**Meet the editors**

José Milei is Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Institute of Cardiological Investigations at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the National Research Council for Science and Technology, Argentina. His thesis about the effects of isoproterenol on myocardium, has been extensively cited as well as his investigations in the '80 in NIH, National Heart, Lung and Blood

Institute, USA under the guidance of his mentor, Victor Ferrans. Professor Milei is Chairman of the Module of Cardiology and Hypertension at the Argentine Medical Association devoted to South American general practitioners´ training. His research on early atherosclerotic lesions helped set up the basis for the importance of intimal thickenings in plaque genesis. He has authored over 140 papers in peer review journals, 4 books and over 10 invited chapters in books of cardiology. His treaty on Chagas' disease is a referent book in the last 20 years.

Dr. Giuseppe Ambrosio is Professor and Director at University of Perugia, School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Italy. He is Professor Honorario at the Institute of Cardiological Investigations at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). He authored over 170 papers in peer review journals, has over 7000 citations in international literature and over 70 invited lectures

and seminars at International Meetings. Dr. Ambrosio is a member of Committee on Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (2008 - ), at Heart Failure Association – European Society of Cardiology; a member of Committee on Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, at American College of Cardiology. In addition, he is a member of Editorial Boards of several International Journals.

Contents

**Preface VII**

**Section 1 Cardiomyopathies - General Aspects 1**

Chapter 2 **Left Ventricular Twist in Cardiomyopathy 29** B.M. van Dalen and M.L. Geleijnse

Chapter 3 **Contractile Reserve in Dilated Cardiomyopathy 47** Takahiro Okumura and Toyoaki Murohara

**Section 2 Pathophysiology and Molecular Mechanisms 61**

Chapter 4 **Cardiomyopathies: When the Goliaths of Heart**

Joe Xie, Larry D. Dial and Joseph I. Shapiro

Chapter 6 **Dobutamine-Induced Mechanical Alternans 95** Akihiro Hirashiki and Toyoaki Murohara

Maegen A. Ackermann and Aikaterini Kontrogianni-

Chapter 5 **Na/K-ATPase Signaling and the Tradeoff Between Natriuresis**

**Cardiomyopathies 3**

**Muscle Hurt 63**

Konstantopoulos

**and Cardiac Fibrosis 81**

Chapter 1 **Echocardiography Findings in Common Primary and Secondary**

Gohar Jamil, Ahmed Abbas, Abdullah Shehab and Anwer Qureshi
