By focusing almost exclusively on the circumstances of British colonialism, postcolonial theory has failed to take into consideration other histories of colonization and other forms of postcoloniality. By considering a few elements from the history of Portuguese colonialism and a few lusophone texts, it is my hope to demonstrate what I consider to be a limited perspective on postcolonial studies, at the same time that one may also ponder the fact that so much in postcolonial literature depends precisely on acts of remembrance. Ruins, all sorts of ruins, form a privileged space for the construction of postcolonial memories and in this essay I will focus especially on one kind, the shipwreck, as a special figure for varied postcolonial memories. In the process, I hope to also make a case for the reconsideration of European literature, via the example of Portuguese literature, from a postcolonial point of view. Germano Almeida's novel, O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno (1991) and its film version, de-emphasize cultural hegemony and the dichotomy between colony and metropolis. The legacy of Portuguese tradition remains complex.
Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death in developed countries. Noninvasive functional imaging modalities are currently recommended as initial diagnostic tests in patients with an intermediate-high pretest probability of CAD. Single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) creates images of regional myocardial tracer uptake, reflecting relative myocardial blood flow. However, there are other non-perfusion predictors of CAD, such as transient ischemic dilatation (TID) and reduced post-stress left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF). Available data regarding these parameters is controversial. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of significant CAD in patients with non-perfusion high-risk markers of ischemia despite a normal SPECT-MPI.Methods: Single-center, observational, retrospective, and longitudinal study. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, normal SPECT-MPI, and availability of gated study for LVEF and volume analysis. Exclusion criteria were any known cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease and known CAD. Non-perfusion high-risk markers: LVEF reduction ≥5% on post-stress images; TID (defined as a stress/rest left ventricle volume ratio ≥ 1.15), including end-systolic, end-diastolic, and mean volumes. The primary endpoint was the identification of significant CAD (stenosis >70% on an epicardial coronary artery or >50% on the left main artery) on invasive coronary angiography.Results: A total of 197 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 64 ± 12.6 years and 59.4% (n = 117) of patients were male. Overall, 26% of patients had LVEF reduction ≥5% on stress study; 24.9% had a stress/rest end-systolic volume ratio ≥ 1.15; 7.1% had a stress/rest mean volume ratio ≥ 1.15; 7.1% had a stress/rest end-diastolic volume ratio ≥ 1.15. Time-to-primary endpoint was significantly lower in patients with LVEF reduction ≥5% on stress study ); p = 0.003) and in patients with stress/rest end-systolic volume ratio ≥ 1. ); p = 0.013).
Conclusion:In patients with normal perfusion on SPECT-MPI, the incidence of significant CAD was significantly higher in those with LVEF reduction ≥ 5% on stress study and in those with a stress/rest endsystolic volume ratio ≥ 1.15, during a follow-up period of five years.
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