Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation for Severe Pure Aortic Regurgitation with Dedicated Devices

Aortic regurgitation (AR) is not the most common valvular disease; however, its prevalence increases with age, with more than 2% of those aged >70 years having at least moderate AR. Once symptoms related to AR develop, the prognosis becomes poor. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for patients with pure severe AR and at prohibitive surgical risk is occasionally performed, but remains a clinical challenge due to absence of valvular calcium, large aortic root and increased stroke volume. These issues make the positioning and deployment of transcatheter aortic valve implantation devices unpredictable, with a tendency to prosthesis embolisation or malposition. To date, the only two dedicated transcatheter valves for AR are the J-Valve (JC Medical) and the JenaValve (JenaValve Technology). Both devices have been used successfully via the transapical approach. The transfemoral experience is limited to first-in-human publications and to a clinical trial dedicated to AR, for which the completion date is still pending

"I try and smile, I try and be cheery, I try not to be pushy. I try to say ‘I’m here for help’ but I leave feeling… worried’’: A qualitative study of perceptions of interactions with health professionals by community-based older adults with chronic pain

Background: Over 50% of community-dwelling older adults experience chronic pain, which threatens their quality of life. Of importance to their pain management is older people’s interaction with health professionals that, if unsatisfactory, may impair the outcome. Aims: To add to the limited research specific to older people living with chronic pain in the community, we explored how they perceive their experiences of interacting with health professionals, seeking factors that might optimise these interactions. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit men and women .65 years with self-reported musculoskeletal chronic pain. Qualitative individual interviews and one group interview were undertaken with 23 participants. Data were transcribed verbatim and underwent Framework Analysis. Results: Three themes were identified. Seeking help illustrates issues around why older people in the community may or may not seek help for chronic pain, and highlights the potential involvement of social comparison. Importance of diagnosis illustrates the desire for professional validation of their condition and an aversion to vague explanations based on the person’s age. Being listened to and being heard illustrates the importance of empathic communication and understanding expectations, with due respect for the person’s age. Conclusions: In common with people of all ages, an effective partnership between an older person in pain and health professionals is essential if pain is to be reported, appropriately assessed and managed, because of the subjective nature of pain and its treatment responses. For older people with pain, perception about their age, by both parties in the partnership, is an additional factor that can unnecessarily interfere with the effectiveness of this partnership. Health professionals should engage with older adults to clarify their expectations about pain and its management, which may be influenced by perceptions about age; and to encourage expression of their concerns, which may also be affected by perceptions about age

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Preliminary study on the preparation and characterization of mixed matrix membranes

In the membrane contactor applications, membranes have shown the potential for various applications such as gas separation of CO2. In this context, hydrophobic membranes are required for wetting prevention. If wetting occur, the mass transfer resistance will be increase significantly which lead to a much lower flux. The Final Year Project targets to make hydrophobic membranes that are suitable for membrane contactor application.Two methods were explored. One of which was to incorporate inorganic particles such as the carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) into the membrane dope before the fabrication process to alter the membrane surface roughness and hence change the surface contact angle. One of the limitations to the MMM is the incorporation of inorganic fillers as it would create a phase boundary with the polymeric membrane matrix. As such, good dispersion of CNT in the polymer dope is crucial in making the MMM. Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF) was used as the polymer to fabricate the flat sheet membrane. The COOH modified CNTs was used to ensure homogeneous dispersion of the CNTs in the polymer dope solution. However, the experimental results showed that incorporated CNT have no effect on the surface roughness and contact angle. The mixed matrix PVDF membrane was also tested to investigate the effect of CNT on the membrane performance. The results showed that the flux was increased a lot by adding CNT and meanwhile the rejection was also maintained.Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering

AMS Utilities Project

Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Business, Sauder School ofUnreviewedUndergraduat

Percutaneous Mitral Edge-to-Edge Repair: State of the Art and a Glimpse to the Future.

Patients with severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation have a poor prognosis if left untreated. In those patients who are not eligible for mitral valve surgery, percutaneous edge-to-edge repair may improve clinical outcomes. Recent clinical trials have added to our knowledge and provide interesting insights into the management of such patients. With an increasingly aging global population, these technologies are likely to represent an important treatment option. This mini-review will examine the technology, the evidence and the latest developments in percutaneous mitral edge-to-edge repair

Marketing education : identifying perceived differences among market segments - a cross country analysis between the United States of America and Singapore.

This study involved an evaluation of the perceived importance of some 37 competency areas deemed relevant for a successful career in marketing obtained through theadministering of a survey. The sample comprised of 250 respondents, 184 students from tertiary education institutions, 33 marketing practitioners, and 33 marketingacademicians. By simply calculating the means for each of the items, a system of priorities was established

Quality of disclosure of Singapore banks after the bank lIberalisation in 1998.

MAS 60