Thrombophilia Testing, a Quality Improvement Measure

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Effect of ball-milling time on mechanical and magnetic properties of carbon nanotube reinforced FeCo alloy composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced FeCo alloys were produced by high energy ball-milling and spark plasma sintering (SPS). CNTs distribution in the FeCo alloy was gradually improved as ball-milling time increased, with a uniform dispersion achieved after 6 h ball-milling. Tensile tests demonstrated that, as the ball-milling time increased, the yield strength increased in the composites; a maximum 50% relative increase in tensile strength due to the addition of CNTs was achieved after 1 h ball-milling, which then decreased with further ball-milling. The elongation to fracture was significantly increased after 1 h ball-milling and then decreased with further ball-milling. SEM results show a patch of dimples in the fracture surface of the composite, indicating improved ductility due to CNTs. The coercivity was increased with increased ball-milling time, while the saturation induction showed a peak value after 1 h of ball-milling and then decreased with further ball-milling. Raman spectra of the composite indicated that no serious damage had been imparted to the CNTs during ball-milling

Correlation between Mitral Regurgitation and Myocardial Mechanical Dyssynchrony and QRS Duration in Patients with Cardiomyopathy

Background: Several competing geometric and hemodynamic factors are suggested as contributing mechanisms for functional mitral regurgitation (MR) in heart failure patients. We aimed to study the relationships between the severity of MR and the QRS duration and dyssynchrony markers in patients with ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 251 heart failure patients with indications for echocardiographic evaluation of possible cardiac resynchronization therapy. All the patients were subjected to transthoracic echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) synchronicity. The patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of MR: ≤ mild MR and ≥ moderate MR. The effects of different dyssynchrony indices were adjusted for global and regional left ventricular remodeling parameters. Results: From the 251 patients (74.5% male, mean age = 53.38 ± 16.68 years), 130 had ≤ mild MR and 121 had ≥ moderate MR. There were no differences between the groups regarding the mean age, frequency of sex, and etiology of cardiomyopathy. The LV systolic and diastolic dimensions were greater in the patients with ≥ moderate MR (all p values < 0.001). Among the different echocardiographic factors, the QRS duration (150.75 ± 34.66 vs. 126.77 ± 29.044 ms; p value =0.050) and interventricular mechanical delay (41.60 ± 29.50 vs. 35.00 ms ± 22.01; p value = 0.045) were significantly longer in the patients with ≤ mild MR in the univariate analysis. After adjusting the effect of these parameters on the severity of MR for the regional and global LV remodeling parameters, no significant impact of the QRS duration and dyssynchrony indices was observed. Conclusion: Our results showed that the degree of functional MR was not associated with the QRS duration and inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony in our patients with cardiomyopathy. No association was found between the severity of MR and the ischemic or dilated etiology for cardiomyopath

Association between Traditional Risk Factors and CoronaryArtery Ectasia:AStudy on 10057Angiographic Procedures among Iranian Population

Background: Whether coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a unique clinical finding or results from other clinical entities is still unknown. We aimed to determine the CAE prevalence, investigate the relationship between CAE and patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, and assess the prognosis at follow-up in a sample of Iranian population. Methods: Totally, 10057 patients who underwent coronary angiography were divided into three categories: normal coronary arteries without co-existing coronary artery disease; CAE without co-existing coronary artery narrowing 50% luminal narrowing (CAS). Results: The prevalence of CAE was 1.5%. Compared to the normal individuals, the CAE patients were older, were more frequently male, and had higher rates of myocardial infarction (MI). The CAE patients had a lower frequency of diabetes and MI than the CAS group. The CAE patients were largely focused between 40 to 60 years of age. The right coronary and left anterior descending arteries were the most involved arteries, and ectasia was located more frequently in the proximal part of these arteries. Patients with ectasia in the three main vessels had higher rates of MI. After a mean follow-up of 54.23 ±18.41 months, chest pain and dyspnea on exertion remained the main complaint in more than 97% of the patients, leading to hospital admission in more than 14%. Conclusion: There was no relationship between the presence of ectasia and conventional risk factors. According to our study, pure CAE may be deemed a benign feature of atherosclerosis; however, it can lead to frequent hospital admissions because of the persistence of cardiovascular symptoms