scholarly journals Enhanced detection of atrial tachyarrhythmias with pacing devices by using more accurate atrial sensing

Author(s):  
Sami Pakarinen ◽  
Mika Lehto ◽  
Jaap Ruiter ◽  
Willem G. de Voogt

Abstract Purpose Cardiac pacing devices can detect and monitor atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATA) which increase the risk of thromboembolic complications. The aim of this study was to compare (1) two different atrial leads and (2) standard and optimized settings to detect ATA and reject far-field R-wave signal (FFRW). Methods This was a prospective, randomized multi-center trial comparing St. Jude Medical OptiSense lead (tip-to-ring spacing 1.1 mm) and Tendril lead (tip-to-ring spacing 10.0 mm), having programmed atrial sensitivity at 0.2 mV and post-ventricular atrial blanking at 60 ms. We measured intra-atrial amplitudes of FFRW, intrinsic atrial signals, the amount of FFRW oversensing, and other inappropriate mode switching. Results One hundred and ten patients were enrolled. The mean amplitude of sensed and paced FFRW bipolar signal was 0.13 mV vs. 0.21 mV (p < 0.001) and 0.13 mV vs. 0.26 mV (p < 0.001) with OptiSense and Tendril lead, respectively. The mean amplitude of the atrial bipolar signal was 2.84 mV with OptiSense and 3.48 mV with Tendril lead, p = 0.014. With the optimized settings with OptiSense lead, one patient out of 20 (5%) had FFRW oversensing, none had undersensing of ATAs due to 2:1-blanking of atrial depolarizations, and the concordance of the ATAs by Holter and pacemaker memory was high (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient = 0.90). In the Tendril group, 12 out of 25 patients (48%) had oversensing and 4 had atrial undersensing (p < 0.001). Conclusions The technique with an atrial lead with short tip-to-ring spacing combined with optimized pacemaker programming resulted in reliable and accurate atrial arrhythmia detection. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01074749.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 120-126
Author(s):  
M. Hayama ◽  
Y. Maeda ◽  
T. Tsuda ◽  
H. Akazawa ◽  
A. Nakatani ◽  
...  

Background: We examined the severity of epistaxis in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and its relationship with the performed activities of daily living. Methodology: This cross-sectional survey included 36 patients with HHT in Japan. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted regarding the severity of epistaxis, the measures adopted to prevent epistaxis, and the limitations in the performed activities of daily living. The latter was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The correlation between epistaxis severity and the VAS score was analysed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results: Of the 36 participants surveyed, 94.4% had >1 episode of epistaxis/week. The mean epistaxis severity score (ESS) was 4.3 (range, 0.9–8.4). Limitations in daily life, going out (within a day), meeting with others, eating with others, and going on overnight trips were positively correlated with the ESS. To prevent nosebleeds, 44.4% and 41.7% of the participants used medications and avoided drying their nasal cavities, respectively. Conclusions: Epistaxis impacted the daily life of patients with HHT in proportion to its severity. Nonetheless, less than half of the patients used medications or took precautions. Hence, further educational activities should be considered for medical professionals and patients.


Author(s):  
Dinna N. Cruz ◽  
Grazia Maria Virzì ◽  
Alessandra Brocca ◽  
Claudio Ronco ◽  
Davide Giavarina

AbstractEarly biomarkers for acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnosis are needed since an increase in serum creatinine levels is a late marker. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is one of the most promising AKI biomarkers. Prior to routine clinical use, it is necessary to evaluate and validate a high-throughput commercially available method for NGAL detection. The aim of this study was to do an independent validation and comparison of the analytical performance of three different commercially available urine NGAL (uNGAL) assays.Urine samples (n=110) were obtained from various patient groups with and without AKI. All urine samples were processed using Architect NGAL assay, Siemens AdviaOverall, there was good agreement among the three assays: Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient between Architect and Vista was 0.989 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.983–0.993), between Architect and Advia, 0.962 (95% CI, 0.937–0.977), between Vista and Advia 2400, 0.975 (95% CI, 0.961–0.984). We observed a negative bias of Architect compared with the other assays: comparing Architect to Vista, the mean bias was –55.7 ng/mL (95% CI, –74.3 to –37.0 ng/mL); comparing Architect to Advia 2400, the mean bias was –40.9 ng/mL (95% CI, –56.4 to –25.4 ng/nL). The bias is proportional to the concentration of uNGAL and is more pronounced at higher levels, while irrelevant near the tested cutoff levels of 100 and 190 ng/mL. Comparing Vista and Advia 2400, the mean bias was 10.1 ng/mL (95% CI, 1.5–18.8 ng/mL). Intra-assay imprecision was generally acceptable across all assays; coefficient of variation ranged from 0.8% to 5.3%.All three methods for uNGAL showed acceptable performance for the tested parameters and are comparable with each other at clinically relevant cutoffs. However, Architect yields lower results than the other two methods, with a bias more pronounced at higher uNGAL concentrations, suggesting additional standardization efforts will likely be necessary to better harmonize the uNGAL methods at various clinically relevant cutoffs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Peian Lou ◽  
Xiaoluo Chen ◽  
Chenguang Wu ◽  
Shihe Shao

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is mainly affected by genetic and environmental factors; however, the correlation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with T2DM remains largely unknown. Methods Microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in patients with T2DM and healthy controls, and the expression of two candidate lncRNAs (lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3) were further validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the degree of association between the two candidate lncRNAs and differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway and GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis were used to reveal the biological functions of the two candidate lncRNAs. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed. Results The microarray analysis revealed that there were 55 lncRNAs and 36 mRNAs differentially expressed in patients with T2DM compared with healthy controls. Notably, lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 was significantly upregulated and lnc-AIM1-3 was significantly downregulated in patients with T2DM, which was validated in a large-scale qRT-PCR examination (90 controls and 100 patients with T2DM). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient revealed that both lncRNAs were correlated with 36 differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, functional enrichment (KEGG and GO) analysis demonstrated that the two lncRNA-related mRNAs might be involved in multiple biological functions, including cell programmed death, negative regulation of insulin receptor signal, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 were significantly correlated with T2DM (OR = 5.791 and 0.071, respectively, both P = 0.000). Furthermore, the ROC curve showed that the expression of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 might be used to differentiate patients with T2DM from healthy controls (area under the ROC curve = 0.664 and 0.769, respectively). Conclusion The profiles of lncRNA and mRNA were significantly changed in patients with T2DM. The expression levels of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 genes were significantly correlated with some features of T2DM, which may be used to distinguish patients with T2DM from healthy controls and may serve as potential novel biomarkers for diagnosis in the future.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 769
Author(s):  
Yuko Hara ◽  
Kenichi Goda ◽  
Shinichi Hirooka ◽  
Takehiro Mitsuishi ◽  
Masahiro Ikegami ◽  
...  

We previously reported that superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumors (SNADETs) commonly had a whitish mucosal surface, named milk-white mucosa (MWM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of MWM with epithelial intracellular lipid droplets (immunohistochemically stained by adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP)) and histological tumor grades. We reviewed endoscopic images and the histopathology of SNADETs resected en bloc endoscopically. We analyzed the correlation between the positive rates of endoscopic MWM in preoperative endoscopy and resected specimens, and ADRP-positive rates in the resected specimens. Associations between the MWM-positive rates and tumor grades, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN)/intramucosal carcinoma (IC), and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) were analyzed. All the 92 SNADETs analyzed were <20 mm and histologically classified into 39 HGIN/IC and 53 LGIN. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient showed a significant correlation between MWM-positive and ADRP-positive rates (p < 0.001). MWM-positive rates were significantly lower in the HGIN/IC than in the LGIN in preoperative endoscopy (p < 0.001) and resected specimens (p = 0.02). Our results suggest that endoscopic MWM is closely associated with epithelial intracellular lipid droplets and that the MWM-positive rate may be a predictor of histological grade in small SNADETs.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (02) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Berwig ◽  
Ana da Silva ◽  
Eliane Corrêa ◽  
Eliane Serpa ◽  
Rodrigo Ritzel

Summary Introduction: Hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil is one of the main causes of mouth breathing, and accurate diagnosis of this alteration is important for proper therapeutic planning. Therefore, studies have been conducted in order to provide information regarding the procedures that can be used for the diagnosis of pharyngeal obstruction. Objective: To verify the correlation between nasopharyngoscopy and cephalometric examinations in the diagnosis of pharyngeal tonsil hyperplasia. Method: This was a cross-sectional, clinical, experimental, and quantitative study. Fifty-five children took part in this study, 30 girls and 25 boys, aged between 7 and 11 years. The children underwent nasofibropharyngoscopic and cephalometric evaluation to determine the grade of nasopharyngeal obstruction. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient at the 5% significance level was used to verify the correlation between these exams. Results: In the nasopharyngoscopy evaluation, most children showed grade 2 and 3 hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil, which was followed by grade 1. In the cephalometry assessment, most children showed grade 1 hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil, which was followed by grade 2. A statistically significant regular positive correlation was observed between the exams. Conclusion: It was concluded that the evaluation of the pharyngeal tonsil hyperplasia could be carried out by fiber optic nasopharyngoscopy and cephalometry, as these examinations were regularly correlated. However, it was found that cephalometry tended to underestimate the size of the pharyngeal tonsil relative to nasopharyngoscopy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Urszula Kaczmarek ◽  
Wojciech Kowalczyk ◽  
Dariusz Gozdowski ◽  
Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk

Introduction. The use of age- and risk-adjusted caries prevention requires up-to-date knowledge on the cariostatic effects of fluoride, as well as the methods and safety of fluoride prophylaxis. Aim. The aim of the study was to assess dentists’ knowledge of the safety and mechanism of anticaries effects of fluoride. Material and methods. An anonymous questionnaire was conducted among 212 dentists participating in dental training. The questions included in the questionnaire related to knowledge about water fluoridation, fluoride cariostatic mechanisms and the safety of fluoride prophylaxis. The chi-square test and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis. A significance level of 0.05 was used. Results. Incorrect knowledge about water fluoridation was demonstrated by 26.9% of respondents in the country and 16.0% of respondents in Europe. Most respondents (80.7%) reported higher efficacy of exogenous vs endogenous anticaries approaches, and more than half of respondents (59.0%) considered the processes of remineralisation and demineralisation as the most important anticaries activity. Almost all respondents (95.7%) agreed that the use of fluoride for caries prevention is controversial, mainly due to its dose-dependent therapeutic or toxic effects (85.4%). According to about 20% of respondents, cariostatic fluoride doses have adverse effects on the general health, mainly in the form of bone fragility (10.4%). Conclusions. Lack of correct knowledge about the dominant cariostatic effects of fluoride may result in the choice of an inappropriate preventive method or avoiding local application of fluoride preparations for fear of adverse systemic effects, which may in turn lead to increased caries prevalence in a given population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-428
Author(s):  
Danwen Bao ◽  
Xiaoling Zhang ◽  
Jiayu Gu

To scientifically and accurately evaluate the status of the development of green airports in China, evaluation methods of green, ecological airports are established in this paper. To address the shortcomings in subjective and objective weighting methods, we propose a combination weighting method based on Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and evaluation grades based on interval approximation. At the same time, by taking into account resource conservation, environmental friendliness, operation efficiency, and people-oriented service, we propose an evaluation index system and an interval number for each index. Lastly, the theory is applied to five large airports in different regions of China. Analysis of the evaluation results shows that Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) have the highest scores for the resource conservation and environmental friendliness indexes, thus indicating that the development of a green ecological airport is closely related to its passenger transportation scale and economic strength. All considered airports showed the need for upgrading public  service facilities and constructing intelligent equipment. The method proposed in this paper is reasonable  and reliable; therefore, it can provide guidance for the evaluation and construction of green, ecological  airports.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 58-68
Author(s):  
T. Chernykh ◽  
V. Mulyk ◽  
K. Mulyk ◽  
А. Skaliy ◽  
А. Ostrowski ◽  
...  

Purpose: to determine the relationship between the performance of basic elements and indicators of static and dynamic balance in the training process of young acrobats 6-7 years. Material and methods. The study involved 16 young acrobats at the stage of initial training (age 6-7 years). All parents of the participants gave written consent for the participation of children in the study. The study involved testing the technique of performing basic elements of sports acrobatics and assessing the static and dynamic balance of young athletes. The relationship between (swallow, shoulder blade, forward squat, wheel (sideways overturning), bridges) and static and dynamic equilibrium tests was determined. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient method was used as a method of statistical analysis. Results. It is established that the largest relationship between the performance of basic elements and static balance in the basic exercises of young acrobats have: Romberg's test with the elements "Swallow", "Stand on the shoulders", "Bridge"; Biryuk test with elements "Swallow", "Wheel", "Bridge"; balance "Swallow" with elements "Swallow", "Wheel"; static equilibrium test with the elements "Swallow", "Rack on the shoulders", "Rolling forward with a squat", "Wheel". Reliable values ​​of the correlation coefficient were established between the tests of dynamic balance and the basic elements of sports acrobatics in young athletes 6-7 years, namely: "Swallow", "Flip forward with a squat", "Wheel" and "Bridge". The analysis of special tests of static and dynamic balance in mastering the basic elements of acrobatics at the first stage of long-term training makes it possible to use them to determine the level of coordination capabilities of young athletes and further improve the use of acrobatic exercises. Conclusions. A reliable relationship between the performance of basic exercises and indicators of static and dynamic balance in young acrobats at the initial stage of training. It is shown that the level of static and dynamic balance is of great importance for the assimilation and improvement of basic elements of technology by young acrobats 6-7 years. Static and dynamic balance tests can be used to individually build training programs and young acrobats. It is shown that sports acrobatics is a significant means of developing the balance of children 6-7 years.


Author(s):  
Satyanand Sathi ◽  
Richa Tiwari ◽  
Savita Verma ◽  
Anil Kumar Garg ◽  
Virendra Singh Saini ◽  
...  

Recent literature has reported that radiological features of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients are influenced by computed tomography. This study aimed to assess the characteristic chest X-ray features of COVID-19 and correlate them with clinical outcomes of patients. This retrospective study included 120 COVID-19 patients. Baseline chest X-rays and serial chest X-rays were reviewed. A severity index in the form of maximum radiological assessment of lung edema (RALE) score was calculated for each lung, and scores of both the lungs were summed to obtain a final score. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) and frequency (%) were determined, and an unpaired t test, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analyses were performed for statistical analyses. Among 120 COVID-19 patients, 74 (61.67%) and 46 (38.33%) were males and females, respectively; 64 patients (53.33%) had ground-glass opacities (GGO), 55 (45.83%) had consolidation, and 38 (31.67%) had reticular-nodular opacities, with lower zone distribution (50%) and peripheral distribution (41.67%). Baseline chest X-ray showed a sensitivity of 63.3% in diagnosing typical findings of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The maximum RALE score was 2.13 ± 1.9 in hospitalized patients and 0.57 ± 0.77 in discharged patients ( p value <0.0001). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient between maximum RALE score and clinical outcome parameters was as follows: age, 0.721 ( p value <0.00001); >10 days of hospital stay, 0.5478 ( p value <0.05); ≤10 days of hospital stay, 0.5384 ( p value <0.0001); discharged patients, 0.5433 ( p value <0.0001); and death, 0.6182 ( p value = 0.0568). The logistic regression analysis revealed that maximum RALE scores (0.0932 [0.024–0.367]), (10.730 [2.727–42.206]), (1.258 [0.990–1.598]), and (0.794 [0.625–1.009]) predicted discharge, death, >10 days of hospital stay, and ≤10 days of hospital stay, respectively. The study findings suggested that the RALE score can quantify the extent of COVID-19 and can predict the prognosis of patients.


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