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Right ventricular (RV) failure has a significant adverse impact on pulmonary hypertension (PH) prognosis. None of the currently used parameters directly assess whether RV fails to provide enough energy output to propel the blood through diseased pulmonary vascular system. Furthermore, most of the current parameters are affected by the volume status of the patient. We aimed to explore whether RV energy failure has a predictive power for mortality on top of the established prognostic risk parameters in patients with PH. We screened 723 cases from our database. A total of 3 sets of binary regression analyses were executed to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) of RV energy failure for 5-year mortality in clinical, echocardiographic, and hemodynamic context, using adjustment variables chosen according to previous studies. The final study population encompassed 549 cases. A total of 77 patients died during the 5-year follow-up (14%). RV energy failure was observed in 146 of 549 patients (26.6%). In the univariate model, RV energy failure strongly associated with increased long-term mortality (HR 4.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.58 to 7.00, p

BACKGROUND Patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are often treated with pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific drugs. However, most of these patients remain symptomatic, despite medical treatment. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an emerging therapeutic intervention for patients with inoperable CTEPH. This study aimed to report the initial experience of BPA in a tertiary referral centre for CTEPH. METHODS A total of 26 consecutive patients, who underwent 91 BPA sessions, were included in the study. All patients underwent a detailed examination, including 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), and right heart catheterisation at baseline and 3 months after the last BPA session. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 51±17 years. Fifteen (15) patients had inoperable CTEPH and 11 patients had residual or recurrent CTEPH post pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). Functional class improved in 17 of 26 (65%) patients. The 6MWD increased from a mean 315±129 to 411±140 m (p

To compare optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) findings in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) according to polyp type, polyp size and pigment epithelial detachment (PED) size.Seventeen patients with PCV were included this study. The participants were divided into two groups according to ICGA images. Participants who had type I PCV formed group 1, and group 2 was comprised of patients with type II PCV. OCTA was performed for all participants. Polyp detection rates with OCTA and factors affecting this detection were assessed.The mean age of all patients was 68.85±4.77 years (group 1 70.4±2.54 years, group 2 67.45±5.93 years). The rate of polyps seen in OCTA images was statistically significantly correlated with polyp type, polyp size, and PED size (r=0.633, p=0.002; r=0.64, P=0.001 and r=0.59, p0.001, respectively). In group 1, the mean polyp size was 230.8±82.94μm, and the mean PED size was 161.3±73.87μm. In group 1, 10 patients with PCV were detected with ICGA, while only 1 (10%) PCV was detected with OCTA. In group 2, the mean polyp size was 387.90±245.90μm, and the mean PED size was 345.18±276.26μm. In group 2, 11 patients with PCV were detected with ICGA, while 8 (72.7%) of these patients were detected using OCTA.OCTA showed a greater percentage of detection of type II PCV than type I PCV. Polyp and PED size are important for the detection of PCV using OCTA.

Afatinib improves survival in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer driven by activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. QT interval prolongation is a possible side effect of targeted anticancer drugs, but this has not been reported before with afatinib. We report a case of metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor exon 19 deletion who was treated with first-line afatinib. The patient was started on afatinib with a total dose of 40 mg/day and experienced grade 3 (>500 ms) QT interval prolongation in the seventh week. Dose was interrupted and then reduced to 30 mg/day after the event repeated. QT prolongation occurred only once with the reduced dose and radiologic oligoprogression was detected. Local therapy was performed and afatinib was continued as 30 mg/day. To the best of our knowledge, this case marks the first QT interval prolongation associated with afatinib. It is prudent to perform a baseline cardiologic evaluation and electrocardiogram monitoring in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with this drug.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the design of an antenna with a high gain as well as almost constant gain characteristics over 3.1-10.6 GHz. The modified antipodal Vivaldi MAVARW antenna initially developed in an earlier study is used as the basic antenna. Three different gain enhancement methods such as increasing antenna size, using a phase compensation lens (PCL), and using a frequency selective surface (FSS) are applied and investigated on a comparative basis for this aim. The final MAVARW antenna is composed of a two-cut square ring PCL, and an FSS. The final antenna has a minimum 12.24 gain level with a maximum 1.66 dB gain deviation over 3.1-10.6 GHz in simulations. The simulation results for the final antenna are validated experimentally with very good agreement. A minimum 12.2 dB gain level as well as a maximum 1.8 dB gain deviation is obtained in measurements. (C) 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for sexual dysfunction in infertile Turkish females.We interviewed 352 infertile and 301 fertile females in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Tepecik Training and Research Hospital in Izmir, Turkey. The female sexual function index (FSFI) was used to assess the relationship between infertility and female sexual function.The mean age was similar between the infertile and control groups (29.2±4.3 vs. 28.7±4.0, respectively; p=0.120). The prevalence of sexual dysfunction in infertile females was higher than that in the fertile control group (32.9 vs. 17.2%, p0.001), and the total FSFI score (26.2±2.5 vs. 28.2±1.7) and the score on each domain of sexual function parameters were significantly lower in the infertile group than in the control group (all p0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that a duration of marriage and of infertility ≥3 years (odds ratio [OR] 3.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-8.20, p=0.001; OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.54-6.55, p=0.002, respectively) and a history of previous infertility treatment (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.63-5.76, p0.001) were risk factors for sexual dysfunction in infertile females.Female sexual dysfunction was higher in the infertile group than the fertile control group in this Turkish population. Duration of marriage and of infertility ≥3 years and a history of previous infertility treatment were the primary risk factors for sexual dysfunction in infertile females.

Pyridine-based macrocycles were prepared by treating 2,6-bis[[2′6′-bis(bromomethyl)-4′-methylphenoxy]methyl]pyridine 3 with the appropriate chiral aminoalcohols. The enantiomeric recognition of these macrocycles bearing aminoalcohol subunits of the pyridinocrown type ligand was evaluated for chiral organic ammonium salts by UV titration. The important differences were observed in the Ka values of (R)-Am2 and (S)-Am2 for (S,S,S)-1, (S,S,S)-2 and (S,S,S)-3 hosts, KS/KR = 5.0, KS/KR = 2.4 and KS/KR = 5.0, respectively. There seems to be a general tendency for hosts to recognise (S)-enantiomers for both Am1 and Am2.