Key Insights and Clinical Pearls in the Identification and Management of Cirrhosis and Its Complications.

Cirrhosis is a prevalent, chronic condition with an asymptomatic compensated phase, in which patients may feel well, and a decompensated phase that begins with the onset of complications (eg hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, and/or variceal bleeding). Because patients with cirrhosis may appear healthy with normal liver enzymes, alkaline phosphatase, and serum bilirubin levels, awareness of clinical signals is important. For example, patients with thrombocytopenia should be evaluated for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.

Adherence in Hepatitis C Virus Treatment: What We Know.

Although therapy with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents achieves high hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure rates and is forgiving of missed doses, certain patient populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID), are often denied therapy because of a perceived high risk of nonadherence. However, a relationship between adherence to DAAs for various patient populations and efficacy has not been well defined. The lack of a standardized method for evaluating adherence complicates making comparisons between studies, making it difficult to develop and implement novel measures that may improve adherent behavior.

A methodology for image-based measurement of plate movement in disengaged wet clutches.

The drag loss behavior of a disengaged wet clutch is influenced, among other things, by the movement of the plates. Therefore, knowledge about the plate movement is essential for investigating and optimizing the drag loss behavior. This paper presents a methodology for image-based measurement of plate movement in disengaged wet clutches.

Impact of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Left Atrial Ejection Fraction in Advanced Ischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The prognostic significance of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-based left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF) is not well defined in the ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) cohort.

Objectives: The authors sought to assess the prognostic impact of LAEF, when adjusted for left ventricular remodeling, myocardial infarct size (MIS), left atrial volume index, and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), on outcomes in patients with advanced ICM.

Methods: ICM patients who underwent CMR were retrospectively evaluated (April 2001-December 2019).

Novel contouring method for optimizing MRI flow quantification in patients with aortic valve disease.

Optimizing MRI aortic flow quantification is crucial for accurate assessment of valvular disease severity. In this study, we sought to evaluate the accuracy of a novel method of contouring systolic aortic forward flow in comparison to standard contouring methods at various aortic levels. The study included a cohort of patients with native aortic valve (AoV) disease and a small control group referred to cardiac MRI over a 1-year period.