Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of aortic dissection

The acute dissection of the ascending aorta requires prompt and reliable diagnosis to reduce the high risk of mortality; in addition, prognosis is influenced by longterm complications. The aim of this article is to discuss transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and (1) its diagnostic accuracy in the presurgical evaluation of patients, (2) its role in reducing time of diagnosis and surgery, and (3) its ability to reduce hospital mortality. TEE has also been tested as a screening method in the postsurgical follow-up of these patients. The retrospective investigation concerns a sample of 80 cases of acute dissection of the aorta, submitted for surgical intervention from April 1986 to February 1999. TEE has allowed a precise estimation of aortic diameters and optimal visualization of intimal flap and tear entry with a fine distinction between true and false lumen. A direct comparison of the results of TEE and of transthoracic echocardiography has demonstrated that some elements (visualization of flap and diameters in descending aorta, sites of entry and reentry, direction of let trough intimal tears, phasic intimal flap movement, diastolic collapse of flap on the valvular plane, false lumen thrombosis, coronary involvement, intramural hematoma, and aortic fissuration) were identified only by TEE, whereas other additional diagnostic elements (cardiac tamponade, aortic valve insufficiency, left ventricular function) show a similar pattern of significance. Routine employment of this method has confirmed a reduction of hospitalization time (about 1.5 hours of waiting time), and hospital mortality has changed from 42.8% to 17.3%. In the follow-up of patients operated on for aortic dissection, fundamental information may be obtained from TEE (assessment of the progression of thrombosis in the false lumen with its complete obliteration and modifications in aortic diameter with a consequent, possible worsening of aortic valve insufficiency). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that TEE may provide fast and efficient detection of acute aortic dissection. In the postsurgical follow-up, TEE has confirmed detection of major complications that can influence long-term prognosis and may be proposed as a method with easy access-one that is repeatable and inexpensive for the screening of aortic dissection surgical patients. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Performance of the CMS muon trigger system in proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV

The muon trigger system of the CMS experiment uses a combination of hardware and software to identify events containing a muon. During Run 2 (covering 2015-2018) the LHC achieved instantaneous luminosities as high as 2 × 10 cm s while delivering proton-proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV. The challenge for the trigger system of the CMS experiment is to reduce the registered event rate from about 40 MHz to about 1 kHz. Significant improvements important for the success of the CMS physics program have been made to the muon trigger system via improved muon reconstruction and identification algorithms since the end of Run 1 and throughout the Run 2 data-taking period. The new algorithms maintain the acceptance of the muon triggers at the same or even lower rate throughout the data-taking period despite the increasing number of additional proton-proton interactions in each LHC bunch crossing. In this paper, the algorithms used in 2015 and 2016 and their improvements throughout 2017 and 2018 are described. Measurements of the CMS muon trigger performance for this data-taking period are presented, including efficiencies, transverse momentum resolution, trigger rates, and the purity of the selected muon sample. This paper focuses on the single- and double-muon triggers with the lowest sustainable transverse momentum thresholds used by CMS. The efficiency is measured in a transverse momentum range from 8 to several hundred GeV

Endocrinopathies: chronic thyroiditis, addison disease, pernicious anemia, graves’ disease, diabetes, and hypophysitis

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT), also known as Hashimoto thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid gland, with the concomitant production of autoantibodies to thyroid antigens, primarily thyroglobulin and/or thyroperoxidase (TPO), formerly known as microsomal antigen (1). Although few epidemiological data are available, the prevalence of CLT is estimated to be 1 in 1,000 people, with an incidence of 0.2 to 2% and a female-to-male ratio of about 18:1 (1). Clinical signs and symptoms manifest slowly and may involve many systems of the body (1). Accumulations of hydrophilic mucoproteins with edema, a condition called myxedema, affects skin and connective tissue and can affect the appearance of the individual. Lethargy may ensue, with a loss of mental acuity. Systems commonly affected are the gastrointestinal tract, the hemopoietic system, the endocrine system, and the urogenital system (1). Enlargement of the thyroid gland due to lymphocyte invasion, called goiter, is a frequent manifestation, although there is an atrophic variation. Demonstration of autoantibodies to the thyroid antigens aids in the diagnosis of CLT, distinguishing it from other causes of hypothyroidism

Detection of pituitary antibodies by immunofluorescence: Approach and results in patients with pituitary diseases

Context: Pituitary antibodies have been measured mainly to identify patients whose disease is caused or sustained by pituitary-specific autoimmunity. Although reported in over 100 publications, they have yielded variable results and are thus considered of limited clinical utility. Objectives: Our objectives were to analyze all publications reporting pituitary antibodies by immunofluorescence for detecting the major sources of variability, to experimentally test these sources and devise an optimized immunofluorescence protocol, and to assess prevalence and significance of pituitary antibodies in patients with pituitary diseases. Study Design and Outcome Measures: We first evaluated the effect of pituitary gland species, section fixation, autofluorescence quenching, blockade of unwanted antibody binding, and use of purified IgG on the performance of this antibody assay. We then measured crosssectionally the prevalence of pituitary antibodies in 390 pituitary cases and 60 healthy controls, expressing results as present or absent and according to the (granular, diffuse, perinuclear, or mixed) staining pattern. Results: Human pituitary was the best substrate to detect pituitary antibodies and yielded an optimal signal-to-noise ratio when treated with Sudan black B to reduce autofluorescence. Pituitary antibodies were more common in cases (95 of 390, 24%) than controls (3 of 60, 5%, P .001) but did not discriminate among pituitary diseases when reported dichotomously. However, when expressed according to their cytosolic staining, a granular pattern was highly predictive of pituitary autoimmunity (P < .0001). Conclusion: We report a comprehensive study of pituitary antibodies by immunofluorescence and provide a method and an interpretation scheme that should be useful for identifying and monitoring patients with pituitary autoimmunity. © 2014 by the Endocrine Society

Circuit training for bone health: efficacy of the bone-based rotation exercises principle: A pilot study

Purpose: Physical exercise has been shown effective for bone health, across lifespan, if proper characteristics have been ensured during exercise prescription and conduction. The aim of our study was to verify if workout organization, in postmenopausal women, may have a central role in determining the entity of the osteogenic effect of a physical exercise program. Methods: Thirty-two postmenopausal women (mean age 59.35 ± 3.65 years) were eligible for the study. Plasma BAP and CTx-I were collected, and DEXA, anthropometry, dietary habits, and fitness tests have been ascertained before and after their participation in 12-week supervised workouts. One sub-group (TWs-s) was trained according to a traditional workout scheme, while the other sub-group (BBs-s) was trained following a bone-based scheme of exercise rotation. Results: BBs-s significantly increased BAP plasma values (p = 0.004) and Six-Minute Walking Test result (p < 0.001), while TWs-s not. Both the sub-groups significantly increased Flamingo Balance Test (p = 0.05), Plank Position Test (p < 0.001), Handgrip Test (p = 0.004), Squat Test (p < 0.001), and Arm Curl Test (p < 0.001). Conclusions: When bone health is considered, the establishment of the right exercise order, in a circuit training workout, is very important, because it could amplify or delay mechanoreceptor desensitizing. The experimented bone-based scheme of exercise rotation seems able to furnish positive effects on bone, muscle, and aerobic fitness