Publications

Context. The formation processes of massive stars are still unclear but a picture is emerging involving accretion disks and molecular outflows in what appears to be a scaled-up version of low-mass star formation. A census of outflow activity towards massive star-forming clumps in various evolutionary stages has the potential to shed light on massive star formation (MSF). Aims. We conducted an outflow survey towards ATLASGAL clumps using SEDIGISM data and aimed to obtain a large sample of clumps exhibiting outflows in different evolutionary stages. Methods. We identify the high-velocity wings of the 13CO lines toward ATLASGAL clumps by (1) extracting the simultaneously observed 13CO and C18O spectra from SEDIGISM, and (2) subtracting Gaussian fits to the scaled C18O from the 13CO, line after considering opacity broadening. Results. We have detected high-velocity gas towards 1192 clumps out of a total sample of 2052, giving an overall detection rate of 58%. Outflow activity has been detected in the earliest quiescent clumps (i.e., 70$\mu$m weak), to the most evolved HII region stages i.e., 8$\mu$m bright with MSF tracers. The detection rate increases as a function of evolution (quiescent=51%, protostellar=47%, YSO=57%, UCHII regions=76%). Conclusion. Our sample is the largest outflow sample identified so far. The high-detection rate from this large sample is consistent with previous results and supports that outflows are a ubiquitous feature of MSF. The lower detection rate in early evolutionary stages may be due to that outflows in the early stages are weak and difficult to detect. We obtain a statistically significant sample of outflow clumps for every evolutionary stage, especially for outflow clumps in the 70$\mu$m dark stage. This suggests that the absence of 70$\mu$m emission is not a robust indicator of starless/pre-stellar cores.

Background : There is few information on the long‐term efficacy and safety of sirolimus‐eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel‐eluting stents (PES) compared to bare metal stents (BMS) in all‐comer percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—patients complicated by renal insufficiency (RI). Objective : Our aim was to assess the 6‐year clinical outcome of PCI‐patients with RI treated exclusively with BMS, SES, or PES in our academic hospital. Methods: A total of 1382 patients, included in three cohorts of consecutive PCI‐patients (BMS = 392; SES = 498; PES = 492), were categorized by creatinine clearance calculated by the Cockroft–Gault formula (normal kidney function ≥ 90; mild RI = 60–89; moderate RI < 60) and systematically followed for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results : Mortality rates were significantly higher for patients with moderate RI compared to mild RI and normal kidney function at 6 years (Kaplan–Meier estimate: moderate RI (34%) vs. mild RI (12%), P < 0.001; moderate RI (34%) vs. normal kidney function (8%), P < 0.001). After multivariate Cox‐regression analysis, SES and PES decreased the occurrence of target‐vessel revascularization (TVR) and MACE at 6 years in patients with a normal creatinine clearance compared to BMS [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28–0.84; aHR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57–0.97, respectively] with no significant effect on mortality. Safety‐ and efficacy end points were comparable for the three stent types in patients with mild‐ and moderate renal function. Conclusion : Patients with a normal creatinine clearance had significant improvement in TVR and MACE rates after SES‐ or PES implantation compared to BMS at 6 years. However, there was no superiority of both drug‐eluting stents over BMS in safety and efficacy end points for patients with impaired renal function. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

No abstract is provided for this article.

Presentation to American Concrete Institute “Research in Progress” session. Detroit Michigan, April 22, 2002.\n

One of the factors felt to have contributed to the high rate of stent occlusion in the European registry of the coronary Wallstent in the 1980s was the frequent deployment of more than one stent to cover the target lesion. This resulted from a high degree of shortening of the Wallstent upon expansion. To overcome this limitation the design of the Wallstent was modified to reduce the degree of shortening. We report the results of a study of the first patients to undergo implantation of the new Less Shortening Wallstent. Thirty‐five Wallstents were electively deployed in aortocoronary vein grafts in 29 patients. Stent deployment was successful in 35 of 36 attempts in 30 lesions. In five of the 30 lesions, a second scent was required to cover the proximal portion of the lesion. Angiographic success (< 50% residual diameter stenosis as determined by off‐line quantitative coronary angiography) was achieved in all 29 patients. During the in‐hospital phase, no tnajor adverse cardiac event occurred (reintervention, re‐CABG, myocardial infarction, or death) and five patients had hemorrhagic complications. Following hospital discharge, one patient had a subacute stent occlusion associated with symptoms and elevated cardiac enzymes at 11 days, another patient had symptoms and elevated cardiac enzymes (CK 300 U/I) at 22 days with a patent stem, five patients required balloon angioplasty within the 6 month follow‐up period (four for restenosis and one for stent occlusion), one patient underwent re‐CABG for a native artery stenosis distal to the anastomosis of the patent stented vein graft. The results of this introductory study suggest that the new Less Shortening Wallstent may be associated with a reduction in the requirement for multiple stern deployment and a lower rate of thrombotic occlusion in comparison to its pioneering prototype. On the basis of these results, a number of larger multicenter clinical trials have been initiated to, further evaluate the new coronary Wallstent. (J Interven Cardiol 1994:7:557–564)

Objectives The objective of the present study was to compare plaque burden (PB) calculated from optical coherence tomography (OCT) using deep learning (DL) with PB derived from co‐registered intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Background A DL algorithm was developed for automated plaque characterization and PB quantification from OCT images. However, the performance of this algorithm for PB quantification has not been validated. Methods Five‐year follow‐up OCT and IVUS images from 15 patients implanted with bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) at baseline were analyzed. Precise co‐registration for 72 anatomical slices was achieved utilizing unique BVS radiopaque markers. PB derived from OCT DL and IVUS were compared. OCT cross‐sections were divided into four subgroups with different media visibility level. The impact of media visibility on the numerical difference between OCT‐derived and IVUS‐derived PB was investigated. The stent sizes selected by OCT DL and IVUS were compared. Results Sixty‐four paired OCT and IVUS cross‐sections were compared. OCT DL showed good concordance with IVUS for PB assessment (ICC = 0.81, difference = −3.53 ± 6.17%, p < 0.001). The numerical difference between OCT DL‐derived PB and IVUS‐derived PB was not substantially impacted by missing segments of media visualization ( p = 0.21). OCT DL showed a diagnostic accuracy of 92% in identifying PB > 65%. The stent sizes selected by OCT DL were smaller compared to the ones selected by IVUS (difference = 0.30 ± 0.34 mm, p < 0.001). Conclusions The DL algorithm provides a feasible and reliable method for automated PB estimation from OCT, irrespective of media visibility. OCT DL showed good diagnostic accuracy in identifying PB > 65%, revealing its potential to complement conventional OCT imaging.

No abstract is provided for this article.

An experimental and numerical study into the behaviour of concrete-filled double skin tubular (CFDST) stub columns is presented. A total of eight axial compression tests were carried out, four utilising conventional concrete and four with recycled aggregate concrete. The stub columns were circular in cross-section and each comprised an austenitic stainless steel outer tube and a carbon steel inner tube, of varying dimensions. Accordingly, hollow ratios of 0.67 and 0.55 were considered. The recycled coarse aggregate was made by crushing test specimens from a previous research project, and a replacement ratio of 50% was adopted. During the experiments, similar structural behaviour and failure modes were observed between the specimens with conventional and recycled aggregate concrete. To investigate the behaviour further, a finite element model was developed in ABAQUS; validation of the model against the experimental results from the current work as well as data available in the literature is described. The finite element model was employed to conduct a parametric study to examine the load-bearing contributions of the constituent components of CFDST sections and to assess the influence of the hollow ratio on the structural behaviour. The experimental and numerical ultimate loads are compared with the capacity predictions determined using available design procedures. Overall, the results show that CFDST stub columns with recycled aggregate concrete can achieve similar capacities to their conventional concrete counterparts, demonstrating the potential for the wider use of recycled aggregate concrete, towards more sustainable structural solutions.