Epinephrine and dDAVP administration in patients with congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus Evidence for a pre-cyclic AMP V2 receptor defective mechanism

Epinephrine and dDAVP administration in patients with congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Evidence for a pre-cyclic AMP V2 receptor defective mechanism. We recently showed that the administration of the antidiuretic V2 specific agonist, l-desamino[8-D-arginine]vasopressin (dDAVP), to seven male patients with congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (CNDI) did not cause a decrease in blood pressure nor an increase in plasma renin activity or factor VIIIc or von Willebrand factor release. In normal subjects, plasma renin activity, coagulation factors and plasma cyclic AMP are stimulated not only by dDAVP but also by the administration of epinephrine. In the present study, we measured tissue plasminogen activator (activity and antigenicity), von Willebrand factor multimers, plasma and urinary cyclic AMP concentrations following dDAVP or epinephrine administration. We infused epinephrine into three male patients with CNDI. Factor VIIIc and tissue plasminogen activator augmented by 75 to 100% and von Willebrand Factor multimers were increased; plasma renin activity and plasma cyclic AMP concentration increased by 200%. None of these values changed when the same subjects as well as eleven other male patients with CNDI received dDAVP. Furthermore, dDAVP administration increased plasma cyclic AMP concentrations in normal subjects, but not in 14 male patients with CNDI. These results demonstrate the specificity of the extrarenal V2 receptor defect expressed in our patients. The lack of a plasma cyclic AMP response to the administration of dDAVP would suggest an altered pre-cyclic AMP stimulation mechanism

Gerschenkron revisited: The new corporate Russia

© 2015, Journal of Economic Issues / Association for Evolutionary Economics. Our analysis is based on firm-specific data compiled from the Russian Trading System stock exchange and SKRIN (CKP-H in Russian) database. We seek to identify the factors behind Russias dramatically improved corporate sector performance from the beginning of the 2000s to December 2007. We argue that improved long-term corporate performance was a consequence of several policy initiatives associated with the state-dominated banking sector, which enabled statesubsidized investment funds to be channeled from a structurally reengineered energy sector to targeted investment projects located in other industries. We claim that Russias industrial strategy closely conforms to Alexander Gerschenkrons catch-up theory

Randomized trial of a phone- and web-based weight loss program for women at elevated breast cancer risk: the HELP study

Excess weight and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors for breast cancer. Behavioral intervention is particularly important among women with an elevated risk profile. This trial tested an intervention that trained women to use a self-monitoring website to increase activity and lose weight. Women with BMI≥27.5 kg/m(2) at elevated breast cancer risk were randomized to the intervention (N=71) or usual care (N=34). The intervention group received telephone-based coaching and used web-based self-monitoring tools. At 6 months, significant weight loss was observed in the intervention group (4.7% loss from starting weight; SD=4.7%) relative to usual care (0.4% gain; SD=3.0%) (p<.0001). By 12 months, the intervention group had lost 3.7% of weight (SD=5.4%), compared to 1.3% (SD=4.2) for usual care (p=.003). At 12 months, accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity increased by 12 min/day (SD=24) compared to no change in usual care (p=.04. In summary, this web- and phone-based approach produced modest but significant improvements in weight and physical activity for women at elevated breast cancer risk

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) as a plausible rescue therapy in severe vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is associated with high titers of immunoglobulin G class antibodies directed against the cationic platelet chemokine platelet factor 4 (PF4). These antibodies activate platelets via FcγIIa receptors. VITT closely resembles heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Inflammation and tissue trauma substantially increase the risk for forming pathogenic PF4 antibodies. We therefore propose the use of therapeutic plasma exchange as rescue therapy in VITT to deplete antibodies plus factors promoting inflammation such as excess cytokines in the circulation as well as extracellular vesicles derived from activated platelets