Online monitoring of the stopping distribution of particle beams used for radiotherapy provides the possibility of detecting possible errors in dose deposition early during a given treatment session, ...and may therefore help to improve the quality of the therapy. Antiproton annihilation events produce several long-range secondary particles which can be detected in real time by standard high energy particle physics detector systems. In this note, Monte Carlo calculations are performed in order to study the feasibility of real-time imaging by detecting charged pions produced during antiproton irradiation of typical biological targets. A simple treatment plan in a water phantom is simulated and the results show that by detecting pi+/- the position and the size of the planned target volume can be located with precision in the order of 1 mm.
Predicting heart failure: The promise of proteomics Kalogeropoulos, Andreas P.; Jang, Kristine H.; Hall, Michael E.
European journal of heart failure,
January 2024, 2024-Jan, 2024-01-00, 20240101, Letnik:
26, Številka:
1
Journal Article
•PAF and its metabolic enzymes activity are correlated with RBC fatty acids.•SFA of RBC relate to high PAF biosynthesis and low PAF catabolism in women.•A high RBC MUFA/low n6 pattern is related ...to low PAF biosynthesis and high catabolism.•D6 index was positively correlated with PAF biosynthesis and negatively with Lp-PLA2.•RBC fatty acids patterns reflect inflammation as evidenced by PAF and its metabolism.
Platelet-activating-factor is an inflammatory lipid mediator. Key enzymes of its biosynthesis are CDP-choline:1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol-cholinephosphotransferase (PAF-CPT) and acetyl-CoA:lyso-PAF-acetyltransferases (Lyso-PAF-AT) while PAF-AH/Lp-PLA2 degrade PAF. The interplay between PAF and fatty acids metabolism was explored.
In a healthy population, PAF levels, its metabolic enzymes activity and RBC fatty acids were measured while desaturases indices (D) were estimated. A principal component analysis was also applied to assess patterns of RBC fatty acids.
SFA were related to increased PAF biosynthesis and decreased Lp-PLA2 only in women. MUFA were inversely associated with PAF biosynthesis and positively with Lp-PLA2. Omega-6 fatty acids were positively correlated only with PAF-CPT while no significant correlations were observed with n3 fatty acids. D6 index was positively related with PAF biosynthetic enzymes and inversely with Lp-PLA2 while D9 correlated positively with Lp-PLA2. The pattern of high MUFA and low n6 was associated with reduced PAF biosynthesis and/or increased catabolism in both sexes.
The role of fatty acids in amplifying or reducing inflammation seems to be also reflected in PAF metabolism.
Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is the most prevalent cause of heart failure (HF) in developed countries, with significant morbidity and mortality, despite constant improvements in the management of ...coronary artery disease. Current literature on this topic remains fragmented. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the most recent data on ICM, focusing on its definition, epidemiology, outcomes, and therapeutic options. The most widely accepted definition is represented by a left ventricular dysfunction in the presence of significant coronary artery disease. The prevalence of ICM is largely influenced by age and sex, with older individuals and males being more affected. Its pathophysiology is characterized by plaque buildup, thrombus formation, hypoperfusion, ischemic cell death, and left ventricular remodeling. Despite improvements in therapy, ICM still represents a public health burden, with a 1-year mortality rate of 16% and a 5-year mortality rate of approximately 40% in the USA and Europe. Therefore, optimization of cardiovascular function, prevention of progressive remodeling, reduction of HF symptoms, and improved survival are the main goals of treatment. Therapeutic options for ICM include lifestyle changes, optimal medical therapy, revascularization, device therapy, mechanical circulatory support, and cardiac transplantation. Personalized management strategies and tailored patient care are needed to improve the outcomes of patients with ICM.
The necessity of ensuring the long-term sustainability of existing structures is rising. An important issue concerning existing reinforced concrete (RC) structures in seismically active regions is ...that a significant number of them lack the required earthquake-resistant capacities to meet the increased design earthquake demands. Inexpensive, fast and long-term strengthening strategies for repairing/strengthening RC structures are urgently required, not only after destructive earthquakes, but even before they occur. Retrofitting existing buildings extending their service life rather than demolishing and rebuilding new ones is the best option in terms of economic gain and environmental protection. This paper experimentally investigates the effectiveness of externally applied (i) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (C-FRP) ropes in X-type form and (b) C-FRP sheets that are bonded on both sides of the joint area of RC beam-column joint connections. Six comparative full-scale exterior RC beam-column joint specimens were tested under reverse cyclic deformation. Two of them were control specimens, two were strengthened using C-FRP ropes (novel technique) and two were retrofitted using C-FRP sheets (widely used technique). Extensive comparisons and discussion of the test results derive new quantitative and qualitative results concerning the seismic capacity and the service life extension of the strengthened RC members using the proposed retrofitting scheme.
This study investigated the optimal schedule for home blood pressure (HBP) monitoring that has the greatest prognostic ability and provides the most reliable assessment of HBP. The Didima study ...assessed the value of HBP (duplicate morning and evening measurements, 3 days) in predicting cardiovascular events in the general population (662 adults, 8.2+/-0.2 years follow-up). Criteria for the optimal monitoring schedule were stabilization of mean HBP, its variability (standard deviation (s.d.)) and hazard ratios (HRs) of cardiovascular events per 1 mm Hg HBP increase. By averaging more readings (1-12), there was a progressive decline in average HBP and its s.d. and increase in HR, with most of these benefits achieved on the second day (8 readings) and little additional benefit obtained on the third day (12 readings). The first day gave higher and more unstable HBP values (higher s.d.) with less prognostic ability (lower HR). The first HBP readings per occasion gave higher values but with similar prognostic ability as the second readings taken 1 min later. There was little difference in average HBP between morning and evening readings with no prognostic superiority of morning readings. In conclusion, by averaging more readings the average HBP and its variability are reduced and the prognostic ability improved. Any aspect of HBP monitoring (first or second readings, morning or evening) has similar prognostic ability. The first day gives higher and unstable values with lower prognostic ability and should be better discarded. These data validate the HBP monitoring schedule proposed by the European Society of Hypertension.
Obesity and diabetes are considered risk factors for Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC). We aimed to explore whether insulin resistance (IR) plays an independent role in the development of RCC.
In a ...hospital-based case-control study, we analyzed serum glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin levels among 60 incident RCC patients and 236 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We assessed insulin resistance according to insulin levels, alone or controlled for diabetes mellitus (DM). An alternative measure of insulin resistance, such as the Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) index, was also assessed with and without controlling for history of DM. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for possible confounders.
The positive association of DM and waist to hip ratio as a measure of obesity with RCC was evident in the data set. Insulin levels controlled or not controlled for DM, however, were inversely associated with the risk for RCC; notably, an approximately 40% higher risk was observed in the 1st tertile when compared with the 2nd and 3rd tertile levels of insulin resistance. Similar results were obtained when HOMA-IR was alternatively used. The inverse associations persisted and were even strengthened after controlling for potential confounding factors in multivariate analyses.
Our curdata suggest that insulin resistance may be inversely associated with RCC risk, independently of obesity, DM, lifestyle and hormonal confounding variables. Given the close interconnections among metabolic, inflammatory and immune pathways in RCC causation, it is difficult to infer which process actually initiates a pathologic cascade. The findings should be considered as preliminary data that need to be further confirmed in more appropriate study designs.
This cross-sectional study estimated a one-time point seroprevalence rate of Chagas disease among people of Latin American descent in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Subjects who met the ...inclusion criteria were screened using the Chagas Detect Plus Rapid Test (InBios, Seattle, WA) with confirmation via Trypanosoma cruzi enzyme immunoassay and T. cruzi immunoblot assay. Administration of a questionnaire regarding demographics and risk factors followed. A seroprevalence rate of 10.74% was found. Identified risk factors included prior residence in a palm leaf house (odds ratio OR, 10.42; P = 0.003; 95% CI, 2.18-49.76), residence in a house with triatomines (OR, 9.03; P = 0.006; 95% CI, 1.90-42.88), and history of triatomine bite (OR, 9.52; P = 0.009; 95% CI, 1.75-51.77). Our findings emphasize the importance of this frequently underdiagnosed disease and help highlight the importance of early screening among high-risk populations.
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