1. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
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First observations of speed of light tracks by a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere
- 2018
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 1748-0221. ; 13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25(th) of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.
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2. |
- Abdellaoui, G., et al.
(author)
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Meteor studies in the framework of the JEM-EUSO program
- 2017
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In: Planetary and Space Science. - : Elsevier. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 143, s. 245-255
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We summarize the state of the art of a program of UV observations from space of meteor phenomena, a secondary objective of the JEM-EUSO international collaboration. Our preliminary analysis indicates that JEM-EUSO, taking advantage of its large FOV and good sensitivity, should be able to detect meteors down to absolute magnitude close to 7. This means that JEM-EUSO should be able to record a statistically significant flux of meteors, including both sporadic ones, and events produced by different meteor streams. Being unaffected by adverse weather conditions, JEM-EUSO can also be a very important facility for the detection of bright meteors and fireballs, as these events can be detected even in conditions of very high sky background. In the case of bright events, moreover, exhibiting some persistence of the meteor train, preliminary simulations show that it should be possible to exploit the motion of the ISS itself and derive at least a rough 3D reconstruction of the meteor trajectory. Moreover, the observing strategy developed to detect meteors may also be applied to the detection of nuclearites, exotic particles whose existence has been suggested by some theoretical investigations. Nuclearites are expected to move at higher velocities than meteoroids, and to exhibit a wider range of possible trajectories, including particles moving upward after crossing the Earth. Some pilot studies, including the approved Mini-EUSO mission, a precursor of JEM-EUSO, are currently operational or in preparation. We are doing simulations to assess the performance of Mini-EUSO for meteor studies, while a few meteor events have been already detected using the ground-based facility EUSO-TA.
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3. |
- Auricchio, Angelo, et al.
(author)
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Sex-Related Procedural Aspects and Complications in CRT Survey II : A Multicenter European Experience in 11,088 Patients
- 2019
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In: JACC. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-500X .- 2405-5018. ; 5:9, s. 1048-1058
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare sex difference for procedural aspects and complications in the European Society of Cardiology CRT Survey II, exploring whether adverse events were related to the type of CRT device implanted.BACKGROUND: Sex-related differences in procedural aspects and complications in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantation has not been explored in a real-life population.METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of procedural data and complications in different sexes and factors associated with events was performed from data collected in the European Society of Cardiology CRT Survey II.RESULTS: Of all patients (n = 11,088) included, 24.3% were women. The mean age (70 years of age) of male and female recipients was similar. Female patients more frequently had an idiopathic cardiomyopathy (67.4% vs. 44.1%) and fewer comorbidities, including atrial fibrillation (34.8% vs. 42.8%), diabetes (29.1% vs. 32.1%), chronic obstructive lung disease (10.3% vs. 12.6%), and renal failure (28.7% vs. 31.9%), compared with men. More women compared with men had a pacemaker (56.6% vs. 46.3%) and much less often an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (CRT-D) (19.0% vs. 34.7%) implant. Periprocedural event rate was the highest in women with CRT with defibrillator (7.1% vs. 4.8% in men), followed by women with a CRT with pacing (5.5% vs. 4.4% in men). The higher periprocedural event rate in CRT-D women was attributable primarily to the occurrence of pneumothorax (1.4%), coronary sinus dissection (2.1%), and pericardial tamponade (0.3%). The rate of in-hospital major adverse events (6.0%) and complications necessitating reoperation (4.0%) was not different among sex and device type.CONCLUSIONS: Women are more likely to experience adverse procedure-related events during CRT implantation. Thus, preventive strategies should be employed to minimize complication rate.
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4. |
- Dickstein, Kenneth, et al.
(author)
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CRT Survey II : a European Society of Cardiology survey of cardiac resynchronisation therapy in 11 088 patients-who is doing what to whom and how?
- 2018
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In: European Journal of Heart Failure. - : WILEY. - 1388-9842 .- 1879-0844. ; 20:6, s. 1039-1051
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) reduces morbidity and mortality in appropriately selected patients with heart failure and is strongly recommended for such patients by guidelines. A European Society of Cardiology (ESC) CRT survey conducted in 2008-2009 showed considerable variation in guideline adherence and large individual, national and regional differences in patient selection, implantation practice and follow-up. Accordingly, two ESC associations, the European Heart Rhythm Association and the Heart Failure Association, designed a second prospective survey to describe contemporary clinical practice regarding CRT. Methods and results A survey of the clinical practice of CRT-P and CRT-D implantation was conducted from October 2015 to December 2016 in 42 ESC member countries. Implanting centres provided information about their hospital and CRT service and were asked to complete a web-based case report form collecting information on patient characteristics, investigations, implantation procedures and complications during the index hospitalisation. The 11 088 patients enrolled represented 11% of the total number of expected implantations in participating countries during the survey period; 32% of patients were aged >= 75 years, 28% of procedures were upgrades from a permanent pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and 30% were CRT-P rather than CRT-D. Most patients (88%) had a QRS duration >= 130 ms, 73% had left bundle branch block and 26% were in atrial fibrillation at the time of implantation. Large geographical variations in clinical practice were observed. Conclusion CRT Survey II provides a valuable source of information on contemporary clinical practice with respect to CRT implantation in a large sample of ESC member states. The survey permits assessment of guideline adherence and demonstrates variations in patient selection, management, implantation procedure and follow-up strategy.
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5. |
- Marto, João Pedro, et al.
(author)
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Safety and Outcome of Revascularization Treatment in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry.
- 2023
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In: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- COVID-19-related inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk and lower the efficacy of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of revascularization treatments in patients with AIS and COVID-19.This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients with AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT) between March 2020 and June 2021 tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. With a doubly robust model combining propensity score weighting and multivariate regression, we studied the association of COVID-19 with intracranial bleeding complications and clinical outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment groups (IVT-only and EVT).Of a total of 15,128 included patients from 105 centers, 853 (5.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; of those, 5,848 (38.7%) patients received IVT-only and 9,280 (61.3%) EVT (with or without IVT). Patients with COVID-19 had a higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) (adjusted OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.16-2.01), symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSAH) (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.69), SICH and/or SSAH combined (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.99), 24-hour mortality (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.58-3.86), and 3-month mortality (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.52-2.33). Patients with COVID-19 also had an unfavorable shift in the distribution of the modified Rankin score at 3 months (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26-1.60).Patients with AIS and COVID-19 showed higher rates of intracranial bleeding complications and worse clinical outcomes after revascularization treatments than contemporaneous non-COVID-19 patients receiving treatment. Current available data do not allow direct conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of revascularization treatments in patients with COVID-19 or to establish different treatment recommendations in this subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions, patient monitoring, and establishing prognosis.The study was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04895462.
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6. |
- Nilsson, Andreas, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Randomized Controlled Trial for Promotion of Healthy Eating in Older Adults by Increasing Consumption of Plant-Based Foods : Effect on Inflammatory Biomarkers
- 2021
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In: Nutrients. - : MDPI. - 2072-6643. ; 13:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To what extent the intake of fruit and vegetables (FV) influences inflammatory status remains elusive, particularly in older populations. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of increased FV intake for 16 weeks on circulating biomarkers of inflammation in a population of older men and women. Sixty-six participants (65-70 years) randomly assigned to either FV or control (CON) groups were instructed to increase FV intake to five servings per day through nutritional counseling (FV) or to maintain habitual diet (CON). Dietary intake and physical activity level (PA) were determined using food frequency questionnaire and accelerometers, respectively, at the start and end of the intervention. C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-18, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), MIP-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE), and C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand-1 (CX3CL1, or fractalkine) were analyzed. The FV group significantly increased daily FV intake (from 2.2 ± 1.3 to 4.2 ± 1.8 servings/day), with no change in CON. Waist circumference and PA level were unchanged by the intervention. Interaction effects (time × group, p < 0.05) for TRAIL, TRANCE, and CX3CL1 denoting a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in FV but not in CON were observed. No corresponding effects on CRP, IL6, TNF-α, MIP-1α, and β and IL-18 were observed. The present study demonstrates the influence of increased FV consumption on levels of some inflammatory biomarkers in a population of older adults. Future work is warranted to examine the clinical implications of FV-induced alterations in these inflammatory biomarkers.
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7. |
- Ortigosa, Nuria, et al.
(author)
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Characterization of Changes in P-Wave VCG Loops Following Pulmonary-Vein Isolation
- 2021
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In: Sensors. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-8220. ; 21:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Atrial fibrillation is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice. Currently, catheter ablation for pulmonary-vein isolation is a well-established treatment for maintaining sinus rhythm when antiarrhythmic drugs do not succeed. Unfortunately, arrhythmia recurrence after catheter ablation remains common, with estimated rates of up to 45%. A better understanding of factors leading to atrial-fibrillation recurrence is needed. Hence, the aim of this study is to characterize changes in the atrial propagation pattern following pulmonary-vein isolation, and investigate the relation between such characteristics and atrial-fibrillation recurrence. Fifty patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who had undergone catheter ablation were included in this study. Time-segment and vectorcardiogram-loop-morphology analyses were applied to characterize P waves extracted from 1 min long 12-lead electrocardiogram segments before and after the procedure, respectively. Results showed that P-wave vectorcardiogram loops were significantly less round and more planar, P waves and PR intervals were significantly shorter, and heart rate was significantly higher after the procedure. Differences were larger for patients who did not have arrhythmia recurrences at 2 years of follow-up; for these patients, the pre- and postprocedure P waves could be identified with 84% accuracy.
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8. |
- Ortigosa, Nuria, et al.
(author)
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Pulmonary Vein Isolation Induces Changes in Vectorcardiogram P-wave Loops
- 2020
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In: 2020 Computing in Cardiology, CinC 2020. - 2325-887X .- 2325-8861. - 9781728173825 ; 2020-September
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is considered a standard treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation aiming to restore and maintain sinus rhythm. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the PVI treatment affects the electrical conduction pattern in the atria. We have compared the morphology of P wave loops extracted from the vectorcardiogram (VCG) before and after PVI. Ten patients suffering from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent PVI were included in the study. All patients were in sinus rhythm before as well as after the procedure. Vectorcardiogram was obtained using the Kors matrix and the resulting P-waves were automatically delineated. Using these marks, P-wave loops were constructed from the three orthogonal leads of the VCG. The first and second eigenvalues of the P-wave loops increased after the PVI procedure was completed, whereas the ratio of the second to the first eigenvalue, quantifying the roundness of the P-wave loop, decreased significantly after PVI. These results show that PVI induces morphological changes of the P-wave loops.
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9. |
- Perez-Escobar, Oscar A., et al.
(author)
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The origin and speciation of orchids
- 2024
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In: NEW PHYTOLOGIST. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Orchids constitute one of the most spectacular radiations of flowering plants. However, their origin, spread across the globe, and hotspots of speciation remain uncertain due to the lack of an up-to-date phylogeographic analysis. We present a new Orchidaceae phylogeny based on combined high-throughput and Sanger sequencing data, covering all five subfamilies, 17/22 tribes, 40/49 subtribes, 285/736 genera, and c. 7% (1921) of the 29 524 accepted species, and use it to infer geographic range evolution, diversity, and speciation patterns by adding curated geographical distributions from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants. The orchids' most recent common ancestor is inferred to have lived in Late Cretaceous Laurasia. The modern range of Apostasioideae, which comprises two genera with 16 species from India to northern Australia, is interpreted as relictual, similar to that of numerous other groups that went extinct at higher latitudes following the global climate cooling during the Oligocene. Despite their ancient origin, modern orchid species diversity mainly originated over the last 5 Ma, with the highest speciation rates in Panama and Costa Rica. These results alter our understanding of the geographic origin of orchids, previously proposed as Australian, and pinpoint Central America as a region of recent, explosive speciation.
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10. |
- Polewczyk, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Transvenous lead extraction procedures in women based on ESC-EHRA EORP European Lead Extraction ConTRolled ELECTRa registry : is female sex a predictor of complications?
- 2019
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In: Europace. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1099-5129 .- 1532-2092. ; 21:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIMS: Female sex is considered an independent risk factor of transvenous leads extraction (TLE) procedure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of TLE in women compared with men.METHODS AND RESULTS: A post hoc analysis of risk factors and effectiveness of TLE in women and men included in the ESC-EHRA EORP ELECTRa registry was conducted. The rate of major complications was 1.96% in women vs. 0.71% in men; P = 0.0025. The number of leads was higher in men (mean 1.89 vs. 1.71; P < 0.0001) with higher number of abandoned leads in women (46.04% vs. 34.82%; P < 0.0001). Risk factors of TLE differed between the sexes, of which the major were: signs and symptoms of venous occlusion [odds ratio (OR) 3.730, confidence interval (CI) 1.401-9.934; P = 0.0084], cumulative leads dwell time (OR 1.044, CI 1.024-1.065; P < 0.001), number of generator replacements (OR 1.029, CI 1.005-1.054; P = 0.0184) in females and the number of leads (OR 6.053, CI 2.422-15.129; P = 0.0001), use of powered sheaths (OR 2.742, CI 1.404-5.355; P = 0.0031), and white blood cell count (OR 1.138, CI 1.069-1.212; P < 0.001) in males. Individual radiological and clinical success of TLE was 96.29% and 98.14% in women compared with 98.03% and 99.21% in men (P = 0.0046 and 0.0098).CONCLUSION: The efficacy of TLE was lower in females than males, with a higher rate of periprocedural major complications. The reasons for this difference are probably related to disparities in risk factors in women, including more pronounced leads adherence to the walls of the veins and myocardium. Lead management may be key to the effectiveness of TLE in females.
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11. |
- Regoli, François, et al.
(author)
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Impact of anticoagulation therapy on outcomes in patients with cardiac implantable resynchronization devices undergoing transvenous lead extraction : A substudy of the ESC-EHRA EORP ELECTRa (European Lead Extraction ConTRolled) Registry
- 2019
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In: Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. - : Wiley. - 1045-3873 .- 1540-8167. ; 30:7, s. 1086-1095
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Little data are available on anticoagulation (AC) management in patients with cardiac resynchronization (CRT) devices who undergo transvenous lead extraction (TLE) procedure. We investigated the impact of AC on periprocedural complications in CRT patients undergoing TLE, enrolled in the ESC-EHRA European Lead Extraction ConTrolled (ELECTRa) registry.METHODS AND RESULTS: All CRT patients treated with TLE enrolled in the registry were considered. Perioperative AC management was left to the discretion of the Center. Major and minor intraprocedural and postprocedural complications were compared between patients without AC (Gp1) and patients with AC (Gp2). Regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of complications for Gp2. Out of 734 CRT pts, 328 (44.7%) were under AC (Gp2). Patients from Gp2 presented lower LVEF (Gp2 32.5 ± 10.9 vs Gp1 34.5 ± 11.9%; P = 0.03), more advanced heart failure disease (NYHA III/IV: Gp2 42.0 vs Gp1 31.5%; P = 0.02), and renal impairment (Gp2 39.0 vs Gp1 24.3%; P < 0.001). Perioperative regimens included AC interruption (Gp2A: n = 169, 51.5%), "bridging" (Gp2B: n = 135, 41.2%), or continued AC (Gp2C: n = 24, 7.3%). TLE complete success rates (98% in both groups) and major complication rates were comparable for both groups; minor bleeding events were more frequent in Gp2 (5.5%) compared to Gp1 (2.5%; P = 0.051). No independent predictors were identified for Gp2, but minor complications were associated with "bridging" approach (Gp2B: 16 events vs Gp2A/C: 9 events; P = 0.020).CONCLUSION: CRT patients treated with TLE under AC were more compromised but did not present more major complications compared to patients without AC. More minor complications were associated with "bridging" AC regimen.
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