Early Cryoablation After First Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation Reduces Arrhythmia Recurrence in Heart Failure Patients.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist, leading to increased mortality. A cryoballoon-based approach is a potential treatment for patients with HF because of its safety and efficacy.

Objectives: The authors sought to evaluate the optimal timing of cryoballoon ablation after the first clinical diagnosis of AF and its prognosis for patients with HF.

Iatrogenic acute type A aortic dissection during catheter ablation for idiopathic ventricular premature contraction.

Acute aortic dissection type A during cardiac catheterization has been reported as a rare but fatal complication. We present a case of acute aortic dissection type A occurring during catheter manipulation in the ascending aorta during mapping of ventricular premature contraction via the retrograde approach. In the present case, transthoracic echocardiography showed no pericardial effusion and no flap of the aorta, but intracardiac echo clearly showed the flap.

Effects of smoking cessation on endothelial function as assessed by flow-mediated total dilation.

Background: In assessing the effects of smoking cessation on endothelial function, low-flow-mediated constriction (L-FMC) may provide complementary information to flow-mediated dilation (FMD). However, the value of flow-mediated total dilation (FMTD), an index that incorporates L-FMC into FMD, remains underreported. We aimed to evaluate the effect of smoking cessation on endothelial function, as assessed by FMD and FMTD, and clarify its associated clinical factors.

Bulky Alkyl Substituents Enhance the Photocatalytic Activity of Pyridine-Based Donor-Acceptor Molecules in the Direct Reductive Cleavage of the C-Br Bond of Aliphatic Bromides.

We report new pyridine-based donor-acceptor (D-A) molecules that enable the direct reductive transformation of a variety of secondary and tertiary aliphatic bromides. A series of experimental and theoretical results suggested that the D-A molecules promote direct C-Br bond cleavage triggered by the excitation of the complex between the catalyst and the aliphatic bromide and that the alkyl groups significantly contribute to the stabilization of the complex, which improves the efficiency of its excitation.