Clinical outcomes after AF cardioversion in patients presenting left atrial sludge in trans-esophageal echocardiography.

Background: Direct-current cardioversion (DCC) for atrial fibrillation carries a risk of stroke, probably associated with the temporary atrial stunning following cardioversion. The presence of a cardiac thrombus, usually localized in the left atrial appendage (LAA), is recognized as a clear contra-indication to the cardioversion. However, the presence of atrial sludge without LAA thrombus in trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) remains, for many cardiologists, a relative contra-indication to the cardioversion.

Transesophageal echocardiography for the assessment of left atrial appendage thrombus: Study of the additional value of systematic real time 3D imaging after regular 2D evaluation.

Background: Two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (2DTEE) is currently validated for left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus assessment but has some limitations.

Aims: To evaluate the performance and interest of systematic real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) for LAA thrombus assessment, when performed after 2DTEE.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients undergoing TEE were prospectively included.

Regurgitation in gorillas: possible model for human eating disorders (rumination/bulimia).

Regurgitation and reingestion behavior in gorillas is compared with two human disorders, rumination and bulimia. Eighty-four percent of captive gorillas that are more than 5 years old regurgitate and reingest. Comparisons are made on the basis of ontogeny, context, motor pattern, and intervention.

Stochastic simulation of Taylor's dispersion in the airways.

A stochastic simulation was devised in order to obtain a more correct solution of the phenomenon of convection combined with axial and radial diffusion, which is also called Taylor's dispersion, as it could occur in the pulmonary tract. The fit with Aris' moments which can be deemed as a reference since they are obtained analytically without approximation, was quite good. On the other hand, Taylor's solution usually led to large discrepancies with these moments.