437 research outputs found
Improved cardiac performance with human calcitonin gene related peptide in patients with congestive heart failure
Study objective - The aim of the study was to assess the cardiovascular effects of human calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in patients with congestive heart failure. Design - The effects of CGRP II (or β), 12.5 μg·h−1, given by intravenous infusion for 24 h to digitalised patients with congestive heart failure, were assessed by measurement of cardiac functional indices. Patients - Five patients (four female) were studied. Age was 73-82 years. Three were in New York Heart Association phase III and two in phase IV. Measurements and main results - The pre-ejection period to left ventricular ejection time ratio and the QT distance adjusted for heart rate were lowered by 21% and 4% respectively. The left ventricular shortening index was raised by 43%. The arterial pressure and heart rate did not change consistently. Conclusion - Calcitonin gene related peptide improves myocardial contractility in patients with congestive heart failure. This is the first time this has been show
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Enhanced near infrared optical access to the brain with a transparent cranial implant and scalp optical clearing.
We report on the enhanced optical transmittance in the NIR wavelength range (900 to 2400 nm) offered by a transparent Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) implant coupled with optical clearing agents (OCAs). The enhancement in optical access to the brain is evaluated upon comparing ex-vivo transmittance measurements of mice native skull and the YSZ cranial implant with scalp and OCAs. An increase in transmittance of up to 50% and attenuation lengths of up to 2.4 mm (i.e., a five-fold increase in light penetration) are obtained with the YSZ implant and the OCAs. The use of this ceramic implant and the biocompatible optical clearing agents offer attractive features for NIR optical techniques for brain theranostics
Enhancement of Resonant Thermonuclear Reaction Rates in Extremely Dense Stellar Plasmas
The enhancement factor of the resonant thermonuclear reaction rates is
calculated for the extremely dense stellar plasmas in the liquid phase. In
order to calculate the enhancement factor we use the screening potential which
is deduced from the numerical experiment of the classical one-component plasma.
It is found that the enhancement is tremendous for white dwarf densities if the
^{12}C + ^{12}C fusion cross sections show resonant behavior in the
astrophysical energy range. We summarize our numerical results by accurate
analytic fitting formulae.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ, replaced with
revised versio
concordance and time estimation of store and forward mobile teledermatology compared to classical face to face consultation
Smartphones have overcome the limitations of image quality seen in older devices and opened a new field of telemedicine called "mobile teledermatology". Technological advances and the need to reduce health service costs will strongly promote the development of telemedicine. For this reason, we evaluated the concordance be tween store-and-forward mobile teledermatology and the classical face-to-face dermatological visit. We also measured the time taken to submit a teleconsultation using a smartphone. Before conventional face-to-face visit, a final-year resident of the 3-year course for general practitioners collected medical history, took digital images of skin diseases with a smartphone and, measuring the time required to complete this operation, transmitted them to an expert teledermatologist. In 391 patients we obtained a concordance between face-to-face and store-and-forward diagnosis of 91.05% (Cohen κ coefficient = 0.906). On average only few minutes needs to be added to a no
Tracking and characterization of partial and full epithelial-mesenchymal transition cells in a mouse model of metastatic breast cancer
The various stages of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) generate phenotypically heterogeneous populations of cells. Here, we detail a dual recombinase lineage tracing system using a transgenic mouse model of metastatic breast cancer to trace and characterize breast cancer cells at different EMT stages. We describe analytical steps to label cancer cells at an early partial or a late full EMT state, followed by tracking their behavior in tumor slice cultures. We then characterize their transcriptome by five-cell RNA sequencing. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Luond et al. (2021)
Modelling Long-Period Variables -- II. Fundamental mode pulsation in the nonlinear regime
Long-period variability in luminous red giants has several promising
applications, all of which require models able to accurately predict pulsation
periods. Linear pulsation models have proven successful in reproducing the
observed periods of overtone modes in evolved red giants, but they fail to
accurately predict their fundamental mode periods. Here, we use a 1D
hydrodynamic code to investigate the long-period variability of M-type
asymptotic giant branch stars in the nonlinear regime. We examine the period
and stability of low-order radial pulsation modes as a function of mass and
radius, and find overtone mode periods in complete agreement with predictions
from linear pulsation models. In contrast, nonlinear models predict an earlier
onset of dominant fundamental mode pulsation, and shorter periods at large
radii. Both features lead to a substantially better agreement with
observations, that we verify against OGLE and Gaia data for the Magellanic
Clouds. We provide simple analytic relations describing the nonlinear
fundamental mode period-mass-radius relation. Differences with respect to
linear predictions originate from the readjustment of the envelope structure
induced by large-amplitude pulsation. We investigate the impact of turbulent
viscosity on linear and nonlinear pulsation, and probe possible effects of
varying metallicity and carbon abundance.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA
Lipid and protein dynamics of stacked and cation-depletion induced unstacked thylakoid membranes
NWO680.91.15.19Biological and Soft Matter PhysicsSolid state NMR/Biophysical Organic Chemistr
Investigation of the electrocatalytic reaction for the oxidation of alcohols through the formation of a metal organic framework (Mn-MIL-100)/polymer matrix on the surface of an Au electrode
An electrode composite containing a metal organic framework (Mn-MIL-100) was prepared by linkers including gold nanoparticles/polypyrrole and cysteine. The electrocatalytic application of this nanocomposite was evaluated via the oxidation of benzylic and aliphatic alcohols under open air conditions. Various active and inactive alcohol derivatives were successfully converted to the corresponding ketones with excellent yields. This advanced electrocatalyst proved to have remarkable stability over several recovery cycles from the reaction medium without significant change in its activity and selectivity and its regeneration potential. The active surface area of this electrocatalyst is very large due to its structural features, arising from the introduction of a metal organic framework (Mn-MIL-100) on a gold electrode, which provides more accessible surface sites, therefore boosting the electrocatalytic activity. The structure of the synthesized electrocatalyst has been characterized by FESEM, EDX, and AFM techniques. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistr
Key Science Goals for the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA): Report from the ngVLA Science Advisory Council
This document describes some of the fundamental astrophysical problems that
require observing capabilities at millimeter- and centimeter wavelengths well
beyond those of existing, or already planned, telescopes. The results
summarized in this report follow a solicitation from the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory to develop key science cases for a future U. S.-led radio
telescope, the "next generation Very Large Array" (ngVLA). The ngVLA will have
roughly 10 times the collecting area of the Jansky VLA, operate at frequencies
from 1 GHz to 116 GHz with up to 20 GHz of bandwidth, possess a compact core
for high surface-brightness sensitivity, and extended baselines of at least
hundreds of kilometers and ultimately across the continent to provide
high-resolution imaging. The ngVLA builds on the scientific and technical
legacy of the Jansky VLA and ALMA, and will be designed to provide the next
leap forward in our understanding of planets, galaxies, and black holes.Comment: ngVLA memo 1
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