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Inherited arrhythmic syndromes, also known as cardiac channelopathies, are group of cardiac electrophysiological disorders characterized by a specific pattern on electrocardiogram and a disease specific risk for malignant ventricular arrhythmias. This group includes long QT syndrome (LQT), short QT syndrome (SQT), catecholaminerg polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and a sodium channelopathies (SCN5A) like Brugada syndrome, progressive cardiac conduction disease (PCCD) etc. Channelopathies manifest mostly in form of syncopes, epileptic seizures or sudden cardiac death. Most types of cardiac channelopathies are inherited in autosomal dominant pattern, autosomal recessive variants are rare and associated with a severe course of the disease. In some cases arrhythmic syndromes overlap arrhythmic cardiomyopathies, which are mainly caused by disorders in desmosomal proteins. The genetic stratification allows in many cases installation of individualized therapy and presymptomatic treatment of mutation carriers, who are at risk of malignant arrhythmias. The proper clinical diagnosis, genetic analysis and long-term treatment demand multidisciplinary approach and close cooperation among pediatric and adult cardiologists, geneticist, molecular geneticist, psychologists, sport and forensic medicine professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the key factor to recognizing the relationship between verbal communication and internal psychological processes. Topics discussed include characterization of mentality by its three basic processes, the dynamics and structure of meaning in verbal communication, and the meaning of communication for the originator and the meaning of communication for the recipient.

The potential for screening young individuals for increased risk of sudden cardiac death has been actively debated within the medical community, as well as in the public. Reports on sudden cardiac death published by the media and different views on the feasibility and rationality of screening are enriching and emotionalizing the debate. In the following article, evidence on the utility of electrocardiographic screening to detect conditions with increased risk of sudden cardiac death in the young is critically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the preparation of entangled two mode squeezed states of yet unseen quality. Based on a measurement of the covariance matrix we found a violation of the Reid and Drummond EPR-criterion at a value of only 0.36 ± 0.03 compared to the threshold of 1. Furthermore, quantum state tomography was used to extract a single photon Fock state solely based on homodyne detection, demonstrating the strong quantum features of this pair of laser-beams. The probability for a single photon in this ensemble measurement exceeded 2/3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joint problem-solving as a kind of collaboration (cooperation) requires coordinated planning of activities by individual participants and overall coordination [1]. It therefore includes individual activities of each participant without reducing their total, but rather representing a new, dynamic structure. Analogously, a group engaged in a common activity includes individual members, but is not simply their total, representing a new standard [2,3]. Among the participants is a broad spectrum of interpersonal processes and interpersonal characteristics of individual participants in joint activity-cooperation [4]. Communication, which of necessity is a part of coordination of this activity and influences its effectiveness, is the basic social-psychological process therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During extensive surveys of global Phytophthora diversity 14 new species detected in natural ecosystems in Chile, Indonesia, USA (Louisiana), Sweden, Ukraine and Vietnam were assigned to Phytophthora major Clade 10 based on a multigene phylogeny of nine nuclear and three mitochondrial gene regions. Clade 10 now comprises three subclades. Subclades 10a and 10b contain species with nonpapillate sporangia, a range of breeding systems and a mainly soil- and waterborne lifestyle. These include the previously described P. afrocarpa, P. gallica and P. intercalaris and eight of the new species: P. ludoviciana, P. procera, P. pseudogallica, P. scandinavica, P. subarctica, P. tenuimura, P. tonkinensis and P. ukrainensis. In contrast, all species in Subclade 10c have papillate sporangia and are self-fertile (or homothallic) with an aerial lifestyle including the known P. boehmeriae, P. gondwanensis, P. kernoviae and P. morindae and the new species P. celebensis, P. chilensis, P. javanensis, P. multiglobulosa, P. pseudochilensis and P. pseudokernoviae. All new Phytophthora species differed from each other and from related species by their unique combinations of morphological characters, breeding systems, cardinal temperatures and growth rates. The biogeography and evolutionary history of Clade 10 are discussed. We propose that the three subclades originated via the early divergence of pre-Gondwanan ancestors > 175 Mya into water- and soilborne and aerially dispersed lineages and subsequently underwent multiple allopatric and sympatric radiations during their global spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an oomycete survey in December 2015, 10 previously unknown Halophytophthora taxa were isolated from marine and brackish water of tidal ponds and channels in saltmarshes, lagoon ecosystems and river estuaries at seven sites along the Algarve coast in the South of Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses of LSU and ITS datasets, comprising all described Halophytophthora species, the 10 new Halophytophthora taxa and all relevant and distinctive sequences available from GenBank, provided an updated phylogeny of the genus Halophytophthora s.str. showing for the first time a structure of 10 clades designated as Clades 1-10. Nine of the 10 new Halophytophthora taxa resided in Clade 6 together with H. polymorphica and H. vesicula. Based on differences in morphology and temperature-growth relations and a multigene (LSU, ITS, Btub, hsp90, rpl10, tigA, cox1, nadh1, rps10) phylogeny, eight new Halophytophthora taxa from Portugal are described here as H. brevisporangia, H. celeris, H. frigida, H. lateralis, H. lusitanica, H. macrosporangia, H. sinuata and H. thermoambigua. Three species, H. frigida, H. macrosporangia and H. sinuata, have a homothallic breeding system while the remaining five species are sterile. Pathogenicity and litter decomposition tests are underway to clarify their pathological and ecological role in the marine and brackish-water ecosystems. More oomycete surveys in yet undersurveyed regions of the world and population genetic or phylogenomic analyses of global populations are needed to clarify the origin of the new Halophytophthora species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoři popisují kazuistiku 5letého chlapce s infekční endokarditidou nativní aortální chlopně, která se nejprve projevila febriliemi a výraznými bolestmi kyčelního kloubu imitujícími coxitidu, které byly způsobeny septickou embolizací, s následným vznikem významného srdečního šelestu při rychlé destrukci cípu aortální chlopně. Stav si vyžádal urgentní operační řešení, Rossovu operaci. Jako etiologické agens byl zjištěn virulentní Streptococcus pneumoniae sérotyp 15B/C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fourteen Amaryllidaceae alkaloids isolated from Hippeastrum CV. Ferrari. • Biological activities with potential treatment of Alzheimer´s disease studied. • Vittatine (7) isolated in gram amounts. • Twelve aromatic derivatives (7a – 7o) of vittatine developed. • Intriguing h BuChE inhibition demonstrated by 7b, 7h , and 7m. Fourteen (1 – 14) known Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, of various structural types, have been isolated from fresh bulbs of Hippeastrum X hybridum cv. Ferrari. The chemical structures were identified by various spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) and mass spectrometric (GC–MS, LC-MS) methods, and by comparison with literature data. Isolated alkaloids which, up to this date have not been studied for their inhibition potency against AChE, BuChE and POP, were screened in vitro for these inhibition activities. Unfortunatelly, all natural alkaloids were inactive in the AChE/BuChE assay; only zephyranthine (14) displayed moderate inhibition activity agains POP with an IC 50 value of 142 ± 10 µM. Moreover, twelve new derivatives of the haemanthamine-type alkaloid vittatine (7), isolated in gram amounts from Hippeastrum cv. Ferrari, have been designed, synthesized and tested in vitro with particular emphasis on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Some of the tested compounds revealed an intriguing selective h BuChE inhibitory profile with single-digit micromolar IC 50 values. The strongest h BuChE inhibition was demonstrated by 3- O -(2-methylbenzoyl)vittatine (7b), 3- O -(2-nitrobenzoyl)vittatine (7h) and 3- O -(2-chlorbenzoyl)vittatine (7m) with IC 50 values 8.0 ± 0.1 µM, 1.4 ± 0.1 µM and 5.4 ± 0.1 µM, respectively. The mode of h BuChE inhibition was minutely inspected using enzyme kinetic analysis in tandem with in silico experiments, the latter elucidating crucial interaction in 7b -, 7h -, and 7m - h BuChE complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Echocardiography is one of the most important diagnostic imaging modalities in paediatric cardiology. Owing to the large number of lesions, achieving expertise often requires years of training. Echocardiography is still taught using the apprenticeship model, which is time- and personnel consuming. Objectives: To extend the echocardiography simulator EchoCom to enable simulation of congenital heart lesions and validate it for training in paediatric echocardiography. Methods: The simulator consists of a life-size manikin, a dummy transducer with attached three-dimensional (3D) tracking system and a computer application. Transthoracic real-time (RT) 3D echocardiographic datasets were collected and embedded into the simulator. Two-dimensional images were calculated and resliced from these datasets according to the position of the tracking sensor. Ten RT 3D datasets of congenital heart lesions were selected for validation. Datasets were blinded and without additional information presented to 43 participants who were stratified according to their expertise (12 experts, 16 intermediates, 15 beginners). Participants were asked to list the relevant findings and make a diagnosis. Construct validation was tested comparing diagnostic performance for each group. Face and content validation were tested using a standardised questionnaire. Results: Participants judged the simulator as realistic and useful. The main drawback was the adult size of the manikin. The diagnostic performance of each group differed significantly proving construct validity. Conclusions: According to this validation the prototype simulator could make a significant contribution to training in the use of echocardiography in congenital heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To examine coagulation factors and liver function test abnormalities in patients after total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC). Design: Cross sectional study comprising clinical and echocardiographic evaluation, and biochemical and coagulation profile screening. Setting: Tertiary referral centre. Methods: 102 patients aged 4-24 years (median 10 years) at one to eight years (median five years) after TCPC were examined. All patients were maintained on a low dose of aspirin. 96% of patients were in a good clinical condition (New York Heart Association class I or II). No intracardiac thrombi were detected on echocardiography and ventricular function was good in 91% of patients. Results: Total bilirubin was increased in 27% and γ glutamyltransferase in 54% of patients. Serum total protein, albumin, and prealbumin were normal in almost in all patients. Compared with the control group, patients after TCPC had significantly lower fibrinogen, factor V, factor VII, and protein C concentrations, prolonged international normalised ratio, and increased antithrombin III concentration. Factor V concentration was abnormally decreased in 35%, factor VII in 16%, and protein C in 28% of patients. Antithrombin III was increased in 23% of patients. Factor VII, factor V, protein C, and antithrombin III correlated significantly with serum prealbumin. There was also a significant correlation between procoagulant factor VII and both anticoagulant protein C and antithrombin III. Conclusions: Almost half of patients after TCPC had laboratory signs of mild cholestasis. Decreased liver synthesis of procoagulant and anticoagulant factors was observed but overall coagulation homeostasis appeared to be in balance in this selected group of patients with a good clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]