Abstract
We perform a search for galaxy–galaxy strong lens systems using a convolutional neural network (CNN) applied to imaging data from the first public data release of the DECam Local Volume ...Exploration Survey, which contains ∼520 million astronomical sources covering ∼4000 deg
2
of the southern sky to a 5
σ
point–source depth of
g
= 24.3,
r
= 23.9,
i
= 23.3, and
z
= 22.8 mag. Following the methodology of similar searches using Dark Energy Camera data, we apply color and magnitude cuts to select a catalog of ∼11 million extended astronomical sources. After scoring with our CNN, the highest-scoring 50,000 images were visually inspected and assigned a score on a scale from 0 (not a lens) to 3 (very probable lens). We present a list of 581 strong lens candidates, 562 of which are previously unreported. We categorize our candidates using their human-assigned scores, resulting in 55 Grade A candidates, 149 Grade B candidates, and 377 Grade C candidates. We additionally highlight eight potential quadruply lensed quasars from this sample. Due to the location of our search footprint in the northern Galactic cap (
b
> 10 deg) and southern celestial hemisphere (decl. < 0 deg), our candidate list has little overlap with other existing ground-based searches. Where our search footprint does overlap with other searches, we find a significant number of high-quality candidates that were previously unidentified, indicating a degree of orthogonality in our methodology. We report properties of our candidates including apparent magnitude and Einstein radius estimated from the image separation.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic heightened risks for individuals with hematological malignancies due to compromised immune systems, leading to more severe outcomes and increased mortality. While ...interventions like vaccines, targeted antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies have been effective for the general population, their benefits for these patients may not be as pronounced. Methods: The EPICOVIDEHA registry (National Clinical Trials Identifier, NCT04733729) gathers COVID-19 data from hematological malignancy patients since the pandemic's start worldwide. It spans various global locations, allowing comprehensive analysis over the first three years (2020–2022). Findings: The EPICOVIDEHA registry collected data from January 2020 to December 2022, involving 8767 COVID-19 cases in hematological malignancy patients from 152 centers across 41 countries, with 42% being female. Over this period, there was a significant reduction in critical infections and an overall decrease in mortality from 29% to 4%. However, hospitalization, particularly in the ICU, remained associated with higher mortality rates. Factors contributing to increased mortality included age, multiple comorbidities, active malignancy at COVID-19 onset, pulmonary symptoms, and hospitalization. On the positive side, vaccination with one to two doses or three or more doses, as well as encountering COVID-19 in 2022, were associated with improved survival. Interpretation: Patients with hematological malignancies still face elevated risks, despite reductions in critical infections and overall mortality rates over time. Hospitalization, especially in ICUs, remains a significant concern. The study underscores the importance of vaccination and the timing of COVID-19 exposure in 2022 for enhanced survival in this patient group. Ongoing monitoring and targeted interventions are essential to support this vulnerable population, emphasizing the critical role of timely diagnosis and prompt treatment in preventing severe COVID-19 cases. Funding: Not applicable.
Postoperative ileus generates a high impact on morbidity, hospital stay, and costs.
To study the efficiency and safety of chewing gum to decrease postoperative ileus in colorectal surgery.
A ...randomized controlled trial was performed including 64 patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery with primary anastomosis in a tertiary referral center. Patients were divided in two groups: (i) A: gum chewing group (n = 32), and (ii) B: patients who had standard postoperative recovery (n = 32).
Postoperative ileus was observed in 6% (2/32) of the gum-chewing group and in 21.8% (7/32) in the standard postoperative recovery group, with an odds ratio of 0.167 (95% CI: 0.37-0.75; p = 0.006). Vomiting was present in two patients from group A and in eight from group B (6.25 vs. 25.0%; p = 0.03). Passage of flatus within the first 48 hours was present in 30 patients from group A and in 20 from group B (94 vs. 63%; p = 0.002). There was earlier oral feeding (96 ± 53 vs. 117 ± 65 hours; p= 0.164) and a shorter length of hospital stay (7 ± 5 vs. 9 ± 5 days; p= 0.26) in the gum-chewing group (p N.S.).
The use of chewing gum after colorectal surgery was associated with less postoperative ileus and vomiting, and with an increased passage of flatus within the first 48 hours after surgery. Since gum chewing is an inexpensive procedure and is not associated with higher morbidity, it can be safely used for a faster postoperative recovery in elective colorectal surgery.
PRKAG2 gene variants cause a syndrome characterized by cardiomyopathy, conduction disease, and ventricular pre-excitation. Only a small number of cases have been reported to date, and the natural ...history of the disease is poorly understood.
The aim of this study was to describe phenotype and natural history of PRKAG2 variants in a large multicenter European cohort.
Clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic data from 90 subjects with PRKAG2 variants (53% men; median age 33 years; interquartile range IQR: 15 to 50 years) recruited from 27 centers were retrospectively studied.
At first evaluation, 93% of patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II. Maximum left ventricular wall thickness was 18 ± 8 mm, and left ventricular ejection fraction was 61 ± 12%. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was present in 60 subjects (67%) at baseline. Thirty patients (33%) had ventricular pre-excitation or had undergone accessory pathway ablation; 17 (19%) had pacemakers (median age at implantation 36 years; IQR: 27 to 46 years), and 16 (18%) had atrial fibrillation (median age 43 years; IQR: 31 to 54 years). After a median follow-up period of 6 years (IQR: 2.3 to 13.9 years), 71% of subjects had LVH, 29% had AF, 21% required de novo pacemakers (median age at implantation 37 years; IQR: 29 to 48 years), 14% required admission for heart failure, 8% experienced sudden cardiac death or equivalent, 4% required heart transplantation, and 13% died.
PRKAG2 syndrome is a progressive cardiomyopathy characterized by high rates of atrial fibrillation, conduction disease, advanced heart failure, and life-threatening arrhythmias. Classical features of pre-excitation and severe LVH are not uniformly present, and diagnosis should be considered in patients with LVH who develop atrial fibrillation or require permanent pacemakers at a young age.
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Python has become one of the most used and taught languages nowadays. Its expressiveness, cross-compatibility and ease of use have made it popular in areas as diverse as finance, bioinformatics or ...machine learning. However, Python programs are often significantly slower to execute than an equivalent native C implementation, especially for computation-intensive numerical kernels.
This work presents PolyBench/Python, implementing the 30 kernels in PolyBench/C, one of the standard benchmark suites for polyhedral optimization, in Python. In addition to the benchmark kernels, a functional wrapper including mechanisms for performance measurement, testing, and execution configuration has been developed. The framework includes support for different ways to translate C-array codes into Python, offering insight into the tradeoffs of Python lists and NumPy arrays. The benchmark performance is thoroughly evaluated on different Python interpreters, and compared against its PolyBench/C counterpart to highlight the profitability (or lack thereof) of using Python for regular numerical codes.
La arteritis de Takayasu es una enfermedad vascular inflamatoria crónica e inespecífica, de etiología desconocida, que usualmente afecta las ramas del arco aórtico y se presenta con una alta ...incidencia en la mujer durante la edad reproductiva. De la vigilancia multidisciplinaria dependerán en gran medida los resultados materno-fetales favorables. Objetivo: Presentar el caso de una gestante de 19 años con diagnóstico de arteritis de Takayasu realizado a las 19 semanas de embarazo. Esta paciente cursó la gestación y el parto (cesárea) sin otra complicación que una HTA que apareció a las 27 semanas, con tratamiento y evolución estable en el servicio de obstetricia del Hospital Provincial Docente Ginecobstétrico Julio R. Alfonso Medina. Métodos: Se revisó la literatura sobre el tema y su relación con el embarazo, realizando una breve exposición de las características clínicas, diagnóstico, manejo y pronóstico de la enfermedad.The Takayasus's arteritis is a nonspecific, chronic, vascular, inflammatory disease, of unknown etiology, usually occluding one or more of the large branches of the aortic arch, with a high incidence in women during the childbearing age. The favorable maternal-fetal results will depend in a large extend on the multidisciplinary surveillance. Objective: Presenting the case of a pregnant woman aged 19 diagnosed with Takayasus's arteritis when she was 19 weeks pregnant. This patient went through the pregnancy and labor with no more complication than arterial hypertension at the 27 weeks of pregnancy. Being treated in the obstetric service of the Teaching Gynecoobstetric Hospital Dr. Julio R. Alfonso Medina, she showed a favorable evolution. Methodos: We reviewed the literature on the theme and its relation with pregnancy making a brief exposition of the clinical features, diagnosis, handling and prognosis of the disease.
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