39 research outputs found
Experimental Determination of the Characteristics of a Positron Source Using Channeling
Numerical simulations and `proof of principle' experiments showed clearly the
interest of using crystals as photon generators dedicated to intense positron
sources for linear colliders. An experimental investigation, using a 10 GeV
secondary electron beam, of the SPS-CERN, impinging on an axially oriented
thick tungsten crystal, has been prepared and operated between May and August
2000. After a short recall on the main features of positron sources using
channeling in oriented crystals, the experimental set-up is described. A
particular emphasis is put on the positron detector made of a drift chamber,
partially immersed in a magnetic field. The enhancement in photon and positron
production in the aligned crystal have been observed in the energy range 5 to
40 GeV, for the incident electrons, in crystals of 4 and 8 mm as in an hybrid
target. The first results concerning this experiment are presented hereafter.Comment: 3 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Linac200
Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease
Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1ÎČ, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1ÎČ innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.
Advanced results of FortelyzinÂź use in the FRIDOM1 study and real clinical practice
Aim. To study the effectiveness of FortelyzinÂź in subgroups with different body weights in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the FRIDOM1 study and real clinical practice.Material and methods. FortelyzinÂź was administered in a single-bolus dose of 15 mg over 10 seconds, regardless of the body weight of patients. MetalyseÂź was administered in a single-bolus dose of 30-50 mg over 10 seconds, depending on body weight. The one-year results of the FRIDOM1 study were evaluated by the clinical centers using telephone contact. Monitoring of FortelyzinÂź use was carried out by inpatient physicians, emergency doctors and paramedics by filling out a monitoring sheet in the period from June 2013 to December 2021 in 19243 patients with STEMI.Results. In the FRIDOM1 study, the distribution of patients depending on body weight in the FortelyzinÂź (n=190) and MetalyseÂź (n=191) drug groups was as follows: up to 60 kg â 4 people each (p=1,00); from 60 to 70 kg â 21 and 23 (p=0,87); from 70 to 80 kg â 39 and 43 (p=0,71), from 80 to 90 kg â 63 and 47 (p=0,07); from 90 to 100 kg â 30 and 41 (p=0,19); over 100 kg â 33 people (p=1,00) in each group. The effectiveness of thrombolysis according to electrocardiographic (ECG) data in the FortelyzinÂź and MetalyseÂź groups was as follows: up to 60 kg â 75% each (p=1,00); from 60 to 70 kg â 76% vs 83% (p=0,72); from 70 to 80 kg â 82% vs 86% (p=0,76); from 80 to 90 kg â 81% vs 77% (p=0,64); from 90 to 100 kg â 80% vs 81% (p=1,00); over 100 kg â 79% vs 76% (p=1,00); in total â 80% vs 80% (p=0,87). The effectiveness of thrombolysis according to coronary angiography (CAG) (TIMI 2-3) in the FortelyzinÂź and MetalyseÂź groups was as follows: up to 60 kg â 100% vs 50% (p=0,43); from 60 to 70 kg â 81% vs 67% (p=0,48); from 70 to 80 kg â 74% vs 84% (p=0,41); from 80 to 90 kg â 70% vs 72% (p=1,00); from 90 to 100 kg â 67% vs 66% (p=1,00); over 100 kg â 58% vs 64% (p=0,80); in total â 70% vs 71% (p=0,76). The one-year survival rate in the FRIDOM1 study in the FortelyzinÂź and MetalyseÂź groups was 94% (p=0,91). The administration of FortelyzinÂź in patients with STEMI caused blood flow restoration according to ECG data in 14624 of 19243 patients (76%), while according to CAG (TIMI 2-3) â in 3422 of 4805 patients (71%). Inhospital mortality was 5% (n=962), while intracranial hemorrhage developed in 0,5% (n=92).Conclusion. The use of FortelyzinÂź in the FRIDOM1 study and in real clinical practice in a single-bolus (10 sec) dose of 15 mg in patients with STEMI with any body weight showed its high efficacy and safety, including at the prehospital stage
Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications
in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or
magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal
stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction
of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particlesâ
surface is essential. During this process, the original
coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded
ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the
silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more
than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In
this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces
ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically
accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove
the generic character, different functional groups were
introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol
chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their
colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as
well as human plasma and serum was investigated to
allow implementation in biomedical and sensing
applications.status: publishe
Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease 5D Depending on the Episode of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Introduction. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is steadily increasing. However, at the same time, even terminal renal failure is not a âverdictâ, since there are well-proven methods of renal replacement therapy, the spectrum of which is quite wide. The COVIDâ19 pandemic has significantly reduced the cohort of dialysis patients. However, unfortunately, the very fact of the transferred disease has negative consequences in the long term.
The purpose of this study was to search for predictors of an unfavorable outcome in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVIDâ19 receiving treatment with programmed hemodialysis.
Patients and methods. 62 patients with chronic kidney disease of stage C5 receiving HD treatment were examined. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (41 people) â those who were diagnosed with COVIDâ19 and group 2 (21 people) â those who were not. To assess the condition, biochemical parameters of the protocol for the management of dialysis patients, food diaries, and caliperometry were used.
Results. The incidence was statistically significantly affected by visceral obesity, insufficient protein intake, excessive fat intake, impaired carbohydrate tolerance, hyperleptinemia and the presence of any cardiovascular disease. During the two-year follow-up, 15 people died. At the same time, there were 14 patients in the group of COVIDâ19 patients. Accordingly, mortality in the group of patients without a history of COVIDâ19 amounted to 4.7%, in the comparison group â 35%.
Conclusion. The most likely cause of high mortality in patients who have undergone COVIDâ19 is protein-Âenergy deficiency. In obese patients, its development may not attract attention for a long time due to the fact that the BMI is in the formally safe range
Geoecological evaluation of environmental damage to the results of long-term dynamics of benzopyrene and petroleum within landfill sludge
PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IN AUTOLOGOUS STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION FOR NON-HODGKINâS LYMPHOMA
Objective: evaluation and comparison of positron emission tomography (PET) prognostic value with other predictors of effectiveness in patients with non-Hodgkinâs lymphoma (NHL) receiving high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT).Materials and methods. The retrospective data on 49 consecutive patients with NHL receiving high-dose chemotherapy with ĐHSCT was              analyzed. The median age was 36.2 (7â60) years. Median follow-up is currently 24 (1â82) months. Prognostic factors analyzed included sex, response to the initial chemotherapy, time to relapse, second-line chemotherapy regimen type, B-symptoms on relapse, serum lactate dehydrogenase and albumin levels, response assessed by computer tomography (CT), number of chemotherapy lines, condition regimen, PET-scan results before (PET1, n = 49) and after (PET2, n = 39) AHSCT.Results. Two-year overall and event-free survivals were 74.4 and 79.1 %, respectively. Patients with CT-confirmed progression prior to AH-SCT had the worse prognosis. Prognostic significance of PET-status was shown in chemosensitive patients (partial/complete response).The overall survival in PET1-negative and PET1-positive patients were 95.4 vs 71.0 % (Ń = 0.019), respectively. In PET2-positive and PET2-negative patients the overall and event-free survivals were 59.8 vs 100 % (Ń = 0.001) and 54.4 vs 94.4 % (Ń = 0.02), respectively.    In combined analysis of PET1 and PET2 statuses prognostic significance of PET2 prevailed over PET1 results significance. The multivariate analysis confirmed only PET1 significance for survival prediction.  Conclusion. Chemosensitivity of the tumor, assessed by CT, is the most important prognostic factor. In chemosensitive patients achievement PET1 or PET2 negativity means better prognosis. The patients with PET positivity prior and after AHSCT have the worst prognosis
Secondary hemophagocytic syndrome in adult patients. Study of 91 patients
Background. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis (sHLH) is a hyperinflammatory reaction provoked by some trigger (cancer, autoimmune or infection). The majority of affected patients are at high risk of fatal multiple organ failure without getting immunsupressive treatment.Objective. Clinical and laboratory profile of sHLH patients.Materials and methods. Retrospective study included clinical, instrumental and lab data from the 91 patients followed between June 2009 and June 2019. Diagnosis sHLH had been based on HLH-2004 and H-Score criteria. The analyzed parameters had been fever chart, liver and spleen enlargement, changes in the bone marrow; values levels of glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, triglycerides, total ferritin with percentage of glycosylation. All patients with rheumatic disorders or malignancies had received either immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapy. Febrile patients received anti-infective treatment according to the local routine protocols.Results. The data from 91 patients (41 male and 50 female) had been analyzed. Median age was 58 (2â90) years. The sHLH trigger-diseases spectrum included leukemia/lymphoma (n = 52), infection diseases (n = 11), autoimmune disorders (n = 5), allogenic bone marrow transplantation (n = 13), unidentified (n = 10). A fever with an unknown origin and refractory to antibacterial treatment had been observed in 87 (96 %) patients. Morphological hemophagocytic evidences in the bone marrow had been found in 83 %. Breath shortening, liver failure, neurologic disturbances, systemic effusions, rash, heart failure had been registered in 83 % patients. Detected splenomegaly presented in 56 %. Laboratory changes, median were as following: serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (alanine aminotransferase, SGPT) â 92 (39.2â1060.8) IU/L; serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (aspartate aminotransferase, SGOT) â 105 (40â4177) IU/L; alkaline phosphatase â 225 (120.9â989) IU/L; bilirubin â 50.5 (22â559) ”mol/L; triglycerides â 3.2 (1.95â8.6) mmol/L; total ferritin â 10000 (597â255000) ng/mL with glycosylation percentage â 20.45 (0â37.8) %. 71 patients received various of HLH-directed therapy courses. The overall survival rate was 27 %, median follow-up â 540 days.Conclusion. The main clinical and instrumental findings in sHLH are fever, refractory to anti-infective treatment, elevation of transaminases, serum alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, total ferritine with low glycosylated fraction. Early diagnosing and immunesupression are the main factors of survival
Experimental Study of a Positron\\ Source Using Channeling
Many simulations have predicted that the yield of positrons, resulting from the interaction of fast electrons in a solid target, increases if the target is a crystal oriented with a major axis parallel to the electron beam. Tests made at Orsay and Tokyo confirmed these expectations. The experiment WA 103 concerns the determination of the main characteristics (emittance, energy spread) of a crystal positron source which could replace advantageously the conventional positron converters foreseen in some linear collider projects. The main element of the set-up is a magnetic spectrometer, using a drift chamber, where the positron trajectories are reconstructed (see Figure 1) A first run has been operated in july 2000 and the first results showed, as expected, a significant enhancement in photon and positron generation along the axis of the tungsten crystal. Indications about a significant increase in the number of soft photons and positrons were also gathered : this point is of importance for the positron collection in the accelerator. Track reconstruction and data analysis are undertaken and should provide the needed informations on emittance and energy distribution. Complementary data taking is considered for this year