Atrial Strain and Strain Rate in a General Population: Do These Measures Improve the Assessment of Elevated NT-proBNP Levels?

Background: Noninvasive assessment of elevated filling pressure in the left ventricle (LV) remains an unresolved problem. Of the many echocardiographic parameters used to evaluate diastolic pressure, the left atrial strain and strain rate (LA S/SR) have shown promise in clinical settings. However, only a few previous studies have evaluated LA S/SR in larger populations.

Resting segmental speckle tracking strain and strain rate in stable coronary artery disease and revascularized myocardial infarction.

Patients with acute coronary artery disease (CAD) exhibit reduced global and regional strain and strain rate (S/SR). However, knowledge about segmental S/SR in stable CAD patients is still limited. This study aimed to investigate whether resting segmental S/SR measurements differ in patients with chronic chest pain who have normal coronary arteries or stenotic coronary arteries, and to compare these measurements to those in patients with revascularized myocardial infarction (MI).

Novel approach to artefact detection and the definition of normal ranges of segmental strain and strain-rate values.

Aims: Strain artefacts are known to hamper the correct interpretation of segmental strain and strain-rate (S/SR). Defining the normal ranges of myocardial segmental deformation is important in clinical studies and routine echocardiographic practice. In order to define artefact-free normal ranges for segmental longitudinal S/SR parameters, we investigated the extent to which different types of artefacts and their segmental localisation in the three different myocardial layers created a bias in the results of echocardiographic strain measurements.

2-(2-(Dimethylamino)vinyl)-4-pyran-4-ones as Novel and Convenient Building-Blocks for the Synthesis of Conjugated 4-Pyrone Derivatives.

A straightforward approach for the construction of the new class of conjugated pyrans based on enamination of 2-methyl-4-pyrones with DMF-DMA was developed. 2-(2-(Dimethylamino)vinyl)-4-pyrones are highly reactive substrates that undergo 1,6-conjugate addition/elimination or 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition/elimination followed by substitution of the dimethylamino group without ring opening. This strategy includes selective transformations leading to conjugated and isoxazolyl-substituted 4-pyrone structures.

A novel strategy for the functionalization and design of 4-methylene-4-pyran merocyanines enamination and 1,8-conjugate addition.

4-Methylene-4-pyrans are popular merocyanine dyes, but their functionalization is limited by the Knoevenagel condensation with aromatic aldehydes. In this work, we developed a novel approach for the construction of a new class of pyran fluorophores based on enamination and subsequent nucleophilic substitution of the dimethylamino group 1,8-conjugate addition/elimination. This methodology includes selective transformations leading to previously unknown symmetrical and asymmetrical structures.

Heavy alcohol drinking and subclinical echocardiographic abnormalities of structure and function.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess changes in heart structure and function associated with heavy alcohol use by comparing echocardiographic indices in a population-based sample to those in patients admitted to an inpatient facility with severe alcohol problems.

Methods And Results: We used data from the Know Your Heart study (2015-2017) which is a cross-sectional study that recruited 2479 participants aged 35-69 years from the general population of the city of Arkhangelsk in Northwest Russia and 278 patients from the Arkhangelsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital with a primary diagnosis related to chronic alcohol use (narcology clinic subsample). The drinking patterns of the population-based sample were characterised in detail.