98 results on '"B. Benes"'
Search Results
2. Fast Facts: Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome
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Anthony S. Wierzbicki, Michael H. Davidson, and Lane B. Benes
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Familial Chylomicronemia - Published
- 2021
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3. Procedural Riverscapes
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A. Peytavie, T. Dupont, E. Guérin, Y. Cortial, B. Benes, J. Gain, E. Galin, Modélisation Géométrique, Géométrie Algorithmique, Fractales (GeoMod), Laboratoire d'InfoRmatique en Image et Systèmes d'information (LIRIS), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Lyon-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-École Centrale de Lyon (ECL), Université de Lyon-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon), Université de Lyon-Université Lumière - Lyon 2 (UL2), Origami (Origami), Department of Computer Science [Purdue], Purdue University [West Lafayette], University of Cape Town, and ANR-16-CE33-0001,HDWorlds,Modèles procéduraux paramétriques pour la représentation d'univers virtuels complexes(2016)
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0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,[INFO]Computer Science [cs] ,020207 software engineering ,020201 artificial intelligence & image processing ,02 engineering and technology ,Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design ,[INFO.INFO-GR]Computer Science [cs]/Graphics [cs.GR] - Abstract
International audience; This paper addresses the problem of creating animated riverscapes through a novel procedural framework that generates the inscribing geometry of a river network and then synthesizes matching real-time water movement animation. Our approach takes bare-earth heightfields as input, derives hydrologically-inspired river network trajectories, carves riverbeds into the terrain, and then automatically generates a corresponding blend-flow tree for the water surface. Characteristics, such as the riverbed width, depth and shape, as well as elevation and flow of the fluid surface, are procedurally derived from the terrain and river type. The riverbed is inscribed by combining compactly supported elevation modifiers over the river course. Subsequently, the water surface is defined as a time-varying continuous function encoded as a blend-flow tree with leaves that are parameterized procedural flow primitives and internal nodes that are blend operators. While river generation is fully automated, we also incorporate intuitive interactive editing of both river trajectories and individual riverbed and flow primitives. The resulting framework enables the generation of a wide range of river forms, ranging from slow meandering rivers to rapids with churning water, including surface effects, such as foam and leaves carried downstream.
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- 2019
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4. Evolution of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Therapy and Current and Future Role in the Management of Dyslipidemia
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Lane B. Benes, Mohamad A. Kalot, Michael H. Davidson, and Nikhil Bassi
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Cardiovascular event ,medicine.medical_specialty ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Intensive care medicine ,Omega-3 carboxylic acids ,Omega 3 fatty acid ,Dyslipidemias ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,business.industry ,Rate reduction ,Hypertriglyceridemia ,Disease Management ,Fatty acid ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Residual risk ,chemistry ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Dyslipidemia - Abstract
Omega-3 fatty acids have shown modest benefit in certain subgroups at higher cardiovascular risk. Ongoing trials are investigating cardiovascular event rate reduction with newer, more efficacious formulations with a focus on these higher risk patients. This article focuses on the previously demonstrated benefits of omega-3 fatty acid therapies, currently available formulations, and their current and future role in reducing cardiovascular risk.
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- 2018
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5. Advances in diagnosis and potential therapeutic options for familial chylomicronemia syndrome
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Michael H. Davidson, Eric J. Brandt, and Lane B. Benes
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0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Severe hypertriglyceridemia ,business.industry ,Health Policy ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,Hypertriglyceridemia ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,macromolecular substances ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Familial Chylomicronemia ,medicine.disease ,Gastroenterology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Lipoprotein lipase deficiency ,030104 developmental biology ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Acute pancreatitis ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Pharmacology (medical) ,business ,Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (miscellaneous) ,Chylomicron - Abstract
Introduction: Familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) is a rare disorder in which there is a lack of chylomicron clearance from the plasma leading to severe hypertriglyceridemia. This is classicall...
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- 2018
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6. The Risk of Hepatotoxicity, New Onset Diabetes and Rhabdomyolysis in the Era of High-Intensity Statin Therapy: Does Statin Type Matter?
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Lane B. Benes, Nikhil Bassi, and Michael H. Davidson
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Statin ,Medication Therapy Management ,medicine.drug_class ,Hypercholesterolemia ,Disease ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Rhabdomyolysis ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Diabetes mellitus ,Internal medicine ,Diabetes Mellitus ,medicine ,Humans ,Rosuvastatin ,cardiovascular diseases ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Adverse effect ,business.industry ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,medicine.disease ,Endocrinology ,Pharmacogenetics ,Simvastatin ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ,Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,medicine.drug - Abstract
The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on cholesterol management have placed greater emphasis on high-intensity statin dosing for those with known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus. Differences in risk of hepatotoxicity, new onset diabetes and rhabdomyolysis specifically between the high-intensity statins and the most common moderate-intensity statin, simvastatin, were not found to a significant degree in this review. Rather, baseline characteristics and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) appear to be more important regarding the risk of these adverse effects. Pharmacogenetic differences in statin metabolism may explain individual susceptibility, however genetic testing is not felt to be cost effective at this time. More importantly, statin choice should consider concomitant use of the many prevalent CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers, and when present, rosuvastatin selection is recommended to reduce DDIs and risk of statin-induced adverse effects.
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- 2016
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7. The Role of Genetics in Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: Findings From a Single Lipid Clinic and Review of the Literature
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Lane B. Benes, Li Shen, Mendel Roth, Michael H. Davidson, and Kent Brummell
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Adult ,Male ,Acute coronary syndrome ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Disease ,Coronary Artery Disease ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Coronary artery disease ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Predictive Value of Tests ,Risk Factors ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Genetic Predisposition to Disease ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Age of Onset ,Triglycerides ,Genetic testing ,Hypertriglyceridemia ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Cholesterol, HDL ,Genetic Variation ,Lipid metabolism ,General Medicine ,Cholesterol, LDL ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Lipids ,Phenotype ,LDL receptor ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Female ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Biomarkers ,Lipoprotein ,Lipoprotein(a) - Abstract
Background Genetic information is not routinely obtained in the management of most lipid disorders or in primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We sought to determine the prevalence of pathogenic variants associated with lipoprotein metabolism or coronary artery disease (CAD) in a single lipid clinic and discuss the future use of genetic information in CVD prevention . Methods Genetic testing was offered to patients with hypertriglyceridemia (defined as pre-treatment fasting triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL), elevated LDL-C (defined as pre-treatment ≥190 mg/dL), low HDL-C (defined as ≤40 mg/dL), elevated lipoprotein (a) (defined as ≥50 mg/dL or 100 nmol/L) or premature CAD (defined as an acute coronary syndrome or revascularization before age 40 years in men and 50 years in women) using next-generation DNA sequencing of 327 exons and selected variants in 129 genes known or suspected to be associated with lipoprotein metabolism or CAD. Results 82 of 84 patients (97.6%) were found to have a variant associated with abnormal lipid metabolism or CAD. The most common pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants included those of the LDL receptor (15 patients) and lipoprotein lipase (9 patients). Other common variants included those of apolipoprotein A5 (14 patients) and variants associated with elevated lipoprotein (a) (25 patients). Conclusions The majority of patients presenting to a single lipid clinic were found to have at least one variant associated with abnormal lipoprotein metabolism or CAD. Incorporating genetic information, including the use of genetic risk scores, is anticipated in the future care of lipid disorders and CVD prevention.
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- 2019
8. How Genomics Is Personalizing the Management of Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
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Michael H. Davidson, Lane B. Benes, Eric J. Brandt, and Daniel J. Brandt
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0301 basic medicine ,Genome-wide association study ,Genomics ,Disease ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Bioinformatics ,Risk Assessment ,Coronary artery disease ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Mendelian randomization ,medicine ,Humans ,Molecular Targeted Therapy ,Precision Medicine ,Dyslipidemias ,business.industry ,Mendelian Randomization Analysis ,medicine.disease ,Primary Prevention ,030104 developmental biology ,Early Diagnosis ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Risk assessment ,business ,Dyslipidemia ,Genome-Wide Association Study - Abstract
To summarize advances in genomic medicine and anticipated future directions to improve cardiovascular risk reduction. Mendelian randomization and genome-wide association studies have given significant insights into the role of genetics in dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD), with over 160 gene loci found to be associated with coronary artery disease to date. This has enabled the creation of genetic risk scores that have demonstrated improved risk prediction when added to clinical markers of CVD risk. Incorporation of genomic data into clinical patient care is on the horizon. Genomic medicine is expected to offer improved risk assessment, determination of targeted treatment strategies, and improved detection of lipid disorders causal to CVD development.
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- 2018
9. The Effect of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Inhibition on Sterol Absorption Markers in a Cohort of Real-World Patients
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Lane B. Benes, Matthew J. Sorrentino, Eric J. Brandt, Michael H. Davidson, Linda Lee, and Thomas D Dayspring
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Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Serine Proteinase Inhibitors ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Ezetimibe ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Pharmacology (medical) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Alirocumab ,Aged ,Dyslipidemias ,Retrospective Studies ,Pharmacology ,business.industry ,Cholesterol ,PCSK9 ,Anticholesteremic Agents ,PCSK9 Inhibitors ,Middle Aged ,Proprotein convertase ,Sterol ,Intestines ,Evolocumab ,Sterols ,Endocrinology ,Treatment Outcome ,chemistry ,Intestinal Absorption ,Kexin ,Female ,Proprotein Convertase 9 ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Biomarkers ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is expressed in multiple tissues, including the small intestine. The effect of PCSK9 inhibition on cholesterol absorption is not known. Objectives: Measure serum cholesterol absorption markers before and after initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors. Methods: Single-center retrospective cohort of patients administered evolocumab and alirocumab between July 2015 and January 2017. Paired t tests were used to compare mean serum cholesterol marker concentrations, and ratios to total cholesterol, before and after PCSK9 inhibitor initiation. Analyses were repeated for those taking and not taking statins and taking or not taking ezetimibe at both initiation and follow-up, for each PCSK9 inhibitor, and based on follow-up time (120 days). Results: There were 62 possible participants, 34 were excluded for lack of data or unknown PCSK9 inhibitor initiation date. Average follow-up was 92.5 days. Mean campesterol (before 3.14 μg/mL, 95% CI: 2.79-4.38 μg/mL; after 2.09 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.87-2.31 μg/mL; P < .0001), sitosterol (before 2.46 μg/mL, 95% CI: 2.23-2.70 μg/mL; after 1.62 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.48-1.75 μg/mL; P < .0001), and cholestanol (before 3.25 μg/mL, 95% CI: 3.04-3.47 μg/mL; after 2.08 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.96-2.21 μg/mL; P < .0001) all significantly decreased at follow-up. There was no significant change in absorption marker to total cholesterol ratios. Findings were not influenced by statin or ezetimibe use or nonuse, which PCSK9 inhibitor was prescribed, or time to follow-up. Conclusion: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition was associated with decreased cholesterol absorption markers.
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- 2018
10. Prevalence of Pathogenic Variants of Lipoprotein Metabolism Genes in a Single Lipidology Clinic*
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Kent Brummel, Lane B. Benes, and Michael H. Davidson
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Genetics ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,business.industry ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Internal Medicine ,Medicine ,Lipoprotein metabolism ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Gene ,Lipidology - Published
- 2019
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11. Omega-3 carboxylic acids monotherapy and combination with statins in the management of dyslipidemia
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Lane B. Benes, Michael H. Davidson, and Nikhil Bassi
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Statin ,Combination therapy ,medicine.drug_class ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Drug Compounding ,Carboxylic Acids ,Biological Availability ,Disease ,Review ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,residual risk ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Internal medicine ,Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ,non-HDL-C ,medicine ,Humans ,Pharmacology (medical) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Omega-3 carboxylic acids ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Hypertriglyceridemia ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,omega-3 carboxylic acids ,statin ,Fatty acid ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,Hematology ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Lipids ,Residual risk ,Treatment Outcome ,chemistry ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Drug Therapy, Combination ,Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Dyslipidemia ,Biomarkers - Abstract
The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines on cholesterol management placed greater emphasis on statin therapy given the well-established benefits in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Residual risk may remain after statin initiation, in part because of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein cholesterol. Several large trials have failed to show benefit with non-statin cholesterol-lowering medications in the reduction of cardiovascular events. Yet, subgroup analyses showed a benefit in those with hypertriglyceridemia and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, a high-risk pattern of dyslipidemia. This review discusses the benefits of omega-3 carboxylic acids, a recently approved formulation of omega-3 fatty acid with enhanced bioavailability, in the treatment of dyslipidemia both as monotherapy and combination therapy with a statin.
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- 2016
12. Qualitative Assessment of Patients Receiving Prolotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis in a Multimethod Study
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Marlon P. Mundt, Luke Fortney, Andrew H. Slattengren, Lane B. Benes, Jessica Grettie, Laura van Leuven, and David Rabago
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musculoskeletal diseases ,Complementary Therapies ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,WOMAC ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Psychological intervention ,Osteoarthritis ,Regenerative Medicine ,Cohort Studies ,Interviews as Topic ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Patient satisfaction ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ,Patient narratives ,business.industry ,Prolotherapy ,Outcome measures ,Original Articles ,Middle Aged ,Osteoarthritis, Knee ,medicine.disease ,humanities ,Glucose ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,Patient Satisfaction ,Physical therapy ,Female ,business ,human activities ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Cohort study - Abstract
Randomized and open-label studies assessing prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis have found quantitative improvement on the validated Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) compared with baseline status and control therapies. This study assessed the qualitative response of participants receiving prolotherapy, an injection-based complementary treatment for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA).Qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews at 52 weeks after enrollment; transcribed responses were discussed by coauthors to identify themes; disagreement was resolved by consensus.Outpatient.Twenty-two participants treated with prolotherapy for symptomatic knee OA who were exited from three randomized and open-label studies.Intra- and extra-articular hypertonic dextrose injection (prolotherapy).Patient narrative and composite WOMAC questionnaire (0-100 points) scores.Participants had baseline demographic and knee OA severity similar to those of participants in three prior intervention trials, as well as similar robust follow-up WOMAC score change (19.9 ± 12.6 points), suggesting a representative subsample. Seven themes were identified from participant narratives: (1) improvement in knee-specific quality of life (n = 18), (2) safety and comfort, (3) pretreatment counseling enhanced treatment adherence and optimism, (4) overall positive experience with prolotherapy, (5) limited response to prolotherapy (n = 4), (6) consistency with anecdotal clinical prolotherapy experience; and (7) functional improvement without pain reduction.Most participants reported substantially improved knee-specific effects, resulting in improved quality of life and activities of daily living; four participants reported minimal or no effect. Clear, complete description of procedural rationale may enhance optimism about and adherence to treatment appointments.
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- 2016
13. The future of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid therapy
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Lane B. Benes and Michael H. Davidson
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Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Drug Compounding ,Disease ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Bioinformatics ,Drug Prescriptions ,law.invention ,Coronary artery disease ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ,Genetics ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Molecular Biology ,Dyslipidemias ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Clinical Trials as Topic ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Triglyceride ,business.industry ,Cholesterol ,Hypertriglyceridemia ,Fibric Acids ,Cell Biology ,medicine.disease ,Residual risk ,chemistry ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Polyunsaturated fatty acid - Abstract
Purpose of review This article focuses on the potential role by which a complex mixture of omega-3 fatty acids (OM3-FAs) may beneficially modify cardiovascular risk by modifying the cholesterol composition of atherogenic lipoproteins. This hypothesis is being tested in the STRENGTH trial, which is enrolling 13 000 patients on statins at high cardiovascular risk with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) treated with an OM3-carboxylic acid. Recent findings Complex mixtures of OM3-FAs containing predominately eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid in combination with statins lowers non-HDL by reducing triglyceride-rich lipoprotein cholesterol (TRL-C) while shifting small LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) to large LDL-C. Recent genomic and epidemiological studies have implicated TRL-C and small LDL-C as causal for cardiovascular disease. Therefore OM3-FAs containing both eicosapentanoic acid and docosahexanoic acid in combination with statins may beneficially modify the high residual risk for patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-C. Summary Although outcome trials are underway, subgroup analyses of data from previous randomized controlled trials are suggestive of a reduction in coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event rates with triglyceride and TRL-C lowering therapies, particularly if accompanied by low HDL-C. Although the limitations of such data are acknowledged, clinicians must make treatment decisions while awaiting more definitive results from well-designed large-scale randomized controlled trials.
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- 2016
14. Intravascular ultrasound to assess for baffle stenosis after Mustard procedure
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Lane B. Benes, Atman P. Shah, Tharian S. Cherian, Jonathan R. Rosenberg, and Cevher Ozcan
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Transposition of Great Vessels ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Baffle ,Constriction, Pathologic ,Intravascular ultrasound ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Ultrasonography, Interventional ,Cardiac imaging ,Mustard procedure ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Arrhythmias, Cardiac ,medicine.disease ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Defibrillators, Implantable ,Arterial Switch Operation ,Stenosis ,Venae Cavae ,Radiology ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business - Published
- 2017
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15. Acute Cellular Rejection in Heart Transplant Recipients May Not Be Acute After All
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Jayant Raikhelkar, Lane B. Benes, V. Jeevanandam, Gene Kim, C. Murks, Nir Uriel, Sirtaz Adatya, Takeyoshi Ota, Nikhil Bassi, Nitasha Sarswat, and Gabriel Sayer
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Transplantation ,Acute cellular rejection ,business.industry ,Immunology ,Medicine ,Surgery ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business - Published
- 2017
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16. Large-scale physics-based terrain editing
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J, Vanek, B, Benes, A, Herout, and O, Stava
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- 2014
17. Determination of Thirty-Two Elements in Human Autopsy Tissue
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B Benes, J Smíd, K Jakubec, and V Spĕvácková
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Adult ,Male ,Liver chemistry ,Tissue concentrations ,Adolescent ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Analytical chemistry ,Kidney ,Biochemistry ,Bone and Bones ,Inorganic Chemistry ,Animal science ,Reference Values ,Humans ,Aged ,Czech Republic ,Human liver ,Chemistry ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Biochemistry (medical) ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,Elements ,Liver ,Reference values ,Correlation analysis ,Female ,Autopsy - Abstract
Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine the concentrations of 32 elements in the human liver and kidney and 20 elements in the bone, obtained from 70 autopsied dead individuals (54 males, 16 females) between 18 and 76 yr of age from the North Bohemia territory of the Czech Republic. Geometric means, median, minimal-maximal range, as well as distribution and correlation analysis were calculated. Some significant differences among tissue concentrations of trace elements of the women and men were found. In the liver, medians of the concentrations of some elements were higher for men than that for women (Al: 770 vs 610 microg/kg; As: 42 vs 27 microg/kg; Cd: 1800 vs 1390 microg/kg; Rb: 3955 vs 3210 microg/kg; V: 160 vs 105 microg/kg). On the contrary, the content of other elements for men was lower (Bi: 0.8 vs 3.2 microg/kg; Cr: 57 vs 72 microg/kg; Hg: 228 vs 325 microg/kg; Zn: 57.1 vs 68.5 mg/kg). In the kidney of men, there were higher contents of Al (360 vs 245 microg/kg) and Hg (135 vs 75 microg/kg) and lower contents of Zn (47.7 vs 59.7 mg/kg) and I (135 vs 220 microg/kg) than those of women. In the case of bone, the concentrations of Cu and Rb were higher for men (1410 microg Cu/kg and 405 microg Rb/kg, respectively) than for women (655 microg Cu/kg and 285 microg Rb/kg, respectively). On the contrary, the content of Mn was considerably lower for men (110 microg Mn/kg) than for women (215 microg Mn/kg).
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- 2000
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18. The Role of Aspirin in the Prevention of Coronary Allograft Vasculopathy in Cardiac Transplant Patients
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C. Murks, Lane B. Benes, Gabriel Sayer, Gene Kim, T. Riley, Savitri Fedson, and Nir Uriel
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Aspirin ,Cardiac allograft ,business.industry ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Cardiology ,Transplant patient ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,medicine.drug - Published
- 2015
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19. Facial aesthetics and the assignment of personality traits before and after orthognathic surgery
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Rolf Ewers, B. Benes, Florian Ph. S. Fischmeister, Klaus Sinko, Reinhold Jagsch, and Gabriele Millesi
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Adult ,Adolescent ,media_common.quotation_subject ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Intelligence ,Orthognathic surgery ,Esthetics, Dental ,Malocclusion, Angle Class II ,Personality Assessment ,Statistics, Nonparametric ,Likert scale ,Beauty ,Young Adult ,medicine ,Humans ,Young adult ,Big Five personality traits ,media_common ,business.industry ,Orthognathic Surgical Procedures ,medicine.disease ,Skeletal class ,Malocclusion, Angle Class III ,Otorhinolaryngology ,Aesthetics ,Case-Control Studies ,Surgery ,Female ,Oral Surgery ,Malocclusion ,Personality Assessment Inventory ,business - Abstract
Processing and interpreting the face is generally very important because one is often required to make rapid decisions in life on the basis of meagre information. Ninety-two volunteers used a computer-assisted test battery to assess 40 profiles of patients (8 skeletal Class II and 8 skeletal Class III patients, each pre- and postoperatively, with 8 skeletal Class I photographs serving as controls). On a 7-point Likert scale the raters were asked to evaluate aesthetics and a few relevant personality traits (e.g. unintelligent, inhibited, aggressive, brutal). The photographs of the two patient groups were rated significantly less attractive and intelligent prior to surgery than the photographs of the control group. In respect of personality traits, the photographs of the skeletal Class III group differed more strongly from normal ones. In respect of aesthetics and intelligence, both patient groups benefited markedly from surgery. For some personality traits, significant interactions were found between the two groups on pre-post comparison. The method underlying the study is useful for evaluating the outcome of orthognathic surgery, but also indicates the strongly generalized and unconscious processes involved in the estimation of people's personality traits, especially when these concern deviations from the socially normal condition.
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- 2010
20. Effects of age, BMI, smoking and contraception on levels of Cu, Se and Zn in the blood of the population in the Czech Republic
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B, Benes, V, Spevácková, J, Smíd, A, Batáriová, M, Cejchanová, and L, Zítková
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Adult ,Male ,Aging ,Smoking ,Age Factors ,Middle Aged ,Body Mass Index ,Selenium ,Zinc ,Sex Factors ,Contraceptive Agents ,Humans ,Female ,Copper ,Czech Republic - Abstract
Variations in the levels of Cu, Se and Zn in blood were analyzed in relation to gender, age, BMI, smoking and hormonal contraception. The blood samples were collected from 3,207 blood donors (2,362 men, 845 women) during years 1996-2003. Blood concentrations of these elements were in the same range as those found for populations of other European countries. Significant differences exist between men and women, in blood concentration, for Cu (840 microg Cu.l(-1) vs. 970 microg Cu.l(-1), p0.01) and Zn (6,780 microg Zn.l(-1) vs. 6,235 microg Zn.l(-1), p0.01) only. The level of Cu in relation to age is increasing in men, but decreasing in women. The level of Se in relation to age increases regardless of sex. Concentrations of Zn rise with age in women group, only. Positive correlation was found between BMI and level of Cu only for group of men. For Se levels and BMI differences exist only in men namely between groups20 and35 (82 microg Se.l(-1) vs. 92 microg Se.l(-1)). Slight positive correlations exist between Zn concentration and BMI in women only. The significant differences were found between smokers and non-smokers for Cu in men (850 microg Cu.l(-1) vs. 830 microg Cu.l(-1)) and Se (81 microg Se.l(-1) vs. 84 microg Se.l(-1)). The smoking has not significant influence on concentration of Zn in the blood. The hormonal contraception significantly increases the concentration of Cu in blood (920 microg Cu.l(-1) vs. 1,270 microg Cu.l(-1), p0.01). The levels of Se and Zn in blood are not influenced using hormonal contraception.
- Published
- 2006
21. Determination of normal concentration levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se and Zn in hair of the child population in the Czech Republic
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B, Benes, J, Sladká, V, Spevácková, and J, Smid
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Male ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Humans ,Environmental Pollutants ,Female ,Environmental Exposure ,Mercury ,Child ,Cadmium ,Czech Republic ,Environmental Monitoring ,Hair ,Trace Elements - Abstract
Knowledge of normal levels of concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se and Zn) in the population serve, among others, in the designing of regulations of exposure limits and prevention of diseases caused by deficiency in essential trace elements. Concentrations of the named elements in the hair of children in the Czech population were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples of hair were collected during 1994- 2001 from 3,556 children (1,741 boys and 1,815 girls, average age 9.9 years). Mineralization in a microwave digestion system was used following a washing procedure. The accuracy of results was checked by means of the control materials CRM Human Hair GBW 07601. Values of concentrations of the trace elements in hair found for children were (in medians) 0.14 microg Cd.g(-1), 0.22 microg Cr.g(-1), 12 microg Cu.g(-1), 0.19 microg Hg.g(-1), 1.6 microg Pb.g(-1), 0.22 microg Se.g(-1) and 124 microg Zn.g(-1), respectively. Statistically significant differences between boys and girls were found for Cd, Cu and Zn. Concentrations of the elements under study correspond to the published values for the non-exposed population.
- Published
- 2004
22. Layered data representation for visual simulation of terrain erosion
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B. Benes and R. Forsbach
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- 2002
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23. Retrospective study of concentration levels of Pb, Cd, Cu and Se in serum of the Czech population in time period 1970-1999
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B, Benes, V, Spĕvácková, M, Cejchanová, J, Smíd, and E, Svandová
- Subjects
Male ,Selenium ,Lead ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Humans ,Female ,Environmental Exposure ,Middle Aged ,Copper ,Cadmium ,Czech Republic ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
The retrospective study evolution of trends in concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu and Se in the population of the Czech Republic over 30 years period could be useful in design of regulations concerning health protection, prevention of diseases caused by deficiency of trace elements and have considerable economic importance. Concentrations of the named elements in the serum were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after mineralisation in a microwave digestion system. The 1433 samples of serum (730 males and 703 females, average age 48.7 and 49.1 years respectively) from a time period 1970-1995 were obtained from the Serum bank of National Institute of Public Health and volunteers (1999). Serum samples from the years 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 1999 were examined. The accuracy of the results was checked by means of the Control material Seronorm Whole Blood 404,107 and Seronorm Serum 704,121, Nycomed. The concentration of Cd had a decreasing trend for the years 1975-1999 (0.82 microgram Cd.l-1 vs 0.47 microgram Cd.l-1). The levels of Pb are falling in the interval 1970-1980 (15.6 micrograms Pb.l-1 vs. 6.6 micrograms Pb.l-1). In year 1985 concentration of Pb increased (10.7 micrograms Pb.l-1) but subsequently decreased again (1995--6.4 micrograms Pb.l-1). In year 1999, it was 8.9 micrograms.l-1. The concentration of Cu decreased in period 1970-1990 (1525 micrograms Cu.l-1 vs. 990 micrograms Cu.l-1). From 1990 to 1999 the levels of Cu had an increasing tendency (1999--1060 micrograms Cu.l-1). Levels of Se in the interval 1970-1985 were surprisingly equal (58.1 micrograms Se.l(-1)-54.4 micrograms Se.l-1). However in the interval 1986-1990 the level of Se sharp declined (38.3 micrograms Se.l-1). Since 1990 levels of Se in serum increased again, up to 67.1 micrograms Se.l-1 in 1999. Statistically significant differences between men and women were found only in Cu and Pb concentrations. Concentrations of under study elements corresponded to the published values concerning unexposed population.
- Published
- 2002
24. Reference values for lead and cadmium in blood of Czech population
- Author
-
M, Cerná, V, Spevácková, B, Benes, M, Cejchanová, and J, Smíd
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Lead ,Reference Values ,Humans ,Female ,Child ,Cadmium ,Czech Republic - Abstract
This study aimed at determining blood concentrations of lead (B-Pb) and cadmium (B-Cd) in a group of 1215 healthy blood donors (895 males, 320 females) and 758 children (397 boys, 361 girls) aged 10 years, sampled in 1996-1998 in four districts of the Czech Republic. The analysis was performed using atomic absorption spectrometry. The median B-Pb values were lower in children (34 mg/L) than in adults. In the group of adults, the level was significantly higher in men (46 mg/L) than in women (29 mg/L). In none of the groups the 90th percentile exceeded the value of 100 mg/L. The B-Cd values in adults depended on smoking habit (median non-smokers: 0.5 mg/L, male smokers--1.2 mg/L, female smokers--1.0 mg/L). In children, more than 50% of values were under the limit of detection. The obtained values were used to propose reference values for the Czech population.
- Published
- 2001
25. Gustometry of diabetes mellitus patients and obese patients
- Author
-
K, Stolbová, A, Hahn, B, Benes, M, Andel, and L, Treslová
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Adolescent ,Hyperphagia ,Middle Aged ,Electric Stimulation ,Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory ,Taste Threshold ,Diabetes Mellitus ,Humans ,Female ,Obesity ,Ageusia ,Aged - Abstract
The sensation of adequate taste detection can be associated with satisfaction of food intake. The impairment of taste detection may be associated with the development of obesity. Taste detection is determined hereditarily, but it can be influenced also by the occurrence of neuropathy. To find an explanation for these phenomena, we investigated 73 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) 2 (i.e., non-insulin-dependent DM); 11 patients with DM 1 (i.e., insulin-dependent DM); 12 obese patients (body-mass index30) without DM; and 29 control patients. All subjects underwent electrogustometric examination with Hortmman's electrogustometer. During this examination, we obtained electrical thresholds of taste by stimulating appropriate parts of the tongue. We stimulated the apex, middle, and near tongue radix areas on both sides. The resulting value is the average on the left and right sides of the mentioned areas. We considered a value of less than 40 microA to be normal. Values in excess of 100 microA are considered as hypogeusia. Values between 40 and 100 microA are taken as borderline, and ageusia is in excess of 500 microA. According to these criteria, in the DM 2 group, we found 40% of patients with hypogeusia, whereas in the DM 1 group, we found 33% of patients; 25% of patients were in the obese group. Among normal subjects (people without obesity or DM), no hypogeusia was found. We found ageusia in 5% of patients with DM 2, in 3% of patients with DM 1, and in 14% of obese patients. Among normal subjects, we found no ageusia. These results support the hypothesis that diminished taste detection can evoke hyperphagia and later obesity.
- Published
- 2001
26. The concentration levels of Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn and Se in blood of the population in the Czech Republic
- Author
-
B, Benes, V, Spĕvácková, J, Smíd, M, Cejchanová, M, Cerná, P, Subrt, and J, Marecek
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Cadmium Poisoning ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Blood Donors ,Mercury ,Health Surveys ,Lead Poisoning ,Selenium ,Zinc ,Lead ,Reference Values ,Mercury Poisoning ,Humans ,Female ,Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ,Child ,Copper ,Cadmium ,Czech Republic ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
Knowledge of normal levels of concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Se) in the population serves, among others, in design of regulations concerning health protection, determination of exposure limits and prevention of diseases caused by deficiency of trace elements. Concentrations of the named elements in whole blood of the Czech population were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The blood was collected during 1996-1998 from 1,216 blood donors (896 males and 320 females, average age 33 years) and 758 children (397 boys and 361 girls, average age 9.9 years). Mineralisation in a microwave digestion system was used in sample preparation. The accuracy of results was checked by means of the Control material Seronorm Whole Blood 404107 and Seronorm Serum 704121, Nycomed. Values of concentrations of the trace elements in blood found for adult (medians) were 0.7 microgram Cd.l-1, 800 micrograms Cu.l-1, 0.78 microgram Hg.l-1, 41 micrograms Pb.l-1, 76 micrograms Se.l-1, and 5,800 micrograms Zn.l-1, respectively. Statistically significant differences between men and women have been found in the concentrations of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. In the juvenile population following medians of concentrations have been found: 0.15 microgram Cd.l-1, 1,047 micrograms Cu.l-1, 0.46 microgram Hg.l-1, 34 micrograms Pb.l-1, 69 micrograms Se.l-1, and 8,180 micrograms Zn.l-1. Statistically significant differences between boys and girls were found only in Pb and Zn concentrations. Concentrations of the studied elements correspond to the published values concerning population not exposed professionally.
- Published
- 2000
27. Determination of some metals in biological samples for monitoring purposes
- Author
-
V, Spĕvácková, K, Kratzer, M, Cejchanová, and B, Benes
- Subjects
Lead ,Reference Values ,Population Surveillance ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Humans ,Reproducibility of Results ,Pilot Projects ,Mercury ,Child ,Cadmium ,Czech Republic ,Environmental Monitoring ,Hair - Abstract
The biological monitoring of toxic and essential metals in biological material is important for the study of influence of environmental conditions on the human body. In this work, the determination of Cd, Pb and Hg in blood, urine and hair of children has been performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The electrothermal atomisation with Zeeman background correction was used for Pb and Cd determination and mercury was determined using Trace Mercury Analyser TMA 254. Methylmercury in hair was determined simultaneously. To check the method, SRM Lyphochek Urine Metal control--Biorad, Seronorm Trace Elements--Nycomed and GWB Human Hair (China) were used. The group of more than 100 children were chosen for the study. Statistical tests were used for the evaluation of the obtained results. The concentrations of all elements in all types of samples correspond to the "normal contents" published for the non-exposed population.
- Published
- 1998
28. Comparison of concentration of Cu and Zn in children population
- Author
-
V, Spĕvácková, B, Benes, Smíd, and V, Spĕvácek
- Subjects
Male ,Zinc ,Reference Values ,Spectrophotometry, Atomic ,Humans ,Female ,Urine ,Child ,Blood Chemical Analysis ,Copper ,Czech Republic ,Hair - Abstract
The biological monitoring of essential metals in blood, urine and hair became important for the control of biological processes and for the study of the influence of environmental conditions on the human organism. To determine the normal level of copper and zinc in the children population group of Central Bohemia (Benesov), 98 samples of whole blood, 133 samples of urine and 135 samples of hair have been analysed by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy. The mineralisation of blood and hair samples in the microwave oven and 3-fold dilution of urine were used for the sample preparation. Arithmetic and geometric means as well as median and ratio Zn/Cu were calculated. The concentration of the elements under study in all samples did not differ from the values published in the literature. Some differences between girls and boys have been found.
- Published
- 1996
29. Hazardous waste issues in the Czech Republic--national report
- Author
-
B, Benes, H, Culíková, and E, Malásek
- Subjects
Air Pollutants ,Hazardous Waste ,Technology ,Waste Management ,Humans ,Industrial Waste ,Water Pollutants ,Environmental Exposure ,Czech Republic - Published
- 1994
30. [The effect of food supplementation with organically bound chromium on indicators of compensation in diabetic children and adolescents]
- Author
-
A, Kopecký, B, Benes, M, Imramovská, S, Kolousková, J, Lebl, and M, Snajderová
- Subjects
Blood Glucose ,Chromium ,Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ,Adolescent ,Humans ,Child ,Glycoproteins - Abstract
To the food of 33 diabetic patients typ I (in the age of about 15 years) organically bound chromium was added for 6 weeks. The influence on the metabolic compensation could not be proven, although in some individuals of this group the favorable effect of chromium can not be excluded.
- Published
- 1992
31. Penetration of beryllium through the placenta and its distribution in the mouse
- Author
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V, Bencko, M, Brezina, B, Benes, and M, Cikrt
- Subjects
Mice ,Mice, Inbred ICR ,Fetus ,Liver ,Pregnancy ,Placenta ,Animals ,Female ,Beryllium ,Kidney ,Maternal-Fetal Exchange ,Spleen - Abstract
Penetration of beryllium through the placenta and its distribution in the organs after intravenous administration of BeCl2 in a dose of 0.1 mg/kg was studied in a series of experiments on ICR SPF mice. To trace the fate of beryllium, an isotope in the form of 7BeCl2 in an amount of 111kBq per animal was used. This dose was administered to a group of females before fertilization, on the 7th and 14th day of pregnancy, and to control animals. The animals were killed on the 18th to 19th day of pregnancy and the content of beryllium in the foetuses and its distribution in the organs of the mothers were determined by measuring activity. It has been found that beryllium penetrates through the placenta with difficulty, however, part of the dose administered circulated in the blood long enough for Be to penetrate the foetuses. Of interest is the finding that beryllium in the dose administered influenced the number of foetuses of the exposed females. This finding deserves detailed evaluation in the test of dominant lethal mutations.
- Published
- 1979
32. The effect of a milk diet on the retention of 74As labelled arsenic in mice
- Author
-
V, Bencko, B, Benes, S, Jechová, and K, Symon
- Subjects
Radioisotopes ,Mice ,Mice, Inbred ICR ,Time Factors ,Animals ,Tissue Distribution ,Milk Proteins ,Arsenic ,Diet ,Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms - Abstract
The effect of 3 diets with different proportion of milk proteins on retention of arsenic was studied in mice. Arsenic was administered via drinking water in concentration 50 mg As [III] per litre labelled with 74As in amount 2.96 MBq per 100 ml. After 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 days of exposure the mice in groups of 6 each from all 3 experimental cohorts were decapitated and the content of 74As was determined in whole body, blood, liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs and heart by measuring of the activity in Gamma Scintillation Counter Tesla. From the intake of drinking water and amount of arsenic found in the experimental animals was calculated retention of arsenic in mice at different exposure intervals in all three diets. The values of arsenic found at the exposure intervals in examined materials of all three experimental cohorts were compared. The results obtained indicate that a milk diet has no adverse effect at exposure to arsenic in the sense of enhancing of its retention in mice at given experimental conditions. The found data seemed to suggest that the milk protein rich diet caused retardation of the increase of arsenic concentrations in blood, liver and kidneys that might lead at a lower exposure rate to a decrease in arsenic content in tissues of exposed animals.
- Published
- 1980
33. Biliary excretion of 74As and its distribution in the golden hamster after administration of 74As (III) and 74As (V)
- Author
-
M, Cikrt, V, Bencko, M, Tichý, and B, Benes
- Subjects
Radioisotopes ,Time Factors ,Mesocricetus ,Species Specificity ,Cricetinae ,Animals ,Bile ,Female ,Tissue Distribution ,Arsenic - Abstract
Biliary excretion of arsenic and its distribution in the organism were studied in golden hamsters after administration of Na3(74)AsO3 and Na2H74AsO4 solutions. Significant differences between the two valency forms of arsenic were found in the biliary excretion rate as well as in the cumulative biliary excretion of 74As. The arsenic biliary excretion after treatment with 74AS [III] [4.98 /+- 7.1, or 0.6 [0.2 - 1.1] percents of the administered dose] than that after 74As [V] application. On the other hand, arsenic excretion in the urine and stool were higher after the administration of pentavalent arsenic. The contents of 74As in the liver, kidneys, blood plasma and GIT wall were higher after the application of 74As [III]. It has been again confirmed tha compared to rats the hamster [similarly as the other laboratory animals] exhibits a significantly lower concentration of 74As in red blood cells [differences ranged by 2 orders of magnitude].
- Published
- 1980
34. [Mechanical treatment of finger fractures]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Fingers ,Fractures, Bone ,Finger Injuries ,Humans - Published
- 1951
35. [Intramedullary nailing and cortisone]
- Author
-
R, MLCOCH and B, BENES
- Subjects
Cortisone ,Fractures, Bone ,Humans ,Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary - Published
- 1958
36. [Effects of some substrates on lipids and fatty acids of Listeria monocytogenes]
- Author
-
M, Mára, F, Patocka, and B, Benes
- Subjects
Chromatography, Paper ,Fatty Acids ,Lipid Metabolism ,Lipids ,Listeria monocytogenes ,Culture Media - Published
- 1973
37. [Hand injuries caused by electric current]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Electricity ,Hand Injuries ,Humans ,Wounds and Injuries - Published
- 1956
38. [Therapy and management of Dupuytren's contracture]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Dupuytren Contracture ,Humans - Published
- 1954
39. [Comminuted fracture of calcaneus]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Calcaneus ,Fractures, Bone ,Foot ,Humans ,Ankle Injuries ,Knee Injuries ,Fractures, Comminuted - Published
- 1956
40. [Treatment of electric current burns of the limbs]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Electricity ,Humans ,Extremities ,Burns - Published
- 1955
41. [Replacement of the 1st metacarpus in the simultaneous loss of 2d and 3d fingers]
- Author
-
B, BENES
- Subjects
Finger Injuries ,Humans ,Metacarpus - Published
- 1961
42. BIOTRANSFORMATION OF AS(III) TO AS(V) AND ARSENIC TOLERANCE
- Author
-
Vladimir Bencko, B. Benes, and M Cikrt
- Subjects
Male ,Mice, Inbred ICR ,Sodium arsenite ,Chromatography ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Pharmacology toxicology ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Drug Tolerance ,General Medicine ,Urine ,Toxicology ,Arsenic ,Excretion ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Biotransformation ,Environmental chemistry ,Animals - Abstract
The paper deals with excretion of As(III) and As(V) in the urine of mice exposed to a toxic concentration of As(III) (250 mg/1) in drinking water. After the exposures of 2, 6, and 8 days, the mice were given i.m. a solution of 74As(III) labeled sodium arsenite in a dose of 1.3 mg As(III)/kg b.w. and an activity of 3 muCi/l ml. After the sacrifice of the animal, the urine was drawn off directly from the bladder. The urine samples were subjected to separation of As(III) from As(V) by using a paper radiochromatography technique. The results showed that unexposed control mice excreted one-half of the administered As(III) in the form of As(V). Mice exposed to arsenic in drinking water exceted already, after 2 days of exposure, four-fifths of the applied As(III) in the form of As(V), after 4 days of exposure the proportion of As(V) was more than 95%, and after 8 days of exposure only traces of As(III) were present. The authors discussed the possibility of the biotransformation of As(III) to As(V) on arsenic tolerance.
43. Evolution-Based Shape and Behavior Co-Design of Virtual Agents.
- Author
-
Wang Z, Benes B, Qureshi AH, and Mousas C
- Abstract
We introduce a novel co-design method for autonomous moving agents' shape attributes and locomotion by combining deep reinforcement learning and evolution with user control. Our main inspiration comes from evolution, which has led to wide variability and adaptation in Nature and has significantly improved design and behavior simultaneously. Our method takes an input agent with optional user-defined constraints, such as leg parts that should not evolve or are only within the allowed ranges of changes. It uses physics-based simulation to determine its locomotion and finds a behavior policy for the input design that is used as a baseline for comparison. The agent is randomly modified within the allowed ranges, creating a new generation of several hundred agents. The generation is trained by transferring the previous policy, which significantly speeds up the training. The best-performing agents are selected, and a new generation is formed using their crossover and mutations. The next generations are then trained until satisfactory results are reached. We show a wide variety of evolved agents, and our results show that even with only 10% of allowed changes, the overall performance of the evolved agents improves by 50%. If more significant changes to the initial design are allowed, our experiments' performance will improve even more to 150%. Our method significantly improved motion tasks without changing body structures, and it does not require considerable computation resources as it works on a single GPU and provides results by training thousands of agents within 30 minutes.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Kidney Transplant Candidacy: Addressing Common Medical and Psychosocial Barriers to Transplant.
- Author
-
Benes B, Langewisch ED, and Westphal SG
- Subjects
- Humans, Obesity psychology, Obesity surgery, Kidney Failure, Chronic surgery, Kidney Failure, Chronic psychology, Age Factors, Cardiovascular Diseases psychology, Patient Compliance psychology, Neoplasms psychology, Kidney Transplantation psychology, Health Services Accessibility, Patient Selection ethics
- Abstract
Improving access to kidney transplants remains a priority for the transplant community. However, many medical, psychosocial, geographic, and socioeconomic barriers exist that prevent or delay transplantation for candidates with certain conditions. There is a lack of consensus regarding how to best approach many of these issues and barriers, leading to heterogeneity in transplant centers' management and acceptance practices for a variety of pretransplant candidate issues. In this review, we address several of the more common contemporary patient medical and psychosocial barriers frequently encountered by transplant programs. The barriers discussed here include kidney transplant candidates with obesity, older age, prior malignancy, cardiovascular disease, history of nonadherence, and cannabis use. Improving understanding of how to best address these specific issues can empower referring providers, transplant programs, and patients to address these issues as necessary to progress toward eventual successful transplantation., (Copyright © 2024 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. DeepTree: Modeling Trees With Situated Latents.
- Author
-
Zhou X, Li B, Benes B, Fei S, and Pirk S
- Abstract
In this article, we propose DeepTree, a novel method for modeling trees based on learning developmental rules for branching structures instead of manually defining them. We call our deep neural model "situated latent" because its behavior is determined by the intrinsic state -encoded as a latent space of a deep neural model- and by the extrinsic (environmental) data that is "situated" as the location in the 3D space and on the tree structure. We use a neural network pipeline to train a situated latent space that allows us to locally predict branch growth only based on a single node in the branch graph of a tree model. We use this representation to progressively develop new branch nodes, thereby mimicking the growth process of trees. Starting from a root node, a tree is generated by iteratively querying the neural network on the newly added nodes resulting in the branching structure of the whole tree. Our method enables generating a wide variety of tree shapes without the need to define intricate parameters that control their growth and behavior. Furthermore, we show that the situated latents can also be used to encode the environmental response of tree models, e.g., when trees grow next to obstacles. We validate the effectiveness of our method by measuring the similarity of our tree models and by procedurally generated ones based on a number of established metrics for tree form.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Enhancing Buoyant force learning through a visuo-haptic environment: a case study.
- Author
-
Neri L, Noguez J, Escobar-Castillejos D, Robledo-Rella V, García-Castelán RMG, Gonzalez-Nucamendi A, Magana AJ, and Benes B
- Abstract
Introduction: This study aimed to develop, implement, and test a visuo-haptic simulator designed to explore the buoyancy phenomenon for freshman engineering students enrolled in physics courses. The primary goal was to enhance students' understanding of physical concepts through an immersive learning tool. Methods: The visuo-haptic simulator was created using the VIS-HAPT methodology, which provides high-quality visualization and reduces development time. A total of 182 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that used the simulator or a control group that received an equivalent learning experience in terms of duration and content. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests and an exit-perception questionnaire. Results: Data analysis revealed that the experimental group achieved higher learning gains than the control group ( p = 0.079). Additionally, students in the experimental group expressed strong enthusiasm for the simulator, noting its positive impact on their understanding of physical concepts. The VIS-HAPT methodology also reduced the average development time compared to similar visuo-haptic simulators. Discussion: The results demonstrate the efficacy of the buoyancy visuo-haptic simulator in improving students' learning experiences and validate the utility of the VIS-HAPT method for creating immersive educational tools in physics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Neri, Noguez, Escobar-Castillejos, Robledo-Rella, García-Castelán, Gonzalez-Nucamendi, Magana and Benes.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. 3D reconstruction identifies loci linked to variation in angle of individual sorghum leaves.
- Author
-
Tross MC, Gaillard M, Zwiener M, Miao C, Grove RJ, Li B, Benes B, and Schnable JC
- Abstract
Selection for yield at high planting density has reshaped the leaf canopy of maize, improving photosynthetic productivity in high density settings. Further optimization of canopy architecture may be possible. However, measuring leaf angles, the widely studied component trait of leaf canopy architecture, by hand is a labor and time intensive process. Here, we use multiple, calibrated, 2D images to reconstruct the 3D geometry of individual sorghum plants using a voxel carving based algorithm. Automatic skeletonization and segmentation of these 3D geometries enable quantification of the angle of each leaf for each plant. The resulting measurements are both heritable and correlated with manually collected leaf angles. This automated and scaleable reconstruction approach was employed to measure leaf-by-leaf angles for a population of 366 sorghum plants at multiple time points, resulting in 971 successful reconstructions and 3,376 leaf angle measurements from individual leaves. A genome wide association study conducted using aggregated leaf angle data identified a known large effect leaf angle gene, several previously identified leaf angle QTL from a sorghum NAM population, and novel signals. Genome wide association studies conducted separately for three individual sorghum leaves identified a number of the same signals, a previously unreported signal shared across multiple leaves, and signals near the sorghum orthologs of two maize genes known to influence leaf angle. Automated measurement of individual leaves and mapping variants associated with leaf angle reduce the barriers to engineering ideal canopy architectures in sorghum and other grain crops., Competing Interests: James C. Schnable has an equity interests in Data2Bio, a company that provides genotyping services using the same protocol employed for genotyping in this study., (©2021 Tross et al.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. PICO: Procedural Iterative Constrained Optimizer for Geometric Modeling.
- Author
-
Krs V, Mech R, Gaillard M, Carr N, and Benes B
- Abstract
Procedural modeling has produced amazing results, yet fundamental issues such as controllability and limited user guidance persist. We introduce a novel procedural model called PICO (Procedural Iterative Constrained Optimizer) and PICO-Graph that is the underlying procedural model designed with optimization in mind. The key novelty of PICO is that it enables the exploration of generative designs by combining both user and environmental constraints into a single framework by using optimization without the need to write procedural rules. The PICO-Graph procedural model consists of a set of geometry generating operations and a set of axioms connected in a directed cyclic graph. The forward generation is initiated by a set of axioms that use the connections to send coordinate systems and geometric objects through the PICO-Graph, which in turn generates more objects. This allows for fast generation of complex and varied geometries. Moreover, we combine PICO-Graph with efficient optimization that allows for quick exploration of the generated models and the generation of variants. The user defines the rules, the axioms, and the set of constraints; for example, whether an existing object should be supported by the generated model, whether symmetries exist, whether the object should spin, etc. PICO then generates a class of geometric models and optimizes them so that they fulfill the constraints. The generation and the optimization in our implementation provides interactive user control during model execution providing continuous feedback. For example, the user can sketch the constraints and guide the geometry to meet these specified goals. We show PICO on a variety of examples such as the generation of procedural chairs with multiple supports, generation of support structures for 3D printing, generation of spinning objects, or generation of procedural terrains matching a given input. Our framework could be used as a component in a larger design workflow; its strongest application is in the early rapid ideation and prototyping phases.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. QuadStack: An Efficient Representation and Direct Rendering of Layered Datasets.
- Author
-
Graciano A, Rueda AJ, Pospisil A, Bittner J, and Benes B
- Abstract
We introduce QuadStack, a novel algorithm for volumetric data compression and direct rendering. Our algorithm exploits the data redundancy often found in layered datasets which are common in science and engineering fields such as geology, biology, mechanical engineering, medicine, etc. QuadStack first compresses the volumetric data into vertical stacks which are then compressed into a quadtree that identifies and represents the layered structures at the internal nodes. The associated data (color, material, density, etc.) and shape of these layer structures are decoupled and encoded independently, leading to high compression rates (4× to 54× of the original voxel model memory footprint in our experiments). We also introduce an algorithm for value retrieving from the QuadStack representation and we show that the access has logarithmic complexity. Because of the fast access, QuadStack is suitable for efficient data representation and direct rendering. We show that our GPU implementation performs comparably in speed with the state-of-the-art algorithms (18-79 MRays/s in our implementation), while maintaining a significantly smaller memory footprint.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. The positivity principle: do positive instructors improve learning from video lectures?
- Author
-
Lawson AP, Mayer RE, Adamo-Villani N, Benes B, Lei X, and Cheng J
- Abstract
The positivity principle states that people learn better from instructors who display positive emotions rather than negative emotions. In two experiments, students viewed a short video lecture on a statistics topic in which an instructor stood next to a series of slides as she lectured and then they took either an immediate test (Experiment 1) or a delayed test (Experiment 2). In a between-subjects design, students saw an instructor who used her voice, body movement, gesture, facial expression, and eye gaze to display one of four emotions while lecturing: happy (positive/active), content (positive/passive), frustrated (negative/active), or bored (negative/passive). First, learners were able to recognize the emotional tone of the instructor in an instructional video lecture, particularly by more strongly rating a positive instructor as displaying positive emotions and a negative instructor as displaying negative emotions (in Experiments 1 and 2). Second, concerning building a social connection during learning, learners rated a positive instructor as more likely to facilitate learning, more credible, and more engaging than a negative instructor (in Experiments 1 and 2). Third, concerning cognitive engagement during learning, learners reported paying more attention during learning for a positive instructor than a negative instructor (in Experiments 1 and 2). Finally, concerning learning outcome, learners who had a positive instructor scored higher than learners who had a negative instructor on a delayed posttest (Experiment 2) but not an immediate posttest (Experiment 1). Overall, there is evidence for the positivity principle and the cognitive-affective model of e-learning from which it is derived., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors report no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2021.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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