Objectives: This study evaluated if selecting the left ventricular (LV) target segment by echocardiography-derived late mechanical activation, with access to multimodality imaging for scar and venous anatomy, could help to increase responder rates to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Background: LV lead placement is important for clinical outcome, but the optimal strategy for LV lead placem

A software prototype is developed for assessing and updating the reliability of single-cell prestressed concrete box girders subjected to chloride-induced reinforcement corrosion. The underlying system model consists of two integrated sub-models: a condition model for predicting the deterioration state of the box girder and a structural model for evaluating the overall system reliability. The cond

Cystatin C is a human cysteine proteinase inhibitor present in extracellular fluids. Cystatin C and a tripeptide derivative (Z-LVG-CHN2) that mimics its proteinase-binding center, were tested for possible antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV) and poliovirus type 1. Both recombinant cystatin C and Z-LVG-CHN2 displayed strong inhibitory effects on HSV replication, whereas no s

From an early age, humans intuitively expect physical objects to obey core principles, includingcontinuity (objects follow spatiotemporally continuous paths) and solidity (two solid objects cannotoccupy the same space at the same time). These 2 principles are sometimes viewed as deriving from asingle overarching “persistence” principle. Indeed, violations of solidity where one solid object seem-in

Asymmetry of striatal dopaminergic deficits and motor symptoms is a typical characteristic of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aims to characterise the trend of asymmetry in moderate-stage PD. We performed a 19-month longitudinal study in 27 patients with PET-CT imaging and appropriate clinical assessments. 11C-PE2I non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) was calculated bilaterall

Purpose: This paper aims to increase related knowledge across personal, social and ecological dimensions of sustainability and how it can be applied to support transformative learning. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a reflexive case study of the design, content and impact of a course on eco-justice that integrates relational learning with an equity and justice lens. The reflexive

The COVID-19 pandemic may have severe impact on mental health, and concerns have been raised about potentially increased online behavior and possibly increased gambling problems, such as in sports bettors at risk of transfer to even riskier forms of gambling during sports lock-down. Given the need for objective data about gambling behavior during the pandemic, the present analysis, from a project

We propose that CDCL SAT solver heuristics such as restarts and clause database management can be analysed by studying the resolution proofs produced by the solvers, and by trimming these proofs to extract the clauses actually used to reach the final conclusion. We find that for non-adaptive Luby restarts higher frequency makes both untrimmed and trimmed proofs smaller, while adaptive restarts bas

Abstract: The β-decay half-life and the delayed neutron emission of 60Ca are studied within a microscopic model, which is based on the Skyrme interaction T45 to construct single-particle and phonon spaces. We observe a redistribution of the Gamow–Teller strength due to the phonon-phonon coupling and the tensor correlations, considered in the model. For 60Sc, the spin-parity of the ground state is

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are frequently associated and share common risk factors, pathophysiological processes, symptoms and clinical signs. Ischemic heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and atrial fibrillation are common comorbidities of COPD. COPD has been described as an independent risk factor for CVD. Cardiac troponin elevat

Background: To systematically review the association between knee abduction kinematics and kinetics during weight-bearing activities at baseline and the risk of future anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines. A search in the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, EMBASE and Scopus was performed. Inclusion criteria were prosp

This study aims to reveal the obstacles to achieving quality in distance learning during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and was based on a large sample of professors and students of universities in the Arab world (Algerian, Egyptian, Palestinian, and Iraqi). The primary aim of this research was to investigate the various ways in which students pursued their studies at home during the universi

The concept and practice of urban open space (UOS) management is becoming increasingly influenced by varying governance arrangements for participatory co-development. These varying arrangements generate multifaceted approaches to UOS management as well as to landscape architecture more broadly. Governance and management constitute two central themes within UOS development, but their combination ha

Purpose: Neurofilament light (NfL) is a biomarker reflecting neurodegeneration and acute neuronal injury, and an increase is found following hypoxic brain damage. We assessed the ability of plasma NfL to predict outcome in comatose patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We also compared plasma NfL concentrations between patients treated with two different targets of arterial carbon

Hilary Kornblith argues that many traditional philosophical accounts involve problematic views of reflection (understood as second-order mental states). According to Kornblith, reflection does not add reliability, which makes it unfit to underlie a separate form of knowledge. We show that a broader understanding of reflection, encompassing Type 2 processes, working memory, and episodic long-term m

Objective To systematically identify and validate published colorectal cancer risk prediction models that do not require invasive testing in two large population-based prospective cohorts. Design Models were identified through an update of a published systematic review and validated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and the UK Biobank. The performance of th

In this article, a framework for hadronic rescattering in the general-purpose Pythia event generator is introduced. The starting point is the recently presented space–time picture of the hadronization process. It is now extended with a tracing of the subsequent motion of the primary hadrons, including both subsequent scattering processes among them and decays of them. The major new component is cr

Graphene was shown to reveal intriguing properties of its relativistic two-dimensional electron gas; however, its implementation to microelectronic applications is missing to date. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of epitaxial graphene on technologically relevant and in a standard CMOS process achievable Ge(100) epilayers grown on Si(100) substrates. Crystalline graphene monolayer st

Background: Coarctation of the Aorta (CoA) is associated with increased aortic stiffness and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction. The mechanisms involved and impact of age remain unclear. It was the aim of this study to characterize arterial and cardiac function, their correlation, and the effect of age in children and adults with repaired CoA. Methods: Multimodal cardiovascular assessment from