Airflow and Air Velocity Measurements While Playing Wind Instruments, with Respect to Risk Assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Due to airborne transmission of the coronavirus, the question arose as to how high the risk of spreading infectious particles can be while playing a wind instrument. To examine this question and to help clarify the possible risk, we analyzed 14 wind instruments, first qualitatively by making airflows visible while playing, and second quantitatively by measuring air velocity at three distances (1, 1.5, 2 m) in the direction of the instruments' bells.

Long-term vagal stimulation for heart failure: Eighteen month results from the NEural Cardiac TherApy foR Heart Failure (NECTAR-HF) trial.

Background: The NECTAR-HF study evaluated safety and feasibility of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) for the treatment of heart failure patients. The first six-month randomized phase of the study did not show improvement in left ventricular remodelling in response to VNS. This study reports the 18-month results and provides novel findings aiming to understand the lack of efficacy of VNS, including a new technique assessing the effects of VNS.

Chronic vagal stimulation for the treatment of low ejection fraction heart failure: results of the NEural Cardiac TherApy foR Heart Failure (NECTAR-HF) randomized controlled trial.

Aim: The neural cardiac therapy for heart failure (NECTAR-HF) was a randomized sham-controlled trial designed to evaluate whether a single dose of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) would attenuate cardiac remodelling, improve cardiac function and increase exercise capacity in symptomatic heart failure patients with severe left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction despite guideline recommended medical therapy.

Methods: Patients were randomized in a 2 : 1 ratio to receive therapy (VNS ON) or control (VNS OFF) for a 6-month period. The primary endpoint was the change in LV end systolic diameter (LVESD) at 6 months for control vs.

Rationale and study design of the NEuroCardiac TherApy foR Heart Failure Study: NECTAR-HF.

Aims: Increased sympathetic activation and reduced parasympathetic tone are important pathophysiological contributors to the progression of heart failure, and are associated with poor outcome in patients. The aim of this study is to determine if vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising approach to modulate autonomic function and slow cardiac remodelling and the progression of heart failure.

Methods: The NECTAR-HF (NEural Cardiac TherApy foR Heart Failure) trial is designed to evaluate whether the Boston Scientific VNS device is safe and may attenuate cardiac remodelling, improve cardiac function and increase exercise capacity, in symptomatic heart failure patients (New York Heart Association Class II-III) with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤35%) and receiving optimal medical therapy.

Performance evaluation of a right atrial automatic capture verification algorithm using two different sensing configurations.

Background: This acute data collection study evaluated the performance of a right atrial (RA) automatic capture verification (ACV) algorithm based on evoked response sensing from two electrode configurations during independent unipolar pacing.

Methods: RA automatic threshold tests were conducted. Evoked response signals were simultaneously recorded between the RA(Ring) electrode and an empty pacemaker housing electrode (RA(Ring)-->Can) and the electrically isolated Indifferent header electrode (RA(Ring)-->Ind).

Acquired left ventricular noncompaction as a cardiac manifestation of neuromuscular disorders.

Objectives: In single cases left-ventricular-hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) develops after birth (acquired-LVHT). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of acquired-LVHT, to look for echocardiographic similarities between acquired-LVHT cases, to determine the interval between the last normal echocardiography and detection of acquired-LVHT, and which neuromuscular-disorders are associated with acquired-LVHT.

Design: We retrospectively looked for acquired-LVHT among a cohort of 22 LVHT-patients, diagnosed during 3 years.

The use of telescoping guide catheters for coronary sinus cannulation and sub-selecting tributaries in left ventricular lead placement.

Introduction: Failure to enter the coronary sinus (CS) with a guiding catheter and entering its tributaries remains challenging in left ventricle (LV) pacing lead implants for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). A dual telescoping catheter system (8F outer/6F inner) is designed to provide the ability to adjust the catheter curve size, shape and/or reach to the patients' anatomy avoiding the need for catheter change.

Methods: Five different designs for CS cannulation were randomly tested in 64 patients scheduled for CRT device implant.

Clinical evaluation of two different evoked response sensing methods for automatic capture detection in the left ventricle.

Background: This acute feasibility study compared two different automatic capture detection methodologies, the reduced coupling capacitor (RCC) and the independent pace/sense (IPS) methods, for the left ventricle (LV).

Methods: LV threshold tests were performed in DDD mode, with LV-only and bi-ventricular (BiV) pacing using an external cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillator. Evoked response (ER) signals from LV leads were recorded using the LV(Tip) (LV(Tip)-->Can) and LV(Ring) (LV(Ring)-->Can) to empty pulse generator (Can) housing sensing vectors to evaluate the two methodologies.

A wave-packet simulation of the low-lying singlet electronic transitions of acetylene.

The vibronic structure of the S0 --> S1 and the S0 --> S2 electronic transitions of acetylene is studied theoretically based on an ab initio quantum-dynamical approach. The underlying potential-energy surfaces and transition dipole moment functions are obtained from high-level multireference calculations, including the Davidson correction. Ensuing quantum-dynamical simulations rely on the wave-packet propagation method, using grid techniques, and including three nuclear degrees of freedom (C-C stretching and both HCC bending modes for J = 0).

Comparative prospective randomized efficacy testing of different guiding catheters for coronary sinus cannulation in heart failure patients.

Introduction: The efficacy of different shapes of guiding catheters for coronary sinus (CS) cannulation was evaluated at implant of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device that required transvenous placement of a pacing lead in a coronary vein on the left ventricle.

Methods And Results: Comparative testing of 5 different guiding catheter shapes was attempted in 29 consecutive patients. Four newer guiding catheters were tested in a prospective randomized manner with a reference standard catheter always tested in the last place.

Defibrillation efficacy and pain perception of two biphasic waveforms for internal cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

Unlabelled: Efficacy and Pain Perception of Two Biphasic Waveforms.

Introduction: We evaluated the influence of the peak voltage of waveforms used for internal cardioversion of atrial fibrillation on defibrillation efficacy and pain perception. A low peak voltage biphasic waveform generated by a 500-microF capacitor with 40% tilt was compared to a standard biphasic waveform generated by a 60-microF capacitor with 80% tilt.

Human experience with transvenous biventricular defibrillation using an electrode in a left ventricular vein.

This study investigated the safety and feasibility of transvenous biventricular defibrillation in ICD patients. Some patients may have high DFTs due to weak shock field intensity on the LV. Animal studies showed a LV shocking electrode dramatically lowered DFTs.