The study presented in this article investigated two competing perspectives-accumulative advantage and institutional isomorphism-on the relationship between publication productivity and institutional ...hierarchy. Accumulative advantage suggests that increased institutional differentiation should occur over time as highly ranked institutions extend their advantage, whereas institutional isomorphism suggests that social processes will cause institutions to become increasingly similar. Institutional data, derived from three national surveys of American college faculty, conducted between 1972 and 1992, were used. The results provide support for both perspectives, which is perhaps best explained by the open yet competitive nature of the American higher education system.
Oxygen supply by oxygen carrier adsorbed on a solid support Dey, E. Szwajcer
14th European Congress on Biotechnology,Barcelona, Spain,2009-09-13 - 2009-09-16,
September 2009, Letnik:
25, Številka:
Suppl. 1
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
The purpose of this study was to conduct a nationwide assessment of state-level environmental education (EE) organizations to determine the components that are essential to the establishment and ...success of these organizations. E-mail surveys were used to collect data from North American Association for Environmental Education state affiliates, and Ruskey & Wilke's State-Level Comprehensive EE model was reorganized to add the dimension of time, and highlight the components most important for success. The outcome was a flexible, three-stage model for sequential, state-level EE organizational development.
Bacterial infection and inflammation result in massive changes in serum glycoproteins. These changes were investigated by the interaction of the saccharide glycoprotein moiety with lectins. A panel ...of eight lectins (C
anavalia ensiformis,
Bandeiraea simplicifolia BS-I,
Arachis hypogaea,
Phytolacca americana,
Phaseolus vulgaris,
Artocarpus integrifolia,
Triticum vulgaris and
Pisum sativum) was used to differentiate human serum glycoproteins obtained from patients with various bacterial infections. Lectin functionalised sensing layers were created on gold-coated wafers and lectin–glycoprotein interactions were monitored by surface plasmon resonance. The interaction of the lectin panel with serum glycoproteins produces unique patterns. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the patterns. The actual panel of eight lectins enabled discrimination between sera obtained from patients sick with bacterial infection and healthy patients. Extended lectin panels have the potential to distinguish between types of bacterial infection and identify specific disease state.
Biosensor techniques are based on biospecific interaction between the biological parts of biosensor with the analyte. In biosensor construction, antibodies are usually used for the detection of ...analytes such as microorganism, because of very strong and highly specific interaction. The disadvantages of this assay are a long time needed for antibody isolation and purification as well as difficult regeneration of biosensor chip. The use of lectins instead of antibodies could solve these problems because a several hundred lectins are commercially available and their stability in standard buffers is better compared to monoclonal antibodies. While antibody can only be used to detect that antigen it was designed for, lectin as low affinity molecule may bind several different pathogens. Using the discriminative effect of an artificial neural network the application of a lectin array will compensate for the lower specificity. Microbial surfaces bear many of the sugar residues capable of interacting with lectins. The ability of lectins to react with microbial glycoconjugates means that it is possible to employ them as probes and sorbents for whole cells, mutants and numerous cellular constituents and metabolites, and it makes them useful tools for identification or typing of bacteria. Lectins are attractive reagents for the clinical diagnostic laboratory because of their diverse specificity, commercial availability, a wide range of molecular weights, and their stability in standard buffers. The construction of lectin biosensor could be an advantage method for detection of pathogenic bacteria.
Abstract
Introduction
Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation has emerged as a surrogate marker of pericoronary inflammation. To date, no studies have compared the impact of pericoronary ...adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation and quantitative plaque burden on cardiac outcomes.
Purpose
We aimed to establish the relative merits of these approaches to risk prediction and hypothesised that the combination of PCAT attenuation and quantitative plaque burden measures could provide additive and improved prediction of myocardial infarction in patients with stable chest pain.
Methods
In a post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we investigated the association between the future risk of fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction and PCAT attenuation measured from CT coronary angiography using multivariable Cox regression models including plaque burden, obstructive coronary disease and cardiac risk score (incorporating age, sex, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and family history of cardiovascular disease).
Results
In 1697 evaluable participants (mean age 58±10 years), there were 37 myocardial infarctions after a median follow-up of 4.7 interquartile interval, 4.0–5.7 years. Median low-attenuation plaque burden was 4.20 0–6.86 % and mean PCAT −76±8 Hounsfield units (HU).
PCAT attenuation of the right coronary artery (RCA) was predictive of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.08–2.22; p=0.017, per 1 standard deviation increment) with an optimum threshold of −70.5 HU Hazards ratio (HR) 2.45, 95% CI 1.2–4.9; p=0.01. Univariable analysis also identified the burden of non-calcified, low-attenuation and calcified plaque as well as Agatston coronary calcium score, presence of obstructive coronary artery disease and cardiovascular risk score were predictors of myocardial infarction (Figure 1). In multivariable analysis, only the low-attenuation plaque burden (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.16 to 2.81, p=0.011, per doubling) and PCAT-RCA (HR 1.47 95%1.02 to 2.13, p=0.040, per standard deviation increment) remained predictors of myocardial infarction (Figure 1).
In multivariable analysis, adding PCAT-RCA ≥-70.5 HU to low-attenuation plaque burden >4% (optimum threshold for future myocardial infarction; HR = 4.87, 95% CI 2.03–11.78; p<0.0001) led to improved prediction of future myocardial infarction (HR 11.7, 95% CI 3.3–40.9; p<0.0001); Figure 2. In ROC analysis, integration of PCAT-RCA attenuation and LAP burden, increased the prediction for myocardial infarction compared to LAP alone (ΔAUC=0.04; p=0.01).
Conclusion
CT coronary angiography defined PCAT attenuation and low-attenuation plaque have marked and additive predictive value for the risk of fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates, British Heart Foundation, National Institute of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant
Abstract
Introduction
Coronary artery calcification is a marker of cardiovascular risk, but its association with qualitatively and quantitatively assessed plaque subtypes on coronary computed ...tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) is unknown.
Methods
In this post-hoc analysis, CT images and clinical outcomes were assessed in SCOT-HEART trial participants. Agatston coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured on non-contrast CT and was stratified as zero (0 Agatston units, AU), minimal (1 to 9AU), low (10 to 99AU), moderate (100 to 399AU), high (400 to 999AU) and very high (≥1000AU). Adverse plaques were investigated with qualitative (visual categorisation of positive remodelling, low-attenuation plaque, spotty calcification, napkin ring sign) and quantitative (calcified, non-calcified, low-attenuation and total plaque burden) methods.
Results
Images of 1769 patients were assessed (mean age 58±9 years, 56% male, median Agatston score 21 interquartile range 0 to 230 AU). Of these 36% had a zero, 9% minimal, 20% low, 17% moderate, 10% high and 8% very high CACS. Amongst patients with a zero CACS, 14% had nonobstructive disease, 2% had obstructive disease, 2% had visually assessed adverse plaques and 13% had quantitative low-attenuation plaque (LAP) burden >4% (Figure 1). Non-calcified and low-attenuation plaque burden increased between patients with zero, minimal and low CACS (p<0.001), but there was no difference between those with medium, high and very high CACS. Over a median follow-up of 4.8 4.1 to 5.7 years, fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction occurred in 41 patients, 10% of whom had zero CACS. CACS ≥1000AU (Hazard ratio (HR) 4.55 1.20 to 17.3, p=0.026) and low-attenuation plaque burden (HR 1.74 1.19 to 2.54, p=0.004) were the only predictors of myocardial infarction, independent of obstructive disease and cardiovascular risk score. Figure 2 shows example CCTA images in a patient with zero CACS, non-calcified plaque (red), low attenuation plaque (orange) burden >4% and obstructive disease in the left anterior descending coronary artery.
Conclusions
In patients with stable chest pain, a zero CACS is associated with a good prognosis, but 1 in 6 have coronary artery disease, including the presence of adverse plaques.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation, National Institute of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
An extensive screening among microorganisms for the presence of post-proline-specific endopeptidase activity was performed. This activity was found among ordinary bacteria from soil samples but not ...among fungi and actinomycetes. This result is in contrast to the previous notion that this activity is confined to the genus Flavobacterium. A proline endopeptidase was isolated from a Xanthomonas sp. and characterized with respect to physicochemical and enzymatic properties. The enzyme is composed of a single peptide chain with a molecular weight of 75,000. The isoelectric point is 6.2. It is inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate and may therefore be classified as a serine endopeptidase. The activity profile is bell shaped with an optimum at pH 7.5. By using synthetic peptide substrates and intramolecular fluorescence quenching it was possible to study the influence of substrate structure on the rate of hydrolysis. The enzyme specifically hydrolyzed Pro-X peptide bonds. With Glu at position X, low rates of hydrolysis were observed; otherwise the enzyme exhibited little preference for particular amino acid residues at position X. A similar substrate preference was observed with respect to the amino acid residue preceding the prolyl residue in the substrate. The enzyme required a minimum of two amino acid residues toward the N terminus from the scissile bond, but further elongation of the peptide chain by up to six amino acid residues caused only a threefold increase in the rate of hydrolysis. Attempts to cleave at the prolyl residues in oxidized RNase failed, indicating that the enzyme does not hydrolyze long peptides, a peculiar property it shares with other proline-specific endopeptidases
Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) are highly susceptible to fungi causing rots, especially in organic orchards where these rots cause major economic losses. Since the use of conventional fungicides is ...prohibited or restricted in many countries and in organic production, altogether, one alternative is to make use of bioactive compounds that can inhibit fungal growth on apples. Antifungal effects of alkylresorcinols (ARs), isolated from rye bran, were used in two different bioactive emulsions and tested in vitro as well as in vivo against two fungi, Penicillium expansum and Neofabraea perennans, which cause important storage diseases in apple. For both fungi, application of AR emulsions produced a 50 % reduction in mycelial growth and spore germination. The in vivo tests were carried out on woundinoculated fruit of foin apple cultivars, 'Aroma', 'Ingrid Marie', 'Frida' and 'Gloster'. Spraying the inoculated fruit with ARs decreased lesion area diameter caused by P. expansum with 17–52 % and lesion area diameter caused by N. perennans with 31–77 %, depending on the apple cultivar. For each fungus, the inhibitory effect of ARs was stronger in those apple cultivars that appear to have the highest level of disease tolerance, i.e. the smallest lesions on the control fruit. The level of sun exposure of the fruit had neither significant influence on the decay nor in the inhibitory effect obtained with the postharvest application of ARs.
Introduction: Patients with heart disease suffer from sleep disorders due to the disease process. Aromatherapy is one of the ways to treat sleep disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the ...effect of aromatherapy with orange and citrus aurantium on sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study was performed on 120 patients admitted to selected hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) in 2019. The samples were randomly divided into four groups of aromatherapy with Orange extract, Citrus aurantium extract, Orange - Citrus aurantium extract and the control. The control group received only routine care. Data collection tools included St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Quality Questionnaire and demographic profile form. Results: The mean sleep time in the Citrus aurantium group (6.5 ± 0.3 hours), the orange group (8 ± 0.7 hours) and the Orange-Citrus aurantium group (8 ± 0.8 hours) was significantly higher than the control group (5.4 ± 0.4 hours) (p=0.000). The mean score of sleep quality in the orange, Citrus aurantium and Orange-Citrus aurantium groups was significantly better than the control group (p=0.0008). The sleep quality score in the combined aromatherapy group was significantly higher than each group alone (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the sleep quality between Orange and Citrus aurantium groups. Conclusion: Aromatherapy with the combined Orange and Citrus aurantium extracts and each extract alone has a positive effect on sleep quality and can be used as a complementary measure in nursing care.
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