Soham Dasgupta¹, Megan Stark², Sonal Bhatt³, Peter Fischbach¹, Shriprasad Deshpande¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1058-1063, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12681

Abstract Introduction: A cardiac cause is an extremely rare etiology of pediatric chest pain. Despite its low sensitivity/specificity, exercise stress testing (EST) is widely used to determine the prognosis in patients with suspected/established coronary disease. We aimed to look at the utility of a combined cardiopulmonary EST in the evaluation of pediatric patients with chest pain.
Methods: After institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review was performed of all pediatric patients who were referred for an EST for chest pain from January 2014 to 2017. Patients with incomplete records, severe congenital heart disease, and a prior EST were excluded.
Results:… More >

Shelby C. White¹, Jennifer Sedler², Trahern W. Jones³, Michael Seckeler¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1045-1049, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12673

Abstract Objective: Applications of three‐dimensional (3D) printed models in medicine in‐ clude preprocedure planning, patient education, and clinical training. Reproducing complex anatomy as a 3D printed model can be useful for understanding congenital heart defects (CHD). We hypothesized that using 3D printed models during didactic sessions with resident physicians will improve trainees’ understanding of CHD.
Design and intervention: We performed a prospective, randomized educational in‐ tervention for teaching pediatric and pediatric/emergency medicine residents about simple (ventricular septal defect [VSD]) and moderately complex (tetralogy of Fallot [ToF]) CHD. Residents were divided into two groups: intervention and control. Each group completed a subjective… More >

Omar Meziab, Dominic J. Abrams, Mark E. Alexander, Laura Bevilacqua, Vassilios Bezzerides, Doug Y. Mah, Edward P. Walsh, John K. Triedman

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 419-427, 2018, DOI:10.1111/chd.12589

Abstract Objective: This study evaluates the ability of experienced pediatric electrophysiologists (EPs) to reliably classify incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB) and assesses its clinical utility as an isolated ECG finding in a group of healthy outpatient children without prior cardiac evaluation.
Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of all electrocardiographic and echocardiographic records at Boston Children’s Hospital between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014. Echocardiographic diagnoses were identified if registered between the date of the index electrocardiogram and the ensuing year. A selected subset of 473 ECGs was subsequently reanalyzed in a blinded manner by six pediatric EPs to… More >

Patrick D. Evers^1,*, Tarek Alsaied^1,2,*, Jeffrey B. Anderson¹, James F. Cnota¹, Allison A. Divanovic¹

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 221-229, 2019, DOI:10.1111/chd.12713

Abstract Objective: Maternal anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies can lead to fetal complete heart block (CHB). Current guidelines recommend weekly echocardiographic screening between 16 and 28 weeks gestation. Given the cost of screening and the rarity of conduction abnormalities in fetuses of mothers with low anti-Ro levels (<50 U/mL), we sought to identify a strategy that optimizes resource utilization.
Design: Decision analysis cost-utility modeling was performed for three screening paradigms: “standard screening” (SS) in which mid-gestation mothers are screened weekly, “limited screening” (LS) in which fetal echocardiograms are avoided unless the fetus develops bradycardia, and “targeted screening by maternal antibody level” (TS)… More >

Neil C. Zaki^1,2, Michael S. Kelleman¹, W. James Parks^1,3, Timothy C. Slesnick^1,3, Michael E. McConnell^1,3, Matthew E. Oster^1,3

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 140-146, 2019, DOI:10.1111/chd.12692

Abstract Objective: Gated cardiac MRI offers the most detailed and accurate noninvasive method of assessing cardiac anatomy, particularly in patients with complex congenital heart disease. The proposed benefits of using cMRI as a routine screening tool in the Fontan population include early recognition of asymptomatic, postoperative anatomic and physiologic changes. In 2011, we therefore instituted at our center a recommended practice of cMRI screening in patients with Fontan physiology at 3 and 8 years postFontan operation. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of this standardized practice of cMRI screening on the clinical management of a Fontan population.
… More >

Wei Liu^{1, 2, *}, Qianxiang Wu²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.123, No.2, pp. 661-690, 2020, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2020.07764

Abstract A utility tunnel system consists of pipes and ancillary facilities. In this paper, a finite element model of a concrete utility tunnel with pipes inside is established. Several tunnel segments were built to simulate a real utility tunnel, while the pipe was fixed by springs on the brackets in the utility tunnel. Using the discrete soil spring element to simulate the soil-structure interaction, actual earthquake records were adopted as excitation to analyze the seismic responses of pipes in a utility tunnel. Moreover, the influences of different parameters, including soil type, earthquake records, and field apparent wave velocity on the seismic… More >

Han DY^1,2, YF Yang²

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.87, pp. 113-122, 2018, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2018.87.113

Abstract Rapid and precise assessment of biodiversity is a central issue in conservation biology and biodiversity science. Higher taxonomic units and life form-based morphospecies were utilised to assess plant diversity patterns at the habitat scale in temperate meadow steppe, Songnen Plain, China. Patch area, taxonomic composition (families and genera) and life form (based on Raunkiaer’s life forms, and stem and root growth forms) were recorded in five communities. Taxonomic unit-based hierarchical diversity indices (HDI) and life form-based hierarchical diversity indices (HLDI) were calculated. Twenty-six families, 67 genera, and 87 species were recorded in the five communities. HDI and HLDI were significantly… More >

K. Ijima¹, H. Obiya¹, S. Iguchi², S. Goto²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.4, No.2, pp. 239-248, 2003, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2003.004.239

Abstract Defining element coordinates in space frame, element end deformations become statically clear from the energy principle. Therefore, the deformations can be expressed by nodal displacement without any approximation. The paper indicates that the exact expressions of the deformations and the geometrical stiffness strictly based on the equations makes large displacement analysis of space frame possible with robustness on the computation. More >