3D echocardiography derived right ventricular function is associated with right ventricular failure and mid-term survival after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Background: Right heart failure remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Multiple 2D echocardiography derived parameters are associated with right ventricular failure (RV failure), but none of them has been proven to be a reliable predictor to date. We hypothesized that novel 3D-echocardiography (3DE) based parameters are associated with RV failure and predict long term outcome in patients undergoing LVAD implantation.

Femtosecond X-ray measurement of coherent lattice vibrations near the Lindemann stability limit.

The study of phase-transition dynamics in solids beyond a time-averaged kinetic description requires direct measurement of the changes in the atomic configuration along the physical pathways leading to the new phase. The timescale of interest is in the range 10(-14) to 10(-12) s. Until recently, only optical techniques were capable of providing adequate time resolution, albeit with indirect sensitivity to structural arrangement.