Direct Numerical Approach for Analyzing Thermal Wave Interferometry Data

Thermal wave interferometry (TWI) for materials characterization is based on detecting the surface temperature variations caused by a modulated heat source at the material surface, and consequently deducing the internal structure from the observed thermal energy propagation properties. The usefulness of the methodology has been accepted for a large variety of measurement problems, including thermal diffusivity determination of materials, coatings thermal properties and thicknesses, detection of laminations, detection of bulk defects, etc. A typical TWI system is shown in Figure 1. The surface is illuminated with square-wave modulated uniform laser light and the thermal response is observed radiometrically with an IR-detector. Measurements of the relative amplitude of the surface and the phase difference between the excitation and the surface temperature variation are obtained

Ocena wzajemnego przyciągania i partnerstwa w okresie menopauzy

Wstęp. Menopauza jest złożonym procesem fizjologicznym pomiędzy okresem rozrodczym i starością (senium). Złożoność problemów menopauzy może prowadzić do powikłań w relacji małżeńskich / partnerskich oraz w ocenie osobistej atrakcyjności. Celem badania była ocena wzajemnego przyciągania i partnerstwa w okresie menopauzy. Materiał i metoda. Badanie przeprowadzono w klinice ginekologicznej Szpitala Wojskowego z Polikliniką w Lublinie z wykorzystaniem badań diagnostycznych. Narzędziem badawczym był kwestionariusz stosowany do oceny charakterystyki badanej grupie, dobre małżeństwo Questionnaire (KDM-2), menopauza Rating Scale (polska wersja MRS-II) i SKAT skali wzajemna atrakcyjność. Wyniki poddano analizie statystycznej. Wyniki. Wyniki pokazują, że kobiety i mężczyźni różnią się znacznie w ocenie jakości relacji tylko pod względem poczucia rozczarowania. W grupie kobiet, poczucie rozczarowania jest wyższe niż u mężczyzn, co oznacza, że coraz więcej kobiet cierpi z powodu braku przyjemności bycia ze swoim partnerem. Ponadto, istnieją umiarkowanie silne, ale statystycznie istotne, ujemne korelacje między stanem psychicznym, autonomicznym, objawami moczowo-płciowego a oceną atrakcyjności partnera, ale tylko w przypadku kobiet. Wyższa ocena objawów menopauzy była związana z niższą oceną atrakcyjności partnera i słabszą potrzebą budowania ścisłych relacji z nimi, zmniejszony poziom postrzegania własnej relacji jako spełnienia siebie i własnej wartości, a także słabszym przekonaniem, że partnerzy mają podobne poglądy na temat relacji. Wnioski. Atrakcyjność partnera i jakość relacji jest oceniana znacznie wyższa przez mężczyzn niż kobiety. Wyższe wskaźniki objawów uciążliwości i irytacji podczas menopauzy wiążą się z niższą oceną atrakcyjności partnera tylko u kobiet. Wyższa ocena jakości, wiąże się z wyższą oceną atrakcyjności partnera, zarówno w przypadku kobiet jak i mężczyzn. Im bardziej zadowoleni są partnerzy z tych relacji, tym bardziej przyciągają się wzajemnie.Introduction. Menopause is a complex physiological process between reproductive period and old age (senium). The complexity of menopausal problems can lead to complications in marital relationships/partnerships and in the assessment of interpersonal attractiveness. The aim of the study was to evaluate the mutual attraction and partnerships during menopause. Materials and methods. The study was conducted in the Gynaecologic Clinic of the First Military Hospital and Policlinic in Lublin with the use of a diagnostic survey. The research tool included an independently developed questionnaire used to evaluate characteristics of the study group, Good Marriage Questionnaire (KDM-2), Menopause Rating Scale (Polish Version of the MRS-II) and SKAT mutual attractiveness scale. The results were subject to statistical analysis. Results. Results show that women and men differ significantly in the assessment of the quality of relationships only in terms of the sense of disappointment. In the group of women, the sense of disappointment is higher than in men’s, which means that more women suffer from the lack of pleasure from being with their partner. In addition, there are moderately strong, but statistically significant, negative correlations between mental, autonomic, urogenital symptoms and the rating of the partner’s attractiveness, but only in case of women. Higher rating of menopause symptoms annoyance was associated with lower assessment of the partner’s attractiveness and a weaker need to build a close relationship with them, a reduced level of perceiving one’s own relationship as fulfilment of the self and own values, as well as a weaker conviction that the partners share similar views on the relationship. Conclusions. The partner’s attractiveness and the quality of the relationship is rated significantly higher by men than women. Higher ratings of symptom nuisance and annoyance during perimenopause are associated with lower assessment of the partner’s attractiveness only in women. Higher quality assessment, therefore, is associated with higher assessment of the partner’s attractiveness, both in case of women and men. The more satisfied partners are with their relationship, the more attracted to each other they are

Photothermal investigations on advanced ceramics

Abstract Mechanical or thermal impacts on surfaces and near-surface layers during manufacturing processes often result in structural changes. They become detectable by photothermal techniques, when they correlate with alterations of thermal properties. We apply this approach on the detection of variations in ceramic surfaces. Vickers indentations model the mechanical load during grinding and a thermal surface treatment was performed by pulsed laser illumination. From the photothermal signals the depths and profiles of thermal conductivity variations depending on the different loading strengths could be reconstructed

Assessing cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: An online tool to detect visuo-perceptual deficits.

BackgroundPeople with Parkinson's disease (PD) who develop visuo-perceptual deficits are at higher risk of dementia, but we lack tests that detect subtle visuo-perceptual deficits and can be performed by untrained personnel. Hallucinations are associated with cognitive impairment and typically involve perception of complex objects. Changes in object perception may therefore be a sensitive marker of visuo-perceptual deficits in PD.ObjectiveWe developed an online platform to test visuo-perceptual function. We hypothesised that (1) visuo-perceptual deficits in PD could be detected using online tests, (2) object perception would be preferentially affected, and (3) these deficits would be caused by changes in perception rather than response bias.MethodsWe assessed 91 people with PD and 275 controls. Performance was compared using classical frequentist statistics. We then fitted a hierarchical Bayesian signal detection theory model to a subset of tasks.ResultsPeople with PD were worse than controls at object recognition, showing no deficits in other visuo-perceptual tests. Specifically, they were worse at identifying skewed images (P < .0001); at detecting hidden objects (P = .0039); at identifying objects in peripheral vision (P < .0001); and at detecting biological motion (P = .0065). In contrast, people with PD were not worse at mental rotation or subjective size perception. Using signal detection modelling, we found this effect was driven by change in perceptual sensitivity rather than response bias.ConclusionsOnline tests can detect visuo-perceptual deficits in people with PD, with object recognition particularly affected. Ultimately, visuo-perceptual tests may be developed to identify at-risk patients for clinical trials to slow PD dementia. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

Assessing cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: an online tool to detect visuo-perceptual deficits

Background: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) who develop visuo‐perceptual deficits are at higher risk of dementia, but we lack tests that detect subtle visuo‐perceptual deficits and can be performed by untrained personnel. Hallucinations are associated with cognitive impairment and typically involve perception of complex objects. Changes in object perception may therefore be a sensitive marker of visuo‐perceptual deficits in PD. Objective: We developed an online platform to test visuo‐perceptual function. We hypothesised that (1) visuo‐perceptual deficits in PD could be detected using online tests, (2) object perception would be preferentially affected, and (3) these deficits would be caused by changes in perception rather than response bias. Methods: We assessed 91 people with PD and 275 controls. Performance was compared using classical frequentist statistics. We then fitted a hierarchical Bayesian signal detection theory model to a subset of tasks. Results: People with PD were worse than controls at object recognition, showing no deficits in other visuo‐perceptual tests. Specifically, they were worse at identifying skewed images (P  < .0001); at detecting hidden objects (P  = .0039); at identifying objects in peripheral vision (P  < .0001); and at detecting biological motion (P  = .0065). In contrast, people with PD were not worse at mental rotation or subjective size perception. Using signal detection modelling, we found this effect was driven by change in perceptual sensitivity rather than response bias. Conclusions: Online tests can detect visuo‐perceptual deficits in people with PD, with object recognition particularly affected. Ultimately, visuo‐perceptual tests may be developed to identify at‐risk patients for clinical trials to slow PD dementia. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

S100A1: A Multifaceted Therapeutic Target in Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, showing a dramatically growing prevalence. It is still associated with a poor clinical prognosis, indicating insufficient long-term treatment success of currently available therapeutic strategies. Investigations of the pathomechanisms underlying cardiovascular disorders uncovered the Ca2+ binding protein S100A1 as a critical regulator of both cardiac performance and vascular biology. In cardiomyocytes, S100A1 was found to interact with both the sarcoplasmic reticulum ATPase (SERCA2a) and the ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), resulting in substantially improved Ca2+ handling and contractile performance. Additionally, S100A1 has been described to target the cardiac sarcomere and mitochondria, leading to reduced pre-contractile passive tension as well as enhanced oxidative energy generation. In endothelial cells, molecular analyses revealed a stimulatory effect of S100A1 on endothelial NO production by increasing endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity. Emphasizing the pathophysiological relevance of S100A1, myocardial infarction in S100A1 knockout mice resulted in accelerated transition towards heart failure and excessive mortality in comparison with wild-type controls. Mice lacking S100A1 furthermore displayed significantly elevated blood pressure values with abrogated responsiveness to bradykinin. On the other hand, numerous studies in small and large animal heart failure models showed that S100A1 overexpression results in reversed maladaptive myocardial remodeling, long-term rescue of contractile performance, and superior survival in response to myocardial infarction, indicating the potential of S100A1-based therapeutic interventions. In summary, elaborate basic and translational research established S100A1 as a multifaceted therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease, providing a promising novel therapeutic strategy to future cardiologists

Effects of alirocumab on types of myocardial infarction: insights from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial

Aims  The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) Task Force classified MIs into five types: Type 1, spontaneous; Type 2, related to oxygen supply/demand imbalance; Type 3, fatal without ascertainment of cardiac biomarkers; Type 4, related to percutaneous coronary intervention; and Type 5, related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduces risk of MI, but less is known about effects on types of MI. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES compared the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab with placebo in 18 924 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated LDL-C (≥1.8 mmol/L) despite intensive statin therapy. In a pre-specified analysis, we assessed the effects of alirocumab on types of MI. Methods and results  Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Myocardial infarction types were prospectively adjudicated and classified. Of 1860 total MIs, 1223 (65.8%) were adjudicated as Type 1, 386 (20.8%) as Type 2, and 244 (13.1%) as Type 4. Few events were Type 3 (n = 2) or Type 5 (n = 5). Alirocumab reduced first MIs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.95; P = 0.003], with reductions in both Type 1 (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99; P = 0.032) and Type 2 (0.77, 0.61–0.97; P = 0.025), but not Type 4 MI. Conclusion  After ACS, alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy favourably impacted on Type 1 and 2 MIs. The data indicate for the first time that a lipid-lowering therapy can attenuate the risk of Type 2 MI. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction below levels achievable with statins is an effective preventive strategy for both MI types.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz299</p

Effect of alirocumab on mortality after acute coronary syndromes. An analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES randomized clinical trial

Background: Previous trials of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) inhibitors demonstrated reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events, but not death. We assessed the effects of alirocumab on death after index acute coronary syndrome. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) was a double-blind, randomized comparison of alirocumab or placebo in 18 924 patients who had an ACS 1 to 12 months previously and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite intensive statin therapy. Alirocumab dose was blindly titrated to target achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) between 25 and 50 mg/dL. We examined the effects of treatment on all-cause death and its components, cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death, with log-rank testing. Joint semiparametric models tested associations between nonfatal cardiovascular events and cardiovascular or noncardiovascular death. Results: Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Death occurred in 334 (3.5%) and 392 (4.1%) patients, respectively, in the alirocumab and placebo groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.98; P=0.03, nominal P value). This resulted from nonsignificantly fewer cardiovascular (240 [2.5%] vs 271 [2.9%]; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.05; P=0.15) and noncardiovascular (94 [1.0%] vs 121 [1.3%]; HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.01; P=0.06) deaths with alirocumab. In a prespecified analysis of 8242 patients eligible for ≥3 years follow-up, alirocumab reduced death (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.94; P=0.01). Patients with nonfatal cardiovascular events were at increased risk for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths (P<0.0001 for the associations). Alirocumab reduced total nonfatal cardiovascular events (P<0.001) and thereby may have attenuated the number of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths. A post hoc analysis found that, compared to patients with lower LDL-C, patients with baseline LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL (2.59 mmol/L) had a greater absolute risk of death and a larger mortality benefit from alirocumab (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90; Pinteraction=0.007). In the alirocumab group, all-cause death declined wit h achieved LDL-C at 4 months of treatment, to a level of approximately 30 mg/dL (adjusted P=0.017 for linear trend). Conclusions: Alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy has the potential to reduce death after acute coronary syndrome, particularly if treatment is maintained for ≥3 years, if baseline LDL-C is ≥100 mg/dL, or if achieved LDL-C is low. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01663402