Quantitative detection of myocardial ischaemia by stress echocardiography; a comparison with SPECT

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>Real-time perfusion (RTP) adenosine stress echocardiography (ASE) can be used to visually evaluate myocardial ischaemia. The RTP power modulation technique angio-mode (AM), provides images for off-line perfusion quantification using Qontrast^®software, generating values of peak signal intensity (A), myocardial blood flow velocity (β) and myocardial blood flow (Axβ). By comparing rest and stress values, their respective reserve values (A-r, β-r, Axβ-r) are generated. We evaluated myocardial ischaemia by RTP-ASE Qontrast^®quantification, compared to visual perfusion evaluation with ^99mTc-tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>Patients admitted to SPECT underwent RTP-ASE (SONOS 5500) using AM during Sonovue^®infusion, before and throughout adenosine stress, also used for SPECT. Visual myocardial perfusion and wall motion analysis, and Qontrast^®quantification, were blindly compared to one another and to SPECT, at different time points off-line.</p> <p>We analyzed 201 coronary territories (left anterior descendent [LAD], left circumflex [LCx] and right coronary [RCA] artery territories) in 67 patients. SPECT showed ischaemia in 18 patients and 19 territories. Receiver operator characteristics and kappa values showed significant agreement with SPECT only for β-r and Axβ-r in all segments: area under the curve 0.678 and 0.665; P < 0.001 and < 0.01, respectively. The closest agreements were seen in the LAD territory: kappa 0.442 for both β-r and Axβ-r; P < 0.01. Visual evaluation of ischaemia showed good agreement with SPECT: accuracy 93%; kappa 0.67; P < 0.001; without non-interpretable territories.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this agreement study with SPECT, RTP-ASE Qontrast^®quantification of myocardial ischaemia was less accurate and less feasible than visual evaluation and needs further development to be clinically useful.</p

A Multi-Level Examination of Stakeholder Perspectives of Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in a Large Urban Publicly-Funded Mental Health System

Our goal was to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of evidence-based practices from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in a large publicly funded mental health system. We completed 56 interviews with three stakeholder groups: treatment developers (n = 7), agency administrators (n = 33), and system leadership (n = 16). The three stakeholder groups converged on the importance of inner (e.g., agency competing resources and demands, therapist educational background) and outer context (e.g., funding) factors as barriers to implementation. Potential threats to implementation and sustainability included the fiscal landscape of community mental health clinics and an evolving workforce. Intervention characteristics were rarely endorsed as barriers. Inner context, outer context, and intervention characteristics were all seen as important facilitators. All stakeholders endorsed the importance of coordinated collaboration across stakeholder groups within the system to successfully implement evidence-based practices

Apolipoprotein E genotype and outcome in infants with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND: Adults with the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) alleles e4 and e2 are at high risk of poor neurologic outcome after brain injury. The e4 allele has been associated with cerebral palsy and the e2 allele has been associated with worse neurologic outcome with congenital heart disease. This study was done to test the hypothesis that APOE genotype is associated with outcome among neonates who survive after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of infants who survived HIE and had 18 – 22 month standardized neurodevelopmental evaluations to assess associations between disability and APOE genotypes e3/e3, e4/-, and e2/- RESULTS: 139 survivors were genotyped. 86 (62%) were e3/e3, 41 (29%) were e4/-, and 14 (10%) were e2/-. 129 infants had genotype and follow-up data; 26% had moderate or severe disabilities. Disability prevalence was 30% and 19% among those with and without e3/e3 genotype, 25% and 26% among those with and without the e2 allele, and 18% and 29% among those with and without the e4 allele. None of the differences were statistically significant. Cerebral palsy prevalence was also similar among genotype groups. CONCLUSION: Disability was not associated with APOE genotype in this cohort of HIE survivors

Biomarkers for predicting future metastasis of human gastrointestinal tumors (Review)

The recent advances in surgery and radiation therapy have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with primary cancer, and the major challenge of cancer treatment now is metastatic disease development. The 5-year survival rate of cancer patients who have distant metastasis at diagnosis is extremely low, suggesting that prediction and early detection of metastasis would definitely improve their prognosis because suitable patient therapeutic management and treatment strategy can be provided. Cancer cells from a primary site give rise to a metastatic tumor via a number of steps which require the involvement and altered expression of many regulators. These regulators may serve as biomarkers for predicting metastasis. Over the past few years, numerous regulators have been found correlating with metastasis. In this review, we summarize the findings of a number of potential biomarkers that are involved in cadherin-catenin interaction, integrin signaling, PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and cancer stem cell identification in gastrointestinal cancers. We will also discuss how certain biomarkers are associated with the tumor microenvironment that favors cancer metastasis. © 2013 Springer Basel.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex