Optical evidence for a magnetically driven structural transition in the spin web Cu3TeO6Cu_3TeO_6

$Cu_3TeO_6$ is a modest frustrated $S=1/2$ spin system, which undergoes an anti-ferromagnetic transition at $T_N\sim61$ $K$. The anti-ferromagnetic spin alignment in $Cu_3TeO_6$ below $T_N$ is supposed to induce a magneto-elastic strain of the lattice. The complete absorption spectrum of $Cu_3TeO_6$ is obtained through Kramers-Kronig transformation of the optical reflectivity, measured from the far-infrared up to the ultraviolet spectral range as a function of temperature ($T$). Below $T^*\sim 50$ $K$, we find a new mode at 208 $cm^{-1}$. The spectral weight associated to this additional mode increases as $\propto (T^*-T)^{1/2}$ with decreasing $T$ below $T^*$. The implication of the optical findings will be discussed in relation to the magnetic phase transition at $T_N$.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

The role of lactate besides the lactic acidosis

Lactic acidosis (LA) is the most common form of metabolic acidosis defined by values of lactate greater than 5 mmol / l and by a pH <7.34. The pathogenesis of LA involves hypoxic (type A) and non hypoxic (type B) causes which are often coexisting. Lactic acidosis is usual in hospitalized population especially in subjects in intensive care units, in which lactate levels on admission could be predictors of mortality even in the absence of organ dysfunction or shock. The outcome is mainly dependent on the cardiovascular effects of acidosis. In subjects with cardiogenic shock, the increased lactate/pyruvate ratio, detectable at onset, is correladed with mortality. An early assessment of blood and tissue lactate levels could play a role in the therapeutic management as well as in outcome. LA could be a unfavorable prognostic factor in cancer. The lactate would act also as "signal molecule" and as a promoting factor in angiogenesis and tumor progression. In the presence of risk factors for LA the role of metformin may be overrated. Despite the doctrinal progress to understand the pathogenesis and pathophysiology, there is not univocal consensus on the therapeutic treatment of LA. The identification and the attempt to remove the cause of acidosis are main aims; treatment with sodium bicarbonate is a matter of debate as the data on the cardiovascular effects and mortality are unclear. The therapy with carbicarb, dichloroacetate or THAM has shown no specific advantages in terms of mortality. In experimental models of LA and shock the use of sodium-hydrogen exchanger-1 (NHE1) selective inhibitors reduces cell damage and inflammatory cytokines synthesis; it also improves cardiac performance and decreases mortality

Matrix Metalloproteases in Arterial Hypertension and their Trend after Antihypertensive Treatment

Background/Aims: Arterial hypertension is characterized by vascular remodelling, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. Matrix metalloproteases (MPPs) are endopeptidases produced by all the cells present in the vascular wall and are involved in the regulation of the extracellular matrix protein turnover. MMPs contribute to blood vessel formation, remodelling, angiogenesis; whereas an altered expression or activity of MMPs or their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) results correlated with the development and progression of cardiovascular complications. Methods: We examined the literature data regarding the role of MMPs in human hypertension, including their involvement in vascular remodelling, and the effects of some antihypertensive molecules on these MMP/TIMP profile. Results: The expression and the activity of some MMPs and TIMPs are impaired in human hypertension. An altered MMPs/TIMPs balance plays an important role in the vascular wall rearrangement, in response to hemodynamic changes which may induce myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis leading to ventricular remodelling. Several studies have examined the effects of some antihypertensive molecules, such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and aldosterone antagonists, on the MMPs/TIMPs profile by obtaining positive results. Conclusion: Considering the data taken into consideration, the authors believe that in clinical practice a strategic antihypertensive therapy directed to the MMPs profile, may be useful to decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications

Short-Term Prognosis of Juvenile Myocardial Infarction: Role of Plasma Viscosity

In our early research1 regarding the hemorheological pattern in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a mean age of 61.45 + 10.99 years, we showed that the major hemorheological parameters were almost normalized 2 weeks after the acute event. In the last decade, we focused on hemorheological parameters in juvenile myocardial infarction (JMI), defined as AMI in patients aged 45 years, in the \u2018\u2018Sicilian study on juvenile myocardial infarction\u2019\u2019

Gelatinases and physical exercise: A systematic review of evidence from human studies

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly gelatinase A (MMP-2) and gelatinase B (MMP-9), as well as their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2), are involved in the development of skeletal muscle tissue, in the repair process after muscle injury and in the adaptive modifications induced by physical exercise in skeletal muscle. This paper aims at reviewing results from human studies that investigated the role of gelatinases and their inhibitors in skeletal muscle response to acute physical exercise or training

Hemorheological abnormalities in human arterial hypertension

Blood rheology is impaired in hypertensive patients. The alteration involves blood and plasma viscosity, and the erythrocyte behaviour is often abnormal. The hemorheological pattern appears to be related to some pathophysiological mechanisms of hypertension and to organ damage, in particular left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischemia. Abnormalities have been observed in erythrocyte membrane fluidity, explored by fluorescence spectroscopy and electron spin resonance. This may be relevant for red cell flow in microvessels and oxygen delivery to tissues. Although blood viscosity is not a direct target of antihypertensive therapy, the rheological properties of blood play a role in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension and its vascular complications

Giant phonon anomalies in the pseudo-gap phase of TiOCl

We report infrared and Raman spectroscopy results of the spin-1/2 quantum magnet TiOCl. Giant anomalies are found in the temperature dependence of the phonon spectrum, which hint to unusual coupling of the electronic degrees of freedom to the lattice. These anomalies develop over a broad temperature interval, suggesting the presence of an extended fluctuation regime. This defines a pseudo-gap phase, characterized by a local spin-gap. Below 100 K a dimensionality cross-over leads to a dimerized ground state with a global spin-gap of about 2$\Delta_{spin}\approx$~430 K.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, for further information see http://www.peter-lemmens.d

Fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes at baseline in some chronic and acute clinical conditions: review of our survey

Abstract. Objective: In this mini-review we describe the behavior of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) membrane fluidity and of PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in some chronic and acute clinical conditions. Methods: PMN membrane fluidity was evaluated employing the fluorescent probe Fura-2AM, and PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration was evaluated using the fluorescent probe TMA-DPH. Results: From the determination of these two parameters investigated on resting PMNs, an almost constant increase in PMN cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in chronic clinical conditions, such as vascular atherosclerotic disease with and without diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus of both types, and a decrease in PMN membrane fluidity in acute clinical conditions, such as juvenile acute myocardial infarction and acute ischemic stroke, are evident. Conclusion: The possible reasons for this different behavior are analyzed on the basis of pathophysiological considerations

Pro-inflammatory genetic markers of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic, progressive, multifactorial disease mostly affecting large and medium-sized elastic and muscular arteries. It has formerly been considered a bland lipid storage disease. Currently, multiple independent pathways of evidence suggest this pathological condition is a peculiar form of inflammation, triggered by cholesterol-rich lipoproteins and influenced both by environmental and genetic factors. The Human Genome Project opened up the opportunity to dissect complex human traits and to understand basic pathways of multifactorial diseases such as AS. Population-based association studies have emerged as powerful tools for examining genes with a role in common multifactorial diseases that have a strong environmental component. These association studies often estimate the risk of developing a certain disease in carriers and non-carriers of a particular genetic polymorphism. Dissecting out the influence of pro-inflammatory genes within the complex pathophysiology of AS and its complications will help to provide a more complete risk assessment and complement known classical cardiovascular risk factors. The detection of a risk profile will potentially allow both the early identification of individuals susceptible to disease and the possible discovery of potential targets for drug or lifestyle modification; i.e. it will open the door to personalized medicine

Behaviour of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in young subjects with acute myocardial infarction

In the last years the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been examined in cardiovascular disorders and in particular in coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Now we examined this parameter in subjects with juvenile myocardial infarction at the initial stage and after 3 and 12 months. We enrolled 123 young subjects (112 men and 11 women, mean age 39.4\ub15.8 yrs) with AMI. The time interval between the AMI onset and the investigation was 13\ub17 days. The mean value of NLR observed in young AMI subjects was significantly increased compared to normal controls (N = 1.817\ub10.711; young AMI subjects = 2.376\ub10.873, p &lt; 0.0001). NLR does not discriminate STEMI (2.427\ub10.878) and non STEMI (2.392\ub10.868) or diabetics (2.604\ub11.000) and non diabetics (2.324\ub10.853), but it differentiates smokers (2.276\ub10.853) and non smokers (2.837\ub11.072). NLR at the initial stage is not correlated with the number of cardiovascular risk factors or with the extent of the coronary disease. In this study we found a significant decrease of neutrophil count at 3 and 12 months later AMI without any significant variation of lymphocyte and consequently we observed a decrease in NLR at these two intervals of time in comparison with the initial stage. Despite some limitations present in this study, it is interesting to underline that also in juvenile myocardial infarction this low-cost haematological marker may be considered together with other inflammatory indicators