Spectral Analysis Related to Bare-Metal and Drug-Eluting Coronary Stent Implantation

Background: The autonomic nervous system plays a central role in cardiovascular regulation; sympathetic activation occurs during myocardial ischemia. Objective: To assess the spectral analysis of heart rate variability during stent implantation, comparing the types of stent. Methods: This study assessed 61 patients (mean age, 64.0 years; 35 men) with ischemic heart disease and indication for stenting. Stent implantation was performed under Holter monitoring to record the spectral analysis of heart rate variability (Fourier transform), measuring the low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components, and the LF/HF ratio before and during the procedure. Results: Bare-metal stent was implanted in 34 patients, while the others received drug-eluting stents. The right coronary artery was approached in 21 patients, the left anterior descending, in 28, and the circumflex, in 9. As compared with the pre-stenting period, all patients showed an increase in LF and HF during stent implantation (658 versus 185 ms2, p = 0.00; 322 versus 121, p = 0.00, respectively), with no change in LF/HF. During stent implantation, LF was 864 ms2 in patients with bare-metal stents, and 398 ms2 in those with drug-eluting stents (p = 0.00). The spectral analysis of heart rate variability showed no association with diabetes mellitus, family history, clinical presentation, beta-blockers, age, and vessel or its segment. Conclusions: Stent implantation resulted in concomitant sympathetic and vagal activations. Diabetes mellitus, use of beta-blockers, and the vessel approached showed no influence on the spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Sympathetic activation was lower during the implantation of drug-eluting stents.

Simulation of metal quenching processes for the minimization of distortion and stresses

Quenching process, TRIP, J2-plasticity theory, phase transition, distortion

Influence of water quality and kind of metal in the secondary cooling zone of casting process

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Verfahrens- und Systemtechnik, Diss., 2012

Growth of semi-polar GaN on high index silicon (11h) substrates by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

Magdeburg, Univ., Fak. für Naturwiss., Diss., 2014

Resposta da assembleia de formigas na interface solo-serapilheira a um gradiente de alteração ambiental

O estudo objetivou avaliar a resposta da assembleia de formigas que nidificam na interface solo-serapilheira a um gradiente de alteração ambiental. O estudo foi realizado em três ambientes com diferentes usos do solo: fragmento florestal, sistema agroflorestal (SAF) e pastagem situados em região de domínio da mata atlântica no sudeste do Brasil. Em cada ambiente foram demarcadas 10 parcelas de 1 m² e todos os ninhos de formigas encontrados foram registrados. Foram encontrados 215 ninhos (103 no fragmento florestal, 64 no sistema agroflorestal e 48 na pastagem), de 31 espécies. O número acumulado de espécies foi maior no fragmento florestal que na pastagem, mas não diferiu do SAF. A composição de espécies foi diferente entre o fragmento florestal e os outros dois ambientes. A riqueza média de espécies de formigas por parcela foi maior no fragmento florestal e menor na pastagem. A quantidade de serapilheira não foi um fator importante para as diferenças na riqueza de espécies. Atividades humanas que reduzam a heterogeneidade da vegetação alteram a composição e diminuem a riqueza de espécies das assembleias de formigas.

Cytochemical characterization of gill and hepatopancreatic cells of the crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Brachyura) validated by cell metal transport

Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) is a hypo-hyper-regulating mangrove crab possessing gills for respiratory and osmoregulatory processes, separated in anterior and posterior sections. They also have hepatopancreas, which is responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients and detoxification of toxic metals. Each of these organs has specific cells that are important for in vitro studies in cell biology, ion and toxic metals transport. In order to study and characterize cells from gills and hepatopancreas, both were separated using a Sucrose Gradient (SG) from 10 to 40% and cells in each gradient were characterized using the vital mitochondrial dye DASPEI (2-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-N- ethylpyridinium iodide) and Trichrome Mallory's stain. Both in 20 and 40% SG for gill cells and 30% SG for hepatopancreatic cells, a greater number of cells were colored with DASPEI, indicating a larger number of mitochondria in these cells. It is concluded that the gill cells present in 20% and 40% SG are Thin cells, responsible for respiratory processes and Ionocytes responsible for ion transport, respectively. For hepatopancreatic cells, the 30% SG is composed of Fibrillar cells that possess larger number of membrane ion and nutrient transporters. Moreover, the transport of toxic metal cadmium (Cd) by isolated hepatopancreatic cells was performed as a way of following cell physiological integrity after cell separation and to study differences in transport among the cells. All hepatopancreatic cells were able to transport Cd. These findings are the first step for further work on isolated cells of these important exchange epithelia of crabs, using a simple separation method and to further develop successful in vitro cell culture in crabs.

Mutagenesis and modelling of the alpha(1b)-adrenergic receptor highlight the role of the helix 3/helix 6 interface in receptor activation.

Computer simulations on a new model of the alpha1b-adrenergic receptor based on the crystal structure of rhodopsin have been combined with experimental mutagenesis to investigate the role of residues in the cytosolic half of helix 6 in receptor activation. Our results support the hypothesis that a salt bridge between the highly conserved arginine (R143(3.50)) of the E/DRY motif of helix 3 and a conserved glutamate (E289(6.30)) on helix 6 constrains the alpha1b-AR in the inactive state. In fact, mutations of E289(6.30) that weakened the R143(3.50)-E289(6.30) interaction constitutively activated the receptor. The functional effect of mutating other amino acids on helix 6 (F286(6.27), A292(6.33), L296(6.37), V299(6.40,) V300(6.41), and F303(6.44)) correlates with the extent of their interaction with helix 3 and in particular with R143(3.50) of the E/DRY sequence.

Target-guided synthesis of metal-based phosphatase inhibitors

Report for the scientific sojourn at the Imperial College of London, United Kingdom, from 2007 to 2009. PTEN is a tumour suppressor enzyme that plays important roles in the PI3K pathway which regulates growth, proliferation and survival and is thus related to many human disorders such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular complications and cancer. It is hence of great interest to understand in detail its molecular behaviour and to find small molecules that can switch on/off its activity. For this purpose, metal complexes have been synthesized and preliminary studies in vivo show that all are capable of inhibiting PTEN.

LittleProc 2.0. : l'evolució als 16 bits, amb arquitectura superescalar i amb pipeline

Aquest projecte consisteix en evolucionar el LittleProc 1.0, un processador simple dissenyat per ser destinat al món de la docència per tres professors de la UAB. Aquestes evolucions consisteixen en aplicar diversos mètodes i arquitectures diferents per tal d’obtenir un millor rendiment del processador, arribant a executar programes amb la meitat de temps que tardava el LittleProc 1.0. Un cop implementades les diferents arquitectures per tal de millorar el rendiment, es realitzarà un estudi de quin tant per cent de millora ha sigut aquest rendiment.

Suitability of containers from different sources as breeding sites of Aedes aegypti (L.) in a cemetery of Buenos Aires City, Argentina

Cemeteries are ideal urban areas to study the importance of different types of containers as breeding sites of Aedes aegypti (L.). In the present study, the suitability of plastic, glass, ceramic and metal containers was evaluated in four patches within a cemetery of Buenos Aires City, Argentina. Between October 1998 and May 2000, we found 215 breeding sites of Ae. aegypti out of 13,022 water-filled containers examined. In two patches containing microenvironments sheltered from the sun, the use of the different types of containers was proportional to the offer (correlation coefficient = 0.99, P < 0.05 in both cases). In the remaining patches, plastic and metal containers were the most and less frequent breeding sites, respectively (P < 0.001 in both cases). The number of immatures per breeding site (median = 4.5) did not show significant differences among the four types of containers examined (H3, 215 = 1.216, P = 0.749). Differences found in patches from a same cemetery suggest that different microenvironmental conditions affect the suitability of each type of container for Ae. aegypti breeding. Plastic containers appeared as key breeding sites that should be removed to reduce the Ae. aegypti population in the study area.

Trouble dissociatif: une clinique à l'interface de la neurologie et de la psychiatrie [Dissociative disorders: neurologists and psychiatrists working together]

Les troubles dissociatifs se présentent souvent par une clinique neurologique atypique impliquant une démarche diagnostique complexe à l'interface de la neurologie et de la psychiatrie. La restitution du diagnostic aux patients et leur prise en charge nécessitent une étroite collaboration interdisciplinaire. Les connaissances actuelles sont encore limitées, mais ce domaine est enrichi par des études récentes en neurosciences cliniques. Cet article présente les principaux aspects des troubles dissociatifs et formule un concept de prise en charge. Dissociative disorders often have an atypical neurological presentation requiring a complex diagnostic process at the interface between neurology and psychiatry. A strong interdisciplinary collaboration is needed for diagnosis restitution and patient treatment. Current knowledge is still scarce but recent studies in clinical neuroscience enrich this field. This article presents the main aspects of dissociative disorders and suggests a treatment framework

La consultation systémique: une interface entre recherche et clinique

Le but de la consultation systémique est l'évaluation des interactions familiales à des fins cliniques aussi bien qu'à des fins de recherche, avec mise en lumière des ressources aussi bien que des difficultés de la famille. Elle est soit demandée spontanément par les parents soit par le(s) thérapeute(s) qui sui(ven)t la famille. Lors d'une première rencontre, nous proposons d'une part à la famille de faire des jeux familiaux standardisés que nous filmons et d'autre part de poser les questions qui motivent les parents ou thérapeute(s) à nous consulter. Lors d'une deuxième rencontre, un visionnement des films avec la famille (et les thérapeutes) permet une discussion ainsi que l'élaboration de réponses aux questions posées. Après une description de la pratique de la consultation systémique, avec ses objectifs et ses principes, les situations utilisées dans ce contexte sont présentées (comme le Lausanne Trilogue Play). Enfin, une vignette clinique en illustre la richesse et l'utilité, aussi bien pour la recherche que pour la clinique. The aim of the systems consultation is to assess the family interaction in order to enlighten, in a clinical perspective, the resources as well as the difficulties of the family. The family itself or a therapist may request it. During the first session, we propose to the family, on the one hand, to play standardized games which are recorded and, on the other hand, to ask the questions they (or the therapist/s) may have. During the second session, a video feedback takes place to discuss and elaborate on the questions. After a description of the practice of the systems consultation, including aims and principles, the observational situations used in this context will be presented (e.g. the Lausanne Trilogue Play). Finally a case illustration will show its richness and usefulness for research as well as for clinical purposes, in particular as a bridge between research and clinical domains.