AGU hydrology days 2005

2005 annual AGU hydrology days was held at Colorado State University on March 7 - March 9, 2005.Includes bibliographical references.A computerized bibliographic research on groundwater artificial recharge is carried out, following the same methodology as implemented in a previous bibliographic research in 1987. The facilities of the electronic instruments offered by the host computers and by the database are investigated. The results are analyzed and compared with those of the previous research. A critical review of the research strategies is presented. A description of the characteristics of bibliographic files and information of the costs is also provided. Some more precise explanations concerning the technical terminology are given in the appendix

What is the role of the uncinate fasciculus? Surgical removal and proper name retrieval

The functional role of the uncinate fasciculus is still a matter of debate. We examined 44 patients submitted to awake surgery for removal of a left frontal or temporal glioma. In 18 patients, the removal included the uncinate fasciculus. We compared patients with or without removal on a series of neuropsychological tasks, performed at different time intervals: pre-surgery, in the first week after surgery and 3 months after surgery. Functional magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging, fibre-tracking techniques were performed before surgery. At the last examination, patients with uncinate removal were significantly impaired in naming of famous faces and objects as compared with patients without removal. We further divided patients according to the site of the tumour (either frontal or temporal). At the follow-up, patients with a temporal glioma who underwent uncinate removal had the worst loss of performance in famous face naming. In addition, on the same task, the group with a frontal glioma that underwent resection of the frontal part of the uncinate performed significantly worse than the group with a frontal glioma but without uncinate removal. In conclusion, the resection of the uncinate fasciculus, in its frontal or temporal part, has long-lasting consequences for famous face naming. We suggest that this fibre tract is part of a circuitry involved in the retrieval of word form for proper names. Retrieval of conceptual knowledge was intact

Mortality after cardioverter-defibrillator replacement: Results of the DECODE survival score index

Background: Device replacement is the ideal time to reassess health care goals regarding continuing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Only few data are available on the decision making at this time. Objectives: The goals of this study were to identify factors associated with poor prognosis at the time of ICD replacement and to develop a prognostic index able to stratify those patients at risk of dying early. Methods: DEtect long-term COmplications after implantable cardioverter-DEfibrillator replacement (DECODE) was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter cohort study aimed at estimating long-term complications in a large population of patients who underwent ICD/cardiac resynchronization therapy – defibrillator replacement. Potential predictors of death were investigated, and all these factors were gathered into a survival score index (SUSCI). Results: We included 983 consecutive patients (median age 71 years (63-78)); 750 (76%) were men, 537 (55%) had ischemic cardiomyopathy; 460 (47%) were implanted with cardiac resynchronization therapy – defibrillator. During a median follow-up period of 761 days (interquartile range 628–904 days), 114 patients (12%) died. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, New York Heart Association class III/IV, ischemic cardiomyopathy, body mass index < 26 kg/m2, insulin administration, age ≥ 75 years, history of atrial fibrillation, and hospitalization within 30 days before ICD replacement remained associated with death. The survival score index showed a good discriminatory power with a hazard ratio of 2.6 (95% confidence interval 2.2–3.1; P < .0001). The risk of death increased according to the severity of the risk profile ranging from 0% (low risk) to 47% (high risk). Conclusion: A simple score that includes a limited set of variables appears to be predictive of total mortality in an unselected real-world population undergoing ICD replacement. Evaluation of the patient's profile may assist in predicting vulnerability and should prompt individualized options, especially for high-risk patients

A MULTICENTER OPEN-LABEL EXPERIENCE ON THE RESPONSE OF PSORIASIS TO ADALIMUMAB AND EFFECT OF DOSE ESCALATION IN NON-RESPONDERS: THE APHRODITE PROJECT

There is much evidence to show the efficacy of adalimumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting tumour necrosis factor-alpha, in the treatment of plaque psoriasis. In this open-label experience, 147 high-need patients suffering from plaque psoriasis, with a mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) of 18.8, and concomitant psoriatic arthritis (PsA) received subcutaneous injections of 40 mg of adalimumab every other week (EOW). This was actually the dosage regimen recommended for PsA, as the drug had not then been approved for psoriasis at the time of the patients' enrolment. At week 12, an improvement of at least 50% of the PASI (PASI-50) was observed in 111 (77%) patients. Continuation of treatment in responders with adalimumab 40 mg EOW led to a sustained response, with the PASI-50 achieved by 97% of patients in the as-treated analysis at week 24 (PASI-75 in 82% and PASI-90 in 45% out of 109 patients who received EOW injections up to week 24). Thirty subjects who failed to attain the PASI-50 response at week 12 were treated with adalimumab 40 mg every week for a further 12 weeks. At week 24, 80% of these patients obtained a PASI-50 response after dose escalation. Tolerability was good in the majority of patients. Only two patients discontinued treatment because of an adverse event (repeated flu-like episodes and a pleuropericarditis of unknown origin, respectively)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators in patient with permanent atrial fibrillation

30nononenoneRapacciolo A,Iacopino S,D-Onofrio A,Curnis A,Pisan, EC,Biffi M,Della Bella P,Dello Russo A,Caravati F,Zanotto G,Calvi V,Rovaris G,Senatore G,Nicolis D,Santamaria M,Gianmaria, M,Maglia G,Duca A,Ammirati G,Romano SA,Piacenti M,Celentano E,Bisignani G,Vaccaro P,Miracapillo G,Bertini M,Nigro G,Giacopelli D,Gargaro A,Bisceglia CRapacciolo, A; Iacopino, S; D-Onofrio, A; Curnis, A; Pisan, Ec; Biffi, M; Della Bella, P; Dello Russo, A; Caravati, F; Zanotto, G; Calvi, V; Rovaris, G; Senatore, G; Nicolis, D; Santamaria, M; Gianmaria, M; Maglia, G; Duca, A; Ammirati, G; Romano, Sa; Piacenti, M; Celentano, E; Bisignani, G; Vaccaro, P; Miracapillo, G; Bertini, M; Nigro, G; Giacopelli, D; Gargaro, A; Bisceglia,