations of the FI, and propose how it can be applied more effectively across different geographical regions.

Historical sediment record and levels of PCBs in sediments and mangroves of Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were quantified in 18 surface sediment samples, 1 sediment core, and several mangrove tissue samples collected in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico in September 2013. Total PCBs in surface sediments ranged from 0.42 to 1232ngg-1 dw. Generally, higher levels were observed near-shore close to urban and industrial areas. The levels suggest significant pollution in Jobos Bay with respect to PCBs. Two-thirds of the sites were dominated by lighter PCB congeners (tri- to penta-chlorinated PCBs) while one-third had heavy PCB congeners (hexa- to octa-chlorinated PCBs) dominant. Total PCBs in a sediment core indicated levels fluctuating according to historical usage patterns. Total PCBs were measured in mangal leaves (14-747ngg-1 dw), roots (0.26-120ngg-1 dw), and seeds (16-93ngg-1 dw), suggesting bioaccumulation from sediments. This is the first report of a historical profile of PCBs in the study area and of PCB bioaccumulation in mangroves. This article provides new and useful information on PCBs in the Caribbean area of the GRULAC region.

Mechanisms that Determine the Differential Stability of Stx⁺ and Stx(-) Lysogens.

Phages 933W, BAA2326, 434, and λ are evolutionarily-related temperate lambdoid phages that infect Escherichia coli. Although these are highly-similar phages, BAA2326 and 933W naturally encode Shiga toxin 2 (Stx⁺), but phage 434 and λ do not (Stx(-)). Previous reports suggest that the 933W Stx⁺ prophage forms less stable lysogens in E. coli than does the Stx(-) prophages λ, P22, and 434. The higher spontaneous induction frequency of the Stx⁺ prophage may be correlated with both virulence and dispersion of the Stx2-encoding phage. Here, we examined the hypothesis that lysogen instability is a common feature of Stx⁺ prophages. We found in both the absence and presence of prophage inducers (DNA damaging agents, salts), the Stx⁺ prophages induce at higher frequencies than do Stx(-) prophages. The observed instability of Stx⁺ prophages does not appear to be the result of any differences in phage development properties between Stx⁺ and Stx(-) phages. Our results indicate that differential stability of Stx⁺ and Stx(-) prophages results from both RecA-dependent and RecA-independent effects on the intracellular concentration of the respective cI repressors.

The microcosm mediates the persistence of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in freshwater ecosystems.

Water is a major route for infection of humans by exotoxin-producing bacteria, including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). While STEC has the potential to be present in nearly every type of water source, its distribution is sporadic, and an understanding of factors that govern its emergence and persistence within water is lacking. In this study, we examined the influence of microbe content on STEC persistence in freshwater. We found that depletion of microbes in the water leads to a considerable increase in the persistence of STEC, an effect that can be mitigated by adding grazing protists to the water. STEC strains appear to be more resistant to the impact of grazing protists than E. coli strains that lack the Shiga toxin (stx) gene. Our results demonstrate that the microcosm can dramatically influence the persistence of STEC in aquatic ecosystems and that the overall impact by microbes on STEC strains is fundamentally different from that of non-STEC strains of bacteria. Overall, these results provide insight into why STEC and possibly other exotoxin-producing bacterial pathogens display such variability in abundance, distribution, and persistence in aquatic ecosystems.

Bacteriophage 434 Hex protein prevents recA-mediated repressor autocleavage.

In a λ(imm434) lysogen, two proteins are expressed from the integrated prophage. Both are encoded by the same mRNA whose transcription initiates at the P(RM) promoter. One protein is the 434 repressor, needed for the establishment and maintenance of lysogeny. The other is Hex which is translated from an open reading frame that apparently partially overlaps the 434 repressor coding region. In the wild type host, disruption of the gene encoding Hex destabilizes λ(imm434) lysogens. However, the hex mutation has no effect on lysogen stability in a recA(-) host. These observations suggest that Hex functions by modulating the ability of RecA to stimulate 434 repressor autocleavage. We tested this hypothesis by identifying and purifying Hex to determine if this protein inhibited RecA­stimulated autocleavage of 434 repressor in vitro. Our results show that in vitro a fragment of Hex prevents RecA-stimulated autocleavage of 434 repressor, as well as the repressors of the closely related phage P22. Surprisingly, Hex does not prevent RecA­stimulated autocleavage of phage lambda repressor, nor the E. coli LexA repressor.