Retrograde Snaring for Left Ventricular Lead Placement in the Presence of a Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava.

Left ventricular lead positioning is technically demanding in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation, especially in patients with complex cardiac venous anatomies. We report a case in which retrograde snaring was employed to successfully deliver the left ventricular lead through a persistent left superior vena cava for CRT implantation.

The validity of laser diffraction system to reproduce hydrometer results for grain size analysis in geotechnical applications.

The grain size analysis plays a significant role in any geotechnical study. The grain size analysis, by means of sieving, is usually used for coarse material of particle size > 75 μm. For the fine material; the sedimentation methods are frequently adopted (e.

Utilization of Portland cement with limestone powder and cement kiln dust for stabilization/solidification of oil-contaminated marl soil.

Stabilization/solidification (S/S) is a technique that has been widely used to treat contaminated soils using several types of stabilizers, such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In this research, marl soil that was collected from eastern Saudi Arabia was contaminated by either diesel or crude oil at different dosages (i.e.

Successful leadless pacemaker implantation in a patient with profound bradycardia following transcatheter aortic valve replacement and mitral valve-in-valve procedure.

Leadless pacemakers provide a potential alternative to conventional transvenous pacemakers for patients undergoing high-risk transcatheter valve replacement procedures. This is a description of a successful leadless pacemaker implantation in a 51-year-old woman who developed profound bradycardia following a transcatheter aortic valve replacement and mitral valve-in-valve procedure.

Brugada phenocopy associated with left ventricular aneurysm.

Brugada phenocopies (BrP) are clinical entities that are characterized by ECG patterns identical to those of Brugada syndrome, but are the result of various clinical conditions. We describe the case of a 41-year-old male who exhibited BrP due to a left ventricular aneurysm in the context of chronic coronary artery disease.

Venoplasty of a chronic venous occlusion with 'diathermy' for cardiac device lead placement.

Venous revascularization is an approach used in patients with total venous occlusion requiring venous access for cardiac device lead placement. Several percutaneous approaches to venous revascularization have been proposed. For the first time, we describe the case of a 69-year-old male with total venous occlusion who was successfully revascularized using a 'diathermy' technique.

Efficiency of generic and proprietary inhibitors in mitigating Corrosion of Carbon Steel in Chloride-Sulfate Environments.

The efficiency of generic and proprietary corrosion inhibitors (based on nitrite, amine carboxylate or amino alcohol) in corrosion mitigation of carbon steel, which is exposed to concrete solutions with different amounts of chloride as well as sulfate, was studied. The corrosion protection provided by the selected corrosion inhibitors was investigated by performing a potentiodynamic polarization study. In addition, the surface morphological properties of carbon steel samples exposed to the electrolyte mixed with or without inhibitors was also evaluated by scanning electron microscopy.

Method and Mechanisms of Soil Stabilization Using Electric Arc Furnace Dust.

This paper reports the method and mechanism for improving the strength of marl and desert sand utilizing electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), an industrial by-product, in lieu of cement or lime. EAFD was used in conjunction with a small quantity (2%) of cement. The mechanical properties and durability characteristics of marl and sand mixed with 2% cement plus 5-, 10-, 20- or 30%-EAFD, by weight of the soil, were evaluated.

Chlorine signal attenuation in concrete.

The intensity of prompt gamma-ray was measured at various depths from chlorine-contaminated silica fume (SF) concrete slab concrete specimens using portable neutron generator-based prompt gamma-ray setup. The intensity of 6.11MeV chloride gamma-rays was measured from the chloride contaminated slab at distance of 15.

Pulse height tests of a large diameter fast LaBr₃:Ce scintillation detector.

The pulse height response of a large diameter fast 100 mm × 100 mm LaBr3:Ce detector was measured for 0.1-10 MeV gamma-rays. The detector has a claimed time resolution of 608 ps for 511 keV gamma rays, but has relatively poor energy resolution due to the characteristics of its fast photomultiplier.

Prompt gamma ray evaluation for chlorine analysis in blended cement concrete.

Single prompt gamma ray energy has been evaluated to measure chlorine concentration in fly ash (FA), Super-Pozz (SPZ) and blast furnace slag (BFS) cement concrete specimens using a portable neutron generator-based Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation (PGNAA) setup. The gamma ray yield data from chloride concentration measurement in FA, SPZ and BFS cement concretes for 2.86-3.

The Saudi Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of COPD.

The Saudi Thoracic Society (STS) launched the Saudi Initiative for Chronic Airway Diseases (SICAD) to develop a guideline for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This guideline is primarily aimed for internists and general practitioners. Though there is scanty epidemiological data related to COPD, the SICAD panel believes that COPD prevalence is increasing in Saudi Arabia due to increasing prevalence of tobacco smoking among men and women.

Chlorine detection in fly ash concrete using a portable neutron generator.

The chlorine concentration in chloride-contaminated FA cement concrete specimens was measured using a portable neutron generator based prompt gamma-ray neutron activation (PGNAA) setup with the neutron generator and the gamma-ray detector placed side-by-side on one side of the concrete sample. The minimum detectable concentration of chlorine in FA cement concrete measured in the present study was comparable with previous results for larger accelerator based PGNAA setup. It shows the successful application of a portable neutron generator in concrete corrosion studies.

Detection of chloride in reinforced concrete using a dualpulsed laser-induced breakdown spectrometer system: comparative study of the atomic transition lines of Cl I at 594.85 and 837.59 nm.

The presence of chloride in reinforced concrete can cause severe damage to the strength and durability of buildings and bridges. The detection of chloride in concrete structures at early stages of the corrosion buildup process is, therefore, very important. However, detection of chlorine in trace amounts in concrete is not a simple matter.

Sensitivity enhancement at 594.8 nm atomic transition of Cl I for chloride detection in the reinforced concrete using LIBS.

A new atomic line at 594.8 nm of neutral chlorine (Cl I) has been used as a marker to quantify the amount of chloride present in the concrete sample using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Although, the relative intensity of the 594.

Effect of silica fume addition on the PGNAA measurement of chlorine in concrete.

Pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash (FA), silica fume (SF), and blast furnace slag (BFS) are added to Portland cement in concrete to prevent reinforcement steel corrosion in concrete. Further preventive measure against reinforcement steel corrosion require monitoring of chloride salts concentration in concrete using non-destructive techniques, such as the prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) technique. Due to interferences between gamma-rays from chlorine and calcium in PGNAA technique, detection limit of chlorine in concrete strongly depends upon calcium concentration in concrete.

Response of a PGNAA setup for pozzolan-based cement concrete specimens.

Pozzolanic materials are added to Portland cement concrete to increase its durability, particularly corrosion-resistance. In this study the elemental composition of a pozzolanic cement concrete was measured non-destructively utilizing an accelerator-based Prompt Gamma Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) setup. The optimum size of the pozzolanic cement concrete specimen was obtained through Monte Carlo simulations.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activities of Jeddah corniche algae, Saudi Arabia.

The increased use of natural product in the pharmaceutical industry has led to an increase in demand for screening for bioactive compounds in marine algae. An important economic algae, through chemical composition analysis and their antioxidant activities were investigated in this study. Chemical composition analysis of three algal samples from the Chlorophyta Ulva lactuca (U), Phaeophyta Sargassum crassifolia (S) and Rhodophyta Digenea simplex (D) was tested.

Prompt gamma analysis of fly ash, silica fume and Superpozz blended cement concrete specimen.

Preventive measures against corrosion of reinforcing steel require making the concrete dense by adding pozzolanic materials, such as fly ash, silica fume, Superpozz, blast furnace slag, etc. to Portland cement. In order to obtain the desired strength and durability of concrete, it is desirable to monitor the concentration of the pozzolan in the blended cement concrete.

Information disclosure and decision-making: the Middle East versus the Far East and the West.

Objectives: to assess physicians' and patients' views in Saudi Arabia (KSA) towards involving the patient versus the family in the process of diagnosis disclosure and decision-making, and to compare them with views from the USA and Japan.

Design: A self-completion questionnaire (used previously to study these issues in Japan and the USA) was translated to Arabic and validated.

Participants: Physicians (n = 321) from different specialties and ranks and patients (n = 264) in a hospital or attending outpatient clinics from 6 different regions in KSA.

Prompt gamma analysis of chlorine in concrete for corrosion study.

Measurement of chlorine in concrete is very important for studying of corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete. Corrosion of reinforcing steel is primarily ascribed to the penetration of chloride ions to the steel surface. Preventive measures for avoiding concrete structure reinforcement corrosion requires monitoring the chloride ion concentration in concrete so that its concentration does not exceed a threshold limit to initiate reinforcement concrete corrosion.