Risk Factors for Restenosis after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Sirolimus- and Paclitaxel-eluting Stents

To identify risk factors for restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention with sirolimus (SES)- or paclitaxel (PES)-eluting stents. The clinical outcomes of 894 patients treated with either SES (n = 462) or PES (n = 432) between January 2005 and January 2010 were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that long ( > 20mm)(odds ratio [OR], 1.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-3.33; P = 0.03) or bent (angle > 45°) lesions (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.47- 4.49; P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for restenosis with SES, and that hemodialysis (OR, 7.61; 95% CI, 2.78- 20.85; P < 0.01) and long (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.18-5.84; P = 0.02) or bent lesions (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.65-7.27;P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for target lesion revascularization (TLR) with SES. In contrast, no independent risk factors for restenosis and TLR were found for lesions treated with PES. The rate of TLR was significantly higher in patients on hemodialysis or in those with long lesions in the SES group (hemodialysis, 30.4% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.02; long lesions, 13.2% vs. 4.4%, P < 0.01; for SES vs. PES, respectively). Rates of restenosis and TLR were significantly higher in patients with bent lesions in the SES group (restenosis, 30.8% vs. 15.6%, P < 0.01; TLR, 20.0% vs. 5.8%, P < 0.01; for SES and PES, respectively). Most clinical studies have described better angiographic results for SES compared to PES. However, PES might result in better clinical outcomes than SES for patients on hemodialysis or for those with long or bent lesions

Comparison of Mid-term Angiographic and Clinical Outcomes Following Zotarolimus-eluting Stent and Paclitaxel-eluting Stent Implantation Based on Lesion Complexity

First-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) have reduced angiographic and clinical restenosis rates compared to bare-metal stents (BMSs). Zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZESs) are second-generation drug-eluting stents: however, the clinical efficacy of ZES implantation is unclear because late loss associated with ZESs is reportedly higher than that observed for other DESs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of ZESs compared to paclitaxel-eluting stents (PESs). We retrospectively evaluated the angiographic and clinical outcomes of 431 lesions in 342 patients treated with PESs and 153 lesions in 121 patients treated with ZESs in our hospital between May 2007 and December 2010. Follow-up angiographic examinations were performed eight months post-treatment and clinical outcomes were assessed one year after the procedure. Quantitative coronary angiographic analyses showed that late loss was significantly higher for ZESs than PESs (0.82 ± 0.73 mm vs 0.47 ± 0.68 mm; P = 0.003). However, there was no significant difference in target lesion revascularization (TLR) between the two groups (ZES: 15 lesions, 9.8% vs PES: 25 lesions, 5.8%; P = 0.092). When comparing stents according to the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) lesion type, the TLR rate in the ZES group was significantly lower than in the PES group (0% vs 7.0%; P = 0.038) for Type A/B1 lesions, but the TLR rate for type B2/C lesions in the ZES group was significantly higher than in the PES group (15.8% vs 5.3%; P = 0.009). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that dialysis (OR: 35.54; 95% CI: 3.15-400.67; P = 0.039) and pre-minimal lumen diameter (OR: 0.036; 95% CI: 0.002-0.541; P = 0.016) were independent predictors of TLR in ZES-treated lesions. However, no factors predicted TLR in PES-treated lesions. Our study demonstrated excellent outcomes with ZESs for simple lesions, but it is necessary to carefully implant ZESs in complex lesions, such as ACC/AHA type B2/C lesions

Results of the search for inspiraling compact star binaries from TAMA300's observation in 2000-2004

We analyze the data of TAMA300 detector to search for gravitational waves from inspiraling compact star binaries with masses of the component stars in the range 1-3Msolar. In this analysis, 2705 hours of data, taken during the years 2000-2004, are used for the event search. We combine the results of different observation runs, and obtained a single upper limit on the rate of the coalescence of compact binaries in our Galaxy of 20 per year at a 90% confidence level. In this upper limit, the effect of various systematic errors such like the uncertainty of the background estimation and the calibration of the detector's sensitivity are included.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty The author list was correcte

Significance of Coronary Artery Calcium Score in the Target Lesion Evaluated by Multi-detector Computed Tomography for Selecting Treatment of Rotational Atherectomy in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

We investigated whether coronary artery calcium score (CAC) in the target lesion on the multidetector computed tomography angiography (CTA) predicts the addition of the Rotational atherectomy (Rota) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Lesion CAC on CTA were evaluated with quantitative coronary analysis (QCA) on coronary angiography for predicting the Rota treatment in 114 consecutive patients (165 target lesions) with first PCI (68 ± 9 years old, females: 17.6%). Rota was added in 8 patients (11 lesions). The lesion length and diameter stenosis on QCA, and lesion length and lesion CAC on CTA were the primary factors associated with the addition of Rota. Using the cut-off value based on receiver operating characteristic analysis, the sensitivity and specificity for predicting the Rota based on QCA was 72.7% in 8 of 11 lesions (vessels) with Rota and the specificity was 74% in 114 of 154 without Rota in the lesion length of ≥ 23mm (χ2=10.9, p=0.001), and 54.5% in 6 of 11 lesions with Rota and the specificity was 79.2% in 122 of 154 without Rota in the diameter stenosis of ≥ 83% (χ2=6.6, p=0.01). Those based on CTA were 90.9% in 10 of 11 lesions with Rota and 77.3% in 119 of 154 without Rota in the lesion length of ≥ 34mm (χ2=24.1, p<0.001), and 90.9% in 10 of 11 with Rota and 88.3% in 136 of 154 without Rota in the lesions with CAC ≥453 (χ2=45.7, p<0.001). Lesion CAC on CTA is most predictive of addition of Rota during PCI

Traceable reference full metrology chain for innovative aspheric and freeform optical surfaces accurate at the nanometer level

The design of innovative reference aspheric and freeform optical elements was investigated with the aim of calibration and verification of ultra-high accurate measurement systems. The verification is dedicated to form error analysis of aspherical and freeform optical surfaces based on minimum zone fitting. Two thermo-invariant material measures were designed, manufactured using a magnetorheological finishing process and selected for the evaluation of a number of ultra-high-precision measurement machines. All collected data sets were analysed using the implemented robust reference minimum zone (Hybrid Trust Region) fitting algorithm to extract the values of form error. Agreement among the results of several partners was observed, which demonstrates the establishment of a traceable reference full metrology chain for aspherical and freeform optical surfaces with small amplitudes

Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses

We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a chirp-wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We used an excess-power filter for the extraction of gravitational-wave candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases. The resultant event candidates were interpreted from an astronomical viewpoint. We set an upper limit of 2.2x10^3 events/sec on the burst gravitational-wave event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work sets a milestone and prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an interferometric gravitational wave detector

Residual laminin-binding activity and enhanced dystroglycan glycosylation by LARGE in novel model mice to dystroglycanopathy

Hypoglycosylation and reduced laminin-binding activity of α-dystroglycan are common characteristics of dystroglycanopathy, which is a group of congenital and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies. Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), caused by a mutation in the fukutin gene, is a severe form of dystroglycanopathy. A retrotransposal insertion in fukutin is seen in almost all cases of FCMD. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of dystroglycanopathies and to explore therapeutic strategies, we generated knock-in mice carrying the retrotransposal insertion in the mouse fukutin ortholog. Knock-in mice exhibited hypoglycosylated α-dystroglycan; however, no signs of muscular dystrophy were observed. More sensitive methods detected minor levels of intact α-dystroglycan, and solid-phase assays determined laminin binding levels to be ∼50% of normal. In contrast, intact α-dystroglycan is undetectable in the dystrophic Largemyd mouse, and laminin-binding activity is markedly reduced. These data indicate that a small amount of intact α-dystroglycan is sufficient to maintain muscle cell integrity in knock-in mice, suggesting that the treatment of dystroglycanopathies might not require the full recovery of glycosylation. To examine whether glycosylation defects can be restored in vivo, we performed mouse gene transfer experiments. Transfer of fukutin into knock-in mice restored glycosylation of α-dystroglycan. In addition, transfer of LARGE produced laminin-binding forms of α-dystroglycan in both knock-in mice and the POMGnT1 mutant mouse, which is another model of dystroglycanopathy. Overall, these data suggest that even partial restoration of α-dystroglycan glycosylation and laminin-binding activity by replacing or augmenting glycosylation-related genes might effectively deter dystroglycanopathy progression and thus provide therapeutic benefits