431 research outputs found
Exercise training improves vascular function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Purpose: Vascular dysfunction has been demonstrated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Exercise is known to positively affect vascular function. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate exercise-induced effects on vascular function in AD. Methods: Thirty-nine patients with AD (79 ± 8 years) were recruited and randomly assigned to exercise training (EX, n = 20) or control group (CTRL, n = 19). All subjects performed 72 treatment sessions (90 min, 3 t/w). EX included moderate–high-intensity aerobic and strength training. CTRL included cognitive stimuli (visual, verbal, auditive). Before and after the 6-month treatment, the vascular function was measured by passive-leg movement test (PLM, calculating the variation in blood flow: ∆peak; and area under the curve: AUC) tests, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD, %). A blood sample was analyzed for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Arterial blood flow (BF) and shear rate (SR) were measured during EX and CTRL during a typical treatment session. Results: EX group has increased FMD% (+ 3.725%, p ' 0.001), PLM ∆peak (+ 99.056 ml/min, p = 0.004), AUC (+ 37.359AU, p = 0.037) and VEGF (+ 8.825 pg/ml, p = 0.004). In the CTRL group, no difference between pre- and post-treatment was found for any variable. Increase in BF and SR was demonstrated during EX (BF + 123%, p ' 0.05; SR + 134%, p ' 0.05), but not during CTRL treatment. Conclusion: Exercise training improves peripheral vascular function in AD. These ameliorations may be due to the repetitive increase in SR during exercise which triggers NO and VEGF upregulation. This approach might be included in standard AD clinical practice as an effective strategy to treat vascular dysfunction in this population
Natural bovine coronavirus infection in a calf persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus: Viral shedding, immunological features and s gene variations
The evolution of a bovine coronavirus (BCoV) natural infection in a calf persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) was described. The infected calf developed intermittent nasal discharge, diarrhea and hyperthermia. The total number of leukocytes/mL and the absolute differential number of neutrophils and lymphocytes resulted within the normal range, but monocytes increased at T28 (time 28 post‐infection). Flow‐cytometry analysis evidenced that the CD8+ subpopulation increased at T7 and between T28 and T35. BCoV shedding in nasal discharges and feces was detected up to three weeks post infection and high antibody titers persisted up to T56. The RNA BCoV load increased until T14, contrary to what was observed in a previous study where the fecal excretion of BCoV was significantly lower in the co‐infected (BCoV/BVDV) calves than in the calves infected with BCoV only. We can suppose that BVDV may have modulated the BCoV infection exacerbating the long viral excretion, as well as favoring the onset of mutations in the genome of BCoV detected in fecal samples at T21. An extensive study was performed to verify if the selective pressure in the S gene could be a natural mode of variation of BCoV, providing data for the identification of new epidemic strains, genotypes or recombinant betacoronaviruses
MARTA: A high-energy cosmic-ray detector concept with high-accuracy muon measurement
A new concept for the direct measurement of muons in air showers is
presented. The concept is based on resistive plate chambers (RPCs), which can
directly measure muons with very good space and time resolution. The muon
detector is shielded by placing it under another detector able to absorb and
measure the electromagnetic component of the showers such as a water-Cherenkov
detector, commonly used in air shower arrays. The combination of the two
detectors in a single, compact detector unit provides a unique measurement that
opens rich possibilities in the study of air showers.Comment: 11 page
Validation of Androgen Receptor loss as a risk factor for the development of brain metastases from ovarian cancers
Abstract Background Central nervous system (CNS) spreading from epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) is an uncommon but increasing phenomenon. We previously reported in a small series of 11 patients a correlation between Androgen Receptor (AR) loss and localization to CNS. Aims of this study were: to confirm a predictive role of AR loss in an independent validation cohort; to evaluate if AR status impacts on EOC survival. Results We collected an additional 29 cases and 19 controls as validation cohort. In this independent cohort at univariate analysis, cases exhibited lower expression of AR, considered both as continuous (p < 0.001) and as discrete variable (10% cut-off: p < 0.003; Immunoreactive score: p < 0.001). AR negative EOC showed an odds ratio (OR) = 8.33 for CNS dissemination compared with AR positive EOC. Kaplan-Meier curves of the combined dataset, combining data of new validation cohort with the previously published cohort, showed that AR < 10% significantly correlates with worse outcomes (p = 0.005 for Progression Free Survival (PFS) and p = 0.002 for brain PFS (bPFS) respectively). Comparison of AR expression between primary tissue and paired brain metastases in the combined dataset did not show any statistically significant difference. Conclusions We confirmed AR loss as predictive role for CNS involvement from EOC in an independent cohort of cases and controls. Early assessment of AR status could improve clinical management and patients’ prognosis
Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and cognitive performance indexes are associated with histologic markers of liver disease in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a case control study.
BACKGROUND:
No study evaluated vascular health markers in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through a combined analysis of reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) and arterial stiffness indexes.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
We aimed to assess whether NAFLD and its histological severity are associated with impairment of arterial stiffness and RH-PAT indexes in a mixed cohort of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The Kleiner classification was used to grade NAFLD grade. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) were used as markers of arterial stiffness, whereas endothelial function was assessed using reactive hyperemia index (RHI). The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was administered to test cognitive performance.
RESULTS:
80 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 83 controls without fatty liver disease. NAFLD subjects showed significantly lower mean RHI, higher mean arterial stiffness indexes and lower mean MMSE score. Multivariable analysis after correction for BMI, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, sex, diabetes, age and cardiovascular disease showed that BMI, diastolic blood pressure and RHI are significantly associated to NAFLD. Simple linear regression analysis showed among non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) subjects a significant negative relationship between ballooning grade and MMSE and a significant positive association between Kleiner steatosis grade and augmentation index.
CONCLUSIONS:
Future research will be addressed to evaluate the relationship between inflammatory markers and arterial stiffness and endothelial function indexes in NAFLD subjects. These study will evaluate association between cardiovascular event incidence and arterial stiffness, endothelial and cognitive markers, and they will address the beneficial effects of cardiovascular drugs such as statins and ACE inhibitors on these surrogate markers in NAFLD subjects
Extreme Energy Cosmic Rays (EECR) Observation Capabilities of an "Airwatch from Space'' Mission
The longitudinal development and other characteristics of the EECR induced
atmospheric showers can be studied from space by detecting the fluorescence
light induced in the atmospheric nitrogen. According to the Airwatch concept a
single fast detector can be used for measuring both intensity and time
development of the streak of fluorescence light produced by the atmospheric
shower induced by an EECR. In the present communication the detection
capabilities for the EECR observation from space are discussed.Comment: 3 pages (LaTeX). To appear in the Proceedings of TAUP'9
Using the Oxford cognitive screen to detect cognitive impairment in stroke patients: A comparison with the Mini-Mental State Examination
Lambda hyperon production and polarization in collisions of p(3.5 GeV) + Nb
Results on hyperon production are reported for collisions of p(3.5
GeV) + Nb, studied with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at
SIS18 at GSI Helmholtzzentrum for Heavy-Ion Research, Darmstadt. The transverse
mass distributions in rapidity bins are well described by Boltzmann shapes with
a maximum inverse slope parameter of about MeV at a rapidity of ,
i.e. slightly below the center-of-mass rapidity for nucleon-nucleon collisions,
. The rapidity density decreases monotonically with increasing
rapidity within a rapidity window ranging from 0.3 to 1.3. The
phase-space distribution is compared with results of other experiments and with
predictions of two transport approaches which are available publicly. None of
the present versions of the employed models is able to fully reproduce the
experimental distributions, i.e. in absolute yield and in shape. Presumably,
this finding results from an insufficient modelling in the transport models of
the elementary processes being relevant for production, rescattering
and absorption. The present high-statistics data allow for a genuine
two-dimensional investigation as a function of phase space of the
self-analyzing polarization in the weak decay . Finite negative values of the polarization in the order of
are observed over the entire phase space studied. The absolute value of the
polarization increases almost linearly with increasing transverse momentum for
MeV/c and increases with decreasing rapidity for .Comment: accepted by Eur. Phys. J.
Subthreshold Xi- Production in Collisions of p(3.5 GeV)+Nb
Results on the production of the double-strange cascade hyperon
are reported for collisions of p\,(3.5~GeV)\,+\,Nb, studied
with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at SIS18 at GSI
Helmholtzzentrum for Heavy-Ion Research, Darmstadt. For the first time,
subthreshold production is observed in proton-nucleus
interactions. Assuming a phase-space distribution similar to
that of hyperons, the production probability amounts to
resulting in a
ratio of $P_{\mathrm{\Xi^-}}/\
P_{\mathrm{\Lambda+\Sigma^0}}=(1.2\pm
0.3\,\mathrm{(stat)}\pm0.4\,\mathrm{(syst)})\times10^{-2}\mathrm{\Xi^-}$ yield.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
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