Heart S Vortex

This outstanding resource provides a comprehensive guide to intracardiac blood flow phenomena and cardiac hemodynamics, including the developmental history, theoretical frameworks, computational fluid dynamics, and practical applications for clinical cardiology, cardiac imaging and embryology. It is not a mere compilation of the most up-to-date scientific data and relevant concepts. Rather, it is an integrated educational means to developing pluridisciplinary background, knowledge, and understanding. Such understanding allows an appreciation of the crucial, albeit heretofore generally unappreciated, importance of intracardiac blood flow phenomena in a host of multifaceted functional and morphogenetic cardiac adaptations. The book includes over 400 figures, which were prepared by the author and form a vital part of the pedagogy. It is organized in three parts. Part I, Fundamentals of Intracardiac Flows and Their Measurement, provides comprehensive background from many disciplines that are necessary for a deep and broad understanding and appreciation of intracardiac blood flow phenomena. Such indispensable background spans several chapters and covers necessary mathematics, a brief history of the evolution of ideas and methodological approaches that are relevant to cardiac fluid dynamics and imaging, a qualitative introduction to fluid dynamic stability theory, chapters on physics and fluid dynamics of unsteady blood flows and an intuitive introduction to various kinds of relevant vortical fluid motions. Part II, Visualization of Intracardiac Blood Flows: Methodologies, Frameworks and Insights, is devoted to pluridisciplinary approaches to the visualization of intracardiac blood flows. It encompasses chapters on 3-D real-time and "live 3-D" echocardiography and Doppler echocardiography, CT tomographic scanning modalities, including multidetector spiral/helical dataset acquisitions, MRI and cardiac MRA, including phase contrast velocity mapping (PCVM), etc. An entire chapter is devoted to the understanding of post processing exploration techniques and the display of tomographic data, including "slice-and-dice" 3-D techniques and cine-MRI. Part II also encompasses an intuitive introduction to CFD as it pertains to intracardiac blood flow simulations, followed--in separate chapters--by conceptually rich treatments of the computational fluid dynamics of ejection and of diastolic filling. An entire chapter is devoted to fluid dynamic epigenetic factors in cardiogenesis and pre- and postnatal cardiac remodeling, and another to clinical and basic science perspectives, and their implications for emerging research frontiers. Part III contains an Appendix presenting technical aspects of the method of predetermined boundary motion, "PBM," developed at Duke University by the author and his collaborators.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to artificial hearts, summarizing the latest advances in basic technologies, design, evaluation, and management. Featuring 11 chapters, it discusses the origins of the artificial heart, the mechanisms of heart failure, and the principles of artificial heart technologies. Further, it offers an overview of rotary pumps and volume-displacement pumps, and addresses total artificial hearts. Lastly, the book covers evaluation, selection, therapy management, challenges, and the latest innovations. Given its scope, it is a valuable resource for researchers and technicians in the area of biomedical engineering, as well as surgeons.

Cult recovery is an awesome and challenging task. Carla's story depicts such a recovery at the most profound levels. Psychotherapy, shamanic journeying, energy healing, and martial arts combine to create a healing paradigm. This compelling story traces one woman's life from the faintest of disturbing memories into the darkness of a cult and beyond. In the process of her healing, she finds hope, spiritual transformation and a new life.

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The molecular basis for atrial fibrillation continues to be largely unknown, and therapy remains unchanged, aimed at controlling the heart rate and preventing systemic emboli with anticoagulation. Familial atrial fibrillation is more common than previously suspected. While atrial fibrillation is commonly associated with acquired heart disease, a significant proportion of individuals have early onset without other forms of heart disease, referred to as "lone" atrial fibrillators. It is also well recognized that atrial fibrillation occurs on a reversible or functional basis, without associated structural heart disease, such as with hyperthyroidism or of atrial fibrillation following surgery. It remains to be determined what percentage in these individuals is familial or due to a genetic predisposition. Mapping the locus for familial atrial fibrillation is the first step towards the identification of the gene. Isolation of the gene and subsequent identification of the responsible molecular genetic defect should provide a point of entry into the mechanism responsible for the familial form and the common acquired forms of the disease and eventually provide more effective therapy. We know that the ionic currents responsible for the action potential of the atrium is due to multiple channel proteins as is electrical conduction throughout the atria. Analogous to the ongoing genetic studies in patients with familial long QT syndrome, it is highly likely that defects in each of these channel proteins will be manifested in familial atrial fibrillation.