Predictors of embolism and death in left-sided infective endocarditis: the European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme European Infective Endocarditis registry.

Background And Aims: Even though vegetation size in infective endocarditis (IE) has been associated with embolic events (EEs) and mortality risk, it is unclear whether vegetation size associated with these potential outcomes is different in left-sided IE (LSIE). This study aimed to seek assessing the vegetation cut-off size as predictor of EE or 30-day mortality for LSIE and to determine risk predictors of these outcomes.

Methods: The European Society of Cardiology EURObservational Research Programme European Infective Endocarditis is a prospective, multicentre registry including patients with definite or possible IE throughout 2016-18.

Changes in echocardiographic parameters over time in paradoxical low-flow low-gradient aortic stenosis.

Aims: To assess the progression of the disease and evolution of the main echocardiographic variables for quantifying AS in patients with severe low-flow low-gradient (LFLG) AS compared to other severe AS subtypes.

Methods And Results: Longitudinal, observational, multicenter study including consecutive asymptomatic patients with severe AS (aortic valve area, AVA < 1.0 cm²) and normal left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF ≥ 50%).

Prognosis of Paradoxical Low-Flow Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis: A Severe, Non-critical Form, With Surgical Treatment Benefits.

Objectives: To determine the risk of mortality and need for aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with low-flow low-gradient (LFLG) aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods: A longitudinal multicentre study including consecutive patients with severe AS (aortic valve area [AVA] < 1.0 cm) and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

The pest kill rate of thirteen natural enemies as aggregate evaluation criterion of their biological control potential of Tuta absoluta.

Ecologists study how populations are regulated, while scientists studying biological pest control apply population regulation processes to reduce numbers of harmful organisms: an organism (a natural enemy) is used to reduce the population density of another organism (a pest). Finding an effective biological control agent among the tens to hundreds of natural enemies of a pest is a daunting task. Evaluation criteria help in a first selection to remove clearly ineffective or risky species from the list of candidates.

The genetic component of bicuspid aortic valve and aortic dilation. An exome-wide association study.

Background: Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common cardiovascular congenital malformation affecting 2% of the general population. The incidence of life-threatening complications, the high heritability, and familial clustering rates support the interest in identifying risk or protective genetic factors. The main objective of the present study was to identify population-based genetic variation associated with bicuspid aortic valve and concomitant ascending aortic dilation.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin in the evaluation of acute chest pain of uncertain etiology. A PITAGORAS substudy.

Introduction And Objectives: High-sensitivity troponin assays have improved the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in patients presenting with chest pain and normal troponin levels as measured by conventional assays. Our aim was to investigate whether N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide provides additional information to troponin determination in these patients.

Methods: A total of 398 patients, included in the PITAGORAS study, presenting to the emergency department with chest pain and normal troponin levels as measured by conventional assay in 2 serial samples (on arrival and 6 h to 8h later) were studied.

Analysis of traffic accidents on rural highways using Latent Class Clustering and Bayesian Networks.

One of the principal objectives of traffic accident analyses is to identify key factors that affect the severity of an accident. However, with the presence of heterogeneity in the raw data used, the analysis of traffic accidents becomes difficult. In this paper, Latent Class Cluster (LCC) is used as a preliminary tool for segmentation of 3229 accidents on rural highways in Granada (Spain) between 2005 and 2008.

Evaluation of population parameters and mathematical strategies for the calculation of prenatal risk of Down syndrome in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Objective: To evaluate the population parameters applied to the calculation of risk for Down syndrome (DS) in the first trimester screening (FTS) and the comparison of performance obtained including or excluding maternal age from the mathematical algorithm.

Methods: Three different calculation engines for prenatal risk of DS were developed on the basis of the population parameters from the Serum, Urine and Ultrasound Screening Study, the Fetal Medicine Foundation, and a combination of both of them. These calculators were evaluated in 14,645 first trimester pregnant women, including 59 DS affected fetuses, comparing their performance with that obtained by our commercial software Elipse® (Perkin Elmer Life and Analytical Sciences, Turku, Finland).

Analysis of traffic accident injury severity on Spanish rural highways using Bayesian networks.

Several different factors contribute to injury severity in traffic accidents, such as driver characteristics, highway characteristics, vehicle characteristics, accidents characteristics, and atmospheric factors. This paper shows the possibility of using Bayesian Networks (BNs) to classify traffic accidents according to their injury severity. BNs are capable of making predictions without the need for pre assumptions and are used to make graphic representations of complex systems with interrelated components.

Spanish Acute Aortic Syndrome Study (RESA). Better diagnosis is not reflected in reduced mortality.

Introduction And Objectives: Because acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is associated with high mortality, early diagnosis and treatment are vital. The aim of the Spanish Acute Aortic Syndrome Study (RESA) was to investigate the effectiveness of current treatment of AAS in a broad range of tertiary care hospitals in Spain.

Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 24 tertiary care hospitals reported data on 519 patients with AAS (78% male, mean age 61 +/- 13 years, range 20-92 years): 357 had type-A AAS and 162 had type B.

Vasoreactivity of the radial artery after transradial catheterization.

The vasomotor response was used to assess the degree of radial artery injury after transradial catheterization. Vasoreactivity was studied by ultrasound before catheterization, 24 hours after, at 1 week and at 1 month in 18 patients. Mean radial artery diameter increased from 2.

[ST segment elevation during dipyridamole stress testing in a patient without coronary lesions].

We describe a patient who presented transient ST-segment elevation and typical chest pain during an ischemia test with dipyridamole and technetium-tetrofosmin. Chest pain and electrical alterations disappeared promptly with sublingual nitroglycerin. Coronary angiography showed no epicardial lesions, and coronary vasospasm was suspected.

[Coronary angiography with 4 f catheters by the radial: minimally invasive catheterization].

Introduction And Objectives: Experience with 4 F catheters in cardiac catheterization is limited. These devices appear to be more suitable for the radial artery approach than conventional 6 F catheters.

Methods: We analyze our preliminary experience with diagnostic catheterization of the radial artery with 4 F catheters.

Coronary perforation as a potential complication derived from coronary thrombectomy with the X-Sizer device.

We report a case of coronary perforation after failed atherectomy with a 2 mm X-Sizer catheter in recent totally occluded right coronary artery. The perforation was successfully managed with a polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent with satisfactory final angiographic results. Possible predictors of this complication with this new device are discussed.