Effects of Performance on Mechanical properties of Sawdust/Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer matrix Hybrid Composites

ABSTRACT. Short carbon fibre (CF) and sawdust (SD) were dispersed in to the epoxy (EP) matrix in order to manufacture polymer hybrid composites using compression moulding technique. The mechanical properties of flexural properties of hybrid, compression moulded, chopped CF/SD/epoxy composites have been investigated taking into account the effect of hybridization by these two fillers. Hybridization with small amounts of SD makes these CF composites more suitable for technical applications. The simultaneous compounding of epoxy with two fillers was done to obtain a hybrid composite. This system is expected to have considerable mechanical properties, good surface finish and low cost. It has been found that the tensile properties of filled epoxy were higher than unfilled epoxy. By incorporating up to 30% (by mass) Carbon fiber (CF) and 10% sawdust (SD) namely S 3 sample flexural strength was increased by 12.5%. Thus it is shown that the durability of CF/SD filled epoxy composites can be enhanced by hybridization with small amount of CF. The hybrid effects of the flexural strength and modulus were studied by the rule of hybrid mixture

Ablation Versus Amiodarone for Treatment of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure and an Implanted Device: Results From the AATAC Multicenter Randomized Trial

Background - Whether catheter ablation (CA) is superior to amiodarone (AMIO) for the treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with heart failure is unknown. Methods and Results - This was an open-label, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter study. Patients with persistent AF, dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, New York Heart Association II to III, and left ventricular ejection fraction <40% within the past 6 months were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to undergo CA for AF (group 1, n=102) or receive AMIO (group 2, n=101). Recurrence of AF was the primary end point. All-cause mortality and unplanned hospitalization were the secondary end points. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 24 months. At the end of follow-up, 71 (70%; 95% confidence interval, 60%-78%) patients in group 1 were recurrence free after an average of 1.4\uc2\ub10.6 procedures in comparison with 34 (34%; 95% confidence interval, 25%-44%) in group 2 (log-rank P<0.001). The success rate of CA in the different centers after a single procedure ranged from 29% to 61%. After adjusting for covariates in the multivariable model, AMIO therapy was found to be significantly more likely to fail (hazard ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-4.3; P<0.001) than CA. Over the 2-year follow-up, the unplanned hospitalization rate was (32 [31%] in group 1 and 58 [57%] in group 2; P<0.001), showing 45% relative risk reduction (relative risk, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.76). A significantly lower mortality was observed in CA (8 [8%] versus AMIO (18 [18%]; P=0.037). Conclusions - This multicenter randomized study shows that CA of AF is superior to AMIO in achieving freedom from AF at long-term follow-up and reducing unplanned hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure and persistent AF

Sex Differences in Safety and Effectiveness of LAAO: Insights From the Amulet IDE Trial.

BACKGROUND Women have higher rates of acute complications after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). However, data on long-term safety and effectiveness are limited. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine sex-specific short- and long-term outcomes after LAAO in the Amulet IDE (Amplatzer™ Amulet™ LAA Occluder) trial. METHODS The following outcomes were compared between men and women: in-hospital complications, device-related outcomes (peridevice leak at 45 days and device-related thrombus at 18 months), and long-term clinical outcomes (death, thromboembolism, and bleeding). Subanalyses for the interaction between sex and device type were performed. RESULTS A total of 1,833 patients underwent attempted device implantation (917 with the Amulet and 916 with the Watchman), of whom 734 were women (40%). Device success was 97.4% in men and 97.1% in women (P = 0.60). Rates of major in-hospital adverse events were higher in women (4.4% vs 1.9%; P < 0.01), driven by major bleeding (3.7% vs 1.0%; P < 0.01) and pericardial effusion requiring intervention (2.0% vs 0.5%; P < 0.01). Peridevice leak and device-related thrombus were similar in men and women (18.3% vs 18.9% [P = 0.78] and 3.3% vs 5.0% [P = 0.10], respectively). There were no differences between men and women in rates of ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (2.6% vs 2.6%; P = 0.98), transient ischemic attack (1.3% vs 1.6%; P = 0.69), hemorrhagic stroke (0.5% vs 0.4%; P = 0.88), major bleeding (10.1% vs 10.9%; P = 0.49), cardiovascular death (4.3% vs 3.5%; P = 0.45), or all-cause death (8.9% vs 6.9%; P = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS In the Amulet IDE trial, long-term clinical outcomes including effectiveness following LAAO were comparable in men and women despite the higher rates of in-hospital complications due to major bleeding and pericardial effusion in women. (Amplatzer™ Amulet™ LAA Occluder Trial [Amulet IDE]; NCT02879448)