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Background As the burden and distribution of calcification within chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions can be diverse, its effect on CTO recanalization using multiple devices and techniques is debatable. This study investigated the role of calcification in wiring-based intraplaque tracking techniques for CTO recanalization.Methods A modified J-CTO score without counting calcification was used to analyze the procedures of 458 consecutive patients who underwent CTO interventions. Failed guidewire crossing and intraplaque tracking were considered procedural failures. Recanalization time details were analyzed for successful procedures.Results In patients with calcified CTO, the rate of procedural success only significantly declined to be lower than that of noncalcified CTO when the modified J-CTO score was ≥3 (77% vs. 94%, p = 0.008). In 422 patients with successful procedures, the presence of calcification was irrelevant to guidewire crossing time, but was accompanied with longer time from guidewire cross to final angiogram when the modified J-CTO score was 1–2 (53 ± 35 vs. 35 ± 17 [noncalcified] min, p 60 min (OR = 4.8, 95% CI = 2.2–10.2) in successfully recanalized lesions with modified J-CTO score 1–2.Conclusions Using intraplaque guidewire tracking, calcification was unfavorable for very difficult CTO lesions, and caused prolongation of angioplasty time for lesions with moderate complexity. This suggested that the role of calcification in the J-CTO score could be altered when different recanalization techniques were applied for CTO interventions.

BackgroundLesion characteristics were shown to predict procedural success and outcomes in chronic total occlusion (CTO) recanalization. However, diverse techniques involved in these studies might cause potential heterogeneity.ObjectiveThe study aimed to test the impacts of lesion characteristics on CTO intervention with a pure antegrade wiring-based technique.Methods and ResultsWe studied consecutive 325 patients (64.5 ± 11.1 years, 285 men) with native CTO lesions intervened by a single operator with an antegrade-based technique between August 2014 and July 2020. Forty-seven patients with antegrade procedural failure (20 with pure antegrade wiring failure and 27 with back-up retrograde techniques) were compared to 278 patients with antegrade-only procedural success. With a median follow-up of 30.8 (16.1–48.6) months, 278 patients with procedural success were further assessed for target vessel failure (TVF: cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction [MI], and target lesion revascularization [TLR]). Patients with antegrade procedural success had a lower percentage of history with bypass graft (4 vs. 15%, p = 0.004) and lower Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusion Registry of Japan (J-CTO) score (2.1±1.3 vs. 3.4 ± 1.0, p < 0.001), when compared to those with antegrade failure. The J-CTO score was independently associated with procedural failure (odds ratio = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.8–3.4) in multivariate analysis. However, only clinical features, such as female gender (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.4–13.1), estimated glomerular filtration rate

In addition to the rapid development of global information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet, recent rapid growth in cloud computing technology represents another important trend. Individual continuance intention towards information technology is a critical area in which information systems research can be performed. This study aims to develop an integrated model designed to explain and predict an individual’s continuance intention towards personal cloud services based on the concepts of technology readiness (TR) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2), moderated by gender, age, and experience of personal cloud services. The key results of the partial least square test largely support the proposed model’s validity and the significant impact of effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, price value, habit, and technology readiness on continuance intention towards personal cloud services. In addition to providing symmetric theoretical support with the proposed model and transforming the individual characteristics of TR into UTAUT2, this study could be used to enhance and analyze users’ adoption of personal cloud services and also increase the symmetry of the model’s explanation and prediction. The findings from this research contribute to providing practical implications and academic resources as well as improving our understanding of personal cloud service applications.

Quality is a dignity to a country and also masterpiece and bedrock for the development of a country. To recover economical prosperity immediately right from the II world war, Japan founded Demin Quality Award to encourage the improvement of quality and promote the whole scale of competence core for enterprises in 1951. All the products produced by Japan are entirely favoured by the customers around the world during the period of 1975. The Japanese made automobiles, electronics and appliances are inexpensive and competitive enough to sluggish the economy growth of USA. To counter the serious threats and regain the advantage of the market, the United States finally founded Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, MBNQA to provide a series of standards for excellence performance in 1987. European Excellence Award was set up by the European Foundation for Quality Management, EFQM for advancing the superiority of tech development in 1991. Among the developing countries, there is no exception can be made for the emerging countries, especially in area of Aisa. Taiwan is the first country in Asia to establish Taiwan National Quality Award, TNQA in 1990 to represent the great honour of quality, also the first national quality award in this area. As the candidate with the great potential to be developed country in this region, not only Taiwan is struggling to advance its technology, but also promote the quality issues by quality related policies of government. Therefore, this paper is to examine the process of involvement in the promotion to Taiwan National Quality Award for three different enterprises, the 1assessment of various dimension in company through spot visit by judges of TNQA, and the analysis of interview record from the superior executives for the further research and introductive contribution of this award. Conclusively, this paper is trying to draw the overview of how to improve the excellence of quality in the practice of business operation and provide the suggestions and contributions to the policies of TNQA.

Despite the booming information technology, traditionally one-way teaching/learning mode remains dominating the class. Although there are some education institutes take information system as a supplementary tool and some courses has been taught online, teaching materials in class are in the main the written ones, and online forms of teaching still concentrate in one classroom assisted by programmed media. Generally speaking, textbooks and classrooms are the major vehicles of the education in Taiwan with a main purpose to have face-to-face conveyance of knowledge. The conventional means to education has been criticized as monotonous, depressing and restraining [1]. To orient the situation toward the future that education is a service system with students rather than tutors at the center [2], this paper looks at the application potentials of Web 2.0 technology to be integrated into the teaching frameworks. With the core value of Web 2.0 technology that lies in the empowerment of internet users from sole capabilities to download and reading into one that can upload and share, the paper seeks to construct an educative platform supported by the Web 2.0 technology with a view to transform conventional forms of tutors-centered education and improve teaching and learning effects. The paper is structurally divided into four sections. Section 1 gives a brief on the Web 2.0 technology. Section 2 frame the current gaps left by digital educative platforms. Section 3 is to construct a preliminary educative model supported by the Web 2.0 technology with four elements-website users, contents, virtual community and tools-put into the flowchart. A discussion and recommendation for further research lies in Section 4, which also serves as a conclusion.

This paper deals with civil infrastructures in general, sensor and smart structure technology, and smart steel structures in particular. Smart structures technology, an integrated engineering field comprising sensor technology, structural control, smart materials and structural health monitoring, could dramatically transform and revolutionize the design, construction and maintenance of civil engineering structures. The central core of this technology is sensor and sensor networks that provide the essential data input in real time for condition assessment and decision making. Sensors and robust monitoring algorithms that can reliably detect the occurrence, location, and severity of damages such as crack and corrosion in steel structures will lead to increased levels of safety for civil infrastructure, and may significantly cut maintenance or repair cost through early detection. The emphasis of this paper is on sensor technology with a potential use in steel structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A foreword to the "Smart Structures and Systems" is presented.