Search results for "selection"
showing 10 items of 1940 documents
Outcome after surgery for acute aortic dissection type A in patients over 70 years: data analysis from the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissectio…
2010
Objective: The number of elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery for acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) is rising. Published results report a higher risk for thesepatients comparedwith younger patients. The aim of our study wasto analyse the surgicaloutcomeof these patients and to identify those at risk. Methods: Between July 2006 and June 2009, 44 centres participating in the German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A (GERAADA) reported a total of 1558 patients. As many as 381 patients were between 70 and 80 years of age (septuagenarians), while 83 patients were 80 years and older (octogenarians). We compared the clinical features and events occurring 30 days after surgery…
The role of the Heart Failure Survival Score and psychosocial stress in predicting event-free survival in patients referred for heart transplantation
2012
We read with interest the article “Selecting patients for heart transplantation: Comparison of the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS) and the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM)” by Goda et al. Their study showed that the HFSS and the SHFM are similarly predictive of event-free survival in heart transplant (HTx) candidates enrolled at a single center in the USA. We also found that a HFSS denoting high medical risk predicts time until death, urgent transplantation, and implantation of ventricular assist devices (VAD) in patients newly listed for an HTx with Eurotransplant; in that same study, we have also shown that low HFSS risk predicts de-listing due to clinical improvement. The article b…
Intralocus tactical conflict: Genetic correlations between fighters and sneakers of the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus
2015
Males and females differ in their phenotypic optima for many traits, and as the majority of genes are expressed in both sexes, some alleles can be beneficial to one sex but harmful to the other (intralocus sexual conflict; ISC). ISC theory has recently been extended to intrasexual dimorphisms, where certain alleles may have opposite effects on the fitness of males of different morphs that employ alternative reproductive tactics (intralocus tactical conflict; ITC). Here, we use a half-sib breeding design to investigate the genetic basis for ISC and ITC in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus. We found positive heritabilities and intersexual genetic correlations for almost all traits investigat…
Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series
2019
Summary Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse …
General method for automated feature extraction and selection and its application for gender classification and biomechanical knowledge discovery of …
2020
Modern technologies enable to capture multiple biomechanical parameters often resulting in relational data. The current work proposes a generally applicable method comprising automated feature extraction, ensemble feature selection and classification to best capture the potentials of the data also for generating new biomechanical knowledge. Its benefits are demonstrated in the concrete biomechanically and medically relevant use case of gender classification based on spinal data for stance and gait. Very good results for accuracy were obtained using gait data. Dynamic movements of the lumbar spine in sagittal and frontal plane and of the pelvis in frontal plane best map gender differences.
The benefits of interpopulation hybridization diminish with increasing divergence of small populations.
2012
Interpopulation hybridization can increase the viability of small populations suffering from inbreeding and genetic drift, but it can also result in outbreeding depression. The outcome of hybridization can depend on various factors, including the level of genetic divergence between the populations, and the number of source populations. Furthermore, the effects of hybridization can change between generations following the hybridization. We studied the effects of population divergence (low vs. high level of divergence) and the number of source populations (two vs. four source populations) on the viability of hybrid populations using experimental Drosophila littoralis populations. Population v…
PSA reduction (after antibiotics) permits to avoid or postpone prostate biopsy in selected patients
2007
Microscopic foci of prostatitis may induce prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase. PSA reduction after antibiotics might identify those patients in whom biopsy can be avoided. Ninety-nine patients received ciprofloxacin for 3 weeks, of whom 59 showed PSA reduction. Histology detected small foci of prostatitis in 65% of cases. Carcinoma was found in 40 and 20.3% of patients with unchanged or decreased PSA, respectively (P=0.03). No cancer was detected if PSA decreased below 4 ng/ml or more than 70%. Biopsy can be postponed, with a low risk of missing a cancer, if PSA decreases more than 70% or below 4 ng/ml.
The REALIST (REsiduAl risk, LIpids and Standard Therapies) study: an analysis of residual risk attributable to lipid profile in acute coronary syndro…
2010
The R3i Foundation (Residual Risk Reduction Initiative), an independent, multinational and academic organization, is conducting the REALIST (Residual Risk, Lipids and Standard Therapies) study in 40 centers in different countries. This is a retrospective epidemiological study, designed to provide new data on the residual risk of major coronary events attributable to lipid abnormalities in patients receiving the current standard treatment. The initial results are expected in mid 2010, and the overall results at the end of 2010.
The financial burden of non-communicable chronic diseases in rural Nigeria: Wealth and gender heterogeneity in health care utilization and health exp…
2016
Objectives Better insights into health care utilization and out-of-pocket expenditures for non-communicable chronic diseases (NCCD) are needed to develop accessible health care and limit the increasing financial burden of NCCDs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A household survey was conducted in rural Kwara State, Nigeria, among 5,761 individuals. Data were obtained using biomedical and socio-economic questionnaires. Health care utilization, NCCD-related health expenditures and distances to health care providers were compared by sex and by wealth quintile, and a Heckman regression model was used to estimate health expenditures taking selection bias in health care utilization into account. Res…
Translocation as a novel approach to study effects of a new breeding habitat on reproductive output in wild birds
2011
Environmental conditions under which species reproduce have major consequences on breeding success and subsequent fitness. Therefore breeding habitat choice is ultimately important. Studies rarely address the potential fitness pay-offs of alternative natural breeding habitats by experimental translocation. Here we present a new tool to study fitness consequences of free living birds in different habitats. We translocated a migratory passerine, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), to a novel site, where pairs were subjected to a short stay (2-4 days) in a nest box-equipped aviary before being released. We show that it is technically possible to retain birds in the new area for breeding,…