Autonomous Base Station Placement for Localization of the GNSS Interference Source

This paper presents the control strategy of autonomous base station placement for localization of the GNSS interference source. The proposed algorithm deals with the optimization of the base station trajectory for target motion analysis based on bearing only tracking problem. The control strategy of the proposed algorithm is designed to maximize a cost function which is generally a functional of the Fisher information matrix. Compared to the optimal control methods, the proposed algorithm is easy to be designed and implemented, and constraints of multiple base stations’ trajectories can be effectively included. In addition, the proposed algorithm also considered target’s dynamics that is both uncertain and random, and there are multiple base stations for observing the target. In order to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, simulation was performed with dynamic target case in the 2D scenario. It is assumed that the base stations’ networks have non-fully connected topology. According to the simulation results, it was confirmed that the proposed algorithm presents a flexible control strategy of autonomous multiple base stations’ placement for bearing only target tracking system

Pulmonary Venous Malformation in a 4-Year-Old Boy: a Case Report

We report a case of a pulmonary venous malformation in a 4-year-old boy who presented with recurrent pneumonia. A radiograph revealed a right infrahilar mass and a hyperlucent right lung. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a mass containing intensely enhancing areas and multiple phleboliths located in the right lower lobe and encasing the right bronchus and right inferior pulmonary vein. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) precisely revealed the mass demarcation. A right lower lobectomy was performed and a pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a venous malformation. To the best of our knowledge, a venous malformation in pulmonary tissue has not been reported in the English literature. Herein, we report a case of a pulmonary venous malformation, with the radiograph, CT, MRI, and blood pool scan findings, along with its pathologic correlation

Outcome of 200 patients after an extracardiac Fontan procedure

OBJECTIVES: Despite the known advantages of the extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure, the long-term outcomes related to the longevity of the conduit and anticoagulation therapy have not been determined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of hospital survivors with an extracardiac Fontan circulation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1996 and 2006, 200 patients had the extracardiac conduit Fontan operation. The median age at operation was 3.4 years. Most patients (89.5%) underwent a bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt. Fenestration was required in 85 patients. Overall, the 10-year survival was 92.4% +/- 2.1%. Multivariate analysis identified severe infection during the early postoperative period and a high pulmonary arterial pressure during the preoperative period as independent risk factors for patient mortality. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for freedom from reoperation was 82.4% +/- 4.1% at 10 years. Arrhythmia occurred in 32 patients after the Fontan operation; freedom from arrhythmia was 85.1% +/- 4.4% at 10 years. The risk factors for arrhythmia were the heterotaxy syndrome, follow-up duration, and age at Fontan operation. Freedom from thromboembolism at 10 years was 92.9% +/- 1.9%. Among all of the patients, 95.2% were classified in New York Heart Association class I. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that during 10 years of follow-up, the overall survival and the functional status of the survivors after an extracardiac Fontan procedure were satisfactory. We might infer that fenestration provided benefit inasmuch as the high-risk Fontan patients fenestrated had similar outcomes to those not fenestrated, who were presumably low risk. The incidence of late death, reoperation, obstruction of the cavopulmonary pathway, arrhythmias, and thromboembolism was low

Identification of new CYP2C19 variants exhibiting decreased enzyme activity in the metabolism of S-mephenytoin and omeprazole. Drug Metab

ABSTRACT: Although many cases of interindividual variation in the metabolism of CYP2C19 drugs are explained by the CYP2C19*2, *3, and *17, a wide range of metabolic variation still occurs in people who do not carry these genetic variants. The objectives of this study were to identify new genetic variants and to characterize functional consequences of these variants in metabolism of CYP2C19 substrates. In total, 21 single-nucleotide polymorphisms including three new coding variants, V394M, E405K, and D256N, were identified by direct DNA sequencing in 50 randomly selected subjects and in individuals who exhibited an outlier phenotype response in the omeprazole study. Recombinant proteins produced from the coding variants V394M, E405K, and D256N were prepared by using an Escherichia coli expression system and purified. Metabolism of S-mephenytoin and omeprazole by V394M was comparable with that of the wild-type protein. E405K showed a moderate decrease in metabolism of the substrates. However, D256N exhibited a significantly decreased activity in S-mephenytoin metabolism, resulting in 50 and 76% decreases in V max and intrinsic clearance, respectively, compared with the wild type. This variant also exhibited a significant decrease in omeprazole metabolism in vivo. CYP2C19 D256N and E405K were assigned as CYP2C19*26 and *2D, respectively, by the Cytochrome P450 Nomenclature Committee. In summary, this report characterizes the allele frequency and haplotype distribution of CYP2C19 in a Korean population and provides functional analysis of new coding variants of the CYP2C19 gene. Our findings suggest that individuals carrying CYP2C19*26 would have lower activity for metabolizing CYP2C19 substrate drugs

Dissecting Aneurysm Associated with a Double Origin of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Causing Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Two cases of the posterior fossa dissecting aneurysm associated with a double origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (DOPICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage are presented. After observing a relationship between the aneurysm and DOPICA on a three dimensional rotational angiogram (3DRA), the dissecting aneurysms were successfully obliterated by surgical trapping and endovascular internal trapping, respectively. This report warrants suspecting DOPICA of an associating anomaly predisposing to dissecting aneurysm in the vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory and highlights the role of 3DRA in pretreatment evaluation of unusual aneurysms accompanying a particular anatomical variation

Comprehensive identification of sexually dimorphic genes in diverse cattle tissues using RNA-seq

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Abstract Background Molecular mechanisms associated with sexual dimorphism in cattle have not been well elucidated. Furthermore, as recent studies have implied that gene expression patterns are highly tissue specific, it is essential to investigate gene expression in a variety of tissues using RNA-seq. Here, we employed and compared two statistical methods, a simple two group test and Analysis of deviance (ANODEV), in order to investigate bovine sexually dimorphic genes in 40 RNA-seq samples distributed across two factors: sex and tissue. Results As a result, we detected 752 sexually dimorphic genes across tissues from two statistical approaches and identified strong tissue-specific patterns of gene expression. Additionally, significantly detected sex-related genes shared between two mammal species (cattle and rat) were identified using qRT-PCR. Conclusions Results of our analyses reveal that sexual dimorphism of metabolic tissues and pituitary gland in cattle involves various biological processes. Several differentially expressed genes between sexes in cattle and rat species are shared, but show tissue-specific patterns. Finally, we concluded that two distinct statistical approaches have their advantages and disadvantages in RNA-seq studies investigating multiple tissues

Short- and Long-Term Results of Triple Valve Surgery: A Single Center Experience

Triple valve surgery is usually complex and carries a reported operative mortality of 13% and 10-yr survival of 61%. We examined surgical results based on our hospital's experience. A total of 160 consecutive patients underwent triple valve surgery from 1990 to 2006. The most common aortic and mitral valve disease was rheumatic disease (82%). The most common tricuspid valve disease was functional regurgitation (80%). Seventy-four percent of the patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to identify predictors of early and late survival. Operative mortality was 6.9% (n=11). Univariate factors associated with mortality included old age, preoperative renal failure, postoperative renal failure, pulmonary complications, and stroke. Of them, postoperative renal failure and stroke were associated with mortality on multivariable analysis. Otherwise, neither tricuspid valve replacement nor reoperation were statistically associated with late mortality. Survival at 5 and 10 yr was 87% and 84%, respectively. Ninety-two percent of the patients were in NYHA class I and II at their most recent follow-up. Ten-year freedom from prosthetic valve endocarditis was 97%; from anticoagulation-related hemorrhage, 82%; from thromboembolism, 89%; and from reoperation, 84%. Postoperative renal failure and stroke were significantly related with operative mortality. Triple valve surgery, regardless of reoperation and tricuspid valve replacement, results in acceptable long-term survival