Two methods are currently available for left atrial (LA) strain measurement by speckle tracking echocardiography, with two different reference timings for starting the analysis: QRS (QRS-LASr) and P wave (P-LASr). The aim of MASCOT HIT study was to define which of the two was more reproducible, more feasible, and less time consuming. In 26 expert centers, LA strain was analyzed by two different echocardiographers (young vs senior) in a blinded fashion. The study population included: healthy subjects, patients with arterial hypertension or aortic stenosis (LA pressure overload, group 2) and patients with mitral regurgitation or heart failure (LA volume–pressure overload, group 3). Difference between the inter-correlation coefficient (ICC) by the two echocardiographers using the two techniques, feasibility and analysis time of both methods were analyzed. A total of 938 subjects were included: 309 controls, 333 patients in group 2, and 296 patients in group 3. The ICC was comparable between QRS-LASr (0.93) and P-LASr (0.90). The young echocardiographers calculated QRS-LASr in 90% of cases, the expert ones in 95%. The feasibility of P-LASr was 85% by young echocardiographers and 88% by senior ones. QRS-LASr young median time was 110 s (interquartile range, IR, 78-149) vs senior 110 s (IR 78-155); for P-LASr, 120 s (IR 80-165) and 120 s (IR 90-161), respectively. LA strain was feasible in the majority of patients with similar reproducibility for both methods. QRS complex guaranteed a slightly higher feasibility and a lower time wasting compared to the use of P wave as the reference.

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The severity of hip OA can be related to angiogenesis pathways that are not maspin-mediated. In primary hip OA, angiogenesis may be induced by a combined mechanism: hypoxia-related VEGF-dependent vasculogenesis and endothelial differentiation of the activated pluripotent cells, which are released from the hyperplastic synovial cells layer. An endothelial mesenchymal transition is assumed to be involved in the fibrotic process.

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The purpose of the study was to prove to efficacy of Milrinone in the management of open heart surgery in children with congenital heart malformations, the link between Milrinone efficacy and the prevention of low cardiac output syndrome and Milrinone side effects. We conducted a retrospective study on a group of 24 patients, admitted to the Tg Mures Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplant, between August 2016 and February 2017. Milrinone was administered to children that underwent open heart surgery for different congenital heart malformations, using doses between 0.25 and 0.75 mcg per kg bodyweight, in continuous intravenous drip, before de-clamping of the Aorta, the procedures being conducted in extracorporeal circulation. We recorded demographic data, biological parameters of renal function, myocardial function and hemodynamic parameters, before and after surgery. The administration of Milrinone determined a reduction of incidence of low cardiac output syndrome, registering only 4 deaths, the survival rate being 83.33%, 13 cases presenting complications. Postoperatively we registered a significant improvement of the mean heart rate. Milrinone proved efficient in the re-establishment of hemodynamic parameters in patients with this type of clinical manifestations. Using Milrinone in children that undergo open heart surgery determines a decrease in incidence of low cardiac output syndrome, its� presence in the pharma market being necessary.