Czy łagodny stan przedrzucawkowy powoduje sztywność tętnic i przebudowę komory serca poprzez zapalenie?

Background: A link between preeclampsia (PE) and excessive maternal morbidity and mortality is a commonly recognized fact. Moreover, it has been suggested that chronic inflammatory state connected with PE contributes to accelerated atherosclerosis. There is also an association between PE and maternal cardiac remodeling and biventricular diastolic dysfunction. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of impaired myocardial performance and increased arterial stiffness in patients who experienced a mild case of PE five years previously. Methods: The study included forty PE patients (40 women; mean age 33.75±7.95) and 27 healthy volunteers (27 women; mean age 36.44±10.45)Transthoracic echocardiography, including Doppler echocardiography combined with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and aortic stiffness index (AoSI), aortic distensibility (AoD), and aortic elastic modulus (AoEM) values were measured in each study participant. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in hsCRP, aortic stiffness index, and aortic elastic modulus in PE patients as compared to controls (2.43±1.91 vs. 3.80±2.06, p=0.007; 3.09±2.41 vs. 7.32±6.89, p=0.001; 2.89±2.11 vs. 7.00± 6.83, p=0.001), while a significant decrease was observed in the aortic strain and distensibility (respectively, 22.35±15.99 vs. 12.24±9.22, p=0.005; 11.17±9.68 vs. 6.13±4.99, p=0.018). No differences between the two groups were observed with regard to the left ventricular myocardial performance index (MPI) (0.55±0.16 vs. 0.53± 0.19, p= 0.630). Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this has been the first study to demonstrate impaired aortic elasticity and unaffected myocardial performance index in patients with mild PE. Moreover, these effects turned out to be significantly correlated with inflammation.Wstęp: Istnieje powiązanie pomiędzy stanem przedrzucawkowym (PE) a nadmierną zachorowalnością i śmiertelnością. Ponadto, sugeruje się, że przewlekły stan zapalny udzielający się w PE przyczynia się do przyspieszenia miażdżycy. Istnieje również związek między PE przebudowy mięśnia sercowego ze strony matki i dwukomorową dysfunkcją rozkurczową. Zaplanowaliśmy ocenić w tym badaniu, czy nie została osłabiona wydolność mięśnia sercowego oraz zwiększenie sztywności tętnic u pacjentek, które pięć lat wcześniej miały łagodny przypadek PE. Metody: W badanie włączonych zostało czterdzieści pacjentek (40 kobiet; średnia wieku 33,75±7,95) oraz 27 zdrowych ochotniczek (27 kobiet: średnia wieku: 36,44±10,45). Każda z pacjentek została zbadana za pomocą echokardiografii przezklatkowej, w tym echokardiografii dopplerowskiej w połączeniu z tkankową echokardiografią dopplerowską (TDI). Zostały również zmierzone takie wartości, jak wskaźnik sztywności aorty (AoSI), rozciągliwość aorty, a także moduł sprężystości aorty (AoEM). Wyniki: Stwierdzono statystycznie istotny wzrost hsCRP, wskaźnika sztywności aorty i modułu sprężystości aorty u pacjentów z PE w porównaniu z grupą kontrolną (2,43±1,91vs. 3,80±2,06, p=0.007; 3,09±2,41 vs. 7,32±6,89, p=0,001; 2,89±2,11 vs. 7,00± 6,83, p=0,001), natomiast znaczne zmniejszenie zaobserwowano w odkształceniu aorty i jej rozciągliwości (odpowiednio 22,35±15,99 vs. 12,24±9,22, p= 0,005; 11,17±9,68 vs. 6,13±4,99, p=0.018). Nie wystąpiły różnice pomiędzy tymi dwoma grupami w odniesieniu do wskaźnika wydolności mięśnia sercowego lewej komory (0,55± 0,16 vs 0,53± 0,19, p=0,630). Wnioski: Stwierdziliśmy po raz pierwszy w tym badaniu, że wystąpiły osłabiona elastyczność aorty i niezmieniony wskaźnik wydolność mięśnia sercowego (MPI) u pacjentek z łagodnym PE, ponadto, efekty te były znacząco skorelowane ze stanem zapalnym

THz Probe Studies of MBE Grown Epitaxial GaAs

We have built a THz time-domain spectrometer driven by a sub-15fs pulse duration mode-locked Ti:Al203 laser. Using THz time-domain spectroscopy with photoconductive antenna for THz generation and electro-optic sampling for detection as well as photoexcited THz spectroscopy, we measured the carrier concentrations and mobilities of epitaxially grown undoped GaAs samples to be used in photoconductive antenna production. The samples were grown at 600 °C to 1 μm effective layer thickness on top of a 650 μm SI-GaAs wafer. The resistivities, mobilities and the carrier concentrations were measured and calculated by the van der Pauw method under the magnetic field. These Hall effect measurements and the THz probe studies were compared with each other. The measurements and calculations obtained electronically are compared optically using the Drude Model for the conductivity and mobility

Influence of the Spot Size of the Probe Beam on the Detected THz Power Using Electro-Optic Detection Method

We compared the detected THz power through electro-optic detection for different spot sizes of a probe beam on the ZnTe crystal. We find that there is a proportional relationship between the detected THz power and spot size of the probe beam by theoretically analyzing its effect on the intensity profile of the terahertz beam

A Geotechnical Perspective on a Complex Geological Environment in a High-Speed Railway Tunnel Excavation (A Case Study from Türkiye)

The T26 tunnel was designed within the scope of the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway in accordance with the speed of 250 km/h. Some serious problems and excessive deformations were encountered during the excavation works. The deformations in the tunnel caused subsidence on the surface and the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) became stuck; therefore, tunnel excavation works were suspended. Design works for re-excavation in the T26 tunnel and extracting of the TBM were carried out and the tunnel was re-designed by the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) system. The main purposes of the present study are to describe the problems encountered during the T26 tunnel and to discuss the sources of the problems. The advantages and disadvantages of TBM and NATM methods for the tunnel having difficult ground conditions were discussed. Critical points needing to be considered for the tunnels excavated with TBM through weak ground conditions and the effect of the TBM selection process were discussed. Considering the complex geological and geotechnical structure of the tunnel route, it is possible to say that the T26 case is an interesting case for tunnel engineering. Along the tunnel route, landslides, high seismic activity, groundwater conditions, and extremely weak rock mass features coexist. Therefore, the tunnel route is a very complex environment. However, due to the geometric limitations of the high-speed railways, relocation of the route is not possible. The experiences gained from tunnel excavations under difficult conditions are capable of bringing new horizons to future tunneling studies

Interrelation of RDW and coronary flow reserve in patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Objective: Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) impairs and reduces coronary flow reserve (CFR). High level of red cell distribution width (RDW) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, in this observational case-control study we have aimed to determine whether RDW level is associated with CFR impairment in patients with IDC. Methods: We examined 36 patients with IDC and 35 healthy subjects formed as a control group. In addition to this, patients with IDC were divided into two subgroups according to their CFR levels [normal CFR group (CFR value >= 2) and lower CFR group (CFR value<2)]. Control and patients groups were compared using the student t-test for multiple comparisons. The subgroups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and chi-square for categorical variables. The Pearson's and Spearman correlation analysis was used to test the possible associations between CFR and the study variables as appropriate. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was determined to evaluate the predictive performance of RDW to detect low CFR. Results: There were no significantly differences between the lower and higher CFR groups' clinical data, baseline hemodynamic, medication and biochemical data except RDW and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels. We found that RDW level was a good predictor of low CFR at the receiver-operating characteristic curve. The area under the curve (AUC) was 73% (95% confidence interval between 0.56-0.90 is 95%, p:0.018) After adjusting potential confounders include age, body-mass index, blood pressure, lipid and glucose, RDW independently associated with CFR level (Beta:-0.374; p=0.015) and hsCRP value (Beta:-0.520; p=0.001) were the independent predictors of lower CFR. Conclusion: Results showed that there was an independent correlation between RDW level and CFR level in patients with IDC

Could there be an association between chronic brucellosis and endothelial damage?

Introduction: In this study, we examined the effects of Brucella infection on endothelial dysfunction. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) measurement is indicator of the endothelial function, and abnormal values indicating endothelial dysfunction are accepted as the first stage of atherosclerosis. Methodology: Twenty-four patients who had been treated for acute brucellosis two years before, and who had had no relapses in the follow-up, were prospectively included in the study, along with 30 healthy individuals in the control group. Results: While the highly sensitive Creactive protein (hs-CRP) value was 2.42 +/- 1.45 in the patient group, it was 1.72 +/- 0.61 in the control group (p = 0.025). While the FMD value was 3.50 +/- 1.58 in the patient group, it was 5.88 +/- 1.88 in the control group (p < 0.001). While the percentage increase in FMD was 9.88 +/- 4.92 in the patient group, it was 17.49 +/- 6.3 in the control group (p < 0.001). It was observed that FMD value, the percentage increase in FMD, and basal radius were correlated with hs-CRP (r = -0.644, p < 0.001; r = -0.558, p = 0.002; r = 0.444, p = 0.018, respectively). The carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) value was found to be 0.61 +/- 0.17 in the patient group and 0.49 +/- 0.12 in the control group (p = 0.004). Conclusions: The abnormal FMD and IMT values observed in brucellosis patients might be an indicator of more frequent arterial dysfunction, increased cardiovascular risk, and atherosclerosis