Cohort profile: the ESC EURObservational Research Programme Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infraction (NSTEMI) Registry

AIMS

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) EURObservational Research Programme (EORP) Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) Registry aims to identify international patterns in NSTEMI management in clinical practice and outcomes against the 2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without ST-segment-elevation.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutively hospitalised adult NSTEMI patients (n = 3620) were enrolled between 11 March 2019 and 6 March 2021, and individual patient data prospectively collected at 287 centres in 59 participating countries during a two-week enrolment period per centre. The registry collected data relating to baseline characteristics, major outcomes (in-hospital death, acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock, bleeding, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, and 30-day mortality) and guideline-recommended NSTEMI care interventions: electrocardiogram pre- or in-hospital, pre-hospitalization receipt of aspirin, echocardiography, coronary angiography, referral to cardiac rehabilitation, smoking cessation advice, dietary advice, and prescription on discharge of aspirin, P2Y12 inhibition, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), beta-blocker, and statin.

CONCLUSION

The EORP NSTEMI Registry is an international, prospective registry of care and outcomes of patients treated for NSTEMI, which will provide unique insights into the contemporary management of hospitalised NSTEMI patients, compliance with ESC 2015 NSTEMI Guidelines, and identify potential barriers to optimal management of this common clinical presentation associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

Biallelic variants in HPDL cause pure and complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia

Human 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-like (HPDL) is a putative iron-containing non-heme oxygenase of unknown specificity and biological significance. We report 25 families containing 34 individuals with neurological disease associated with biallelic HPDL variants. Phenotypes ranged from juvenile-onset pure hereditary spastic paraplegia to infantile-onset spasticity and global developmental delays, sometimes complicated by episodes of neurological and respiratory decompensation. Variants included bona fide pathogenic truncating changes, although most were missense substitutions. Functionality of variants could not be determined directly as the enzymatic specificity of HPDL is unknown; however, when HPDL missense substitutions were introduced into 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, an HPDL orthologue), they impaired the ability of HPPD to convert 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into homogentisate. Moreover, three additional sets of experiments provided evidence for a role of HPDL in the nervous system and further supported its link to neurological disease: (i) HPDL was expressed in the nervous system and expression increased during neural differentiation; (ii) knockdown of zebrafish hpdl led to abnormal motor behaviour, replicating aspects of the human disease; and (iii) HPDL localized to mitochondria, consistent with mitochondrial disease that is often associated with neurological manifestations. Our findings suggest that biallelic HPDL variants cause a syndrome varying from juvenile-onset pure hereditary spastic paraplegia to infantile-onset spastic tetraplegia associated with global developmental delays.

Digging out insights and behavioral correlates of false and true femininity in borderline personality disorder patients attending four-step integrative model group psychotherapy

Introduction

The four-step integrative model of psychotherapy is concerned with individual's needs, wants, rights and decisions in that order. It may carry a promise for deep and changing vision for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Objectives

The study of the illuminating and changing effect of dealing with BPD patients in view of their needs, wants, rights and decisions.

Aims

To evaluate the effect of group work through the hierarchy of the four-step integrative model with BPD patients and to help them explore false and true elements of their femininity.

Methods

Forty-three female patients (age range: 19-37) diagnosed according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for BPD were enrolled in a dynamic psychotherapy group. Their progress was evaluated using Borderline evaluation of severity over time (BEST) and they wrote down detailed comments about their experience quarterly.

Results

Results of regular attendants for 2 years were included (35 = 81.4%). The results of BEST showed a significant reduction of BPD severity at the end of 1 and 2 years. During psychotherapy sessions and within their quarterly comments, patients expressed their change in terms of moving from a state of cunning, manipulation, aggression, arrogance, envy and rejection (as stemming from their false femininity) into wisdom, confrontation, patience, pride, healthy competition and containment respectively (as stemming from their true femininity).

Conclusions

Patients with BPD may gain a better insight and genuine change as they realize what is false and what is true about their femininity in the context of attending four-step integrative model group psychotherapy.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Impact of the chemical nature and position of spacers on controlling the optical properties of silicon quantum dots

The unique properties of silicon quantum dots (SQDs), including intriguing optical properties, biocompatibility, and ease of surface modification have made them excellent candidates for a variety of optoelectronic and biomedical applications. Unfortunately, the low quantum efficiency (QE), unstable photoluminescence, and poor colloidal stability of SQDs have hindered their wide applicability. Herein, we report the synthesis of four assemblies of SQDs (1.6-1.8 nm average diameter) functionalized with fluorescein dye through isothiocyanate (-NCS) and carboxylate (COO-) spacers in the benzene ring of the fluorescein to produce the dyads Am-SQD-Fl, DiAm-SQD-Fl, urea-SQD-Fl, and SQD-Fl. The photophysical measurements showed that the spacer played a key role in directing and controlling the optical properties of SQDs dyads, with the isothiocyanate spacer leading to a significant improvement in the QE of the dyad systems up to 65% and extending their photostability for at least one year. The interactions between the SQDs and fluorescein in the dyads Am-SQD-Fl, DiAm-SQD-Fl, and SQD-Fl were found to mainly proceed through photoinduced electron transfer at different rates, while energy transfer was confirmed to be the predominant process in the dyad urea-SQD-Fl. To demonstrate the suitability of the functionalized SQDs for bioimaging applications, the water-soluble dyads were examined for fluorescence imaging of human bone cancerous U2OS cells.

Energy/Electron Transfer Switch for Controlling Optical Properties of Silicon Quantum Dots

The superior optical properties of Silicon Quantum Dots (SQDs) have made them of increasing interest for a variety of biological and opto-electronic applications. The surface functionalization of the SQDs with aromatic ligands plays a key role in controlling their optical properties due to the interaction of the ligands with the electronic wave function of SQDs. However, there is limited reports in literature describing the impact of spacer groups connecting the aromatic chromophore to SQDs on the optical properties of the SQDs. Herein, we report the synthesis of two SQDs assemblies (1.6 nm average diameter) functionalized with perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid diimide (PDI) chromophore through N-propylurea and propylamine spacers. Depending on the nature of the spacer, the photophysical measurements provide clear evidence for efficient energy and/or electron transfer between the SQDs and PDI. Energy transfer was confirmed to be the operative process when propylurea spacer was used, in which the rate was estimated to be ~2 × 109 s-1. On the other hand, the propylamine spacer was found to facilitate electron transfer process within the SQDs assembly. To illustrate functionality, the water soluble SQD-N-propylurea-PDI assembly was proven to be nontoxic and efficient for fluorescent imaging of embryonic kidney HEK293 cells and human bone cancerous U2OS cells.

The impact of illness variables of a sample of ADHD children on their parents

Introduction

The symptoms and behavior of children with ADHD impose demands and difficulties on part of their caring parents, which may cause the latter group to suffer psychological stress.

Objectives

The study of the suffering and symptomatic expression of psychological stress in parents of children with ADHD.

Aims

To study type and severity of symptoms in children with ADHD and the effect of that on the stress response of their parents.

Methods

Thirty-seven children with ADHD diagnosed clinically and with Conner's Test were studied using Child Behavior Chick List (CBCL). Available parents for each child were interviewed and studied with Symptom Chick List 90 Revised (SCL90R). Two control groups were used for both ADHD children and their parents.

Results

The mean age of the children with ADHD was 7.1 ± 1.6, they were 22 males and 15 females. Parents of these children scored highly on total and subscales of SCL90R, they were significantly higher than their control group on total and some of these subscales including somatization, interpersonal, depression, paranoid ideation and hostility domains. Depression and paranoid ideation of ADHD children parents were positively and significantly correlated with most of the sub-items of Conner's test of their children. In addition, somatization, depression and hostility of parents were positively and significantly correlated with most of the sub-items of CBCL of their ADHD children.

Conclusions

The symptoms, behavior and severity of illness of children with ADHD have a great impact on their parents’ psychological state of suffering and stress.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A study of mood status in children with type I diabetes mellitus: Relationship with parental stress and metabolic control

Introduction

It has been widely recognized that DM can result in psychological, social and physical problems. Parents of children with DM are likely to be highly distressed.

Objective

The study of the relationship between mood status of children with type I DM and some factors that might be implicated in its determination.

Aims

To evaluate the presence and degree of depression in a sample of children with type I diabetes and how much it might be affected by their metabolic control and the level of their parents’ stress.

Methods

Ninety-three children were diagnosed with DM type I. They were clinically interviewed and examined. They went through Childhood Depression Rating Scale (CDI), Family Attitudes Questionnaire and HbA1c% assessment. An age and sex matched control group was taken.

Results

The age range of diabetic children was 7–18 and two thirds of them were females. Thirty-five patients (37.6%) were depressed according to CDI results. Diabetic children had significantly higher CDI total score and total parenting stress index (PSI) compared to the control group. CDI total score was positively and significantly correlated with indicators of poor diabetes control (frequency of DKA and HbA1C%) and with duration of diabetic illness. CDI total score was also positively and significantly correlated with PSI score.

Conclusions

Depression was highly present in this sample of diabetic children. The degree of their mood impairment was positively correlated with duration of diabetic illness, indicators of poor metabolic control of DM and to the level of their parents’ stress.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Antenna effects in truxene-bridged BODIPY triarylzinc(ii)porphyrin dyads: evidence for a dual Dexter–Förster mechanism

BODIPY uses the truxene bridge to transfer its S₁ energy to the zinc(ii)porphyrin acceptors via a Dexter mechanism almost exclusively.