Retrospective Comparison of Outcomes and Cost of Virtual Versus Center-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs.

Background: Despite robust evidence supporting an association with improved outcomes in eligible patients, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains underused, with a minority of eligible patients participating. Virtual cardiac rehabilitation (VCR) has been proposed as an alternative to traditional center-based CR (CBCR) to improve usage rates. However, data supporting the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of VCR are limited.

A qualitative risk assessment methodology for scientific expert panels.

Risk assessment can be either quantitative, i.e. providing a numeric estimate of the probability of risk and the magnitude of the consequences, or qualitative, using a descriptive approach.

Global change: impact, management, risk approach and health measures--the case of Europe.

Global changes, including an increase in trade and global warming, which act on the environment, are likely to impact on the evolution of pathogens and hence of diseases. To anticipate the risks created by this new situation, a French group of experts has developed a method for prioritising animal health risks. This is a two-phase method: the first step is to identify the diseases whose incidence or geographical distribution could be affected by the changes taking place, and the second step is to evaluate the risk of each of these diseases.

Functional and binding characterizations of urotensin II-related peptides in human and rat urotensin II-receptor assay.

Urotensin II (U-II; cyclo5-10[H-Glu-Thr-Pro-Asp-Cys-Phe-Trp-Lys-Tyr-Cys-Val-OH]) is a potent vasoconstrictor in mammals, and it is postulated that it plays a central role in cardiovascular homeostasis. Thus, we initiated a structure-to-function analysis of this peptide characterized by a N-terminal tail and a cyclic core formed through a disulfide bridging. A total of 41 analogs focusing on these characteristics were developed and evaluated using a binding assay on membranes from a stable HEK-293 cell line containing the human or rat U-II receptor, a functional assay for Ca2+ mobilization on transiently transfected CHO-K1 cells with the human or rat U-II receptor, and a rat thoracic aorta bioassay.

A new ligand for the urotensin II receptor.

The cyclic peptide human urotensin II (U-II) has been recently recognized as the endogenous ligand of an orphan GPCR, subsequently named the UT receptor. No synthetic ligands are available for investigating this novel peptide-receptor system. A novel UT receptor ligand, [Orn(8)]U-II, was synthesized and evaluated in calcium functional assays performed on HEK293 cells expressing the recombinant rat and human UT receptor and in the rat aorta bioassay.