Relevance of hemostatic risk factors on coronary morphology in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>The influence hemostatitc parameters on the morphological extent and severity of coronary artery disease were studied in patients with and without DM type 2.</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is known that patients with diabetes (DM) have abnormal metabolic and hemostatic parameters</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Of 150 consecutive patients with angiographically proven coronary artery disease 29 presented with DM. Additionally to parameters of lipid-metabolism fibrinogen, tissue-plasminogenactivator (t-PA), plasminogen-activator-inhibitor (PAI), plasmin-a-antiplasmin (PAP), prothrombin-fragment 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), von-willebrand-factor (vWF), platelet factor 4 (PF4), glykomembranproteine 140 (GMP140) and the rheologic parameters plasma viscosity and red blood cell aggregation were evaluated. The extent and severity of CAD was evaluated according to the criteria of the American Heart Association.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients with DM presented with a higher number of conventional risk factors as compared to non-diabetic patients. Additionally there were significant differences for F1+2, red blood cell aggregation and PAI. Diabetic patients showed a more severe extent of coronary arteriosclerosis, which also could be found more distally. A significant relationship between blood-glucose, thrombocyte-activation (vWF), endogenous fibrinolysis (PAI) and the severity of CAD and a more distal location of stenoses could be found (r = 0.6, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patients with coronary artery disease and DM type 2 showed marked alterations of metabolic, hemostatic, fibrinolytic and rheologic parameters, which can produce a prothrombogenic state. A direct association of thrombogenic factors on coronary morphology could be shown. This can be the pathophysiologic mechanism of more severe and distal pronounced coronary atherosclerosis in these patients.</p

Intelligent agents for matching information providers and consumers on the World-Wide-Web

In this paper, we discuss the various issues in designing intelligent software systems to assist world-wide-web users in locating relevant information. We identify a number of key components in such intelligent systems. These include a web document database management system, a client-based goal-directed search engine, an intelligent learning agent which discovers users' topics of interest by studying their browsing behavior, and an intelligent agent which monitors `hot' web sites. We give examples and suggestions on how these components are designed and implemented. We also describe the architecture of a prototype system that integrates the various components.published_or_final_versio

Hemostatic risk factors in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes - a two year follow-up of 243 patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgound</p> <p>Thrombosis is regarded to be a key factor in the development of acute coronary syndromes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We hypothesize, that hemostatic and rheological risk factors may be of major relevance for the incidence and the risk stratification of these patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 243 patients with coronary artery disease and stable angina pectoris parameters of metabolism, hemostasis, blood rheology and endogenous fibrinolysis were assessed. Patients were prospectively followed for 2 years in respect to elective revascularizations and acute coronary syndromes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During follow-up 88 patients presented with cardiac events, 22 of those were admitted to the hospital because of acute events, 5 Patients were excluded due to non- cardiac death. Patients with clinical events were found to be more frequently diabetic and presented with a more progressed coronary atherosclerosis. Even though patients with diabetes mellitus demonstrated a comparable level of multivessel disease (71% vs. 70%) the rate of elective revascularization was higher (41% vs. 28%, p < 0.05). The results were also unfavorable for the incidence of acute cardiovascular events (18% vs. 8%, p < 0.01). In comparison to non-diabetic patients diabetics demonstrated significantly elevated levels of fibrinogen (352 ± 76 vs. 312 ± 64 mg/dl, p < 0.01), plasma viscosity (1.38 ± 0.23 vs. 1.31 ± 0.16 mPas, p < 0.01), red blood cell aggregation (13.2 ± 2.5 vs. 12.1 ± 3.1 E, p < 0.05) and plasmin-activator-inhibitor (6.11 ± 3.4 vs. 4.7 ± 2.7 U/l, p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pathological alterations of fibrinogen, blood rheology and plasminogen-activator-inhibtor as indicators of a procoagulant state are of major relevance for the short-term incidence of cardiac events, especially in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, and may be used to stratify patients to specific therapies.</p

Sensing Optical Cavity Mismatch with a Mode-converter and Quadrant Photodiode

We present a new technique for sensing optical cavity mode mismatch and alignment by using a cylindrical lens mode converting telescope, radio-frequency quadrant photodiodes, and a heterodyne detection scheme. The telescope allows the conversion of the Laguerre-Gauss bullseye mode (LG01) into the 45° rotated Hermite-Gauss (“pringle”) mode (HG11), which can be easily measured with quadrant photodiodes. We show that we can convert to the HG basis optically, measure mode mismatched and alignment signals using widely produced radio-frequency quadrant photodiodes, and obtain a feedback error signal with heterodyne detection

Zu den Autorinnen und Autoren

Der vorliegende Band versammelt die umgearbeiteten Beiträge einer Tagung, die im März 2002 im Warburg-Haus in Hamburg stattfand. Sie wurde im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts „Natur im Konflikt“ veranstaltet, das von der Volkswagenstiftung innerhalb des Förderprogramms „Schlüsselthemen der Geisteswissenschaften“ finanziert wird. Dieses interdisziplinäre Vorhaben widmet sich der Untersuchung von mentalen Konzepten, Bildern, Modellen und Wertzuschreibungen, die zum kollektiven Fundus unserer Vorstellungen von Natur gehören. Dabei richten sich die Untersuchungen aus der Perspektive verschiedener Fachrichtungen – Ethnologie bzw. Sozialanthropologie, Geschichtswissenschaft, naturwissenschaftliche Küstenforschung, Literatur-, Sprach- und Medienwissenschaft – insbesondere auf die diejenigen Naturbilder und Modellierungen, die zu den oft nicht thematisierten Argumentationen und Überzeugungen gehören.This volume collects the revised contributions of a conference that took place in March 2002 at the Warburg-Haus in Hamburg. It was organised as part of the "Nature in Conflict" research project, which was funded by the Volkswagen Foundation within the framework of the "Key Humanities Issues" funding programme. This interdisciplinary project was dedicated to the investigation of mental concepts, images, models and value attributions that belong to the collective fund of our ideas of nature. In this context, the investigations are directed from the perspective of various disciplines - ethnology or social anthropology, history, coastal research in the natural sciences, literature, linguistics and media studies - in particular at those images of nature and models that belong to the argumentations and convictions that are often not discussed

Percutaneous coronary revascularization in patients with formerly "refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease" – Not "end-stage" after all

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Patients with refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease represent a severe condition with a higher reduction of life-expectancy and quality of life as compared to patients with stable coronary artery disease. It was the purpose of this study to invasively re-evaluate highly symptomatic patients with formerly diagnosed refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease for feasible options of myocardial revascularization.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-four Patients formerly characterized as having end stage coronary artery disease with refractory angina pectoris were retrospectively followed for coronary interventions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of those 34 patients 21 (61.8%) were eventually revascularized with percutaneous interventional revascularization (PCI). Due to complex coronary morphology (angulation, chronic total occlusion) PCI demanded an above-average amount of time (66 ± 42 minutes, range 25–206 minutes) and materials (contrast media 247 ± 209 ml, range 50–750 ml; PCI guiding wires 2.0 ± 1.4, range 1–6 wires). Of PCI patients 7 (33.3%) showed a new lesion as a sign of progression of atherosclerosis. Clinical success rate with a reduction to angina class II or lower was 71.4% at 30 days. Surgery was performed in a total of8 (23.5%) patients with a clinical success rate of 62.5%. Based on an intention-to-treat 2 patients of originally 8 (25%) demonstrated clinical success. Mortality during follow-up (1–18 months) was 4.8% in patients who underwent PCI, 25% in patients treated surgically and 25% in those only treated medically.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The majority of patients with end-stage coronary artery disease can be treated effectively with conventional invasive treatment modalities. Therefore even though it is challenging and demanding PCI should be considered as a first choice before experimental interventions are considered.</p

Detection and Characterization of CD133+ Cancer Stem Cells in Human Solid Tumours

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary tumour of bone. Solid tumours are made of heterogeneous cell populations, which display different goals and roles in tumour economy. A rather small cell subset can hold or acquire stem potentials, gaining aggressiveness and increasing expectancy of recurrence. The CD133 antigen is a pentaspan membrane glycoprotein, which has been proposed as a cancer stem cell marker, since it has been previously demonstrated to be capable of identifying a cancer initiating subpopulation in brain, colon, melanoma and other solid tumours. Therefore, our aim was to observe the possible presence of cells expressing the CD133 antigen within solid tumour cell lines of osteosarcoma and, then, understand their biological characteristics and performances.In this study, using SAOS2, MG63 and U2OS, three human sarcoma cell lines isolated from young Caucasian subjects, we were able to identify and characterize, among them, CD133+ cells showing the following features: high proliferation rate, cell cycle detection in a G2\M phase, positivity for Ki-67, and expression of ABCG2 transporters. In addition, at the FACS, we were able to observe the CD133+ cell fraction showing side population profile and forming sphere-clusters in serum-free medium with a high clonogenic efficiency.Taken together, our findings lead to the thought that we can assume that we have identified, for the first time, CD133+ cells within osteosarcoma cell lines, showing many features of cancer stem cells. This can be of rather interest in order to design new therapies against the bone cancer