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Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is being increasingly used in patients with longer life expectancy. Data on long‑term outcomes are still limited. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the clinical outcomes of patients treated with TAVI and identify baseline and procedure‑related factors influencing long‑term survival. Methods: Symptomatic patients with critical aortic stenosis who were inoperable or had high surgical risk were qualified for TAVI. Between August 2012 and December 2017, 248 consecutive patients treated with self ‑expanding Medtronic valve implantation at American Heart of Poland in Bielsko‑Biala were prospectively enrolled. Patients were followed for 30 days after the procedure and subsequently annually. All events were classified according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium‑2 (VARC‑2) criteria and assessed. Survival was compared between the subgroups defined by the EuroSCORE II (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II) and with matched representatives from the general population. Results: The median (interquartile range) follow‑up was 3.4 (2.5–4.6) years, and the longest follow‑up lasted 7.8 years. A total of 92 patients (37.1%) died during the follow‑up. The Kaplan–Meier estimates for cumulative mortality at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were: 11.3%, 26.8%, 42.1%, and 60.6%. Patients with EuroSCORE II greater than 6% experienced worse survival compared with those with EuroSCORE II 6% or less (P = 0.008). Patients with EuroSCORE II 6% or less had similar survival to the general population. Male sex, baseline eGFR of less than 50 ml/min/1.73 m2, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, moderate / severe paravalvular leak, absence of postdilatation, major vascular complication, and stroke at 30 days were independently associated with long‑term mortality. Conclusions: TAVI with a self‑expanding Medtronic valve implantation according to a consistent protocol was associated with favorable outcomes. Patients with lower EuroSCORE II scores had the same prognosis as the actuarial survival of the general population.

The development of the road network and the increasing volume of traffic causes more problems with capacity and deteriorating traffic conditions. This may be a direct cause of making wrong decisions and actions to improve the road traffic flow on road sections. In order to eliminate the traffic congestion and improve the traffic flow, it is necessary to determine the traffic parameters, and based on them to indicate the capacity and a level of service. One of the most commonly used methods for estimating capacity and traffic conditions is the Highway Capacity Manual method. This methodology was developed in the United States and is based on the conditions and parameters of traffic occurring in this country. Authors in the paper indicate problems related to the use of this methodology in Polish conditions, based on the tests results obtained for the section of the national road. Differences between conditions in Poland and in the USA occur already at the stage of division of roads into groups. The proposition of the classification of all national roads to transit routes may cause significant analysis errors. The authors of the HCM method assume the occurrence of high speeds on transit roads and this parameter determines the level of service. In the case of some national roads in Poland, their route runs through built-up areas where administrative speed restrictions and additional restrictions are arranged to improve safety. Such a situation may cause an error at the beginning of the analysis, in determining the level of service. This may be a direct cause of making wrong decisions and actions to improve the road traffic flow on road sections. The lack of proper interpretation of the HCM method may cause significant errors in the analysis results. The authors in the article pay attention to the characteristic parameters of the road infrastructure, which may have a significant impact on these errors.

Introduction Few studies assessed the development of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Poland since its introduction in 2008. Effects of the Valve-for-Life initiative in the country have not been reported. Objective To investigate TAVI adoption and practice in Poland in the years 2008-2019. Patients and methods The Polish Interventional Cardiology TAVI Survey (PICTS) analysed reports of TAVI activity of all 23 TAVI centres. It consisted of 94 questions, focused on the topics: 1. characteristics of centres. 2. the annual number of TAVI in the years 2008-2019. 3. pre-, intra-, and post-procedural management, 4. a list of TAVI Team members. It was obligatory to answer all questions. The registry survey was published on-line RESULTS: Since 2008, 102 certified operators have performed a total of 6910 procedures. In 2019 the annual number of TAVI reached 1550 (40.38 implants per million inhabitants). Among patients aged ≥ 65 years, TAVI penetration rate was 18.65% in 2019. Inoperable and high-risk patients were treated in all centres, while 18 also treated medium and 5 low-risk patients. The rate of transfemoral implantations increased to 93.5% of all procedures. Conclusions The survey highlighted a slow, positive rate of adoption of TAVI in Poland. We found a significant treatment gap in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Remarkable regional variations in TAVI experience exist among Polish TAVI centres. Further multinational cooperation is warranted to tackle identified limitations in access to these life-saving procedures.

Background: Aborted myocardial infarction (abMI) is a type of acute coronary syndrome in which patients treated with reperfusion avoid the great burden of necrosis. Yet, no definition of abMI in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) has been proposed so far. Aims: This study aimed to identify patients with abMI and compare them with the remaining patients with ST‑segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: It was a retrospective study of 1693 consecutive patients with STEMI treated with pPCI. The median (IQR) follow‑up was 3.45 (1.45–5.09) years. Aborted MI was diagnosed if ST‑segment elevation was reduced by more than 50%, no new abnormal Q waves were observed, the maximal level of creatine kinase MB did not reach a value 5‑fold higher than the upper limit of normal (below 125 U/l), and there was successful reperfusion defined as the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction score of 3 after PCI. Results: Using our definition, abMI was diagnosed in 176 cases (10.4%). Compared with the remaining patients with STEMI, those with abMI were younger (mean [SD] age, 61.8 [11.5] vs 64.4 [11.6] years; P = 0.005) and were more frequent smokers (48.9% vs 36.7%; P = 0.002). They had greater left ventricular ejection fraction (median [interquartile range (IQR)], 49% [40%–55%] vs 55% [51%–60.5%]; P < 0.001), were discharged earlier from the hospital (hospitalization time, median [IQR], 73 [60–90.5] hours vs 87 [69–98] hours; P < 0.001), and had a lower mortality rate at 1 month and long‑term follow‑up (2.27% vs 8%; P = 0.006 and 10.8% vs 23.9%; P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Patients with abMI had better short‑ and long‑term outcomes than other patients with STEMI. Some negative cardiovascular factors such as smoking were more often observed in the abMI group.

The noise generated at the interface between the wheels of vehicles and the road surface is well recognized in the literature worldwide. Many publications describe the phenomenon of reducing this kind of impact by silent road surfaces. A specific type of this noise is the sound generated by vehicles passing over the expansion joints of bridge structures. Due to the impulsive nature of this sound, it is very onerous for people living in the close vicinity of bridge structures. The passage of vehicles over expansion joints causes the formation of vibrations that are transmitted to the structural elements of bridge structures, which may cause the formation of the material sounds (especially arduous in the case of bridges with steel elements). An attempt to reduce this impact was made by making a prototype acoustic cover of the expansion joint on the selected bridge. The paper presents the results of research on the &ldquo, in situ&rdquo, acoustic effectiveness of this cover. Additionally, the noise was modelled in the object surroundings before and after the cover&rsquo, s application. The acoustic efficiency of the cover in the whole measured frequency range was 5.3 dBA. In the narrower frequency bands (1/3 octave bands), larger sound level reductions were observed. The maximum sound levels measured under the tested dilatation were less than 10.0 dBA lower than the maximum sound levels measured under the reference dilatation.

Background: Conflicting data exist regarding the risk factors for transcatheter heart valve thrombosis (THVT). In addition, no optimal pharmacological strategy to treat THVT has been established so far Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, risk factors, diagnostic workup, and treatment of THVT in Poland. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively in themulticenter registry of patients with THVT (ZAK‑POLTAVI) between November 2008 and November 2018. Transcatheter heart valve thrombosis was defined as an increased mean transvalvular gradient accompanied by a decreased effective orifice area or severe aortic regurgitation, reversible after treatment. Baseline characteristics and procedural data were compared between patients with THVT and those without THVT (matched by age, sex, and diabetic status). Results: In a group of 2307 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), 26 patients with THVT were identified (incidence, 1.14%). In half of the patients, THVT was diagnosed within 6 months after TAVI. As compared with the control group, patients with THVT more frequently had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P = 0.035), a smaller aortic valve area (P = 0.007), a higher mean postprocedural transvalvular gradient (P = 0.037), and a lower platelet count (P = 0.029) at the time of the diagnosis. A total of 24 patients (84.6%) received anticoagulation therapy for THVT, and complete resolution of THVT was noted in 12 individuals (46.1%). We observed thromboembolic complications in 2 patients (7.7%). Conclusions: Transcatheter heart valve thrombosis is a rare complication of TAVI. However, a higher risk of THVT may be expected in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a smaller aortic valve area, a higher mean postprocedural transvalvular gradient, and a lower platelet count. Anticoagulation alone or combined with antiplatelet therapy seems to be the optimal pharmacological treatment in this population.

The article refers to the importance of the aspect of durability and reliability of wheelsets. It contains a short analysis of railway accidents in which the causes were failures of wheelsets. The paper lists most common faults occurring in the course of the wheelsets operation. The major problem of the paper were laboratory analyses of fretting wear developing in interference joints. The research has been conducted using a wheelset comprising a shaft and a sleeve. Fatigue tests in conditions close to the wheelset operating environment have been conducted. The laboratory analyses included macroscopic observation that indicated fretting wear signs on both sides of the wheel seat in form of a 3.5 mm wide ring around the entire perimeter. The following procedures included microscopic observations in the wear signs area, that indicated numerous material accumulations exposed to plastic deformation and oxidation.

Paclitaxel-coated balloons (PCBs) have reduced restenosis and repeat revascularizations when compared with plain balloon angioplasty (PBA) alone after revascularization of superficial femoral arteries. On the other hand, concerns have been raised due to paclitaxel particle shedding during

Poland was a place of dynamic road network development in the 20th century. Many expressways and highways were built. Along with the development of the road network, there was a need to introduce new solutions which would be friendly to emergency services. The most important factor influencing the chances of accident victim survival is the time in which first aid will be administered. Reaching the victim is the primary problem for emergency services in case of road incidents. Driver behavior plays an important role, as they have significant effect on emergency service travel times. The emergency corridor is the solution ensuring quick and safe access to expressways and motorways. Examples from Polish roads in 2017 demonstrate that not all drivers are able to behave properly when emergency services move trying to access the accident site (cases of blocking, driving the wrong way through the corridor, etc.). It cannot be clearly assumed that drivers have bad intentions. According to the authors, the problem lies in education, access to information, and lack of regulatory policies. In Austria, Germany and Hungary, a great deal of resources has been devoted to information campaigns on safe behavior in the event of road accidents, and a number of legal provisions have developed allowing the police to ensure that these rules are respected.

W artykule przedstawiono przegląd rozwiązań konstrukcyjnych współczesnych elektrycznych zespołów trakcyjnych na przykładzie wybranych jednostek, które w ostatnich latach zmodernizowano lub wyprodukowano w NEWAG S.A. Nowy Sącz

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate early and late outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCA) and to compare bare-metal stent (BMS) and drug-eluting stent (DES) subgroups. Background PCI is an increasingly utilized method of revascularization in patients with ULMCA. Methods This multicenter prospective registry included 252 patients after ULMCA stenting enrolled between March 1997 and February 2008. Non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome was diagnosed in 58% of patients; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction cases were excluded. Drug-eluting stents were implanted in 36.2% of patients. Results Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) occurred in 12 (4.8%) patients during the 30-day period, which included 4 (1.5%) deaths. After 12 months there were 17 (12.1%) angiographically confirmed cases of restenosis. During long-term follow-up (1 to 11 years, mean 3.8 years) there were 64 (25.4%) MACCE and 35 (13.9%) deaths. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 78.1% and 68.9%, respectively. Despite differences in demographical and clinical data in favor of BMS patients, unmatched analysis showed a significantly lower MACCE rate in DES patients (25.9% vs. 14.9%, p = 0.039). This difference was strengthened after propensity score matching. The DES lowered both mortality and MACCE for distal ULMCA lesions when compared with BMS. Ejection fraction Conclusions Stenting of ULMCA is feasible and offers good long-term outcome. Implantation of DES for ULMCA decreased the risk of long-term MACCE, and particularly improved survival in patients with distal ULMCA disease.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare the early and late results of percutaneous and surgical revascularization of left main coronary artery stenosis.BackgroundUnprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) stenting is being investigated as an alternative to bypass surgery.MethodsWe randomly assigned 105 patients with ULMCA stenosis to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; 52 patients) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; 53 patients). The primary end point was the change in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 12 months after the intervention. Secondary end points included 30-day major adverse events (MAE), major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), length of hospitalization, target vessel failure (TVF), angina severity and exercise tolerance after 1 year, and total and MACCE-free survival.ResultsA significant increase in LVEF at the 12-month follow-up was noted only in the PCI group (3.3 ± 6.7% after PCI vs. 0.5 ± 0.8% after CABG; p = 0.047). Patients performed equally well on stress tests, and angina status improved similarly in the 2 groups. PCI was associated with a lower 30-day risk of MAE (p < 0.006) and MACCE (p = 0.03) and shorter hospitalizations (p = 0.0007). Total and MACCE-free 1-year survival was comparable. Left main TVF was similar in the 2 groups. During the 28.0 ± 9.9-month follow-up, there were 3 deaths in the PCI group and 7 deaths in the CABG group (p = 0.08).ConclusionsPatients with ULMCA disease treated with PCI had favorable early outcomes in comparison with the CABG group. At 1 year, LVEF had improved significantly only in the PCI group. After more than 2 years, MACCE-free survival was similar in both groups with a trend toward improved survival after PCI. (Study of Unprotected Left Main Stenting Versus Bypass Surgery [LE MANS study]; NCT00375063).

Second generation paclitaxel coated balloons (PCB) with improved coating technology and novel carrier molecules have been proposed and have shown improved vascular response in the preclinical setting, however clinical trial data are lacking. The aim of this study was to prove the superiority of a

Severe heart failure can be a rare symptom of hypocalcemia. We report a case of a 58 year-old male admitted with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. The ECG showed prolonged QTc interval with severly impared left ventricular ejection fraction recognised in echocardiography. During the hospitalisation hypocalcemia due to primary hypoparathyreoidism was revealed to be the cause of those symptoms.

Simultaneous thrombosis of multiple epicardial coronary arteries is an uncommon clinical finding in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We describe a 44 year-old male present with STEMI who was found to have simultaneously occluded two epicardial arteries. There is many clinical states that can lead to multiple thrombosis i.e. essential trombocytosis, hiperhomocysteinaemia, depletion of antitrombin III, cocaine abuse etc. In this particular case L-arginin supplementation and association with thrombosis or atherosclerosis progression is discussed.

Reperfusion injury (RI) remains an important limitation of myocardial revascularization. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the intracoronary injection of adiponectin on RI and cardiomyocyte death in a porcine myocardial infarction model. Acute infarction in 14 Polish domestic pigs was induced by inflation of an over the wire balloon (OTW) catheter in the medial left anterior descending artery for 60 min. The study group consisted of 7 pigs in which intracoronary adiponectin (50 µg) was infused through the OTW catheter immediately before reperfusion. The control group (n=7) was administered placebo. Animals were sacrificed after two days of follow-up. The infarct area (IA) was stained with tetrazoline and the area at risk (AAR) with intracoronary administration of Evans Blue dye before euthanasia. Hearts in each group had similar AARs (46.2±9.9% vs. 48.4±6.2% of the whole myocardium, p=ns). The IA/AAR% and IA were smaller in the study group when compared to the control (24.7±4.0% vs. 45.3±22.5%, p=0.005; and 11.7±4.9% vs. 20.5±5.6%, p=0.01, respectively). These outcomes corresponded well with the peak troponin levels after 12 h (109.9±60.9 ng/ml vs. 185.5±39.4 ng/ml, p=0.017). After two days there was a significantly higher LVEF in the study group (51.4±8.5% vs. 33.9±8.6%, p=0.002). There was also a trend toward lower apoptosis enhancement in the viable myocardium in the study group (3.11±2.3 vs. 8.92±6.3; p=0.07). The administration of adiponectin into the infarct- related artery is safe and feasible. The treatment significantly reduced the infarct size.

Introduction: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has become an alternative to carotid endarterectomy. Moreover, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) allows other cephalad arteries revascularization. The aim of this study was to evaluate late outcomes of cephalad arteries PTA. Methods: This is an international multicenter registry of 434 consecutive patients in which 497 PTAs were performed. Patients with symptomatic >50% stenosis or asymptomatic >70% stenosis were enrolled. Stenting of 577 internal carotid arteries (ICA) and 13 common carotid arteries was performed, 20.7% procedures were complex in which bilateral carotid stenoses or carotid and vertebral arteries stenoses were revascularized at one stage. In 15.9% patients, one-stage coronary intervention was carried out. Distal protection devices were used in 69.6% of cases. PTAs were divided into high (n = 330) and low (n = 167) risk of major adverse coronary and cerebral events (MACCE). Results: At 30 days, there were 15 (3.5%) cases of MACCE [0.9% deaths, 2.1% strokes, and 0.9% myocardial infarction (MI)]. TIAs were observed in 15 (3.9%) patients. There was no significant difference in stroke incidence between procedures with or without neuroprotection (1.8 vs. 3%; P = 0.66) as well as in MACCE occurrence between high and low-risk groups (4.3 vs. 2%; P = 0.34). Bilateral stenoses increased while hypertension decreased the risk of MACCE. Left ICA lesions increased the risk of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). At 4 years (1–11 years), the mortality rate was 11.5%, 6% of patients had stroke, and 3% MIs. Restenosis occurred in 3%. There was a trend toward higher mortality rate (13.3 vs. 6.9%; P = 0.07) and MACCE risk in high-risk group (23.5 vs.14.7% P = 0.06). Age > 65 y.o. and stent length < 24 mm increased, while the statin therapy on admission decreased the risk of long-term death. Structural valve disease and stent length

Background— Rosiglitazone has several properties that may affect progression of atherosclerosis. The Assessment on the Prevention of Progression by Rosiglitazone on Atherosclerosis in Diabetes Patients With Cardiovascular History (APPROACH) study was undertaken to determine the effect of the thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone on coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by intravascular ultrasound compared with the sulfonylurea glipizide. Methods and Results— This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled 18-month study in 672 patients aged 30 to 80 years with established type 2 diabetes mellitus treated by lifestyle, 1 oral agent, or submaximal doses of 2 oral agents who had at least 1 atherosclerotic plaque with 10% to 50% luminal narrowing in a coronary artery that had not undergone intervention during a clinically indicated coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention. The primary outcome was change in percent atheroma volume in the longest and least angulated epicardial coronary artery that had not undergone intervention. Secondary outcomes included change in normalized total atheroma volume and change in total atheroma volume in the most diseased baseline 10-mm segment. Rosiglitazone did not significantly reduce the primary outcome of percent atheroma volume compared with glipizide (−0.64%; 95% confidence interval, −1.46 to 0.17; P =0.12). The secondary outcome of normalized total atheroma volume was significantly reduced by rosiglitazone compared with glipizide (−5.1 mm 3 ; 95% confidence interval, −10.0 to −0.3; P =0.04); however, no significant difference between groups was observed for the change in total atheroma volume within the most diseased baseline 10-mm segment (−1.7 mm 3 ; 95% confidence interval, −3.9 to 0.5; P =0.13). Conclusions— Rosiglitazone did not significantly decrease the primary end point of progression of coronary atherosclerosis more than glipizide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary atherosclerosis. Clinical Trial Registration— http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique Identifier: NCT00116831.

Purpose To assess the effects of local paclitaxel delivery using the Remedy catheter on neointimal hyperplasia in a porcine model and compare these results to commercially available BMS and biodegradable polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stents (BP-PES). Methods and materials A total of 31 stents were implanted into coronary arteries of 15 domestic swine including eight BMS, six BP-PES, and 17 BMS after intravasal paclitaxel delivery at doses of 250 μg (LPD250; n =9) and 500 μg (LPD500, n =6). All stents were implanted under quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) guidance to achieve a balloon/artery diameter ratio of 1.15:1.0. Twenty-eight days after the procedure, follow-up coronary angiography was performed, the animals were euthanized, and the coronary arteries harvested for histopathological analysis. Results At follow-up, QCA analysis revealed that lumen loss was significantly worse in BMS and in both LPD groups in comparison to BP-PES stents ( P =.02). Histomorphometric analysis showed that the LPD500 group presented the highest percentage of area stenosis, achieving a statistically significant difference in comparison to BMS and BP-PES stents. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that local paclitaxel delivery using the Remedy transport catheter in the two studied doses (250 and 500 μg) is not effective at neointimal hyperplasia inhibition.

A recognition indicator of the possibility of further use of the road during transferring transport loads are changes in the condition of the road surface. If the surface condition indicates incorrect parameters of its equality, rutting, or cracks, the road durability is qualitatively assessed. In this case, the actual load capacity rating and possible reconstruction of the structure begins. Values of dynamic defl ections can be used to recognize the modulus of elasticity and thus the possibility of assessing the durability of a structure. The mechanistic method is used to dimensioning the structure due to the movement planned. It allows a fl exible approach to further construction, giving the opportunity to assess whether part or all of it should be left or apply an additional layer to meet future requirements. The elastic modulus needed for this pavement structure design method for existing layers has been recognized by identifi cation as backcalculation methodology that have been used for many years.