A Novel Staging System of Cardiac Damage in Aortic Stenosis based on Multi-Chamber Myocardial Deformation.

Aims: This study evaluates whether multi-chamber myocardial deformation analysis using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) can enhance validated current staging systems and improve risk stratification for patients with moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods And Results: We reanalyzed 2D, Doppler, and STE data obtained from two cohorts: derivation (654 patients, median age: 82 years; 51% men) and validation (237 patients, median age: 77 years; 55% men) with at least moderate AS (aortic valve area<1.5 cm2).

Association with Outcome of the Regurgitant-Volume Adjusted Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: In patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) may not accurately reflect the actual RV systolic performance since a considerable amount of the RV stroke volume (SV) is regurgitated back into the right atrium. To overcome this limitation, we explored the association with the outcome of the effective RVEF (eRVEF), which accounts for the tricuspid regurgitant volume (RegVol).

Methods: 513 patients with STR (mean age 75±13 years, 39% atrial STR, 58% severe) underwent complete two-, three-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography.

Right Ventricular Function and Outcomes Stratified by the Effective Regurgitant Orifice Area in Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: In patients with moderate and severe secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), the effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA), corrected using the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method for tricuspid valve leaflet tethering and low TR jet velocities, has an unclear threshold for identifying high-risk patients. This study aimed to establish a risk-based EROA cutoff and assess the impact of right ventricular (RV) remodeling on outcomes in low-risk STR patients according to EROA.

Methods: We included 513 consecutive outpatients (age 75±13 years, 47% male) with moderate and severe STR.

Treatment with 5-MTHF to support the one-carbon cycle can overcome the deleterious impact of a triple SNP mutation in the male partner's MTHFR gene for a couple with a history of repeated miscarriage.

A couple presenting with more than 3 years' history of infertility and three miscarriages was tested for serum homocysteine levels and for the two principal MTHFR SNPs: 677C < T and 1298A < C, as per our general policy for patients with infertility of long duration. The woman was found to be wild type for both MTHFR SNPs with a serum homocysteine 10.5 µM, slightly higher than our accepted normal value of 8.

Unique dental arrangement in a new species, (Placodermi, Arthrodira) from the Middle Devonian of Mount Howitt, Victoria, Australia.

Well-preserved specimens of a new species of arthrodiran placoderm, sp. nov. (Middle Devonian of Victoria, Australia), reveals previously unknown information on the dermal skeleton, body-shape and dentition of the wide-spread genus .