To evaluate regional and global left ventricular (LV) function and LV wall thickness (LVWT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Observational study at the National Cardiovascular ...Centre and Nagoya University Hospital in Japan.
Thirty-six patients with HCM and 16 patients with hypertensive LV hypertrophy (LVH).
Conventional echocardiography and strain rate (SR) imaging derived from tissue Doppler imaging were performed. Systolic strain (epsilon(sys)), peak systolic SR (SR(sys)), peak early diastolic SR (SR(dia)) and LVWT were obtained from eight LV segments. LV pressure was simultaneously recorded with a high-fidelity micromanometer.
The regional epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) were correlated with LVWT in patients with HCM (r = 0.50, p<0.001 and r = 0.63, p<0.001, respectively) but not in patients with hypertensive LVH. The standard deviations of LVWT, epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) obtained from the eight LV segments of each subject were greater for patients with HCM than for patients with hypertensive LVH. The standard deviation of LVWT was correlated with those of epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) (r = 0.55, p<0.001 and r = 0.56, p<0.001, respectively). The standard deviations of LVWT, epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) were correlated with tau (r = 0.35, p<0.05; r = 0.47, p<0.001; and r = 0.39, p<0.005, respectively).
Heterogeneity of regional LV systolic function detected by SR imaging is in part attributable to heterogeneity of LVH and may be linked to impaired global LV relaxation in HCM.
Background
Palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous dermatitis (PNGD) is a commonly occurring condition related to systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized histopathologically by a distinct ...pattern of granulomatous inflammation in the presence or absence of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The properties of granulomatous cells in PNGD are still uncertain.
Objective
We sought further investigation on the phenotype of the infiltrated cells in PNGD from two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and reviewed the previous published reports in order to provide a comprehensive summary on the clinical features of PNGD in SLE.
Methods
The immunohistochemical features of granulomatous cells in PNGD associated with SLE were analyzed. Immunohistochemical studies were performed on sections from our two cases using antibodies against CD68, CD163, CD15, Factor XIIIa, myeloperoxidase and neutrophil elastase. The clinical characteristics of the SLE patients who developed PNGD were also evaluated. We included all cases retrieved through a PubMed search with the key words PNGD and SLE.
Results
Cutaneous lesions consisted of erythematous plaques distributed on the face and upper limbs in both cases. The infiltrated cells were mainly positive for CD68 and CD163, a phenotype suggestive of M2 macrophages. Some mature neutrophils and lymphocytes were also present. A review of the literature of PNGD associated with SLE revealed a predominance in females, high prevalence of lupus nephritis and a good response to systemic steroids, with frequent skin lesions relapses during tapering of the treatment.
Limitations
This study examined only two cases; the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be clarified.
Conclusion
PNGD lesions were abundantly infiltrated by M2 macrophages, suggesting that they may have a role in this condition. SLE accompanied by PNGD might be associated with lupus nephritis and frequent relapses of skin lesions.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective. To assess red blood cell velocity in finger nail-fold capillaries using video capillaroscopy in patients with SSc and other collagen diseases. Methods. This study included 127 patients ...with SSc as well as patients with SLE (n = 33), DM/PM (n = 21), RA (n = 13) and APS (n = 12), and 20 healthy subjects. Red blood cell velocity was evaluated using frame-to-frame determination of the position of capillary plasma gaps. Results. The mean red blood cell velocity was significantly decreased in patients with SSc compared to healthy controls (63.0% reduction) and patients with other conditions. Mean blood velocity was similar between patients with dcSSc and lcSSc. Importantly, even SSc patients with normal or non-specific nail-fold video capillaroscopic (NVC) patterns or a scleroderma early NVC pattern exhibited a significantly lower red blood cell velocity compared to healthy controls (51.7 and 61.4% reduction, respectively) or patients with other conditions, despite normal or mild capillary changes. Patients with the scleroderma active and late NVC pattern showed a more decreased blood velocity (65.5 and 66.2% reduction, respectively). This reduced blood velocity was significantly associated with NVC findings, including capillary ramification and capillary loss. Although remarkably reduced velocity was observed in SSc patients with intractable digital ulcers (72.1% reduction), it was significantly improved by lipo-prostaglandin E1 (lipo-PGE1) infusion. Conclusion. Our results suggest that reduced blood velocity is a hallmark of SSc. Furthermore, measurement of red blood cell velocity may be useful in evaluating therapeutic effects on microcirculation.
Angularly selective mirrors (ASMs) are proposed as a means to expand the mode area and modal discrimination of microchip lasers. ASMs used as output couplers selectively reflect incoming k vectors ...over a narrow angular range, while they transmit more inclined components. The eigenvalue problem of a microchip resonator equipped with a Gaussian ASM is solved analytically in the paraxial optics approximation using the ABCD matrix formalism. The narrow angular distribution of the reflected beam produces, through the laws of diffraction, a significant increase of the mode size and improved transverse mode discrimination, at the expense of higher oscillation threshold due to larger output coupling losses. Simulations performed using the parameters of Yb 3+ -doped YAG material show that one order of magnitude increase of the mode area can reasonably be achieved without causing overheating and thermal fracture. ASMs can be directly deposited on the active material in the form of a resonant grating mirror. This technology involves only planar batch processes that retain the mass production advantage of microchip lasers. The significant increase of brightness of microchips expected from this innovation will give rise to more effective and more compact devices and new applications.
Evolving ATLAS Computing For Today's Networks Campana, S; Barreiro Megino, F; Jezequel, S ...
Journal of physics. Conference series,
01/2012, Letnik:
396, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The ATLAS computing infrastructure was designed many years ago based on the assumption of rather limited network connectivity between computing centres. ATLAS sites have been organized in a ...hierarchical model, where only a static subset of all possible network links can be exploited and a static subset of well connected sites (CERN and the Tier-1s) can cover important functional roles such as hosting master copies of the data.
The laser characteristics of laser-diode end-pumped Yb:YAG/Cr
4+
:YAG composite ceramics microchip passively Q-switched lasers were studied by solving the coupled rate equations numerically taking ...into account the reabsorption of Yb:YAG ceramics at laser wavelength. Effects of the reflectivity of the output coupler, the concentrations and thickness of the saturable absorbers, and pump beam area on the laser performance were investigated analytically. The simulation results of the Yb:YAG/Cr
4+
:YAG composite ceramics passively Q-switched microchip lasers were in good agreement with the experimental data. Better laser performance (high peak power, short pulse width and good optical-to-optical efficiency) of the composite Yb:YAG/Cr
4+
:YAG ceramics passively Q-switched laser can be obtained by using a thin Cr
4+
:YAG ceramic with high concentration, suitable reflectivity of the output coupler and proper pump beam diameter under high pump power intensity according to our simulations.
A Tier-2 regional center is running at the University of Tokyo in Japan. This center receives a large amount of data of the ATLAS experiment from the Tier-1 center in France. Although the link ...between the two centers has 10Gbps bandwidth, it is not a dedicated link but is shared with other traffic, and the round trip time is 290ms. It is not easy to exploit the available bandwidth for such a link, so-called long fat network. We performed data transfer tests by using GridFTP in various combinations of the parameters, such as the number of parallel streams and the TCP window size. In addition, we have gained experience of the actual data transfer in our production system where the Disk Pool Manager (DPM) is used as the Storage Element and the data transfer is controlled by the File Transfer Service (FTS). We report results of the tests and the daily activity, and discuss the improvement of the data transfer throughput.
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