Takotsubo Syndrome during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Veneto Region, Italy.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the public health measures of social distancing, the freedom limitations, quarantine, and the enforced homeworking under the lockdown period, as well as medical causes including COVID-19 infection per se, may have caused major emotional distress, especially in the most vulnerable patients. We aimed to evaluate the variations in the number of admissions due to Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Veneto region. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the number of admissions because of TTS in 13 Divisions of Cardiology located in the Veneto region, the northeastern area of Italy, covering a population of more than 2.

G-CSF for Extensive STEMI.

Rationale: In the exploratory Phase II STEM-AMI (Stem Cells Mobilization in Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial, we reported that early administration of G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor), in patients with anterior ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after successful percutaneous coronary intervention, had the potential to significantly attenuate LV adverse remodeling in the long-term.

Objective: The STEM-AMI OUTCOME CMR (Stem Cells Mobilization in Acute Myocardial Infarction Outcome Cardiac Magnetic Resonance) Substudy was adequately powered to evaluate, in a population showing LV ejection fraction ≤45% after percutaneous coronary intervention for extensive ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction, the effects of early administration of G-CSF in terms of LV remodeling and function, infarct size assessed by late gadolinium enhancement, and myocardial strain.

Methods And Results: Within the Italian, multicenter, prospective, randomized, Phase III STEM-AMI OUTCOME trial, 161 ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients were enrolled in the CMR Substudy and assigned to standard of care (SOC) plus G-CSF or SOC alone.

The benefit of betrixaban for the extended thromboprophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients.

Patients admitted with acute medical conditions are at prolonged risk for venous thrombosis. The efficacy and safety, and the appropriate duration of thromboprophylaxis have not been clearly determined. In recent years, direct coagulation factor inhibitors have been successfully tested for the prevention and treatment of arterial and venous thromboembolism.

Diagnostic value and prognostic implications of early cardiac magnetic resonance in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: In patients who survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), it is crucial to establish the underlying cause and its potential reversibility.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the incremental diagnostic and prognostic role of early cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in survivors of OHCA.

Methods: Among 139 consecutive OHCA patients, the study enrolled 44 patients (median age 43 years; 84% male) who underwent coronary angiography and CMR ≤7 days after admission.

Renal Dysfunction: How to Think About That in Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Purpose Of Review: Reduction of kidney function and heart disease frequently coexisted in the seam patient. The relation between renal and heart function is quite complex and bring out some unresolved questions about diagnosis (mostly related to the biomarkers levels interpretation), pharmacological therapy (mostly related to drugs kinetics and efficacy), and non-pharmacological therapy.

Recent Findings: Patients with kidney dysfunction (KD) are frequently excluded and underrepresented in the large trials.

First results on Ge resonant laser photoionization in hollow cathode lamp.

In the framework of the research and development activities of the SPES project regarding the optimization of the radioactive beam production, a dedicated experimental study has been recently started in order to investigate the possibility of in-source ionization of germanium using a set of tunable dye lasers. Germanium is one of the beams to be accelerated by the SPES ISOL facility, which is under construction at Legnaro INFN Laboratories. The three-step, two color ionization schemes have been tested using a Ge hollow cathode lamp.

Therapeutic hypothermia in Italian Intensive Care Units after 2010 resuscitation guidelines: still a lot to do.

Background: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is one of three interventions that have demonstrated to improve patients' neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the 2010 resuscitation guidelines on TH implementation in various Italian Intensive Care Units (ICU).

Methods: A structured questionnaire was submitted to Italian ICU.

High-gain diode-pumped amplifier for generation of microjoule-level picosecond pulses.

A diode-pumped single-pass amplifier system relying on two grazing-incidence Nd:YVO(4) slabs was developed to increase the energy of low-repetition-rate pulses from a decimated low-power cw mode-locked oscillator. Single-pass unsaturated gain up to 1.3x10(5) was achieved, and amplified pulses of 10-muJ energy and 8.