166 research outputs found
Smartwatch-enabled early detection and treatment of cardiomyopathy induced by premature atrial contractions: a case report
No full textAbstract Background Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AiCM) is an increasingly recognized cause of heart failure. Atrial fibrillation and premature ventricular contractions are common causes of AiCM. Further, the use of wearable technology in arrhythmia detection is increasing steadily. In this case, we report on a patient suffering from AiCM as a result of frequent premature atrial contractions (PACs) detected by a wearable device. Case summary A 34-year-old male, with no prior medical history, presented after his smartwatch detected frequent ‘heart arrhythmias.’ An initial electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm with frequent PACs. Further evaluation revealed left ventricular dysfunction [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 35%]. Non-invasive tests ruled out coronary artery disease. Although the patient was initially asymptomatic, his condition worsened with a decline in LVEF to 15% despite optimal medical therapy. High-resolution 3D mapping identified the ectopic focus in the left inferior pulmonary vein, and radiofrequency ablation successfully eliminated the PACs. At the six-month follow-up, the patient was symptom-free with a recovered LVEF of 50%. Discussion This case highlights the potential for frequent PACs to induce AiCM. Although PACs are typically considered benign, in this case, the high PAC burden led to significant left ventricular dysfunction. The successful resolution of the patient’s symptoms and the improvement in heart function after radiofrequency ablation demonstrate the reversibility of AiCM caused by PACs if treated early. Importantly, this case underscores the emerging role of wearable technologies, like smartwatches, in the early detection of arrhythmias, enabling timely intervention to prevent the progression of heart failure
Definition and Management of Arrhythmia-induced Cardiomyopathy: Findings from the European Heart Rhythm Association Survey
No full textBackground: Arrhythmia-induced Cardiomyopathy (AiCM) represents a subtype of acute heart failure (HF) in the context of sustained arrhythmia. Clear definitions and management recommendations for AiCM are lacking. Purpose: The European Heart Rhythm Association Scientific Initiatives Committee (EHRA SIC) conducted a survey to explore the current definitions and management of patients with AiCM among European and non-European electrophysiologists. Methods: A 25-item online questionnaire was developed and distributed among EP specialists on the EHRA SIC website and on social media between September 4th and October 5th 2023. Results: Of the 206 respondents, 16% were female and 61% were between 30-49 years old. Most of the respondents were EP-Specialists (81%) working at University Hospitals (47%). While most participants (67%) agreed that AiCM should be defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) impairment after new onset of an arrhythmia, only 35% identified a specific LVEF drop to diagnose AiCM with a wide range of values (5-20% LVEF drop). Most respondents considered all available therapies: catheter ablation(93%), electrical cardioversion(83%), antiarrhythmic drugs (76%) and adjuvant HF treatment(76%). 83% of respondents indicated that adjuvant HF treatment should be started at first HF diagnosis prior to antiarrhythmic treatment and 84% agreed it should be stopped within six months after LVEF normalization. Responses for the optimal time point for the first LVEF reassessment during follow-up varied markedly (1 day-6 months after antiarrhythmic treatment). Conclusion: This EHRA Survey reveals varying practices regarding AiCM among physicians, highlighting a lack of consensus and heterogenous care of these patients
Board and Staff Representation and Grantmaking in Community Foundations: The Effect of Racial Representation, Intersectionality, and Donor Control
No full textAs the United States continues its significant demographic shift, concerns persist
about philanthropic responsiveness to the needs of diverse communities. While
foundations aim to address societal challenges, historical leadership structures can pose
barriers to equitable outcomes. This raises questions about the representativeness of
philanthropy to the broader public. The theory of representative bureaucracy establishes a
framework for understanding the connection between representation and outcomes,
positing that passive representation, which is bureaucrats share the same demographic
origins as the general population, will result in active representation, which is producing
policy outputs that benefit the interests of individuals who are passively represented.
This study applies the theory of representative bureaucracy to nonprofits,
specifically examining the case of community foundations in the United States. It
investigates the influence of racial representation, the intersectionality across race and
gender among representatives, and the impact of donor control on grant allocations to
underserved groups. Key questions examined include: Does a positive relationship exist
between racial representation in board and staff in community foundations and grant
allocations to grantee organizations serving people of color? Does intersectional
representation yield stronger results than solely racial representation? Does increased donor control weaken the positive relationship between board and staff members’
representation and grant allocations to grantee organizations serving people of color?
This study utilizes longitudinal data spanning from 2012 to 2016, collected from a
national sample of community foundations. The findings contribute both theoretically
and practically to the understanding of the relationships among representation, discretion,
and grant-making outcomes within the nonprofit sector
Toward an Inclusive Landscape of Informal and Formal Giving Behavior: With Voices from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Indiana (USA)
No full textIUIMy dissertation explores an inclusive landscape of philanthropy by examining a range of informal and formal giving behaviors and their explicit and implicit motives to enhance our broad understanding of philanthropy. I focus on issues that were less emphasized in philanthropic studies, such as informal giving, the perspectives of people from the Global South (specifically Ethiopians), and implicit motivations. The dissertation is presented in a three-manuscript format.
The first manuscript investigates informal giving through a systematic literature review, identifying key practices such as informal helping, mutual help systems, caregiving, and remittances. The driving reasons for informal giving include reciprocity, human and social capital, emotions, altruism, and other less focused reasons such as social media, crisis, and sense of duty. The study also highlights differences in gender and geographical location in informal giving practices.
The second manuscript explores and compares the spectrum of informal and formal giving behaviors and motivations among Christian Ethiopians living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Indiana, US, focusing on Christians in the Protestant and Orthodox denominations. Using semi-structured Zoom and telephone interviews with 34 participants, the study reveals various informal giving practices, such as financial, in-kind, and emotional support to extended family, friends, neighbors, and strangers, as well as formal giving behaviors, including establishing NGOs, formal volunteering, and charitable donations. The research identifies explicit and implicit motivations for engaging in this spectrum of giving behaviors, such as religious beliefs, cultural heritage, parental teaching, being part of a church community, and affiliation implicit motivation. The study also identifies some variations in the understanding, practices and motivations for giving among participants in the two locations and denominations.
The third manuscript investigates implicit motivations among Giving Pledge signatories using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) textual analysis of the pledge letters. It examines the primary three implicit motives: achievement, affiliation, and power. The results show that affiliation implicit motives are relatively more prevalent than achievement and power motives among the pledge signers. The study also explores how these implicit motivations associate with key demographic variables and philanthropic subsectors
Research in Accounting for Income Taxes
No full textThis paper comprehensively reviews Accounting for Income Taxes (AFIT). The first half provides background and a primer on AFIT. The second half reviews existing studies in detail and offers suggestions for future research. We emphasize the research questions that have been addressed (most of which relate to whether the tax accounts are used to manage earnings, and whether the tax accounts are priced by equity market participants) and highlight areas that have not received much research attention. We close with a call for a theoretical framework, more study of the inconsistencies between research and practice, and improved econometrics.
Value of Echocardiography in Chronic Dyspnea
No full textIn chronic dyspnoea, cardiac and pulmonary aetiologies predominate, but multiple causes are present in up to one third of patients. Because of the multiple possible aetiologies, the evaluation of chronic dyspnoea remains challenging. Initial diagnostic testing should include at least a complete blood count, chest x-ray and an electrocardiogram. If there is an ongoing suspicion of a cardiac origin, echocardiography comes into play. Echocardiography is the first-line diagnostic imaging test for detecting myocardial, valvular or pericardial disease as an aetiology for chronic dyspnoea. In addition, echocardiography may aid in the diagnosis of thromboembolic disease and in pulmonary artery hypertension. Echocardiography also provides additional important information such as the severity and extent of the disease. In our review we will discuss the different causes of chronic dyspnea and we will highlight the strengths and limitations of echocardiography when evaluating these disorders. When interpreted together with the clinical presentation, echocardiography is a fundamental diagnostic tool for the evaluation of patients with chronic dyspnoea and contributes to directing further management
Economic Inequality and Prosocial Behavior: A Multidimensional Analysis
No full textIndiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Rising economic inequality has become a widespread trend and concern in recent
decades. Economic inequality is often associated with pernicious consequences such as a
decrease in individual health and social cohesion and an increase in political conflicts.
Does economic inequality have a negative association with prosocial behavior, like many
other aspects of inequality? To answer this question, this dissertation investigates the
relationship between economic inequality and prosocial behavior, particularly charitable
giving, by conducting three empirical studies.
The first study is a meta-analysis on the overall relationship between economic
inequality and prosocial behavior. Results from 192 effect sizes in 100 studies show that
there is a general small, negative relationship between economic inequality and different
forms of prosocial behavior. Moderator tests demonstrate that social context, the
operationalization of prosocial behavior, the operationalization of economic inequality,
and average age of participants significantly moderate the relationship between economic
inequality and prosocial behavior.
The second study differentiates between redistributive and non-redistributive
charitable causes and examines how income inequality is associated with charitable
giving to these two causes in China. Using synthesized data from the China Labor-force
Dynamics Survey (CLDS) and official data, this study shows that income inequality has
no significant relationship with charitable giving to redistributive causes, but it has a
negative association with charitable giving to non-redistributive causes. Of the four moderators, only education significantly moderates the relationship between income
inequality and redistributive giving.
The third study tests whether and how government social spending mediates the
relationship between income inequality and charitable giving. Using the US county level
panel data, this study finds there is no significant relationship between income inequality
and government social spending as well as between government social spending and
charitable giving. Thus, government social spending does not significantly mediate the
relationship between income inequality and charitable giving. However, income
inequality has a robustly and significantly negative relationship with charitable giving.
In sum, this dissertation furthers our understanding of the relationship between
economic inequality and prosocial behavior, especially charitable giving. Given the
higher economic inequality facing many countries, it is a timely dissertation and has
important practical implications
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