Myocardial Contrast Echocardiography: Ready for the prime time

Ready for Prime Time

Opening of the voltage-dependent Ca 2 channels permits influx of Ca across the plasma membrane, triggering diverse physiological processes. These channels are widely distributed in the cardiovascular system, constituting the main route for Ca entry essential for excitation and contraction. Ten unique 1 subunits, grouped in 3 families (CaV1, CaV2, and CaV3), that encode the low-voltage– activate...

Ready for the Prime Time?

Metabolomics is one of the most rapidly growing areas of contemporary science. Although classic genetics aims to link variations in the DNA sequence directly to distinct phenotypes, “-omic” technologies allow us to shift the focus from the specific gene to the actual effects of the gene itself. Because neither the transcriptional or protein profile can be directly correlated with metabolite con...

Pharmacogenomics--ready for prime time?

Pharmacogenomics is receiving a great deal of attention in scientific circles and, increasingly, in the popular press because of the promise of personalized medicine. Short of being able to cure an illness or to prevent one, every clinician’s dream is to offer patients a precisely targeted drug at a precisely calibrated dose to address a specific ailment — and to do so without wreaking havoc on...

The LOOPPEG system--ready for prime time?

I read with interest the technique described in the article by Pang,(1) in which he detailed the common problems with the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. In our institute, we perform about 450 PEG placements every year. A small percentage of these do dislodge; if this is after the initial track is formed, in our experience, the fastest and easiest way to prevent the stoma from c...

vertical gastric plication: is it ready for prime-time?