Digital Commons Network^™

The Reproducibility And Absolute Values Of Echocardiographic Measurements Of Left Ventricular Size And Function In Children Are Algorithm Dependent., Renee Margossian, Shan Chen, Lynn A. Sleeper, Lloyd Y. Tani, Girish S. Shirali, Fraser Golding, Elif Seda Selamet Tierney, Karen Altmann, Michael J. Campbell, Anita Szwast, Angela Sharkey, Elizabeth Radojewski, Steven D. Colan, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Several quantification algorithms for measuring left ventricular (LV) size and function are used in clinical and research settings. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of measurement algorithm and beat averaging on the reproducibility of measurements of the left ventricle and to assess the magnitude of agreement among the algorithms in children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

METHODS: Echocardiograms were obtained in 169 children from eight clinical centers. Inter- and intrareader reproducibility was assessed on measurements of LV volumes using the biplane Simpson, modified Simpson, and 5/6 × area × length (5/6AL) algorithms. Percentage error was calculated as …

Immune Reconstitution But Persistent Activation After 48 Weeks Of Antiretroviral Therapy In Youth With Pre-Therapy Cd4 >350 In Atn 061., Bret J. Rudy, Bill G. Kapogiannis, Carol Worrell, Kathleen E. Squires, James Bethel, Su Li, Craig M. Wilson, Allison Agwu, Patricia Emmanuel, Georgine Price, Stephanie Hudey, Maureen M. Goodenow, John W. Sleasman

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Measures of immune outcomes in youth who initiate combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) early in HIV infection are limited.

DESIGN: Adolescent Trials Network 061 examined changes over 48 weeks of cART in T-cell subsets and markers of T-cell and macrophage activation in subjects with pre-therapy CD4 > 350 cells/mm. All subjects had optimal viral suppression from weeks 24 through 48.

METHODS: Subjects (n = 48) initiated cART with tenofovir/emtricitabine plus ritonavir-boosted atazanavir. Data were collected at baseline and weeks 12, 24, and 48. Trends were compared to uninfected controls.

RESULTS: Significant increases over 48 weeks were noted in all CD4 populations, …

Transarterial Chemoembolization Is Ineffective For Neuroendocrine Tumors Metastatic To The Caudate Lobe: A Single Institution Review., Lawrence A Shirley, Megan Mcnally, Ravi Chokshi, Natalie Jones, Patrick Tassone, Gregory Guy, Hooman Khabiri, Carl Schmidt, Manisha Shah, Mark Bloomston

Oncology Articles

BACKGROUND: Caudate lobe liver metastases occur commonly in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. It is unknown, however, how these lesions respond to regional therapy and how their presence impacts outcomes. We reviewed our experience treating these lesions using transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

METHODS: We reviewed radiographic response to TACE in 86 patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors to the liver. We determined the impact of caudate lesions on outcomes in comparison to the cohort of patients without caudate lesions, as well as response of caudate lesions to TACE versus lesions elsewhere in the liver.

RESULTS: Caudate lesions were identified in 45 (52%) patients. …

Multimodal Frontostriatal Connectivity Underlies Individual Differences In Self-Esteem, Robert S. Chavez, Todd F. Heatherton

Dartmouth Scholarship

A heightened sense of self-esteem is associated with a reduced risk for several types of affective and psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. However, little is known about how brain systems integrate self-referential processing and positive evaluation to give rise to these feelings. To address this, we combined diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to test how frontostriatal connectivity reflects long-term trait and short-term state aspects of self-esteem. Using DTI, we found individual variability in white matter structural integrity between the medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum was related to trait measures of …

African American Female Engineering Students' Persistence In Stereotype-Threatening Environments: A Critical Race Theory Perspective, Stacie Lesure Gregory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

African American women are grossly underrepresented in engineering. Despite their low representation in engineering colleges, some are able to persist and earn their degrees. This qualitative study sought to better understand the strategies 10 African American women employed to help them remain resilient in engineering degree programs. For this investigation, there was an underlying assumption that African American women who persist in engineering must contend with stereotype threat. Stereotype threat is a psychosocial phenomenon in which people in stigmatized social categories fear confirming negative stereotypes about their group.

Ten African American female women who have persisted in engineering degree programs …

Compensatory Fetal Membrane Mechanisms Between Biglycan And Decorin In Inflammation., Luciana Batalha De Miranda De Araujo, Casie E Horgan, Abraham Aron, Renato V. Iozzo, Beatrice E Lechner

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes (PPROM) is associated with infection, and is one of the most common causes of preterm birth. Abnormal expression of biglycan and decorin, two extracellular matrix proteoglycans, leads to preterm birth and aberrant fetal membrane morphology and signaling in the mouse. In humans and mice, decorin dysregulation is associated with inflammation in PPROM. We therefore investigated the link between biglycan and decorin and inflammation in fetal membranes using mouse models of intraperitoneal Escherichia coli injections superimposed on genetic biglycan and decorin deficiencies. We assessed outcomes in vivo as well as in vitro using quantitative PCR, …

Multi-Level Effects Of Low Dose Rate Ionizing Radiation On Southern Toad, Anaxyrus [Bufo] Terrestris, Karolina Stark, David E. Scott, Olga Tsyusko, Daniel P. Coughlin, Thomas G. Hinton

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite their potential vulnerability to contaminants from exposure at multiple life stages, amphibians are one of the least studied groups of vertebrates in ecotoxicology, and research on radiation effects in amphibians is scarce. We used multiple endpoints to assess the radiosensitivity of the southern toad (Anaxyrus [Bufo] terrestris) during its pre-terrestrial stages of development -embryonic, larval, and metamorphic. Toads were exposed, from several hours after oviposition through metamorphosis (up to 77 days later), to four low dose rates of ¹³⁷Cs at 0.13, 2.4, 21, and 222 mGy d^-1, resulting in total doses up to 15.8 …

Eleven Years Of Data On The Jefferson Scale Of Empathy-Medical Student Version (Jse-S): Proxy Norm Data And Tentative Cutoff Scores., Mohammadreza Hojat, Joseph S. Gonnella

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to provide typical descriptive statistics, score distributions and percentile ranks of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Medical Student version (JSE-S) of male and female medical school matriculants to serve as proxy norm data and tentative cutoff scores.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The participants were 2,637 students (1,336 women and 1,301 men) who matriculated at Sidney Kimmel (formerly Jefferson) Medical College between 2002 and 2012, and completed the JSE at the beginning of medical school. Information extracted from descriptive statistics, score distributions and percentile ranks for male and female matriculants were used to develop proxy norm data and …

Comparison Of Body Composition Assessment Techniques In Older Adult Females, Lauren Yacapraro

Honors Projects

Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Techniques in Older Adult Females

Introduction: As the aging population increases, the need for accurate assessment of chronic disease risk also increases. There is considerable debate over the best way to assess this risk. BMI is a weight-to-height ratio that is commonly used to assess adiposity and obesity related risk. However, it does not differentiate lean (i.e., muscle and bone) versus fat mass – the true predictors of obesity-related diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes). This is prevalent in post-menopausal women who often experience age-related gains in fat mass and losses in lean mass.

Methods: …

Plasma Tnf-Α And Soluble Tnf Receptor Levels After Doxorubicin With Or Without Co-Administration Of Mesna-A Randomized, Cross-Over Clinical Study, John Hayslip, Emily Van Meter Dressler, Heidi L. Weiss, Tammy J. Taylor, Mara D. Chambers, Teresa Noel, Sumitra Miriyala, Jeriel T. R. Keeney, Xiaojia Ren, Rukhsana Sultana, Mary Vore, D. Allan Butterfield, Daret St. Clair, Jeffrey A. Moscow

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is a common sequelae of cancer therapy. Recent preclinical observations have suggested that CICI can be mediated by chemotherapy-induced plasma protein oxidation, which triggers TNF-α mediated CNS damage. This study evaluated sodium-2-mercaptoethane sulfonate (Mesna) co-administration with doxorubicin to reduce doxorubicin-induced plasma protein oxidation and resultant cascade of TNF-α, soluble TNF receptor levels and related cytokines.

METHODS: Thirty-two evaluable patients were randomized using a crossover design to receive mesna or saline in either the first or second cycle of doxorubicin in the context of a standard chemotherapy regimen for either non-Hodgkin lymphoma or breast …

Egyptian Film And Feminism: Egypt’S View Of Women Through Cinema, Wesley D. Buskirk

Cinesthesia

This essay analyzes the history of Egyptian film in relationship to the common perception of women in Egypt. From the early stages of Egyptian cinema, women assumed leadership positions, helping build the undeveloped industry to its height in the mid-1900's. An increasingly state-led and male-dominated film industry, however, adopted women as a symbol of nationalism, while neglecting them as equals through traditionalist film content. Furthermore, in the last quarter of the 20th century, governmental influences resulted in a shortage of production resources. Although commercial motion pictures suffered, social-issue, realist movies have reignited feminist initiatives and provided hope for a recovering …

Closed Head Injury In An Age-Related Alzheimer Mouse Model Leads To An Altered Neuroinflammatory Response And Persistent Cognitive Impairment, Scott J. Webster, Linda J. Van Eldik, D. Martin Watterson, Adam D. Bachstetter

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Epidemiological studies have associated increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related clinical symptoms with a medical history of head injury. Currently, little is known about pathophysiology mechanisms linked to this association. Persistent neuroinflammation is one outcome observed in patients after a single head injury. Neuroinflammation is also present early in relevant brain regions during AD pathology progression. In addition, previous mechanistic studies in animal models link neuroinflammation as a contributor to neuropathology and cognitive impairment in traumatic brain injury (TBI) or AD-related models. Therefore, we explored the potential interplay of neuroinflammatory responses in TBI and AD by analysis of the temporal …

Molecular Dyes Used For Surgical Specimen Margin Orientation Allow For Intraoperative Optical Assessment During Breast Conserving Surgery, David M. Mcclatchy, Venkataramanan Krishnaswamy, Stephen C. Kanick, Jonathan T. Elliott, Wendy A. Wells, Richard J. Barth Jr., Keith D. Paulsen, Brian W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

A variety of optical techniques utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light are being proposed for intraoperative breast tumor margin assessment. However, immediately following a lumpectomy excision, the margins are inked, which preserves the orientation of the specimen but prevents optical interrogation of the tissue margins. Here, a workflow is proposed that allows for both NIR optical assessment following full specimen marking using molecular dyes which have negligible absorption and scattering in the NIR. The effect of standard surgical inks in contrast to molecular dyes for an NIR signal is shown. Further, the proposed workflow is demonstrated with full specimen intraoperative imaging on …

Mechanism-Based Combination Treatment Dramatically Increases Therapeutic Efficacy In Murine Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy, Jacqueline A. Hawkins-Salsbury, Lauren Shea, Xuntian Jiang, Daniel A. Hunter, A Miguel Guzman, Adarsh S. Reddy, Elizabeth Y. Qin, Yedda Li, Steven J. Gray, Daniel S. Ory, Mark S. Sands

Open Access Publications

Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD, Krabbe disease) is a lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by a deficiency in galactocerebrosidase (GALC) activity. In the absence of GALC activity, the cytotoxic lipid, galactosylsphingosine (psychosine), accumulates in the CNS and peripheral nervous system. Oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells are particularly sensitive to psychosine, thus leading to a demyelinating phenotype. Although hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation provides modest benefit in both presymptomatic children and the murine model (Twitcher), there is no cure for GLD. In addition, GLD has been relatively refractory to virtually every experimental therapy attempted. Here, Twitcher mice were simultaneously treated with CNS-directed gene therapy, substrate …

Preempting Performance Challenges: The Effects Of Inoculation Messaging On Attacks To Task Self-Efficacy, Ben Jackson, Josh Compton, Ryan Whiddett, David R. Anthony, James A. Dimmock

Dartmouth Scholarship

Although inoculation messages have been shown to be effective for inducing resistance to counter-attitudinal attacks, researchers have devoted relatively little attention toward studying the way in which inoculation theory principles might support challenges to psychological phenomena other than attitudes (e.g., self-efficacy). Prior to completing a physical (i.e., balance) task, undergraduates (N = 127, M_age = 19.20, SD = 2.16) were randomly assigned to receive either a control or inoculation message, and reported their confidence in their ability regarding the upcoming task. During the task, a confederate provided standardized negative feedback to all participants regarding their performance, and following …

Can Shared Decision-Making Reduce Medical Malpractice Litigation? A Systematic Review, Marie-Anne Durand, Benjamin Moulton, Elizabeth Cockle, Mala Mann, Glyn Elwyn

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: To explore the likely influence and impact of shared decision-making on medical malpractice litigation and patients’ intentions to initiate litigation.

Methods: We included all observational, interventional and qualitative studies published in all languages, which assessed the effect or likely influence of shared decision-making or shared decision-making interventions on medical malpractice litigation or on patients ’ intentions to litigate. The following databases were searched from inception until January 2014: CINAHL, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Da tabase of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, HMIC, Lexis library, MEDLINE, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, Open SIGLE, PsycINFO and Web of Knowledge. We also hand …

Identifying Cases Of Undiagnosed, Clinically Significant Copd In Primary Care: Qualitative Insight From Patients In The Target Population, Nancy K. Leidy, Katherine Kim, Elizabeth D. Bacci, Barbara P. Yawn, David M. Mannino, Byron M. Thomashow, R. Graham Barr, Stephen I. Rennard, Julia F. Houfek, Meilan K. Han, Catherine A. Meldrum, Barry J. Make, Russ P. Bowler, Anna W. Steenrod, Lindsey T. Murray, John W. Walsh, Fernando Martinez

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Many cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are diagnosed only after significant loss of lung function or during exacerbations.

AIMS: This study is part of a multi-method approach to develop a new screening instrument for identifying undiagnosed, clinically significant COPD in primary care.

METHODS: Subjects with varied histories of COPD diagnosis, risk factors and history of exacerbations were recruited through five US clinics (four pulmonary, one primary care). Phase I: Eight focus groups and six telephone interviews were conducted to elicit descriptions of risk factors for COPD, recent or historical acute respiratory events, and symptoms to inform the …

Identité Féminine Et Amour Interculturel Dans Shérazade : 17 Ans, Brune, Frisée, Les Yeux Verts De Leila Sebbar, Mon Examen De Blanc De Jacqueline Manicom Et Le Baobab Fou De Ken Bugul, Eimma Chebinou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This Master's Thesis examines what happens when African and Caribbean characters in France or in their own country meet the Other in Francophone literature. How do interracial relationships construct/deconstruct the concept of an intertwined identity? This comparative project explores three 20th century Francophone women writers from Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the West Indies in order to show how their novels construct or deconstruct the identities of migrated female characters through their interracial erotic and amorous relationships. Starting with Plato's Banquet which describes the origin of love as a splitting of identity and the quest of love as a quest …

Chaperone Hsp47 Drives Malignant Growth And Invasion By Modulating An Ecm Gene Network, Jieqing Zhu, Gaofeng Xiong, Hanjiang Fu, B. Mark Evers, Binhua P. Zhou, Ren Xu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a determining factor in the tumor microenvironment that restrains or promotes malignant growth. In this report, we show how the molecular chaperone protein Hsp47 functions as a nodal hub in regulating an ECM gene transcription network. A transcription network analysis showed that Hsp47 expression was activated during breast cancer development and progression. Hsp47 silencing reprogrammed human breast cancer cells to form growth-arrested and/or noninvasive structures in 3D cultures, and to limit tumor growth in xenograft assays by reducing deposition of collagen and fibronectin. Coexpression network analysis also showed that levels of microRNA(miR)-29b and -29c were …

Implementing A Patient-Initiated Review System In Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Evaluation., Sue Child, Victoria A. Goodwin, Mark G. Perry, Christian A. Gericke, Richard Byng

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: The management of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), a chronic relapsing condition primarily affecting joints usually entails regular hospital reviews with a specialist. These reviews can occur when the patient is well. This study forms part of a service evaluation of a system wide implementation of a patient initiated review appointment system which we have called Direct Access (DA). The aim was to explore the experiences of patients and staff of a DA system in order to understand the process of the implementation and to identify potential improvements. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with RA that had completed one year of follow-up on …

One-Step Generation Of Multiple Transgenic Mouse Lines Using An Improved Pronuclear Injection-Based Targeted Transgenesis (I-Pitt)., Masato Ohtsuka, Hiromi Miura, Keiji Mochida, Michiko Hirose, Ayumi Hasegawa, Atsuo Ogura, Ryuta Mizutani, Minoru Kimura, Ayako Isotani, Masahito Ikawa, Masahiro Sato, Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy

Journal Articles: Genetics, Cell Biology & Anatomy

BACKGROUND: The pronuclear injection (PI) is the simplest and widely used method to generate transgenic (Tg) mice. Unfortunately, PI-based Tg mice show uncertain transgene expression due to random transgene insertion in the genome, usually with multiple copies. Thus, typically at least three or more Tg lines are produced by injecting over 200 zygotes and the best line/s among them are selected through laborious screening steps. Recently, we developed technologies using Cre-loxP system that allow targeted insertion of single-copy transgene into a predetermined locus through PI. We termed the method as PI-based Targeted Transgenesis (PITT). A similar method using PhiC31-attP/B system …

Myocardial Feature Tracking Reduces Observer-Dependence In Low-Dose Dobutamine Stress Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance., Andreas Schuster, Matthias Paul, Nuno Bettencourt, Shazia T. Hussain, Geraint Morton, Shelby Kutty, Boris Bigalke, Amedeo Chiribiri, Divaka Perera, Eike Nagel, Philipp Beerbaum

Journal Articles: Cardiology

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether quantitative wall motion assessment by CMR myocardial feature tracking (CMR-FT) would reduce the impact of observer experience as compared to visual analysis in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).

METHODS: 15 consecutive patients with ICM referred for assessment of hibernating myocardium were studied at 3 Tesla using SSFP cine images at rest and during low dose dobutamine stress (5 and 10 μg/kg/min of dobutamine). Conventional visual, qualitative analysis was performed independently and blinded by an experienced and an inexperienced reader, followed by post-processing of the same images by CMR-FT to quantify subendocardial and subepicardial circumferential (Eccendo and …

Targeted Single Molecule Sequencing Methodology For Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome., Funda Orkunoglu-Suer, Arthur F. Harralson, David Frankfurter, Paul Gindoff, Travis J. O'Brien

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: One of the most significant issues surrounding next generation sequencing is the cost and the difficulty assembling short read lengths. Targeted capture enrichment of longer fragments using single molecule sequencing (SMS) is expected to improve both sequence assembly and base-call accuracy but, at present, there are very few examples of successful application of these technologic advances in translational research and clinical testing. We developed a targeted single molecule sequencing (T-SMS) panel for genes implicated in ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for infertility.

RESULTS: Target enrichment was carried out using droplet-base multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology (RainDance®) …

The Gender Gap In Math – Incorporating Gender Equity In The High School Mathematics Classroom, Ryan Sullivan

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Researchers have been analyzing the difference in performance between female and male math students since it was first documented in the 1950s. The issue of male students disproportionately outperforming their female counterparts, also known as the math gender gap, has been studied extensively over the last few decades with researchers attempting to understand what contributes to math gender gaps and how they can be closed. This study examined the current state of the math gender gap, how teachers incorporate gender equity into their practices, and the attitudes and beliefs of students in relation to math by conducting a three-part classroom …

Female Demining Teams In Tajikistan, Julieta Nikolova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In addition to contributing to the safe release of landmine-contaminated land in Tajikistan, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has pushed norms and traditions by incorporating an all-female demining team into its operations. Less than a year ago, imagining an all-female demining team operating in a country with strictly-defined gender roles was difficult.

The Human Motor System Alters Its Reaching Movement Plan For Task-Irrelevant, Positional Forces., Joshua G A Cashaback, Heather R Mcgregor, Paul L Gribble

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

The minimum intervention principle and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis state that our nervous system only responds to force perturbations and sensorimotor noise if they affect task success. This idea has been tested in muscle and joint coordinate frames and more recently using workspace redundancy (e.g., reaching to large targets). However, reaching studies typically involve spatial and or temporal constraints. Constrained reaches represent a small proportion of movements we perform daily and may limit the emergence of natural behavior. Using more relaxed constraints, we conducted two reaching experiments to test the hypothesis that humans respond to task-relevant forces and ignore task-irrelevant …

Early Lessons Learned In Implementing A Women's Health Educational And Virtual Consultation Program In Va, Kristina M. Cordasco, Jessica L. Zuchowski, Alison B. Hamilton, Susan Kirsh, Laure Veet, Joann O. Saavedra, Lisa Altman, Herschel Knapp, Mark Canning, Donna L. Washington

Project ECHO Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Many Veterans Health Administration primary care providers (PCPs) have small female patient caseloads, making it challenging for them to build and maintain their women's health (WH) knowledge and skills. To address this issue, we implemented a longitudinal WH-focused educational and virtual consultation program using televideo conferencing.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a formative evaluation of the program's development and implementation.

RESEARCH DESIGN: We used mixed methods including participant surveys, semi-structured interviews, stakeholder meeting field notes, and participation logs. We conducted qualitative content analysis for interviews and field notes, and quantitative tabulation for surveys and logs.

SUBJECTS: Veterans Health Administration WH PCPs. …

True Durability: Hiv Virologic Suppression In An Urban Clinic And Implications For Timing Of Intensive Adherence Efforts And Viral Load Monitoring., Debra A Benator, Angelo Elmi, Manuel D Rodriguez, Howard B Gale, Virginia L. Kan, Heather J. Hoffman, Susan Tramazzo, Karen Hall, Angela Mcknight, Leah Squires

Medicine Faculty Publications

Although the majority of HIV-infected patients who begin potent antiretroviral therapy should expect long-term virologic suppression, the realities in practice are less certain. Durability of viral suppression was examined to define the best timing of targeted adherence strategies and intensive viral load monitoring in an urban clinic population with multiple challenges to ART adherence. We examined the risk of viral rebound for patients who achieved two consecutive viral loads lower than the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) within 390 days. For 791 patients with two viral loads below the LLOQ, viral rebound >LLOQ from the first viral load was 36.9 …

Prenatal Diagnosis Of Left Pulmonary Artery-To-Pulmonary Vein Fistula And Its Successful Surgical Repair In A Neonate, Oleksii Ostras, Andrii Kurkevych, Lyubomyr Bohuta, Tetyana Yalynska, Tammo Raad, Mark Lewin, Illya Yemets

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a rare disease. To the best of our knowledge, prenatal diagnosis of a fistula between the left pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary vein has not been described in the medical literature. We report a case of the prenatal diagnosis of a left pulmonary artery-to-pulmonary vein fistula, followed by successful neonatal surgical repair.

Regression Of Left Ventricular Mass After Implantation Of The Sutureless 3f Enable Aortic Bioprosthesis, Giovanni Concistrè, Antonio Miceli, Federica Marchi, Francesca Chiaramonti, Mattia Glauber, Marco Solinas

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Left ventricular hypertrophy in aortic stenosis is considered a compensatory response for the maintenance of systolic function but a risk factor for cardiac morbidity and death. We investigated the degree of left ventricular mass regression after implantation of the sutureless Medtronic 3f Enable® Aortic Bioprosthesis.

We studied 19 patients who, from May 2010 through July 2011, underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with the 3f Enable bioprosthetic valve, with clinical and echocardiographic follow-up at 6 months. The mean age was 77.1 ± 5.1 years (range, 68–86 yr); 14 patients were women (73.7%); and the mean logistic EuroSCORE was 15.4% ± 11.8%. …