Objective
The aim of this study was to examine echocardiographic parameters of left ventricle (LV) mechanics in obese patients before and after sleeve gastrectomy (SG).
Design and Methods
Twenty-five ...obese individuals submitted to laparoscopic SG were enrolled in this study. Echocardiography was performed before and after the procedure, and left ventricle mechanics were evaluated by speckle tracking imaging.
Results
Before surgery, altered global longitudinal strain (GLS) values were present in 56% of the patients. In a mean follow-up of 3.6 ± 0.5 months after surgery, there was an increase in GLS values (from 17.4 ± 3.2 to 19.3 ± 2.7%,
P
= 0.01). There was an inverse correlation between the absolute values of GLS in the preoperative period and the variation in the GLS at follow-up (
r
= 0.577,
P
= 0.002). Measurements of global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), and LV twist were normal preoperatively and did not change after surgery.
Conclusions
Altered global longitudinal strain values were common in young obese patients. Sleeve gastrectomy increased global longitudinal strain even in the early postoperative phase without promoting changes in global radial strain, global circumferential strain, and left ventricle twist measurements.
From a review of the literature, we conclude that the main mechanism by which grazing livestock affect biodiversity in pastures is the creation and maintenance of sward structural heterogeneity, ...particularly as a result of dietary choice. We identify lack of understanding of the currencies used by animals in their foraging decisions and the spatial scale of these decisions as major constraints to better management. We conclude that there are important differences between domestic grazing animal species in their impact on grazed communities and that these can be related to differences in dental and digestive anatomy, but also, and probably more importantly, to differences in body size. Differences between breeds within species appear to be relatively minor and again largely related to body size. We conclude that there is an urgent need to understand the genetic basis of these differences and also to separate true breed effects from effects of rearing environment. We also review the economic implications of using different animal types and conclude that there is a need for more research integrating these aspects with biodiversity outcomes.
In the present retrospective cohort study, we investigated the association between idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and right-to-left shunt (RLS). For this study, we recruited 40 ...patients with ISSNHL treated in our department between January 2015 and January 2016. Inclusion criteria were: ≥ 18 years old, unilateral sensorineural hearing loss diagnosed within 2 weeks after onset, unknown cause, no previous surgery in the respective ear and no fluctuation in hearing loss. All patients underwent a pure-tone audiogram and a trans-cranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) with contrast saline (c-TCD) and received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and concomitant steroid therapy. C-TCD examination detected the RLS in 20 patients (50%). ISSNHL patients with RLS were younger than those without RLS (p = 0.007). Vertigo was present mainly in the RLS group, while hypercholesterolaemia, arterial hypertension and hyperglycaemia were mainly seen in the “no RLS” group. The proportion of complete recovery was highest in the “No RLS” Group (40%), although it was not statistically significant. In conclusion, RLS is frequent in ISSNHL, particularly in young patients without comorbidities and with associated dizziness, who should routinely undergo TCD to exclude the presence of RLS. Unfortunately, TCD can only detect the RLS, and not the location of the shunt. This would be possible through transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), which are much more invasive than TCD, and require further study.
We show that the Auger Air Shower Array has the potential to detect neutrinos of energies in the 10
19 eV range through horizontal air showers. Assuming some simple conservative trigger requirements, ...we obtain the acceptance for horizontal air showers as induced by high energy neutrinos by two alternative methods and we then give the expected event rates for a variety of neutrino fluxes as predicted in different models which are used for reference.
Anal sex role patterns and correlates during unprotected anal sex were examined longitudinally among HIV-negative men who have sex with men. Nearly 9.6% were exclusively receptive, 16.7% exclusively ...insertive, and 63.0% versatile. Versatility was more likely with primary and HIV-negative/unknown status partners and among younger men and substance users but less likely among Blacks and with higher number of partners. Exclusively receptive role was more likely with HIV-negative/unknown status partners and among younger men and substance users but less likely with higher number of partners. Examining anal sex role patterns helps understand the factors that drive the epidemic among men who have sex with men.
The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory Aab, A.; Abreu, P.; Aglietta, M. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
10/2015, Letnik:
798, Številka:
C
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The Pierre Auger Observatory, located on a vast, high plain in western Argentina, is the world׳s largest cosmic ray observatory. The objectives of the Observatory are to probe the origin and ...characteristics of cosmic rays above 1017eV and to study the interactions of these, the most energetic particles observed in nature. The Auger design features an array of 1660 water Cherenkov particle detector stations spread over 3000km2 overlooked by 24 air fluorescence telescopes. In addition, three high elevation fluorescence telescopes overlook a 23.5km2, 61-detector infilled array with 750m spacing. The Observatory has been in successful operation since completion in 2008 and has recorded data from an exposure exceeding 40,000km2sryr. This paper describes the design and performance of the detectors, related subsystems and infrastructure that make up the Observatory.
We present an analytical parametrization of the QCD description of the small
x behavior of parton distribution functions in the leading twist approximation of the Wilson operator product expansion, ...in the case of soft initial conditions. The results are in very good agreement with deep inelastic scattering experimental data from HERA.
PDF
