AIMS The aims of this study were : (i) to determine the feasibility and reproducibility of the measurement of valve kinetic parameters by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and (ii) to examine the association between these parameters and markers of a poor prognosis in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). METHODS AND RESULTS Eight healthy control subjects and 71 patients with AS (0.60 cm(2...

SINCE the introduction of artificial heart valves, investigators have been continuously modifying them, endeavoring to eliminate complications associated with their use. -3 The Starr-Edwards ball-valve prosthesis was the first to be widely accepted; however, problems due to its weight, cage size, and resistance to blood flow have stimulated the search for a better prosthetic device. In spite of...

One difficulty with external repair of left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement is collateral bleeding in friable myocardium adjacent to the rupture. The bleeding is caused by tension on the closing sutures, whether or not pledgets have been used. We report the case of a 69-year-old woman who underwent an uneventful mitral valve replacement. After cardiopulmonary bypass was termi...

A case of Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve with persistent foramen secundum and right bundle-branch block is presented. Preoperative tracings revealed three distinct components of the first sound with normal intervals between them. After resection of a single floating tricuspid leaflet, closure of the septal defect, and insertion of a Starr-Edwards valve, the phonocardiogram again ...

Experimental determination of the effects of parameters which can be used as guidelines in design modifications and the evaluation of their effect on the performance and EER of a hermetic compressor is proposed. The Pressure-crank angle record obtained during standard calorimeter test offers the necessary data. Displacement of the valves is not measured explicitly but the opening and closing of...

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is gaining in popularity in microfluidic devices because of its low cost, excellent optical transparency, attractive mechanical/chemical properties, and simple fabrication procedures. It has been used to fabricate micromixers, PCR reactors, CE and many other microdevices. Here we present the design, fabrication, characterization and application of pneumatic micr...

SINCE the introduction of artificial heart valves, investigators have been continuously modifying them, endeavoring to eliminate complications associated with their use. -3 The Starr-Edwards ball-valve prosthesis was the first to be widely accepted; however, problems due to its weight, cage size, and resistance to blood flow have stimulated the search for a better prosthetic device. In spite of...

In this paper, I suggest a novel, non-epistemic approach towards accommodating the appearance of ‘unsettledness’ or—in some sense—gaps in a bivalent language. While the suggestion is modest, I think it to be quite plausible. My aim is simply to lay out the proposal, as concisely as possible, and briefly consider a few objections. Accordingly, §2 sets out some terminology. (I should warn that §2...

VOL. 6, NO. 2, WINTER 2003/2004 47 Abstract We examined mutual funds that closed to new investors for the period 1995 to 2001. We found that closed funds outperformed their peers before closing and that this superior performance decreased after the fund closed. We also investigated the performance of funds that reopened, a sample never before examined. We found that this group of funds performe...