The combination of e-bike-sharing and demand-responsive transport systems in rural areas: A case study of Velenje.

An analysis of the operational characteristics of the transit system serving the town of Velenje (Slovenia) revealed poor performance and the need for improvements. This paper describes the potential integration of an electric bike-sharing system and a semi-flexible demand-responsive transport system to effectively solve this issue. Additionally, general guidance is provided for transit systems with low travel demand.

Congenital heart defects: 15 years of experience of the Emilia-Romagna Registry (Italy).

Objectives: Collection and assessment of data from the Emilia-Romagna Region on the occurrence of congenital heart defects in order to identify an homogeneous group of patients for further aetiologic and genetic studies.

Materials And Methods: The present study is based on 1549 stillborn and live born babies affected by congenital heart defect out of 330,017 consecutive births (4.7 per 1000).

Temporal variability in birth prevalence of congenital heart defects as recorded by a general birth defects registry.

Objective: Our aim was to examine the temporal variability in congenital heart defect (CHD) birth prevalence from 1980 to 2000 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

Methods: The study population consisted of all infants, surveyed by the Emilia-Romagna birth defects registry (Indagine Malformazioni conpenite in Emilia-Romagna [IMER]), who were affected by CHDs. A simplified classification into "simple" and "complex " CHD was adopted.

The Italian Multicentric Study on Epidemiology of Congenital Heart Disease: first step of the analysis. Working Party of the Italian Society of Pediatric Cardiology.

We present the aims, methodology and initial results from the Italian Multicentric Study for the registration and follow-up of congenital heart disease. The general aims are to measure the prevalence of congenital heart disease in different geographic areas of Italy, and to assess the survival and outcome of affected babies. During the years 1992 and 1993, eighteen centers for Pediatric Cardiology spread all over the Country enrolled 1445 new babies with congenital cardiac malformations from a population of 341,647 surveyed livebirths.