Correlation of Ac-impedance and in situ X-ray spectra of LiCoO2

In-situ X-ray and AC-impedance spectra have been obtained simultaneously during the deintercalation of lithium from LiCoO2 using a specially designed electrochemical cell. The AC-dispersions have been correlated with the cell parameters obtained from the X-ray spectra. The correlation confirms previous hypothesis on the interpretation of the AC-dispersions in terms of an equivalent circuit comprising an element that relates the change of the intrinsic electronic conductivity, occurring at the early stages of deintercalation, to the semiconductor to metal transition caused by the change of the cell parameters

34 Alterations in cystic fibrosis peripheral blood mononuclear cells are induced by an increase in intracellular calcium concentration

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Cyclic Material Properties Test to Determine Hardening/Softening Characteristics of HY-80 Steel

The Cyclic Material Properties Test was structured to obtain and provide experimental data for determining cyclic hardening/softening characteristics of HY-80 steel. The inelastic strain history data generated by this test program and the resulting cyclic stress-strain curve will be used to enhance material models in the finite element codes used to perform nonlinear elastic-plastic analysis

A new internally heated diamond anvil cell system for time-resolved optical and x-ray measurements

We have developed a new internally heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) system for in situ high-pressure and high-temperature x-ray and optical experiments. We have adopted a self-heating W/Re gasket design allowing for both sample confinement and heating. This solution has been seldom used in the past but proved to be very efficient to reduce the size of the heating spot near the sample region, improving heating and cooling rates as compared to other resistive heating strategies. The system has been widely tested under high-temperature conditions by performing several thermal emission measurements. A robust relationship between electric power and average sample temperature inside the DAC has been established up to about 1500 K by a measurement campaign on different simple substances. A micro-Raman spectrometer was used for various in situ optical measurements and allowed us to map the temperature distribution of the sample. The distribution resulted to be uniform within the typical uncertainty of these measurements (5% at 1000 K). The high-temperature performances of the DAC were also verified in a series of XAS (x-ray absorption spectroscopy) experiments using both nano-polycrystalline and single-crystal diamond anvils. XAS measurements of germanium at 3.5 GPa were obtained in the 300 K-1300 K range, studying the melting transition and nucleation to the crystal phase. The achievable heating and cooling rates of the DAC were studied exploiting a XAS dispersive setup, collecting series of near-edge XAS spectra with sub-second time resolution. An original XAS-based dynamical temperature calibration procedure was developed and used to monitor the sample and diamond temperatures during the application of constant power cycles, indicating that heating and cooling rates in the 100 K/s range can be easily achieved using this device

Periostin as a modulator of chronic cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE: After acute myocardial infarction, during the cardiac repair phase, periostin is released into the infarct and activates signaling pathways that are essential for the reparative process. However, the role of periostin in chronic cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction remains to be elucidated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between tissue periostin and cardiac variables in the chronic cardiac remodeling induced by myocardial infarction. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were assigned to 2 groups: a simulated surgery group (SHAM; n = 8) and a myocardial infarction group (myocardial infarction; n = 13). After 3 months, morphological, functional and biochemical analyses were performed. The data are expressed as means±SD or medians (including the lower and upper quartiles). RESULTS: Myocardial infarctions induced increased left ventricular diastolic and systolic areas associated with a decreased fractional area change and a posterior wall shortening velocity. With regard to the extracellular matrix variables, the myocardial infarction group presented with higher values of periostin and types I and III collagen and higher interstitial collagen volume fractions and myocardial hydroxyproline concentrations. In addition, periostin was positively correlated with type III collagen levels (r = 0.673, p = 0.029) and diastolic (r = 0.678, p = 0.036) and systolic (r = 0.795, p = 0.006) left ventricular areas. Considering the relationship between periostin and the cardiac function variables, periostin was inversely correlated with both the fractional area change (r = -0.783, p = 0.008) and the posterior wall shortening velocity (r = -0.767, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Periostin might be a modulator of deleterious cardiac remodeling in the chronic phase after myocardial infarction in rats

The Role of Oxidative Stress and Lipid Peroxidation in Ventricular Remodeling Induced by Tobacco Smoke Exposure after Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the roles of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the ventricular remodeling that is induced by tobacco smoke exposure after myocardial infarction.METHODS: After induced myocardial infarction, rats were allocated into two groups: C (control, n=25) and ETS (exposed to tobacco smoke, n=24). After 6 months, survivors were submitted to echocardiogram and biochemical analyses.RESULTS: Rats in the ETS group showed higher diastolic (C = 1.52 +/- 0.4 mm(2), ETS = 1.95 +/- 0.4 mm(2); p=0.032) and systolic (C = 1.03 +/- 0.3, ETS = 1.36 +/- 0.4 mm(2)/g; p=0.049) ventricular areas, adjusted for body weight. The fractional area change was smaller in the ETS group (C = 30.3 +/- 10.1 %, ETS = 19.2 +/- 11.1 %; p=0.024) and E/A ratios were higher in ETS animals (C = 2.3 +/- 2.2, ETS = 5.1 +/- 2.5; p=0.037). ETS was also associated with a higher water percentage in the lung (C = 4.8 (4.3-4.8), ETS = 5.5 (5.3-5.6); p=0.013) as well as higher cardiac levels of reduced glutathione (C = 20.7 +/- 7.6 nmol/mg of protein, ETS = 40.7 +/- 12.7 nmol/mg of protein; p=0.037) and oxidized glutathione (C = 0.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/g of protein, ETS = 0.9 +/- 0.3 nmol/g of protein; p=0.008). No differences were observed in lipid hydroperoxide levels (C = 0.4 +/- 0.2 nmol/mg of tissue, ETS = 0.1 +/- 0.1 nmol/mg of tissue; p=0.08).CONCLUSION: In animals exposed to tobacco smoke, oxidative stress is associated with the intensification of ventricular re-remodeling after myocardial infarction

Roles of the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in hospital mortality of burn patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in hospital mortality of burn patients. METHODS: In total, 105 consecutive burn injury patients over 18 years in age who were admitted to the Burn Unit of Bauru State Hospital from January to December 2013 were prospectively evaluated. Upon admission, patient demographic information was recorded and a blood sample was taken for biochemical analysis to identify the presence of the Taql(rs731236) and Bsml(rs1544410) polymorphisms. All of the patients were followed over their hospital stay and mortality was recorded. RESULTS: Eighteen of the patients did not sign the informed consent form, and there were technical problems with genotype analysis for 7 of the patients. Thus, 80 patients (mean age, 42.5±16.1 years) were included in the final analysis. In total, 60% of the patients were male, and 16.3% died during the hospital stay. The genotype frequencies for the Taql polymorphism were 51.25% TT, 41.25% TC and 7.50% CC; for the Bsml polymorphism, they were 51.25% GG, 42.50% GA and 6.25% AA. In logistic regression analysis, after adjustments for age, gender and total body surface burn area, there were no associations between the Taql (OR: 1.575; CI95%: 0.148-16.745; p=0.706) or Bsml (OR: 1.309; CI95%: 0.128-13.430; p=0.821) polymorphisms and mortality for the burn patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms are not associated with hospital mortality of burn patients

SGLT2-inhibitors effects on the coronary fibrous cap thickness and MACEs in diabetic patients with inducible myocardial ischemia and multi vessels non-obstructive coronary artery stenosis

Background: Sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) could modulate atherosclerotic plaque progression, via down-regulation of inflammatory burden, and lead to reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). T2DM patients with multivessel non-obstructive coronary stenosis (Mv-NOCS) have over-inflammation and over-lipids' plaque accumulation. This could reduce fibrous cap thickness (FCT), favoring plaque rupture and MACEs. Despite this, there is not conclusive data about the effects of SGLT2-I on atherosclerotic plaque phenotype and MACEs in Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM. Thus, in the current study, we evaluated SGLT2-I effects on Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM in terms of FCT increase, reduction of systemic and coronary plaque inflammation, and MACEs at 1 year of follow-up. Methods: In a multi-center study, we evaluated 369 T2DM patients with Mv-NOCS divided in 258 (69.9%) patients that did not receive the SGLT2-I therapy (Non-SGLT2-I users), and 111 (30.1%) patients that were treated with SGLT2-I therapy (SGLT2-I users) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) evaluation. As the primary study endpoint, we evaluated the effects of SGLT2-I on FCT changes at 1 year of follow-up. As secondary endpoints, we evaluated at baseline and at 12 months follow-up the inflammatory systemic and plaque burden and rate of MACEs, and predictors of MACE through multivariable analysis. Results: At 6 and 12 months of follow-up, SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users showed lower body mass index (BMI), glycemia, glycated hemoglobin, B-type natriuretic peptide, and inflammatory cells/molecules values (p < 0.05). SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users, as evaluated by OCT, evidenced the highest values of minimum FCT, and lowest values of lipid arc degree and macrophage grade (p < 0.05). At the follow-up end, SGLT2-I users vs. Non-SGLT2-I users had a lower rate of MACEs [n 12 (10.8%) vs. n 57 (22.1%); p < 0.05]. Finally, Hb1Ac values (1.930, [CI 95%: 1.149-2.176]), macrophage grade (1.188, [CI 95%: 1.073-1.315]), and SGLT2-I therapy (0.342, [CI 95%: 0.180-0.651]) were independent predictors of MACEs at 1 year of follow-up. Conclusions: SGLT2-I therapy may reduce about 65% the risk to have MACEs at 1 year of follow-up, via ameliorative effects on glucose homeostasis, and by the reduction of systemic inflammatory burden, and local effects on the atherosclerotic plaque inflammation, lipids' deposit, and FCT in Mv-NOCS patients with T2DM