Focused review on transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of patients with continuous axial left ventricular assist devices.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are systems for mechanical support for patients with end-stage heart failure. Preoperative, postoperative and comprehensive followup with transthoracic echocardiography has a major role in LVAD patient management. In this paper, we will present briefly the hemodynamics of axial-flow LVAD, the rationale, and available data for a complete and organized echocardiographic assessment in these patients including preoperative assessment, postoperative and long-term evaluation.

Atypical tamponade hemodynamic in a patient with temporary left ventricular assist device.

Postoperative bleeding and tamponade are considered major complications after implantation of left ventricular assist devices. Firstly, 40% of patients supported by ventricular assist devices experience early postoperative bleeding, and 20% developed tamponade requiring re-exploration. Secondly, we present a case of a patient with tamponade, on temporary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support with atypical hemodynamic and echocardiographic manifestations demonstrated with computed tomography (CT)-M mode, conventional Doppler, color Doppler and echo imaging.

Echocardiographic findings in stable outpatients with properly functioning HeartMate II left ventricular assist devices.

Background: Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become part of the standard of care for the treatment of advanced heart failure. However, knowledge of normal values for transthoracic echocardiographic examination and measurements in these patients are lacking.

Methods: All transthoracic echocardiographic examinations in 63 consecutive patients, performed 90 and 180 days after surgery with the implantation of a HeartMate II continuous-flow LVAD between February 2007 and January 2010, were retrospectively analyzed.

Impairment of diaphragm muscle force and neuromuscular transmission after normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass: effect of low-dose inhaled CO.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with significant postoperative morbidity, but its effects on the neuromuscular system are unclear. Recent studies indicate that even relatively short periods of mechanical ventilation result in significant neuromuscular effects. Carbon monoxide (CO) has gained recent attention as therapy to reduce the deleterious effects of CPB.

Cold neutron energy dependent production of ultracold neutrons in solid deuterium.

A measurement of the production of ultracold neutrons from velocity-selected cold neutrons on gaseous and solid deuterium targets is reported. The expected energy dependence for two-particle collisions with well defined neutron and Maxwell-Boltzmann distributed molecular velocities is found for the gas target. The solid target data agree in shape with the phonon density-of-states curve and provide strong evidence for the phonon model including multiphonon excitations.

Direct experimental verification of neutron acceleration by the material optical potential of solid 2H2.

We have measured the acceleration of neutrons by the material optical potential of solid 2H2. Using a gravitational spectrometer, we find a minimal kinetic energy Ec = (99+/-7) neV of neutrons from a superthermal ultracold neutron (UCN) source with solid 2H2 as an UCN converter. The result is in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions, Ec = 106 neV.

Measured total cross sections of slow neutrons scattered by solid deuterium and implications for ultracold neutron sources.

The total scattering cross sections for slow neutrons with energies in the range 100 neV to 3 meV for solid ortho-2H2 at 18 and 5 K, frozen from the liquid, have been measured. The 18 K cross sections are found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical expectations and for ultracold neutrons dominated by thermal up scattering. At 5 K the total scattering cross sections are found to be dominated by the crystal defects originating in temperature induced stress but not deteriorated by temperature cycles between 5 and 10 K.

Measured total cross sections of slow neutrons scattered by gaseous and liquid 2H(2).

The total scattering cross sections for slow neutrons with energies E in the range 300 neV to 3 meV for gaseous and liquid ortho-2H2 have been measured. The cross sections for 2H2 gas are found to be in excellent agreement with both the Hamermesh and Schwinger and the Young and Koppel models. For liquid 2H(2), we confirm the existing experimental data in the cold neutron range and the discrepancy with the gas models.

Investigation of Solid D 2 for UCN Sources.

Solid deuterium (sD2) will be used for the production of ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) in a new generation of UCN sources. Scattering cross sections of UCN in sD2 determine the source yield but until now have not been investigated. We report first results from transmission and scattering experiments with cold, very cold and ultra-cold neutrons on sD2 along with light transmission and Raman scattering studies showing the influence of the sD2 crystal properties.

A role for Pin1 in mammalian germ cell development and spermatogenesis.

The peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1 is proposed to have diverse functions in many vital aspects of the cell. Despite the multitude of proteins targeted by Pin1 and the proposed regulatory role it plays in critical cellular functions, Pin1 is an essential gene in some eukaryotic organisms, but is dispensable in metazoans. In two genetic models, Candida albicans and Drosophila melanogaster, Pin1 participates in distinct developmental processes regulated by the MAPK pathway.

Spermatogonial depletion in adult Pin1-deficient mice.

Spermatogonia in the mouse testis arise from early postnatal gonocytes that are derived from primordial germ cells (PGCs) during embryonic development. The proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells provide the basis for the continuing integrity of spermatogenesis. We previously reported that Pin1-deficient embryos had a profoundly reduced number of PGCs and that Pin1 was critical to ensure appropriate proliferation of PGCs.

Pin1 regulates the timing of mammalian primordial germ cell proliferation.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to male and female germ cells to transmit the genome from generation to generation. Defects in PGC development often result in infertility. In the mouse embryo, PGCs undergo proliferation and expansion during and after their migration to the gonads from 8.

Identification of Staphylococcus aureus by simultaneous use of tube coagulase and thermonuclease tests.

A simple system is described for efficiently detecting both thermonuclease (heat-stable nuclease) and free coagulase for the routine identification of Staphylococcus aureus in the clinical laboratory. Valid discrepancies between these two tests are rare enough to permit the use of one test as a control of the other.

Quality control of antimicrobial disc susceptibility testing with a rapid method compared to the standard methods.

A rapid method for assay of antimicrobial agents in human serum was modified to provide a method for rapidly assessing the activity of antimicrobial discs being used for susceptibility testing. Each morning, discs are taken from the clinical laboratory's working supply and are applied directly onto test plates which have been inoculated, preincubated, and stored in a refrigerator. Inhibitory zones can be measured within 5 to 6 hr, i.