849 research outputs found
Post-Mortem Immunohistochemical Evidence of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Expression in the Adrenal Gland
The evidence from post-mortem biochemical studies conducted on cortisol and catecholamines suggest that analysis of the adrenal gland could provide useful information about its role in human pathophysiology and the stress response. Authors designed an immunohistochemical study on the expression of the adrenal β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR), a receptor with high-affinity for catecholamines, with the aim to show which zones it is expressed in and how its expression differs in relation to the cause of death. The immunohistochemical study was performed on adrenal glands obtained from 48 forensic autopsies of subjects that died as a result of different pathogenic mechanisms using a mouse monoclonal β2-AR antibody. The results show that immunoreactivity for β2-AR was observed in all adrenal zones. Furthermore, immunoreactivity for β2-AR has shown variation in the localization and intensity of different patterns in relation to the original cause of death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates β2-AR expression in the human cortex and provides suggestions on the possible involvement of β2-AR in human cortex hormonal stimulation. In conclusion, the authors provide a possible explanation for the observed differences in expression in relation to the cause of death
Sull'antagonismo in vivo ed in vitro di Acremonium byssoides, endofita in Vitis vinifera, nei confronti di Plasmopara viticola
Lo studio dell\u2019interazione fra Acremonium byssoides, Vitis vinifera e
Plasmopara viticola, condotto nell\u2019ultimo decennio, ha evidenziato in vitro e in vivo
l\u2019attivit\ue0 antagonistica dell\u2019ifomicete, endofita negli organi verdi di alcune cultivars
di vite, nei confronti del patogeno. In particolare, \ue8 stato accertato che sospensioni
conidiche, filtrati colturali, estratti grezzi e metaboliti di A. byssoides riducono
sensibilmente la germinazione delle spore agamiche e gamiche di P. viticola, limitando
la produzione di propaguli. Inoltre, l\u2019uso di un microscopio laser confocale e l\u2019impiego
di un\u2019opportuna tecnica di decolorazione dei tessuti fogliari, seguita da colorazione
di contrasto, ha consentito di visualizzare l\u2019ifomicete, latente nelle nervature di
foglie sane e iperparassita dell\u2019oomicete in foglie infette. In queste ultime, infatti, A.
byssoides, dopo aver prodotto metaboliti secondari tossici per P. viticola, ne invade e
degrada micelio, rami sporangiofori e spore gamiche.
Tale attivit\ue0 antagonistica, determinando il contenimento sia della diffusione
che della sopravvivenza del patogeno, pu\uf2 assumere, quindi, un ruolo rilevante nella
definizione di strategie di difesa biologica contro la peronospora della vite
Trends in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections: effect of the MRSA "search and isolate" strategy in a hospital in Italy with hyperendemic MRSA
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the secular trends in MRSA BSIs after the introduction of a nosocomial MRSA control intervention.
DESIGN: Before-after study.
SETTING: An 850-bed community hospital with an ICU and vascular surgery, neurosurgery, bone marrow transplantation, and AIDS units. MRSA is endemic at this hospital; the prevalence of methicillin resistance among patients with S. aureus infection is greater than 50%.
PATIENTS: Among all inpatients, MRSA BSI was identified, its origin defined, and incidence rates calculated by ward and origin.
INTERVENTION: A MRSA control program was implemented based on active surveillance cultures to identify MRSA-colonized patients, followed by isolation using contact precautions. Incidence rates of MRSA BSI during the intervention (i.e., July 1, 1997, to December 31, 2001) and preintervention (i.e., January 1, 1996, to June 30, 1997) periods were compared.
RESULTS: Sixty-nine MRSA BSIs were identified. When compared with the preintervention period, the incidence rate of MRSA BSI was reduced from 0.64 to 0.30 per 1000 admissions (RR, 0.46; CI95, 0.25-0.87; P = .02) during the intervention period. The impact was greater in the ICU, with an 89% reduction (RR, 0.11; CI95, 0.01-0.98; P = .03), and for CVC-associated MRSA BSIs, with an 82% decrease (RR, 0.17; CI95, 0.05-0.55; P = .002). Methicillin resistance among S. aureus blood isolates decreased from 46% to 17% (RR, 0.36; CI95, 0.22-0.62; P = .0002).
CONCLUSION: A reduction in MRSA bacteremia is achievable through use of the MRSA "search and isolate" intervention even in a hospital with high rates of endemic MRSA
Non-equilibrium Condensation Process in a Holographic Superconductor
We study the non-equilibrium condensation process in a holographic
superconductor. When the temperature T is smaller than a critical temperature
T_c, there are two black hole solutions, the Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black hole
and a black hole with a scalar hair. In the boundary theory, they can be
regarded as the supercooled normal phase and the superconducting phase,
respectively. We consider perturbations on supercooled Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS
black holes and study their non-linear time evolution to know about physical
phenomena associated with rapidly-cooled superconductors. We find that, for
T<T_c, the initial perturbations grow exponentially and, eventually, spacetimes
approach the hairy black holes. We also clarify how the relaxation process from
a far-from-equilibrium state proceeds in the boundary theory by observing the
time dependence of the superconducting order parameter. Finally, we study the
time evolution of event and apparent horizons and discuss their correspondence
with the entropy of the boundary theory. Our result gives a first step toward
the holographic understanding of the non-equilibrium process in
superconductors.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure
Phase Ordering Dynamics of the O(n) Model - Exact Predictions and Numerical Results
We consider the pair correlation functions of both the order parameter field
and its square for phase ordering in the model with nonconserved order
parameter, in spatial dimension and spin dimension .
We calculate, in the scaling limit, the exact short-distance singularities of
these correlation functions and compare these predictions to numerical
simulations. Our results suggest that the scaling hypothesis does not hold for
the model. Figures (23) are available on request - email
[email protected]: 23 pages, Plain LaTeX, M/C.TH.93/2
Renormalization group and perfect operators for stochastic differential equations
We develop renormalization group methods for solving partial and stochastic
differential equations on coarse meshes. Renormalization group transformations
are used to calculate the precise effect of small scale dynamics on the
dynamics at the mesh size. The fixed point of these transformations yields a
perfect operator: an exact representation of physical observables on the mesh
scale with minimal lattice artifacts. We apply the formalism to simple
nonlinear models of critical dynamics, and show how the method leads to an
improvement in the computational performance of Monte Carlo methods.Comment: 35 pages, 16 figure
Health-related quality of life and functional changes in DMD:A 12-month longitudinal cohort study
Family caregivers of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) live stressful lives in which they spend most of their time caring for their loved ones and managing difficult situations, thereby reducing the time spent in taking care of themselves. This situation may last several years. Previous literature has widely highlighted that this situation reduces caregivers' quality of life and increases their psychological distress and risk of health problems, but there is a lack of studies that focus on psychological interventions for these situations. This qualitative study examined a pilot experience of two mutual support groups for family caregivers of people with ALS. The aim was to identify caregivers' needs, the prominent aspects of their experience, and to understand whether and how this intervention strategy might help them. Six partners (four men and two women) and six adult children (five women and one man) participated in the groups, which were conducted in northern Italy. After the support groups finished, participants underwent semi-structured interviews. The authors conducted a content analysis of the transcripts of the interviews and the 20 group sessions. The thematic areas identified were "caregiving," "being the son/daughter of a person with ALS," "being the partner of a person with ALS," "group experience" and "group evaluation." The caregiving experience was profoundly different depending on whether the caregiver was a son/daughter or a partner of a patient with ALS. Moreover, comparison with peers and mutual support helped participants to better cope with ALS and its consequences, to improve their care for their relatives and to overcome typical caregiver isolation. These results suggest the usefulness of involving communities in caregiver support in order to create new networks and activate personal and social resources for well-being
Caspase 9 and caspase 3 immunohistochemical pattern in skeletal and cardiac muscles at different times after death: An experimental study on pmi estimation
(1) Background: The estimation of the post mortem interval (PMI) is a challenge for forensic pathologists because data emerging from methods commonly applied are not always conclusive, since several conditions exist that may affect the reliability of these parameters. Thus, new approaches have been proposed to overcome such a limit. In recent years, several studies have been performed on proteins analyzing their expression/degradation patterns in relation to the progressing of the post mortem interval. (2) Methods: The immunoreactivity patterns of two apoptosis mediators— Caspase 9 and Caspase 3—have been tested in order to evaluate their potential role as markers of the post mortem interval. The immunohistochemical analysis was performed on samples of skeletal and cardiac muscles obtained from rats at 0, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 72 h after death. (3) Results: The observed immunoreactivity patterns of both Caspase 9 and Caspase 3 showed a significant correlation with increasing post mortem interval either in skeletal or cardiac muscles, while the comparison of the immunoreactivity patterns of the two apoptotic mediators within each tissue appeared consistent with a preliminary activation of the “initiator” Caspase 9, which, in turn, subsequently activates the “executioner” Caspase 3. (4) Conclusion: The different expressions and decrease immunohistochemically observed on both caspases with progressing PMI support the usefulness of the combined analysis for post mortem interval estimation
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