Cardiac Magnetic Resonance-Verified Myocardial Fibrosis in Chagas Disease: Clinical Correlates and Risk Stratification.

Background:: Chagas disease (CD) is an important cause of heart failure and mortality, mainly in Latin America. This study evaluated the morphological and functional characteristics of the heart as well the extent of myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with CD by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The prognostic value of MF evaluated by myocardial-delayed enhancement (MDE) was compared with that via Rassi score.

Characterization and clinical significance of right ventricular mechanics in pulmonary hypertension evaluated with cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking.

Background: Prognosis in pulmonary hypertension (PH) is related to right ventricular (RV) function. Quantification of RV mechanics may offer additive value. The objective of our study is to determine the feasibility and clinical and prognostic value of RV strain analysis by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) based feature tracking (FT) in PH.

Pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection: insights from a case series of 13 patients.

Aims: We sought to present a series of 13 pregnancy-associated spontaneous coronary artery dissection (P-SCAD), their angiographic and multimodal imaging findings, acute phase treatment, and outcomes.

Methods And Results: Between 2005 and 2015, 13 cases of P-SCAD were collected from a database of 11 tertiary hospitals. The mean age was 33.

Diagnostic accuracy of coronary ct for the quantification of the syntax score in patients with left main and/or 3-vessel coronary disease. Comparison with invasive angiography.

Background: The SYNTAX score helps in the treatment decision in multivessel coronary disease. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) can measure the SYNTAX score but has been used in few patients with multivessel disease. Our aim was to assess the feasibility, accuracy and reproducibility of SYNTAX score with CCTA compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in de novo left main and/or 3-vessel disease.

Low- vs. standard-dose coronary artery calcium scanning.

Aims: This study was designed to assess the accuracy of coronary artery calcium scans (CACS) acquired at radiation doses below mammography and low-dose lung scanning, compared with standard-dose CACS.

Methods And Results: CACS was performed in 102 consecutive patients at 120 kVp; all were imaged at standard-dose mAs levels ranging from 30 to 80 mAs determined by their weight, with iterative reconstruction (IR) level 3, and at 50% of the standard-dose mAs with IR level 7 to compensate for the expected increased noise with lower mAs. The low- vs.

Value of CMR for the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of CMR features for the differential diagnosis of cardiac masses.

Background: Differentiation of cardiac tumors and thrombi and differentiation of benign from malignant cardiac neoplasms is often challenging but important in clinical practice. Studies assessing the value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in this regard are scarce.

[Methodology and social, demographic, cognitive, and frailty profiles of community-dwelling elderly from seven Brazilian cities: the FIBRA Study].

A study was designed to identify conditions of frailty in relation to social, demographic, health, cognitive, functional, and psychosocial variables in community-dwelling elderly. The article presents the methodology and preliminary data. A total of 3,478 elderly (65 years and older) were selected from probabilistic samples of seven Brazilian cities chosen by convenience and participated in a data collection session in a community setting.

Molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection for the determination of urinary trans,trans-muconic acid: a comparison with ionic exchange extraction.

A new molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) has been synthesized for the selective extraction of trans,trans-muconic acid (ttMA) from urine samples, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis with ultraviolet detection. The synthesis was based on non-covalent interactions, and 4-vinylpyridine was used as a functional monomer. The analytical calibration curve was prepared using a pool of five urine samples of non-smokers spiked with ttMA standards with concentrations that ranged from 0.

Diagnostic value of myocardial radionuclide imaging in patients with multivessel coronary disease.

Background: Myocardial perfusion radionuclide imaging (MPRI) is a noninvasive method extremely useful for evaluating ischemia in patients with coronary disease. However, the idea that this method would not be effective for patients with multivessel coronary disease is still entertained.

Objective: Assess the value of MPRI with gated-SPECT for tracing pharmacological stress-induced ischemia in patients with multivessel obstructive coronary disease.

Three-phase, liquid-phase microextraction combined with high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection for the simultaneous determination of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human plasma.

A three-phase, liquid-phase microextraction using a hollow fibre (HF-LPME) combined with high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FL) was developed for the analysis of fluoxetine (FLX) and its active metabolite, norfluoxetine (NFLX), in human plasma. An HF-LPME system using a disposable 7-cm polypropylene porous hollow fibre, 5 mL of alkaline plasma solution (donor phase), n-hexyl ether (extraction solvent) and 20 mM hydrochloric acid (acceptor phase) was used in the extraction. The method was validated after optimisation of several parameters that influence LPME efficiency.

Determination of 2,5-hexanedione in urine by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography.

2,5-Hexanedione (2,5-HD) is the most important metabolite of n-hexane and methyl ethyl ketone in human urine. Urinary 2,5-HD is used as a biomarker for biological monitoring of workers exposed to n-hexane. A simple method using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography (GC) equipped with a flame-ionization detector (FID) was developed.

On-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction for the selective spectrophotometric determination of nicotine in the urine of smokers.

This work describes an on-line molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) method for spectrophotometric determination of nicotine in urine samples of smokers. This method is based on manganese (VII) to manganese (VI) reduction in an alkaline medium, promoted by nicotine. Two wash solutions (1:4 (v/v) acetonitrile:sodium hydroxide--pH 11.

Simultaneous determination of multibenzodiazepines by HPLC/UV: investigation of liquid-liquid and solid-phase extractions in human plasma.

A method for simultaneous determination of seven benzodiazepines (BZPs) (flunitrazepam, clonazepam, oxazepam, lorazepam, chlordiazepoxide, nordiazepam and diazepam using N-desalkylflurazepam as internal standard) in human plasma using liquid-liquid and solid-phase extractions followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. The analytes were separated employing a LC-18 DB column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) at 35 degrees C under isocratic conditions using 5mM KH(2)PO(4) buffer solution pH 6.

Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in the general population of southern Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Blood samples were collected from 113 subjects (56 males and 57 females) living in the district of Alfenas, in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil, to establish reference values for delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity (ALA-D, EC 4.2.1.

Hippuric acid in urine: reference values.

Objective: To establish reference values for hippuric acid (HA) excreted in the urine, and to evaluate the impact of age, gender, alcohol, and tobacco, on these levels in a population nonexposed to toluene.

Methods: Reference values for hippuric acid in urine were determined in 115 toluene nonexposed healthy volunteers, from Alfenas city, Southeastern Brazil. A questionnaire was applied to each volunteer and data on occupational and personal habits were collected.