Understanding the electronic properties of BaTiO3 and Er3+ doped BaTiO3 films through confocal scanning microscopy and XPS: the role of oxygen vacancies.

Photonic and electronic properties exist inherently in ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO3); severe luminescence quenching also exists due to the insufficient confinement of excitons. In this sense, high optical emission can only be achieved by its chemical and structural modification. Thin BaTiO3 and Er:BaTiO3 films were grown by the spin coating method on a glass substrate at room temperature. Self-trapping of excitons in the thin BaTiO3 film and its structural modification due to the doping with Er3+ ions (Er:BaTiO3) are verified using scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy (SCFM), where self-trapping excitons never occured in its pure state. By thermal treatment and doping (BaTiO3 and Er:BaTiO3) we obtained localization of the excitons, which would further induce lattice strain around the surface defects, to accommodate the self-trapped excitons. With such a self-trapped state, the structure of BaTiO3 generates broadband emission of several overlapping bands between 1.95 and 2.65 eV at room temperature, while the structure Er:BaTiO3 showed defined emission bands at 2.24 and 2.35 eV, with very weak contributions of the emission due to the self-trapping state. The influence of the variation of the excitation wavelength using 1PE and 2PE on the emission bands of BaTiO3 and Er:BaTiO3 is also investigated. The results of enhanced emission bands suggest a clear dependence of the emission intensity on the excitation energy, where a ∼3 fold enhancement in emission has been demonstrated under Er3+ (1.55 eV) excitation, which can be attributed to effective energy transfer between the Er3+ ions. As a result, it is concluded that the developed BaTiO3 and Er:BaTiO3 can pave the way for future photonic devices.

Key amino acid residues of the AGT1 permease required for maltotriose consumption and fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

AIMS: The AGT1 gene encodes for a general α-glucoside-H+ symporter required for efficient maltotriose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the present study, we analysed the involvement of four charged amino acid residues present in this transporter that are required for maltotriose consumption and fermentation by yeast cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using a knowledge-driven approach based on charge, conservation, location, three-dimensional (3D) structural modelling and molecular docking analysis, we identified four amino acid residues (Glu-120, Asp-123, Glu-167 and Arg-504) in the AGT1 permease that could mediate substrate binding and translocation. Mutant permeases were generated by site-directed mutagenesis of these charged residues, and expressed in a yeast strain lacking this permease (agt1∆). While mutating the Arg-504 or Glu-120 residues into alanine totally abolished (R504A mutant) or greatly reduced (E120A mutant) maltotriose consumption by yeast cells, as well as impaired the active transport of several other α-glucosides, in the case of the Asp-123 and Glu-167 amino acids, it was necessary to mutate both residues (D123G/E167A mutant) in order to impair maltotriose consumption and fermentation. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results obtained with mutant proteins, molecular docking and the localization of amino acid residues, we propose a transport mechanism for the AGT1 permease. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our results present new insights into the structural basis for active α-glucoside-H+ symport activity by yeast transporters, providing the molecular bases for improving the catalytic properties of this type of sugar transporters.

Narrow log-periodic modulations in non-Markovian random walks.

What are the necessary ingredients for log-periodicity to appear in the dynamics of a random walk model? Can they be subtle enough to be overlooked? Previous studies suggest that long-range damaged memory and negative feedback together are necessary conditions for the emergence of log-periodic oscillations. The role of negative feedback would then be crucial, forcing the system to change direction. In this paper we show that small-amplitude log-periodic oscillations can emerge when the system is driven by positive feedback. Due to their very small amplitude, these oscillations can easily be mistaken for numerical finite-size effects. The models we use consist of discrete-time random walks with strong memory correlations where the decision process is taken from memory profiles based either on a binomial distribution or on a delta distribution. Anomalous superdiffusive behavior and log-periodic modulations are shown to arise in the large time limit for convenient choices of the models parameters.

Three-dimensional analysis of jaw kinematic alterations in patients with chronic TMD - disc displacement with reduction.

The study investigated whether chronic TMD patients with disc displacement with reduction (DDR), performing non-assisted maximum jaw movements, presented any changes in their mandibular kinematics with respect to an age-matched control group. Moreover, it was examined whether jaw kinematics and a valid clinic measure of oro-facial functional status have significant associations. Maximum mouth opening, mandible protrusion and bilateral laterotrusions were performed by 20 patients (18 women, 2 men; age, 18-34 years) and 20 healthy controls (17 women, 3 men; age, 20-31 years). The three-dimensional coordinates of their mandibular interincisor and condylar reference points were recorded by means of an optoelectronic motion analyser and were used to quantitatively assess their range of motion, velocity, symmetry and synchrony. Three functional indices (opening-closing, mandibular rototranslation, laterotrusion - right and left - and protrusion) were devised to summarise subject's overall performance, and their correlation with the outcome of a clinical protocol, the oro-facial myofunctional evaluation with scores (OMES), was investigated. TMD patients were able to reach maximum excursions of jaw movements comparable to healthy subjects' performances. However, their opening and closing mandibular movements were characterised by remarkable asynchrony of condylar translation. They had also reduced jaw closing velocity and asymmetric laterotrusions. The functional indices proved to well summarise the global condition of jaw kinematics, highlighting the presence of alterations in TMD-DDR patients, and were linearly correlated with the oro-facial functional status. The jaw kinematic alterations seem to reflect both oro-facial motor behaviour adaptation and a DDR-related articular impairment.

Scaling analysis of random walks with persistence lengths: Application to self-avoiding walks.

We develop an approach for performing scaling analysis of N-step random walks (RWs). The mean square end-to-end distance, 〈R[over ⃗]_{N}^{2}〉, is written in terms of inner persistence lengths (IPLs), which we define by the ensemble averages of dot products between the walker's position and displacement vectors, at the jth step. For RW models statistically invariant under orthogonal transformations, we analytically introduce a relation between 〈R[over ⃗]_{N}^{2}〉 and the persistence length, λ_{N}, which is defined as the mean end-to-end vector projection in the first step direction. For self-avoiding walks (SAWs) on 2D and 3D lattices we introduce a series expansion for λ_{N}, and by Monte Carlo simulations we find that λ_{∞} is equal to a constant; the scaling corrections for λ_{N} can be second- and higher-order corrections to scaling for 〈R[over ⃗]_{N}^{2}〉. Building SAWs with typically 100 steps, we estimate the exponents ν_{0} and Δ_{1} from the IPL behavior as function of j. The obtained results are in excellent agreement with those in the literature. This shows that only an ensemble of paths with the same length is sufficient for determining the scaling behavior of 〈R[over ⃗]_{N}^{2}〉, being that the whole information needed is contained in the inner part of the paths.

Acute and chronic nociceptive phases observed in a rat hind paw ischemia/reperfusion model depend on different mechanisms.

Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS1) may be evoked by ischemia/reperfusion, eliciting acute and chronic pain that is difficult to treat. Despite this, the underlying mechanism of CRPS1 has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the goal of this study is to evaluate the involvement of inflammation, oxidative stress, and the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel, a chemosensor of inflammation and oxidative substances, in an animal model of chronic post-ischemia pain (CPIP). Male Wistar rats were subjected to 3 h hind paw ischemia/reperfusion (CPIP model). Different parameters of nociception, inflammation, ischemia, and oxidative stress were evaluated at 1 (acute) and 14 (chronic) days after CPIP. The effect of a TRPA1 antagonist and the TRPA1 immunoreactivity were also observed after CPIP. In the CPIP acute phase, we observed mechanical and cold allodynia; increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (hind paw), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) (serum), protein carbonyl (hind paw and spinal cord), lactate (serum), and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE, hind paw and spinal cord); and higher myeloperoxidase (MPO) and N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) activities (hind paw). In the CPIP chronic phase, we detected mechanical and cold allodynia and increased levels of IMA (serum), protein carbonyl (hind paw and spinal cord), and 4-HNE (hind paw and spinal cord). TRPA1 antagonism reduced mechanical and cold allodynia 1 and 14 days after CPIP, but no change in TRPA1 immunoreactivity was observed. Different mechanisms underlie acute (inflammation and oxidative stress) and chronic (oxidative stress) phases of CPIP. TRPA1 activation may be relevant for CRPS1/CPIP-induced acute and chronic pain.

Importance of early absolute lymphocyte count after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Early lymphocyte recovery after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is related to the prevention of serious infections and the clearing of residual tumor cells. METHODS: We analyzed the absolute lymphocyte count at 20 (D+20) and 30 (D+30) days after HSCT in 100 patients with malignant hematologic diseases and correlated with the risk of transplant-related mortality, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), nonrelapsed mortality (NRM), and risk of infection. RESULTS: Patients presenting with lymphocyte counts of <300 × 103/µL on D+30 have a 3.76 times greater risk of death in <100 days. Over a medium follow-up of 20 months OS, DFS, and NRM were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: In our group of patients delayed lymphocyte recovery after HSCT was a predictor of early death post-HSCT.

Ultraslow diffusion in an exactly solvable non-Markovian random walk.

We study a one-dimensional discrete-time non-Markovian random walk with strong memory correlations subjected to pauses. Unlike the Scher-Montroll continuous-time random walk, which can be made Markovian by defining an operational time equal to the random-walk step number, the model we study keeps a record of the entire history of the walk. This new model is closely related to the one proposed recently by Kumar, Harbola, and Lindenberg [Phys. Rev. E 82, 021101 (2010)], with the difference that in our model the stochastic dynamics does not stop even in the extreme limit of subdiffusion. Surprisingly, this small difference leads to large consequences. The main results we report here are exact results showing ultraslow diffusion and a stationary diffusion regime (i.e., localization). Specifically, the equations of motion are solved analytically for the first two moments, allowing the determination of the Hurst exponent. Several anomalous diffusion regimes are apparent, ranging from superdiffusion to subdiffusion, as well as ultraslow and stationary regimes. We present the complete phase diffusion diagram, along with a study of the persistence and the statistics in the regions of interest.

Non-Gaussian propagator for elephant random walks.

For almost a decade the consensus has held that the random walk propagator for the elephant random walk (ERW) model is a Gaussian. Here we present strong numerical evidence that the propagator is, in general, non-Gaussian and, in fact, non-Lévy. Motivated by this surprising finding, we seek a second, non-Gaussian solution to the associated Fokker-Planck equation. We prove mathematically, by calculating the skewness, that the ERW Fokker-Planck equation has a non-Gaussian propagator for the superdiffusive regime. Finally, we discuss some unusual aspects of the propagator in the context of higher order terms needed in the Fokker-Planck equation.

Estudo farmacobotânico das folhas de Garcinia brasiliensis Mart. (Clusiaceae) / Pharmacobotanical studies of Garcinia brasiliensis Mart. (Clusiaceae) leaves

A espécie Garcinia brasiliensis Mart. (Clusiaceae), nativa da região Amazônica e cultivada em todo o território brasileiro, vem sendo bastante estudada devido seu potencial farmacológico, porém são escassos estudos que tratam da caracterização farmacobotânica desta espécie. Considerando as propriedades terapêuticas para tornar-se um medicamento fitoterápico, o presente trabalho teve como objetivos estudar a anatomia e histoquímica da folha e do pecíolo e elaborar dados macroscópicos e microscópicos que forneçam características marcantes para sua identificação além de dar subsídios para a análise farmacognóstica no controle de qualidade da droga vegetal. O material vegetal foi fixado e submetido às técnicas usuais de microscopia de luz e a testes histoquímicos. As folhas de G. brasiliensis são opostas, simples, descolores, forma elíptica com nervação peninérvia. As células epidérmicas, em vista frontal, apresentam contorno sinuoso e estômatos paracíticos somente na face abaxial. O mesofilo é dorsiventral, a nervura central apresenta contorno biconvexo e feixe vascular em forma de semi-arco fechado envolto por bainha esclerenquimática. Inclusões inorgânicas de cristais na forma de drusas e orgânicas representadas por compostos fenólicos e grãos de amidos estão dispersos ao longo de toda lâmina foliar e pecíolo. Observa-se com frequência a presença de canais secretores preenchidos por um conteúdo lipídico dispersos pelo parênquima fundamental e próximos aos feixes vasculares. Estes dados fornecem subsídios para o controle de qualidade da matéria-prima utilizada para a produção de fitoterápicos.

The Garcinia brasiliensis Mart. (Clusiaceae) species, native of the Amazon region and cultivated throughout the Brazilian territory, has been widely studied due to its pharmacological potential, but there are few studies dealing with the pharmacobotanic characterization of this species. Considering the therapeutic properties in order to become an herbal medicine, the present paper had the purpose of studying the anatomical and histochemical characterization of the leaf and petiole, as well as producing macroscopic and microscopic data that provide important characteristics for its identification, in addition to providing subsidies for the pharmacognostical analysis in order to offer elements for the quality assurance of the drug. The botanical material was prepared through the usual optical and histochemical microtechniques. The leaves of G. brasiliensis are simple, opposed, colorless, and they show an elliptical shape. As seen from the front, the epidermal cells have a sinuous contour, and paracytic stomata occur on the low surface. The leaves are hipostomatic and dorsiventral with heterogeneous mesophile. The mesophile is dorsiventral, the central midrib shows a biconvex contour and vascular system in a semi-closed arch shape surrounded by a sclerenchymatic sheath. Inorganic inclusions of crystals in the shape of druses, and organic inclusions represented by phenolic compounds and starch grains are found throughout the leaf blade and petiole. It is common to find secretory canals filled with a lipid content dispersed throughout the parenchyma and near the vascular bundles. These data support the quality assurance of the elements used to produce herbal medicines.

Alzheimer random walk model: two previously overlooked diffusion regimes.

A non-Markovian one-dimensional random walk model is studied with emphasis on the phase-diagram, showing all the diffusion regimes, along with the exactly determined critical lines. The model, known as the Alzheimer walk, is endowed with memory-controlled diffusion, responsible for the model's long-range correlations, and is characterized by a rich variety of diffusive regimes. The importance of this model is that superdiffusion arises due not to memory per se, but rather also due to loss of memory. The recently reported numerically and analytically estimated values for the Hurst exponent are hereby reviewed. We report the finding of two, previously overlooked, phases, namely, evanescent log-periodic diffusion and log-periodic diffusion with escape, both with Hurst exponent H=1/2. In the former, the log-periodicity gets damped, whereas in the latter the first moment diverges. These phases further enrich the already intricate phase diagram. The results are discussed in the context of phase transitions, aging phenomena, and symmetry breaking.

Weakly anomalous diffusion with non-Gaussian propagators.

A poorly understood phenomenon seen in complex systems is diffusion characterized by Hurst exponent H ≈ 1/2 but with non-Gaussian statistics. Motivated by such empirical findings, we report an exact analytical solution for a non-Markovian random walk model that gives rise to weakly anomalous diffusion with H = 1/2 but with a non-Gaussian propagator.

Involvement of the glutamatergic system in the nociception induced intrathecally for a TRPA1 agonist in rats.

The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is expressed in peripheral and spinal terminals of sensory neurons, jointly to the vanilloid receptor (TRPV1). A relevant peripheral role of TRPA1 receptor has been implicated in a variety of processes, including the detection of noxious cold, and diverse painful stimulus, but the functional role of TRPA1 receptor in nociceptive transmission at spinal cord in vivo is poorly known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether the glutamatergic system is involved in the transmission of nociceptive stimulus induced for a TRPA1 agonist in the rat spinal cord. We observed that cinnamaldehyde, a TRPA1 agonist, on spinal cord synaptosomes leads to an increase in [Ca(2+)](i) and a rapid release of glutamate, but was not able to change the specific [(3)H]-glutamate binding. In addition, spinally administered cinnamaldehyde produced heat hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats. This behavior was reduced by the co-injection (i.t.) of camphor (TRPA1 antagonist) or MK-801 (N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist) to cinnamaldehyde. Besides, the pretreatment with resiniferatoxin (RTX), a potent TRPV1 agonist, abolished the cinnamaldehyde-induced heat hyperalgesia. Here, we showed that intrathecal RTX results in a decrease in TRPA1 and TRPV1 immunoreactivity in dorsal root ganglion. Collectively, our results demonstrate the pertinent participation of spinal TRPA1 in the possible enhancement of glutamatergic transmission of nociceptive signals leading to increase of the hypersensitivity, here observed as heat hyperalgesia. Then the modulation of spinal TRPA1 might be a valuable target in painful conditions associated with central pain hypersensitivity.

Temperature-dependent Raman study of thermal parameters in CdS quantum dots.

We report on the strong temperature-dependent thermal expansion, α(D), in CdS quantum dots (QDs) embedded in a glass template. We have performed a systematic study by using the temperature-dependent first-order Raman spectra, in CdS bulk and in dot samples, in order to assess the size dependence of α(D), and where the role of the compressive strain provoked by the glass host matrix on the dot response is discussed. We report the Grüneisen mode parameters and the anharmonic coupling constants for small CdS dots with mean radius R âˆ¼ 2.0 nm. We found that γ parameters change, with respect to the bulk CdS, in a range between 20 and 50%, while the anharmonicity contribution from two-phonon decay channel becomes the most important process to the temperature-shift properties.

Co-infection of Bovine Papillomavirus and feline-associated Papillomavirus in bovine cutaneous warts.

The diversity of papillomavirus (PV) found in bovine cutaneous warts from Brazilian cattle was evaluated using the PCR technique with the utilization of consensus primers MY09/11 and by PCR using Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV) type-specific primers followed by sequencing. Eleven cutaneous warts from 6 cattle herds were selected. Six warts were positive for the presence of PV. The presence of BPV types 1, 2, 3, 6 and feline sarcoid-associated PV (FeSarPV) in cutaneous wart lesions, as well as the presence of co-infections, was found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that FeSarPV is described co-infecting a cutaneous wart in Brazil. The present study confirms the previous finding of FeSarPV infecting cattle. These results show the necessity of more studies to investigate the diversity of PV in cattle, its diversity and the possibility of co-infection in cattle and other animals.

Cellulose micro/nanofibres from Eucalyptus kraft pulp: preparation and properties.

There is growing interest in cellulose nanofibres from renewable sources for several industrial applications. However, there is a lack of information about one of the most abundant cellulose pulps: bleached Eucalyptus kraft pulp. The objective of the present work was to obtain Eucalyptus cellulose micro/nanofibres by three different processes, namely: refining, sonication and acid hydrolysis of the cellulose pulp. The refining was limited by the low efficiency of isolated nanofibrils, while sonication was more effective for this purpose. However, the latter process occurred at the expense of considerable damage to the cellulose structure. The whiskers obtained by acid hydrolysis resulted in nanostructures with lower diameter and length, and high crystallinity. Increasing hydrolysis reaction time led to narrower and shorter whiskers, but increased the crystallinity index. The present work contributes to the different widespread methods used for the production of micro/nanofibres for different applications.

Effect of local thermal fluctuations on folding kinetics: a study from the perspective of nonextensive statistical mechanics.

The search through the proteins conformational space is thought as an early independent stage of the folding process, governed mainly by the hydrophobic effect. Because of the nanoscopic size of proteins, we assume that the effects of local thermal fluctuations work like folding assistants, managed by the nonextensive parameter q. Using a 27-mer heteropolymer on a cubic lattice, we obtained--by Monte Carlo simulations--kinetic and thermodynamic amounts (such as the characteristic folding time and the native stability) as a function of temperature T and q for a few distinct native targets. We found that for each native structure, at a specific system temperature T, there exists an optimum q* that minimizes the folding characteristic time τ(min); for T=1, it is found that q* lies in the interval 1.15±0.05, even for native structures presenting significantly different topological complexities. The distribution of τ(min) obtained for specific q>1 (nonextensive approach) and temperature T can be fully reproduced for q=1 (Boltzmann approach), but only at higher temperatures T'>T. However, assuming that the complete set of proteins of each organism is optimized to work in a narrow range of temperature, we conclude that--for the present problem--the two approaches, namely, (T,q>1) and (T>T',q=1), cannot be equivalent; it is not a simple matter of reparametrization. Finally, by associating the nonextensive parameter q with the instantaneous degree of compactness of the globule, q becomes a dynamic variable, self-adjusted along the simulation. The results obtained through the q-variable approach are utterly consistent with those obtained by using a target-tuned parameter q*. However, in the former approach, q is automatically adjusted by the chain conformational evolution, eliminating the need to seek for a specific optimized value of q for each case. Besides, using the q-variable approach, different target structures are promptly characterized by inherent distributions of q, which reflect the overall complexity of their corresponding native topologies and energy landscapes.

Effects of temperature on transition energies of GaAsSbN/GaAs single quantum wells.

The energy transitions of GaAsSbN/GaAs strained-layer single quantum wells (QWs), grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, are studied in detail, using photoluminescence (PL) and photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopies. The optical transitions energy observed in the PL and PR spectra of GaAsSbN/GaAs QWs show a strong decrease with a small increase in the N composition. These effects are explained through the interaction between the conduction band and a narrow resonant band formed by nitrogen states in the GaAsSbN alloy. The temperature dependence of ground-state energy of strained-layer QWs is analyzed using the Bose-Einstein relation in the temperature range from 9 to 295 K. The parameters that describe the temperature variations of the ground-state energies are evaluated and discussed.

Comparative analysis of the performance of various crystalloid cardioplegic solutions on myocardial protection after prolonged cold ischemia.

INTRODUCTION: The quality and effectiveness of myocardial protection are fundamental problems to expand the use of and consequently good outcomes of donated hearts for transplantation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to compare the cardioprotective effects of Krebs-Henseleit, Bretschneider-HTK, St Thomas, and Celsior solutions using a modified nonrecirculating Langendorff column model of isolated perfused rat heart during prolonged cold storage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After removal 36 rat hearts underwent isolated perfusion into a Langendorff apparatus using Krebs-Henseleit solution for a 15-minute period of recovery; we excluded organs that did not maintain an aortic pressure above 100 m Hg. Subsequently, we equally distributed the hearts into four groups according to the cardioprotection solution; group 1, Krebs-Henseleit (control); group II, Bretschneider-HTK; group III, St Thomas; and group IV, Celsior. Each heart received the specific cardioplegic solution at 10°C for 2-hour storage at 20°C, before a 15 minutes perfusion with Krebs-Henseleit solution for recovery and stabilization. After 60 additional minutes of perfusion, every 5 minutes we determined heart rate (HR), coronary flow (CF), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), and positive and negative peak of the first derivative of left ventricular pressure (+dP/dt and -dP/dt, respectively). RESULTS: Comparative analysis by Turkey's test showed the following performances among the groups at 60 minutes of reperfusion: HR: II = IV > III > I; CF: II = IV > I = III; LVSP: IV > I = II = III; +dP/dt: IV > I = II = III; and -dP/dt: IV = II > I = II. CONCLUSION: Cardioprotective solutions generally used in clinical practice are not able to avoid hemodynamic alterations in hearts exposed to prolonged ischemia. Celsior solution showed better performance than Bretschneider-HTK, St Thomas, and Krebs-Henseleit.

Successful endomyocardial biopsy guided by transthoracic two-dimensional echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION: Two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography is an excellent alternative method to perform endomyocardial biopsies (EB) in special situations, mainly when the patient is in a critical state and cannot go to the catheterization laboratory or when there are contraindications to the use of fluoroscopy as in the pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: This single-center experience analyzed the last 25 years use of an EB technique guided by echocardiography realized at the bedside on critical patients. METHODS: From 1985 to 2010, we performed 76 EB guided by 2-D echocardiography on 59 patients, among whom 38 (64.4%) were critically ill with examinations at the bedside; among 10 (16.9%) subjects, the procedure was carried out simultaneously with fluoroscopy for safety's sake during the learning period. In addition, 8 (13.6%) were unavailable for fluoroscopy, and 3 (5.1%) required a hybrid method due to an intracardiac tumor. RESULTS: The main adverse effects included local pain (n = 4, 5.6%); difficult out successful puncture due to previous biopsies (n = 4, 5.6%); local hematoma without major consequences (n = 3, 4.2%); failed but ultimately successful puncture on the first try due to previous biopsies or (n = 3, 4.2%); obesity and immediate postoperative period with impossibility to pass the bioptome into the right ventricle; however 2 days later the procedure was repeated successfully by echocardiography (n = 1, 1.4%). All myocardial specimens displayed suitable size. There were no undesirable extraction effects on the tricuspid valve tissue. In this series, there was no case of death, hemopericardium, or other major complication as a direct consequence of the biopsy. CONCLUSION: 2-D echocardiography is a special feature to guide EB is mainly in critically ill patients because it can be performed at the bedside without additional risk or disadvantages of fluoroscopy. The hybrid method associating 2-D echocardiography and fluoroscopy allows the procedure in different situations such as intracardiac tumor cases.