OBJECTIVES This biochemical study compared the extracellular matrix of normal mitral valves and myxomatous mitral valves with either unileaflet prolapse (ULP) or bileaflet prolapse (BLP). BACKGROUND Myxomatous mitral valves are weaker and more extensible than normal valves, and myxomatous chordae are more mechanically compromised than leaflets. Despite histological evidence that glycosaminogl...

a newly developed heavy duty diesel engine in dual fuel mode of operation has been studied in detail. the main fuel would be natural gas and diesel oil as pilot injection. the importance and effects of mixture preparation and formation through ports, valves and in cylinder flow field with different swirl ratio and tumble on diesel combustion phenomena is an accepted feature which has been studi...

Increased destruction of red blood cells follows the insertion of ball valves into the heart in most cases. Usually, hemolysis is slight, but in some patients uncompensated hemolytic anemia develops. To study the influence on hemolysis of the mechanical properties of the prostheses, the degree of erythrocyte destruction was evaluated in patients with Starr-Edwards aortic prostheses of different...

This study addressed the following questions: 1) Does cyclic tensile strain induce protein expression patterns consistent with myxomatous degeneration in mitral valves? 2) Does cyclic strain induce local serotonin synthesis in mitral valves? 3) Are cyclic strain-induced myxomatous protein expression patterns in mitral valves dependent on local serotonin? Cultured sheep mitral valve leaflets wer...

Increased destruction of red blood cells follows the insertion of ball valves into the heart in most cases. Usually, hemolysis is slight, but in some patients uncompensated hemolytic anemia develops. To study the influence on hemolysis of the mechanical properties of the prostheses, the degree of erythrocyte destruction was evaluated in patients with Starr-Edwards aortic prostheses of different...

The emerging of wireless computing motivates radical changes of how information is derived. Our paper concerns with developing push and pull based application in wireless environment. We use a simplified e-health (hospital) context to demonstrate some effective uses of pull-based and push-based mechanisms. The pull mechanism involves information retrieval from a database, and update information...

Introduction Posterior urethral valves (PUVs) are a rare malformation in the subcollicular region of the male urethra. They cause varying obstructions of the lower urinary tract. The resulting secondary pathological conditions extend from mild—in part, clinically unmanifested—urinary dysfunctions to severe, bilateral changes in the upper urinary tract and associated renal failure. The literatur...