Off-pump correction of coronary fistula: the single suture technique approach

A técnica da sutura única foi desenvolvida para obter estabilização e exposição de todos os ramos coronarianos durante a cirurgia de revascularização do miocárdio, mantendo a estabilidade hemodinâmica durante o procedimento. Nós descrevemos a utilização desta técnica durante a correção de uma fístula arterial coronariana associada à dilatação coronariana direita, sem a utilização da circulação extracorpórea. A técnica sugerida é mais rápida e menos complexa do que a utilização do desvio cardiopulmonar. Além disso, essa técnica pode ser uma ferramenta útil para a correção de fístulas arteriais coronarianas em casos selecionados, permitindo a prática de abordagens menos invasivas nesses pacientes.The single suture technique was developed to obtain stabilization and exposure of all all coronary branches during off-pump coronary artery bypass, while maintaining hemodynamic stabilily during the procedure. We describe the use of this technique during an off-pump correction of a coronary artery fistula associated with right coronary dilatation. The suggested technique is quicker and less complex than on-pump surgery. Furthermore, it can be a useful tool for congenital fistula correction in select cases, stimulating the practice of less invasive heart surgery in these patients

Mitral valve repair by Double Teflon technique: cardiac remodeling analysis by tridimensional echocardiography

INTRODUÇÃO: A plastia valvar mitral é o tratamento de escolha para a insuficiência mitral, porém a literatura é escassa em relação ao comportamento do átrio e ventrículo esquerdos após a plastia mitral sem utilização de anéis protéticos. OBJETIVO: Analisar a morfologia e a função cardíaca de indivíduos submetidos à plastia valvar mitral pela técnica de Duplo Teflon, por meio da ecocardiografia tridimensional. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 14 pacientes com insuficiência mitral mixomatosa, submetidos à plastia mitral pela técnica de Duplo Teflon. Treze pacientes encontravam-se em classe III/IV. Os pacientes foram avaliados nos períodos pré-operatório, pós-operatório imediato (POI), 6 meses e 1 ano após a plastia mitral. Foi utilizado teste de análise de variância de medidas repetidas para o estudo estatístico, sendo considerado estatisticamente significante P<0,05. RESULTADOS: A análise dos volumes sistólicos, atrial e ventricular demonstrou redução volumétrica significativa entre POI e 1 ano (P=0,028 e P=0,020, respectivamente). Entre o pré-operatório e 1 ano, houve redução média de 19,9% e 15,4% nos volumes atrial e ventricular, respectivamente. Os volumes diastólicos atrial e ventricular apresentaram redução significativa no POI (P<0,001 e P=0,024, respectivamente), permanecendo estáveis ao longo do estudo. Houve aumento na fração de ejeção do átrio esquerdo após 6 meses (P<0,001), porém não houve variação na função ventricular esquerda. CONCLUSÕES: Os pacientes submetidos à plastia valvar mitral por meio da técnica de Duplo Teflon apresentaram remodelamento reverso do átrio esquerdo e do ventrículo esquerdo. Esta redução nos volumes cavitários esteve associada à melhora da função atrial esquerda durante o estudo.INTRODUCTION: Mitral valve repair is the treatment of choice to correct mitral insufficiency. Although the literature related to left atrial and ventricular behavior after mitral repair without use of prosthetic rings is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To analyze cardiac morphology and function using real time tridimensional echocardiography in individuals submitted to mitral valve repair with Double Teflon technique. METHODS: Were included 14 patients with mixomatous mitral valve insufficiency that were submitted to mitral valve repair with the Double Teflon technique. Of them, 13 patients were in class III/IV. Patients were evaluated in preoperative period, immediate postoperative period, 6 months and 1 year after mitral repair. Statistic analysis was made by repeated measures ANOVA test and was considered statistically significant P < 0.05. RESULTS: The analysis of systolic volumes, atrial and ventricular, demonstrated a significant volumetric reduction between immediate postoperative period and 1 year (P=0.028 and P=0.020, respectively). Between preoperative period and 1 year, there was a mean reduction in atrial and ventricle volumes of 19.9% and 15.4%, respectively. Atrial and ventricle diastolic volumes presented a significant reduction in immediate postoperative period (P <0.001 and P =0.024, respectively), remaining stable during the study. There was an increase in left atrial ejection fraction after 6 months (P<0.001), although there was no significant variation in left ventricle ejection fraction. CONCLUSIONS: Patients submitted to mitral valve repair by the Double Teflon technique demonstrated a left atrial and ventricle reverse remodeling. These reductions were associated with an improvement in left atrial function during the study.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Durvalumab Plus Carboplatin/Paclitaxel Followed by Maintenance Durvalumab With or Without Olaparib as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Endometrial Cancer: The Phase III DUO-E Trial

PURPOSE Immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations have shown activity in endometrial cancer, with greater benefit in mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient (dMMR) than MMR-proficient (pMMR) disease. Adding a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor may improve outcomes, especially in pMMR disease. METHODS This phase III, global, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomly assigned eligible patients with newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer 1:1:1 to: carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab placebo followed by placebo maintenance (control arm); carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab plus olaparib placebo (durvalumab arm); or carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab plus olaparib (durvalumab + olaparib arm). The primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) in the durvalumab arm versus control and the durvalumab + olaparib arm versus control. RESULTS Seven hundred eighteen patients were randomly assigned. In the intention-to-treat population, statistically significant PFS benefit was observed in the durvalumab (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71 [95% CI, 0.57 to 0.89]; P = .003) and durvalumab + olaparib arms (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.43 to 0.69]; P < .0001) versus control. Prespecified, exploratory subgroup analyses showed PFS benefit in dMMR (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.42 [95% CI, 0.22 to 0.80]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control], 0.41 [95% CI, 0.21 to 0.75]) and pMMR subgroups (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60 to 0.97]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control] 0.57; [95% CI, 0.44 to 0.73]); and in PD-L1-positive subgroups (HR [durvalumab v control], 0.63 [95% CI, 0.48 to 0.83]; HR [durvalumab + olaparib v control], 0.42 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.57]). Interim overall survival results (maturity approximately 28%) were supportive of the primary outcomes (durvalumab v control: HR, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.56 to 1.07]; P = .120; durvalumab + olaparib v control: HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.42 to 0.83]; P = .003). The safety profiles of the experimental arms were generally consistent with individual agents. CONCLUSION Carboplatin/paclitaxel plus durvalumab followed by maintenance durvalumab with or without olaparib demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful PFS benefit in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost