Computational Framework to Predict Failure and Performance of Bone-Inspired Materials.

Bone and its substructures have recently been a source of inspiration for the design of novel composites, offering optimal strength-toughness and stiffness-density combinations, traits endowed by the abundance of complex biointerfaces. Bone-inspired design combined with engineering principles may offer a path toward reaching an optimal strength-toughness balance in new materials. On the one hand, with the advent of micro- and nanoreinforcements and novel manufacturing techniques, new possibilities for advanced materials have opened.

Safety of cardioversion in atrial fibrillation lasting less than 48 h without post-procedural anticoagulation in patients at low cardioembolic risk.

Currently, there is no unified consensus on short-term anticoagulation after cardioversion of atrial fibrillation lasting less than 48 h in low-cardioembolic-risk patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the rate of transient ischemic attacks, stroke and death in this subset of patients after cardioversion without post-procedural anticoagulation. In a prospective observational study, patients with recent-onset AF undergoing cardioversion attempts in the Emergency Department were evaluated over the past 3 years.

Aerobic exercise effect on prognostic markers for systolic heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

From previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there is consensus about the positive effect of exercise training on exercise capacity for systolic heart failure (HF); however, the effect on actual prognostic markers such as NTproBNP and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope has not been evaluated. The primary aim of the proposed study is to determine the effect of aerobic exercise training (AEX) on the VE/VCO2 slope and NTproBNP. The following databases (up to February 30, 2013) were searched with no language limitations: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2013, issue 2), MEDLINE (from January 1966), EMBASE (from January 1980), and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (from January 1929).

ARFI elastography in patients with chronic autoimmune liver diseases: A preliminary study.

Objective: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is a new software-based technique that evaluates liver stiffness during B-mode ultrasonography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of ARFI in distinguishing patients with chronic autoimmune liver disease from healthy subjects.

Material And Methods: We enrolled 9 adult patients (8 women, 1 man; age 48.

Real-time elastography as a noninvasive technique for quantification of fibrosis in patients with chronic viral liver disease: Preliminary findings.

Introduction: Real-time elastography (RTE) is a novel technique for measuring tissue elasticity. The aims of this study were to prospectively measure liver stiffness with RTE in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and to evaluate the possible correlation between RTE data and the extent of fibrosis based on liver biopsy findings (Ishak score).

Material And Methods: Between February and October 2011, 26 patients (18M, 8F, mean age 41 ± 13 [standard deviation], range 22-62) with chronic viral hepatitis were prospectively evaluated with ultrasonography (US) that included RTE.