Effect of concomitant Renal DeNervation and cardiac ablation on Atrial Fibrillation recurrence - RDN+AF study.

BACKGROUND: Renal denervation (RDN) can reduce cardiac sympathetic activity maintained by arterial hypertension (aHT). Its potential antiarrhythmic effect on rhythm outcome in patients with multi-drug resistant aHT undergoing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. METHODS: The RDN+AF study was a prospective, randomized, two-center trial. Patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF and uncontrolled aHT (mean systolic 24-h ambulatory BP > 135 mmHg) despite taking at least three antihypertensive drugs were enrolled. Patients were 1:2 randomized to either RDN+AF ablation or AF-only ablation. Primary endpoint was freedom from any AF episode > 2 min at 12 months assessed by implantable loop recorder (ILR) or 7d-holter electrocardiogram. Secondary endpoints included rhythm outcome at 24 months, blood pressure control, periprocedural complications, and renovascular safety. RESULTS: The study randomized 61 patients (mean age 65 ± 9 years, 53% men). At 12 months, RDN+AF patients tended to have a greater decrease in ambulatory BPs but did not reach statistical significance. No differences in rhythm outcome were observed. Freedom from AF recurrence in the RDN+AF and AF-only group measured 61% versus 53% p = .622 at 12 months and 39% versus 47% p = .927 at 24 months, respectively. Periprocedural complications occurred in 9/61 patients (15%). No patient died. CONCLUSION: Among patients with multidrug-resistant aHT and paroxysmal or persistent AF, concomitant RDN+AF ablation was not associated with better blood pressure control or rhythm outcome in comparison to AF-only ablation and medical therapy.

The predictive role of early CRP values for one-year mortality in the first 2 d after acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: An excessive inflammatory reaction after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is known to be harmful. New anti-inflammatory therapies are required. PURPOSE: This study assessed the predictive role of early CRP in patients with STEMI. METHODS: A total of 1003 patients with STEMI were analysed. A total of 180 patients with proven infection were excluded. CRP after 12, 24 and 48 h after pain onset were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 823 patients, 103 (12.5%) died within one year after AMI. The deceased patients showed higher CRP, even after already 12 h (6 vs. 13 mg/l, p < .001), 24 h (13 vs. 25 mg/l, p < .001) and after 48 h (40 vs. 92 mg/l, p < .001). A CRP of ≥8 mg/l, 12 h after AMI, was found in 45% and was independently associated with long-term mortality (OR: 2.7, p = .03), after 24 h: CRP ≥ 18 mg/l in 44% (OR: 2.5, p = .03), after 48 h: CRP ≥ 53 mg/l in 44% (OR 1.9, p = .03). Early CRP values correlated strongly with the later maximum value of CRP (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Already early CRP values are accurate for risk-prediction following AMI. By identifying patients who are beginning to develop an excessive inflammatory response, it may be possible to identify those who benefit from anti-inflammatory therapies.

Left atrial phasic transport function closely correlates with fibrotic and arrhythmogenic atrial tissue degeneration in atrial fibrillation patients: cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking and voltage mapping.

AIMS: To characterize the association of phasic left atrial (LA) transport function and LA fibrosis guided by multimodality imaging containing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) feature tracking and bipolar voltage mapping. METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive patients presenting for first-time ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent CMR prior to the ablation procedure. LA phasic indexed volumes (LA-Vi) and emptying fractions (LA-EF) were calculated and CMR feature tracking guided LA wall motion analysis was performed. LA bipolar voltage mapping was carried out in sinus rhythm to find areas of low voltage as a surrogate for fibrosis and arrhythmogenesis. One hundred and sixty-eight patients were enrolled. Low-voltage areas (LVAs) were present in 70 patients (42%). Contrary to LA volume, CMR based LA-EF [odds ratio (OR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80-0.96, P = 0.005] and LA booster pump strain rate (SR) (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99, P = 0.001) significantly predicted presence and extent of LVA in multivariate logistic regression analysis for patients scanned in SR. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, LA-EF <40% carried a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 76% (area under the curve 0.8; 95% CI 0.71-0.89) to predict presence of LVA. For patients scanned in AF only minimal LA-Vi on CMR (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.02-1.10; P = 0.002) predicted presence of LVA. CONCLUSION: For patients scanned in SR LA-EF and LA booster pump SR are closely linked to the presence and extent of LA LVA.

Electrophysiological findings during atrial fibrillation reablation: Extending from pulmonary vein reconnection to sequential bipolar voltage map information.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial substrate modification targeting low voltage zones (LVZ) is an ablation strategy that-in addition to pulmonary vein (PV) isolation-tries to eliminate arrhythmogenic mechanisms harbored in such tissue. Electrophysiological findings at reablation include (a) PV reconnection, (b) reconnection over previous substrate ablation, and (c) de-novo LVZ. OBJECTIVE: To study, prevalence and contribution of these arrhythmogenic electrophysiological entities in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences. METHODS: Consecutive patients with highly symptomatic AF undergoing index and reablation were included (n = 113). In all patients' PV reconnection, reconnection over previous substrate ablation and spontaneous de-novo LVZ were quantitatively assessed and integrated into an individual reablation strategy. Follow-up was based on continuous device monitoring. RESULTS: At re-do procedure, 45 out of 113 (39.8%) patients showed PV reconnection as the only electrophysiological abnormality. Reconduction over previous lines was the only electrophysiological abnormality in 8 out of 113 (7.1%) patients. Spontaneous de-novo LVZ was the only electrophysiological abnormality in 12 out of 113 (10.6%) patients. Combined findings of PV reconnection, line reconduction, and/or spontaneous de-novo LVZ were seen in 40 out of 113 (35.4%) patients. No detectable electrophysiological abnormality was observed in 8 out of 113 (7.1%) patients. In univariate analysis, none of the tested electrophysiological characteristics independently predicted the outcome after re-do. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing reablation, we could show that reconduction over previous substrate ablation as well as the development of new low voltage areas are frequent findings besides classical PV reconnection-without a clear leading cause for recurrences. These findings impact reablation strategies as well as the strategic focus during index procedures.

Left atrial fibrosis predicts left ventricular ejection fraction response after atrial fibrillation ablation in heart failure patients: the Fibrosis-HF Study.

AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist. Catheter ablation has been reported to restore left ventricular (LV) function but patients benefit differently. This study investigated the correlation between left atrial (LA) fibrosis extent and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) recovery after AF ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, 103 patients [64 years, 69% men, 79% persistent AF, LVEF 33% interquartile range (IQR) (25-38)] undergoing first time AF ablation were investigated. Identification of LA fibrosis and selection of ablation strategy were based on sinus rhythm voltage mapping. Continuous rhythm monitoring was used to assess ablation success. Improvement in post-ablation LVEF was measured as primary study endpoint. An absolute increase in post-ablation LVEF ≥10% was defined as 'Super Response'. Left atrial fibrosis was present in 38% of patients. After ablation LVEF increased by absolute 15% (IQR 6-25) (P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction improvement was higher in patients without LA fibrosis [15% (IQR 10-25) vs. 10% (IQR 0-20), P < 0.001]. An inverse correlation between LVEF improvement and the extent of LA fibrosis was found (R2 = 0.931). In multivariate analysis, the presence of LA fibrosis was the only independent predictor for failing LVEF improvement [odds ratio 7.2 (95% confidence interval 2.2-23.4), P < 0.001]. Echocardiographic 'Super Response' was observed in 55/64 (86%) patients without and 21/39 (54%) patients with LA fibrosis, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Presence and extent of LA fibrosis predict LVEF response in HF patients undergoing AF ablation. The assessment of LA fibrosis may impact prognostic stratification and clinical management in HF patients with AF.

Left Ventricular Torsion　- A New Echocardiographic Prognosticator in Patients With Non-Ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) torsion is a key parameter in cardiac function and predicts functional capacity (FC) more appropriately than LV ejection fraction (EF). We sought to investigate LV torsion as a marker of hospitalization for worsening heart failure (HF) in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients. Methods and Results: The 91 outpatients with newly diagnosed DCM (53±13 years, 20% female) were evaluated with 3D speckle-tracking imaging and followed up for 12 months; 43 healthy sex- and age-matched volunteers served as controls. LV torsion, LVEF, right ventricular function, LV global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential (GCS) strain values, peak oxygen uptake (peak V̇O2) from FC and B-type natriuretic peptide levels were measured at baseline. Peak V̇O2correlated successively with LV torsion, diastolic filling and GCS (r=0.70, -0.52 and -0.41, P<0.01) disclosing the central role of LV torsion. During follow-up (median 272 days), 24 (26%) cardiac events occurred. A reduced LV torsion (<0.59 degrees/cm) predicted cardiac events similar to a reduced peak V̇O2(<19 mL/kg/min) (unadjusted hazard ratio 6.41 and 5.90, P<0.001). LV torsion provided a significant incremental value over right ventricular function and peak V̇O2(C-index: 0.85, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated a clear relation between LV torsion and disease severity, suggesting that LV torsion has additional prognostic relevance in DCM patients.

Reduction of atrial fibrillation burden by pulmonary vein isolation leads to a decrease of CD11b expression on inflammatory cells.

Aims: It is hypothesized that inflammation could promote structural and electrical remodelling processes in atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial infiltration of monocytes and granulocytes has been shown to be dependent on CD11b expression. The aim of this study was to investigate whether treatment of AF by pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) may lead to reduced inflammation, as indicated by a decrease of CD11b expression on monocytes and granulocytes. Methods and results: Flow-cytometric quantification analysis and determination of systemic inflammatory markers of peripheral blood were performed in 75 patients undergoing PVI 1 day before and 6 months after PVI. The extent of activation of monocytes and granulocytes was measured by quantifying the cell adhesion molecule CD11b. The mean expression of CD11b on monocytes (20.9 ± 2.5 vs. 10.2 ± 1.4; P < 0.001) and granulocytes (13.9 ± 1.6 vs. 6.8 ± 0.5; P < 0.001), as well as the relative count of CD11b-positive monocytes (P < 0.05) and CD11b-positive granulocytes (P < 0.01) were significantly reduced when comparing the identical patients before and 6 months after PVI. Systemic inflammatory parameters showed only a declining tendency after 6 months. Patients with unsuccessful PVI and ongoing AF on the day of follow-up showed no decrease in CD11b expression. Conclusions: A significant reduction of CD11b expression on monocytes and granulocytes, as a sign of reduced cellular inflammation, was achieved by treatment of AF using PVI. These data strongly support that AF is not only a consequence of but also a cause for inflammatory processes, which, in turn, may contribute to atrial remodelling.

Continuous monitoring after atrial fibrillation ablation: the LINQ AF study.

Aims: To study device performance, arrhythmia recurrence characteristics, and methods of outcome assessment using a novel implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: In 419 consecutive patients undergoing first-time catheter ablation for symptomatic paroxysmal (n = 224) or persistent (n = 195) AF an ICM was injected at the end of the procedure. Telemedicine staff ensured full episode transmission coverage and manually evaluated all automatic arrhythmia episodes. Device detection metrics were calculated for ≥2, ≥6, and ≥10 min AF detection durations. Four methods of outcome assessment were studied: continuous recurrence analysis, discontinuous recurrence analysis, AF-burden analysis, and analysis of individual rhythm profiles. A total of 43 673 automatic AF episodes were transmitted over a follow-up of 15 ± 6 months. Episode-based positive predictive values changed significantly with longer AF detection durations (70.5% for ≥2 min, 81.8% for ≥6 min, and 85.9% for ≥10 min). Patients with exclusive short episode recurrences (≥2 to <6 min) were rare and their arrhythmia detection was clinically irrelevant. Different methods of outcome assessment showed a large variation (46-79%) in ablation success. Individual rhythm characteristics and subclinical AF added to this inconsistency. Analysis of AF-burden and individual rhythm profiles were least influenced and showed successful treatment in 60-70% of the patients. Conclusion: We suggest AF detection duration >6 min and AF burden >0.1% as a standardized outcome definition for AF studies to come in the future.

Three-Dimensional Left Ventricular Torsion in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy　- A Marker of Disease Severity.

BACKGROUND: LV twist has a key role in maintaining left ventricular (LV) contractility during exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate LV torsion instead of twist as a surrogate marker of peak oxygen uptake (peak V̇O2) assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).Methods and Results:We evaluated 45 outpatients with DCM (50±12 years, 24% females) with 3D speckle-tracking electrocardiography prior to CPET. LV torsion, LV ejection fraction (EF), LV diastolic function, LV global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential (GCS) strain were quantified. A reduced functional capacity (FC) was defined as a peak V̇O2<20 mL/kg/min. LV torsion correlated most strongly with peak V̇O2(r=0.76, P<0.001). LV torsion instead of twist was an independent predictor of peak V̇O2(B: 0.59 to 0.71, P<0.001) in multivariable analyses. Impaired LV torsion <0.61 degrees/cm was able to predict a reduced FC with higher sensitivity and specificity (0.91 and 0.81; area under the curve (AUC): 0.88, P<0.001) than LV EF, GLS or GCS (AUC 0.64, 0.63 and 0.66; P<0.05 for differences in AUC). CONCLUSIONS: Peak V̇O2correlated more strongly with LV torsion than with LV diastolic function, LV EF, GLS or GCS. LV torsion had high accuracy in identifying patients with a reduced FC.

Association of platelet activation markers with recurrence of atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is known to cause platelet activation. AF and its degree of thrombogenesis could be associated with monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs). We investigated on whether the content of MPAs or other platelet activation markers is associated with the recurrence of AF after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). A total of 73 patients with symptomatic AF underwent PVI. After 6 months, all patients were evaluated for episodes of AF recurrence. At the same time, flow-cytometric quantification analyses were performed to determine the content of MPAs. Further platelet activation parameters were detected by using either cytometric bead arrays or quantitative immunological determination. Patients with recurrent AF (n = 20) compared to individuals without AF relapse (n = 53) were associated with an increased content of MPAs (43 ± 3% vs. 33 ± 2%, p = 0.004), as well as an increased CD41 expression on monocytes (191 ± 20 vs. 113 ± 6, p = 0.001). The level of the soluble platelet activation markers such as D-dimer, sCD40L, and sP-selectin did not differ between these groups. The content of MPAs correlated weakly with the level of sCD40L (r = 0.26, p = 0.03), but not with sP-selectin and D-dimer, whereas sP-selectin and sCD40L correlated with each other (r = 0.38, p = 0.001). Only the cellular marker of platelet activation, the content of MPAs, was increased in patients with recurrent AF after PVI. In contrast, soluble markers remained unaltered. These data indicate a distinct mechanism and level of platelet activation in AF. The clinical relevance of MPAs in identifying AF recurrence or in guiding the therapy with anticoagulants remains to be elucidated.

Chronic diarrhea as the initial clinical manifestation of light-chain amyloidosis with cardiac involvement despite negative duodenal and rectal biopsies.

Early and accurate diagnosis and a prompt initiation of treatment are critical for the prognosis of light-chain amyloidosis. The present article describes a case involving a 62-year-old patient who experienced unexplained, chronic diarrhea with negative duodenal and rectal biopsies. Serum immunofixation, a free light-chain assay, electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed after the patient developed syncope. The results of these diagnostic investigations showed characteristic signs of systemic amyloidosis. Cardiac and bone marrow biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of systemic light-chain amyloidosis. The chronic diarrhea was found to be due to an autonomic neuropathy of the enteric nervous system.

Accuracy of Devereaux and Teichholz formulas for left ventricular mass calculation in different geometric patterns: comparison with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Left ventricular (LV) myocardial mass is important in the evaluation of cardiac remodeling and requires accurate assessment when performed on linear measurements in two-dimensional echocardiography (Echo). We aimed to compare the accuracy of the Devereaux formula (DEV) and the Teichholz formula (TEICH) in calculating LV myocardial mass in Echo using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as the reference method. Based on preceding mathematical calculations, we identified primarily LV size rather than wall thickness as the main source of bias between DEV and TEICH in a retrospective derivation cohort (n = 1276). Although LV mass from DEV and TEICH were correlated with CMR, TEICH did not show a proportional bias as did DEV (- 2 g/m2 vs. + 22 g/m2). This could be validated in an independent prospective cohort (n = 226) with symptomatic non-ischemic heart failure. DEV systematically overestimated LV mass in all tiers of LV remodeling as compared to TEICH. In conclusion, the TEICH method accounts for the changes in LV geometry with increasing LV mass and thus better reflects the different pattern of LV remodeling than the DEV method. This has important clinical implications, as TEICH may be more appropriate for use in clinical practice, rather than DEV, currently recommended.

The Impact of Right Atrial Size to Predict Success of Direct Current Cardioversion in Patients With Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The prognostic implication of right atrial (RA) and left atrial (LA) size for an immediate success of direct current cardioversion (DCCV) in atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. This study aimed to compare RA and LA size for the prediction of DCCV success. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2018, 734 consecutive outpatients were screened for our prospective registry. Each eligible patient received a medical history, blood analysis, and transthoracic echocardiography with a focus on indexed RA (iRA) area and LA volume (iLAV) prior to DCCV with up to three biphasic shocks (200-300-360 J) or additional administration of amiodarone or flecainide to restore sinus rhythm. RESULTS: We enrolled 589 patients, and DCCV was in 89% (n=523) successful. Mean age was 68 ± 10 years, and 40% (n=234) had New York heart association class >II. A prevalence of the male sex (64%, n=376) and of persistent AF (86%, n=505) was observed. Although DCCV success was associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-3.65), with absence of coronary heart disease and normal left ventricular function (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.26-4.25), with short AF duration (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.05-4.04) in univariable regression, only iRA area remained a stable and independent predictor of DCCV success (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.12-0.69; area under the curve 0.71), but not iLAV size (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.05-1.56) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: iRA area is superior to iLAV for the prediction of immediate DCCV success in AF.

Magnetic resonance imaging-guided conventional catheter ablation of isthmus-dependent atrial flutter using active catheter imaging.

Background: Interventional cardiac magnetic resonance (iCMR) has been established as a radiation-free alternative compared to standard fluoroscopy-guided catheter ablation for cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI)-dependent atrial flutter to image anatomy, structural alterations, and further catheter guidance. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of CTI ablations performed completely in the iCMR suite using active catheter imaging. Methods: Consecutive patients underwent iCMR-guided catheter ablation for CTI-dependent atrial flutter. Procedures were performed in a 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging unit with MR-conditional ablation catheters. Catheter guidance was achieved using active catheter imaging via integrated MR receive tip coils. Acute success, periprocedural complications, and short-term follow-up were collected for further analysis. Results: All patients (N = 15; 73% male; median age 70 years; interquartile range [67-82]) achieved acute procedural success without any complication. Median procedural time was 43 minutes [33-58] with median radiofrequency delivery time of 18 minutes [12-26]. Postprocedural lesion visualization scanning was completed in a median of 32 minutes [10-42]. None of the patients with 6-month follow-up had atrial flutter recurrence. Conclusion: In the iCMR suite, CTI-dependent atrial flutter ablation could be achieved safely using active catheter imaging without any complication. It further allows detailed anatomic visualization of the CTI, intraprocedural lesion visualization, and exclusion of pericardial effusion.

Low-Voltage Myocardium-Guided Ablation Trial of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Clinically effective ablation approaches for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are still being debated. So far, ablation targets and strategies beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) have failed to show systematic outcome improvement in randomized controlled clinical trials. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to determine whether PVI plus individualized substrate ablation of atrial low-voltage myocardium improves outcome in patients with persistent AF. We randomly assigned 324 patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive PVI alone (163 patients; PVI only) or PVI plus substrate modification (161 patients; PVI+SM). The primary study end point was the first recurrence of an atrial arrhythmia longer than 30 seconds after single ablation, with 3 months blanking, using serial 7-day electrocardiogram recordings over 12 months of observation. Patients were also encouraged to receive implantable cardiac monitors. RESULTS: The primary study end point occurred in 75 PVI-only patients (50%) and in 54 PVI+SM patients (35%) (Kaplan­Meier event rate estimates: hazard ratio=0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.43 to 0.88, log rank P=0.006). Adverse events occurred in three PVI-only patients (1.8%) and in six PVI+SM patients (3.7%) (difference: −1.9 percentage points, 95% CI=−5.5 to 1.7 percentage points). Implant monitoring was used in 242 patients. Among them, 65 PVI-only patients (55%) versus 47 PVI+SM patients (39%) experienced recurrences (difference: 15 percentage points, 95% CI=3 to 28 percentage points). CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized trial, PVI plus individualized ablation of atrial low-voltage myocardium significantly improved outcomes in patients with persistent AF. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02732626.)

Retinal pigment epithelium cell alignment on nanostructured collagen matrices.

We investigated attachment and migration of human retinal pigment epithelial cells (primary, SV40-transfected and ARPE-19) on nanoscopically defined, two-dimensional matrices composed of parallel-aligned collagen type I fibrils. These matrices were used non-cross-linked (native) or after riboflavin/UV-A cross-linking to study cell attachment and migration by time-lapse video microscopy. Expression of collagen type I and IV, MMP-2 and of the collagen-binding integrin subunit α(2) were examined by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. SV40-RPE cells quickly attached to the nanostructured collagen matrices and aligned along the collagen fibrils. However, they disrupted both native and cross-linked collagen matrices within 5 h. Primary RPE cells aligned more slowly without destroying either native or cross-linked substrates. Compared to primary RPE cells, ARPE-19 cells showed reduced alignment but partially disrupted the matrices within 20 h after seeding. Expression of the collagen type I-binding integrin subunit α(2) was highest in SV40-RPE cells, lower in primary RPE cells and almost undetectable in ARPE-19 cells. Thus, integrin α(2) expression levels directly correlated with the degree of cell alignment in all examined RPE cell types. Specific integrin subunit α(2)-mediated matrix binding was verified by preincubation with an α(2)-function-blocking antibody, which impaired cell adhesion and alignment to varying degrees in primary and SV40-RPE cells. Since native matrices supported extended and directed primary RPE cell growth, optimizing the matrix production procedure may in the future yield nanostructured collagen matrices serving as transferable cell sheet carriers.

Benchmarking Highly Parallel Hardware for Spiking Neural Networks in Robotics.

Animal brains still outperform even the most performant machines with significantly lower speed. Nonetheless, impressive progress has been made in robotics in the areas of vision, motion- and path planning in the last decades. Brain-inspired Spiking Neural Networks (SNN) and the parallel hardware necessary to exploit their full potential have promising features for robotic application. Besides the most obvious platform for deploying SNN, brain-inspired neuromorphic hardware, Graphical Processing Units (GPU) are well capable of parallel computing as well. Libraries for generating CUDA-optimized code, like GeNN and affordable embedded systems make them an attractive alternative due to their low price and availability. While a few performance tests exist, there has been a lack of benchmarks targeting robotic applications. We compare the performance of a neural Wavefront algorithm as a representative of use cases in robotics on different hardware suitable for running SNN simulations. The SNN used for this benchmark is modeled in the simulator-independent declarative language PyNN, which allows using the same model for different simulator backends. Our emphasis is the comparison between Nest, running on serial CPU, SpiNNaker, as a representative of neuromorphic hardware, and an implementation in GeNN. Beyond that, we also investigate the differences of GeNN deployed to different hardware. A comparison between the different simulators and hardware is performed with regard to total simulation time, average energy consumption per run, and the length of the resulting path. We hope that the insights gained about performance details of parallel hardware solutions contribute to developing more efficient SNN implementations for robotics.

Left Atrial Isolation and Appendage Occlusion in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation at End-Stage Left Atrial Fibrotic Disease.

[Figure: see text].

Repetitive squatting exercise as a diagnostic predictor in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: Non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterised by a highly variable disease progression. Stress echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) are beneficial in risk assessment, but are labour intensive. Repetitive squatting and standing without weights is a simple exercise (EX). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of left ventricular (LV) contractile recruitment (CR) after a simple EX of repetitive squatting through three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography. Methods: Patients with DCM (LV ejection fraction (EF)<50%, n=68) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n=25) received a 3D echocardiographic evaluation of LV EF before and after 30 repetitions of squatting-standing EX. CR was defined by the change of LV EF (Δ>4%). Patients were followed up prospectively (2 years) for cardiac death and deteriorating heart failure. Results: During follow-up, 14 cardiac events occurred (21%) with six deaths and eight severe heart failure deteriorations. A poor CR after squatting EX differentiated DCM patients with cardiac events during follow-up as accurately as a reduced peak oxygen consumption (peak VO 2<20 mL/kg/min) (sensitivity: 0.97 and 0.95). Both had a significant incremental diagnostic value over clinical (age, dyspnoea and natriuretic peptide level) or resting echocardiographic parameters (E/E' ratio, LV EF and end-diastolic LV volume) to predict cardiac events (global χ2: 16.0 vs 5.3; 19.5 vs 6.1; P<0.01 for all). Conclusions: The presence of LV CR after EX of repetitive squatting without weights can stratify risk and predict cardiac events in patients with DCM as correct as CPET.