Effects of emotions on heart rate asymmetry

Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) is an index that accounts for an uneven contribution of decelerations and accelerations to the heart rate variability (HRV). Clinical studies indicated that HRA measures have additive clinical value over the more frequently used HRV indexes. Despite the abundance of studies on psychological influences on HRV, little is known whether psychological factors influence HRA. Based on previous research regarding HRA and stress, we expected that negative emotions compared to positive emotions would decrease the contribution of decelerations to HRV. Thirty female participants watched three clips that produced negative emotions, positive emotions, and neutral affect. Besides electrocardiogram, we measured several physiological and behavioral responses to ascertain the affective impact of the clips. Using the RR interval time series, we calculated HRV and HRA indexes. We found that HRA differentiated between positive emotions and negative emotions reactivity. Positive emotions produced a higher number of decelerations in short‐term variability to the total short‐term variability (C1_d) compared to negative emotions. Moreover, C1_d correlated with subjective ratings of affect. In sum, the results of this study indicated that HRA is sensitive to psychological influences. HRA indexes are likely to contribute to a more nuanced physiological differentiation between emotions.     

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in the absence of high-grade invasive carcinoma represents a molecularly distinct type of in situ carcinoma enriched with oncogenic driver mutations

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) most often appears associated with high-grade invasive prostate carcinoma (PCa), where it is believed to represent retrograde spread. However, IDC-P rarely occurs as an isolated finding at radical prostatectomy or with concurrent low-grade (Grade Group 1) invasive carcinoma. We hypothesized that isolated IDC-P (iIDC-P) in these unusual cases may represent a distinct in situ lesion and molecularly profiled 15 cases. iIDC-P was characterized by copy number alteration (CNA) profiling and targeted next generation sequencing in cases with sufficient tissue (n = 7). Immunohistochemistry for PTEN and ERG was performed on the total cohort (n = 15), where areas of iIDC-P and associated invasive disease were evaluated separately (n = 9). By copy number profiling, iIDC-P alterations were similar to those previously described in high-grade invasive PCa (PTEN, RB1, and CHD1 loss; MYC gain). However, in four cases, targeted sequencing revealed a striking number of activating oncogenic driver mutations in MAPK and PI3K pathway genes, which are extraordinarily rare in conventional PCa. In addition, pathogenic mutations in DNA repair genes were found in two cases of iIDC-P (BRCA2, CHEK2, CDK12) and other known PCa-associated mutations (FOXA1, SPOP) in two cases. Overall, ERG was expressed in 7% (1/15) of the iIDC-P lesions and PTEN was lost in 53% (8/15). Discordance for ERG or PTEN status between IDC-P and the low-grade PCa was observed in five of nine cases, with intact PTEN in the invasive tumor and PTEN loss in IDC-P in four. Despite a CNA profile similar to conventional PCa, iIDC-P is enriched with potentially targetable oncogenic driver mutations in MAPK/PI3K genes. Based on PTEN and ERG status, iIDC-P is not likely a precursor to the associated low-grade invasive PCa, but represents a molecularly unique in situ tumor of unclear clinical significance. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Costameres,dense plaques and podosomes: the cell matrix adhesions in cardiovascular mechanosensing

Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility - The stiffness of the cardiovascular environment changes during ageing and in disease and contributes to disease incidence and progression. For...     

Engineered Polysaccharides: α‐1,3‐Glucan Acetates Showing Upper Critical Solution Temperature in Organic Solvents

Acetates of α‐1,3‐glucan dissolved in N,N‐dimethyl acetamide/LiCl are prepared by converting the polysaccharide with acetyl chloride, acetic acid anhydride/pyridine, or with acetic acid/N,N′‐carbonyl diimidazole. Values of the degree of substitution for the acetyl groups (DS_Ac) of up to 2.6 are realized. NMR spectroscopic measurements reveal a preferred conversion of the primary hydroxyl group at position 6 followed by positions 2 and 4. Depending on the DS_Ac, the samples may be soluble in solvents of different polarity at room temperature or at elevated temperatures showing upper critical solution temperature at DS of about 2.5. This process is found to be reversible.