Loss of cardiomyocytes through programmed cell death is a key event in the development of heart failure, but the inciting molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. We used microarray analysis to ...identify a genetic program for myocardial apoptosis in Gq-mediated and pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. A critical component of this apoptotic program was Nix/Bnip3L. Nix localized to mitochondria and caused release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3 and apoptotic cell death, when expressed in HEK293 fibroblasts. A previously undescribed truncated Nix isoform, termed sNix, was not targeted to mitochondria but heterodimerized with Nix and protected against Nix-mediated apoptosis. Forced in vivo myocardial expression of Nix resulted in apoptotic cardiomyopathy and rapid death. Conversely, sNix protected against apoptotic peripartum cardiomyopathy in G(alpha)q-overexpressors. Thus, Nix/Bnip3L is upregulated in myocardial hypertrophy, and is both necessary and sufficient for Gq-mediated apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and resulting hypertrophy decompensation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective: To examine the effect of a stroke in the basal ganglia on cognitive functioning.
Design: As part of a larger prospective study on the neuropsychological and psychosocial consequences of ...stroke, 12 patients with a stroke confined to the basal ganglia were examined.
Setting: The patients were assessed in one of the three participating hospitals.
Subjects: The results of 12 patients with a stroke in the basal ganglia (mean age 55 years), were compared to 24 controls (mean age 54.3 years).
Main outcome measures: Different aspects of memory, attention and concentration, visuospatial and visuoconstructive functions, language and arithmetic were assessed using neuropsychological tests.
Results: The data show a significant abnormality in cognitive functioning on all cognitive domains.
Conclusions: The results stress the notion that subcortical damage may lead to substantial neuropsychological disorders and have clear implications for neurological rehabilitation.
Recently, a new radiotherapy delivery technique has become clinically available--volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). VMAT is the delivery of IMRT while the gantry is in motion using dynamic leaf ...motion. The perceived benefit of VMAT over IMRT is a reduction in delivery time. In this study, VMAT was compared directly with IMRT for a series of prostate cases. For 10 patients, a biologically optimized seven-field IMRT plan was compared with a biologically optimized VMAT plan using the same planning objectives. The Pinnacle RTPS was used. The resultant target and organ-at-risk dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were compared. The normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for the IMRT and VMAT plans was calculated for 3 model parameter sets. The delivery efficiency and time for the IMRT and VMAT plans was compared. The VMAT plans resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the rectal V25Gy parameter of 8.2% on average over the IMRT plans. For one of the NTCP parameter sets, the VMAT plans had a statistically significant lower rectal NTCP. These reductions in rectal dose were achieved using 18.6% fewer monitor units and a delivery time reduction of up to 69%. VMAT plans resulted in reductions in rectal doses for all 10 patients in the study. This was achieved with significant reductions in delivery time and monitor units. Given the target coverage was equivalent, the VMAT plans were superior.
Suicidal behavior on the subway often involves young people and has a considerable impact on public life, but little is known about factors associated with suicides and suicide attempts in specific ...subway stations. Between 1979 and 2009, 185 suicides and 107 suicide attempts occurred on the subway in Vienna, Austria. Station-specific suicide and suicide attempt rates (defined as the frequency of suicidal incidents per time period) were modeled as the outcome variables in bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression models. Structural station characteristics (presence of a surveillance unit, train types used, and construction on street level versus other construction), contextual station characteristics (neighborhood to historical sites, size of the catchment area, and in operation during time period of extensive media reporting on subway suicides), and passenger-based characteristics (number of passengers getting on the trains per day, use as meeting point by drug users, and socioeconomic status of the population in the catchment area) were used as the explanatory variables. In the multivariate analyses, subway suicides increased when stations were served by the faster train type. Subway suicide attempts increased with the daily number of passengers getting on the trains and with the stations’ use as meeting points by drug users. The findings indicate that there are some differences between subway suicides and suicide attempts. Completed suicides seem to vary most with train type used. Suicide attempts seem to depend mostly on passenger-based characteristics, specifically on the station’s crowdedness and on its use as meeting point by drug users. Suicide-preventive interventions should concentrate on crowded stations and on stations frequented by risk groups.
To assess the prevalence of altered venous hemodynamics after spinal cord injury.
The authors performed venography in 200 ambulant patients and 107 patients with spinal injury. The hemodynamic ...characteristics of the paravertebral venous plexus were documented after pedal injection of contrast material. The hemodynamic and clinical data were correlated in patients with spinal cord injury.
Abnormal venous return via the paravertebral venous plexus in the absence of iliac or inferior vena caval occlusion was shown in 73 (68%) of the 107 patients with spinal injury. This paravertebral venous flow route is not related to the time between injury and examination. It was demonstrable in the early as well as late post-traumatic period and was reproducible at subsequent examinations. The paravertebral venous flow route was more commonly seen in cervical than thoracolumbar injuries and was closely related to the severity of neurologic deficit (P = .0012).
Abnormal vertebral venous hemodynamics occur in most patients with spinal cord injury and are more likely to occur in patients with complete neurologic deficit and cervical injury.
Calculation of thermal noise in grating reflectors Heinert, D.; Kroker, S.; Friedrich, D. ...
Physical review. D, Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology,
08/2013, Letnik:
88, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Odprti dostop
Grating reflectors have been repeatedly discussed to improve the noise performance of metrological applications due to the reduction or absence of any coating material. So far, however, no ...quantitative estimate on the thermal noise of these reflective structures exists. In this work we present a theoretical calculation of a grating reflector's noise. We further apply it to a proposed third generation gravitational wave detector. Depending on the grating geometry, the grating material, and the temperature, we obtain a thermal noise decrease by up to a factor of 10 compared to conventional dielectric mirrors. Thus the use of grating reflectors can substantially improve the noise performance in metrological applications.
Prematurity contributes greatly to the neonatal mortality burden in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the proportion of preterm neonatal death, medical conditions at admission, and ...determinants of mortality of preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary hospital in Western Uganda.
A prospective cohort study of 351 consecutively enrolled preterm neonates was conducted from March to June 2019. Interviewer-administered questionnaires and physical assessment of neonates were used to obtain socio-demographic and clinical data for mothers and their preterm neonates. Descriptive statistics for participants' characteristics were generated, while bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted so as to establish the determinants of mortality outcome. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
In-hospital neonatal mortality of 31.6% (95% CI: 26.9-36.7) was noted, with 65.8% of deaths occurring within 72 hours from admission. The most common medical conditions at admission were: hypothermia (67.2%), respiratory distress syndrome (43.0%), small for gestational age (15.7%), and perinatal asphyxia (14.5%). Under multivariate regression modelling, maternal age ≥35 years (AOR: 4.5; 95% CI: 1.35-15.31), no antenatal care (AOR: 4.7; 95% CI: 1.05-21.21), >4 ANC visits (AOR: 5.3; 95% CI: 1.88-15.21), neonatal resuscitation (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.66-6.82), outborn status (AOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.20-4.50), singleton pregnancy (AOR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.74-7.89), <28 weeks' gestation (AOR: 12.0; 95% CI: 2.24-64.27), and male sex (AOR: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.04-3.74), respiratory distress syndrome (AOR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.22-5.70), apnea (AOR: 6.2; 95.5% CI: 1.09-35.38), hypothermia (AOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.09-4.92), and small for gestational age (AOR: 4.7; 95% CI: 2.06-10.74) were significantly associated with mortality.
In-hospital mortality of preterm neonates was high. We identified various maternal and neonatal risk factors, indicating a need for stakeholders to enhance efforts towards prevention of preterm-associated complications and optimize facility-based continuum of care.
Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors, or statins, have been shown to decrease mortality rates in patients who have coronary artery disease. It has been postulated that part of the ...mortality benefit conferred by statins is due to a decrease in ventricular arrhythmias. We assessed the effect of statin therapy on recurrent ventricular arrhythmias in 281 patients who developed coronary artery disease after implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement. Statin therapy was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of ventricular arrhythmia that would require implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy.
We evaluate the prognostic value of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) in poor-grade patients after early surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to the Hunt and Hess (H&H) and ...WFNS scales. Ninety patients with angiographically proven aneurysms graded H&H IV or V were evaluated retrospectively. The aneurysms of 72 patients were clipped. In 53 out of 72 patients 147 SSEP examinations were recorded. The SSEP were classified according to the central conduction time (CCT) and the number of cortical potentials. Outcome was determined according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. To evaluate the predictability of the SSEP to clinical grading scales receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was done. The H&H scale did not demonstrate statistically significant predictability for poor-grade patients. The WFNS scale predicted the outcome for only one group (survival/death) (p = 0.035). Predictability of outcome by the SSEP was statistically confirmed. Normal CCT indicated a potential for a good recovery, but not consistently so. Bilaterally enhanced CCT was predictive of a poor outcome. Bilateral lack of cortical responses was always related to fatal outcome. ROC analysis confirmed that SSEP are superior to clinical grading scales in determining prognosis in poor-grade patients. In doubt, whether early aneurysm surgery or conservative treatment in a poor-grade patient should be done, SSEP will be helpful.
The water level in the Senegal River is now regulated due to the construction of two high dams (1986 and 1988). In consequence, large parts of the floodplains have permanently dried up and the ...brackish water in the lower part of the river has become fresh. The Djoudj National Park, situated approximately 60 km upstream from Saint Louis in Senegal in the former floodplain, is artificially flooded when inlets from the river are opened during the rainy season. This change in ecological conditions has led to an annually recurrent, explosive development of the floating aquatic weed Pistia stratiotes L. in the Park during the first half of the dry season. A rapid increase in the salt content of the water in the Park, in the course of the dry season (due to the high salt content of the soils and evaporation), eventually causes massive die back of Pistia. Rapid seed production by Pistia permits it to survive these unfavourable conditions, i.e. high salinity coupled with drought during the second half of the dry season. This applies in particular to an area where the water is fertilised by excreta from a pelican colony. Flowering of Pistia appears to be markedly enhanced when vegetative reproduction is inhibited by crowding.
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