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We investigate the control of the morphological variables on the 2000–2016 glacier‐wide mass balances of 6,470 individual glaciers of High Mountain Asia. We separate the data set into 12 regions assumed to be climatically homogeneous. We find that the slope of the glacier tongue, mean glacier elevation, percentage of supraglacial debris cover, and avalanche contributing area all together explain a maximum of 48% and a minimum of 8% of the glacier‐wide mass balance variability, within a given region. The best predictors of the glacier‐wide mass balance are the slope of the glacier tongue and the mean glacier elevation for most regions, with the notable exception of the inner Tibetan Plateau. Glacier‐wide mass balances do not differ significantly between debris‐free and debris‐covered glaciers in 7 of the 12 regions analyzed. Lake‐terminating glaciers have more negative mass balances than the regional averages, the influence of lakes being stronger on small glaciers than on large glaciers. Key Points: Debris‐free and debris‐covered glaciers have statistically indistinguishable glacier‐wide mass balances over 2000–2016Lake‐terminating glaciers on average have more negative mass balances than land‐terminating glaciersMorphological variables explain 8% to 48% of the variance of High Mountain Asia glacier mass balances for the period 2000–2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western North American (WNA) glaciers outside of Alaska cover 14,384 km2 of mountainous terrain. No comprehensive analysis of recent mass change exists for this region. We generated over 15,000 multisensor digital elevation models from spaceborne optical imagery to provide an assessment of mass change for WNA over the period 2000–2018. These glaciers lost 117 ± 42 gigatons (Gt) of mass, which accounts for up to 0.32 ± 0.11 mm of sea level rise over the full period of study. We observe a fourfold increase in mass loss rates between 2000–2009 [−2.9 ± 3.1 Gt yr−1] and 2009–2018 [−12.3 ± 4.6 Gt yr−1], and we attribute this change to a shift in regional meteorological conditions driven by the location and strength of upper level zonal wind. Our results document decadal‐scale climate variability over WNA that will likely modulate glacier mass change in the future. Plain Language Summary: Glaciers in western North America provide important thermal and flow buffering to streams when seasonal snowpack is depleted. We used spaceborne optical satellite imagery to produce thousands of digital elevation models to assess recent mass loss for glaciers in western North America outside of Alaska. Our analysis shows that glacier loss over the period 2009–2018 increased fourfold relative to the period 2000–2009. This mass change over the last 18 years is partly explained by changes in atmospheric circulation. Our results can be used for future modeling studies to understand the fate of glaciers under future climate change scenarios. Key Points: We provide a comprehensive assessment of mass change for western North American (WNA) glaciers excluding those in AlaskaWNA glaciers lost 117 +/‐ 42 gigatons (Gt) of mass over the period 2000‐2018 and could account for 0.32 +/‐ 0.11 mm of sea level riseRegional changes in glacier mass are partly explained by decadal scale changes in atmospheric circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large‐scale losses of seagrass areas have been associated with eutrophication events, which have led to an overproduction of photosynthetic organisms including epiphytes. Grazers that feed on epiphytes can exert a significant top–down control in the system, but the effects of physical factors on grazing activity and feeding behaviour have been rarely examined. We addressed the combination of hydrodynamic regime and seagrass shoot density can alter the feeding and foraging behaviours of mesograzers. A full factorial experiment, with flow velocity (high, medium and low) and shoot density (high versus low) as main factors, was conducted in a racetrack flume using artificial seagrass plots. The results showed that when high flow velocity conditions were combined with low shoot density, consumption of epiphytes by mesograzers was strongly reduced. In contrast, when flow velocity was low or shoot density was high, mesograzers exhibited high feeding rates and vigorous swimming behaviour. These results clearly indicate that hydrodynamic stress reduces the time that mesograzers can spend feeding, since it inhibits their swimming behaviour, and thus indirectly affecting to the density of epiphytes. Therefore, the triggering of trophic cascade effects in seagrass communities under these experimental conditions depended on the interrelationship and feedbacks among shoot density, abiotic (flow velocity) and biotic (epiphytes and mesograzers) compartments, with flow velocity exerting a top–down control on seagrass ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Seagrasses are marine flowering plants distributed worldwide. They are however threatened, mostly due to the increase of human activities. Seagrasses have the capacity to adapt their morphological, physiological, and mechanical traits to their local conditions. Mechanical traits have been identified as a good tool to investigate a plant‐species capacity to withstand physical forces or disturbances but are still sparsely studied in seagrasses. With this study, we aimed to assess how the mechanical traits of a broadly spread seagrass species vary along a latitudinal gradient in relation to its morphometric plasticity and nutrient status. We found that seagrasses acclimate their mechanical traits in relation to their physiological or morphological traits, both over the growing season and across a latitudinal range: leaves were weaker and thinner in northern areas, particularly at the end of the growing season. Besides the influence of the latitudinal gradient, leaf mechanical strength and stiffness were both strongly affected by their morphometric plasticity. Moreover, we showed that leaves mechanical traits change depending on their nutrient status: leaves were stronger and stiffer in oligotrophic conditions as compared to more eutrophic conditions. Thus, our results imply that, under eutrophication, leaves become weaker and thus more vulnerable to physical forces. This vulnerability is higher in the north at the end of the growing season. The latter is consistent with the more ephemeral character of northern seagrass meadows, in contrast to the more evergreen southern meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A total of 2257 recently felled stumps were sampled from 22 mixed naturally regenerated forest stands in the Aosta Valley, western Italian Alps, and examined for Heterobasidion annosum butt rots. Disease incidence ranged from 6% to 71% depending on sites, and H. annosum accounted for 92% of the total number of diseased stumps. H. annosum incidence was significantly higher (Chi-squared multiple comparison tests, p < 0.05) on Norway spruce (44%) than on the other tree species (silver fir = 18%, larch = 12% and Scots pine = 6%). Based on the information on the airborne inoculum composition of the fungus, all the three European species of H. annosum were present, with a variable frequency, depending on site. A partial least squares regression analysis showed that the relative abundance of Norway spruce and four variables describing the size of trees were the best predictors for the incidence of H. annosum butt rots. A model having these variables as predictors was developed (r2 = 0.75; p < 0.001) and successfully validated on five additional forest stands. An estimate of the losses in yield and value of timber associated with the disease, i.e. direct losses, was also carried out in the forests included in the survey. The percentage of direct financial losses was either comparable or lower than the average level of disease incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Predictive role for total and sudden death of non sustained ventricular tachycardia in dilated cardiomyopathy," by T. Kawada et al, is presented.

An abstract of the study "Is pacemaker implantation indicated to treat heart failure patients with beta-blockers?," by G. F. Sinagra and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Is the long term outcome of familial dilated cardiomyopathy different with respect to sporadic forms," by A. Di Lenarda and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Clinical and instrumental characteristics of patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: 30 years of experience in a referral center," by B. Pinamonti and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "Which Is the Best Time to Perform ICD Implantation in Patients With Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy?," by M. Zecchin and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "Factors associated with increased risk of sudden death in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy," by A. Di Lenarda and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the study "Changing Proportion of Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy With SCDHeFT and CARE-HF/Companion Characteristics During Follow-up on Optimal Medical Treatment," by M. Zecchin and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "Clinical Correlates and Prognostic Value of Health Related Quality of Life Measurement in Chronic Heart Failure," by F. Brun and G. Sinagra, is presented.

An abstract of the article "The Likely Numbers to Come: Trends in Hospitalisation for Heart Failure in the 'sample' Town of Trieste and Its Region," by D. Chersevani and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the study "Prognostic value of health-related quality of life measurements in chronic heart failure," by A. Di Lenarda and colleagues, is presented.

An abstract of the study "Effect of Carvedilol Versus Metoprolol Immediate Release on 24-hour Heart Rate in Patients With Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy. A 1-Year Cross-Over Study," by A. Di Lenarda and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the study "Predictive Role of Non Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia for All-Cause and Unexpected Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Idiopatic Dilated Cardiomyopathy," by M. Zecchin and colleagues is presented.

Background: The titin gene (TTN) encodes the largest human protein, which plays a central role in sarcomere organization and passive myocyte stiffness. TTN truncating mutations cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM); however, the role of TTN missense variants in DCM has been difficult to elucidate because of the presence of background TTN variation., Methods and Results: A cohort of 147 DCM index subjects underwent DNA sequencing for 313 TTN exons covering the N2B and N2BA cardiac isoforms of TTN. Of the 348 missense variants, we identified 44 "severe" rare variants by using a bioinformatic filtering process in 37 probands. Of these, 5 probands were double heterozygotes (additional variant in another DCM gene) and 7 were compound heterozygotes (2 TTN "severe" variants). Segregation analysis allowed the classification of the "severe" variants into 5 "likely" (cosegregating), 5 "unlikely" (noncosegregating), and 34 "possibly" (where family structure precluded segregation analysis) disease-causing variants. Patients with DCM carrying "likely" or "possibly" pathogenic TTN "severe" variants did not show a different outcome compared with "unlikely" and noncarriers of a "severe" TTN variant. However, the "likely" and "possibly" disease-causing variants were overrepresented in the C-zone of the A-band region of the sarcomere., Conclusions: TTN missense variants are common and present a challenge for bioinformatic classification, especially when informative families are not available. Although DCM patients carrying bioinformatically "severe" TTN variants do not appear to have a worse clinical course than noncarriers, the nonrandom distribution of "likely" and "possibly" disease-causing variants suggests a potential biological role for some TTN missense variants., (© 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)

Background: Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may present with ventricular arrhythmias early in the disease course, unrelated to the severity of left ventricular dysfunction. These patients may be classified as having an arrhythmogenic DCM (AR-DCM). We investigated the phenotype and natural history of patients with AR-DCM., Methods and Results: Two hundred eighty-five patients with a recent diagnosis of DCM (median duration of the disease 1 month, range 0 to 7 months) and who had Holter monitoring at baseline were comprehensively evaluated and followed for 107 months (range 29 to 170 months). AR-DCM was defined by the presence of ≥1 of the following: unexplained syncope, rapid nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (≥5 beats, ≥150 bpm), ≥1000 premature ventricular contractions/24 hours, and ≥50 ventricular couplets/24 hours, in the absence of overt heart failure. The primary end points were sudden cardiac death (SCD), sustained ventricular tachycardia (SVT), or ventricular fibrillation (VF). The secondary end points were death from congestive heart failure or heart transplantation. Of the 285 patients, 109 (38.2%) met criteria for AR-DCM phenotype. AR-DCM subjects had a higher incidence of SCD/SVT/VF compared with non-AR-DCM patients (30.3% vs 17.6%, P=0.022), with no difference in the secondary end points. A family history of SCD/SVT/VF and the AR-DCM phenotype were statistically significant and cumulative predictors of SCD/SVT/VF., Conclusions: One-third of DCM patients may have an arrhythmogenic phenotype associated with increased risk of arrhythmias during follow-up. A family history of ventricular arrhythmias in DCM predicts a poor prognosis and increased risk of SCD., (© 2015 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.)