Intradialytic hypertension (IDH) is an important emerging complication in hemodialysis patients. No study has examined the diagnostic markers of various risk factors for the occurrence of IDH in ...chronic hemodialysis patients. Therefore, our study aimed to assess the use of nitric oxide (NO) as a marker of IDH among end-stage renal disease patients. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (40 patients) with IDH and Group II (40 patients) without IDH. For all participants, a full medical history was taken, followed by laboratory examinations to measure the level of NO and a clinical examination. The dose of erythropoietin per week, the level of intact parathyroid hormone, and platelet count were significantly higher in Group I than in Group II, whereas the mean level of NO (2.10 ± 1.23 pmol/L) was highly significantly lower in patients with IDH (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that hypertension (odds ratio: 1.824, 95% confidence interval: 1.273-2.982) and the level of NO (odds ratio: 1.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-2.97) were independent risk factors for IDH. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the cutoff point of NO was 2.52 μmol/L to differentiate between cases with and without IDH (area under the curve = 0.844). Our findings support previous research regarding the involvement of endothelial dysfunction and a higher sodium level in the pathogenesis of IDH. We also found that the NO level had a good diagnostic value for the occurrence of IDH at a cutoff of 2.52 μmol/L.
A
bstract
A search for narrow and broad resonances with masses greater than 1.8 TeV decaying to a pair of jets is presented. The search uses proton-proton collision data at
s
= 13 TeV collected at ...the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb
−
1
. The background arising from standard model processes is predicted with the fit method used in previous publications and with a new method. The dijet invariant mass spectrum is well described by both data-driven methods, and no significant evidence for the production of new particles is observed. Model independent upper limits are reported on the production cross sections of narrow resonances, and broad resonances with widths up to 55% of the resonance mass. Limits are presented on the masses of narrow resonances from various models: string resonances, scalar diquarks, axigluons, colorons, excited quarks, color-octet scalars, W′ and Z′ bosons, Randall-Sundrum gravitons, and dark matter mediators. The limits on narrow resonances are improved by 200 to 800 GeV relative to those reported in previous CMS dijet resonance searches. The limits on dark matter mediators are presented as a function of the resonance mass and width, and on the associated coupling strength as a function of the mediator mass. These limits exclude at 95% confidence level a dark matter mediator with a mass of 1.8 TeV and width 1% of its mass or higher, up to one with a mass of 4.8 TeV and a width 45% of its mass or higher.
A
bstract
A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at
s
= 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis ...is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb
−
1
, collected in 2017–2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb
−
1
, collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.
Immunotherapy becomes a promising line of treatment for breast cancer (BC) however, its success rate is still limited.
The study was designed to optimize the condition for producing an effective ...dendritic cell (DCs) based immunotherapy by using DCs and T lymphocytes together with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-infiltrating DCs (TIDCs), treated with anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibodies. This mixture of immune cells was co-cultured with autologous breast cancer cells (BCCs) isolated from 26 BC females.
There was a significant upregulation of CD86 and CD83 on DCs (
= 0.001 and 0.017, respectively), similarly upregulation of CD8, CD4 and CD103 on T cells (
= 0.031, 0.027, and 0.011, respectively). While there was a significant downregulation of FOXP3 and combined CD25.CD8 expression on regulatory T cells (
= 0.014 for both). Increased CD8/Foxp3 ratio (
< 0.001) was also observed. CD133, CD34 and CD44 were downregulated on BCCs (
= 0.01, 0.021, and 0.015, respectively). There was a significant increase in interferon-γ (IFN-γ,
< 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH,
= 0.02), and a significant decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF,
< 0.001) protein levels. Gene expression of FOXP3 and Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL-1) were downregulated in BCCs (
< 0.001, for both), similarly cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4,
= 0.02), Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1,
< 0.001) and FOXP3 (
< 0.001) were significantly downregulated in T cells.
activation of immune cells (DCs, T cells, TIDCs, and TILs) with immune checkpoint inhibitors could produce a potent and effective BC immunotherapy. However, these data should be validated on an experimental animal model to be transferred to the clinical setting.
At the start of Run 2 in 2015, the LHC delivered proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13\TeV. During Run 2 (years 2015–2018) the LHC eventually reached a luminosity of 2.1×1034 ...cm-2s-1, almost three times that reached during Run 1 (2009–2013) and a factor of two larger than the LHC design value, leading to events with up to a mean of about 50 simultaneous inelastic proton-proton collisions per bunch crossing (pileup). The CMS Level-1 trigger was upgraded prior to 2016 to improve the selection of physics events in the challenging conditions posed by the second run of the LHC. This paper describes the performance of the CMS Level-1 trigger upgrade during the data taking period of 2016–2018. The upgraded trigger implements pattern recognition and boosted decision tree regression techniques for muon reconstruction, includes pileup subtraction for jets and energy sums, and incorporates pileup-dependent isolation requirements for electrons and tau leptons. In addition, the new trigger calculates high-level quantities such as the invariant mass of pairs of reconstructed particles. The upgrade reduces the trigger rate from background processes and improves the trigger efficiency for a wide variety of physics signals.
The paper addresses the ongoing and continuous interest in photovoltaic energy systems (PESs). In this context, the study focuses on an isolated photovoltaic system with hybrid battery-supercapacitor ...storage (HBSS). The integration of supercapacitors (SCs) in this system is particularly important because of their high specific power density. In photovoltaic (PV) systems, multi-storage systems use two or more energy storage technologies to enhance system performance and flexibility. When batteries and supercapacitors are combined in a PV system, their benefits are maximized and offer a more reliable, efficient, cost-effective energy storage option. In addition, effective multi-storage power management in a PV system needs a solid grasp of the energy storage technologies, load power demand profiles, and the whole system architecture. This work establishes a battery-supercapacitor storage system (HBSS) by combining batteries and supercapacitors. The primary objective is to devise a novel management algorithm that effectively controls the different power sources. The algorithm is designed to manage the charge and discharge cycles of the hybrid battery-supercapacitor energy storage system (HBSS), thereby guaranteeing that the state of charge (SOC) for both batteries and supercapacitors is maintained within the specified range. The proposed management algorithm is designed to be simple, efficient, and light on computational resources. It efficiently handles the energy flow within the HBSS, optimizing the usage of both batteries and supercapacitors based on real-time conditions and energy demands. The proposed method ensures their longevity and maximizes their performance by maintaining the SOC of these energy storage components within the specified limits. Simulation results obtained from applying the management strategy are found to be satisfactory. These results show that the proposed algorithm maintains the SOC of batteries and supercapacitors within the desired range, leading to improved energy management and enhanced system efficiency.
The natural modes as well as the aeroelastic stability of a plate with attached piezoelectric material in response to a change in electric potential are studied. A finite element model is developed ...based on the classical lamented plate theory. The piezoelectric stiffening effect is obtained using the concept of a change in geometric stiffness. Three piezoelectric configurations are considered in the present work: (1) with the piezoelectric actuators covering the whole plate, (2) with the piezoelectric actuators covering a portion of the plate near the clamped support, and (3) with the piezoelectric actuators covering a portion of the plate near the free end. In all the three cases, the piezoelectric sheets cover the plate on both sides. The second configuration is effective in stiffening the plate, while the first and third configurations are effective in buckling the plate. We also find the piezoelectric force has a significant effect on wing natural modes and aeroelastic stability. An increase in negative applied voltage can increase the aeroelastic stability, while increasing the positive voltage can decrease the plate stability. The piezoelectric effect on the plate torsional modes is more significant than its effect on its bending modes. The selection of the piezoelectric material configuration as well as the applied voltage is important for stiffening or weakening a plate.
A
bstract
Measurements of Higgs boson production cross sections and couplings in events where the Higgs boson decays into a pair of photons are reported. Events are selected from a sample of ...proton-proton collisions at
s
= 13 TeV collected by the CMS detector at the LHC from 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb
−
1
. Analysis categories enriched in Higgs boson events produced via gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, vector boson associated production, and production associated with top quarks are constructed. The total Higgs boson signal strength, relative to the standard model (SM) prediction, is measured to be 1
.
12±0
.
09. Other properties of the Higgs boson are measured, including SM signal strength modifiers, production cross sections, and its couplings to other particles. These include the most precise measurements of gluon fusion and vector boson fusion Higgs boson production in several different kinematic regions, the first measurement of Higgs boson production in association with a top quark pair in five regions of the Higgs boson transverse momentum, and an upper limit on the rate of Higgs boson production in association with a single top quark. All results are found to be in agreement with the SM expectations.
Erythropoietin: role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis revisited Abdel-Aziz, Contributors; Okaily, Nagwa; Kasem, Ahmed
Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis/Egyptian Journal of Chest Diseases and Tuberculosis,
10/2020, Letnik:
69, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common form of interstitial lung disease. Anemia is a common finding in patients with IPF. The role of erythropoietin (EPO) in IPF-related ...anemia is rarely discussed. The present study aimed to determine EPO levels in patients with IPF and its relation to various clinical parameters.
Patients and methods This prospective study was conducted on 45 patients with IPF and 45 healthy nonanemic controls. Included patients were subjected to careful history taking, thorough clinical examination, and pulmonary function testing. Investigations included C-reactive protein (CRP), serum electrolytes, blood gases, and serum EPO.
Results The present study included 45 patients with IPF. They comprised 31 (68.9%) females and 14 (31.1%) males. Among the studied patients, there were 17 anemic patients. Anemic patients had significantly lower forced expiratory volume first second, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and higher CRP levels. Patients have significantly higher EPO levels when compared with controls. There was a significant inverse correlation between EPO and forced expiratory volume first second in all patients. In addition, there was a significant direct correlation between EPO and CRP levels.
Conclusion Anemia is prevalent in patients with IPF. In those patients, EPO levels are elevated but EPO response remains poor. EPO levels are directly correlated with CRP levels.
A
bstract
A search for phenomena beyond the standard model in final states with two oppositely charged same-flavor leptons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The search uses a data sample ...of proton-proton collisions at
s
= 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb
−
1
, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Three potential signatures of physics beyond the standard model are explored: an excess of events with a lepton pair, whose invariant mass is consistent with the Z boson mass; a kinematic edge in the invariant mass distribution of the lepton pair; and the nonresonant production of two leptons. The observed event yields are consistent with those expected from standard model backgrounds. The results of the first search allow the exclusion of gluino masses up to 1870 GeV, as well as chargino (neutralino) masses up to 750 (800) GeV, while those of the searches for the other two signatures allow the exclusion of light-flavor (bottom) squark masses up to 1800 (1600) GeV and slepton masses up to 700 GeV, respectively, at 95% confidence level within certain supersymmetry scenarios.
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