Showing papers by "Paul Morris published in 2013"

Virtual Fractional Flow Reserve From Coronary Angiography: Modeling the Significance of Coronary Lesions: Results From the VIRTU-1 (VIRTUal Fractional Flow Reserve From Coronary Angiography) Study

Abstract: Objectives The aim of this study was to develop a computer model that accurately predicts myocardial fractional flow reserve (FFR) from angiographic images alone, in patients with coronary artery disease. Background Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) guided by FFR is superior to standard assessment alone. FFR-guided PCI results in improved clinical outcomes, a reduction in the number of stents implanted, and reduced cost. Currently FFR is used in few patients. A less invasive FFR would be a valuable tool. Methods Nineteen patients with stable coronary artery disease awaiting elective PCI were studied. They underwent rotational coronary angiography. The FFR was measured, physiologically significant lesions were stented, and angiography and FFR were repeated. Three-dimensional arterial anatomy pre- and post-stenting was reconstructed offline. Generic boundary conditions for computational fluid dynamics analysis were applied. The virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR) and measured fractional flow reserve (mFFR) values were compared. Results Thirty-five matched anatomical and physiological datasets were obtained: 10 right coronary arteries (RCA) (5 pre- and post-stenting), and 12 left coronary arteries (LCA) (8 pre- and post-stenting). The computational fluid dynamics model predicted which lesions were physiologically significant (FFR 0.80) with accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 97%, 86%, 100%, 100%, and 97% respectively. On average, the vFFR values deviated from mFFR by ±0.06 (mean delta = 0.02, SD = 0.08). The vFFR and mFFR were closely correlated (r = 0.84). Conclusions We have developed a model of intracoronary physiology based upon a rotational coronary angiogram. Significant lesions were identified with 97% accuracy. The FFR was reliably predicted without the need for invasive measurements or inducing hyperemia.

Distinctive Expansion of Potential Virulence Genes in the Genome of the Oomycete Fish Pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica

Abstract: Oomycetes in the class Saprolegniomycetidae of the Eukaryotic kingdom Stramenopila have evolved as severe pathogens of amphibians, crustaceans, fish and insects, resulting in major losses in aquaculture and damage to aquatic ecosystems. We have sequenced the 63 Mb genome of the fresh water fish pathogen, Saprolegnia parasitica. Approximately 1/3 of the assembled genome exhibits loss of heterozygosity, indicating an efficient mechanism for revealing new variation. Comparison of S. parasitica with plant pathogenic oomycetes suggests that during evolution the host cellular environment has driven distinct patterns of gene expansion and loss in the genomes of plant and animal pathogens. S. parasitica possesses one of the largest repertoires of proteases (270) among eukaryotes that are deployed in waves at different points during infection as determined from RNA-Seq data. In contrast, despite being capable of living saprotrophically, parasitism has led to loss of inorganic nitrogen and sulfur assimilation pathways, strikingly similar to losses in obligate plant pathogenic oomycetes and fungi. The large gene families that are hallmarks of plant pathogenic oomycetes such as Phytophthora appear to be lacking in S. parasitica, including those encoding RXLR effectors, Crinkler's, and Necrosis Inducing-Like Proteins (NLP). S. parasitica also has a very large kinome of 543 kinases, 10% of which is induced upon infection. Moreover, S. parasitica encodes several genes typical of animals or animal-pathogens and lacking from other oomycetes, including disintegrins and galactose-binding lectins, whose expression and evolutionary origins implicate horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of animal pathogenesis in S. parasitica.

Open Annotation Data Model

Abstract: The Open Annotation Core Data Model specifies an interoperable framework for creating associations between related resources, annotations, using a methodology that conforms to the Architecture of the World Wide Web. Open Annotations can easily be shared between platforms, with sufficient richness of expression to satisfy complex requirements while remaining simple enough to also allow for the most common use cases, such as attaching a piece of text to a single web resource.An Annotation is considered to be a set of connected resources, typically including a body and target, where the body is somehow about the target. The full model supports additional functionality, enabling semantic annotations, embedding content, selecting segments of resources, choosing the appropriate representation of a resource and providing styling hints for consuming clients.

Subglacial Lake Vostok (Antarctica) Accretion Ice Contains a Diverse Set of Sequences from Aquatic, Marine and Sediment-Inhabiting Bacteria and Eukarya

Abstract: Lake Vostok, the 7th largest (by volume) and 4th deepest lake on Earth, is covered by more than 3,700 m of ice, making it the largest subglacial lake known. The combination of cold, heat (from possible hydrothermal activity), pressure (from the overriding glacier), limited nutrients and complete darkness presents extreme challenges to life. Here, we report metagenomic/metatranscriptomic sequence analyses from four accretion ice sections from the Vostok 5G ice core. Two sections accreted in the vicinity of an embayment on the southwestern end of the lake, and the other two represented part of the southern main basin. We obtained 3,507 unique gene sequences from concentrates of 500 ml of 0.22 µm-filtered accretion ice meltwater. Taxonomic classifications (to genus and/or species) were possible for 1,623 of the sequences. Species determinations in combination with mRNA gene sequence results allowed deduction of the metabolic pathways represented in the accretion ice and, by extension, in the lake. Approximately 94% of the sequences were from Bacteria and 6% were from Eukarya. Only two sequences were from Archaea. In general, the taxa were similar to organisms previously described from lakes, brackish water, marine environments, soil, glaciers, ice, lake sediments, deep-sea sediments, deep-sea thermal vents, animals and plants. Sequences from aerobic, anaerobic, psychrophilic, thermophilic, halophilic, alkaliphilic, acidophilic, desiccation-resistant, autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms were present, including a number from multicellular eukaryotes.

The stability of facial attractiveness: is it what you’ve got or what you do with it?

Abstract: Physical attractiveness is suggested to be an indicator of biological quality and therefore should be stable However, transient factors such as gaze direction and facial expression affect facial attractiveness, suggesting it is not We compared the relative importance of variation between faces with variation within faces due to facial expressions 128 participants viewed photographs of 14 men and 16 women displaying the six basic facial expressions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) and a neutral expression Each rater saw each model only once with a randomly chosen expression The effect of expressions on attractiveness was similar in male and female faces, although several expressions were not significantly different from each other Identity was 22 times as important as emotion in attractiveness for both male and female pictures, suggesting that attractiveness is stable Since the hard tissues of the face are unchangeable, people may still be able to perceive facial structure whatever expression the face is displaying, and still make attractiveness judgements based on structural cues

Open Annotation Data Model: community draft

Abstract: The Open Annotation Core Data Model specifies an interoperable framework for creating associations between related resources, annotations, using a methodology that conforms to the Architecture of the World Wide Web. Open Annotations can easily be shared between platforms, with sufficient richness of expression to satisfy complex requirements while remaining simple enough to also allow for the most common use cases, such as attaching a piece of text to a single web resource.An Annotation is considered to be a set of connected resources, typically including a body and target, where the body is somehow about the target. The full model supports additional functionality, enabling semantic annotations, embedding content, selecting segments of resources, choosing the appropriate representation of a resource and providing styling hints for consuming clients.n

Addressing Criminality in Childhood Is Responsivity the Central Issue

Abstract: The responsivity principle is the third element of the now well-established risk–need–responsivity (RNR) model of offender rehabilitation. Accruing evidence suggests it is often sacrificed in intervention programs. We aim to demonstrate the central importance of this principle when designing offender interventions by describing the results of a successful, highly responsive intervention for very young children (aged 7 upward) who have offended. A small slice of the offending population as a whole, child offenders are nevertheless tomorrow’s serious, violent, and prolific lawbreakers, yet little is understood about what reduces their risk. Recent developments on responsivity are reviewed, before presenting the evaluation indicating significant and sustained drops in risk of recidivism. In-program factors such as the nature and dosage of interventions are examined, alongside outcome data. The article discusses how RNR and other models might apply to this particularly young and underresearched age group.

Embedding Temporal Constraints For Coordinated Execution in Habitat Automation

Abstract: Future NASA plans call for long-duration deep space missions with human crews. Because of light-time delay and other considerations, increased autonomy will be needed. This will necessitate integration of tools in such areas as anomaly detection, diagnosis, planning, and execution. In this paper we investigate an approach that integrates planning and execution by embedding planner-derived temporal constraints in an execution procedure. To avoid the need for propagation, we convert the temporal constraints to dispatchable form. We handle some uncertainty in the durations without it affecting the execution; larger variations may cause activities to be skipped.

Undergraduate teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism at medical schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland: results of a cross-sectional study

Abstract: Objective To determine if individual undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and the Republic of Ireland provide any teaching to medical students about biological weapons, bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation, if they perceive them to be relevant issues and if they figure them in their future plans. Design A cross-sectional study utilising an internet-based questionnaire sent to key figures responsible for leading on the planning and delivery of undergraduate medical teaching at all schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland. Setting All identified undergraduate schools of medicine in the UK and Ireland between August 2012 and December 2012. Outcome measures Numerical data and free text feedback about relevant aspects of undergraduate teaching. Results Of the 38 medical schools approached, 34 (28 in UK, 6 in Ireland) completed the questionnaire (89.47%). 4 (all in UK) chose not to complete it. 6/34 (17.65%) included some specific teaching on biological weapons and bioterrorism. 7/34 (20.59%) had staff with bioterrorism expertise (mainly in microbiological and syndromic aspects). 4/34 (11.76%) had plans to introduce some specific teaching on bioterrorism. Free text responses revealed that some felt that because key bodies (eg, UK9s General Medical Council) did not request teaching on bioterrorism, then it should not be included, while others regarded this field of study as a postgraduate subject and not appropriate for undergraduates, or argued that the curriculum was too congested already. 4/34 (11.76%) included some specific teaching on chemical weapons, and 3/34 (8.82%) on weaponised radiation. Conclusions This study provides evidence that at the present time there is little teaching at the undergraduate level in the UK and Ireland on the subjects of biological weapons and bioterrorism, chemical weapons and weaponised radiation and signals that this situation is unlikely to change unless there were to be high-level policy guidance.

Focal pulmonary oedema: an unusual presentation of acute mitral regurgitation

Abstract: A 46-year-old man presented with dyspnoea, haemoptysis, orthopnoea and a pan-systolic murmur. His chest radiograph (see figure 1) demonstrated asymmetric pulmonary infiltrates, predominantly affecting the right-upper lobe. He was diagnosed with lobar-pneumonia but failed to improve with antibiotic therapy. Echocardiography subsequently demonstrated severe mitral regurgitation (MR), directed towards …

An Issue in Goal Addition in Continuous Robotic Plan Execution

Abstract: Robotic plan execution has traditionally assumed that goals are articulated prior to mission execution. As robots have become persistent and increasingly moved into real-world environments, this assumption is not necessarily true; for instance a user can decide to give a new objective to the robot for inclusion in the plan being formulated, add newer goals, or modify others queued for execution. In most systems this leads, at best, to a suboptimal final plan or possibly to the exclusion of objectives, either of which could have been avoided, should the robot have executed its initial plan differently. We first articulate and then demonstrate a preliminary approach to this problem motivated by a marine robotics domain. We do so with an execution policy that is sufficient to disambiguate actions for execution within a flexible temporal continuous plan execution system. The resulting algorithmic complexity is linear in the number of actions and causal links of an existing partial plan.

Herpes zoster ophthalmicus progressing to encephalitis: beware pain preceding the rash

Abstract: We present a challenging case in which the dermatomal pain associated with herpes zoster ophthalmicus preceded the cutaneous rash by several days. It thus highlights the need to consider this diagnosis among the differentials for severe unilateral headache in the elderly. The patient unfortunately progressed to develop encephalitis, an uncommon but serious complication of zoster reactivation and a reminder that this remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population.