HEART ANEURYSM IN CHAGAS' DISEASE

This prospective study on 41 autopsy collected human hearts concerns the "apical" lesion in Chagas' disease. Previous report did not show a correlation between lesion frequency and heart weight then discarding a vascular factor in its pathogenesis. The present paper involves other variables besides the heart weight to evaluate the relative coronary insufficiency. Distinct colored gel (green and red) injected through the capillary beds of both coronary arteries defined the extent of both vessels before separating the atria and removing the sub-epicardium fat. The Right Ventricle (RV) and Left Ventricle (LV) free walls furnished the RV/LV mass ratio. The myocardium mass colored green (right coronary artery - RC) and the whole Ventricular Weight (VW) determined the RC/VW mass ratio. The heart weight plus these mass ratios, graded and added, composed a score inversely proportional to the myocardium irrigation condition. It intended to be a more sensitive morphologic evaluation of the relative ischaemia to correlate to the apical lesion. This study showed a right deviation for the relative accumulated frequency of lesions plotted as a score function and a significant difference for higher scores in hearts with aneurysm. It suggests a ischaemic factor intervening in the apical lesion pathogenesis in Chagas' cardiopathy.

Download Full-text

Cardiac MRI in common marmosets revealing age-dependency of cardiac function

10.1101/2020.05.18.102020 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Amir Moussavi ◽

Matthias Mietsch ◽

Charis Drummer ◽

Rüdiger Behr ◽

Judith Mylius ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Right Ventricle ◽

Cardiac Function ◽

Cardiac Mri ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Heart Weight ◽

Imaging Protocol ◽

Common Marmosets ◽

Age Related ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Right

The aim of this study was to establish a feasible and robust magnetic resonance imaging protocol for the quantitative assessment of cardiac function in marmosets and to present normal values of cardiac function across different ages from young adult, middle-aged, to very old clinically healthy animals.Cardiac MRI of 33 anesthetized marmosets at the age of 2-15 years was performed at 9.4 T using IntraGate-FLASH that operates without any ECG-triggering and breath holding. Normalized to post-mortem heart weight, the left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LV-EDV) was significantly reduced in older marmosets. The LV end-systolic volume (LV-ESV) and the LV stroke volume (LV-SV) showed a similar trend while the LV ejection fraction (LV-EF) and wall thickening remained unchanged. Similar observations were made for the right ventricle. Moreover, the total ventricular myocardial volume was lower in older monkeys while no significant difference in heart weight was found.In conclusion, IntraGate-FLASH allowed for quantification of left ventricular cardiac function but seems to underestimate the volumes of the right ventricle. Although less strong and without significant sex differences, the observed age related changes were similar to previously reported findings in humans supporting marmosets as a model system for age related cardiovascular human diseases.

Download Full-text

Suicidal Ideation and Self-Determination in Institutionalized Elderly

Crisis ◽

10.1027//0227-5910.22.1.15 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 15-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Andrée Fortin ◽

Sylvie Lapierre ◽

Jacques Baillargeon ◽

Réal Labelle ◽

Micheline Dubé ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Self Determination ◽

Current Debate ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Rational Suicide ◽

Institutionalized Elderly ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Social Subscale ◽

Civil Status ◽

The Right ◽

Taking Action

The right to self-determination is central to the current debate on rational suicide in old age. The goal of this exploratory study was to assess the presence of self-determination in suicidal institutionalized elderly persons. Eleven elderly persons with serious suicidal ideations were matched according to age, sex, and civil status with 11 nonsuicidal persons. The results indicated that suicidal persons did not differ from nonsuicidal persons in level of self-determination. There was, however, a significant difference between groups on the social subscale. Suicidal elderly persons did not seem to take others into account when making a decision or taking action. The results are discussed from a suicide-prevention perspective.

Download Full-text

DeVega versus ring annuloplasty in severe functional tricuspid insufficiency and their impact on the right ventricle

The Egyptian Cardiothoracic Surgeon ◽

10.35810/ects.v1i4.89 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 133-139

Author(s):

Yasser Hamdy ◽

Mohammed Mahmoud Mostafa ◽

Ahmed Elminshawy

Keyword(s):

Right Ventricular ◽

Tricuspid Valve ◽

Tricuspid Regurgitation ◽

Early Postoperative Period ◽

Tricuspid Valve Repair ◽

Ring Annuloplasty ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

Group B ◽

The Right

Background: Functional tricuspid valve regurgitation secondary to left-sided valve disease is common. DeVega repair is simple, but residual regurgitation with subsequent impairment of the right ventricular function is a concern. This study aims to compare tricuspid valve repair using DeVega vs. ring annuloplasty and their impact on the right ventricle in the early postoperative period and after six months. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of 51 patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent tricuspid valve repair for secondary severe tricuspid regurgitation. Patients were divided into two groups: group A; DeVega repair (n=34) and group B; ring annuloplasty repair (n=17). Patients were assessed clinically and by echocardiography before discharge and after six months for the degree of tricuspid regurgitation, right ventricular diameter and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Results: Preoperative echocardiographic assessment showed no difference in left ventricular end-systolic diameter, end-diastolic diameter, ejection fraction and right ventricular diameter, however; group A had significantly better preoperative right ventricular function measured by TAPSE (1.96 ± 0.27 vs1.75 ± 0.31 cm; p=0.02). Group B had significantly longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (127.65 ± 13.56 vs. 111.74 ± 18.74 minutes; p= 0.003) and ischemic time (99.06 ± 11.80 vs. 87.15 ± 16.01 minutes; p= 0.009). Pre-discharge, there was no statistically significant difference in the degree of tricuspid regurgitation, but the right ventricular diameter was significantly lower in group B (2.66 ± 0.41 and 2.40 ± 0.48 cm; p=0.049). After six months of follow up, the degree of tricuspid regurgitation (p= 0.029) and the right ventricular diameter were significantly lower in the ring annuloplasty group (2.56 ± 0.39 and 2.29 ± 0.44 cm; p=0.029). Although there was a statistically significant difference in preoperative TAPSE, this difference disappeared after six months. Conclusion: Both DeVega and ring annuloplasty techniques were effective in the early postoperative period, ring annuloplasty was associated with lesser residual regurgitation and better right ventricular remodeling in severe functional tricuspid regurgitation than DeVega procedure after 6-months of follow up.

Download Full-text

POS0586 RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IS AN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE WITH A HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-eular.4080 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 526.1-526

Author(s):

L. Nacef ◽

H. Riahi ◽

Y. Mabrouk ◽

H. Ferjani ◽

K. Maatallah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Carotid Artery ◽

Internal Carotid ◽

Subclinical Atherosclerosis ◽

External Carotid ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

The Right

Background:Hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia are traditional risk factors of cardiac events. Carotid ultrasonography is an available way to detect subclinical atherosclerosis.Objectives:This study aimed to compare the intima-media thickness in RA patients based on their personal cardiovascular (CV) history of hypertension (hypertension), diabetes, and dyslipidemia.Methods:The present study is a prospective study conducted on Tunisian RA patients in the rheumatology department of Mohamed Kassab University Hospital (March and December 2020). The characteristics of the patients and those of the disease were collected.The high-resolution B-mode carotid US measured the IMT, according to American Society of Echocardiography guidelines. The carotid bulb below its bifurcation and the internal and external carotid arteries were evaluated bilaterally with grayscale, spectral, and color Doppler ultrasonography using proprietary software for carotid artery measurements. IMT was measured using the two inner layers of the common carotid artery, and an increased IMT was defined as ≥0.9 mm. A Framingham score was calculated to predict the cardiovascular risk at 10-year.Results:Forty-seven patients were collected, 78.7% of whom were women. The mean age was 52.5 ±11.06 [32-76]. The rheumatoid factor (RF) was positive in 57.8% of cases, and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) were positive in 62.2% of cases. RA was erosive in 81.6% of cases. Hypertension (hypertension) was present in 14.9% of patients, diabetes in 12.8% of patients, and dyslipidemia in 12.8% of patients. Nine patients were active smokers. The mean IMT in the left common carotid (LCC) was 0.069 ±0.015, in the left internal carotid (LIC) was 0.069 ±0.015, in the left external carotid (LEC) was 0.060 ±0.023. The mean IMT was 0.068 ±0.01 in the right common carotid (RCC), 0.062 ±0.02 in the right internal carotid (RIC), and 0.060 ±0.016 in the right external carotid (REC). The IMT was significantly higher in the left common carotid (LCC) in patients with hypertension (p=0.025). There was no significant difference in the other ultrasound sites (LIC, LEC, RCC, RIC, and REC) according to the presence or absence of hypertension. The IMT was also significantly increased in patients with diabetes at LCC (p=0.017) and RIC (p=0.025). There was no significant difference in the IMT at different ultrasound sites between patients with and without dyslipidemia.Conclusion:Hypertension was significantly associated with the increase in IMT at the LCC level in RA patients. Diabetes had an impact on IMT in LCC and RIC. However, dyslipidemia did not affect the IMT at the different ultrasound sites.References:[1]S. Gunter and al. Arterial wave reflection and subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2018; 36: Clinical E.xperimental.[2]Aslan and al. Assessment of local carotid stiffness in seronegative and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. SCANDINAVIAN CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL, 2017.[3]Martin I. Wah-Suarez and al, Carotid ultrasound findings in rheumatoid arthritis and control subjects: A case-control study. Int J Rheum Dis. 2018;1–7.[4]Gobbic C and al. Marcadores subclínicos de aterosclerosis y factores de riesgo cardiovascular en artritis temprana. Subclinical markers of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors in early arthritis marcadores subclínicos de aterosclerose e fatores de risco cardiovascular na artrite precoce.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Download Full-text

The Effect of Reflexology on Lactation in Women Who Had Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Complementary Medicine Research ◽

10.1159/000513924 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Sevde Aksu ◽

Pelin Palas Karaca

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Cesarean Section ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Breast Pain ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Right ◽

Documentation Tool ◽

And Control

Aim: The research was conducted as a randomized controlled pilot study to evaluate the effects of reflexology on lactation in mothers who delivered by cesarean section (CS). Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with a total of 60 postpartum women in the reflexology application (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). After the CS, the mothers in the control group were given approximately 3-h routine nursing care after recovering from the effects of anesthesia; the introductory information form was applied, and the Breastfeeding Charting System and Documentation Tool (LATCH) and visual analog scale (VAS) for the signs of the onset of lactation were implemented on the first and second days. Reflexology was applied to the women in the intervention group after an average of 3 h following the mother’s condition had become stable and she had recovered from the effects of anesthesia. Reflexology was applied a total of 20 min – 10 min for the right foot, 10 min for the left foot – twice a day with 8-h intervals on the first and second days after CS. After the last reflexology application, the LATCH and VAS for the signs of the onset of lactation were applied. Results: Of the women, 70% breastfed their babies within 60 min after delivery; 46.7% of the mothers received breastfeeding training and 81.7% needed support for breastfeeding after the CS. The LATCH breastfeeding scores of the women in the intervention group on both days were significantly higher compared to those of the women in the control group (p < 0.001). On the first day after the CS, apart from breast pain, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of breast heat and breast tension (p > 0.05). On the second day after the CS, apart from breast tension, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of breast heat and breast pain (p < 0.05). In the study, women in the intervention group were found to have higher scores in terms of all three symptoms compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In the study, it was determined that LATCH scores and signs of the onset of breastfeeding increased in the mothers who received reflexology after CS.

Download Full-text

Frequency-Following Response (FFR) in Military Pilots

International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1718525 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Graziela Maria Martins-Moreira ◽

Alessandra Spada Durante

Keyword(s):

Pure Tone Audiometry ◽

Control Group ◽

Study Group ◽

Aircraft Accidents ◽

Frequency Following Response ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Qualitative Variables ◽

Chi Squared ◽

The Right ◽

Military Pilots

Abstract Introduction Good hearing in pilots, including central auditory skills, is critical for flight safety and the prevention of aircraft accidents. Pure tone audiometry alone may not be enough to assess hearing in the members of this population who, in addition to high noise levels, routinely face speech recognition tasks in non-ideal conditions. Objective To characterize the frequency-following response (FFR) of a group of military pilots compared with a control group. Methods Twenty military pilots in the Study Group and 20 non-pilot military personnel, not exposed to noise in their work, in the Control Group, all with normal hearing, aged between 30 and 40 years old, completed a questionnaire to assess their hearing habits, and their FFRs were measured with a /da/ syllable (duration 40 milliseconds, speed 10.9/s), at 80 dB NA in the right ear. All procedures were approved by the ethical committee of the institution. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-Student or Mann-Whitney tests for quantitative variables, and the Fisher or chi-squared tests for qualitative variables, and a value of p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results There was no significant difference between the groups regarding auditory habits. In the FFR, wave amplitudes A (p = 0.01) and C (p = 0.04) were significantly lower in the Study Group. Conclusion Working as a military pilot can be a crucial factor in determining an individual's typical FFR pattern, demonstrated in the present study by statistically significant reductions in the amplitudes of the A and C waves.

Download Full-text

In vivo exploration of synaptic projections in frontotemporal dementia

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95499-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Eric Salmon ◽

Mohamed Ali Bahri ◽

Alain Plenevaux ◽

Guillaume Becker ◽

Alain Seret ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Input Function ◽

Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽

Exploratory Research ◽

Social Brain ◽

Synaptic Density ◽

Clinical Disorder ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Right

AbstractThe purpose of this exploratory research is to provide data on synaptopathy in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Twelve patients with probable bvFTD were compared to 12 control participants and 12 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Loss of synaptic projections was assessed with [18F]UCBH-PET. Total distribution volume was obtained with Logan method using carotid artery derived input function. Neuroimages were analyzed with SPM12. Verbal fluency, episodic memory and awareness of cognitive impairment were equally impaired in patients groups. Compared to controls, [18F]UCBH uptake tended to decrease in the right anterior parahippocampal gyrus of bvFTD patients. Loss of synaptic projections was observed in the right hippocampus of AD participants, but there was no significant difference in [18F]UCBH brain uptake between patients groups. Anosognosia for clinical disorder was correlated with synaptic density in the caudate nucleus and the anteromedial prefrontal cortex. This study suggests that synaptopathy in bvFTD targets the temporal social brain and self-referential processes.

Download Full-text

Different selective dry cow therapy concepts compared to blanket antibiotic dry cow treatment

Tierärztliche Praxis Ausgabe G Großtiere / Nutztiere ◽

10.15653/tpg-170208 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (06) ◽

pp. 343-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicole Wente ◽

Jan-Hendrik Paduch ◽

Doris Klocke ◽

Elisabeth Mansion-de Vries ◽

Martina Hoedemaker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rapid Test ◽

Study Groups ◽

Test Methods ◽

Farm Animals ◽

Control Group ◽

Dry Period ◽

Udder Health ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

The Right

SummaryObjective: The aim of the study was to investigate the use of somatic cell count (SCC) and aerobic bacterial counts as possible tools to choose animals for selective dry cow treatment (DCT) on cow level. Blanket antibiotic DCT is an approved and common method in Germany aimed at increasing the cure rate of existing intramammary infections (IMI) at the time of drying off and decreasing the risk of new infections during the dry period. However, not all animals benefit equally from an antibiotic DCT. Moreover, dairies, consumers and politicians demand a reduction in the use of antibiotics in farm animals. Several criteria for identifying animals which would benefit from antibiotic DCT have been described in the literature. Material and methods: Animals chosen for this investigation were divided into three study groups: Aerobic Count Petrifilm® group A (153 cows), SCC group S (160 cows) and control group C (169 cows). All quarters were treated with an internal teat sealant (ITS) no matter which group the cows belonged to. Results: Group C, in which all cows received an antibiotic DCT, achieved the best results referred to udder health, particularly regarding bacteriological dry period cure. However, the results of the two study groups A and S, in which the animals were dried off selectively, were only marginally worse. A significant difference regarding bacterial dry period cure was revealed between group S and group C (p = 0.039), whereas no significant difference concerning new IMI risk could be detected between the three study groups. Compared to a blanket antibiotic DCT of all cows in the corresponding study group, a reduction of the usage of antibiotics of 23.5 % (A) and 55 % (S) was noticed, respectively. Furthermore, it could be shown that the lactation number as well as the microorganisms present at the time of drying off influence udder health. Conclusion: Selective DCT is an alternative method to the widespread blanket antibiotic DCT. However, it has to be mentioned that selective DCT involves the described marginal decline in udder health and the additional amount of time, which might arise from the procedure of choosing the right animals and performing the applied rapid test methods.

Download Full-text

Characteristics of Preheated Bio-Oil Sprays Produced by an Air-Blast Injector

Volume 1: Aircraft Engine; Ceramics; Coal, Biomass and Alternative Fuels; Education; Electric Power; Manufacturing Materials and Metallurgy ◽

10.1115/gt2010-23397 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Heena V. Panchasara ◽

Ajay K. Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Laser Sheet ◽

Inlet Temperature ◽

Mass Ratio ◽

Ambient Conditions ◽

Air Blast ◽

Visualization System ◽

Radial Profiles ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Bio Oil ◽

Temperature And Pressure

In this study the vegetable oil (VO) is preheated to reduce the kinematic viscosity, and thus, improve atomization. A commercial air-blast atomizer is used to produce the VO spray at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure. Characteristics of the resulting spray are measured using a laser sheet visualization system and a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer system. Experiments are conducted for VO temperatures varying from 40 C to 100 C and air to liquid mass ratio (ALR) of 2.0 and 4.0. Results show a decrease in Sauter Mean Diameter with an increase in VO temperature, regardless of the ALR. Radial profiles show larger droplets migrating towards the edge of the spray and smaller droplets in the interior spray region. Results show a significant difference in distributions of mean and root mean square axial velocity profiles as the VO inlet temperature is increased for a fixed ALR. Higher VO inlet temperature and higher ALR produced a narrower spray with smaller diameter droplets and higher peak axial velocities. Overall, this study has shown that preheating VO improves atomization by producing spray with smaller diameter droplets.

Download Full-text

Patients in intensive care unit for COVID-19 pneumonia: the lung ultrasound patterns at admission and discharge. An observational pilot study

The Ultrasound Journal ◽

10.1186/s13089-021-00213-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Persona Paolo ◽

Valeri Ilaria ◽

Zarantonello Francesco ◽

Forin Edoardo ◽

Sella Nicolò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Lung Ultrasound ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Specific Pattern ◽

University Hospital ◽

Left Hemithorax ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Right ◽

B Lines

Abstract Background During COVID-19 pandemic, optimization of the diagnostic resources is essential. Lung Ultrasound (LUS) is a rapid, easy-to-perform, low cost tool which allows bedside investigation of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. We aimed to investigate the typical ultrasound patterns of COVID-19 pneumonia and their evolution at different stages of the disease. Methods We performed LUS in twenty-eight consecutive COVID-19 patients at both admission to and discharge from one of the Padua University Hospital Intensive Care Units (ICU). LUS was performed using a low frequency probe on six different areas per each hemithorax. A specific pattern for each area was assigned, depending on the prevalence of A-lines (A), non-coalescent B-lines (B1), coalescent B-lines (B2), consolidations (C). A LUS score (LUSS) was calculated after assigning to each area a defined pattern. Results Out of 28 patients, 18 survived, were stabilized and then referred to other units. The prevalence of C pattern was 58.9% on admission and 61.3% at discharge. Type B2 (19.3%) and B1 (6.5%) patterns were found in 25.8% of the videos recorded on admission and 27.1% (17.3% B2; 9.8% B1) on discharge. The A pattern was prevalent in the anterosuperior regions and was present in 15.2% of videos on admission and 11.6% at discharge. The median LUSS on admission was 27.5 [21–32.25], while on discharge was 31 [17.5–32.75] and 30.5 [27–32.75] in respectively survived and non-survived patients. On admission the median LUSS was equally distributed on the right hemithorax (13; 10.75–16) and the left hemithorax (15; 10.75–17). Conclusions LUS collected in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure at ICU admission and discharge appears to be characterized by predominantly lateral and posterior non-translobar C pattern and B2 pattern. The calculated LUSS remained elevated at discharge without significant difference from admission in both groups of survived and non-survived patients.

Download Full-text