The regional variation of a housing boom. Disparities of land prices in Austria, 2000-2018.

Debates accompanying the global housing boom have primarily focussed on the economic and social implications for urban housing markets. Against this background, this paper analyses the repercussions for regional land prices of a national housing boom in and beyond agglomerations. Convergence and divergence dynamics, regional price drivers, and spatial diffusion are investigated by examining average building-land prices of 95 Austrian regions between 2000 and 2018.

Safety study: is there a pathologic IGF-1, PDGF and TGF-β cytokine expression caused by adjunct BMP-7 in tibial and femoral non-union therapy?

Background: In this prospective safety study, we investigated if the characteristic cytokine expression during bone regeneration is manipulated by the local application of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) in non-union surgery. Therefore, the levels of insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), platelet-derived growth factor AB (PDGF-AB) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) were compared between patients with the gold standard use of autologous bone graft (ABG) and those with additional application of BMP-7 as part of the diamond concept.

Patients And Methods: Between 2009 and 2014, of the 153 patients with tibial and femoral non-unions, a matched pair analysis was performed to compare the serological cytokine expressions.

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein permits early risk stratification of pulmonary embolism.

Aims: We investigated the value of a novel early biomarker, heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), in risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods And Results: We prospectively included 107 consecutive patients with confirmed PE. The endpoints were (i) PE-related death or major complications and (ii) overall 30-day mortality.

The value of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

This study evaluated the diagnostic significance of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based scoring model for identification of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in patients with MRI evidence of RV abnormalities. Fifty-three patients with RV myocardial abnormalities on MRI were divided into a group with ARVC 1 (n=17) and a group with other RV arrhythmias (n=37). Decision tree learning (DTL) and linear classification (based on a modified ARVC scoring model of major and minor criteria) were used to identify and assess MRI criterion information value, and to induce ARVC diagnostic rules.

Contractile response and mitral regurgitation after temporary interruption of long-term cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) utilizing biventricular pacing (BVP) is a promising treatment modality for symptomatic patients with chronic left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and intraventricular conduction delay. Clinical studies have shown short-term improvement in contractile function and mid-term improvement in clinical status with CRT. The objective of this study was to evaluate the haemodynamic consequences of temporary interruption of CRT after long-term stimulation.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide or troponin testing followed by echocardiography for risk stratification of acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal (NT)-proBNP have recently emerged as promising parameters for risk assessment in acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, their positive predictive value is low, and the prognostic implications of NT-proBNP or troponin elevation alone are questionable.

Methods And Results: To determine whether the combination of NT-proBNP testing with echocardiography may identify both low-risk and high-risk patients with PE, we examined 124 consecutive patients with proved PE.

Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation for treatment of atrial fibrillation using an irrigated-tip catheter.

In this study, a series of 52 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation from 1 institution underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ablation using an irrigated-tip catheter. The technique was safe, and 81% of the patients maintained sinus rhythm at 6 months. However, 1/3 of them required additional antiarrhythmic drug therapy.