Quality control of B-lines analysis in stress Echo 2020

Background The effectiveness trial “Stress echo (SE) 2020” evaluates novel applications of SE in and beyond coronary artery disease. The core protocol also includes 4-site simplified scan of B-lines by lung ultrasound, useful to assess pulmonary congestion. Purpose To provide web-based upstream quality control and harmonization of B-lines reading criteria. Methods 60 readers (all previously accredited for regional wall motion, 53 B-lines naive) from 52 centers of 16 countries of SE 2020 network read a set of 20 lung ultrasound video-clips selected by the Pisa lab serving as reference standard, after taking an obligatory web-based learning 2-h module ( http://se2020.altervista.org ). Each test clip was scored for B-lines from 0 (black lung, A-lines, no B-lines) to 10 (white lung, coalescing B-lines). The diagnostic gold standard was the concordant assessment of two experienced readers of the Pisa lab. The answer of the reader was considered correct if concordant with reference standard reading ±1 (for instance, reference standard reading of 5 B-lines; correct answer 4, 5, or 6). The a priori determined pass threshold was 18/20 (≥ 90%) with R value (intra-class correlation coefficient) between reference standard and recruiting center) > 0.90. Inter-observer agreement was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficient statistics. Results All 60 readers were successfully accredited: 26 (43%) on first, 24 (40%) on second, and 10 (17%) on third attempt. The average diagnostic accuracy of the 60 accredited readers was 95%, with R value of 0.95 compared to reference standard reading. The 53 B-lines naive scored similarly to the 7 B-lines expert on first attempt (90 versus 95%, p = NS). Compared to the step-1 of quality control for regional wall motion abnormalities, the mean reading time per attempt was shorter (17 ± 3 vs 29 ± 12 min, p < .01), the first attempt success rate was higher (43 vs 28%, p < 0.01), and the drop-out of readers smaller (0 vs 28%, p < .01). Conclusions Web-based learning is highly effective for teaching and harmonizing B-lines reading. Echocardiographers without previous experience with B-lines learn quickly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reperfusion therapy for ST elevation acute myocardial infarction 2010/2011: current status in 37 ESC countries

Aims Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the preferred reperfusion therapy in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We conducted this study to evaluate the contemporary status on the use and type of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member countries. Methods and results A cross-sectional descriptive study based on aggregated country-level data on the use of reperfusion therapy in patients admitted with STEMI during 2010 or 2011. Thirty-seven ESC countries were able to provide data from existing national or regional registries. In countries where no such registries exist, data were based on best expert estimates. Data were collected on the use of STEMI reperfusion treatment and mortality, the numbers of cardiologists, and the availability of PPCI facilities in each country. Our survey provides a brief data summary of the degree of variation in reperfusion therapy across Europe. The number of PPCI procedures varied between countries, ranging from 23 to 884 per million inhabitants. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention and thrombolysis were the dominant reperfusion strategy in 33 and 4 countries, respectively. The mean population served by a single PPCI centre with a 24-h service 7 days a week ranged from 31 300 inhabitants per centre to 6 533 000 inhabitants per centre. Twenty-seven of the total 37 countries participated in a former survey from 2007, and major increases in PPCI utilization were observed in 13 of these countries. Conclusion Large variations in reperfusion treatment are still present across Europe. Countries in Eastern and Southern Europe reported that a substantial number of STEMI patients are not receiving any reperfusion therapy. Implementation of the best reperfusion therapy as recommended in the guidelines should be encourage

LaYO3:Sm3+ Nanocrystalline Phosphor: Preparation and Emission Properties

Samarium doped LaYO3 nanocrystalline phosphor powders are obtained by polymer complex solution method. Stoichiometric quantities of La2O3, Y2O3 and for dopant ions Sm2O3 were dissolved in hot nitric acid. Polyethylene glycol was added in solutions in 1:1 mass ratio to corresponding metal nitrates to form gel. The gel is combusted and annealed at 800 degrees C for two hours to form nanopowder samples. Crystalline structure and phase purity is checked by X-ray diffraction and show that this material is synthesized in cubic bixbyite type structure for the first time. Luminescence properties of Sm3+ doped LaYOL3 exhibited characteristic orange-red emission coming from the intra-4f-shell (4)G(5/2) - GT H-6(J) electron transitions with emission decay of 1.5 ms. Energy level positions are derived from emission and excitation spectra.12th Annual YUCOMAT Conference, Sep 06-10, 2010, Herceg Novi, Montenegr

LaYO3:Sm3+ Nanocrystalline Phosphor: Preparation and Emission Properties

Samarium doped LaYO3 nanocrystalline phosphor powders are obtained by polymer complex solution method. Stoichiometric quantities of La2O3, Y2O3 and for dopant ions Sm2O3 were dissolved in hot nitric acid. Polyethylene glycol was added in solutions in 1:1 mass ratio to corresponding metal nitrates to form gel. The gel is combusted and annealed at 800 degrees C for two hours to form nanopowder samples. Crystalline structure and phase purity is checked by X-ray diffraction and show that this material is synthesized in cubic bixbyite type structure for the first time. Luminescence properties of Sm3+ doped LaYOL3 exhibited characteristic orange-red emission coming from the intra-4f-shell (4)G(5/2) - GT H-6(J) electron transitions with emission decay of 1.5 ms. Energy level positions are derived from emission and excitation spectra.12th Annual YUCOMAT Conference, Sep 06-10, 2010, Herceg Novi, Montenegr

Influence of MgO addition on the synthesis and electrical properties of sintered zinc-titanate ceramics

Starting mixtures of ZnO, TiO(2) and MgO (0, 1.25 and 2.5 wt.% MgO) powders were mechanically activated for 15 min in a planetary ball mill. The powders obtained were sintered non-isothermally to temperatures between 800 and 1100 degrees C and then held at those temperatures for 120 min. Analysis of the influence of MgO addition on the synthesis of zinc-titanate ceramics showed that its addition increased slightly the temperature at which the reaction process started, accelerated the reaction and resulted in higher sample densities. These results were correlated with the results of structural characterization using X-ray powder diffraction method and SEM analysis. Also, the results of electric resistivity, capacitance and loss tangent of the sintered samples were obtained. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Photoluminescence of europium doped LiInO2 powder

Lithium-indium oxide is one of the candidate materials as solid-state scintillators for solar neutrinos due to an inverse beta -decay of In-115 to Sn-115. On the other hand, when doped with rare-earth ions such as Eu3+ or Sm3+, it becomes a promising phosphor material. In this report we present a simple solid-state procedure for preparation of LiInO2:Eu3+ powders. X-ray diffraction confirmed product in tetragonal structural form (space group: I4(1)/amd) and no impurity phases were detected. Then, high resolution photoluminescence emission measurements were performed at room and low temperatures to find D-5(0) - GT F-7(J). Emission kinetics from D-5(0) level exhibited pure single exponential behavior with lifetime of about 1.5 ms. Maximum energy splitting of F-7(1) manifold is recorded as a function of temperature. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim4th International Conference on Optical, Optoelectronic and Photonic Materials and Applications (ICOOPMA), Aug 15-20, 2010, Budapest, Hungar

Luminescence thermometry via the two-dopant intensity ratio of Y2O3: Er3+, Eu3+

In this work we investigated the photoluminescence properties of Y2O3: Er3+, Eu3+ as a function of temperature and the possibility to use this material as a temperature sensor. Photoluminescence emission measurements with 532 nm laser excitation were recorded in the temperature range from 303 up to 573 K. The measured intensity ratio of erbium S-4(3/2) - GT I-4(15/ 2) and europium D-5(0) - GT F-7(2) emission lines was used for determination of the temperature calibration curve. These emission lines are intense, narrow and well defined. The distance between the lines, being 47 nm, can be easily measured even with a low-resolution spectrometer. The calculated relative sensitivity of the temperature sensor was 1.4% K-1 at 303 K, in the physiological temperature range, meaning that it could be successfully applied in biological studies

Feasibility and value of two-dimensional volumetric stress echocardiography

Stroke volume response during stress is a major determinant of functional status in heart failure and can be measured by two-dimensional (2-D) volumetric stress echocardiography (SE). The present study hypothesis is that SE may identify mechanisms underlying the change in stroke volume by measuring preload reserve through end-diastolic volume (EDV) and left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) with systolic blood pressure and end-systolic volume (ESV)