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Aims: The viability of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in inotrope‐dependent heart failure (HF) has been a matter of debate. Methods and results: We searched Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library until 31 December 2022. Studies were included if (i) HF patients required inotropic support at CRT implantation; (ii) patients were ≥18 years old; and (iii) they provided a clear definition of 'inotrope dependence' or 'inability to wean'. A meta‐analysis was performed in R (Version 3.5.1). Nineteen studies comprising 386 inotrope‐dependent HF patients who received CRT (mean age 64.4 years, 76.9% male) were included. A large majority survived until discharge at 91.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 81.2% to 97.6%], 89.3% were weaned off inotropes (95% CI: 77.6% to 97.0%), and mean discharge time post‐CRT was 7.8 days (95% CI: 3.9 to 11.7). After 1 year of follow‐up, 69.7% survived (95% CI: 58.4% to 79.8%). During follow‐up, the mean number of HF hospitalizations was reduced by 1.87 (95% CI: 1.04 to 2.70, P < 0.00001). Post‐CRT mean QRS duration was reduced by 29.0 ms (95% CI: −41.3 to 16.7, P < 0.00001), and mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 4.8% (95% CI: 3.1% to 6.6%, P < 0.00001). The mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) class post‐CRT was 2.7 (95% CI: 2.5 to 3.0), with a pronounced reduction of individuals in NYHA IV (risk ratio = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.41, P < 0.00001). On univariate analysis, there was a higher prevalence of males (85.7% vs. 40%), a history of left bundle branch block (71.4% vs. 30%), and more pronounced left ventricular end‐diastolic dilation (274.3 ± 7.2 vs. 225.9 ± 6.1 mL). Conclusions: CRT appears to be a viable option for inotrope‐dependent HF, with some of these patients seeming more likely to respond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated using a high-quality computed tomography (CT) scanner to aid the diagnosis of upper airway disease in dogs without the need for sedation or anaesthesia. Data from seventeen dogs with breathing problems were included, and were classified into three groups based on their condition and whether they had previously undergone airway surgery. Commonly reported clinical signs included noisy breathing and difficulty exercising. Results showed this imaging technique may provide an efficient and safe technique to evaluate the anatomical structures of the upper airway. Understanding upper airway diseases better can improve treatment outcomes, especially for breeds prone to airway disease, laying a foundation for further advancements in veterinary care. This study investigated using a 160-slice multidetector computed tomography (CT) scanner for conscious image acquisition in dogs with upper airway disease, and describes findings in dogs that had previously undergone soft palate surgery. Seventeen client-owned dogs with upper airway disease were retrospectively reviewed, and classified into three groups: group I, "untreated brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) patients"; group II, "previously treated BOAS patients"; and group III, "patients with respiratory disease other than BOAS". Data included signalment, clinical history, direct laryngoscopy and endoscopy findings, previous surgeries and CT findings. CT scans in group I revealed overlong and thickened soft palates in all dogs, and signs of laryngeal collapse in four dogs. Patients in group II exhibited normal soft palate lengths, while patients in group III displayed various findings such as nasopharyngeal narrowing and tracheal collapse. Upper airway examinations under general anaesthesia confirmed most CT findings. This study demonstrates the feasibility and value of conscious CT scanning for assessing upper airway diseases in dogs, providing valuable diagnostic information while eliminating the need for chemical immobilisation, thus reducing patient stress and cost. These findings offer new insight into upper airway anatomy in awake patients, especially in brachycephalic breeds, and lay a foundation for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the magnitude of biosecurity risks in aquatic environments is increasingly complex and urgent because increasing volumes of international shipping, rising demand for aquaculture products, and growth in the global aquarium trade, are accelerating invasive alien species spread worldwide. These threats are especially pressing amid climate and biodiversity crises. However, global and national biosecurity systems are poorly prepared to respond because of fragmented research and policy environments, that often fail to account for risks across sectors or across stakeholder needs and fail to recognize similarities in the processes underpinning biological invasions. In the present article, we illustrate the complex network of links between biosecurity threats across human, animal, plant, and environment sectors and propose a universal approach to risk assessment. One Biosecurity is a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that minimizes biosecurity risks across human, animal, plant, algal, and ecosystem health and is critical to reduce redundancy and increase cross-sectoral cohesion to improve policy, management, and research in aquatic biosecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Catheter ablation, consisting of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), is the most effective treatment modality for the management of symptomatic patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Unfortunately, this procedure has a considerable relapse rate, ranging from 15 to 50% depending on AF type and other patient factors. Hypertension (HTN) is associated with a higher risk of developing AF and can also be managed with a catheter-based procedure—renal denervation (RDN). This meta-analysis aimed to compare the effect of PVI with and without RDN in hypertensive patients with AF. Methods and results OVID MEDLINE and Embase were searched on 1 February 2023 and trials that reported the effects of RDN on AF recurrence in hypertensive patients were included. A total of 637 patients across 8 randomised controlled trials were included. The results from the pooled analysis showed that when compared with PVI alone, RDN added to PVI: (1) Lowered AF recurrence [RR 0.67 (0.53, 0.85), P = 0.001, I 2 = 23%, NNT = 5.9 patients]; (2) Reduced both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, with medium effect size, as reflected by standardised mean differences of 0.5 (P = 0.02, I 2 = 80%) and 0.43 (P = 0.006, I 2 = 60%), respectively; and (3) was not associated with a decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate (+7.19 mL/min/1.73 m2, P = 0.15, I 2 = 89%). Conclusion Adding RDN to PVI in patients with AF and resistant HTN was associated with a reduction of blood pressure levels and AF recurrence. Consideration to RDN should be given as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AF and resistant HTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, and there are limited proven therapeutic strategies. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial in several studies. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of exercise on functional, physiological, and quality-of-life measures. Methods and results A comprehensive search of Medline and Embase was performed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of adult HFpEF patients with data on exercise intervention were included. Using meta-analysis, we produced pooled mean difference (MD) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with Review Manager (RevMan) software for the peak oxygen uptake (VO2), Minnesota living with heart failure (MLWHF) and, other diastolic dysfunction scores. A total of 14 studies on 629 HFpEF patients were included (63.2% female) with a mean age of 68.1 years. Exercise was associated with a significant improvement in the peak VO2 (MD 1.96 mL/kg/min, 95% CI 1.25–2.68; P < 0.00001) and MLWHF score (MD −12.06, 95% CI −17.11 to −7.01; P < 0.00001) in HFpEF. Subgroup analysis showed a small but significant improvement in peak VO2 with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. medium-intensity continuous exercise (MCT; MD 1.25 mL/kg/min, 95% CI 0.41–2.08, P = 0.003). Conclusion Exercise increases the exercise capacity and quality of life in HFpEF patients, and high-intensity exercise is associated with a small but statistically significant improvement in exercise capacity than moderate intensity. Further studies with larger participant populations and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings and elucidate potential differences between high- and medium-intensity exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools for characterizing thin layering and groundwater table conditions are evaluated at silty soil sites being assessed for liquefaction. Thin interlayered stratigraphy and groundwater table fluctuation are two potential causes for inconsistencies observed during the Canterbury earthquake sequence, wherein liquefaction did not manifest at several silty soil sites, despite simplified liquefaction assessment procedures indicating severe manifestations would be expected. Site investigations should capture these features to allow for improved assessment of liquefaction potential at silty soil sites. Cone penetration tests (CPTs), mini-CPTs, and sonic borings do not adequately capture thin layering. However, detailed logging of high-quality samples captures the actual in situ layering that may help explain the limitations of simplified liquefaction assessment procedures at these sites, revealing the need to understand underlying limitations in current site investigation techniques. Piezometers, sonic borings, high-quality sampling, crosshole testing, and regional groundwater maps are evaluated to assess their ability to capture complex groundwater conditions. Multiple groundwater measurement methods are typically required to characterize groundwater fluctuations. An approach to using enhanced site characterization tools is recommended for liquefaction assessments at silty soil sites with thin layering and groundwater fluctuations. Key words: site characterization, thin layering, silty soils, groundwater, liquefaction. Les outils de caracterisation des couches minces et de l'etat de la nappe phreatique sont evalues sur des sites de sols limoneux en cours d'evaluation pour la liquefaction. La stratigraphie a couches minces intercalees et la fluctuation de la nappe phreatique sont deux causes possibles d'incoherences observees pendant la sequence du seisme de Canterbury, ou la liquefaction ne s'est pas manifestee sur plusieurs sites de sols limoneux, malgre des procedures simplifiees d'evaluation de liquefaction indiquant que des manifestations graves seraient a prevoir. Les etudes sur le terrain devraient tenir compte de ces caracteristiques afin de permettre une meilleure evaluation du potentiel de liquefaction sur les sols limoneux. Les essais de penetration au cone (CPT), mini-CPT et forages soniques ne capturent pas correctement les couches minces. Toutefois, la realisation de coupe detaillee d'echantillons de haute qualite permet de saisir les couches in situ reelles qui peuvent aider a expliquer les limites des procedures simplifiees d'evaluation de la liquefaction sur ces sites, ce qui revele la necessite de comprendre les limites sousjacentes des techniques actuelles d'investigation des sites. Les piezometres, les forages soniques, l'echantillonnage de haute qualite, les essais en sondage transversal et les cartes regionales des eaux souterraines sont evalues pour evaluer leur capacite a capter les conditions complexes des eaux souterraines. De multiples methodes de mesurage des eaux souterraines sont generalement necessaires pour caracteriser les fluctuations des eaux souterraines. Il est recommande d'utiliser des outils ameliores de caracterisation des sites pour l'evaluation de la liquefaction des sols limoneux en couches minces et des fluctuations des eaux souterraines. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: caracterisation du site, couches minces, sols limoneux, eaux souterraines, liquefaction., Introduction This paper investigates the geotechnical characterization of silty soil sites for liquefaction assessment. The study focuses on sites in Christchurch, New Zealand, where post-earthquake liquefaction manifestations were not observed [...]

Significant and widespread liquefaction occurred in İskenderun during the 2023 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Liquefaction effects on buildings were observed in several areas of İskenderun, predominantly in areas of reclaimed land and near historic shorelines. Liquefaction-induced building settlements were particularly concentrated in the Çay District, which is almost entirely reclaimed land. Liquefaction-induced ground and building settlements were either marginal or not apparent in areas away from the historical shorelines. Building settlement and ground deformation were documented at 26 buildings in İskenderun through lidar scans and laser-level hand measurements. Liquefaction-induced building settlements ranged from 0 to 740 mm. Building-ground interactions were evident from hogging ground deformations, including cases where buildings deformed nearby ground and damaged nearby buildings, and sagging buildings. Historic land development affected the spatial extent of observed liquefaction-induced building damage. Representative liquefaction-induced building settlement and building interaction case histories are discussed and key insights are shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long runout landslides can cause significant damage and represent one of the most important problems in geotechnical engineering. Understanding the mechanics of the landslide runout process is important for risk assessment and is challenging due to its complexities. This work examines the runout of the 22 March 2014 Oso, Washington, landslide. The Oso landslide is one of the worst landslide disasters in USA history with 43 fatalities. It occurred in multiple failure stages, involving several failure surfaces and significant soil softening, and travelled over 1 km across the valley. It initiated after a period of wet weather in an area prone to landslide movements. The triggering causes of the landslide movement are still under investigation. In this paper, the material point method is used to simulate the runout of the Oso landslide. This numerical tool is capable of modeling large deformation problems. It is used to investigate several hypothetical scenarios to identify key factors that contributed to the Oso landslide long runout distance. Key words: analysis, landslide, material point method, runout. Les glissements de terrain prolonges peuvent causer des dommages importants et representent l'un des problemes les plus importants en ingenierie geotechnique. Comprendre les mecanismes du processus d'arret du glissement de terrain est important pour revaluation des risques et presente des difficultes en raison de sa complexite. Ce travail examine la fin du 22 mars 2014 a Oso, glissement de terrain de Washington. Le glissement de terrain d'Oso est l'un des pires desastres de l'histoire des Etats-Unis avec 43 morts. Il s'est deroule en plusieurs etapes de defaillance, impliquant plusieurs surfaces de rupture et un ramollissement important du sol, et a parcouru plus de 1 km dans la vallee. Il a debute apres une periode de pluie dans une zone sujette aux mouvements de glissement de terrain. Les causes du declenchement du glissement de terrain sont toujours a l'etude. Dans cet article, la methode des points materiels est utilisee pour simuler la fin du glissement de terrain d'Oso. Cet outil numerique est capable de modeliser de gros problemes de deformation. Il est utilise pour etudier plusieurs scenarios hypothetiques afin d'identifier les facteurs cles ayant contribue a la longue distance de glissement de terrain du glissement de terrain d'Oso. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: analyse, glissement de terrain, methode des points materiels, fin., Introduction The Oso landslide (officially named the SR 530 Landslide by the State of Washington) occurred on 22 March 2014 in the state of Washington, USA. Approximately 8x[10.sup.6] [m.sup.3] of [...]