161,176 research outputs found
Nicotine addiction and coronary artery disease: Impact of cessation interventions
No full textCigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide, and a considerable proportion of smoking-related fatalities are attributable to coronary artery disease (CAD). The detrimental effects of smoking span all stages in the development of CAD ranging from the early functional alterations in the endothelium and the microcirculation to the late clinicopathological manifestations of atherosclerotic plaques. Smoking results in the generation of free radicals and increased oxidative stress which plays a central role in the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to atherosclerotic disease. It causes reduced nitric oxide bioavailability and lipid peroxidation which are crucial initial steps of plaque formation. Furthermore, smoking enhances leukocyte and platelet activation and promotes local and systemic inflammation, which contribute to plaque progression and maturation. Finally, alterations in fibrinolytic and prothrombotic factors create a pro-thrombogenic environment which harbours the risk of plaque rupture and thrombosis. In smokers, the cessation of smoking is the most important intervention for cardiovascular risk reduction. Total mortality can be reduced by 36% which is comparable to established modern secondary preventive therapies. Nonetheless, non-aided cessation attempts are notoriously poor with a success rate of less than 10%. Patient counselling and pharmacological therapies are important aides for smoking cessation and can improve success rates by two to threefold. However, there is still need for improved strategies of smoking cessation to reduce the high socioeconomic impact of smoking. © 2010 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Transcatheter direct mitral valve annuloplasty with the Cardioband system for the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation
No full textMyocardial beta-adrenoceptor Density Early After Infarction Predicts Long Term Incidence of Congestive Heart Failure
No full textAims Adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) frequently leads to congestive heart failure (CHF). We have previously shown that myocardial β-adrenoceptor density (β-ARD) is reduced soon after acute MI and correlates with LV dilatation in the short term. The aim of the present study was to determine whether myocardial β-ARD measured early after MI was associated with progression to CHF in the long term.Methods and results We prospectively included 61 consecutive patients (mean age, 52±11 years, 10 female) in whom MI was the first manifestation of coronary artery disease. Two to 4 weeks after MI, patients underwent positron emission tomography with S-[11C]CGP 12177 to measure β-ARD and 15O labelled water to measure myocardial blood flow (MBF) and coronary flow reserve (CFR). Patients were followed-up for a median of 12.7 years (interquartile range, 6.5-13.7 years) and incidence of CHF was recorded. Eleven patients (18%) developed CHF during follow-up. They had lower β-ARD compared to those who did not (5.35 vs 6.49 pmol/g, P5.57 pmol/g (57% vs. 9%, P<0.001). In a Cox regression model only whole heart β-ARD (HR 0.29; 95% CI, 0.15-0.58, P<0.001) and β-ARD in remote myocardium (HR 0.32; 95% CI, 0.16-0.61, P=0.001) were significantly associated with the incidence of CHF at follow-up. Conclusion Reduced myocardial β-ARD early after MI is associated with the incidence of CHF on long term follow-up
Myocardial-adrenoceptor down-regulation early after infarction is associated with long-term incidence of congestive heart failure
No full textAdverse left ventricular (LV) remodelling after myocardial infarction (MI) frequently leads to congestive heart failure (CHF). We have previously shown that myocardial beta-adrenoceptor density (beta-ARD) is reduced soon after acute MI and correlates with LV dilatation in the short term. The aim of the present study was to determine whether myocardial beta-ARD measured early after MI was associated with progression to CHF in the long term
First-in-man report of residual "intra-clip" regurgitation between two MitraClips treated by AMPLATZER Vascular Plug II
No full textLarry O. Spencer, Conference Author Presentation
No full textGen. Larry O. Spencer, USAF (Ret.), author of Dark Horse: A Journey from the Horseshoe to the Pentago
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