288 research outputs found
Open cluster candidates in the VVVX area: VVVX CL 076 and CL 077
We are reporting some basic parameters of two newly discovered clusters, VVVX CL 076 and CL 077, recently discovered in the galactic disk area covered by the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea eXtended (VVVX) ESO Public Survey. The preliminary analysis shows that both clusters are young and relatively close to the Sun.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
Cardiac resynchronization therapy and valvular cardiomyopathy after corrective surgery
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been
shown to have clinical benefits in certain groups of
patients with advanced heart failure (HF). However,
patients with valvular cardiomyopathy are
underrepresented in randomized clinical studies. The aim
of this study was to assess the medium-term (i.e., at 6
months) effects of CRT in patients with HF exclusively
due to valvular disease. The study included 40
consecutive patients who underwent CRT device
implantation. At 6 months, there were improvements in
functional class, left ventricular remodeling, and
intraventricular dyssynchrony parameters in treated
patients. In this particular subgroup of patients, the
benefits of CRT were similar to those observed in patients
with HF due to other etiologies
Efecto de la localización del electrodo ventricular izquierdo sobre los parámetros ecocardiográficos de asincronía en pacientes sometidos a terapia de resincronización cardíaca
Introduction and objectives. Cardiac resynchronization
therapy has been shown to be an option in the treatment
of patients with congestive heart failure. The current
indication for this treatment is based on clinical and electrocardiographic
criteria, although echocardiography has
also been shown to be a useful tool for the diagnosis of
ventricular dyssynchrony. The aim of this study was to assess
left ventricular dyssynchrony by echocardiography
and to evaluate the effect of the stimulation site on the
magnitude of resynchronization.
Patients and method. We studied 25 patients with biventricular
stimulation (left ventricular lead located in a lateral
position in 13 patients, and in an anterior position in
12). A complete echo-Doppler evaluation, including left
ventricular ejection fraction, ventricular diameters and parameters
of inter- and intraventricular dyssynchrony, was
performed before implantation and 3 months after the
procedure, with the device connected and disconnected.
Results. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly
from 23.7 (6.5) to 27.8 (5.5) (P=.007) at 3
months. In the group as a whole, biventricular pacing was
associated with a significant decrease in all intraventricular
dyssynchrony parameters (septal-to-lateral wall motion
delay and septal-to-posterior wall motion delay). This decrease
in septal-to-posterior wall motion delay and septalto-
lateral wall motion delay was significantly greater in patients
with the electrode implanted in the lateral position
(58.1 ms vs 118 ms; P=.02) than with the lead in the anterior
position (39.5 ms vs 86.5 ms; P=.04). Three patients,
all with the electrode in an anterior location, were considered
non-responders.
Conclusions. Left lateral free wall stimulation provided
significantly better intraventricular resynchronization compared
to stimulation at an anterior site. Echocardiography
is a useful tool to evaluate changes in intra- and interventricular
synchrony related to the pacing site
Tratamiento de la insuficiencia cardíaca avanzada mediante estimulación biventricular. Experiencia inicial en una serie de 22 casos consecutivos
Recent data suggest that biventricular pacing may play
an important role in treating advanced heart failure in the presence of a
significant interventricular and/or intraventricular conduction disorder by
correcting cardiac dysynchrony. In this article, we review the initial technical
and clinical experience with cardiac resynchronization therapy in an
electrophysiology laboratory. METHODS: The first 22 consecutive patients with
severe congestive heart failure, ejection fraction < 0.35, NYHA functional class
III or IV, and QRS duration > 120 ms who were implanted biventricular pacemakers
were studied. Clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic evaluations
were made before and three months after pacemaker implantation. Acute functional
capacity testing with peak oxygen uptake was measured during biventricular pacing
and during intrinsic rhythm or right ventricular pacing three months after the
implantation procedure. RESULTS: The success rate of pacemaker implantation was
95%. Pre-discharge left ventricular pacing was achieved in 91%, with an average
pacing threshold of 1.53 (1.04) volts. NYHA functional class improved (p = 0.039)
from 3.4 (0.7) to 2.3 (0.78). The rate of hospitalization for heart failure
decreased from an average of 3.12 (0.58) three months before the procedure to
1.38 (0.34) three months after the procedure. Peak oxygen uptake was
significantly greater (p = 0.028) during biventricular pacing: 14.89 (2.1)
ml/min/kg, than during intrinsic rhythm or right ventricular pacing: 12.65 (2.3)
ml/min/kg. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac resynchronization therapy can be performed safely
and with a high success rate in the electrophysiology laboratory. Biventricular
pacing seems to improve the symptoms of congestive heart failure in patients with
evidence of atrioventricular and/or interventricular/intraventricular
dysynchrony. An acute benefit in peak oxygen uptake was associated with
biventricular pacing after the implantation procedure
Factors Contributing to the Utilization of Adult Mental Health Services in Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Hyperkinetic Disorder
Objectives. To examine whether age of First diagnosis, gender, psychiatric comorbidity, and treatment modalities (pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy) at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) moderate the risk of Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) utilization in patients diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder at CAMHS. Methods. Data were derived from the Madrid Psychiatric Cumulative Register Study. The target population comprised 32,183 patients who had 3 or more visits at CAMHS. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess survival data. A series of logistic regression analyses were performed to study the role of age of diagnosis, gender, psychiatric comorbidity, and treatment modalities. Results. 7.1% of patients presented with hyperkinetic disorder at CAMHS. Compared to preschool children, children and adolescents first diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder at CAMHS were more likely to use AMHS. Female gender and comorbidity with affective disorders, schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders increased the risk of use of AMHS. Pharmacological or combined treatment of hyperkinetic disorder diagnosed at CAMHS was associated with increased risk of use at AMHS. Conclusions. Older age of first diagnosis, female gender, psychiatric comorbidity, and pharmacological treatment at CAMHS are markers of risk for the transition from CAMHS to AMHS in patients with hyperkinetic disorder diagnosed at CAMHS
Near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the low Galactic latitude globular cluster 2MASS-GC03
We present deep near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the globular cluster 2MASS-GC03 projected in the Galactic disk using MMIRS on the Clay telescope (Las Campanas Observatory) and VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea survey (VVV) data. Most probable cluster member candidates were identified from near-infrared photometry. Out of ten candidates that were followed-up spectroscopically, five have properties of cluster members, from which we calculate = -0.9 +/- 0.2 and a radial velocity of v_r > = -78 +- 12km/s. A distance of 10.8kpc is estimated from 3 likely RRLyrae members. Given that the cluster is currently at a distance of 4.2kpc from the Galactic center, the cluster's long survival time of an estimated 11.3 +/- 1.2 Gyr strengthens the case for its globular-cluster nature. The cluster has a hint of elongation in the direction of the Galactic center.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
New Galactic Star Clusters Discovered in the Disk Area of the VVVX Survey
The ‘VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea eXtended (VVVX)’ ESO Public Survey is a near-infrared photometric sky survey that covers nearly 1700 deg2 towards the Galactic disc and bulge. It is well-suited to search for new open clusters, hidden behind dust and gas. The pipeline processed and calibrated KS-band tile images of 40 per cent of the disc area covered by VVVX was visually inspected for stellar overdensities. Then, we identified cluster candidates by examination of the composite JHKS colour images. The colour-magnitude diagrams of the cluster candidates are constructed. Whenever possible the Gaia DR2 parameters are used to calculate the mean proper motions, radial velocities, reddening and distances. We report the discovery of 120 new infrared clusters and stellar groups. Approximately half of them (47 per cent) are faint, compact, highly reddened, and they seem to be associated with other indicators of recent star formation, such as nearby Young Stellar Objects, Masers, H II regions or bubbles. The preliminary distance determinations allow us to trace the clusters up to 4.5 kpc, but most of the cluster candidates are centred at 2.2 kpc. The mean proper motions of the clusters show that in general they follow the disc motion of the Galaxy
Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells exerts a greater long-term effect than bone marrow mononuclear cells in a chronic myocardial infarction model in rat
The aim of this study is to assess the long-term effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) transplantation in
a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction (MI) in comparison with the effect of bone marrow mononuclear
cells (BM-MNC) transplant. Five weeks after induction of MI, rats were allocated to receive intramyocardial
injection of 106 GFP-expressing cells (BM-MNC or MSC) or medium as control. Heart function
(echocardiography and 18F-FDG-microPET) and histological studies were performed 3 months after transplantation
and cell fate was analyzed along the experiment (1 and 2 weeks and 1 and 3 months). The main
findings of this study were that both BM-derived populations, BM-MNC and MSC, induced a long-lasting
(3 months) improvement in LVEF (BM-MNC: 26.61 ± 2.01% to 46.61 ± 3.7%, p < 0.05; MSC: 27.5 ±
1.28% to 38.8 ± 3.2%, p < 0.05) but remarkably, only MSC improved tissue metabolism quantified by 18FFDG
uptake (71.15 ± 1.27 to 76.31 ± 1.11, p < 0.01), which was thereby associated with a smaller infarct size
and scar collagen content and also with a higher revascularization degree. Altogether, results show that MSC
provides a long-term superior benefit than whole BM-MNC transplantation in a rat model of chronic MI
Autologous intramyocardial injection of cultured skeletal muscle-derived stem cells in patients with non-acute myocardial infarction
AIM: Experimental animal studies suggest that the use of skeletal myoblast in patients with myocardial infarction may result in improved cardiac function. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility and safety of this therapy in patients with myocardial infarction.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Twelve patients with old myocardial infarction and ischaemic coronary artery disease underwent treatment with coronary artery bypass surgery and intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts obtained from a muscle biopsy of vastus lateralis and cultured with autologous serum for 3 weeks. Global and regional cardiac function was assessed by 2D and ABD echocardiogram. 18F-FDG and 13N-ammonia PET studies were used to determine perfusion and viability. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improved from 35.5+/-2.3% before surgery to 53.5+/-4.98% at 3 months (P=0.002). Echocardiography revealed a marked improvement in regional contractility in those cardiac segments treated with skeletal myoblast (wall motion score index 2.64+/-0.13 at baseline vs 1.64+/-0.16 at 3 months P=0.0001). Quantitative 18F-FDG PET studies showed a significant (P=0.012) increased in cardiac viability in the infarct zone 3 months after surgery. No statistically significant differences were found in 13N-ammonia PET studies. Skeletal myoblast implant was not associated with an increase in adverse events. No cardiac arrhythmias were detected during early follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with old myocardial infarction, treatment with skeletal myoblast in conjunction with coronary artery bypass is safe and feasible and is associated with an increased global and regional left ventricular function,improvement in the viability of cardiac tissue in the infarct area and no induction of arrhythmias
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