1. |
|
|
2. |
- Corrado, D., et al.
(author)
-
Cardiovascular pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden death: proposal for a common European protocol. Consensus Statement of the Study Group of Sport Cardiology of the Working Group of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and the Working Group of Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology
- 2005
-
In: Eur Heart J. ; 26:5, s. 516-24
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The 1996 American Heart Association consensus panel recommendations stated that pre-participation cardiovascular screening for young competitive athletes is justifiable and compelling on ethical, legal, and medical grounds. The present article represents the consensus statement of the Study Group on Sports Cardiology of the Working Group on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and the Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial diseases of the European Society of Cardiology, which comprises cardiovascular specialists and other physicians from different European countries with extensive clinical experience with young competitive athletes, as well as with pathological substrates of sudden death. The document takes note of the 25-year Italian experience on systematic pre-participation screening of competitive athletes and focuses on relevant issues, mostly regarding the relative risk, causes, and prevalence of sudden death in athletes; the efficacy, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of population-based pre-participation cardiovascular screening; the key role of 12-lead ECG for identification of cardiovascular diseases such as cardiomyopathies and channelopathies at risk of sudden death during sports; and the potential of preventing fatal events. The main purpose of the consensus document is to reinforce the principle of the need for pre-participation medical clearance of all young athletes involved in organized sports programmes, on the basis of (i) the proven efficacy of systematic screening by 12-lead ECG (in addition to history and physical examination) to identify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-the leading cause of sports-related sudden death-and to prevent athletic field fatalities; (ii) the potential screening ability in detecting other lethal cardiovascular diseases presenting with ECG abnormalities. The consensus document recommends the implementation of a common European screening protocol essentially based on 12-lead ECG.
|
|
3. |
- Peterson Wulff, Ragna, et al.
(author)
-
The activity of barley NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C is independent of the oligomeric state of the protein: tetrameric structure determined by cryo-electron microscopy
- 2011
-
In: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 50:18, s. 3713-3723
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase can regulate cell metabolism through redox regulation of disulfide bridges or through removal of H(2)O(2). These two enzymatic functions are combined in NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC), which contains an N-terminal thioredoxin reductase domain fused with a C-terminal thioredoxin domain. Rice NTRC exists in different oligomeric states, depending on the absence or presence of its NADPH cofactor. It has been suggested that the different oligomeric states may have diverse activity. Thus, the redox status of the chloroplast could influence the oligomeric state of NTRC and thereby its activity. We have characterized the oligomeric states of NTRC from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). This also includes a structural model of the tetrameric NTRC derived from cryo-electron microscopy and single-particle reconstruction. We conclude that the tetrameric NTRC is a dimeric arrangement of two NTRC homodimers. Unlike that of rice NTRC, the quaternary structure of barley NTRC complexes is unaffected by addition of NADPH. The activity of NTRC was tested with two different enzyme assays. The N-terminal part of NTRC was tested in a thioredoxin reductase assay. A peroxide sensitive Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester (MPE) cyclase enzyme system of the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway was used to test the catalytic ability of both the N- and C-terminal parts of NTRC. The different oligomeric assembly states do not exhibit significantly different activities. Thus, it appears that the activities are independent of the oligomeric state of barley NTRC.
|
|
4. |
- Sridhar, Arun R., et al.
(author)
-
Identifying Risk of Adverse Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients via Artificial Intelligence-Powered Analysis of 12-Lead Intake Electrocardiogram.
- 2022
-
In: Cardiovascular digital health journal. - : Elsevier. - 2666-6936. ; 3:2, s. 62-74
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Adverse events in COVID-19 are difficult to predict. Risk stratification is encumbered by the need to protect healthcare workers. We hypothesize that AI can help identify subtle signs of myocardial involvement in the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), which could help predict complications.Objective: Use intake ECGs from COVID-19 patients to train AI models to predict risk of mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).Methods: We studied intake ECGs from 1448 COVID-19 patients (60.5% male, 63.4±16.9 years). Records were labeled by mortality (death vs. discharge) or MACE (no events vs. arrhythmic, heart failure [HF], or thromboembolic [TE] events), then used to train AI models; these were compared to conventional regression models developed using demographic and comorbidity data.Results: 245 (17.7%) patients died (67.3% male, 74.5±14.4 years); 352 (24.4%) experienced at least one MACE (119 arrhythmic; 107 HF; 130 TE). AI models predicted mortality and MACE with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.60±0.05 and 0.55±0.07, respectively; these were comparable to AUC values for conventional models (0.73±0.07 and 0.65±0.10). There were no prominent temporal trends in mortality rate or MACE incidence in our cohort; holdout testing with data from after a cutoff date (June 9, 2020) did not degrade model performance.Conclusion: Using intake ECGs alone, our AI models had limited ability to predict hospitalized COVID-19 patients' risk of mortality or MACE. Our models' accuracy was comparable to that of conventional models built using more in-depth information, but translation to clinical use would require higher sensitivity and positive predictive value. In the future, we hope that mixed-input AI models utilizing both ECG and clinical data may be developed to enhance predictive accuracy.
|
|
5. |
- Aadland, Torgeir, et al.
(author)
-
Mitigating the lack of prior entrepreneurial experience and exposure through entrepreneurship education programs
- 2023
-
In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. - UK : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1355-2554 .- 1758-6534. ; 30:11, s. 19-44
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeTo increase the understanding of how entrepreneurship education impacts entrepreneurial careers, the purpose of the paper is to investigate the role that a venture creation program (VCP) might have in mitigating or surpassing a lack of other antecedents of entrepreneurial careers. In particular, the authors focus on entrepreneurial pedigree and prior entrepreneurial experience.Design/methodology/approachData from graduates of VCPs at three universities in Northern Europe were collected through an online survey. Questions addressed graduate background prior to education, yearly occupational employment subsequent to graduation and graduates' own perceptions of entrepreneurial activity in employment positions. The survey was sent to 1,326 graduates and received 692 responses (52.2% response rate).FindingsThe type of VCP, either independent (Ind-VCP) or corporate venture creation (Corp-VCP), influenced the mitigation of prior entrepreneurial experience. Prior entrepreneurial experience, together with Ind-VCP, made a career as self-employed more likely. However, this was not the case for Corp-VCP in subsequently choosing intrapreneurial careers. Entrepreneurial pedigree had no significant effect on career choice other than for hybrid careers.Research limitations/implicationsEntrepreneurial experience gained from VCPs seems to influence graduates toward future entrepreneurial careers. Evidence supports the conclusion that many VCP graduates who lack prior entrepreneurial experience or entrepreneurial pedigree can develop sufficient entrepreneurial competencies through the program.Originality/valueThis study offers novel evidence that entrepreneurship education can compensate for a lack of prior entrepreneurial experience and exposure for students preparing for entrepreneurial careers.
|
|
6. |
- Arvanitis, Panagiotis, et al.
(author)
-
Timing and degree of left atrial stunning and reverse functional remodeling following electrical cardioversion in patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation
- 2020
-
In: European Heart Journal, Supplement. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1520-765X .- 1554-2815 .- 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 41:Supplement_2
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) results in left atrial electrical, structural and functional remodeling. Restoration of sinus rhythm hallmarks the beginning of reverse remodeling, the extent of which may depend on the type of AF.PurposeThe aim of the study was to assess resumption of left atrial function after electric cardioversion in patients with recent onset AF and to explore the association between reverse remodeling and the type of atrial fibrillation.MethodsPatients with AF duration <48 hours were prospectively included. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was performed prior, immediately after (2–4 hours) and 7–10 days following CV. Left atrial volume index (LAVI), left atrial global longitudinal strain during reservoir (LAGLS-res), conduit (LAGLS-cond) and contractile (LAGLS-contr) phases, left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured.ResultsForty-three patients (84% males) aged 55±9.6 years, (mean±SD), with median CHA2DS2-VASc score 1 (interquartile range 0–1) were included. Repeated measure analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant overall change for LAGLS-res F(2,78)=55.4, p<0,001, LAGLS-cond F(2,78)=23.3, p<0,001, LAGLS-contr F(2,78)=39.7, p<0,001, LAEF F(2,80)=28.5, p<0.001 and LVEF F(2,80)=8.4, p<0.001. At 7–10 days, LAGLS-contr 12±4%, LAEF 53±9% and LVEF 60±6 (mean±SD) return within normal reference intervals. Notably left atrial recovery seems to precede left ventricular recovery. No statistical significant interaction with the type of atrial fibrillation could be shown.ConclusionLeft atrial functional reverse remodeling occurs within ten days after successful electric cardioversion of patients with recent onset atrial fibrillation.
|
|
7. |
- Cahn, R N, et al.
(author)
-
Detective quantum efficiency dependence on x-ray energy weighting in mammography
- 1999
-
In: Medical physics. - Medical physics : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 26:12, s. 2680-2683
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An evaluation of the dependence of detective quantum efficiency (DQE) on the incident energy spectrum has been made for mammography. The DQE dependence on the energy spectrum has been evaluated for energy-integrating detectors, photon-counting detectors, and detectors that measure the energy of each photon. To isolate the effect of the x-ray energy spectrum the detector has been assumed to be ideal, i.e., all noise sources are assumed to be zero except for quantum fluctuations. The result shows that the improvement in DQE, if the energy-integrating detector is compared to a single-photon counting detector, is of the order of 10%. Comparing the energy-integrating detector and the detector measuring the energy for each photon the improvement is around 30% using a molybdenumanodespectrum typical in mammography. It is shown that the optimal weight factors to combine the data in the case the energy is measured are very well approximated if the weight factors are proportional to E−3." style="position: relative;" tabindex="0" id="MathJax-Element-1-Frame" class="MathJax">E−3. Another conclusion is that in calculating the DQE, a detector should be compared to one that uses ideal energy weighting for each photon since this provides the best signal-to-noise ratio. This has generally been neglected in the literature.
|
|
8. |
- Edgar, Boo, 1948, et al.
(author)
-
Using Scenario Planning in Regional Development Context: The Challenges and Opportunities
- 2013
-
In: World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development. - : Emerald. - 2042-5945. ; 10:2, s. 103-122
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose – Planning under conditions of uncertainty is more demanding than doing the same under less uncertain circumstances. Planning which is coupled to high level of uncertainty requires good strategic thinking by the planners. There are a number of methods used for planning under such circumstances. Among these methods is scenario planning. Scenario planning has been used for classical management to help organizations and firms in their decision-making activities. One area where scenario planning has not been used intensively, according to the authors’ understanding, is in a regional development context and especially in relation to the innovation aspects and policy issues. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors discuss and exemplify the possible utilization of scenario planning to promote innovation in a regional development context. They look at the hidden potential of the method and discuss the challenges of its utilization. To run their analysis, they use a number of cases from the health sector. These cases are unique because they also involved input from a number of actors of the regional innovation system. Findings – The authors found that scenario planning is a valuable tool to deal with regional development schemes under high level of uncertainty and where diverse actors from the regional innovation system are involved. Originality/value – The authors argue in this work that scenario planning has the potential to be used, at a more intense scale, in promoting innovation activities in organizations within the context of a regional development drive. Surely, scenario planning need be considered when discussing innovation in relation to introduction of new therapies, new educational schemes, and other regional development initiatives.
|
|
9. |
- Fredenberg, Erik, PhD, 1979-, et al.
(author)
-
Photon-Counting Spectral Phase-Contrast Mammography
- 2012
-
In: Medical Imaging 2012. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9780819489623
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Phase-contrast imaging is an emerging technology that may increase the signal-difference-to-noise ratio in medical imaging. One of the most promising phase-contrast techniques is Talbot interferometry, which, combined with energy-sensitive photon-counting detectors, enables spectral differential phase-contrast mammography. We have evaluated a realistic system based on this technique by cascaded-systems analysis and with a task-dependent ideal-observer detectability index as a figure-of-merit. Beam-propagation simulations were used for validation and illustration of the analytical framework. Differential phase contrast improved detectability compared to absorption contrast, in particular for fine tumor structures. This result was supported by images of human mastectomy samples that were acquired with a conventional detector. The optimal incident energy was higher in differential phase contrast than in absorption contrast when disregarding the setup design energy. Further, optimal weighting of the transmitted spectrum was found to have a weaker energy dependence than for absorption contrast. Taking the design energy into account yielded a superimposed maximum on both detectability as a function of incident energy, and on optimal weighting. Spectral material decomposition was not facilitated by phase contrast, but phase information may be used instead of spectral information.
|
|
10. |
|
|