Non-invasive assessment of left ventricular filling pressure in aortic stenosis.

Background: The assessment of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure (FP) is important for the management of aortic stenosis (AS) patients. Although, it is often restricted for predict LV FP in AS because of mitral annular calcification and a certain left ventricular hypertrophy. Thus, we tested the predictive ability of the algorithm for elevated LV FP in AS patients and also applied a recently-proposed echocardiographic scoring system of LV FP, visually assessed time difference between the mitral valve and tricuspid valve opening (VMT) score.

Echocardiographic estimation of right ventricular diastolic stiffness based on pulmonary regurgitant velocity waveform analysis in precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Right ventricular (RV) diastolic stiffness is an independent predictor of survival and is strongly associated with disease severity in patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Therefore, a fully validated echocardiographic method for assessing RV diastolic stiffness needs to be established. This study aimed to compare echocardiography-derived RV diastolic stiffness and invasively measured pressure-volume loop-derived RV diastolic stiffness in patients with precapillary PH.

Application of an echocardiographic scoring system of left ventricular filling pressure to diagnose acute heart failure in patients complaining dyspnea.

Background: Dyspnea is a common symptom in acute heart failure (AHF) patients. Although an accurate and rapid diagnosis of AHF is essential to improve prognosis, estimation of left ventricular (LV) filling pressure (FP) remains challenging, especially for noncardiologists. We evaluated the usefulness of a recently-proposed parameter of LV FP, visually assessed time difference between the mitral valve and tricuspid valve opening (VMT) score, to detect AHF in patients complaining of dyspnea.

Effects of Intermittent and Continuous Static Stretching on Range of Motion and Musculotendinous Viscoelastic Properties Based on a Duration-Matched Protocol.

The different effects of intermittent and continuous stretching on the mechanical properties of the musculotendinous complex have been unclear. This study aimed to compare the effects of intermittent and continuous stretching for the same duration on the range of motion (ROM), passive resistive torque (PRT), and musculotendinous stiffness (MTS) of ankle plantar flexors. Eighteen healthy young men participated in the study.

Direct Visualization of the Two-step Nucleation Model by Fluorescence Color Changes during Evaporative Crystallization from Solution.

The two-step nucleation model for crystal nuclei formation explains several experimental and theoretical results better than the classical nucleation theory. We report here direct visualization of the two-step nucleation model for organic molecular crystallization. Evaporative crystallization from a solution of a dibenzoylmethane boron complex that displays mechanofluorochromism, a fluorescence color change induced by mechanical perturbation, was probed by fluorescence change.

Involvement of autocrine CXCL12/CXCR4 system in the regulation of ovarian carcinoma cell invasion.

Ovarian carcinomas are often highly invasive, especially in the peritoneal cavity; however, the mechanism involved in invasion is not yet fully understood. In the present research, we studied the role of NF-κB in the invasiveness of ovarian carcinoma cells by using (-)-DHMEQ, a specific inhibitor of NF-κB. (-)-DHMEQ inhibited invasion in vitro and the expression of CXCL12 and CXCR4.