Safe and Robust Map Updating for Long-Term Operations in Dynamic Environments.

Ensuring safe and continuous autonomous navigation in long-term mobile robot applications is still challenging. To ensure a reliable representation of the current environment without the need for periodic remapping, updating the map is recommended. However, in the case of incorrect robot pose estimation, updating the map can lead to errors that prevent the robot's localisation and jeopardise map accuracy.

Metrics of care and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with pharmacoinvasive strategy: a decade-long network in a populous city in Brazil.

Background: Pharmacoinvasive strategy is an effective myocardial reperfusion therapy when primary percutaneous coronary intervention (p-PCI) cannot be performed in a timely manner.

Methods: Authors sought to evaluate metrics of care and cardiovascular outcomes in a decade-long registry of a pharmacoinvasive strategy network for the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Data from a local network including patients undergoing fibrinolysis in county hospitals and systematically transferred to the tertiary center were accessed from March 2010 to September 2020.

Pharmaco-invasive Strategy in Myocardial Infarction: Descriptive Analysis, Presentation of Ischemic Symptoms and Mortality Predictors.

Background: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is defined by symptoms accompanied by typical electrocardiogram changes. However, the characterization of ischemic symptoms is unclear, especially in subgroups such as women and the elderly.

Objectives: To analyze the typification of ischemic symptoms, temporal metrics and observe the occurrence of in-hospital outcomes, in the analysis of predictive scores, in patients with STEMI, in a drug-invasive strategy.

Prognostic significance of right ventricle to pulmonary artery coupling in patients with mitral regurgitation treated with the MitraClip system.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic impact of baseline tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/pulmonary artery systolic pressure (TAPSE/PASP) ratio, as an expression of the right ventricle-pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling, in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) treated with the MitraClip.

Background: Impaired RV to PA coupling is considered a marker of RV dysfunction.

Methods: From February 2016 to February 2020, a total of 165 patients were evaluated and stratified in two groups according to a prespecified value of TAPSE/PASP ratio ≤ 0.

Acute changes in mitral valve geometry after percutaneous valve repair with MitraClip XT by three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Mitral valve (MV) repair with MitraClip system is a safe treatment option for high-risk patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR). We aimed to characterize, by three-dimensional echocardiography (3D-E), changes occurring in MV after implantation of third generation MitraClip XT device, with specific reference to the underlying MR mechanism (functional vs degenerative, FMR vs DMR).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 59 patients, who underwent intra-procedural 3D-E before and after device deployment.

Delayed Anaerobic Threshold in Heart Failure Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Purpose: To assess whether atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure (HF) affects oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold ((Equation is included in full-text article.)O2 AT) and heart rate (HR) kinetics.

Methods: A total of 15 patients with HF and AF and 18 with HF and sinus rhythm (SR) performed a maximal incremental and 2 constant workload cycle ergometer cardiopulmonary exercise tests (below and above AT, at 25% and 75% of maximal workload, respectively).

Influence of gender on the risk of death and adverse events in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing pharmacoinvasive strategy.

Pharmacoinvasive treatment is an acceptable alternative for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in developing countries. The present study evaluated the influence of gender on the risks of death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in this population. Seven municipal emergency rooms and the Emergency Mobile Healthcare Service in São Paulo treated STEMI patients with tenecteplase.

Predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing pharmacoinvasive treatment.

Objectives: To identify predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing pharmacoinvasive treatment.

Methods: This was an observational, prospective study that included 398 patients admitted to a tertiary center for percutaneous coronary intervention within 3 to 24 hours after thrombolysis with tenecteplase. ClinicalTrials.

Ankle-brachial index as a predictor of coronary disease events in elderly patients submitted to coronary angiography.

Objectives: To correlate the importance of the ankle-brachial index in terms of cardiovascular morbimortality and the extent of coronary arterial disease amongst elderly patients without clinical manifestations of lower limb peripheral arterial disease.

Methods: We analyzed prospective data from 100 patients over 65 years of age with coronary arterial disease, as confirmed by coronary angiography, and with over 70% stenosis of at least one sub-epicardial coronary artery. We measured the ankle-brachial index immediately after coronary angiography, and a value of <0.

Mortality after myocardial infarction: the role of renal function and systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle.

Background: The relationship between renal dysfunction and mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) has been demonstrated in patients with reduced ejection fraction. The importance of diastolic dysfunction in this scenario is unknown.

Methods: We studied 749 patients with acute MI who were evaluated within 24 hours of symptom onset.

Summary of the II Brazilian Guideline update on Acute Heart Failure 2009/2011.

In the past two years we observed several changes in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of patients with acute heart failure (acute HF), which led us to the need of performing a summary update of the II Brazilian Guidelines on Acute Heart Failure 2009. In the diagnostic evaluation, the diagnostic flowchart was simplified and the role of clinical assessment and echocardiography was enhanced. In the clinical-hemodynamic evaluation on admission, the hemodynamic echocardiography gained prominence as an aid to define this condition in patients with acute HF in the emergency room.

Use of demonstrably effective therapies in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes: comparison between different Brazilian regions. Analysis of the Brazilian Registry on Acute Coronary Syndromes (BRACE).

Background: Little is known in our country about regional differences in the treatment of acute coronary disease.

Objective: To analyze the behavior regarding the use of demonstrably effective regional therapies in acute coronary disease.

Methods: A total of 71 hospitals were randomly selected, respecting the proportionality of the country in relation to geographic location, among other criteria.

Exercise may cause myocardial ischemia at the anaerobic threshold in cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Myocardial ischemia may occur during an exercise session in cardiac rehabilitation programs. However, it has not been established whether it is elicited when exercise prescription is based on heart rate corresponding to the anaerobic threshold as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Our objective was to determine the incidence of myocardial ischemia in cardiac rehabilitation programs according to myocardial perfusion SPECT in exercise programs based on the anaerobic threshold.

Transitory myocardial ischemia in patients with vascular lower limb amputation: relationship with long-term atherothrombotic events.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic transitory myocardial ischemia during scintigraphy among amputees of vascular etiology as well as to ascertain correlation with atherothrombotic events during long-term follow-up.

Design: A cohort, mean follow-up of 2.1 yrs study was performed in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic with 58 lower limb vascular amputees who were referred for rehabilitation, asymptomatic for coronary heart disease.

Analysis of plasma homocysteine levels in patients with unstable angina.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hyperhomocystinemia in patients with acute ischemic syndrome of the unstable angina type.

Methods: We prospectively studied 46 patients (24 females) with unstable angina and 46 control patients (19 males), paired by sex and age, blinded to the laboratory data. Details of diets, smoking habits, medication used, body mass index, and the presence of hypertension and diabetes were recorded, as were plasma lipid and glucose levels, C-reactive protein, and lipoperoxidation in all participants.

Distribution of GABA(B) receptor mRNAs in the rat brain and peripheral organs.

GABA, the predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter present in the mammalian CNS, is also found in the periphery. GABA actions are mediated by the ionotropic GABA(A)/GABA(C) receptors, as well as the metabotropic GABA(B) receptor. The rat GABA(B) receptor has recently been cloned and two cDNA clones have been isolated encoding two isoforms of the receptor, GABA(B)R1a and R1b.

Serotonin is reduced in the frontal cortex of Sardinian ethanol-preferring rats.

Ethanol-naive Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and Sardinian alcohol-non-preferring (sNP) rats were tested to evaluate the levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindol-3-yl-acetic acid (5-HIAA) in the frontal cortex, hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens, and the levels of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens. Compared with the sNP line, the sP rats had lower 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentrations in the frontal cortex, whereas no differences were found in the other brain areas tested, neither for neurotransmitters nor their metabolites. As the decreased 5-HT function is a feature shared by different alcohol-preferring strains, it could be linked to the genetic predisposition to voluntary ethanol consumption.