Diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computerized tomography coronary angiography in symptomatic patients presenting to a referral cardiovascular center during daily clinical practice

Background: There are numerous studies that address the diagnostic value of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) as an alternative to conventional coronary angiography (CCA). However, the benefit of application of DSCT in a real world clinical setting should be evaluated. Objectives: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of DSCT technique compared with CCA as the gold standard method in detection of coronary artery stenosis among symptomatic patients who are presented to a referral cardiovascular center during daily clinical practice. Patients and Methods: Evaluating the medical records of a tertiary care referral cardiovascular center, 47 patients who had undergone DSCT and CCA, and also met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were selected. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and likelihood ratios (LRs) of the DSCT imaging technique were calculated. Results: In total, 97.8 of the segments (628/642) could be visualized with diagnostic image quality via DSCT coronary angiography. The mean heart rate during DSCT was 69.2±12.2 bpm (range: 39 - 83 bpm), and the mean Agatston score was 507.7±590.5 (range: 0 - 2328). Per segment analysis of the findings revealed that the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, positive LR (PLR) and negative LR (NLR) of DSCT technique for evaluation of patients with coronary artery disease were 93.7, 96.8, 92.7, 97.2, 29.4, and 0.066, respectively. Also per vessel, analysis of the findings showed a sensitivity of 97.1, a specificity of 94.0, PPV of 95.3, NPV of 96.3, PLR of 16.1, and NLR of 0.030. Conclusion: Our results indicate that DSCT coronary angiography provides high diagnostic accuracy for the evaluation of CAD patients during daily routine practice of a referral cardiovascular setting. © 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iranian Society of Radiology

The Infrared Behaviour of the Pure Yang-Mills Green Functions

We review the infrared properties of the pure Yang-Mills correlators and discuss recent results concerning the two classes of low-momentum solutions for them reported in literature; i.e. decoupling and scaling solutions. We will mainly focuss on the Landau gauge and pay special attention to the results inferred from the analysis of the Dyson-Schwinger equations of the theory and from "{\it quenched}" lattice QCD. The results obtained from properly interplaying both approaches are strongly emphasized.Comment: Final version to be published in FBS (54 pgs., 11 figs., 4 tabs

Clustering Algorithms: Their Application to Gene Expression Data

Gene expression data hide vital information required to understand the biological process that takes place in a particular organism in relation to its environment. Deciphering the hidden patterns in gene expression data proffers a prodigious preference to strengthen the understanding of functional genomics. The complexity of biological networks and the volume of genes present increase the challenges of comprehending and interpretation of the resulting mass of data, which consists of millions of measurements; these data also inhibit vagueness, imprecision, and noise. Therefore, the use of clustering techniques is a first step toward addressing these challenges, which is essential in the data mining process to reveal natural structures and iden-tify interesting patterns in the underlying data. The clustering of gene expression data has been proven to be useful in making known the natural structure inherent in gene expression data, understanding gene functions, cellular processes, and subtypes of cells, mining useful information from noisy data, and understanding gene regulation. The other benefit of clustering gene expression data is the identification of homology, which is very important in vaccine design. This review examines the various clustering algorithms applicable to the gene expression data in order to discover and provide useful knowledge of the appropriate clustering technique that will guarantee stability and high degree of accuracy in its analysis procedure

Tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Neyriz metamorphic complex, Quri-Kor-e-Sefid area (Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, SW Iran)

International audienceThe Neyriz region includes outcrops of metamorphic rocks that are thrust over the Neotethyan ophiolites. These rocks are affected by a major deformational event, the result of which includes a shearing polyphase foliation present in gneissic core domes, overprinted by a crenulation cleavage. These fundamental structures developed contemporaneously with a medium-pressure metamorphism which is characterized by the syn-kinematic crystallization of kyanite and the beginning of anatexis, followed by the development of retrometamorphic mineral parageneses. The major deformation phase in the area occurred during the Early-Cimmerian orogeny in the Late Triassic. Following the orogeny, the gneiss domes started to rise into the upper levels of the crust. From the geodynamic point of view, after the Mid-Permian the studied area was situated at southern passive margin of the Iranian plate; the central Iranian microcontinent at that time was separated by the Neotethys ocean from the Gondwanian supercontinent. After the Late Triassic the region became an active margin associated with an accretionary prism. The margin was finally involved in an orogenic wedge after the closure of the Neotethyan oceanic basin in the Late Mesozoic. Closure of the basin resulted in a major thrusting of the metamorphic rocks of the southern Iranian margin over the Neotethyan ophiolites

PHARMACOKINETICS OF MIRTAZAPINE AND ITS MAIN METABOLITES AFTER SINGLE ORAL ADMINISTRATION IN FASTING/FED HORSES

Mirtazapine (MRZ) is a human antidepressant drug that is metabolized, predominantly by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, to 8-OH mirtazapine (8-OH MRZ) and dimetilmirtazapine (DMR) metabolites. In veterinary medicine, this drug is currently administered to cats and dogs with anorexia, although it could also have applications as an antidepressant, antiemetic, and analgesic agent in these species. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of MRZ and its metabolites DMR and 8-OH MRZ in horses. Six healthy female horses were administered MRZ (2 mg/kg) in fasting and fed states according to a balanced crossover study design. Plasma MRZ and metabolite concentrations were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography fluorescence detection method. Pharmacokinetic profiles of MRZ and DMR were similar (detected from 0.5 up to 34 and 48 hours, respectively), with an MRZ AUC0-N/DMR AUC0-N ratio range varying between 1.1 and 1.7. Surprisingly, 8-OH MRZ was undetected. Most of the pharmacokinetic parameters were not altered by food, with the exception of the time required to reach maximum concentration; this showed a statistical increase in subjects in the fasting state as compared with the fed state. However, because MRZ is an active substance intended for long-term administration, the slight increase of the time required to reach maximum concentration is not considered to be of any clinical consequence. In conclusion, the pharmacokinetic parameters demonstrated in this study suggest that MRZ is suitable for oral administration in the horse. However, further investigations are required to evaluate both its safety and effectiveness in this animal species

The Eocimmerian history of Central Iran: the accretionary wedge of Anarak

The Anarak region of Central Iran is a key area for the understanding of the Late Palaeozoic to Triassic Cimmerian evolution of Iran. The Anarak Metamorphic Complex (AMC) forms an E-W trending mountain ridge, which separates the Triassic of Nakhlak to the north from a continuous non-metamorphic Palaeozoic to Mesozoic sedimentary succession to the south and was interpreted as an accretionary wedge active from Late Palaeozoic to Triassic times. The AMC is sharply cross-cut westward by the Upper Cretaceous "Coloured Melange", consisting of low- to medium- grade metamorphic rocks with tectonically intercalated slivers of serpentinite often associated to blue schists. The occurrence of this rock association in Central Iran poses several questions regarding its evolution and especially on the number of Cimmerian (Palaeotethys) sutures (single rather than multiple) between Eurasia and Iran. The AMC includes several subunits (Morghab, Chah Gorbeh, Patyar, Palhavand Gneiss, Lakh Marble and Doshak) which differ for composition and/or metamorphic evolution. Based on field observations, the Morghab and Chah Gorbeh units suggest a common deformation and a similar metamorphic history, characterised by three major folding events. The first two events developed pervasive axial plane foliations causing a complete transposition of the primary stratigraphic characters. Folding was accompanied by two main metamorphic events, the latter showing retrogression from possible medium to low grade conditions. During the third folding stage, large-scale plunging to vertical open folds were superposed on previous folds in the area north of the Kuh-e Chah Gorbeh, deforming the previous penetrative foliations. In this frame, the Palhavand Gneiss can be considered as part of the same metamorphic unit which escaped a more pervasive low grade retrogression. Concerning the Patyar unit, previous studies considered the Lakh Marble as the lagoonal sediments of an atoll. Field analyses indicate that the contact between the Lakh Marble and the Patyar unit is invariably tectonic. The Lakh Marble occupies the upper structural position and forms a huge nappe, extending for tens of kilometres across the area. Also, the strong deformation, low grade metamorphism and the occurrence of serpentinite tectonic slices in the footwall of this nappe, evidence that the emplacement of the Lakh nappe postdated the metamorphic event. The observed relationships between the Chah Gorbeh unit and the mafic/ultramafic rocks exposed in the Anarak mountain indicate that they were tectonically juxtaposed after reaching high pressure peak conditions. This is evidenced by the occurrence of blue schist mineral assemblages in metabasites which preserve pillow basalts. Geochemical analyses of these rocks indicate a relative depletion in HREE, different from the flat patterns of metabasites from Chah Gorbeh. Greenschist facies ductile shear zones evolving into discrete semi-brittle to brittle fault zones indicate different PT-paths. The occurrence of late Teriary sediments within the main thrust contacts suggest that the entire nappe pile was reactivated causing further complexity in the final tectonic structure. The results of our fieldwork carried out during the last years in Central Iran in the Anarak region add several new constraints on the evolution of the area which can be now directly compared with the history of the Palaeotethys suture zone in NE Iran