140 research outputs found
ICU acquired hypernatremia treated by enteral free water - A retrospective cohort study
Purpose: ICU acquired hypernatremia (IAH) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, however treat-ment remains controversial. This study aims to determine the effect of enteral free water suppletion in patients with IAH. Materials and methods: Retrospective single center study in a tertiary ICU. Inclusion criteria: patients with IAH and treatment with enteral free water. Exclusion criteria: patients with renal replacement therapy, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state. Primary outcome: change in plasma sodium (in mmol/l) after 5 days treatment. Responders were defined as patients with a decrease in sodium level of 5 mmol/l or more. Results: In total 382 consecutive patients were included. The median sodium level at the start of water therapy was 149 mmol/l (IQR 147-150). The median volume of enteral water was 4423 ml (IQR 3349-5379 ml) after 5 days and mean sodium decrease was 1.87 mmol/l (SD 4.84). There was no significant correlation between the volume of enteral water and sodium decrease (r(2) = 0.01). Conclusions: Treatment with enteral free water did not result in a clinically relevant decrease in serum sodium level in patients with IAH. In addition, the volume of enteral free water and the use of diuretics was unrelated with sodium change over 5 days. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Differential modulation of cisplatin accumulation in leukocytes and tumor cell lines by the paclitaxel vehicle Cremophor EL
Background: Several clinical studies have shown that polychemotherapy with the taxanes paclitaxel or docetaxel preceded or followed by cisplatin is associated with important schedule-dependent differences in toxicities, such as leukocytopenia. In general, the pharmacokinetics of both drugs during the combined treatment are unaltered, suggesting that a pharmacodynamic interaction might have occurred. Materials and methods: In order to gain insight into this pharmacologic interaction, we performed in vitro drug accumulation studies using peripheral blood leukocytes and a panel of tumor and non-malignant cell lines with paclitaxel and docetaxel, as well as with their respective formulation vehicles Cremophor EL and Tween 80. Results: Our results show a significant reduction in the intracellular cisplatin concentration in leukocytes of up to 42% in the presence of Cremophor EL and Tween 80 as compared to the control. This pharmacodynamic interaction of these surfactants with cisplatin seems to be specific for haematopoietic cells, and does not occur in solid tumor cells. Conclusion: The present data suggest that the pharmaceutical vehicles Cremophor EL and Tween 80 might contribute to the reduced cisplatin-associated myelotoxicity observed in the clinical combination chemotherapy studies with paclitaxel and docetaxel
VIDEO TRACKING USING ACOUSTIC TRIANGULATION
This study focuses on the detection and triangulation of sound sources. Specifically, we focus on the detection of sound in order to track a person’s position with a video camera. Acoustic tracking, an alternative to visual tracking, is relatively inexpensive, passive (does not emit energy), and effective in low lighting environments [3]. Our project is broken into two major aspects: accurately discerning input as opposed to background noise and the localization of the sound source. In order to focus on the input signal, we analyze two methods: time averaging and impulse culling. After the sound is analyzed and filtered we focus on the triangulation of the source in 2-D space using direct and estimation techniques requiring three microphones. This process is geared towards finding a compromise between performance and complexity which allows implementation on a standard micro-controller
Male Mating Tactics in Captive Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta): The Influence of Dominance, Markets, and Relationship Quality
Male mating success in a multimale–multifemale group can depend on several variables: body condition, dominance, coalitions, “friendship,” or an exchange of services for mating access. Exchange patterns may also be determined by market effects or social relationships. We studied the mating tactics of males in a captive, multimale–multifemale group of rhesus macaques and the resulting patterns of mating and paternity to determine the influence of dominance rank, mating markets, and relationship quality on their mating tactics. Male rank was positively related to the total number of copulations and the number of mating partners, but did not explain male mating distribution completely. Moreover, male fertilization success was not related to male rank. Males did not exchange grooming for mating access on the same day and neither the supply nor the rank (as a proxy for quality) of receptive females affected the amount of male grooming, suggesting that market effects did not explain male mating access. However, there was a positive correlation between long-term grooming patterns of both males and females and mating access, indicating that social relationships were important for male mating access. Paternity data revealed that these social relationships were also important for male reproductive success. We conclude that both male rank and male–female “friendship” determined male mating access in these rhesus macaques, but that “friendship” was more important in determining paternity, emphasizing the importance of intersex social bonds in male mating success in multimale primate societies
An IGF-I promoter polymorphism modifies the relationships between birth weight and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes at age 36
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether IGF-I promoter polymorphism was associated with birth weight and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and whether the birth weight – risk factor relationship was the same for each genotype. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: 264 subjects (mean age 36 years) had data available on birth weight, IGF-I promoter polymorphism genotype, CVD and T2DM risk factors. Student's t-test and regression analyses were applied to analyse differences in birth weight and differences in the birth weight – risk factors relationship between the genotypes. RESULTS: Male variant carriers (VCs) of the IGF-I promoter polymorphism had a 0.2 kg lower birth weight than men with the wild type allele (p = 0.009). Of the risk factors for CVD and T2DM, solely LDL concentration was associated with the genotype for the polymorphism. Most birth weight – risk factor relationships were stronger in the VC subjects; among others the birth weight – systolic blood pressure relationship: 1 kg lower birth weight was related to an 8.0 mmHg higher systolic blood pressure CONCLUSION: The polymorphism in the promoter region of the IGF-I gene is related to birth weight in men only, and to LDL concentration only. Furthermore, the genotype for this polymorphism modified the relationships between birth weight and the risk factors, especially for systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Towards identifying dyslexia in Standard Indonesian: the development of a reading assessment battery
The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems IV: NIRISS Aperture Masking Interferometry Performance and Lessons Learned
We present a performance analysis for the aperture masking interferometry
(AMI) mode on board the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Imager and
Slitless Spectrograph (JWST/NIRISS). Thanks to self-calibrating observables,
AMI accesses inner working angles down to and even within the classical
diffraction limit. The scientific potential of this mode has recently been
demonstrated by the Early Release Science (ERS) 1386 program with a deep search
for close-in companions in the HIP 65426 exoplanetary system. As part of ERS
1386, we use the same dataset to explore the random, static, and calibration
errors of NIRISS AMI observables. We compare the observed noise properties and
achievable contrast to theoretical predictions. We explore possible sources of
calibration errors, and show that differences in charge migration between the
observations of HIP 65426 and point-spread function calibration stars can
account for the achieved contrast curves. Lastly, we use self-calibration tests
to demonstrate that with adequate calibration, NIRISS AMI can reach contrast
levels of mag. These tests lead us to observation planning
recommendations and strongly motivate future studies aimed at producing
sophisticated calibration strategies taking these systematic effects into
account. This will unlock the unprecedented capabilities of JWST/NIRISS AMI,
with sensitivity to significantly colder, lower mass exoplanets than
ground-based setups at orbital separations inaccessible to JWST coronagraphy.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, submitted to AAS Journal
The \textit{JWST} Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems III: Aperture Masking Interferometric Observations of the star HIP\,65426 at
We present aperture masking interferometry (AMI) observations of the star HIP
65426 at as a part of the \textit{JWST} Direct Imaging Early
Release Science (ERS) program obtained using the Near Infrared Imager and
Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) instrument. This mode provides access to very
small inner working angles (even separations slightly below the Michelson limit
of for an interferometer), which are inaccessible with the
classical inner working angles of the \textit{JWST} coronagraphs. When combined
with \textit{JWST}'s unprecedented infrared sensitivity, this mode has the
potential to probe a new portion of parameter space across a wide array of
astronomical observations. Using this mode, we are able to achieve a contrast
of \,mag relative to the host star at a separation
of {\sim}0.07\arcsec but detect no additional companions interior to the
known companion HIP\,65426\,b. Our observations thus rule out companions more
massive than 10{-}12\,\rm{M\textsubscript{Jup}} at separations
from HIP\,65426, a region out of reach of ground or
space-based coronagraphic imaging. These observations confirm that the AMI mode
on \textit{JWST} is sensitive to planetary mass companions orbiting at the
water frost line, even for more distant stars at 100\,pc. This result
will allow the planning and successful execution of future observations to
probe the inner regions of nearby stellar systems, opening essentially
unexplored parameter space.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, submitted to ApJ Letter
The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems II: A 1 to 20 Micron Spectrum of the Planetary-Mass Companion VHS 1256-1257 b
We present the highest fidelity spectrum to date of a planetary-mass object.
VHS 1256 b is a 20 M widely separated (8\arcsec, a =
150 au), young, planetary-mass companion that shares photometric colors and
spectroscopic features with the directly imaged exoplanets HR 8799 c, d, and e.
As an L-to-T transition object, VHS 1256 b exists along the region of the
color-magnitude diagram where substellar atmospheres transition from cloudy to
clear. We observed VHS 1256~b with \textit{JWST}'s NIRSpec IFU and MIRI MRS
modes for coverage from 1 m to 20 m at resolutions of 1,000 -
3,700. Water, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sodium, and potassium
are observed in several portions of the \textit{JWST} spectrum based on
comparisons from template brown dwarf spectra, molecular opacities, and
atmospheric models. The spectral shape of VHS 1256 b is influenced by
disequilibrium chemistry and clouds. We directly detect silicate clouds, the
first such detection reported for a planetary-mass companion.Comment: Accepted ApJL Iterations of spectra reduced by the ERS team are
hosted at this link:
https://github.com/bemiles/JWST_VHS1256b_Reduction/tree/main/reduced_spectr
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