Experimental on-farm trials data of faba bean and wheat intercropping field validation in Lebanon and Morocco.

This data paper describes the content of four datasets collected by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) as a partner in the project "Designing InnoVative plant teams for Ecosystem Resilience and agricultural Sustainability (DIVERSify)" with the objective of assessing the feasibility of faba bean-wheat mixture in Mediterranean environments under diverse rainfed conditions. Data was collected during the trials conducted in Kfardan-Lebanon during 2017/2018 where 40 faba bean varieties were evaluated as sole and as mixture with 2 wheat cultivars 'Margherita' and 'Miki' and during 2018/2019 where 40 faba bean varieties and one durum wheat cultivar 'Margherita' were evaluated under low rainfall environments. Trials were also conducted in Tal Amara-Lebanon during 2019/2020 where 20 faba bean lines and one durum wheat cultivar 'Margherita' were evaluated under high rainfall environments and in Marchouch-Morocco during 2019/2020 where 7 faba bean lines with 3 cultivars and one durum wheat cultivar 'Margherita' were evaluated under extremely low rainfall environments.

International Winter Wheat nurseries data: Facultative and Winter Wheat Observation Nurseries and International Winter Wheat yield trials for semi-arid and irrigated conditions.

This data paper describes the content of 16 datasets collected under the International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP), an alliance between Turkey-CIMMYT-ICARDA (TCI), during the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. Data was collected from the Facultative and Winter Wheat Observation Nursery (FAWWON) and the International Winter Wheat Yield Trials (IWWYT) conducted under semi-arid and irrigated conditions across different countries. Data on all nurseries was collected during the growing season by IWWIP's team and cooperators in their local environments.

Data on how tree planting and management practices influence tree seedling survival in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Understanding which trees farmers prefer, what determines their survival and enhancing farmer knowledge of tree management is key to increasing tree cover in agricultural landscapes. This article presents data on tree seedling survival under different tree planting and management practices in Kenya and Ethiopia. Data were collected from 1600 households across three Counties in Kenya and 173 households across four Woredas in Ethiopia, using a structured questionnaire which was administered through the Open Data Kit.

Quantification of not-dipolar components of atrial depolarization by principal component analysis of the P-wave.

Background: Principal component analysis (PCA) of the T-wave has been demonstrated to quantify the dipolar and not-dipolar components of the ventricular activation, the latter reflecting repolarization heterogeneity. Accordingly, the PCA of the P-wave could help in analyzing the heterogeneous propagation of sinus impulses in the atria, which seems to predispose to fibrillation.

Aim: The aim of this study is to perform the PCA of the P-wave in patients prone to atrial fibrillation (AF).

Radiofrequency identification and medical devices: the regulatory framework on electromagnetic compatibility. Part II: active implantable medical devices.

The number and the types of electromagnetic emitters to which patients with active implantable medical devices (AIMD) are exposed to in their daily activities have proliferated over the last decade. Radiofrequency identification (RFID) is an example of wireless technology applied in many fields. The interaction between RFID emitters and AIMD is an important issue for patients, industry and regulators, because of the risks associated with such interactions.

Radiofrequency identification and medical devices: the regulatory framework on electromagnetic compatibility. Part I: medical devices.

Radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology has acheived significant success and has penetrated into various areas of healthcare. Several RFID-based applications are used in various modalities with the ultimate aim of improving patient care. When a wireless technology is used in a healthcare environment, attention must be paid to the potential risks deriving from its use; one of the most important being electromagnetic interference with medical devices.

Daily distribution of atrial arrhythmic episodes in sick sinus syndrome patients: implications for atrial arrhythmia monitoring.

Aims: Disorders such as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT) are difficult to investigate because of their intermittent, and sometimes asymptomatic, nature. The aim of this study was to investigate the daily temporal distribution of AT/AF episodes--onset and occurrence--by analysing data from 250 pacemaker-implanted, brady-tachy syndrome patients who have been enrolled in the Burden II Study.

Methods And Results: Data were analysed accounting for the mode switch list which includes date, time, and duration of each mode switch episode.

On the resolution of ECG acquisition systems for the reliable analysis of the P-wave.

The analysis of the P-wave on surface ECG is widely used to assess the risk of atrial arrhythmias. In order to provide reliable results, the automatic analysis of the P-wave must be precise and reliable and must take into account technical aspects, one of those being the resolution of the acquisition system. The aim of this note is to investigate the effects of the amplitude resolution of ECG acquisition systems on the P-wave analysis.

Role of the lead structure in MRI-induced heating: In vitro measurements on 30 commercial pacemaker/defibrillator leads.

MRI-induced heating on endocardial leads is a serious concern for the safety of patients with implantable pacemakers or cardioverter-defibrillator. The lead heating depends on many factors and its amount is largely variable. In this study, we investigated the role of those structural properties of the lead that are reported on the accompanying documents of the device: (1) fixation modality (active vs.

A multiscale graph theoretical approach to gene regulation networks: a case study in atrial fibrillation.

The changes in between gene expression correlation structure induced in heart tissue by atrial fibrillation are studied by means of a graph theoretical approach. As expected by general statistical mechanics principles, the disease increases the general connectivity of the gene regulation network; the multiscale character of the analysis allows us to get both a general appreciation of regulation network connectivity and the sketching of a biological interpretation of the studied disease. The presence of a still largely unknown, scale invariant, global correlation field encompassing the entire genome is demonstrated as well.

P-wave characteristics after electrical external cardioversion: predictive indexes of relapse.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the western countries and accounts for hundred thousand strokes per year. Electrocardiographic characteristics of AF have been demonstrated to help identify patients at risk of developing AF. Prolonged and highly fragmented P-waves have been observed in patients prone to AF, and time-domain.

RFID in healthcare environment: electromagnetic compatibility regulatory issues.

Several wireless technology applications (RFID, WiFi, GSM, GPRS) have been developed to improve patient care, reaching a significant success and diffusion in healthcare. Given the potential development of such a technology, care must be paid on the potential risks deriving from the use of wireless device in healthcare, among which one of the most important is the electromagnetic interference with medical devices. The analysis of the regulatory issues concerning the electromagnetic compatibility of medical devices is essential to evaluate if and how the application of the current standards allows an effective control of the possible risks associated to the electromagnetic interference on medical devices.

A systems biology strategy on differential gene expression data discloses some biological features of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with extensive structural, contractile, and electrophysiological remodeling. In this manuscript we re-analyzed gene expression data from a microarray experiment on AF patients and control tissues, using a new paradigm based on a posteriori unsupervised strategy in which the discrimination of patients comes out from purely syntactical premises. This paradigm, more adherent to biological reality where genes work in highly connected networks, allowed us to get both a very precise patients/control discrimination and the discovery of cell adhesion/tissue modeling and inflammation processes as the main dimensions of AF.

Numerical model for estimating RF-induced heating on a pacemaker implant during MRI: experimental validation.

MRI may cause tissue heating in patients implanted with pacemakers (PMs) or cardioverters/defibrillators. As a consequence, these patients are often preventatively excluded from MRI investigations. The issue has been studied for several years now, in order to identify the mechanisms involved in heat generation, and define safety conditions by which MRI may be extended to patients with active implants.

Effect of high-pass filtering on ECG signal on the analysis of patients prone to atrial fibrillation.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of filtering techniques on the time-domain analysis of the ECG. Multi-lead ECG recordings obtained from chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after successful external cardioversion have been acquired. Several high-pass filtering techniques and three cut-off frequency values were used: Bessel and Butterworth four-pole and two-pole bidirectional and unidirectional filters, at 0.

Autonomic function during closed loop stimulation and fixed rate pacing: heart rate variability analysis from 24-hour Holter recordings.

Aim: Aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the effect of closed-loop stimulation (CLS) and DDD pacing mode on autonomic balance, and to evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) during CLS stimulation.

Methods And Materials: Autonomic balance was estimated by a 24-hour HRV analysis of paced and spontaneous beats in patients implanted with a dual-chamber pacemaker (Inos(2+) CLS-Biotronik GmbH, Berlin, Germany) and randomly assigned to CLS or DDD pacing mode. Patients underwent two 24-hour electrocardiogram Holter recordings at the end of each 3-month pacing mode period.

Development of a new arbitrary waveform defibrillator for cardiac electrophysiology research.

The innovative arbitrary waveform defibrillator for animal research presented in this paper is based on two power linear amplifiers in bridge configuration. It is capable of delivering 10 J shocks of arbitrary shape and duration. The system can be used to test new waveforms by comparing them to traditional ones, in in-vitro experiments.

A novel, user-friendly step counter for home telemonitoring of physical activity.

Step counting is an important index of motion in telemonitoring. We have developed a wearable system based on a device with a force-sensing resistor. This is affixed at the calf gastrocnemius level to monitor the muscular expansion related to the gait.

In vitro investigation of pacemaker lead heating induced by magnetic resonance imaging: role of implant geometry.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the geometry of implantable pacemakers (PMs) on lead heating induced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: In vitro experiments were conducted with two different setups, using fluoroptic probes to measure the temperature increase. The first experiment consisted of a rectangular box filled with a gelled saline and a pacemaker with its leads.

Time-domain and morphological analysis of the P-wave. Part I: Technical aspects for automatic quantification of P-wave features.

Introduction: Time-domain and morphological analysis of P-wave from surface electrocardiogram has been extensively used to identify patients prone to atrial arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation (AF). However, since no standard procedure exists for P-wave preprocessing, standardization of cut-off values for P-wave duration and morphological features is difficult. This study is a methodological investigation of P-wave preprocessing procedures for automatic time-domain and morphological analysis.

Time-domain and morphological analysis of the P wave. Part II: effects of atrial pacing on P-wave features.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare time-domain and morphological descriptors of paced and spontaneous P wave in patients prone to atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Nineteen patients (nine women, aged 72 +/- 10 years) affected by paroxysmal AF and implanted with dual-chamber pacemakers (PM) were studied. Two 5-minute recordings were performed during spontaneous and paced rhythm.

Complexity of MRI induced heating on metallic leads: experimental measurements of 374 configurations.

Background: MRI induced heating on PM leads is a very complex issue. The widely varying results described in literature suggest that there are many factors that influence the degree of heating and that not always are adequately addressed by existing testing methods.

Methods: We present a wide database of experimental measurements of the heating of metallic wires and PM leads in a 1.

Electromagnetic immunity of medical devices: the European regulatory framework.

In this paper, the international standards and the European Regulation on medical devices are discussed, with particular attention to the collateral standards and the particular standards concerning the electromagnetic compatibility and immunity of medical devices. In addition, recommended guidelines to be used by health care organizations to assess the immunity of medical devices to radiated electromagnetic fields from portable radio frequency transmitters are indicated and discussed. As far as electromagnetic immunity of active implantable devices are concerned, the difference between United States and European Union (EU) regulatory frameworks is presented (standard ANSI/AAMI PC69:2000 for US and EN45502-1 framework in EU).

Interference between mobile phones and pacemakers: a look inside.

In this study we analyzed the problem of electromagnetic interference (EMI) between mobile telephones and cardiac pacemakers (PM), by looking at the mechanisms by which the radiated radio frequency (RF) GSM signal may affect the pacemaker function. From a literature review on this topic, we noticed that older pacemakers had a higher rate of being affected by mobile phones when compared to newer ones. This is probably due to the fact that new generation of PM are more protected against electromagnetic field, being equipped with RF feedthrough filters incorporated to the internal PM circuitry.