Characterization of nanostructured epoxy networks modified with isocyanate-terminated liquid polybutadiene.

Polybutadiene-block-epoxy prepolymer (DGEBA-b-PBNCO) copolymers with multi-branched topological structure were prepared by reacting isocyanate-multifunctionalized liquid polybutadiene (PBNCO) with DGEBA prepolymer and used to develop nanostructured rubber-modified epoxy thermosets cured with triethylene-tetramine (TETA) as the aliphatic amine. The nanoscopic structure was obtained with the addition of as high as 20 phr of rubber component and successfully demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The glass transition temperature of the rubber-modified epoxy networks was slightly higher than the neat epoxy system.

[Analysis of mortality in myocardial infarction patients treated with primary angioplasty].

Background And Objective: Primary angioplasty is an effective method to achieve myocardial reperfusion in ST-elevated myocardial infarction (MI). The objective of this study was to determine the independent factors that could predict mortality in MI patients treated with primary angioplasty and to analyze the prognostic value of tissue reperfusion parameters in those patients.

Patients And Method: A prospective observational study was performed in 380 consecutive patients with ST-elevated MI treated with primary angioplasty at a single hospital.

[Percutaneous intervention for severe aortic stenosis and left main artery disease in a morbidly obese patient].

Obesity increases significantly the rate of postsurgical complications and mortality in patients undergoing major surgery. We present the case of a morbidly obese 65-year-old female with severe aortic stenosis and left main coronary artery disease who underwent successful aortic valvuloplasty and angioplasty, with placement of a stent in the left main coronary artery. After undergoing bariatric surgery and losing 30% of her body weight, the patient was accepted for cardiac surgery to replace the aortic valve and to bypass the left anterior descending coronary artery using the mammary artery.

A semiquantitative method based on proximal convergence zone to estimate the severity of the mitral regurgitation: design and clinical application.

Aims: The analysis of the mitral regurgitation using the proximal isovelocity surface area method has not been extended to clinical practice because of its complexity. Our objective was to design and validate a simplified semi-quantitative method based on proximal isovelocity surface area to assess the severity of mitral regurgitation.

Methods And Results: We studied 58 patients with mitral regurgitation.

[Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva. Apropos of 2 cases].

Anomalous origin of right coronary artery from the left sinus of Valsalva is a uncommon congenital anomaly which is difficult to demonstrate angiographically. For many years pathologists classified it as a minor anomaly of no clinical significance. It has only recently been associated with significant manifestations of myocardial ischemia.