Validity and reproducibility of arterial pulse wave velocity measurement using new device with oscillometric technique: A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Availability of a range of techniques and devices allow measurement of many variables related to the stiffness of large or medium sized arteries. There is good evidence that, pulse wave velocity is a relatively simple measurement and is a good indicator of changes in arterial properties. The pulse wave velocity calculated from pulse wave recording by other methods like doppler or tonometry is tedious, time-consuming and above all their reproducibility depends on the operator skills. It requires intensive resource involvement. For epidemiological studies these methods are not suitable. The aim of our study was to clinically evaluate the validity and reproducibility of a new automatic device for measurement of pulse wave velocity that can be used in such studies. METHODS: In 44 subjects including normal healthy control and patients with coronary artery disease, heart brachial, heart ankle, brachial ankle and carotid femoral pulse wave velocities were recorded by using a new oscillometric device. Lead I and II electrocardiogram and pressure curves were simultaneously recorded. Two observers recorded the pulse wave velocity for validation and one observer recorded the velocity on two occasions for reproducibility. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Pulse wave velocity and arterial stiffness index were recorded in 24 control and 20 coronary artery disease patients. All the velocities were significantly high in coronary artery disease patients. There was highly significant correlation between the values noted by the two observers with low standard deviation. The Pearson's correlation coefficient for various velocities ranged from (r = 0.88–0.90) with (p < 0.0001). The reproducibility was also very good as shown by Bland-Altman plot; most of the values were lying within 2 SD. The interperiod measurements of pulse wave velocity were also significantly correlated (r = 0.71 – 0.98) (P < 0.0001). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was found to correlate significantly with heart brachial, heart ankle, brachial ankle pulse wave velocity and arterial stiffness index values. Reproducibility of our method was good with very low variability in both interobserver and interperiod analysis. CONCLUSION: The new device "PeriScope" based on oscillometric technique has been found to be a simple, non-invasive and reproducible device for the assessment of pulse wave velocity and can be used to determine arterial stiffness in large population based studies

Does nonlinear blood-brain barrier transport matter for (lower) morphine dosing strategies?

Morphine blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport is governed by passive diffusion, active efflux and saturable active influx. This may result in nonlinear plasma concentration-dependent brain extracellular fluid (brainECF) pharmacokinetics of morphine. In this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of nonlinear BBB transport on brainECF pharmacokinetics of morphine and its metabolites for different dosing strategies using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic simulation study. We extended the human physiologically based pharmacokinetic LeiCNS-PK3.0, model with equations for nonlinear BBB transport of morphine. Simulations for brainECF pharmacokinetics were performed for various dosing strategies: intravenous (IV), oral immediate (IR) and extended release (ER) with dose range of 0.25-150 mg and dosing frequencies of 1-6 times daily. The impact of nonlinear BBB transport on morphine CNS pharmacokinetics was evaluated by quantifying (i) the relative brainECF to plasma exposure (AUCu,brainECF/AUCu,plasma) and (ii) the impact on the peak-to-trough ratio (PTR) of concentration-time profiles in brainECF and plasma. We found that the relative morphine exposure and PTRs are dose dependent for the evaluated dose range. The highest relative morphine exposure value of 1.4 was found for once daily 0.25 mg ER and lowest of 0.1 for 6-daily 150 mg IV dosing. At lower doses the PTRs were smaller and increased with increasing dose and stabilized at higher doses independent of dosing frequency. Relative peak concentrations of morphine in relation to its metabolites changed with increasing dose. We conclude that nonlinearity of morphine BBB transport affects the relative brainECF exposure and the fluctuation of morphine and its metabolites mainly at lower dosing regimens.Pharmacolog

Sphingolipids as critical players in retinal physiology and pathology

Sphingolipids have emerged as bioactive lipids involved in the regulation of many physiological and pathological processes. In the retina, they have been established toparticipate in numerousprocesses, suchas neuronal survival and death, proliferation and migration of neuronal and vascular cells, inflammation, and neovascularization. Dysregulation of sphingolipids is therefore crucial in the onset and progression of retinal diseases. This review examines the involvement of sphingolipids in retinal physiology and diseases. Ceramide (Cer) has emerged as a common mediator of inflammation and death of neuronal and retinal pigment epithelium cells in animal models of retinopathies such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and retinitis pigmentosa. Sphingosine- 1-phosphate (S1P) has opposite roles, preventing photoreceptor and ganglion cell degeneration but also promoting inflammation, fibrosis, and neovascularization in AMD, glaucoma, and pro-fibrotic disorders. Alterations in Cer, S1P, and ceramide 1- phosphate may also contribute to uveitis. Notably, use of inhibitors that either prevent Cer increase or modulate S1P signaling, such as Myriocin, desipramine, and Fingolimod (FTY720), preserves neuronal viability and retinal function. These findings underscore the relevance of alterations in the sphingolipid metabolic network in the etiology of multiple retinopathies and highlight the potential of modulating their metabolism for the design of novel therapeutic approaches.Fil: Simon, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Basu, Sandip K.. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Qaladize, Bano. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Grambergs, Richards. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Rotstein, Nora Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Mandal, Nawajes .A.. University of Tennessee; Estados Unido

The three foundations of the family: love, marriage, parenting

Artykuł zmierza w kierunku filozoficznego zdefiniowania rodziny. Jego celem jest zasygnalizowanie pewnych narzędzi teoretycznych, umożliwiających mówienie o rodzinie językiem maksymalnie ogólnym oraz wartościowanie dotyczących jej coraz gwałtowniejszych przemian. Autor odwołuje się przede wszystkim do pewnych intuicji z filozoficznej antropologii (zwłaszcza z kręgu personalizmu i filozofii spotkania). Indywidualną tożsamość osoby pojmuje jako dynamiczną wartość ukierunkowaną na własny nieskończony wzrost. Takie jej rozumienie pozwala na uzasadnienie koniecznego związku pomiędzy trzema konstytutywnymi dla rodziny momentami: miłością, małżeństwem i rodzicielstwem.The article is heading in the direction of the philosophical definition of family. The aim is to flag up certain theoretical tools that talking about family the maximum overall language and allow valuation of her increasingly violent change. The author refers primarily to some of the insights of philosophical anthropology (especially from the circle of personalism and the philosophy of dialogue). The individual identity of the person is understood as a dynamic value oriented towards its infinite growth. Such her understanding enables us to justify the necessary connection between the three constitutive moments for the family: love, marriage and parenthood

Estimation of Direction of Arrival and Beamforming in Adaptive Array Antennas

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the number of wireless users, particularly in the area of mobile communications. This rapid growth in mobile communications demands for more system capacity through efficient utilization of frequency spectrum and also keeping the Interference as low as possible. In today’s Radio resource management, Adaptive array antennas have an important role in increasing the system capacity and controlling the interference in mobile communications. Adaptive array antenna is an antenna system, which uses spatially separated antennas called array antennas and processes the received signals with a digital signal processor. Simply speaking these array antennas can reduce the co channel interference and effectively utilize the bandwidth by steering a high gain in the direction of interest and low gains in the undesired directions, technically this is called adaptive beamforming. This adaptive beamforming enables the base station to form narrow beam towards desired user and nulls towards the interfering user, hence improving the signal quality

Estimation of Direction of Arrival and Beamforming in Adaptive Array Antennas

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the number of wireless users, particularly in the area of mobile communications. This rapid growth in mobile communications demands for more system capacity through efficient utilization of frequency spectrum and also keeping the Interference as low as possible. In today’s Radio resource management, Adaptive array antennas have an important role in increasing the system capacity and controlling the interference in mobile communications. Adaptive array antenna is an antenna system, which uses spatially separated antennas called array antennas and processes the received signals with a digital signal processor. Simply speaking these array antennas can reduce the co channel interference and effectively utilize the bandwidth by steering a high gain in the direction of interest and low gains in the undesired directions, technically this is called adaptive beamforming. This adaptive beamforming enables the base station to form narrow beam towards desired user and nulls towards the interfering user, hence improving the signal quality

Le Pacifique de 5000 à 2000 avant le présent : suppléments à l'histoire d'une colonisation = The Pacific from 5000 to 2000 BP : colonisation and transformations

Cette étude utilise les mesures des isotopes radiogéniques contenus dans le plomb et le strontium présents dans les dents, pour déterminer l'origine de l'exposition à ces éléments subie par des êtres humains "in vivo". Ce projet a pour but principal, et ce pour la première fois, d'identifier, parmi les populations archéologiques du Pacifique, les premières générations d'immigrants. Pour déterminer de quelle île tel être humain provenait, ainsi que la direction des mouvements de population, les archéologues se sont jusqu'à présent basés sur une combinaison de modèles stylistiques et linguistiques, ainsi que sur la tradition orale. Ce projet, le premier à utiliser la spectrométrie de masse d'ionisation thermique dans l'étude des mouvements de population dans le Pacifique, se penche plus particulièrement sur les problèmes associés avec les soi-disant "Outliers polynésiens". Des mesures seront prises sur les isotopes radiogéniques de strontium et de plomb présents dans les couches d'émail des restes dentaires archéologiques humains. En comparant ces mesures avec la banque de données des mesures géologiques prises sur les îles polynésiennes, il sera possible de tirer des conclusions directes sur la mobilité des populations îlières préhistoriques. (Résumé d'auteur