ENDOVASCULAR OCCLUSION OF THE PATENT FORAMEN OVALE AS PART OF ANTIARRHYTHMIC TREATMENT OF A PATIENT WITH PERSISTENT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (CASE REPORT)

Below is a case report of treatment of a patient with persistent tachysystolic atrial fibrillation (AF), chronic heart failure (CHF) with a moderately reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) with an atrial septal aneurysm. A 58-year-old man (with body mass index of 27.8 kg/m2) with tachysystolic persistent AF (duration 3 months) was hospitalized due to an increase in CHF symptoms (CHF functional class according to NYHA is II-III). The patient had been constantly receiving therapy in accordance with current recommendations (angiotensin receptor blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, amiodorone and rivaroxaban). Transthoracic echocardiography showed a moderate decrease in ejection fraction (EF) (41%), an increase in the left (47 mm) and right (51x74 mm) atria. The patient underwent AF radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) in the left atrium, which identified PFO. The final stage of RFA was performed by external electrical cardioversion with successful restoration of sinus rhythm. Four months after RFA, despite a stable sinus rhythm, the patient maintained a moderately reduced LV EF (44%) and dilatation of the left (44 mm) and right (43x65 mm) atria. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed an aneurysmally altered atrial septum and a positive bubble test with a large number of bubbles. In accordance with current recommendations, the patient had indications for primary prevention of stroke - endovascular occlusion of the PFO, which was performed. Three months after PFO closure, the patient discontinued diuretics, amiodarone, and rivaroxaban. Combined therapy in a patient with persistent AF, with a moderately reduced EF and verified PFO, which included pathogenetic therapy for CHF, prescription of antiarrhythmic drugs, RFA of the AF substrate, and interventional closure of the PFO, made it possible to effectively control sinus rhythm, significantly reduce the manifestations of CHF and provide primary prevention of embolic disorders

Charm production nearby threshold in pA-interactions at 70 GeV

The results of the SERP-E-184 experiment at the U-70 accelerator (IHEP, Protvino) are presented. Interactions of the 70 GeV proton beam with C, Si and Pb targets were studied to detect decays of charmed $D^0$, $\overline D^0$, $D^+$, $D^-$ mesons and $\Lambda _c^+$ baryon near their production threshold. Measurements of lifetimes and masses are shown a good agreement with PDG data. The inclusive cross sections of charm production and their A-dependencies were obtained. The yields of these particles are compared with the theoretical predictions and the data of other experiments. The measured cross section of the total open charm production ($\sigma _{\mathrm {tot}}(c\overline c)$ = 7.1 $\pm$ 2.3(stat) $\pm$1.4(syst) $\mu$b/nucleon) at the collision c.m. energy $\sqrt {s}$ = 11.8 GeV is well above the QCD model predictions. The contributions of different species of charmed particles to the total cross section of the open charm production in proton-nucleus interactions vary with energy.Comment: 4 pages, 6 pages, 38th International Conference on High Energy Physics 3-10 August 2016, Chicago, US

Measurements of polarized photo-pion production on longitudinally polarized HD and Implications for Convergence of the GDH Integral

We report new measurements of inclusive pion production from frozen-spin HD for polarized photon beams covering the Delta(1232) resonance. These provide data simultaneously on both H and D with nearly complete angular distributions of the spin-difference cross sections entering the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn (GDH) sum rule. Recent results from Mainz and Bonn exceed the GDH prediction for the proton by 22 microbarns, suggesting as yet unmeasured high-energy components. Our pi0 data reveal a different angular dependence than assumed in Mainz analyses and integrate to a value that is 18 microbarns lower, suggesting a more rapid convergence. Our results for deuterium are somewhat lower than published data, considerably more precise and generally lower than available calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Submitted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Properties of Neutral Charmed Mesons in Proton--Nucleus Interactions at 70 GeV

The results of treatment of data obtained in the SERP-E-184experiment "Investigation of mechanisms of the production of charmed particles in proton-nucleus interactions at 70 GeV and their decays" by irradiating the active target of the SVD-2 facility consisting of carbon, silicon, and lead plates, are presented. After separating a signal from the two-particle decay of neutral charmed mesons and estimating the cross section for charm production at a threshold energy {\sigma}(c\v{c})=7.1 \pm 2.4(stat.) \pm 1.4(syst.) \mub/nucleon, some properties of D mesons are investigated. These include the dependence of the cross section on the target mass number (its A dependence); the behavior of the differential cross sections d{\sigma}/dpt2 and d{\sigma}/dxF; and the dependence of the parameter {\alpha} on the kinematical variables xF, pt2, and plab. The experimental results in question are compared with predictions obtained on the basis of the FRITIOF7.02 code.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures,3 table