Update on the Diagnostic Pitfalls of Autopsy and Post-Mortem Genetic Testing in Cardiomyopathies

Inherited cardiomyopathies are frequent causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD), especially in young patients. Despite at the autopsy they usually have distinctive microscopic and/or macroscopic diagnostic features, their phenotypes may be mild or ambiguous, possibly leading to misdiagnoses or missed diagnoses. In this review, the main differential diagnoses of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (e.g., athlete’s heart, idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (e.g., adipositas cordis, myocarditis) and dilated cardiomyopathy (e.g., acquired forms of dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricular noncompaction) are discussed. Moreover, the diagnostic issues in SCD victims affected by phenotype-negative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the relationship between myocardial bridging and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are analyzed. Finally, the applications/limits of virtopsy and post-mortem genetic testing in this field are discussed, with particular attention to the issues related to the assessment of the significance of the genetic variants.     

Fast Positive Feedback Between the Adrenocortical Stress Response and a Brain Mechanism Involved in Aggressive Behavior.

Aggressive behavior induces an adrenocortical stress response, and sudden stressors often precipitate violent behavior. Experiments in rats revealed a fast, mutual, positive feedback between the adrenocortical stress response and a brain mechanism controlling aggression. Stimulation of the aggressive area in the hypothalamus rapidly activated the adrenocortical response, even in the absence of an opponent and fighting. Hypothalamic aggression, in turn, was rapidly facilitated by a corticosterone injection in rats in which the natural adrenocortical stress response was prevented by adrenalectomy. The rapidity of both effects points to a fast, mutual, positive feedback of the controlling mechanisms within the time frame of a single conflict. Such a mutual facilitation may contribute to the precipitation and escalation of violent behavior under stressful conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

黄河黑山峡河段大柳树水库比小观音水库原始库容多40亿m3的作用

一级开发大柳树高坝原始库容比二级开发小观音高坝多 4 0亿m3 ,库容大带来的好处体现在 5～ 7月可多向下游增供水量 ,缓解下游河道断流 ;延长泄放清水时间 ;增加发电效益 ;满足宁蒙河段防凌要求 ;增加汛期集中泄水 ,减缓下游河道淤积萎缩 ;满足南水北调西线工程水量调节要求等。为了更好优化配置黄河水资源 ,从全局和长远利益考虑 ,应采用一级开发方案 ,修建大柳树高坝大库     

安徽省旱涝急转规律的认识与研究

旱涝急转是指某一地区或某一流域发生较长时间干旱时，突遇集中强降雨，引发山洪暴发、河水陡涨．客水入侵、内水难以及时外排的一种自然现象。旱涝急转极易造成人员伤亡、水库垮坝等重大经济损失。在防汛抗旱中，安徽省要充分认识旱涝急转的危害性，加强应急管理，具体包括思想上保持高度的警觉，加快防汛抗旱工程体系和预测预警体系建设，有效应对旱涝急转。     

高含沙量岛屿海域工程建设的潮动力沉积影响研究

以高含沙量岛屿海域洋山海区为例,采用平面二维有限元数学模型模拟了该区域的流场。计算了修筑防波堤后海域底床的泥沙冲淤变化。结果表明,影响仅限于工程附近。     

Well-Known and Novel Serum Biomarkers for Risk Stratification of Patients with Non-ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy encompasses a wide spectrum of myocardial disorders, characterized by left ventricular dilatation with systolic impairment and increased risk of sudden cardiac death. In spite of all the therapeutic progress that has been made in recent years, dilated cardiomyopathy continues to be an important cause of cardiac transplant, being associated with an enormous cost burden for health care systems worldwide. Predicting the prognosis of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy is essential to individualize treatment. Late gadolinium enhancement-cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, microvolt T-wave alternans, and genetic testing have emerged as powerful tools in predicting sudden cardiac death occurrence and maximizing patient’s selection. Despite all these new diagnostic modalities, additional tests to complement or replace current tools are required for better risk stratification. Therefore, biomarkers are an easy and important tool that can help to detect patients at risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Additionally, identifying potential biomarkers involved in dilated cardiomyopathy can provide us important information regarding the diagnostic, prognostic, risk stratification, and response to treatment for these patients. Many potential biomarkers have been studied in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, but only a few have been adopted in current practice. Therefore, the aim of our review is to provide the clinicians with an update on the well-known and novel biomarkers that can be useful for risk stratification of patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.     

突扩突跌掺气设施后泄槽底板脉动压力试验研究

有压洞出口后的突扩突跌掺气减蚀设施在水利工程中经常使用。由于水流受边界条件和掺气的影响,其流态和脉动压力往往与普通水槽的情况有很大的不同。通过水工模型试验,对突扩突跌掺气设施后泄槽底板上的脉动压力进行研究,揭示了掺气设施后泄槽底板上不同流动区域的脉动压力特性。从脉动压力的时域过程、均方根值、偏态系数、峰态系数和主频率等多方面得出冲击区、反射区和稳定区脉动压力的特性是不相同的结论。同一流量时,沿流程底板的时均压力都大于脉动压力的均方根值,在冲击区、反射区和稳定区,脉动压力的均方根值分别是同位置时均压力值的约0.5倍、0.6倍和0.7倍。研究成果可为更好地利用突扩突跌掺气设施提供有益的理论和试验依据。     

Bathymetry and siltation rate for Dokan Reservoir,Iraq

The Dokan Reservoir dam is a concrete cylindrical arch with gravity abutments, located on the Lesser Zab River about 60 km from the city of Sulaimani in north‐eastern Iraq. A bathymetric survey was conducted in November 2014 for a period of 10 days, using an echo sounder of 200‐kHz single beam. The survey results indicated an annual average sediment deposition of 3.8 million m³. Thirty‐two sediment samples were collected from the reservoir bed. The ratio of gravel, sand, silt and clay was 15:14:48:23, respectively. The reservoir bed is covered mainly with silt. The sediments are composed of silty clay (77.6%), silty sandy clay (10%), sandy gravely silty clay (1.2%) and gravely sandy silty clay (1%).     

黄河宁夏段河道淤积发展趋势分析

对黄河宁夏段河道淤积因素进行了分析论述,根据实测水文资料和径流模型对现状条件下宁夏河道泥沙淤积发展趋势进行了预测分析：2011—2020年年平均来水量可能为260亿～280亿m^3;2011—2020年宁夏河段的淤积情况可能与1986--1995年淤积情况相近,主槽年淤积速率可能为0．02～0．03m,如若支流来沙量大则年均淤积速率将可能达到0．05m,甚至更大一些．     

外秦淮河武定门闸上游减淤物理模型试验

针对南京市外秦淮河武定门闸上游近年来发生泥沙淤积严重的问题,建立了武定门闸河段物理模型,设定两种方案进行悬沙冲淤试验,分析偏转角为15°的导流墙工程对闸上游的减淤作用。结果表明:方案1(将闸门至上游60 m开挖至设计断面),设置导流墙后,经过2年8个月的水沙过程,整治段淤积量减少30.4%;方案2(将闸门至上游240 m开挖至设计断面),设置导流墙后,经过1个典型水文年,整治段淤积量减少50.8%,经过2个典型水文年,淤积量减少44.0%,减淤幅度下降,河床趋于形成新的冲淤平衡,断面地形也趋向于均匀分布;设置偏转角为15°的导流墙对武定门闸上游河道有显著的减淤作用,有助于提高河道的过流能力。