WITHDRAWN: Prognostic Value of Pharmacologic Stress Echocardiography in Diabetic Patients.

The publisher regrets that this was an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published in Eur. J. Echocardiogr.

Head-mounted displays for clinical virtual reality applications: pitfalls in understanding user behavior while using technology.

The use of virtual environments with head-mounted displays (HMDs) offers unique assets to the evaluation and therapy of clinical populations. However, research examining the effects of this technology on clinical populations is sparse. Understanding how wearers interact with the HMD is vital.

[Herbs on the Internet: risky information].

We analyzed Internet information about herbal products and dietary supplements regulated by Ministry of Public Health. We screened 522 Italian web sites and we found information about toxic risks on Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys), Red yeast fermented rice (Monascus ruber), Borage (Borago officinalis) and Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) respectively in: 63%, 47%, 3% and 22% of the web sites. It is also possible the on-line purchase.

Neutrophil recruitment in the reperfused-injured rat liver was effectively attenuated by repertaxin, a novel allosteric noncompetitive inhibitor of CXCL8 receptors: a therapeutic approach for the treatment of post-ischemic hepatic syndromes.

Hepatic reperfusion injury represents a crucial problem in several clinical situations including liver transplantation, extensive hepatectomy and hypovolemic shock with resuscitation. Repertaxin is a new non-competitive allosteric blocker of interleukin-8 (CXCL8) receptors, which by locking CXCR1/R2 in an inactive conformation, prevents receptor signaling and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) chemotaxis. The present study shows that repertaxin dramatically prevents rat post-ischemic hepatocellular necrosis (80% of inhibition) and PMN infiltration (96% of inhibition) at a clinically-relevant time (24 h) of reperfusion.

[Stool antigen test for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Merely a research opportunity, or an effective diagnostic tool?].

Since Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection was recognized as a major cause of peptic ulcer disease and an important risk factor for gastric malignancy, several strategies have been used to diagnose it. These methods are split up along two lines: 1) direct detection of the bacteria, and 2) detection of antigen-antibody assay against H.

Predicting human serum albumin affinity of interleukin-8 (CXCL8) inhibitors by 3D-QSPR approach.

A novel class of 2-(R)-phenylpropionamides has been recently reported to inhibit in vitro and in vivo interleukin-8 (CXCL8)-induced biological activities. These CXCL8 inhibitors are derivatives of phenylpropionic nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), high-affinity ligands for site II of human serum albumin (HSA). Up to date, only a limited number of in silico models for the prediction of albumin protein binding are available.

Design considerations for a wearable monitor to measure finger posture.

BACKGROUND: Objective measures of hand function as individuals participate in home and community activities are needed in order to better plan and evaluate rehabilitation treatments. Traditional measures collected in the clinical setting are often not reflective of actual functional performance. Recent advances in technology, however, enable the development of a lightweight, comfortable data collection monitor to measure hand kinematics.

Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography of mammary artery grafts to assess graft function.

Background: Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography of internal mammary artery grafts (MAGs) has been tested by the supraclavicular approach, but little information is available about the parasternal approach.

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of parasternal transthoracic Doppler echocardiography to assess the patency of left and right MAGs.

Patients And Methods: Forty-eight patients with previous MAGs were divided into two groups on the basis of coronary angiography: 42 patients had patent MAGs and six patients had severe MAG stenosis.

[Usefulness of Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis in hypertensive children. Two case reports and review of the literature].

Renal artery stenosis, mainly due to fibromuscular dysplasia, is the second more common cause of arterial hypertension in children, after aortic coarctation. Two children sent to our Center of Pediatric Cardiology, one for arterial hypertension and the other for renal failure (associated with severe hypertension not previously recognized) are reported. In both of them the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis was established at Doppler ultrasonography, performed at the time of Doppler echocardiography.

[Surveillance and cost-effectiveness of colonoscopy in asymptomatic increased risk subjects of colorectal cancer: Ferrara experience].

Colorectal cancer represents the second leading cause of cancer deaths in western countries with elevated costs for health service. It's very important to develop screening and surveillance programs for cancer prevention with "cost-effective" means. We present a surveillance program with colonoscopy focused on first degree relatives of CRC patients.

Outcome assessment for spasticity management in the patient with traumatic brain injury: the state of the art.

The objective of this article was to (1) review the engineering and medical literature to structure the available information concerning the assessment of spasticity in the neurological population; (2) to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods currently in use in spasticity assessment; and (3) make recommendations for future efforts in spasticity outcome assessment. Spasticity textbooks, Web sites, and OVID, IEEE, and Medline searches from 1966 through 2003 of spasticity, quantitative measure, or outcome assessment in the rehabilitation population were used as data sources. Over 500 articles were reviewed.

Coronary flow reserve in hypertensive patients with appropriate or inappropriate left ventricular mass.

Objective: To assess the association between coronary flow reserve (CFR) and levels of left ventricular mass (LVM) exceeding the compensatory needs in arterial hypertension. DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PATIENTS: The association between the excess of LV mass and CFR was assessed in a population of 40 consecutive hypertensive outpatients free of coronary heart disease, 22 with appropriate and 17 with inappropriately high LVM (i.e.

Prognostic value of pharmacological stress echocardiography in diabetic patients.

Our study was undertaken to assess the prognostic significance of pharmacological stress echocardiography in 325 diabetic patients. Pharmacological stress echocardiography was performed for diagnosis of coronary artery disease in 128 patients, and for risk stratification in 197 patients. Follow-up was 34 months.

Noninvasive assessment of left and right internal mammary artery graft patency using transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the patency of left and right internal mammary artery grafts respectively on the left anterior descending and right coronary artery by noninvasive transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography.

Methods: Thirty eight patients (34 males, 4 females, mean age 59 +/- 2 years), with a history of coronary artery bypass grafting for a total of 42 mammary artery grafts, were studied by means of color Doppler echocardiography at baseline and after vasodilation with dipyridamole infusion (0.56 mg/kg i.

[Kawasaki disease: clinical characteristics and cardiovascular involvement in a cohort of 121 patients].

Kawasaki disease is an acute generalized self-limiting vasculitis of small and medium size arteries of unknown ethiology, mostly affecting children younger then 5 years of age. Coronary arteries may be involved with aneurysms lesions, thrombotic occlusion, acute coronary syndrome and sudden death. The mortality rate has been significantly reduced by combined therapy of intravenous immunoglobuline (IVIG) and acetil salicylic acid (ASA) from 3% to 0.

Is the time course of clozapine response correlated to the time course of clozapine plasma levels? A one-year prospective study in drug-resistant patients with schizophrenia.

The relationship between the time course of clinical response to clozapine and the time course of clozapine plasma levels has never been investigated. In the present study, we assessed prospectively the clinical response to clozapine and the plasma levels of the drug and its major metabolites in 32 drug-resistant patients with schizophrenia kept on a fixed dose of 600 mg/day for 1 year Four of the patients met response criteria at week 4 of treatment. At weeks 8, 12, and 24, new responders were 7, 6, and 6, respectively.

Coronary flow reserve and myocardial diastolic dysfunction in arterial hypertension.

The aim of this study was to assess the relation between coronary blood flow and left ventricular (LV) myocardial diastolic dysfunction in arterial hypertension. The study population included 30 hypertensive patients who were free of coronary artery disease and pharmacologic therapies. They underwent standard Doppler echocardiography and color tissue Doppler of the middle posterior septum at baseline and with high-dose dobutamine, and second-harmonic Doppler flow analysis of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery at baseline and after vasodilation by dipyridamole (0.

Positive association between circulating free insulin-like growth factor-1 levels and coronary flow reserve in arterial systemic hypertension.

Background: The reduction of coronary flow reserve (CFR) found in arterial hypertension may be due to changes in afterload, left ventricular (LV) structure, and metabolic factors. Also, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may be associated with the magnitude of CFR in relation to its modulating action on cardiac and endothelial function.

Methods: A total of 44 newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive patients, who were free of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, underwent M-mode analysis, second-harmonic Doppler echocardiographic assessment of CFR (dipyridamole infusion 0.

[Mitral stenosis: echocardiographic evaluation].

The diagnostic tools available for the evaluation of mitral stenosis are two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, which are able to identify morphologic and flow changes. Two-dimensional echocardiography can be used to assess the morphological appearance of the mitral valve apparatus, including its mobility and thickness and the presence of calcified leaflets and subvalvular fusion. Wilkins'score permits evaluation of each variable which, on the basis of its severity, is scored according to a point system ranging from 1 to 4.

Involvement of right ventricle in left ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: analysis by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging.

Aims: This study uses pulsed Doppler tissue imaging to analyse right ventricular myocardial function and its interaction with left ventricle in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy involving ventricular septum.

Methods And Results: Thirty-four patients with septal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 30 normal subjects, comparable for sex, age, body mass index and heart rate, underwent complete standard Doppler echocardiography and pulsed Doppler tissue imaging of both posterior septum and right ventricular free wall, calculating myocardial velocities and both systolic and diastolic time intervals. Except for peak velocity A, the other Doppler tricuspid inflow measurements were significantly impaired in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, without changes of tricuspid annular systolic excursion.

Climacteric modifications in body weight and fat tissue distribution.

Objective: To estimate the effects of climacteric modifications on body weight and fat distribution.

Methods: From 8764 women attending the authors' Menopause Clinic, 1075 untreated, normal healthy women were selected and divided into three groups: premenopausal (n = 380), perimenopausal (n = 263) and postmenopausal (n = 432). The total body fat tissue mass and distribution were analyzed using the dual energy X-ray method.

Right ventricular myocardial diastolic dysfunction in different kinds of cardiac hypertrophy: analysis by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) chamber involvement has been demonstrated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as well as in hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) but little is known about RV myocardial dysfunction occurring in these two pathologies. The aim of this study was to compare Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) of the right ventricle in HCM and LVH in relation to DTI of the left ventricle and Doppler standard of the RV and left ventricular (LV) inflow.

Methods: Thirty controls, 20 hypertensives with LVH, and 23 patients with HCM involving the interventricular septum underwent Doppler echocardiography and pulsed DTI of the LV lateral mitral annulus and the RV lateral tricuspid annulus.