Gender analysis of the pivotal results of the Medtronic Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System (VALOR) trial

PurposeThis study evaluated the differences between male and female patients undergoing thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) in a pivotal Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved trial.MethodsThe Evaluation of the Medtronic Vascular Talent Thoracic Stent Graft System for the Treatment of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms (VALOR) study was a prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, pivotal trial conducted in the United States. Patients were enrolled between December 2003 and June 2005. Follow-up was conducted at 30 and 365 days.ResultsVALOR enrolled 115 men (58.9%; 69.3 ± 11.7 years old), and 80 women (41.1%; 71.6 ± 10.1 years old). Iliac conduits were used more often in women, who had smaller diameter external iliac arteries, than in men (38.8% vs 8.8%, P < .001). Women required more blood transfusions and had a longer hospital length of stay. At 30 days, more major adverse events occurred in women than in men (52.5% vs 33.0%, P = .008), with more vascular access-related and respiratory complications. No gender-based differences were seen in all-cause mortality or in aneurysm-related death. The composite end point of 365-day “successful aneurysm treatment,” defined as no aneurysm growth >5 mm at the 365-day follow-up visit compared with the 30-day follow-up visit and absence of any type I endoleak requiring a secondary procedure, favored women over men (98.2% vs 82.4%, P = .004).ConclusionsTEVAR with the Talent device provided similar rates of 365-day mortality and morbidity for men and women. Although female patients had higher rates of periprocedural complications, they also more often had successful aneurysm treatment at the 1-year follow-up

Resolution of the Distance Ambiguity for Galactic HII Regions

We resolve the kinematic distance ambiguity for 266 inner Galaxy HII regions out of a sample of 291 using existing HI and 13CO sky surveys. Our sample contains all HII regions with measured radio recombination line (RRL) emission over the extent of the 13CO Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Ring Survey (18 deg, < l < 55 deg. and |b| < 1) and contains ultra compact, compact, and diffuse HII regions. We use two methods for resolving the distance ambiguity for each HII region: HI emission/absorption (HIEA) and HI self-absorption (HISA). We find that the HIEA and HISA methods can resolve the distance ambiguity for 72% and 87% of our sample, respectively. When projected onto the Galactic plane, this large sample appears to reveal aspects of Galactic structure, with spiral arm-like features at Galactocentric radii of 4.5 and 6 kpc, and a lack of HII regions within 3.5 kpc of the Galactic center. Our HII regions are approximately in the ratio of 2 to 1 for far verses near distances. The ratio of far to near distances for ultra-compact HII regions is 2.2 to 1. Compact HII regions are preferentially at the near distance; their ratio of far to near distances is 1.6 to 1. Diffuse HII regions are preferentially at the far distance; their ratio of far to near distances is 3.8 to 1. This implies that the distinction between ultra compact and compact HII regions is due largely to distance, and that the large angular size of diffuse HII regions is not due solely to proximity to the Sun.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Physical Properties and Galactic Distribution of Molecular Clouds identified in the Galactic Ring Survey

We derive the physical properties of 580 molecular clouds based on their 12CO and 13CO line emission detected in the University of Massachusetts-Stony Brook (UMSB) and Galactic Ring surveys. We provide a range of values of the physical properties of molecular clouds, and find a power-law correlation between their radii and masses, suggesting that the fractal dimension of the ISM is around 2.36. This relation, M = (228 +/- 18) R^{2.36+/-0.04}, allows us to derive masses for an additional 170 GRS molecular clouds not covered by the UMSB survey. We derive the Galactic surface mass density of molecular gas and examine its spatial variations throughout the Galaxy. We find that the azimuthally averaged Galactic surface density of molecular gas peaks between Galactocentric radii of 4 and 5 kpc. Although the Perseus arm is not detected in molecular gas, the Galactic surface density of molecular gas is enhanced along the positions of the Scutum-Crux and Sagittarius arms. This may indicate that molecular clouds form in spiral arms and are disrupted in the inter-arm space. Last, we find that the CO excitation temperature of molecular clouds decreases away from the Galactic center, suggesting a possible decline in the star formation rate with Galactocentric radius. There is a marginally significant enhancement in the CO excitation temperature of molecular clouds at a Galactocentric radius of about 6 kpc, which in the longitude range of the GRS corresponds to the Sagittarius arm. This temperature increase could be associated with massive star formation in the Sagittarius spiral arm

A roadmap to meaningful dingo conservation

Many top-predators are declining and/or threatened, risking the loss of them and their important ecological roles. For these reasons, conservation efforts are a management priority for many species, but this is not presently the case for dingoes – the most closely related canid to grey wolves. There is strong support for dingo conservation from some sectors, but dingo conservation progress is slow, and is actively opposed by other sectors. Here, we evaluate the conservation status of Australian dingoes in accordance with the current Australian Government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee Guidelines for assessing the conservation status of native species according to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000. We also use the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) species translocation guidelines to assess the value of translocation or reintroduction as suitable conservation action for dingoes. We further describe six socio-ecological facts about dingoes seldom considered in discourses advocating dingo conservation, and show that consideration of these guidelines and facts raises several substantial barriers to dingo conservation. Perhaps the most important barrier to dingo conservation is the lack of an accepted taxonomic definition for dingoes which, we show, ultimately determines the threatened status (or not) of dingoes and the acceptability (or not) of reintroduction as a suitable action for advancing dingo conservation objectives. We describe the actions required to overcome this barrier in an attempt to advance dingo conservation efforts from just ‘talking about it’ to actually ‘doing something about it’

Kinematic Distances to Molecular Clouds identified in the Galactic Ring Survey

Kinematic distances to 750 molecular clouds identified in the 13CO J=1-0 Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Ring Survey (BU-FCRAO GRS) are derived assuming the Clemens rotation curve of the Galaxy. The kinematic distance ambiguity is resolved by examining the presence of HI self-absorption toward the 13CO emission peak of each cloud using the Very Large Array Galactic Plane Survey (VGPS). We also identify 21 cm continuum sources embedded in the GRS clouds in order to use absorption features in the HI 21 cm continuum to distinguish between near and far kinematic distances. The Galactic distribution of GRS clouds is consistent with a four-arm model of the Milky Way. The locations of the Scutum-Crux and Perseus arms traced by GRS clouds match star count data from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) star-count data. We conclude that molecular clouds must form in spiral arms and be short-lived (lifetimes < 10 Myr) in order to explain the absence of massive, 13CO bright molecular clouds in the inter-arm space

Predictors of early and late mortality following open extent IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair in a large contemporary single-center experience

ObjectiveThe primary purpose of this study was to examine outcomes following open repair of extent IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) at a single university hospital. As a secondary aim, comparison was made to patients who underwent open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair with supraceliac clamping but without left renal artery bypass to assess the effect of left renal artery bypass on outcomes.MethodsPatients undergoing open extent IV TAAA repair from 1998 to 2008 were identified (n = 108). Primary outcomes were 30-day and long-term survival. Secondary outcomes were major complication, renal failure, and postoperative change in renal function. A second analysis was performed, comparing patients undergoing extent IV TAAA repair with patients undergoing AAA repair with supraceliac clamping but without left renal artery bypass (n = 50).ResultsEighty-three men (76.9%) and 25 women (23.1%), with a mean age of 72.9 years, underwent open extent IV TAAA repair. Nine patients (8.3%) were ruptured. Mean aneurysm maximal diameter was 6.5 ± 1.3 cm. Supraceliac and left renal ischemic times were 22.9 ± 9.3 and 40.6 ± 16.2 minutes, respectively. Six patients (5.6%) died at 30 days. The only predictor of 30-day mortality was decreased preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P = .044 by multivariate analysis; and P = .011 by univariate analysis). One-year and 5-year survival rates were 87% and 50%, respectively. Patients with a history of cerebrovascular disease (P = .001) and postoperative renal insufficiency (P = .034) had increased long-term mortality by log-rank test. Twenty-five (25.3%) patients sustained a postoperative decrease in renal function, while 19 (19.2%) patients had an improvement in renal function. There was no difference in 30-day mortality (5.6% vs 6.0%; P = 1.000), 5-year survival (50% vs 48%; P = .886), major complications (37.0% vs 38.0%; P = 1.000), renal failure (6.1% vs 0%; P = .215), or postoperative change in renal function, in patients undergoing extent IV TAAA repair vs AAA repair with supraceliac clamping but without left renal artery bypass.ConclusionsOpen extent IV TAAA repair can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates. The performance of left renal artery bypass does not appear to contribute to the morbidity and mortality of extent IV TAAA repair. While decreased preoperative eGFR appears to increase the risk of 30-day mortality, a history of cerebrovascular disease and postoperative renal insufficiency appear to increase the risk of long-term mortality. Finally, open extent IV TAAA repair not uncommonly improves renal function

Sequential Electrostatic Assembly of a Polymer Surfactant Corona Increases Activity of the Phosphotriesterase arPTE

We present a new methodology for the generation of discrete molecularly dispersed enzyme–polymer–surfactant bioconjugates. Significantly, we demonstrate that &gt;3-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency of the diffusion-limited phosphotriesterase arPTE can be achieved through sequential electrostatic addition of cationic and anionic polymer surfactants, respectively. Here, the polymer surfactants assemble on the surface of the enzyme via ion exchange to yield a compact corona. The observed rate enhancement is consistent with a mechanism whereby the polymer–surfactant corona gives rise to a decrease in the dielectric constant in the vicinity of the active site of the enzyme, accelerating the rate-determining product diffusion step. The facile methodology has significant potential for increasing the efficiency of enzymes and could therefore have a substantially positive impact for industrial enzymology

Proteomic analysis of the organic matrix of the abalone Haliotis asinina calcified shell

Background: The formation of the molluscan shell is regulated to a large extent by a matrix of extracellular macromolecules that are secreted by the shell forming tissue, the mantle. This so called "calcifying matrix" is a complex mixture of proteins and glycoproteins that is assembled and occluded within the mineral phase during the calcification process. While the importance of the calcifying matrix to shell formation has long been appreciated, most of its protein components remain uncharacterised.Results: Recent expressed sequence tag (EST) investigations of the mantle tissue from the tropical abalone (Haliotis asinina) provide an opportunity to further characterise the proteins in the shell by a proteomic approach. In this study, we have identified a total of 14 proteins from distinct calcified layers of the shell. Only two of these proteins have been previously characterised from abalone shells. Among the novel proteins are several glutamine- and methionine-rich motifs and hydrophobic glycine-, alanine- and acidic aspartate-rich domains. In addition, two of the new proteins contained Kunitz-like and WAP (whey acidic protein) protease inhibitor domains.Conclusion: This is one of the first comprehensive proteomic study of a molluscan shell, and should provide a platform for further characterization of matrix protein functions and interactions