11 research outputs found
The Minóy Machine
No full textThe author provides a first-hand account, as a founding editor of Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine and contributing writer with Punctum Press, of his discovery of the early noise music of Minóy (pseudonym of the sound artist Stanley Keith Bowsza), and its significance within the history of Machine Art
Destroyer of Naivetés
No full textVictor J. Vitanza (author of Sexual Violence in Western Thought and Writing) continues to rethink the problem of sexual violence in cinema and how rape is often represented in “chaste” ways, in the form of a Chaste Cinematics. Vitanza continues to discuss Chaste Cinematics as participating in transdisciplinary-rhetorical traditions that establish the very foundations (groundings, points of stasis) for nation states and cultures. In this offering, however, the initial grounding for the discussions is “base materialism” (George Bataille): divine filth, the sacred and profane. It is this post-philosophical base materialism that destabilizes binaries, fixedness, and brings forth excluded thirds. Vitanza asks: why is it that a repressed third, or a third figure, returns, most strangely as a “product” of rape and torture? He works with Jean-Paul Sartre and Page duBois’s suggestion that the “product” is a new “species.” Always attempting unorthodox ways of approaching social problems, Vitanza organizes his table of contents as a DVD menu of “Extras” (supplements). This menu includes Alternate Endings and Easter Eggs as well as an Excursus, which invokes readers to take up the political exigency of the DVD-Book. Vitanza’s first “Extra” studies a trio of films that need to be reconsidered, given what they offer as insights into Chaste Cinematics: Amadeus (a mad god), Henry Fool (a foolish god), and Multiple Maniacs (a divine god who is raped and eats excrement). The second examines Helke Sander’s documentary Liberators Take Liberties, which re-thinks the rapes of German women by the Russians and Allies during the Battle of Berlin. The third rethinks Margie Strosser’s video-film Rape Stories that calls for revenge. In the Alternate Endings, Vitanza rethinks the problem of reversibility in G. Noé’s Irréversible. In the Easter Eggs, he considers Dominique Laporte’s “the Irreparable,” as the object of loss and Giorgio Agamben’s “the Irreparable,” as hope in what is without remedy. The result is not another film-studies book, but a new genre, a new set of rhetorics, for new ways of thinking about cinematics, perhaps postcinematics
Destroyer of Naivetés
No full textVictor J. Vitanza (author of Sexual Violence in Western Thought and Writing) continues to rethink the problem of sexual violence in cinema and how rape is often represented in “chaste” ways, in the form of a Chaste Cinematics. Vitanza continues to discuss Chaste Cinematics as participating in transdisciplinary-rhetorical traditions that establish the very foundations (groundings, points of stasis) for nation states and cultures. In this offering, however, the initial grounding for the discussions is “base materialism” (George Bataille): divine filth, the sacred and profane. It is this post-philosophical base materialism that destabilizes binaries, fixedness, and brings forth excluded thirds. Vitanza asks: why is it that a repressed third, or a third figure, returns, most strangely as a “product” of rape and torture? He works with Jean-Paul Sartre and Page duBois’s suggestion that the “product” is a new “species.” Always attempting unorthodox ways of approaching social problems, Vitanza organizes his table of contents as a DVD menu of “Extras” (supplements). This menu includes Alternate Endings and Easter Eggs as well as an Excursus, which invokes readers to take up the political exigency of the DVD-Book. Vitanza’s first “Extra” studies a trio of films that need to be reconsidered, given what they offer as insights into Chaste Cinematics: Amadeus (a mad god), Henry Fool (a foolish god), and Multiple Maniacs (a divine god who is raped and eats excrement). The second examines Helke Sander’s documentary Liberators Take Liberties, which re-thinks the rapes of German women by the Russians and Allies during the Battle of Berlin. The third rethinks Margie Strosser’s video-film Rape Stories that calls for revenge. In the Alternate Endings, Vitanza rethinks the problem of reversibility in G. Noé’s Irréversible. In the Easter Eggs, he considers Dominique Laporte’s “the Irreparable,” as the object of loss and Giorgio Agamben’s “the Irreparable,” as hope in what is without remedy. The result is not another film-studies book, but a new genre, a new set of rhetorics, for new ways of thinking about cinematics, perhaps postcinematics
Serial echocardiographic assessment of the left ventricular function after direct PCI
No full textBackground: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes remodelling of the left ventricle (LV). Restoration of patency of an infarct-related artery by percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) may prevent or inhibit cardiac remodelling.Aim: To assess LV contractility and function by serial echocardiographic examinations.Methods: The study group consisted of 61 patients (47 males, mean age 60±10 years) with acute MI treated with direct PCI. Echocardiography was performed 6-8 days after PCI, and 1, 6 and 12 months thereafter.Results: LV ejection fraction increased significantly at the end of the first month in comparison with the baseline examination whereas EF values obtained after 6 months and after 1 year were not significantly different. Wall motion score index showed a significant improvement after one month, whereas it did not show any further improvement when measured after 6 or 12 months after AMI. The baseline LV end-diastolic diameter was 49±6 mm and did not change after one or 6 months, whereas it increased significantly 12 months after AMI. The baseline LV end-systolic diameter was 37±5 mm. At the one-month and six-month examinations it was similar to the baseline values but increased significantly to 38±6 mm after one year.Conclusions: These results confirm the beneficial effects of PCI-induced infarct-related artery patency on LV remodelling after AMI
The impact of different DNA extraction kits and laboratories upon the assessment of human gut microbiota composition by 16S rRNA gene sequencing
No full textPeer reviewe
Binary representation of USD/PLN exchange rate: a wave analysis
No full textKurs pary walutowej można zobrazować w postaci reprezentacji binarnej. Algorytm binaryzacji zamienia kurs reprezentowany przez dane tikowe na odpowiedni ciąg binarny. Podstawą algorytmu jest dyskretyzacja kursu, w której każdej zmianie wartości, równej zadanej jednostce dyskretyzacji, jest przypisywana wartość binarna zgodna z kierunkiem zmiany kursu. Badania statystyczne przeprowadzone przez autora potwierdziły istnienie zależności w binarnej reprezentacji kursu między historycznymi zmianami a dalszym kierunkiem zmian. Reprezentowany binarnie kurs może być zatem wykorzystany do wyznaczania kierunku i zakresu przyszłych zmian, a w konsekwencji budowy systemów HFT charakteryzujących się dodatnią stopą zwrotu. Jedną z podstawowych metod analizy technicznej jest analiza falowa. W artykule przedstawiono zastosowanie analizy falowej dla reprezentacji binarnej. W tym celu zaproponowano algorytmy pozwalające na detekcje fal, następnie dokonano analizy odpowiednich parametrów fal oraz ich wpływu na kierunek przyszłych zmian kursu walutowego USD/PLN. Proces binaryzacji kursu i algorytm wyznaczania fal został przeprowadzony na podstawie oprogramowania napisanego przez autora w języku MQL4 i C++.The exchange rate of a currency pair can be represented in a binary form. The binarization algorithm converts rates presented in tick data into an appropriate binary string. The basis for this algorithm is provided by an exchange rate discretization, in which each change in value equal to a given discretization unit is assigned a binary value, which corresponds to the direction of change. Statistical research performed by the author confirms dependencies of previous changes and future change of direction in binary representation of exchange rates. Thus, the binary representation can be applied in appointing the direction and scope of future changes, and consequently in the construction of HFT systems with positive rates of return. Wave analysis is one of the basic methods of technical analysis. The paper presents the application of wave analysis for binary representation. For this purpose, algorithms for wave detection are proposed, followed by the analysis of relevant wave parameters and their impact on the direction of future changes in the USD / PLN exchange rate. The binarization process and algorithm for appointing pairs is performed based on the author’s proprietary software written in the MQL4 and C++ [email protected] Ekonomiczny w PoznaniuBickford J. L., 2007, Forex Wave Theory-A Technical Analysis for Spot and Futures Currency Traders, The Mc-Graw-Hill Companies, New York.Chung K. L., 2012, Elementary probability theory with stochastic processes, Springer, New York.Frost A. J., Prechter R. R., 1995, Teoria fal Elliotta, Wig-Press, Warszawa.Godbole A. P., Papastavridis S. G., 1994, Runs and patterns in probability: Selected papers, “Springer Science & Business Media”, vol. 283.Lo A. W., Mamaysky H., Wang J., 2000, Foundations of technical analysis: Computational algorithms, statistical inference, and empirical implementation, “The Journal of Finance”, no. 55(4).Logue D. E., Sweeney R. J., 1977, White noise in imperfect markets: the case of the franc/dollar exchange rates, “The Journal of Finance”, no. 32(3).Menezes A. J., Van Oorschot P. C., Vanstone S. A., 1996, Handbook of applied cryptography, CRC Press, London.Murphy J. J., 1999, Analiza techniczna rynków finansowych, WIG-Press, Warszawa.Neely C. J., Weller P. A., 2011,Technical analysis in the foreign exchange market, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Working Paper, No. 2011-001B.Oberlechner T., 2005, The psychology of the foreign exchange market, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, West Sussex.Rukhin A., Soto J., Nechvatal J., Barker E., Leigh S., Levenson M., Smid M., 2010, Statistical test suite for random and pseudorandom number generators for cryptographic applications, NIST Special Publication 800-22, Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102.Schlossberg B., 2006, Technical Analysis of the Currency Market, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey.Stasiak M. D., 2015, Kurs USD/PLN w ujęciu binarnym, Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Katowicach, Katowice (przyjęty do publikacji).Stasiak M. D., 2016, Modelling of currency exchange ratesusing a binary representation, Information Systems Architecture and Technology: Proceedings of 37th International Conference on Information Systems Architecture and Technology – ISAT, Springer.Valcu D., 2004, Using The Heikin-Ashi Technique, “Technical Analysis of Stock and Commodities Magazine”, no. 22(2).Yazdi S. H. M., Lashkari Z. H., 2013, Technical analysis of Forex by MACD Indicator, “International Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences” (IJHMS), no. 1(2).3(87)16217
Cardiac myosin activation with omecamtiv mecarbil in systolic heart failure
No full textBACKGROUND The selective cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. METHODS We randomly assigned 8256 patients (inpatients and outpatients) with symptomatic chronic heart failure and an ejection fraction of 35% or less to receive omecamtiv mecarbil (using pharmacokinetic-guided doses of 25 mg, 37.5 mg, or 50 mg twice daily) or placebo, in addition to standard heart-failure therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of a first heart-failure event (hospitalization or urgent visit for heart failure) or death from cardiovascular causes. RESULTS During a median of 21.8 months, a primary-outcome event occurred in 1523 of 4120 patients (37.0%) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and in 1607 of 4112 patients (39.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86 to 0.99; P = 0.03). A total of 808 patients (19.6%) and 798 patients (19.4%), respectively, died from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.11). There was no significant difference between groups in the change from baseline on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score. At week 24, the change from baseline for the median N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level was 10% lower in the omecamtiv mecarbil group than in the placebo group; the median cardiac troponin I level was 4 ng per liter higher. The frequency of cardiac ischemic and ventricular arrhythmia events was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection, those who received omecamtiv mecarbil had a lower incidence of a composite of a heart-failure event or death from cardiovascular causes than those who received placebo. (Funded by Amgen and others; GALACTIC-HF ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02929329; EudraCT number, 2016 -002299-28.)
The Changing Landscape for Stroke Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2
No full textBackground GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients’ baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age ≥75 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score ≥2; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701
Cardiac myosin activation with omecamtiv mecarbil in systolic heart failure
No full textBackground:
The selective cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown.
Methods:
We randomly assigned 8256 patients (inpatients and outpatients) with symptomatic chronic heart failure and an ejection fraction of 35% or less to receive omecamtiv mecarbil (using pharmacokinetic-guided doses of 25 mg, 37.5 mg, or 50 mg twice daily) or placebo, in addition to standard heart-failure therapy. The primary outcome was a composite of a first heart-failure event (hospitalization or urgent visit for heart failure) or death from cardiovascular causes.
Results:
During a median of 21.8 months, a primary-outcome event occurred in 1523 of 4120 patients (37.0%) in the omecamtiv mecarbil group and in 1607 of 4112 patients (39.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86 to 0.99; P=0.03). A total of 808 patients (19.6%) and 798 patients (19.4%), respectively, died from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.11). There was no significant difference between groups in the change from baseline on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score. At week 24, the change from baseline for the median N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide level was 10% lower in the omecamtiv mecarbil group than in the placebo group; the median cardiac troponin I level was 4 ng per liter higher. The frequency of cardiac ischemic and ventricular arrhythmia events was similar in the two groups.
Conclusions:
Among patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection, those who received omecamtiv mecarbil had a lower incidence of a composite of a heart-failure event or death from cardiovascular causes than those who received placebo. (Funded by Amgen and others; GALACTIC-HF ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02929329. opens in new tab; EudraCT number, 2016-002299-28. opens in new tab.
Vericiguat for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction across the risk spectrum: an individual participant data analysis of the VICTORIA and VICTOR trials
No full textInternational audienceBackground Following completion of the VICTORIA trial, vericiguat was approved for the treatment of worsening heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and received a class IIb recommendation in European and North American guidelines. The subsequent VICTOR trial evaluated the use of vericiguat in patients with HFrEF and no recent worsening. We aimed to assess the effect of vericiguat on clinical endpoints through pooled analyses of patientlevel data from the VICTORIA and VICTOR trials. Methods This prespecified, pooled individual participant-level analysis was conducted on data from two trials: VICTORIA, which was active from Sept 25, 2016, to Sept 2, 2019 in 42 countries, and VICTOR, which was active from Nov 2, 2021, to Feb 5, 2025 in 36 countries. The VICTORIA trial enrolled adult (aged ≥18 years) participants with HFrEF with recent worsening (defined as either hospitalisation for heart failure within the previous 6 months or outpatient use of intravenous diuretics within the previous 3 months) and increased NT-proBNP concentrations; the VICTOR trial had similar eligibility criteria but participants had no recent worsening of heart failure. Participants in both trials received contemporary background guideline-directed heart failure therapy as appropriate. The primary endpoint was a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalisation for heart failure (also assessed individually). This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD420251065636. Findings Data from 11 155 patients (5050 in the VICTORIA trial and 6105 in the VICTOR trial) were included in the pooled analysis. The primary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalisation for heart failure occurred in 1446 (25•9%) of 5579 patients in the vericiguat group and 1556 (27•9%) of 5576 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR] 0•91 [95% CI 0•85-0•98]; p=0•0088), with similar reductions in its individual components of cardiovascular death (0•89 [0•80-0•98]; p=0•020) and hospitalisation for heart failure (0•92 [0•84-1•00]; p=0•043) as first events. Interpretation Vericiguat reduced the risk of hospitalisation for heart failure and cardiovascular death in patients with HFrEF across a broad range of clinical severity, including those receiving contemporary guideline-directed medical therapy. Vericiguat might be suitable as an additional treatment option for selected patients with HFrEF. Funding Merck Sharp & Dohme (a subsidiary of Merck) and Bayer.</div
