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OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large multicenter cohort of children and young adults with Marfan syndrome participating in the Pediatric Heart Network Marfan Trial.STUDY DESIGN: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales were administered to 321 subjects with Marfan syndrome (5-25 years). PedsQL scores were compared with healthy popul
Few data exist regarding predictors of rapid aortic root dilation and referral for aortic surgery in Marfan syndrome (MFS). To identify independent predictors of the rate of aortic root (AoR) dilation and referral for aortic surgery, we investigated the data from the Pediatric Heart Network randomized trial of atenolol versus losartan in young patients with MFS. Data were analyzed from the echocar
OBJECTIVE: Determine prevalence and associations with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in preterm infants.STUDY DESIGN: Prospective institutional echocardiographic PH screening at 36 to 38 weeks' corrected gestational age (GA) for infants born <32 weeks' GA who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; group BPD), and infants without BPD who had a birth weight (BW) <750 g, or clinical suspicion for PH (grou
OBJECTIVE: Trans-catheter (TC) pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) has become common practice for patients with right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) and/or pulmonic insufficiency (PI). Our aim was to compare PVR and right ventricular (RV) function of patients who received TC vs surgical PVR.DESIGN: Retrospective review of echocardiograms obtained at three time points: before, immediat
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Elevated levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and decreased levels of amino acid precursors of nitric oxide (NO) have been associated with PH, but have not been studied in infants with PH secondary to BPD.OBJECTIVE: The aim of thi
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac abnormality, occurring in 1% to 2% of the general population. Adults with degenerative aortic valve (AV) disease have been shown to have an elliptical shaped AV annulus. The goal of this study was to investigate the shape of the aortic annulus in children with BAV, coarctation of the aorta (CoA) with or without BAV, and normal contr
AIMS: Aortic stiffness and diastolic function are abnormal in adults with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs). The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between aortic stiffness and left ventricular (LV) diastolic impairment in children with well-functioning BAV and no associated congenital heart disease.METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a retrospective review of echocardiograms in children wi
BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common problem in the neonatal intensive care unit and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify a quantitative echocardiographic marker of septal curvature that can be used to accurately identify PH in NICU infants with concern for PH.METHODS: Echocardiograms of infants who were prematurely born and i
BACKGROUND: As the survival of children with cardiac disease increases, chronic complications of deep venous thrombosis from cardiac catheterization, particularly post-thrombotic syndrome, may be important to monitor for and treat, if needed. We aimed to determine the prevalence of this syndrome in children who underwent cardiac catheterization.PROCEDURE: We conducted a cross-sectional study of ch
BACKGROUND: Aortic-root dissection is the leading cause of death in Marfan's syndrome. Studies suggest that with regard to slowing aortic-root enlargement, losartan may be more effective than beta-blockers, the current standard therapy in most centers.METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial comparing losartan with atenolol in children and young adults with Marfan's syndrome. The primary outcome w
BACKGROUND: Restrictive lung disease is a complication in childhood cancer survivors who received lung-toxic chemotherapy and/or thoracic radiation. Left ventricular dysfunction is documented in these survivors, but less is known about right ventricular (RV) function. Quantitative echocardiography may help detect subclinical RV dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess RV function quantitat
In the early 1950s China adopted a Stalinist development strategy and transferred a vast amount of farm surplus into investment in state-owned heavy industry. This created a typical dual economy with heavy industry on one side and agriculture, with its huge surplus of labor, on the other, and in between a vacuum: a lack of the development of light industry. Around 1980, the state increased the pri
In the aggregate industry the use of geophysical measuring is rare. The aim of this project is to investigate how geophysical instruments can be a tool in prospecting for rock quarries, and also how they can be a help in which direction they should expand in. To have control over the quality of the aggregates is important and therefore to know when the rock mass is changing is of interest for the
Question: What is the interrater agreement of EEG interpretation in adult comatose post cardiac arrest patients using the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS) standardized critical care EEG terminology? Methods: The EEG-data were obtained from patients included in the Target Temperature Management trial (TTM), an international, multicenter, clinical trial of temperature management in c
BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of a surgical site infection (SSI) in dermatologic surgery can be entirely based on a subjective assessment according to the 4th criterion of the most common definition of an SSI, which was established by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).OBJECTIVES: To investigate the interobserver agreement between dermatologists in their diagnosis of SSI of dermatosurgical wounds.ME
Popular science summaryMycorrhizal associations Mycorrhizal fungi are organisms that live in association with plant roots and provide plants with water and nutrients in exchange for the sugars obtained during photosynthesis. In forested ecosystems mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for tree nutrition and trees rely heavily on these associations to take up key elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. As rHigh levels of nitrogen (N) deposition might result in a transition from N to phosphorus (P) limitation in high latitude forests. Thiscould have fundamental consequences for forest production, nutrient acquisition and nutrient leaching.I studied a Norway spruce forest in a region of high N deposition in southwest Sweden and added N, P or N+P to force thesystem to N or P limitation. I studied tree
