371 research outputs found
Quantitative EEG (QEEG) Measures Differentiate Parkinson`s Disease Patients from Healthy Controls
Objectives: To find out which Quantitative EEG (QEEG) parameters could best distinguish patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment from healthy individuals and to find an optimal method for feature selection. Background: Certain QEEG parameters have been seen to be associated with dementia in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have also shown some parameters to be dependent on the stage of the disease. We wanted to investigate the differences in high-resolution QEEG measures between groups of PD patients and healthy individuals, and come up with a small subset of features that could accurately distinguish between the two groups. Methods: High-resolution 256-channel EEG were recorded in 50 PD patients (age 68.8 ± 7.0 year; female/male 17/33) and 41 healthy controls (age 71.1 ± 7.7 year; female/male 20/22). Data was processed to calculate the relative power in alpha, theta, delta, beta frequency bands across the different regions of the brain. Median, peak frequencies were also obtained and alpha1/theta ratios were calculated. Machine learning methods were applied to the data and compared. Additionally, penalized Logistic regression using LASSO was applied to the data in R and a subset of best-performing features was obtained. Results: Random Forest and LASSO were found to be optimal methods for feature selection. A group of six measures selected by LASSO was seen to have the most effect in differentiating healthy individuals from PD patients. The most important variables were the theta power in temporal left region and the alpha1/theta ratio in the central left region. Conclusion: The penalized regression method applied was helpful in selecting a small group of features from a dataset that had high multicollinearity. Keywords: Parkinson's disease, QEEG, cognitive decline, Parkinson's disease dementia, neurodegenerative disorders, machine learnin
Do activities of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A, CYP2D6 and P-glycoprotein differ between healthy volunteers and HIV-infected patients?
BACKGROUND: In inflammation and infection, cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme activities are down-regulated. Information on possible discrepancies in activities of CYP enzymes and drug transporters between HIV-infected patients and healthy people is limited. METHODS: We used midazolam, dextromethorphan and digoxin as in vivo phenotyping probes for CYP3A (CYP3A4/5), CYP2D6 and P-glycoprotein activities, respectively, and compared these activities between 12 healthy Caucasian volunteers and 30 treatment-naive HIV-infected patients. RESULTS: Among the HIV-infected patients, the overall CYP3A activity (apparent oral midazolam clearance) was approximately 50% of the activity observed in healthy volunteers (point estimate 0.490, 90% confidence interval [CI] 0.377-0.638). The CYP2D6 activity (plasma ratio area under the curve [AUC]; AUC(dextromethorphan)/AUC(dextrorphan)) was essentially unchanged (point estimate 1.289, 90% CI 0.778-2.136). P-glycoprotein activity was slightly lower in patients (digoxin maximum concentration point estimate 1.304, 90% CI 1.034-1.644). CONCLUSIONS: The overall CYP3A activity was approximately 50% lower in HIV-infected patients than in healthy volunteers. The CYP2D6 activity was highly variable, but, on average was not different between groups, whereas a marginally lower P-glycoprotein activity was observed in treatment-naive HIV-infected patients
Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A Far-UV Spectroscopic Analysis
We observed seven central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPN) in the Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE),
and performed a model-based analysis of these spectra in conjunction with
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectra in the UV and optical range to determine
the stellar and nebular parameters. Most of the objects show wind features, and
they have effective temperatures ranging from 38 to 60 kK with mass-loss rates
of ~= 5x10^-8 Msun/yr. Five of the objects have typical LMC abundances. One
object (SMP LMC 61) is a [WC4] star, and we fit its spectra with He/C/O-rich
abundances typical of the [WC] class, and find its atmosphere to be
iron-deficient. Most objects have very hot (T ~> 2000 K) molecular hydrogen in
their nebulae, which may indicate a shocked environment. One of these (SMP LMC
62) also displays OVI 1032-38 nebular emission lines, rarely observed in PN.Comment: 53 pages, 15 figures (11 color). Accepted for publication in Ap
Abundance Analysis of HE2148-1247, A Star With Extremely Enhanced Neutron Capture Elements
Abundances for 27 elements in the very metal poor dwarf star HE2148-1247 are
presented, including many of the neutron capture elements. We establish that
HE2148-1247 is a very highly s-process enhanced star with anomalously high Eu
as well, Eu/H about half Solar, demonstrating the large addition of heavy
nuclei at [Fe/H] = -2.3 dex. Ba and La are enhanced by a somewhat larger factor
and reach the solar abundance, while Pb significantly exceeds it. Ba/Eu is ten
times the solar r-process ratio but much less than that of the s-process,
indicating a substantial r-process addition as well. C and N are also very
highly enhanced. We have found that HE2148-1247 is a radial velocity variable.
The C, N and the s-process element enhancements thus presumably were produced
through mass transfer from a former AGB binary companion. The large enhancement
of heavy r-nuclides also requires an additional source as this is far above any
inventory in the ISM at such low [Fe/H]. We further hypothesize that accretion
onto the white dwarf from the envelope of the star caused accretion induced
collapse of the white dwarf, forming a neutron star, which then produced heavy
r-nuclides and again contaminated its companion. (abridged)Comment: Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal. Companion paper by Qian and
Wasserburg follow
Branching ratios of radiative transitions in O VI
We study the branching ratios of the allowed and forbidden radiative
transitions among the first few (9) fine structure levels of O VI using
relativistic coupled cluster theory. We find irregular patterns for a number of
transitions with in -complexes with . We have used the exisiting
values of the allowed electric dipole () transition as a benchmark of our
theory. Good agreement with the existing values establish accuracies of not
only the theoretical method but the basis function as well. In general the
electric quadrupole () transition probabilities are greater in magnitude
than magnetic dipole () transition probabilities, whereas for medium atomic
transition frequencies they are of the same order of magnitude. On the other
hand if the transitions involved are between two fine structure components of
the same term, then the transition probability is more probable than that
of . We have analyzed these trends with physical arguments and order of
magnitude estimations. The results presented here in tabular and graphical
forms are compared with the available theoretical and observed data. Graphical
analysis helps to understand the trends of electric and magnetic transitions
for the decay channels presented here. Our calculated values of the lifetimes
of the excited states are in very good agreement with the available results.Comment: Submitted to J. Phys. B, March 200
Keck-Nirspec Infrared OH Lines: Oxygen Abundances in Metal-Poor Stars Down to [Fe/H] = -2.9
Infrared OH lines at 1.5 - 1.7 um in the H band were obtained with the
NIRSPEC high-resolution spectrograph at the 10m Keck Telescope for a sample of
seven metal-poor stars. Detailed analyses have been carried out, based on
optical high-resolution data obtained with the FEROS spectrograph at ESO.
Stellar parameters were derived by adopting infrared flux method effective
temperatures, trigonometric and/or evolutionary gravities and metallicities
from FeII lines. We obtain that the sample stars with metallicities [Fe/H] <
-2.2 show a mean oxygen abundance [O/Fe] ~ 0.54, for a solar oxygen abundance
of epsilon(O) = 8.87, or [O/Fe] ~ 0.64 if epsilon(O) = 8.77 is assumed.Comment: To be published in ApJ 575 (August 10
Detection of Elements at All Three r-process Peaks in the Metal-Poor Star HD 160617
We report the first detection of elements at all three r-process peaks in the
metal-poor halo star HD 160617. These elements include arsenic and selenium,
which have not been detected previously in halo stars, and the elements
tellurium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, which have been detected previously.
Absorption lines of these elements are found in archive observations made with
the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. We
present up-to-date absolute atomic transition probabilities and complete line
component patterns for these elements. Additional archival spectra of this star
from several ground-based instruments allow us to derive abundances or upper
limits of 45 elements in HD 160617, including 27 elements produced by
neutron-capture reactions. The average abundances of the elements at the three
r-process peaks are similar to the predicted solar system r-process residuals
when scaled to the abundances in the rare earth element domain. This result for
arsenic and selenium may be surprising in light of predictions that the
production of the lightest r-process elements generally should be decoupled
from the heavier r-process elements.Comment: Published in the Astrophysical Journal (22 pages, 12 figures
Characterizing the Chemistry of the Milky Way Stellar Halo: Detailed Chemical Analysis of a Metal-Poor Stellar Stream
We present the results of a detailed abundance analysis of one of the
confirmed building blocks of the Milky Way stellar halo, a
kinematically-coherent metal-poor stellar stream. We have obtained high
resolution and high S/N spectra of 12 probable stream members using the MIKE
spectrograph on the Magellan-Clay Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the
2dCoude spectrograph on the Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. We have
derived abundances or upper limits for 51 species of 46 elements in each of
these stars. The stream members show a range of metallicity (-3.4 < [Fe/H] <
-1.5) but are otherwise chemically homogeneous, with the same star-to-star
dispersion in [X/Fe] as the rest of the halo. This implies that, in principle,
a significant fraction of the Milky Way stellar halo could have formed from
accreted systems like the stream. The stream stars show minimal evolution in
the alpha or Fe-group elements over the range of metallicity. This stream is
enriched with material produced by the main and weak components of the rapid
neutron-capture process and shows no evidence for enrichment by the slow
neutron-capture process.Comment: v2: Removed references to M15 after learning that the source
kinematic data for M15 were incorrect in an earlier paper. M15 is not related
to this stream. (ApJ, accepted; 31 pages, 18 figures, 11 tables
Medicinal importance of grapefruit juice and its interaction with various drugs
Grapefruit juice is consumed widely in today's health conscious world as a protector against cardiovascular diseases and cancers. It has however, been found to be an inhibitor of the intestinal cytochrome P â 450 3A4 system, which is responsible for the first pass metabolism of many drugs. The P â glycoprotein pump, found in the brush border of the intestinal wall which transports many of these cytochrome P â 450 3A4 substrates, has also been implicated to be inhibited by grapefruit juice. By inhibiting these enzyme systems, grapefruit juice alters the pharmacokinetics of a variety of medications, leading to elevation of their serum concentrations. Most notable are its effects on the calcium channel antagonist and the statin group of drugs. In the case of many drugs, the increased serum concentration has been found to be associated with increased frequency of dose dependent adverse effects. In this review, we have discussed the phytochemistry of grapefruit juice, the various drugs involved in the drug â grapefruit juice eraction with their mechanisms of action and have presented the clinical implications of these interactions
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