Publications

Background Thrombus aspiration (TA) in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) results in a better myocardial perfusion. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) after stenting in STEMI, however, often reveals residual atherothrombotic material. We assessed the feasibility of quantification of residual atherothrombotic burden and its relation to indices of myocardial perfusion. The effect of TA on residual in-stent atherothrombotic burden (ATB) is explored. Methods and results Forty patients with STEMI within 12h of symptom onset, underwent OCT after stent implantation. No complication related to the invasive imaging was detected and all cases had good image quality. All 40 cases revealed ATB (median, range; 2.85, 0.08–8.84) despite an optimal angiographic result. Patients were divided into two groups according to the ATB: ≥4=ATBhigh (n=15) and <4=ATBlow (n=25). Patients with ATBlow more often obtained a myocardial blush grade (MBG) of 2/3: 24 (96%) vs. 11 (73%), p=0.04 and a ≥50% ST segment resolution 24 (96%) vs. 8 (53%) p=0.02. Incomplete stent apposition is more often detected with ATBlow: 1.97 (0.62–4.73) vs. 0.33 (0.04–0.92), p=0.002. TA was performed in 20 (50%) patients. ATB was numerically lower in patients with TA: 2.37 (1.70–5.10) vs. 3.40 (1.45–4.96), p=0.67. Logistic regression identified ATB as predictor of ST resolution failure (OR: 2.5 (95% confidence interval: 1.27–4.98), p value=0.008). Conclusions OCT can be safely performed in patients presenting for primary PCI and allows quantification of residual atherothrombotic material, the amount of which is associated with worse myocardial perfusion.

To investigate distribution of the vertical temperature gradient of a closed steel box girder under solar radiation, specifications in four major codes on the vertical temperature gradient of a main girder or steel box girder in China and other countries are first compared. Then, temperature measurement is carried out inside a steel box girder bridge. It was found that under the effect of hot weather and strong solar radiation, the temperature rose rapidly on the deck overlay and reached its maximum at around 14:00, while the maximum temperature of the deck was recorded at around 16:00. Notable temperature differences between the deck and bottom plate occurred from 14:00 to 18:00, with the maximum value of 16.8℃ presented at around 14:30. It was also found that the positive vertical temperature gradient showed nonlinear distribution, and the girder top had a larger positive temperature difference but a minor negative temperature difference. A suggested pattern of vertical temperature gradient was fitted using a four-broken-line, which is in line with specification in the Eurocode 1.

Airway inflammation is a common feature of asthma, and one of the cardinal features of inflammation is increased microvascular permeability. We investigated the characteristics of inhaled ovalbumin challenge‐induced airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage in vivo in mechanically ventilated guinea pigs actively sensitized to ovalbumin. A method was used to quantify both airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage in order to investigate the relationship between these 2 pathophysiological features in the same animal. Airway microvascular leakage was assessed by Evans blue dye extravasation into airway tissues. Actively sensitized guinea pigs developed both acute airflow obstruction (increased lung resistance and reduced dynamic lung compliance) and Evans blue dye extravasation in response to exposure to aerosolised ovalbumin. Evans blue dye extravasation was preferentially distributed in the distal airways and correlated with airflow obstruction. The results show that inhaled allergen induced both acute airflow obstruction and airway microvascular leakage.

In this paper, we propose a locally optimum detection (LOD) scheme for detecting a weak radioactive source buried in background clutter. We develop a decentralized algorithm, based on alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), for implementing the proposed scheme in autonomous sensor networks. Results show that algorithm performance approaches the centralized clairvoyant detection algorithm in the low SNR regime, and exhibits excellent convergence rate and scaling behavior (w.r.t. number of nodes). We also devise a low-overhead, robust ADMM algorithm for Byzantine-resilient detection, and demonstrate its robustness to data falsification attacks.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) affects approximately 1.5% of the general population and is seen in nearly 50% of candidates for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Despite increasingly utilised transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in aortic stenosis (AS) patients, its use among patients with severe bicuspid AS is limited as BAV is a heterogeneous disease associated with multiple and complex anatomical challenges. Aim: To investigate the one-year outcomes of TAVI using the balloon-expandable Myval transcatheter heart valve (THV) (Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Vapi, India) in patients with severe bicuspid AS. Methods and results: We collected data from consecutive patients with bicuspid AS who underwent TAVI with the Myval THV and had at least one-year follow-up. Baseline characteristics, procedural, and 30-day echocardiographic and clinical outcomes were collected. Sixty-two patients were included in the study. The median age was 72 [66.3, 77.0] years, 45 (72.6%) were males, and the mean STS PROM score was 3.2 ± 2.2%. All TAVI procedures were performed via the transfemoral route. The median follow-up duration was 13.5 [12.2, 18.3] months; all-cause mortality was reported in 7 (11.3%) patients and cardiovascular hospitalisation in 6 (10.6%) patients. All-stroke was reported in 2 (3.2%), permanent pacemaker implantation 5 (8.3%), and myocardial infarction 1 (1.6%) patients. The echocardiographic assessment revealed a mean pressure gradient of 10 [8, 16.5] mmHg, effective orifice area 1.7 [1.4, 1.9] cm2, moderate AR in 1 (2%), mild AR in 14 (27%), and none/trace AR in 37 (71%). In total, 1 patient was diagnosed with valve thrombosis (2.1%), Stage II (moderate) haemodynamic deterioration was seen in 3 (6.4%), and stage III (severe) haemodynamic deterioration in 1 (2.1%) patient. Conclusions: TAVI with the Myval THV in selected BAV anatomy is associated with favourable one-year hemodynamic and clinical outcomes.

No abstract is provided for this article.

To characterize P2-purinoceptors in pulmonary vessels we have examined the effects of ATP analogs on rat isolated pulmonary artery and vein in vitro. The rank order of potency for causing vasoconstriction was: alpha,beta-methylene-ATP (alpha,beta-meATP) greater than beta,gamma-methylene-ATP (beta,gamma-meATP) greater than 2-methylthio-ATP (2m.S.ATP) greater than ATP for arteries; and alpha,beta-meATP much greater than beta,gamma-meATP = 2m.S.ATP greater than ATP for veins, indicating that a P2x receptor was involved. The contractile response to these analogs was virtually abolished after desensitization of P2x-receptors by alpha,beta-meATP. Removal of the endothelial cells enhanced the contractile responses to all of the ATP analogs in both arteries and veins. The rank order of potency for vasodilatation was 2m.S.ATP much greater than ATP = beta,gamma-meATP much greater than alpha,beta-meATP for arteries and 2m.S.ATP much greater than ATP = beta-gamma-meATP, with alpha,beta-meATP being no effect for veins, indicating a P2y receptor. Pretreatment of the pulmonary arteries with the P2y-antagonist reactive blue 2 caused a rightward shift of the dose-response curves to 2m.S.ATP, ATP and beta,gamma-meATP. Reactive blue 2 was only used with the pulmonary arteries. Removal of the endothelium converted the relaxant responses to all the ATP analogs (except to ATP in pulmonary artery) to further contraction. In the pulmonary artery, the small endothelium-independent relaxation induced by ATP was abolished completely by pretreating the vessels with 100 microM theophylline (a P1-purinoceptor antagonist), suggesting that it was due to conversion of ATP to adenosine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)