298 research outputs found
Compact Frontend-Electronics and Bidirectional 3.3 Gbps Optical Datalink for Fast Proportional Chamber Readout
The 9600 channels of the multi-wire proportional chamber of the H1 experiment
at HERA have to be read out within 96 ns and made available to the trigger
system. The tight spatial conditions at the rear end flange require a compact
bidirectional readout electronics with minimal power consumption and dead
material.
A solution using 40 identical optical link modules, each transferring the
trigger information with a physical rate of 4 x 832 Mbps via optical fibers,
has been developed and commisioned. The analog pulses from the chamber can be
monitored and the synchronization to the global HERA clock signal is ensured.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
Ablation of ischemic ventricular tachycardia: evidence, techniques, results, and future directions
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This article summarizes current understanding of the arrhythmia substrate and effect of catheter ablation for infarct-related ventricular tachycardia, focusing on recent findings.
RECENT FINDINGS
Clinical studies support the use of catheter ablation earlier in the course of ischemic disease with moderate success in reducing arrhythmia recurrence and shocks from implantable defibrillators, although mortality remains unchanged. Ablation can be lifesaving for patients presenting with electrical storm. Advanced mapping systems with image integration facilitate identification of potential substrate, and several different approaches to manage hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia have emerged. Novel ablation techniques that allow deeper lesion formation are in development.
SUMMARY
Catheter ablation is an important therapeutic option for preventing or reducing episodes of ventricular tachycardia in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Present technologies allow successful ablation in the majority of patients, even when the arrhythmia is hemodynamically unstable. Failure of the procedure is often because of anatomic challenges that will hopefully be addressed with technological progress
The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands
Researchers and brand managers have limited understanding of the effects social media communication has on how consumers perceive brands. We investigated 504 Facebook users in order to observe the impact of firm-created and user-generated social media communication on brand equity, brand attitude and purchase intention by using a standardized online survey throughout Poland. To test the conceptual model, we analyzed 60 brands across three different industries: non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and mobile network operators. When analyzing the data, we applied the structural equation modeling technique to both investigate the interplay of firm-created and user-generated social media communication and examine industry-specific differences. The results of the empirical studies showed that user-generated social media communication had a positive influence on both brand equity and brand attitude, whereas firm-created social media communication affected only brand attitude. Both brand equity and brand attitude were shown to have a positive influence on purchase intention. In addition, we assessed measurement invariance using a multi-group structural modeling equation. The findings revealed that the proposed measurement model was invariant across the researched industries. However, structural path differences were detected across the models
Acute effects of nicotine on visual search tasks in young adult smokers
Rationale Nicotine is known to improve performance on tests involving sustained attention and recent research suggests that nicotine may also improve performance on tests involving the strategic allocation of attention and working memory. Objectives We used measures of accuracy and response latency combined with eye-tracking techniques to examine the effects of nicotine on visual search tasks. Methods In experiment 1 smokers and non-smokers performed pop-out and serial search tasks. In experiment 2, we used a within-subject design and a more demanding search task for multiple targets. In both studies, 2-h abstinent smokers were asked to smoke one of their own cigarettes between baseline and tests. Results In experiment 1, pop-out search times were faster after nicotine, without a loss in accuracy. Similar effects were observed for serial searches, but these were significant only at a trend level. In experiment 2, nicotine facilitated a strategic change in eye movements resulting in a higher proportion of fixations on target letters. If the cigarette was smoked on the first trial (when the task was novel), nicotine additionally reduced the total number of fixations and refixations on all letters in the display. Conclusions Nicotine improves visual search performance by speeding up search time and enabling a better focus of attention on task relevant items. This appears to reflect more efficient inhibition of eye movements towards task irrelevant stimuli, and better active maintenance of task goals. When the task is novel, and therefore more difficult, nicotine lessens the need to refixate previously seen letters, suggesting an improvement in working memory
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Akt-kinase-dependent phosphorylation of p21(Waf1/Cip1) as a novel mechanism of neuroprotection by glucocorticoids
The role of glucocorticoids in the regulation of apoptosis remains incongruous. Here, we demonstrate that corticosterone protects neurons from apoptosis by a mechanism involving the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(Waf1/Cip1). In primary cortical neurons, corticosterone leads to a dose- and Akt-kinase-dependent upregulation with enhanced phosphorylation and cytoplasmic appearance of p21(Waf1/Cip1) at Thr 145. Exposure of neurons to the neurotoxin ethylcholine aziridinium (AF64A) results in activation of caspase-3 and a dramatic loss of p21(Waf1/Cip1) preceding apoptosis in neurons. These effects of AF64A are reversed by pretreatment with corticosterone. Corticosterone-mediated upregulation of p21(Waf1/Cip1) and neuroprotection are completely abolished by glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists as well as inhibitors of PI3- and Akt-kinase. Both germline and somatically induced p21(Waf1/Cip1) deficiency abrogate the neuroprotection by corticosterone, whereas overexpression of p21(Waf1/Cip1) suffices to protect neurons from apoptosis. We identify p21(Waf1/Cip1) as a novel antiapoptotic factor for postmitotic neurons and implicate p21(Waf1/Cip1) as the molecular target of neuroprotection by high-dose glucocorticoids
The content of delusions in a sample of South African Xhosa people with schizophrenia
Background: Although the relationship between cultural beliefs and schizophrenia has received some attention, relatively little work has emerged from African contexts. In this study we draw from a sample of South African Xhosa people with schizophrenia, exploring their cultural beliefs and explanations of illness. The purpose of the article is to examine the relationship between this cultural context and the content of delusions. Methods: A sample comprising 200 Xhosa people with schizophrenia participating in a South African schizophrenia genomics study were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Participant delusions were thematically analyzed for recurring themes. Results: The majority of participants (n = 125 72.5%) believed that others had bewitched them in order to bring about their mental illness, because they were in some way jealous of the participant. This explanation aligns well with the understanding of jealousy-induced witchcraft in Southern African communities and highlights the important role that culture plays in their content of delusions. Conclusions: Improved knowledge of these explanatory frameworks highlights the potential value of culturally sensitive assessment tools and stigma interventions in patient recovery. Furthermore such qualitative analyses contribute towards discussion about aspects of delusional thought that may be more universally stable, and those that may be more culturally variable
Assessment of the reliability of the motor unit size index (MUSIX) in single subject “round-robin” and multi-centre settings
Objective
The motor unit size index (MUSIX) is incorporated into the motor unit number index (MUNIX). Our objective was to assess the intra-/inter-rater reliability of MUSIX in healthy volunteers across single subject “round robin” and multi-centre settings.
Methods
Data were obtained from i). a round-robin assessment in which 12 raters (6 with prior experience and 6 without) assessed six muscles (abductor pollicis brevis, abductor digiti minimi, biceps brachii, tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum brevis and abductor hallucis) and ii). a multi-centre study with 6 centres studying the same muscles in 66 healthy volunteers. Intra/inter-rater data were provided by 5 centres, 1 centre provided only intra-rater data.
Intra/inter-rater variability was assessed using the coefficient of variation (COV), Bland-Altman plots, bias and 95% limits of agreement.
Results
In the round-robin assessment intra-rater COVs for MUSIX ranged from 7.8% to 28.4%. Inter-rater variability was between 7.8% and 16.2%. Prior experience did not impact on MUSIX values. In the multi-centre study MUSIX was more consistent than the MUNIX. Abductor hallucis was the least reliable muscle.
Conclusions
The MUSIX is a reliable neurophysiological biomarker of reinnervation.
Significance
MUSIX could provide insights into the pathophysiology of a range of neuromuscular disorders, providing a quantitative biomarker of reinnervation
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