Geometric Changes in Mitral Valve Apparatus during Long-term Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy as Assessed with Cardiac CT.

Purpose To assess long-term geometric changes of the mitral valve apparatus using cardiac CT in individuals who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Materials and Methods Participants from a randomized controlled trial with cardiac CT examinations before CRT implantation and at 6 months follow-up (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01323686) were invited to undergo an additional long-term follow-up cardiac CT examination.

Predicted vs Observed Valve to Coronary Distance in Valve-in-Valve TAVR: A Computed Tomography Study.

Background: Preprocedural computed tomography (CT) workup with assessment of virtual transcatheter heart valve-to-coronary ostia (VTC) distance and transcatheter heart valve-to-sinus (VTS) distances is recommended to assess the risk of coronary obstruction following valve-in-valve (ViV) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Objectives: The authors sought to investigate the agreement of predicted VTC and VTS distances and observed post-TAVR anatomy on CT and their relationship with transcatheter heart valve (THV) expansion and deployment conditions.

Methods: Fifty-one patients who underwent a balloon-expandable ViV procedure were included in this study.

Factors Associated with Willingness to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in a Large Convenience Sample.

Willingness and reasons to be vaccinated against COVID-19 were examined among 26,324 respondents who completed a survey on willingness and questions related to Confidence in vaccine safety, Complacency about the disease, Convenience of vaccination, tendency to Calculate risks versus benefits, and Concern for protecting others. Willingness to be vaccinated differed by age (p < 0.001), by race and ethnicity (p < 0.

Crystal structure of α-1,4-glucan lyase, a unique glycoside hydrolase family member with a novel catalytic mechanism.

α-1,4-Glucan lyase (EC 4.2.2.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of carnein, a serine protease from Ipomoea carnea.

Carnein is an 80 kDa subtilisin-like serine protease from the latex of the plant Ipomoea carnea which displays an exceptional resistance to chemical and thermal denaturation. In order to obtain the first crystal structure of a plant subtilisin and to gain insight into the structural determinants underlying its remarkable stability, carnein was isolated from I. carnea latex, purified and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method.