Cardiac Computed Tomography in Monitoring Revascularization.

The use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in the setting of stable coronary artery disease is highly recommended for low-risk patients. High-risk patients, such as symptomatic subjects with prior revascularization, are suggested to be investigated with noninvasive functional tests or invasive coronary angiography. CCTA is not considered for these patients because of some well-known CCTA artifacts, such as blooming and motion artifacts.

Nothing but lung and bones: Longitudinal evolution and quantitative analysis in a case of idiopathic diffuse pulmonary ossification.

A 77-year-old Caucasian man, a former surveyor in a chemical company, underwent a chest X-ray (CXR) as a follow-up exam for a melanoma of the back, surgically removed. CXR showed interstitial thickening in both lower lobes; then, a high-resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT) was performed to further investigate these findings, revealing multiple small, calcified nodules with branching appearance at both lung bases. Clinical examination and exposure history were negative, except for a decrease in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide resulting from pulmonary function tests.

Modeling population exposure to community noise and air pollution in a large metropolitan area.

Epidemiologic studies have shown that both air pollution and community noise are associated with cardiovascular disease mortality. Because road traffic is a major contributor to these environmental pollutants in metropolitan areas, it is plausible that the observed associations may be confounded by coexistent pollutants. As part of a large population-based cohort study to address this concern, we used a noise prediction model to assess annual average community noise levels from transportation sources in metropolitan Vancouver, Canada.

Seasonal fluctuation of DNA photodamage in marine plankton assemblages at Palmer Station, Antarctica.

Ultraviolet radiation-induced DNA damage frequencies were measured in DNA dosimeters and natural plankton communities during the austral spring at Palmer Station, Antarctica, during the 1999-2000 field season. We found that the fluence of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) at the earth's surface correlated with stratospheric ozone concentrations, with significant ozone depletion observed because of "ozone hole" conditions. To verify the interdependence of ozone depletion and DNA damage in natural microbial communities, seawater was collected daily or weekly from Arthur Harbor at Palmer Station, Antarctica, throughout "ozone season," exposed to ambient sunlight between 0600 and 1800 h and fractionated using membrane filtration to separate phytoplankton and bacterioplankton populations.