Alex J. Thompson¹, Joseph A. Dearani², Jonathan N. Johnson^1,3, Hartzell V. Schaff², Eric C. Towe¹, Jared Palfreeman¹, Philip L. Wackel¹, Frank Cetta^1,3

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.4, pp. 617-623, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12618

Abstract Background: The transapical approach has been utilized in adult HCM patients with either midventricular obstruction or a small LV cavity; however, there are little data on its use in children.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients (age <21 years) with HCM who underwent a transapical myectomy from January 2002 to December 2016. Indication for surgery was midventricular obstruction in 19/23 (83%) and small LV cavity in 4 (17%). Preoperative symptoms included: dyspnea (96%), chest pain (65%), presyncope (61%), and syncope (35%). The mean age at the time of operation was 14 ± 4.0 years (range, 4–20).
Results: Overall,… More >

Albert C. Hergenroeder¹, Douglas S. Moodie², Daniel J. Penny², Constance M. Wiemann¹, Blanca Sanchez-Fournier¹, Lauren K. Moore², Jane Head³

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.4, pp. 548-553, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12604

Abstract Objective: To describe changes in functional status between the last pediatric and first adult congenital heart disease (CHD) clinic visits in patients with moderate to severe CHD after implementing a healthcare transition (HCT) planning program.
Design: Quasi-experimental design. Patients were followed prospectively following the implementation of the intervention; Control patients transitioned from the Pediatric CHD Clinic into Adult CHD Clinic before the intervention.
Setting: Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH).
Patients: Sixteen to 25-year-olds, cognitively normal, English speaking patients with moderate to severe CHD who transitioned from the Pediatric to the Adult CHD clinic.
Interventions: An EMR-based transition planning tool (TPT) was… More >

Lindsay A. Edwards^1,2, Christine Bui^2,3, Antonio G. Cabrera^1,2, Jill Ann Jarrell^2,4,5

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 362-368, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12579

Abstract Objective: To improve outpatient advanced care planning (ACP) for adults with congenital/pediatric heart disease followed in a pediatric heart failure (HF) and transplant clinic through quality improvement (QI) methodology.
Design: A one-year QI project was completed. We conducted quarterly chart reviews and incorporated feedback from the providers to direct subsequent interventions.
Patients and Setting: Patients ≥18 years of age seen in the HF and Transplant Clinic for followup visit were included in analysis.
Interventions: Interventions focused on five main areas: identifying and training providers to have ACP discussions, standardizing the ACP discussion, standardizing ACP and advance directive (AD) documentation… More >

Jing Wu¹, Li Kuang¹, Lijuan Fu²

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.2, pp. 194-202, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12586

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.
Design: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINHAL, and CBMdisc to collect controlled trials on the application of inspiratory muscle training in CHF patients from the establishment of these databases to November 2016. Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the quality of literature. Meta-analysis was conducted by software RevMan5.3.
Results: Eight studies involving 302 patients were identified. Meta-analysis indicated that IMT significantly improved PI_max, V_E/VCO₂ slope and More >

Robert W. Loar, Cory V. Noel, Hari Tunuguntla, John L. Colquitt, Ricardo H. Pignatelli

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.1, pp. 5-15, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12564

Abstract Chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in adults and children is a topic with a growing interest in the cardiology literature. The ability to detect cardiac dysfunction in a timely manner is essential in order to begin adequate treatment and prevent further deterioration. This article aims to provide a review on the myocardial injury process, chemotherapeutic agents that lead to cardiotoxicity, the definition of cardiotoxicity, and the methods of timely detection and treatment. More >

Yumi Shiina¹, Tomoaki Murakami², Noriko Matsumoto³, Daisuke Okamura⁴, Yuta Takahashi⁴, Yosuke Nishihata¹, Nobuyuki Komiyama¹, Koichiro Niwa¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.1, pp. 79-84, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12555

Abstract Objectives: To assess body composition and relationships among body composition, appetiterelated hormones, adipocytokines, and heart failure (HF) in adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Patients: This prospective study enrolled 46 consecutive adult patients with CHD and 12 agematched healthy controls. The patients and control subjects were divided into four groups: 13 patients with Fontan circulation (group A), 16 patients with cyanosis (group B), 17 patients who previously underwent biventricular repair (group C), and 12 age-matched healthy controls.
Design: Body composition was measured using InBody730, and levels of appetite-related hormones (ghrelin and leptin) and adipocytokines (leptin, interleukin-6, and… More >

Shaofei Ren^1,2, Guorong Chen² , Tiange Li² , Qijun Chen², Shaofan Li^{2, *}

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.117, No.3, pp. 287-307, 2018, DOI:10.31614/cmes.2018.04697

Abstract In this work, we have developed a novel machine (deep) learning computational framework to determine and identify damage loading parameters (conditions) for structures and materials based on the permanent or residual plastic deformation distribution or damage state of the structure. We have shown that the developed machine learning algorithm can accurately and (practically) uniquely identify both prior static as well as impact loading conditions in an inverse manner, based on the residual plastic strain and plastic deformation as forensic signatures. The paper presents the detailed machine learning algorithm, data acquisition and learning processes, and validation/verification More >

Xixiang Chen¹, Yu Chen^{2, *}, Kang He², Fernando Palacios Galarza³

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.12, No.4, pp. 299-322, 2018, DOI:doi:10.32604/sdhm.2018.04625

Abstract In order to studythe web-crippling behavior of aluminum hollow section subjected toconcentrated load, sixteen aluminum hollow tubes withdifferent loading conditions, bearing lengthandweb slenderness ratioswere tested. This paperalso discusseda method to improve the web crippling strength of the aluminum hollow sections byinfilling the mortar as composite section, and four aluminum composite sections were tested. The literature has reported lots of web crippling tests, butthere isfew reportson web crippling behavior of aluminum composite sections. Interior-Ground(IG) and End-Ground(EG)loading conditions were adopted, with the specimens placed on the ground to simulate the load of floor joists. Specimens were also… More >

A. Sane^1,*, P. M. Padole¹, R. V. Uddanwadiker¹

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.115, No.2, pp. 281-294, 2018, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2018.05046

Abstract T shaped skin-stiffener joint are one of the most commonly used structures in aerospace components. It has been proven in various studies that these joints are susceptible to failure when loaded in pull out conditions however, in specific applications these joints undergo pull loading. De-lamination/de-bond nucleation and its growth is one of the most common failure mechanisms in a fiber reinforced composite structure. Crack growth takes place due to the induced interlaminar normal and shear stresses between different structural constituents when a load is applied. In this study, Finite Element Analysis has been performed using… More >

Chaoyang Hu¹, Chi Ai^1,*, Fengjiao Wang^1,*

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring, Vol.12, No.2, pp. 85-98, 2018, DOI:10.3970/sdhm.2018.00115

Abstract There has been lack of work efforts on how to optimize cementing and completing parameters in order to prevent casing failure induced by formation slippage in pertroleum industry scope. Once the weak plane fails, the formation will become easily undertaken slippage across a large area along its interface. The plenty of horizontal planes of weakness in reservoir formations, as reported for a number of oilfields, can easily undertaken slippage once it fails. To address the problem, three-dimensional finite element models were established by taking into considerations the elastoplastic mechanical characteristics of both the casing and… More >