Identifying potential measures of stress and disturbance during a captive to wild African elephant reintegration.

There is increasing evidence of compromised welfare for elephants managed in captivity. Should such facilities eventually close, more elephants will need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the wild. The goal of such reintegration would be to restore any physical or psychological aspects of the elephant that may have been compromised in captivity, followed by introduction into a free-roaming system where they can interact with other elephants.

Developing welfare parameters for African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in fenced reserves in South Africa.

South Africa has many fenced reserves harbouring small to medium sized populations of African elephant (Loxodonta africana), most of which have been translocated. Elephants on fenced reserves may be exposed to various management interventions and practices (translocation, hunting, darting, high tourism impact, contraception programs, disruption due to infrastructure maintenance, etc.).

Baseline severity but not gender modulates quantified Crataegus extract effects in early heart failure--a pooled analysis of clinical trials.

Objective: The efficacy of quantified Crataegus extract in chronic heart failure (CHF) has been assessed in numerous clinical studies. The present pooled analysis evaluates the impact of baseline severity and gender on objective and patient-reported endpoints and associations between both types of outcomes in patients with early CHF.

Methods: Available data from 687 individual patients treated with quantified Crataegus extract or placebo in ten studies were pooled.

Hiding classical data in multipartite quantum states.

We present a general technique for hiding a classical bit in multipartite quantum states. The hidden bit, encoded in the choice of one of two possible density operators, cannot be recovered by local operations and classical communication without quantum communication. The scheme remains secure if quantum communication is allowed between certain partners, and can be designed for any choice of quantum communication patterns to be secure, but to allow near perfect recovery for all other patterns.

Distillability via protocols respecting the positivity of partial transpose.

We show that all quantum states that do not have a positive partial transpose are distillable via channels, which preserve the positivity of the partial transpose. The question whether bound entangled states with non-positive partial transpose exist is therefore closely related to the connection between the set of separable superoperators and positive partial transpose-preserving maps.

Management of unstable angina in patients over 75 years old.

Background: Although there have been reports of successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in elderly patients, few data are available on the optimal management of unstable angina in such patients. This study was therefore designed to identify the preferred revascularization strategy in patients with unstable angina over 75 years of age.

Methods: Early and late results were evaluated for patients over 75 years with unstable angina undergoing PTCA (n = 51) or CABG (n = 53).

[Effect of a pressure dressing on angiologic complications after diagnostic coronary angiography].

500 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography were studied for vascular complications using either a conventional (n = 250) or a special mechanical device for compression dressing (n = 250). In both groups one case of arterial occlusion occurred. Using the conventional pressure dressing, we observed four pseudoaneurysms, whereas there were none in the special mechanical device dressing group (p < 0.

Improved detection of transient myocardial ischemia by a new lead combination: value of bipolar lead Nehb D for Holter monitoring.

The investigations of ST-segment changes by Holter monitoring demonstrate asymptomatic and symptomatic episodes of myocardial ischemia, which may occur during daily activities. One factor, which is of great importance for the detection of silent myocardial ischemia during ambulatory monitoring, is the combination of the leads. Former studies showed that the analysis of two channels alone may not adequately detect silent myocardial ischemia.

[Comparison of stress ECG and long-term ECG for detection of myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease].

Holter-monitoring and exercise-ECG can be employed for the detection of myocardial ischemia. Exercise-ECG is capable of detecting ischemias caused by physical activity. In contrast, Holter monitoring can detect episodes of myocardial ischemia independent of exertion, but possibly connected with other factors such as mental stress.

Outpatient coronary angiography--safety and feasibility.

The feasibility and safety of outpatient coronary angiography were studied in 2,106 patients. Patients were discharged with a pressure dressing 2 h after the angiographic study. No complications occurred in 99.

Quantification of mitral regurgitation by colour flow Doppler imaging--value of the 'proximal isovelocity surface area' method.

In this study 97 patients with mitral regurgitation (age 62 +/- 11 years, 55 men, 42 women) quantified by angiography were studied using colour flow Doppler imaging of isovelocity surface areas in the flow convergence region proximal to the regurgitant orifice. The radii of the proximal isovelocity surface areas for the flow velocities of 28 and 41 cm/s were measured. A flow convergence region was imaged in 100% (96%) of the patients with Grade I/II or more and in 92% (64%) of the patients with Grade I mitral regurgitation for a flow velocity of 28 (41) cm/s.

[Long-term electrocardiography in the idiopathic QT syndrome].

The value of long-term electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring was assessed in 14 patients (8 males, 6 females; mean age 21 [17-30] years) with the idiopathic long QT syndrome (LQTS), 14 healthy subjects of the same age serving as controls. Twelve patients had the typical history of syncopes or sudden cardiac death among family members; seven patients had a history of syncope, while four patients had been successfully resuscitated. None had associated cardiac disease.

The arrhythmogenic substrate of the long QT syndrome: genetic basis, pathology, and pathophysiologic mechanisms.

The Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a relatively rare disorder. It has a major clinical impact as affected individuals are prone to syncope and sudden arrhythmogenic cardiac death. The LQTS comprises three groups of patients.

Magnetocardiography: three-dimensional localization of the origin of ventricular late fields in the signal averaged magnetocardiogram in patients with ventricular late potentials.

The purpose of this study was to detect ventricular late fields recorded by a biomagnetic multichannel system in patients with ventricular late potential and to determine the site of these ventricular late fields non-invasively in three dimensions. Biomagnetic signals of sinus beats during a 5-min acquisition period simultaneously recorded by a 37-channel system Krenikon were averaged in all channels. Ventricular late fields were determined in each channel according to the algorithm of Simson for ECG data.

Value of different non-invasive methods for the recognition of arrhythmogenic complications in high-risk patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia during programmed ventricular stimulation.

Unlabelled: It is well known that patients with coronary heart disease and ventricular tachycardia show a high incidence of arrhythmogenic complications and sudden cardiac death. The best predictor of spontaneous ventricular tachycardia and sudden death in these patients is programmed ventricular stimulation, but this invasive method is limited to specialized institutions. The purpose of our study was to assess the predictive value of Holter monitoring, late potentials and heart rate variability as markers for these high-risk patients.

Beat-to-beat variability of ventricular late potentials in the unaveraged high resolution electrocardiogram--effects of antiarrhythmic drugs.

The aim of this study was to assess variability of ventricular late potentials (VLP) in patients with and without inducible ventricular tachycardia (VT), and the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on VLP variability in the high-resolution electrocardiogram (HRECG). In 27 patients 90 s of unaveraged HRECGs were analysed before and 2 h after oral administration of 200 mg disopyramide, 400 mg mexiletine, 300 mg propafenone and 160 mg DL-sotalol. The duration of the QRS (QRSD) and the duration of the terminal low amplitude signal (LASD) was measured from each beat.

Pharmacological therapy in coronary heart disease: prevention of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias are the main reason for sudden cardiac death in coronary heart disease. In the majority of survivors of cardiac arrest, malignant tachyarrhythmias generate from a structurally fixed arrhythmogenic substrate following myocardial infarction without evidence of acute ischaemia. Thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction improves the electrical stability as elucidated by electrophysiological studies and the signal averaged surface ECG.

Local calcification as a determinant of the outcome of excimer laser coronary angioplasty: an in vitro study.

Background: Calcification influences the outcome of various angioplasty techniques in the treatment of coronary artery disease. During angioscopic in vitro studies, we observed that dissections and perforations not caused by vessel bending frequently occurred at the boundary areas of plaque and adjacent vessel wall. This study investigated whether this is related to the distribution of calcific deposits.

[The diagnostic value of standard ECG methods, the cold-pressure test and Valsalva maneuver in idiopathic QT syndrome].

The idiopathic Long QT Syndrome is an infrequently occurring disorder. Affected patients usually show ECG alterations and are prone to syncope and sudden arrhythmic cardiac death. Adequate therapy with beta-blocking drugs may significantly improve the prognosis of affected patients.

Free skeletal muscle transplantation to an infarction area: an experimental study in the dog.

In plastic surgery, free skeletal muscle flaps are used for treatment of non-healing injuries like chronic osteitis or radiation ulcers. We wanted to evaluate if the neoangiogenesis induced by these flaps can also constitute a method for revascularization in ischemic heart disease. In diffuse small vessel coronary heart disease, patients are not suitable for bypass surgery because it is impossible to create a microanastomosis with the coronary artery.

Significance of noninvasive diagnostic techniques in patients with long QT syndrome.

The idiopathic long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an infrequently occurring disorder. Affected patients may have electrocardiographic alterations and are prone to syncope and sudden arrhythmogenic cardiac death. Adequate therapy may improve the prognosis of affected patients significantly.

Cardiac arrhythmias during experimental induction and management of myocardial infarction in the dog.

The experimental production of a myocardial infarction (MI) in the dog was achieved adopting a new catheter technique. After induction of the MI, a variety of arrhythmias appeared and were classified according to the Lown-classification as more or less severe. The therapy was achieved with antiarrhythmics class 1-111 (Vaughn-Williams classification) for late premature ventricular beats or couplets.

Cardiomyoplasty to improve myocardial collateral blood supply as an alternative to transplantation in intractable angina.

In diffuse small-vessel coronary heart disease, heart transplantation may be indicated for intractable angina. As an alternative, a free striated muscle flap can constitute a source of neovessels. Those extraintracardial collaterals develop only 4 weeks after transplantation of the flap as shown by the following experiments with seven dogs.

Massive main pulmonary artery embolism diagnosed with two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography.

This report describes the usefulness of echocardiography in the differential diagnosis of acute cardiovascular events. In a 66-year-old patient with known aortic stenosis and mitral valve prosthesis, who suddenly deteriorated with severe dyspnea, a thrombus within the pulmonary artery could be detected with 2-D echo. Pulsed-wave Doppler disclosed the resulting flow-velocity disturbances.