254 research outputs found
Carotid plaque imaging and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Carotid artery plaque is a measure of atherosclerosis and is associated with future risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which encompasses coronary, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases. With advanced imaging techniques, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have shown their potential superiority to routine ultrasound to detect features of carotid plaque vulnerability, such as intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), fibrous cap (FC), and calcification. The correlation between imaging features and histological changes of carotid plaques has been investigated. Imaging of carotid features has been used to predict the risk of cardiovascular events. Other techniques such as nuclear imaging and intra-vascular ultrasound (IVUS) have also been proposed to better understand the vulnerable carotid plaque features. In this article, we review the studies of imaging specific carotid plaque components and their correlation with risk scores
Left Atrial Transverse Diameter on Computed Tomography Angiography Can Accurately Diagnose Left Atrial Enlargement in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
PurposeLeft atrial (LA) enlargement is associated with increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events. We assessed the accuracy of LA transverse and antero-posterior (AP) diameters obtained from chest computed tomography (CT) angiography in patients with atrial fibrillation.Materials and methodsNongated contrast-enhanced 64-slice multidetector CT angiography (slice thickness of 0.625 to 1.25 mm) was used to measure the volume and transverse and AP diameters of the LA in 222 subjects. The internal contours of the LA and LA appendage were outlined in 1 of every 5 axial images, and the LA area was multiplied by 5 times the slice thickness. Maximum transverse and AP diameters of the LA were measured, excluding the appendage. Receiver operating characteristic curves were fitted to assess the accuracy of the diameters. A Wald test was used to compare the area under the curves.ResultsThe mean age of patients was 60.0±10.6 years, and 71% were male. Median LA volume was 55.9±24.4 mL/m. LA enlargement was present in 83% of the patients. Transverse and AP LA diameters were accurate estimators of the LA enlargement. The transverse diameter demonstrated higher accuracy than the AP diameter, with area under the curves of 0.89 (0.84 to 0.94) and 0.81 (0.73 to 0.89), respectively (P<0.05). A transverse LA diameter of 7.3 cm had a sensitivity and specificity of 85% for detection of LA enlargement. At the same sensitivity level, an AP diameter of 4.3 cm had a specificity of 60.5%.ConclusionsTransverse LA diameter can accurately detect LA enlargement in patients with atrial fibrillation. This parameter can be used for detection of patients with possible LA enlargement on chest CT angiography
Software selection based on analysis and forecasting methods, practised in 1C
The research focuses on the problem of a "1C: Enterprise 8" platform inboard mechanisms for data analysis and forecasting. It is important to evaluate and select proper software to develop effective strategies for customer relationship management in terms of sales, as well as implementation and further maintenance of software. Research data allows creating new forecast models to schedule further software distribution
A strategy-as-practice approach to strategy research and education
This conclusion to the Dialog proposes a strategy-as-practice based approach to bringing strategy research and education closer to practice. Strategy-as-practice rejects the choice, proposed in the previous articles, between theory and practice. The authors argue for strategy research based rigorously on sociological theories of practice. Such research complements the parsimony and generalizability of economics-driven theory, extending strategy research to incorporate the messy realities of doing strategy in practice, with a view to developing theory that is high in accuracy. The authors suggest that practice-based research can also inform strategy teaching by providing students with rich case studies of strategy work as actually practiced, analyzed through such sociological lenses as ethnomethodology, dramaturgy, and institutional theory. Strategy-as-practice research does not aim to give students parsimonious models for analysis or expose them to cases of best practice but rather to help them develop practical wisdom through a better understanding of strategy in practice
Churn, Baby, Churn: Strategic Dynamics Among Dominant and Fringe Firms in a Segmented Industry
This paper integrates and extends the literatures on industry evolution and dominant firms to develop a dynamic theory of dominant and fringe competitive interaction in a segmented industry. It argues that a dominant firm, seeing contraction of growth in its current segment(s), enters new segments in which it can exploit its technological strengths, but that are sufficiently distant to avoid cannibalization. The dominant firm acts as a low-cost Stackelberg leader, driving down prices and triggering a sales takeoff in the new segment. We identify a “churn” effect associated with dominant firm entry: fringe firms that precede the dominant firm into the segment tend to exit the segment, while new fringe firms enter, causing a net increase in the number of firms in the segment. As the segment matures and sales decline in the segment, the process repeats itself. We examine the predictions of the theory with a study of price, quantity, entry, and exit across 24 product classes in the desktop laser printer industry from 1984 to 1996. Using descriptive statistics, hazard rate models, and panel data methods, we find empirical support for the theoretical predictions
Roadmap consensus on carotid artery plaque imaging and impact on therapy strategies and guidelines: An international, multispecialty, expert review and position statement
Current guidelines for primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerosis are based on the quantification of the degree of stenosis and symptom status. Recent publications have demonstrated that plaque morphology and composition, independent of the degree of stenosis, are important in the risk stratification of carotid atherosclerotic disease. This finding raises the question as to whether current guidelines are adequate or if they should be updated with new evidence, including imaging for plaque phenotyping, risk stratification, and clinical decision-making in addition to the degree of stenosis. To further this discussion, this roadmap consensus article defines the limits of luminal imaging and highlights the current evidence supporting the role of plaque imaging. Furthermore, we identify gaps in current knowledge and suggest steps to generate high-quality evidence, to add relevant information to guidelines currently based on the quantification of stenosis
Roadmap Consensus on Carotid Artery Plaque Imaging and Impact on Therapy Strategies and Guidelines: An International, Multispecialty, Expert Review and Position Statement
Current guidelines for primary and secondary prevention of stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerosis are based on the quantification of the degree of stenosis and symptom status. Recent publications have demonstrated that plaque morphology and composition, independent of the degree of stenosis, are important in the risk stratification of carotid atherosclerotic disease. This finding raises the question as to whether current guidelines are adequate or if they should be updated with new evidence, including imaging for plaque phenotyping, risk stratification, and clinical decision-making in addition to the degree of stenosis. To further this discussion, this roadmap consensus article defines the limits of luminal imaging and highlights the current evidence supporting the role of plaque imaging. Furthermore, we identify gaps in current knowledge and suggest steps to generate high-quality evidence, to add relevant information to guidelines currently based on the quantification of stenosis.</p
Peer influence in network markets: a theoretical and empirical analysis
Network externalities spur the growth of networks and the adoption of network goods in two ways. First, they make it more attractive to join a network the larger its installed base. Second, they create incentives for network members to actively recruit new members. Despite indications that the latter "peer effect" can be more important for network growth than the installed-base effect, it has so far been largely ignored in the literature. We address this gap using game-theoretical models. When all early adopters can band together to exert peer influence-an assumption that fits, e.g., the case of firms supporting a technical standard-we find that the peer effect induces additional growth of the network by a factor. When, in contrast, individuals exert peer influence in small groups of size n, the increase in network size is by an additive constant-which, for small networks, can amount to a large relative increase. The difference between small, local, personal networks and large, global, anonymous networks arises endogenously from our analysis. Fundamentally, the first type of networks is "tie-reinforcing," the other, "tie-creating". We use survey data from users of the Internet services, Skype and eBay, to illustrate the main logic of our theoretical results. As predicted by the model, we find that the peer effect matters strongly for the network of Skype users-which effectively consists of numerous small sub-networks-but not for that of eBay users. Since many network goods give rise to small, local networks
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