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Acute Heart Failure

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Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans, with a half-million new cases emerging each year. Whereas up to 50% of heart failure patients die of arrhythmia, the diverse mechanisms underlying...Full Text Available

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BackgroundProvision of consumer information and patient education are considered an essential part of chronic disease management programmes developed for patients with heart failure....Full Text Available

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Background:The cardiac sodium–calcium exchanger (NCX1) is a key sarcolemmal protein for the maintenance of calcium homeostasis in the heart. Since heart failure...Full Text Available

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Vladimir P. Demikhov was born in a Russian peasant family in 1916. As a biology student at The Moscow University in 1937, he constructed a metal artificial heart and maintained the circulation of a dog for 5.5 hours. From 1946, after his military service, he worked in the Surgical Institute of The Moscow Academy of Sciences performing heterotopic heart transplantations in dogs. In 1947, he performed the first orthotopic lung transplant. Later he performed complex cardiothoracic transplantations as well as renal and hepatic transplantations. He restarted his investigations with the artificial heart and performed coronary bypass operations in dogs. In 1954 he performed a head transplantation, for which he gained worldwide infamy. Stalinist propaganda advertised this fact as the superiority of Soviet science. In fact, it ...

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BackgroundThe rhizomes of Cynodon dactylon are used for the treatment of heart failure in folk medicine. In the present study, we investigated the effects of hydroalcoholic...Full Text Available

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BackgroundAlthough dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure (HF), the mechanism underlying DCM is not well understood. Previously, it has been demonstrated...Full Text Available

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Heart failure goes beyond mechanical dysfunction and involves an interplay of multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms, including inflammation, tissue remodeling, neurohormonal and endocrine signaling, and interactions with the renal and nervous systems. This article highlights some novel biomarkers that may aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of acute heart failure, specifically focusing on ST2, endoglin, galectin-3, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase?associated lipocalin, midregional pro-adrenomedullin, chromogranin A, adiponectin, resistin, and leptin and their emerging clinical roles.

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Aging is a risk factor for heart failure, which is a leading cause of death world-wide. Elderly patients are more likely than young patients to experience a myocardial infarction (MI) and are...Full Text Available

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Patients with end stage renal failure (ESRD) require renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or renal transplantation. There is an increasing number of people receiving maintenance dialysis as patients with ESRD are increasing faster than the supply of transplantable organs. The mortality rate on dialysis is 4-6 times that of the general population and is substantially reduced by transplantation. For the past 8 years, dialysis research has focused on improving patient outcomes and quality of life on dialysis. This review examines recent advances in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in a historical context and considers future research possibilities. PMID:19329705

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Cell therapy is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. Because the role of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) after cell therapy is less clear, we...Full Text Available

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Transplantation has emerged as the therapy of choice for many patients with end organ failure. One of the major goals is to tailor immunosuppressive therapy to the individual needs of every patient to balance the risk for rejection and over-immunosuppression. This will require diagnostic tools that can detect harmful processes in the allograft early, and that can be measured repeatedly. This review will consider recent advances in our understanding of the molecular nature of these processes and how this information is being utilized to design novel diagnostic assays to non-invasively monitor allografts. Highlighted is the need for large-scale prospective multi-centre studies to validate assays that show early promise in single centre studies.

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Background: The causes of elevated B-Type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels are multifactorial. Renal dysfunction has been shown to affect BNP levels in some studies and...Full Text Available

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A case of severe intractable angina pectoris with normal angiography is presented. Following video assisted thoracic sympathectomy the patient died of heart failure. Microvascular cardiac amyloidosis...Full Text Available

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In 9 over 12 patients who underwent cardiac transplantation computed tomography was performed. In 5 of them CT was obtained also before the surgical treatment. In all patients angio-CT technique was performed, while the ECG-gated technique was employed only before surgery. CT shows changes in morphology of both atria but over all of the right one, and rotation of the heart on the longitudinal axis. The conditions of the pericardium are particulary well demonstrated: in 5 cases pericardial effusion was observed, 3 times localized and 2 times diffuse. Only in 1 patient a small thrombus in the right atrium was demonstrated. CT allows the possibility to obtain simultaneously information on mediastinum, lung and pleura. Pleural effusion, pulmonary infections and mediastinal complications are easily demonstrated.

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It is uncertain if downregulation of ?-adrenoceptor signaling pathway is promoted by an enhanced adrenergic tone at an early stage of cardiac disease, or it develops secondary to detrimental local myocardial changes in advanced heart failure. We examined the integrity of ?-adrenoceptor signaling pathway upon chronic infusion of isoproterenol, a ?-adrenoceptor agonist, at a dose producing no structural left ventricular (LV) remodeling and systolic dysfunction. Subcutaneous isoproterenol infusion (400??g?kg?1?h?1 over 16?days) to guinea pigs using osmotic minipumps produced no change in cardiac weights, LV internal dimensions, myocyte cross-sectional area, extent of interstitial fibrosis, and basal contractile function. Isolated, perfused heart preparations from isoproterenol-treated guinea ...

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Recent literature indicates that torsion of the left ventricle (LV) is a promising predictor for response to cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). Among patients with severe heart failure, 45 to 75% of patients show rigid body rotation, where the base and apex rotate in the same direction, instead of normal, opposite rotation. The occurrence of this phenomenon seems to be a good indicator for response to CRT. From this review, it can be concluded that LV torsion might be a welcome addition to current selection criteria.

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Abstract An increase in chronic disease prevalence is contributing to health care cost growth and decreased quality of life in industrialized nations worldwide. Inadequate management of chronic diseases is a leading cause of hospitalizations and, thus, avoidable expenditures. In this study, we evaluated the impact of nurse-delivered care calls, the primary intervention of a proactive chronic care management (CCM) program, in a population aged 65 and older in Germany. In this analysis, hospital admission rates were evaluated among program enrollees who were diagnosed with diabetes, heart failure, coronary heart disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Intervention group comprised those members who participated in care calls (n?=?13,486), whereas the Comparison group included e...

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A hallmark of congestive heart failure (CHF) is the activation of the cardiac endocrine system, in particular atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The natriuretic peptides are a group of structurally similar but genetically distinct peptides that have diverse actions in cardiovascular, renal, and endocrine homeostasis. ANP and BNP are of myocardial cell origin and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is of endothelial origin. ANP and BNP bind to the natriuretic peptide-A receptor (NPR-A), which, via 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), mediates natriuresis, vasodilatation, renin inhibition, antimitogenesis, and lusitropic properties. CNP lacks natriuretic actions but possesses vasodilating and growth inhibiting actions via the guanylyl cyclase-linked natriuretic peptide-B receptor. All three peptides are cleared by the natriuretic peptide-C receptor and degraded by the ectoenzyme neutral endopeptidase 24.11, ...

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The natriuretic peptides are considered to be cardioprotective; however, their receptors have not been identified in human myocardium using radiolabeled analogs. Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) has been recently identified as a new member of this peptide family and is thought to be less susceptible to enzymatic degradation. Therefore, we have developed the novel radiolabeled analog [125I]-DNP and used this to localize high-affinity (K(D)=0.2 nmol/L), saturable, specific binding sites in adult human heart (n=6) and coronary artery (n=8). In competition binding experiments, atrial natriuretic peptide and brain type natriuretic peptide had greater affinity for [125I]-DNP binding sites than C-type natriuretic peptide and the natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-C ligand, cANF. This rank order of potency suggested binding of [125I]-DNP was specific to NPR-A. Messenger RNA encoding NPR-A was identified in left ventricle and coronary artery smooth muscle, and ...

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The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating could induce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) artificial ligament graft osseointegration in the bone tunnel. Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits underwent artificial ligament graft transplantation in bilateral proximal tibia tunnels. One limb was implanted with HAp-coated PET graft, and the contralateral limb was implanted with non-HAp-coated PET graft as control. The rabbits were randomly sacrificed at four and eight?weeks after surgery. The loads to failure of the experimental group at eight?weeks were significantly higher than those of the control group (p?=?0.0057). Histologically, application of HAp coating induced new bone formation between graft and bone at eight?weeks compared with the controls. Rea...

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ObjectiveTo achieve osteochondral regeneration utilizing transplantation of cartilage-lineage cells and adequate scaffolds, it is essential to characterize the behavior of transplanted...Full Text Available

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Transcatheter coil embolization for coronary artery to left ventricular fistula was successfully performed in a neonate. At 30 weeks' gestation, fetal echocardiography showed a hypoplastic right ventricle with intact ventricular septum, absent pulmonary valve, tricuspid atresia, and marked distension of the right coronary artery. After birth, the neonate had congestive heart failure and the electrocardiogram showed myocardial ischemic changes in the left ventricular area. Aortography showed a dilated right coronary artery arising from the ascending aorta and draining into the left ventricle. Transcatheter coil embolization was carried out on the 9th day after birth. Since the procedure, no myocardial ischemic changes have been detected. Transcatheter coil embolization is a useful therapy for coronary artery fistula associated with myocardial ischemia. PMID:15564713

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Hsp20, referred to as HspB6, is constitutively expressed in various tissues. Specifically, HspB6 is most highly expressed in different types of muscle including vascular, airway, colonic, bladder, and uterine smooth muscle; cardiac muscle; and skeletal muscle. It can be phosphorylated at Ser-16 by both cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA/PKG). Recently, Hsp20 and its phosphorylation have been implicated in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes including smooth muscle relaxation, platelet aggregation, exercise training, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease. In the heart, key advances have been made in elucidating the significance of Hsp20 in contractile function and cardioprotection over the last decade. This mini-rev...

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Serious complications due to coronary artery fistulae have been described. Most authors recommend early intervention at the time of diagnosis. We present a case of a fistula originating from a dilated left coronary artery and draining into the right atrium, which was diagnosed prenatally by color Doppler echocardiography. During pregnancy, the echocardiographic findings remained unchanged, and there were no signs of heart failure. After birth, the fistula was confirmed by angiography. Additionally, a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus and a very small ventricular septal defect were detected. The fistula was closed successfully by transcatheter coil embolization. At 17 months old the child was in good clinical condition. Prenatal diagnosis of coronary artery fistulae may be possible and may improve perinatal management and outcome. PMID:12047543

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Heart Arrest

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Background: Determinants of warfarin use and anticoagulation levels in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients have not been clarified thoroughly. Methods and Results: A total of 6,324 patients with non-valvular AF and congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, prior stroke (CHADS(2)) score ?1 were used to investigate determinants of warfarin use, and 6,932 patients with AF receiving warfarin were used to investigate determinants of international normalized ratio (INR) of prothrombin time. Target INR levels for non-valvular AF patients were 1.6-2.6 for patients aged ?70 years and 2-3 for patients aged transient ischemic attack (TIA), and had higher CHADS(2) scores than those not receiving warfarin. Determinants of warfarin use were age (?60 years), AF type (persistent and permanent), and comorbidities (congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and prior stroke or TIA). Use of antiplatelet drugs ...

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Iron overload is common in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), but the mechanisms leading to overload are unknown. Here, we determined iron levels and the expression...Full Text Available

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Follicular unit transplant (FUT) is one of the surgical procedures which has been recently used to repigment a stable vitiligo patch. Single-hair FUT was done for a 30-year-old male with stable vitiligo...Full Text Available

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BackgroundAirway complications are among the most challenging problems after lung transplantation, and Self-Expandable Metallic Stents (SEMS) are used to treat airway complications...Full Text Available

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BackgroundAllogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potentially curative treatment for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, the majority of older adults...Full Text Available

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Many patients who undergo hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) present with anemia and have received red blood cell transfusions before HCT. As a result, iron overload is frequent and appears...Full Text Available

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BackgroundHealth related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the most important outcomes to measure effectiveness of an intervention, especially for islet transplantation...Full Text Available

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IntroductionAutologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is a routine technique to regenerate focal cartilage lesions. However, patients with osteoarthritis (OA) are lacking an appropriate...Full Text Available

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One of the modifiable risk factors associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) is hypercholesterolemia. This paper reviews the major plasma lipids and how they relate to coronary heart disease. Among...Full Text Available

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Cord blood transplantation (CBT) with units containing total nucleated cell (TNC) dose >2.5×10⁷/kg is associated with improved engraftment and decreased transplant-related...Full Text Available

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CD-NP is a novel chimeric natriuretic peptide (NP) consisting of the 22-amino-acid (AA) human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a venodilating peptide with limited renal actions and minimal effects on blood pressure, and the 15-AA C-terminus of Dendroaspis NP (DNP). The rationale for the design of CD-NP was to enhance the renal actions of CNP, the ligand for natriuretic peptide receptor-B, but without inducing excessive hypotension. Here we report the first-in-human studies for CD-NP, which represent the first successful clinical testing of a chimeric NP demonstrating in normal human volunteers that CD-NP possesses cyclic guanosine monophosphate-activating, natriuretic, and aldosterone-suppressing properties without inducing excessive hypotension, laying the foundation for additional studies on this first-in-class new cardiovascular therapeutic in human heart failure, which are now underway worldwide. PMID:19395584

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Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides the only potential curative option in many patients with hematological malignancies. Finding a suitably matched donor in a timely manner is often difficult. However, most patients have a partially HLA-mismatched (HLA-haploidentical) first-degree relative readily available. Historically, HLA-haploidentical bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been considered extremely high risk due to high rates of life-threatening graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and non-relapse mortality (NRM). Modifications of the stem cell graft, such as T-cell depletion, have resulted in poor rates of engraftment. We have recently completed a phase II clinical trial of nonmyeloablative HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic BMT followed by post-transplantation high-cyclophosp...

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Much progress has been made in the clinical, biological and technical aspects of the T-cell-depleted haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our experience demonstrates that infusing a megadose of extensively T-cell-depleted hematopoietic peripheral blood stem cells after an immuno-myeloablative conditioning regimen in acute leukemia patients ensures sustained engraftment with minimal GvHD without the need of any post-transplant immunosuppressive treatment. Since our first successful pilot study, our efforts have concentrated on developing new conditioning regimens, optimizing the graft processing and improving the post-transplant immunological recovery. The results we have so far achieved in high risk acute leukemia patients show that haploidentical transplantation ...

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BackgroundTacrolimus (FK-506) is an immunosuppressant that binds to a specific immunophilin, resulting in the suppression of the cellular immune response during transplant rejection....Full Text Available

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Cytoreductive conditioning regimes designed to allow for successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) paradoxically are also detrimental to recovery of the immune system in general but lymphopoiesis in particular. Post-transplant immune depletion is particularly striking within the T cell compartment which is exquisitely sensitive to negative regulation, evidenced by the profound decline in thymic function with age. As a consequence, regeneration of the immune system remains a significant unmet clinical need. Over the past decade studies have revealed several promising therapeutic strategies to address ineffective lymphopoiesis and post-transplant immune deficiency. These include the use of cytokines such as IL-7, IL-12 and IL-15; growth factors and hormones li...

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Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the management of arterial stenosis located close to the allograft anastomosis (close-TRAS)....Full Text Available

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BackgroundIn humans, myocardial infarction is characterized by irreversible loss of heart tissue, which becomes replaced with a fibrous scar. By contrast, teleost fish and urodele...Full Text Available

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BackgroundEpidemiological studies have shown a J- or U-shaped relation between alcohol and type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD). The underlying mechanisms are not clear....Full Text Available

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Radionuclide angiocardiography provides a noninvasive assessment of cardiac function and blood flow through the heart and lungs. During the past three years, this procedure has been used at the Duke...Full Text Available

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Earlier studies of white London busmen revealed that the ischaemic heart disease experience of conductors is better than that of drivers. Various factors which might be related to this difference have...Full Text Available

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Although the heart rapidly adapts cardiac output to match the body’s circulatory demands, the regulatory mechanisms ensuring that sufficient ATP is available to perform the required...Full Text Available

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Study objectiveThe study aim was to improve our understanding of the relationships between contextual socioeconomic characteristics and coronary heart disease (CHD)...Full Text Available

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The hypothesis that the antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone slows down the heart rate by its inhibitory action on the intracellular conversion of thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3' triiodothyronine (T3) was investigated....Full Text Available

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... are old enough, teach them to use the cooktop, oven, microwave, and toaster safely. Show teens how ...

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Sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) is a vertebrate pesticide widely used for possum control in New Zealand. Fluoroacetate is also a toxic component of poisonous plants found in Australia, South Africa, South America, and India. Because of its importance and effectiveness in pest control and the highly toxic nature of this compound, its acute sub-lethal and target organ toxicity have been extensively studied. In relation to its use as a pesticide its environmental fate, persistence, non-target impacts and general toxicology have been and continue to be extensively studied. Toxic baits must be prepared and used with extreme care, otherwise humans, livestock, and non-target wildlife will be put at risk. The high risk of secondary poisoning of dogs is a cause for concern. 1080 acts by interfering with cellular energy production. Possums die from heart failure, usually within 6-18 h of eating baits. Long-term exposure to sub-lethal doses can have ...

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Designer natriuretic peptides (NPs) represent an active area of drug development. In canine and human studies, the designer natriuretic peptide CD-NP demonstrated more desirable therapeutic potential than recombinant B-type NP (BNP), which is known as nesiritide and is approved for treatment of acute decompensated heart failure. However, why CD-NP is more effective than BNP is not known. We previously reported that CD-NP is a poorer activator of human guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) and a better activator of human guanylyl cyclase-B than BNP. Here, guanylyl cyclase bioassays were used to compare the susceptibility of CD-NP verses ANP, BNP, CNP and DNP to inactivation by human kidney membranes. The half time (t(1/2)) for CD-NP inactivation was increased by factors of 13, 3 and 4 compared to ANP, BNP and CNP, respectively, when measured in the same assay. Surprisingly, DNP failed to undergo complete inactivation and was the most degradation resistant ...

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Twenty-four male weanling rats were fed either copper-adequate or -deficient diets until 9 or 11 weeks of age. Deficient rat hearts had increased mitochondria: myofibril compared to adequate rats. Eleven week old deficient rat hearts had decreased mitochondria: myofibril as the hearts increased in weight, but the larger hearts had greater myofibril volume densities. Cardiac mitochondria of deficient rats appeared vacuolated with fragmented cristae and translucent matrix. Valves from copper deficient rats appeared to have less connective tissue and were fragmented in areas. For deficient rats, heart:body weights of 9 wk old rats were negatively correlated with bicuspid valve pathology scores, whereas tricuspid valve scores from 11 wk old rats were negatively correlated with myofibril volume densities. These data suggest that the enlargement of the copper-deficient rat ...

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Transplantation procedures using intraparenchymal injection of stem cells result in tissue injury in addition to associated surgical risks. Intravenous injection of mesenchymal stem cells gives engraftment to lesions, but the method has low efficiency and specificity. In traumatic brain injuries (TBI), there is a transient breakdown of the blood-brain barrier and an inflammatory response, which increase migration of cells from blood to parenchyma. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the effect of intra-arterial administration on cellular engraftment. Experimental TBI was produced in a rat model. Endovascular technique was used to administer human mesenchymal stem cells in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. Evaluation of engraftment and side effects were performed by immunohistochemical analysis of the brain and several other organs. The results were compared to intravenous administration of stem cells. Intra-arterial ...

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Pai ALH, Gray E, Kurivial K, Ross J, Schoborg D, Goebel J. The Allocation of Treatment Responsibility scale: A novel tool for assessing patient and caregiver management of pediatric medical treatment regimens. Pediatr Transplantation 2010: 14:993 999. 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: The purpose of the current study is to report preliminary psychometric properties of the ATR scale, a brief measure of the distribution of treatment tasks across the family members of children with a kidney transplant. Pediatric patients with renal transplants (ages 7 18 yr) and their caregivers completed the ATR and measures of adherence and family functioning. Internal consistency for the ATR (total score and subscales) was strong (range = 0.75 0.93). Validity for the ATR was supported by significant co...

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Phenotypic plasticity can facilitate reproductive strategies that maximize mating success in variable environments and lead to differences in sex allocation among populations. For simultaneous hermaphrodites with sperm competition, including Serranus tortugarum a small coral reef fish, proportional male allocation (testis in total gonad) is often greater where local density or mating group size is higher. We tested whether S. tortugarum reduced male allocation when transplanted from a higher density site to a lower density site. After 4?months, transplants mirrored the sex-allocation patterns of the resident population on their new reef. Transplants had significantly lower male allocation than representatives from their source population, largely as a result of reduced testis mass relative...

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This study highlights a methodology to detect the transplanting operation of wetland rice at a regional scale using SSM/I brightness temperature in frequencies like 19, 37 and 85 GHz with vertical polarization. A cloud removal algorithm was used to make weekly composites of the brightness temperature, which were used to estimate the soil wetness index (SWI). Flooding of rice fields with water for transplanting induces very high change in SWI due to contrasting dielectric constant of water (80) and soil (4). Different weather conditions and fractional wet area under the footprint of sensor affect SWI, hence absolute value of SWI was not adequate. Therefore, multi-year SWI anomaly was used to generate a threshold value of SWI change to detect when SWI change between two consecutive weeks was...

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Introduction: Haploidentical transplantation, with extensive T cell depletion to prevent GvHD, is associated with a high incidence of infection-related deaths. The key challenge is to improve immune recovery with allogeneic donor T cells without triggering GvHD. As T regulatory cells (Tregs) controlled GvHD in pre-clinical studies, the present study evaluated the impact of an infusion of donor CD4/CD25 + Tregs, followed by an inoculum of donor mature T cells (Tcons) and positively immunoselected CD34 + cells in the setting of haploidentical stem cell transplantation. Patients and methods: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in this study (22 AML; 5 ALL; 1 NHL). All received immunoselected Tregs (CliniMACS, Miltenyi Biotec) followed by positively immunoselected CD34 + cells together with Tc...

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We have established a reliable method to induce invasive and non-invasive carcinomas in the heterotopically transplanted urinary bladder of rats by repeated injection of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU),...Full Text Available

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Genetically identical rhesus monkeys would have tremendous utility as models for the study of human disease and would be particularly valuable for vaccine trials and tissue transplantation studies where...Full Text Available

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The long-term goal of nuclear transfer or alternative reprogramming approaches is to create patient-specific donor cells for transplantation therapy, avoiding immunorejection, a major complication in...Full Text Available

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Caribou were extirpated from the Kenai Peninsula by 1912 and reintroduced via transplants from the Nelchina Herd in the mid 1960's and again in the mid 1980's. The reintroductions resulted in the establishment of five herds: the Kenai Mountains Herd, Kena...

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Background and objectives: Few studies have examined health literacy in patients with end stage kidney disease. We hypothesized that inadequate health literacy in a hemodialysis population is common...Full Text Available

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Direct radionuclide cystography is known to be sensitive and safe in children with suspected vesical-ureteral reflux. In this study we have investigated the utility of direct radionuclide cystography in renal transplant recipients with a recent history of pyelonephritis or recurrent urinary infections. Direct radionuclide cystography is a simple test, however it requires a rigorous methodology in order to obtain images during fill-in as well as during voiding in both men and women. The images must be interpreted using a rigorous image display methodology. Twenty-eight radionuclide cystographies were performed in 17 patients. Among the 17 tests performed for the initial diagnosis of reflux , 12 were positive. Four patients with positive results and four patients with negative results were also investigated by radiologic cystography. Similar results were obtained in those patients. Nine scintigraphies were done after treatment by surgery or teflon injection ; six of ...

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Local cardiac glucose utilization (LCarGU) was quantified in the rat heart according to the Sokoloff model and local cardiac blood flow (LCarBF) according to the /sup 14/C-iodoantipyrine method. For quantitative autoradiography calibration curves for heart slices were performed. They differed from the brain calibration curves by 8%. The lumped constant was 0.377 in isolated working hearts. LCarGU and LCarBF could then be quantified in awake rats. At different locations mean LCarGU of different hearts varied from 85 to 200 ..mu..moles/100g/min and mean LCarBF from 390 to 831 ml/100g/min. The ratio subendocardial/subepicardial glucose utilization or blood flow was not systematically different from 1. The results indicate that glucose can be an important fuel in the heart of the awake rat, although its contribution to overall metabolism varies from animal to animal.

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Failure of a dam is something we hope never happens. But if a failure occurs, it`s important to study the circumstances in order to expand our knowledge base, and then apply what we learn to other structures.

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BackgroundLate-onset sepsis in the premature infant is frequently revealed by severe, unusual and recurrent bradycardias. In view of the high morbidity and mortality...Full Text Available

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Mitochondria are the major sites where energy is produced in the cell. Functions of organs such as the heart which has high energy demand are seriously affected by dysfunction of mitochondria....Full Text Available

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is well established that cytochrome P450 2J (CYP2J) enzymes are expressed preferentially in the heart, and that ebastine is a substrate for CYP2J, but it is not known whether ebastine is metabolized in myocardium. Therefore, we investigated its pharmacokinetics in the rat isolated perfused heart. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rat isolated hearts were perfused in the recirculating mode with ebastine for 130-min. The concentrations of ebastine and its metabolites, hydroxyebastine and carebastine, were measured using liquid chromatography with a tandem mass spectrometry. The data were analysed by a compartmental model. The time course of negative inotropic response was linked to ebastine concentration to determine the concentration-effect relationship. KEY RESULTS Ebastine w...

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creating such active galactic nuclei as quasars. Strangely, the center of this fiery whirlpool is offset from the exact center of the galaxy - for a reason that for now remains an...

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Patients with heterotaxy syndrome often have complex cardiac and extracardiac anomalies requiring further detailed diagnostic evaluation. They often present severe cardiac failure early in life. Newer radiological modalities in the form of spiral computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional reconstruction of spiral CT allow clear definition of the anatomy of these anomalies. A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with polysplenia and multiple anomalies in an abdominal ultrasonography (US) during a control medical examination due to a trivial dietary mistake. She was then referred to our institution for further examination of these anomalies and an additional thoraco-abdominal computed tomography (CT) examination. The patient was totally asymptomatic at the time of admission. There was no significant past history and no abnormal laboratory data. We performed abdominal, pelvic and thoracic CT examinations using Somatom Siemens Emotion scanner. Non-enhanced sections were ...

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BackgroundThere are several known factors that cause ischemic heart disease. However, the part played by air pollution still remains something of a mystery. Recent attention has...Full Text Available

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This paper discusses how to overcome failures and pitfalls in software configuration management. (LSP)

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Power system components, especially components failure, can significantly affect the reliability of a power system. Data about failure rate in electrical products were obtained from products life testing and analyzed in order to predict reliability. The distribution curve fitting method was used to estimate failure probability. Ten relays of different life times have been used to illustrate the validity of this analytical technique. 3 refs., 3 tabs.

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MRI provides a non-invasive diagnostic tool complementing echocardiography on one hand, and showing advantages over echocardiography, on the other hand, especially after corrective procedures. The multiple different MRI sequences need to be adapted to examinations of children and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and can be used to detect morphologic changes, blood-flow in the heart and thoracic vessels and diastolic or systolic function of myocardium. Several factors determine the success of the examination of a complex congenital heart disease or a postoperative situs. Pediatric radiologists and radiologists experienced in congenital heart diseases have to work in close cooperation. Echocardiography should be performed before MRI. The results of prior examinations and the clinical history of the patients, including possible palliative or reconstructive operations, must be available before ...

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We evaluated 190 children with very high-risk leukemia, who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in 2 sequential treatment eras, to determine whether those treated with contemporary protocols had a high risk of relapse or toxic death, and whether non-HLA-identical transplantations yielded poor outcomes. For the recent cohorts, the 5-year overall survival rates were 65% for the 37 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 74% for the 46 with acute myeloid leukemia; these rates compared favorably with those of earlier cohorts (28%, n = 57; and 34%, n = 50, respectively). Improvement in the recent cohorts was observed regardless of donor type (sibling, 70% vs 24%; unrelated, 61% vs 37%; and haploidentical, 88% vs 19%), attributable to less infection (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.12; P = .005), regimen-related toxicity (HR = 0.25; P = .002), and leukemia-related death (HR = 0.40; P = .01). Survival probability was dependent on ...

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The failure took place on a welded elbow pipe which exhibited a catastrophic transverse rupture. The failure was located on the welding HAZ region, parallel to the welding path. Branching cracks were detected at the edge of the rupture area. Deposits of corrosion products were also spotted. The optical microscope analysis showed the presence of transgranular failures which were related to the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and were predominantly caused by the welding residual stress. The significant difference in hardness between the welded area and the pipe confirmed the findings. Moreover, the failure was also caused by the low Mo content in the stainless steel pipe which was detected by means of spark emission spectrometer. (orig.)

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The purpose of this review is to consider the hypothesis that cancer frequently originates from stem cells. Using the spleen transplantation assay where stem cells were transplanted in the spleen of mice lethally irradiated by ionizing radiation, the author undertook a study aimed at defining the risk of radiogenic cancer per susceptible cells with use of rat radiogenic mammary and thyroid cancers because of the high incidences of these cancers in a-bomb survivors. Measured were the number of cancer-susceptible cells initially present in the tissue, the number of such cells that survived at a given dose and the number of cancers that developed per surviving cell. Thyroid cell differentiation and proliferation in rats transplanted with thyroid cells were enhanced by thyroidectomy and low iodine diet. Further, the relationship between the low LET radiation dose and thyroid clonogen survival was also investigated. Data showed ...

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The aim of the paper is to review the role of interventional radiology in the management of hemodialysis vascular access and complications in renal transplantation. The evaluation of patients with hemodialysis vascular access is complex. It includes the radiology/ultrasound (US) evaluation of the peripheral veins of the upper extremities with venous mapping and the evaluation of the central vein prior to the access placement and radiological detection and treatment of the stenosis and thrombosis in misfunctional dialysis fistulas. Preoperative screening enables the identification of a suitable vessel to create a hemodynamically-sound dialysis fistula. Clinical and radiological detection of the hemodynamically significant stenosis or occlusion demands fistulography and endovascular treatment. Endovascular prophylactic dilatation of stenosis greater than 50% with associated clinical abnormalities such as flow-rate reduction is warranted to prolong access patency. The ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is an immune sensor for gram-positive bacterial cell wall components. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR2 gene that impair its function may, therefore, influence the risk and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. In a cohort of 694 liver transplant recipients, we assessed the TLR2 SNP that is translated into an amino acid substitution of arginine for glutamine at position 753 (R753Q), and we found that its presence was associated with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. The proportions of patients with the TLR2 R753Q SNP did not significantly differ between those with gram-positive bacterial infections and those without gram-positive bacterial infections (9.6% versus 9.6%, P = 0.999)....

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Currently, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched/haploidentical allografts have been validated as an alternative stem cell source for patients who have no immediate access to an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor. However, relapse remains a challenge after HLA-mismatched/haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) that is employed in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies. In recent years, newly developed immunomodulatory strategies, which include prophylactic and therapeutic donor lymphocyte/natural killer (NK) cell infusion, donor selection based on NK alloreactivity/non-inherited maternal antigen (NIMA), immune reconstitution promotion, and application of exogenous cytokines, have made it possible to decrease the relapse rate and improve outco...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Viral infections are still common causes of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Infections caused by virus such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and Epstein-Barr virus are well-known. In addition, several other viruses such as polyomavirus and human herpesvirus 6 have been recently reported to be causes of significant complications. As the delay in recovery of virus-specific cellular immune response after transplant is associated with viral reactivation and viral disease, adoptive immunotherapy to restore virus-specific cellular immunity is an attractive option. Recent clinical trials showed the safety and effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapy against viral diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status o...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper presents a patient specific deformable heart model that involves the known electrical and mechanical properties of the cardiac cells and tissue. The whole heart model comprises ten Tusscher's ventricular and Nygren's atrial cell models, the anatomical and electrophysiological model descriptions of the atria (introduced by Harrild et al.) and ventricle (given by Winslow et al.), and the mechanical model of the periodical cardiac contraction and resting phenomena proposed by Moireau et al. During the propagation of the depolarization wave, the kinetic, compositional and rotational anisotropy is handled by the tissue, organ and torso model. The applied patient specific parameters were determined by an evolutionary computation method. An intensive parameter reduction was performed u...

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Breaker failure relaying has been generally achieved through the use of a current monitoring relay to determine whether current continues to flow into a fault after a breaker has been instructed to interrupt the circuit. If current continues to flow after a predefined period of time, the circuit breaker is considered to have failed. Steps must then be taken to trip the next set of upstream breakers in the power system to remove the faulted circuit and prevent system damage. However, with industrial power systems, this may be the utility`s breakers on the feeding transmission line. Regardless, breaker failure schemes must be designed to isolate both the faulted circuit and the failed circuit breaker. This paper discusses a new and innovative method of protecting a circuit breaker from the failure described above, plus other failures that go unprotected with conventional schemes, this providing total ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in elective percutaneous coronary intervention...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A ten week old girl who had previously undergone a palliative procedure for the hypoplastic left heart syndrome had unrelieved aortic coarctation that did not respond to standard balloon dilatation....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The metal parts of cardiac valve prostheses cause reactions in the surrounding tissues of the heart. In some dogs rather abnormal reactions were found, and were attributed to corrosion of the stainless...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

We examined the subcellular localization of ryanodine receptors (RyR) in the cardiac muscle of carp using biochemical, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic methods and compared it with those of rats and guinea pigs. To achieve this goal, an anti-RyR antibody was newly raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence that was conserved among all sequenced RyRs. Western blot analysis using this antibody detected a single RyR band following the SDS-PAGE of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes from carp atrium and ventricle as well as from mammalian hearts and skeletal muscles. The carp heart band had slightly greater mobility than those of mammalian hearts. Although immunohistochemical staining showed evident striations corresponding to the Z lines in longitudinal sections of mammalian hearts, clusters of punctate staining, in contrast, were distributed ubiquitously ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Hibernators are unique among mammals in their ability to survive extended periods of time with core body temperatures near freezing and with dramatically reduced heart, respiratory, and metabolic rates...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Resonance Raman spectra are reported for the organometallic phenyl-FeIII complexes of horse heart myoglobin. We observed the resonance enhancement of the ring vibrational modes of the bound phenyl group....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In this study we compared the molecular signalling elicited by rexinoids, selective retinoid X receptor (RXR)-activators, in several organs (i.e. liver, kidney,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Patent arterial duct (PAD) is a congenital heart abnormality defined as persistent patency in term infants older than three months. Isolated PAD is found in around 1 in 2000 full term infants. A higher...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the molecule processes of sarcomere assembly, partially due to the lack of systematic genetic studies of sarcomeric genes in an in vivo...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background:In 2007, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) published new guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

To determine the mechanism of the cardiac dilatation and reduced contractility of obese Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats, myocardial triacylglycerol (TG) was assayed chemically and morphologically. TG was...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

... of the American Medical Association JAMA PATIENT PAGE Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation W hen the heart stops beating (cardiac arrest), ... circulation (blood flow) returns or is restored. Providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) is a way to keep some circulation ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Sphingomyelin (SM) is an abundant phospholipid in cell membranes and in lipoproteins. In human plasma, SM is mainly found in atherogenic lipoproteins; therefore, higher levels of SM may promote atherogenesis....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AimsTranscatheter treatment of heart valve disease is well established today. However, for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), no effective catheter-based approach is...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Few diseases exemplify the integration of research from bench to bedside as well as neonatal lupus, often referred to as a model of passively acquired autoimmunity. In essence, this disease encompasses...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) extract is widely used in dietary supplements for weight management and sports performance. Its primary protoalkaloid is p-synephrine....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A mild stress such as brief ischemic episodes may protect the heart from a successive and more prolonged myocardial ischemia (ischemic preconditioning). This phenomenon is considered a typical “hormetic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

An integrated system of micro-and mini-computers is described to acquire, analyze, store and report data on the total activity of the heart of a critically ill patient. Real-time beat and rhythm diagnoses...Full Text Available

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''Hair-on-end'' skull changes resembling thalassemia were rarely described in the 1950s and 1960s in children with cyanotic congenital heart diseases; these changes were described almost entirely in patients with tetralogy of Fallot or D-transposition of the great arteries. As these lesions have become correctable, the osseous changes, never common, seem now only to exist in a small number of patients with uncorrectable complex cyanotic congenital heart disease who survive in a chronic hypoxic state. We present two cases: a case of marked marrow expansion in the skull of a 5-year-old boy with uncorrectable cyanotic heart disease studied by CT, and a second case of an 8-year-old with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia studied by plain skull radiographs. The true incidence of these findings is unknown. (orig.)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Refractory ascites can occur in patients with various conditions. Although several procedures based on the reinfusion of ascitic fluid have been reported after the failure of bed rest, salt and water...Full Text Available

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A mechanistic understanding of fracture in human bone is critical to predicting fracture risk associated with age and disease. Despite extensive work, a mechanistic framework for describing how the underlying microstructure affects the failure mode in bone is lacking.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to ascertain whether all cervical cancer patients who received adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) for high risk of treatment failure after...Full Text Available

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Iodine-131 MIBG, a radiolabeled adrenergic neuron-blocking agent, decreased rapidly from the heart and liver of patients with adrenergic dysfunction and pheochromocytoma when compared with eight controls. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of (/sup 131/I)MIBG decrease in these organs between controls and patients in the intervals subsequent to 4 hr. These findings suggest that adrenergic neuronal uptake of (/sup 131/I)MIBG in these organs is smaller in the patients than in the controls. Measurements of time-activity relationships of radioiodinated MIBG may be useful for assessment of adrenergic function of these organs and thus of generalized disorders of adrenergic innervation.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To evaluate the results of radiotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma patients managed with various combinations of chemotherapy and surgical resection with selective liver transplantation. Methods and Materials: From January 1990 to December 1995, 61 patients with histologically confirmed biliary duct adenocarcinoma were seen in the Radiation Oncology Department of the University of Pittsburgh. Median follow-up was 22 months (1 to 91 months). The extent of surgery was complete resection in 23 patients (including 17 with orthotopic liver transplant), partial resection in 4, and biopsy in 34. All patients had radiotherapy; median dose was 49.5 Gy. Thirty patients received chemotherapy: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-leucovorin with interferon alpha (IFN#alpha#) in 27, and taxol in 3. Results: The median survival was 20 months (95% CI 15-25 months). The 5-year actuarial survival was 23.8 #+-# 6.8%. The only significant variable in multivariate analysis ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... failures fftf reactor heat transfer hydraulics loss of coolant pipes primary coolant

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... where they discussed Montgomery's failure to pursue Operation Goodwood, ... Operation Goodwood, Montgomery's 18 July attack on Caen ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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... which extend beyond the upper airway. These include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, failure to thrive, and enuresis. Tonsillectomies ...

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Stability concerns of the Par Pond Dam, an embankment structure in the Savannah River Site complex, resulted in a comprehensive evaluation of the state of its integrity. Specifically, excessive seepage through the embankment, slope failure due to an earthquake event as well as liquefaction potential of the embankment and the foundation are addressed and the potential of failure is evaluated. Lastly, remedial benefits of the addition of a berm structure are also assessed.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1 The decreased binding of drugs and dyes to plasma proteins from male and female rats with acute renal failure has been investigated using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. 2 Acute renal failure...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In the field of Living Probabilistic Safety Assessment (LPSA) the reliability data updating is an important factor. In risk analysis equipment failure data is needed to estimate the frequencies of events contributing to risk posed by a facility. Five years data of emergency diesel generator (EDG) of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has been studied in this paper. The data updating process has been done by using two methods, i.e., the classical method and Bayesian method. The aim of using these methods is to calculate the operational failure rate (@l) and demand failure probability (p). The results show that the operational failure rate is 1.7E-3 per hour and the demand failure probability is 2.4E-2 demand per day for Daya Bay NPP. By comparing the results obtain from classical and Bayesi...

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Despite extensive clinical use of thallium-201 (/sup 201/Tl) for myocardial imaging, the effect of ischemia on myocardial accumulation and release of /sup 201/Tl independent of flow has not been fully defined. Therefore, myocardial accumulation of /sup 201/Tl in response to ischemic-like myocardial injury was assessed in vitro using the cultured fetal mouse heart preparation. Cultured fetal mouse hearts (n . 311) were subjected to injury simulating ischemia by deprivation of oxygen and oxidizable substrates for periods ranging from 15 minutes to 10 hours. The extent of irreversible injury was determined by the percentage of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) lost from the hearts to the culture medium during recovery from injury. Injury was essentially reversible at 1 hour of insult. The fraction of /sup 201/Tl content in injured compared with control hearts was not significantly lower after 1 hour of insult. By ...

Science.gov (United States)

In vertebrates, the positioning of the internal organs relative to the midline is asymmetric and evolutionarily conserved. A number of molecules have been shown to play critical roles in left-right patterning. Using representational difference analysis to identify genes that are differentially expressed on the left and right sides of the chick embryo, we cloned chick Claudin-1, an integral component of epithelial tight junctions. Here, we demonstrate that retroviral overexpression of Claudin-1, but not Claudin-3, on the right side of the chick embryo between HH stages 4 and 7 randomizes the direction of heart looping. This effect was not observed when Claudin-1 was overexpressed on the left side of the embryo. A small, but reproducible, induction of Nodal expression in the perinodal region on the right side of the embryo was noted in embryos that were injected with Claudin-1 retroviral particles on their right sides. However, no changes in Lefty,Pitx2 or cSnR ...

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Open pit oil sands mining involves the disturbance of thin overburden covers of Boreal forest lands that must be returned to equivalent land capability after mining activities have ceased. Before mining starts, any wetlands are drained, timber is harvested, and peat, topsoils and subsoils are stockpiled for later use. This article discussed wetland reclamation activities conducted by Suncor Energy at its open pit mining operations. Research facilities were constructed in order to determine if wetlands constructed with consolidated tailings (CT) and pond effluent water (PEW) were able to support a sustainable vegetation community. Thirty-three cat-tail plots were established at the facility as well as unplanted plots in order to determine how quickly natural establishment occurred. Shoreline plug transplants and transplants from a natural saline lake were also introduced. Within 5 years, over 23 plant species had naturally colonized the CT ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The effect of various forms of treatment of renal osteodystrophy was evaluated in 25 dialysis patients by quantitative bone scintigraphy, using 99m-Tc-HEDP. The results were compared with those of biochemical and bone morphometric studies. The total skeletal activity (TSA) decreased in 5 patients after transplantation, in 11 after parathyroidectomy and in 6 out of 9 treated conservatively, but did not normalize in any of the patients. Bone morphometric evaluation of treatment, which could be performed in 19 of the 20 patients who did not receive a transplant, demonstrated a reduction in the degree of hyperparathyroidism in 17 patients (89 per cent). Osteoid excess was reduced in 13 patients (68 per cent) but an evident reduction of osteomalacic osteoid, i.e. improvement of osteomalacia, occurred in only 4 patients (21 per cent). Changes in the TSA correlated significantly with the changes in the biochemical and histological parameters of ...

Science.gov (United States)

Using a syngeneic p53-null mouse mammary gland tumor model that closely mimics human breast cancer, we have identified, by limiting dilution transplantation and in vitro mammosphere assay, a Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells. Upon subsequent transplantation, this subpopulation generated heterogeneous tumors that displayed properties similar to the primary tumor. Analysis of biomarkers suggests the Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) subpopulation may have arisen from a bipotent mammary progenitor. Differentially expressed genes in the Lin(-)CD29(H)CD24(H) mouse mammary gland tumor-initiating cell population include those involved in DNA damage response and repair, as well as genes involved in epigenetic regulation previously shown to be critical for stem cell self-renewal. These studies provide in vitro and in vivo data that support the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis. Furthermore, this p53-null mouse mammary tumor model may allow ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Pawtucket Heart Health Program is one of the community studies examining whether population-based efforts to lower cardiovascular risk factors will reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The Pawtucket Heart Health Program intervention is based on a blend of social learning theory, community organization models, community psychology tenets, and diffusion research. This model allows for multifaceted programs that target individuals, groups, organizations, and the entire community to alter their cardiovascular risk through managing blood pressure, lowering blood cholesterol, quitting smoking, increasing fitness, and maintaining desirable weight levels. A dominant feature of the intervention is the emphasis that it places on volunteers for program delivery. The role of volunteers in providing direct services to help citizens lower their blood pressure and lose weight is highlighted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of ...

Science.gov (United States)

A hypotheses that mitoxantrone is a competitive antagonist at muscarinic cholinergic receptors was examined in guinea-pig hearts. In isolated left atrial muscle preparations, electrically paced at 2 Hz, the muscarinic agonist, carbachol, caused a concentration-dependent decrease in developed tension. Mitoxantrone caused a parallel right-ward shift of the concentration-response curve for carbachol. Schild plots for the effect of mitoxantrone on the carbachol concentration-response relationship were linear with a slope of 0.88 which was not significantly different from the unity. The right-ward shift of the carbachol concentration-response relationship by mitoxantrone significantly reversed after an additional incubation with a mitoxantrone-free solution, although the reversal was incomplete after a 2-h incubation in the mitoxantrone-free solution. Mitoxantrone caused a concentration-dependent displacement of specific [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to membrane ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It may result in acute radiation syndrome after body is exposed to ionizing radiation. The one of long-term effects of irradiation injury is leukemia. The bone marrow cells (BMC) transplantation including stem cells is the only effective therapy for acute radiation syndrome patients. Recently, with the advancement of stem cell research that the stem cells have multipotential and can convert each other, it may supply the new stem source for the irradiation injury patients. At the same time with the further research of radioprotective reagents, the hematopoietic stem cells proliferation after irradiation injury is promoted

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyethylene gas piping is expected to be in service for times on the order of 50 years depending on service conditions. Therefore research research on piping materials and pipes has two principal objectives: (a) developing methods for predicting when a pipe will fail and (b) improving the material for piping. The prediction of long time failure hinges on the development of short time test methods which relate to long time failure. The improvement in the behavior of current materials also hinges on the use of test methods of short duration relative to the anticipated life time of the pipe in service. One of the primary criterion for an acceptable test method is that it produces the same type of failure as is observed after long time failure in service. It has been found that P.E. pipe material fails in a brittle mode after long periods of time. The failure mode is called brittle ...

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Airborne pollutants can cause failures in switching and computing equipment. This paper focuses on a subset of such pollutants - airborne fine particles (<2.5 [mu]m diameter). It begins by examining the extent to which different improvements in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems reduce indoor concentrations of fine particles. For each modification, the consequent reduction in soiling rate is derived. The concomitant increase in operating costs is also calculated. These costs are then compared with the costs of failures in telephone switching offices, leading to estimates of failure rate reductions that would make improvements cost-effective. Finally, the reduction in failures required to offset the costs of the improvements are compared with documented differences in failure rates between unimproved and improved environments. This study suggests that, in ...

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Peatlands are an important long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). The storage function of peatland ecosystems is significantly impacted by drainage and extraction processes, which can result in the release of significant amounts of CO{sub 2}. This paper investigated the net ecosystem CO{sub 2} exchange of a newly developed extraction-restoration technique that preserved the acrotelm and replaced it directly on the cut surface of the peatlands. The technique used a modified block-cut method with a back-hoe to create a drainage ditch. Actrotelm and surface vegetation were removed and placed to one side, and the peat was mechanically removed. The acrotelm was then transplanted over the older and more decomposed catotelm peat to create a trench topography in which the natural peatland was higher than the extracted zone. Air temperatures, water table levels, and volumetric moisture content levels were measured throughout the experiment. Measurements ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This study describes the formulations to optimize the time interval of inspections and/or replacements of equipment/parts taking into account the probability density functions (PDF) for failure rates and parameters of failure distribution functions (FDF) and evaluates the optimized results of these time intervals using our formulations by comparing with those using only representative values of failure rates and the parameters of FDF instead of using these PDFs. The PDFs are obtained with Bayesian method and the representative values are obtained with likelihood estimation method. However, any significant difference is not observed between both optimized results within our preliminary calculations. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A wood/polymer composite was produced by impregnating Ramin wood with methyl methacrylate monomer and subsequently polymerizing it by gamma irradiation. To assess the improvement in compression strength of the wood caused by the polymer impregnation, a microbuckling compression failure mechanism was used to model the compression failure of the composite. Such a mechanism was found to predict a linear relationship between the compression strength and the percentage polymer impregnation (by weight). Uniaxial compression test results at 45(#+-#5)% and 90(#+-#5)% relative humidity levels, after being statistically analysed, showed that such a linear relationship was valid for up to 100% polymer impregnation. (author).

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The wind industry has experienced premature turbine component failures during the past years. With the increase in turbine size, these failures, especially those found in the major drivetrain components, i.e. main shaft, gearbox, and generator, have become extremely costly. Given that the gearbox is the most costly component in the drivetrain to fix, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) initiated the Gearbox Reliability Collaborative (GRC) to determine the causes for premature gearbox failures and subsequently, recommend improvements to gearbox design, manufacture, and operational practices. The GRC has two identical test gearboxes, which are planned for a dynamometer and a field test, respectively.

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A fuel plate examination was conducted in the hot cell and canal to determine the possible failure modes for three plates leaking fission products. The plates were irradiated in the Extended Life Aluminide Fuel (ELAF) program in support of university research reactor goals to increase the limits presently allowed. The examination indicated pitting corrosion to be the failure mode. Other failure modes such as: (a) nonbonded swelling, (b) excessive fuel swelling, and (c) overheating of the plates were not observed.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Introduction: Research indicates that music can affect heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance. Music can stimulate central emotions in the brain and release biochemical materials that change the physiologic state. We sought to compare changes in the electrical function of the heart in response to music. Method: Subjects were asked to listen to 2 types of music, namely, sedative and arousal music, in conjunction with two 30-second periods of complete silence. The experiment was conducted in 4 segments: the first and third parts were silence, and the second and fourth parts were music. First, the response to each type of music was compared with that to the preceding period of silence. Next, the responses to both types of music were compared. Finally, the response to music regardles...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Animal studies demonstrated the powerful impact of maternal-infant social contact on the infant's physiological systems, yet the online effects of social interactions on the human infant's physiology remain poorly understood. Mothers and their 3-month old infants were observed during face-to-face interactions while cardiac output was collected from mother and child. Micro-analysis of the partners' behavior marked episodes of gaze, affect, and vocal synchrony. Time-series analysis showed that mother and infant coordinate heart rhythms within lags of less than 1s. Bootstrapping analysis indicated that the concordance between maternal and infant biological rhythms increased significantly during episodes of affect and vocal synchrony compared to non-synchronous moments. Humans, like other mamm...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Color Doppler flow mapping (CDFM) was performed in 47 normal women ages 18-41 mean (m) 28 to determine the normal flow phenomena across each of the 4 heart valves. The group included: 15 elite marathon runners average run (ave.) 70 miles/week, heart rate (HR) 35-54 (m 45); 14 joggers ave. 40 mi/wkm HR 40-69 (m 53); and 17 controls 0 mi/wk, HR 49-93 (m 77). 2-D echo and CDFM defined the motion of each valve, including the presence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), the ventricular inflow and outflow patterns and the presence of regurgitation.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Heart cells from the clam Ruditapes decussatus were routinely cultured with a high level of reproducibility in sea water based medium. Three cell types attached to the plastic after 2?days and could be maintained in vitro for at least 1?month: epithelial-like cells, round cells and fibroblastic cells. Fibroblastic cells were identified as functional cardiomyocytes due to their spontaneous beating, their ultrastructural characteristics and their reactivity with antibodies against sarcomeric ?-actinin, sarcomeric tropomyosin, myosin and troponin T-C. Patch clamp measurements allowed the identification of ionic currents characteristic of cardiomyocytes: a delayed potassium current (I K?slow) strongly suppressed (95%) by tetraethylammonium (1?mM), a fast inactivating potassium current (I K?fas...

Science.gov (United States)

Ultimate Compressive Strength = 3000.0 psi. 3.0 Failure Criteria. The structural criteria used to evaluate the combustor components was chosen ...

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of the Intelligent Control System (ICS) for reusable rocket engines. .... the incoming measurements with corresponding estimates, a sensor failure can be ...

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Kidney Failure, Chronic

Science.gov (United States)

The location of defective LMFBR fuel pins by the determination of gas tag isotopic ratios is discussed. The application of this method to the FFTF Reactor briefly described.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrosion failures in circuits of foreign NPPs are considered. According to American statistics there are more corrosion failures in two-circuit NPPs than in NPPs with one circuit. Steam generators mostly suffer from ''corrosion denting''. Lately pitting corrosion becomes a potentially serious problem. Steam generator vertical tubes are mainly subjected to this corrosion type. Attention is drawn to intercrystalline corrosion. The causes of corrosion are described. The problem of optimization of structural materials is discussed to reduce corrosion failures as well as other methods of decreasing corrosion failures. Organization of nondestructive testing, increased requirements to water and steam purity are of great importance.

Science.gov (United States)

... position must not be penalized in their NCO Evaluation Report (NCOER). ... failure to perform MOS-, SQI-, or ASI-related duties after counseling. ...

Science.gov (United States)

reaching their ultimate compressive strength. Thus, when applying a lamina stress analysis in conjunction with a failure model, one must ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Increased oxidative stress is a known cause of cardiac dysfunction in animals and patients with diabetes, but the sources of reactive oxygen species [e.g., superoxide anion (O₂⁻)]...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

... mini-stroke," also called a TIA or a transient ischemic attack . If you have any of these warning signs, ... ur-uhl) (ar-TEE-ree-uhl) (dih-ZEEZ) transient ischemic attack (TRANZ-see-uhnt) (iss-KEE-mik) (uh-TAK) [ ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Patient monitoring during mechanotherapy based on electrocutaneous impedance measurement is discussed. Methods implemented by the Alpharhythmica computer-assisted system are described. Mechanotherapy modifies electrocutaneous impedance as compared to other parameters: heart rate, arterial pressure, and body temperature. Real time criteria of mechanotherapy efficacy based on electrocutaneous impedance measurement are suggested. Results of electrocutaneous impedance monitoring are presented.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Science and technology are at the heart of everything we do at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, as we pursue innovative, robust, and sustainable ways to produce energy--and as we seek to understand and illuminate the physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering behind alternative energy technologies. This year's Research Review highlights the Lab's work in the areas of alternatives fuels and vehicles, high-performing commercial buildings, and high-efficiency inverted, semi-mismatched solar cells.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundWe investigated whether p42/p44 extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and/or phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI3K)-Akt play a crucial role in cardioprotection...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

We compared the efficacy of timolol maleate ophthalmic gel-forming solution 0.5% QD with that of levobunolol hydrochloride 0.5% BID, as measured by change in intraocular pressure (IOP), effect on heart rate, and ocular tolerability. The study had a positive-controlled, double-masked, randomized, multicenter, 12-week, two-period (6 weeks each), crossover design. One hundred fifty-two patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were randomized to receive either timolol maleate gel-forming solution QD or levobunolol BID for 6 weeks, followed by a crossover to the alternate treatment. IOP and heart rate were measured at morning trough and peak during weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12. Timolol maleate gel-forming solution QD was comparable to levobunolol BID in reducing IOP at peak and trough. Although the effects on peak heart rate were similar between the two medications, the effect on trough heart rate ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The catecholamine release-inhibitory catestatin [Cts; human chromogranin (Cg) A_352-372, bovine CgA_344-364] is a vasoreactive and anti-hypertensive peptide derived...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During thirty years the techniques used for sensing the environment have changed dramatically. This paper describes the latest generation of sensors available. This new generation of sensors includes those two most critical gas sensors for methane and carbon monoxide and new sensors for airflow and air temperature. When these sensors are combined with the new sensors for machine condition monitoring it forms the heart of the Sentex system. 2 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The failure of receivers has been one of the main operating problems at the White Cliffs solar thermal power plant. This Technical Note reports the results of an initial investigation that identifies the cause as having been their thermal fatiguing of the tube walls. The fatigue appears to be caused by unstable heat transfer at vapor qualities below the point where critical heat flux is generally exceeded. Methods for avoiding this problem are tested.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of the Microelectronic Evaluation Laboratory at Sandia is to develop a program for evaluating CMOS LSI (complementary metal oxide silicon - large scale integrated) technology devices which are being used for the first time in a weapon system. These evaluations are based on accelerated aging studies and electrical tests to determine the reliability and life of the devices. In accelerated aging, specific, controlled stresses are applied to the device to accelerate time-to-failure. Data are used tin mathematical models to estimate life in acutal use. The stresses used for this technology are temperature and voltage. The devices are stored at temperatures with or without voltage applied (steady-state or cyclical) and periodically tested until at least 50% failures are encountered. Since most current technologies use epoxy-die-attachment, aging temperatures must be under 200/sup 0/C. This delays device failure, and a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper investigates the calculation of availability for parallel transmission lines (two or more) in the same tower or on the same right of way. As in many studies, the development of mathematical models is an important step. The models are justified using historical data and known characteristics of power system elements. A statistical method was used to generalize the failure rate and repair rate from real operating data. Application of the new model (which combines common-mode, simultaneous independent, and dependent outages) is discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The paper presents results of studies on the effect of heat treatment on strength and pattern of 40Kh steel impact failure. Loading levels corresponding to macroscopic spalling microdamage initiation in the material are determined for three initial states. Metallographic study on the spalling failure pattern for 40Kh steel in different initial states and data on microhardness measurement are presented.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A historical overview of corrosion problems found in power plant condensers and mitigation procedures is presented. The paper is organized according to alloy type and failure mode. Alloys considered are copper-base alloys, stainless steels and titanium. Failure modes discussed include erosion-corrosion, sulfide attack, environmentally assisted cracking, galvanic corrosion, steam condensate corrosion, pitting corrosion, and dealloying. Mitigation procedures discussed include cathodic protection, ferrous ion injection, as well as tube cleaning and layup practices.

Science.gov (United States)

... 2,000 230.102Tender plain bearing journal boxes: Failure to repair 1,000 1,500 230.103Tender roller bearing journal boxes: Failure to properly maintain 1,000 1,500 230.104Driving box shoes and wedges:...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reliability has an impact on wind energy project costs and benefits. Both life test data and field failure data can be used for reliability analysis. In wind energy industry, wind farm operators have greater interest in recording wind turbine operating data. However, field failure data may be tainted or incomplete, and therefore it needs a more general mathematical model and algorithms to solve the model. The aim of this paper is to provide a solution to this problem. A three-parameter Weibull failure rate function is discussed for wind turbines and the parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood and least squares. Two populations of German and Danish wind turbines are analyzed. The traditional Weibull failure rate function is also employed for comparison. Analysis shows that the three-parameter Weibull function can obtain more accuracy on reliability growth of wind turbines. This work will be ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A modified boundary element approach was used to analyze the response of offshore piles subjected to external soil movements. The computer model employed to solve the pile-soil problem was able to model pile head and tip loading, and loading caused by lateral movement of soil. A nonlinear pile-soil interface element with the ability to represent a hardening or softening plastic response prior to reaching an ultimate state was incorporated. With the program, 4 failure modes can be determined: flow of the soil slide past an intact stationary pile; rotation of the pile with the soil at failure along the full pile length; translation of the pile with the sliding soil, resulting in failure of the supporting soil; and the long-pile mode, in which the maximum bending moment in the pile reaches the yield moment of the pile before complete development of the other 3 modes. Theoretical solutions for a realistic hypothetical offshore ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this article is reviewed the role of Computed Tomography (CT) in thoracic complications following ortho topic liver transplantation (OLT). In a post-OLT population of 567 patients transplanted in the Italian institutions, 100 patients (17.6%) were examined with chest CT. It was reviewed data relative to the total number of examinations, clinical and/or radiographic indications, the CT technique-i.e., conventional (with (out) intravenous, i.v., contrast material) or high-resolution (HRCT). It also reviewed the radiologic patterns and their correlation with the other clinical, bronchoscopic and/or laboratory results. Of 152 chest CT examinations, 45 (29.6%) were performed because of clinical indications, 31 (20.4%) because of a radiographic abnormality, 64 (42.1%) because of clinical and radiographic abnormality, 64 (42.1%) because of clinical and radiographic indications, while in 12 cases (7.9%) the reasons were unknown; 133/152 (87.5%) ...

Science.gov (United States)

B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; Nodal Marginal Zone B-cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Burkitt Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Diffuse Large Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Diffuse Mixed Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Diffuse Small Cleaved Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Grade III Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis; Recurrent Adult Immunoblastic Large Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Adult Lymphoblastic Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 1 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 2 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Grade 3 Follicular Lymphoma; Recurrent Mantle Cell Lymphoma; Recurrent Marginal Zone Lymphoma; Recurrent Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma; Splenic Marginal Zone Lymphoma; Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In patients subjected to bone marrow transplantation the aggressive measures necessarily preceding this treatment lead to drastic metabolic changes which, in turn, are a cause of marked disturbances of homeostasis. The general preparatory measures in the form of cytoreduction by cytostatic drugs are broadened for leukaemic patients to include wholebody irradiation. During the study described here investigations were carried out into the resulting strain on the metabolism. One of the most essential changes observed in those patients was a nitrogen loss of up to approx. 20 g/day that occurred during the immunosuppressive phase. This was accompanied by markedly pronounced variations in fluid elimination, which partly were of an iatrogenic nature. An immediate and sufficient substitution of amino acids in connection with complete parenteral nutrition rapidly acted to compensate for the nitrogen losses, even though these could not be totally reversed to achieve a ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study investigated the occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in immunodeficiency wards of hospitals in Tehran, Iran. A total of 70 dust and biofilm samples from wards serving transplant, pediatric (malignancies), HIV, leukemia and oncology patients of five university hospitals were collected and examined for the presence of FLA using culturing and molecular approaches. Based on the morphology of the amoebae in plate cultures, primer sets were applied for molecular identification of Acanthamoeba, vahlkampfiid amoebae and Hartmannella. Out of 70 samples, 37 (52.9%) were positive for FLA. Acanthamoeba belonged to the T4 genotype was the most prevalent isolate. Presence of the T4 genotype on medical instruments, including an oxygen mask in an isolation room of an immunodeficiency pediat...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background. A 19-year-old girl was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, based on findings of arthritis, malar rash, positive antinuclear antibody test and high levels of antibodies to double-stranded DNA. Two months after diagnosis, the patient presented with a sudden drop in blood hemoglobin level. Several days later, she developed bloody sputum, rapidly progressive dyspnea and hypoxemia. High-resolution CT showed diffuse alveolar infiltrates in both lung fields.Investigations. Physical examination, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, urinalysis, 24-h urine protein excretion, fecal occult blood test, d-dimer test, acid hemolysis test, activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time, direct and indirect Coombs tests, bone marrow smear, arterial blood ga...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary 1.-Plant-plant interactions fluctuate between competition and facilitation depending upon ecological conditions and species traits. Facilitative interactions are expected to increase in frequency via associational defences with increasing consumer pressure. The ability of species to cope with competition and/or ecological stressors may alter the outcome of plant-plant interactions. 2.-We conducted a transplant experiment to determine if native and non-native grasses and forbs respond similarly to interactions with Juncus effusus L., an unpalatable benefactor species, along a grazing intensity gradient in two contrasting pasture types: intensively managed and semi-natural. We expected competitive taller, erect species (grasses) and non-natives to obtain stronger facilitative effects...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive form of human brain tumor, which has no effective cure. Previously, we have demonstrated that overexpression of the C-terminal fragment of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERTC27) inhibits the growth and tumorigenicity of human cervical cancer HeLa cells. In this study, the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanisms of hTERTC27-mediated cancer gene therapy were further explored in vivo in established human glioblastoma xenografts in nude mice. We showed that intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus carrying hTERTC27 (rAAV-hTERTC27) is highly effective in reducing the growth of the subcutaneously transplanted glioblastoma tumors. Histological analyses showed that rAAV-hTERTC27 treatment leads to profound necrosis, apoptosi...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A series of six transient tests was performed on FFTF irradiated fuel pins to demonstrate their transient performance capability. The tests were performed in the TREAT reactor using sodium loops and instrumented test trains. The TEMECH computer code was used to design overpower transients which would simulate FFTF fuel pin thermal conditions during slow and fast unprotected transients. Some tests were run to substantial overpower levels but terminated prior to fuel pin failure, while other tests were intentionally extended to fuel failure to establish failure thresholds and characteristics. Post-test examination data provided significant cladding strain and fuel melting information used for performance code calibration and validation. These data showed that cladding damage caused by fuel melting is related to the steady state condition of the fuel.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The performance of steam generator tubes in water-cooled nuclear power reactors has been reviewed for 1979. Tube failures occurred at 38 of the 93 reactors surveyed. Causes of these failures and procedures designed to deal with them are described. The defect rate was twice that in 1978 but still lower than the two previous years. Methods being employed to detect defects include increasing use of multifrequency eddy-current testing and a trend to full-length inspection of all tubes. To reduce the incidence of tube failures by corrosion, plant operators are turning to full-flow condensate demineralization and more leak-resistant condenser tubes. (author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Design rules for robustness require insensitivity to local failure and the prevention of progressive collapse. This is often verified by applying the load case ''removal of a limited part of the structure''. This paper will evaluate typical structural systems for large-span timber roof structures against these requirements, comparing the results against typical reasons for damages and failures. Applying the finding that most failures of timber structures are not caused by random occurrences or local defects, but by global (repetitive) defects (e.g. from systematic mistakes), it is shown that the objective of load transfer-often mentioned as preferable-should be critically analysed for such structures. Based on these findings, proposals for structural systems and details towards a robust de...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Statement of problem Porcelain fracture associated with an implant-supported, metal ceramic crown or fixed partial denture occurs at a higher rate than in tooth-supported restorations, according to the literature. Implant-specific and patient-specific causes of ceramic failure have not been fully evaluated. Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the potential statistical predictors for porcelain fracture of implant-supported, metal ceramic restorations. Material and Methods Over a 6-month period, a consecutive series of patients having previously received implant-supported, metal ceramic fixed restorations were examined during periodic recall appointments. The number of supporting implants, number of dental units, type of restoration, date of prosthesis insertion, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Reference failures, and their increase in affectively negative conditions (known as affective reactivity of speech), are more frequently observed in schizophrenia patients than in normal controls, but no information is available comparing schizophrenia with depression, ie, a mental disorder closely linked to the concept of affective reactivity. To address this gap in the literature, the present study compared 24 schizophrenia inpatients, 21 unipolar depression inpatients and 21 normal controls. Two 10-minute conversational speech samples (1 on negative and 1 on positive memories) were collected from each patient. The transcripts of the audiotaped interviews were analyzed blindly for frequencies of 6 types of referential failures, employing the Communication Disturbances Index, adapted for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In general, macroscopic material failure is a manifestation of irreversible changes at the microscopic level. Many tissues, which may appear to be macroscopically homogeneous, are, at a fundamental microscopic level, a composite material. For example, cornea is composed of a hyaluronic acid matrix in which layers of collagen fibers are overlaid in a crossing pattern. The points where the collagen fibers intersect are potential nucleation sites for microscopic defects, which under the action of tensile stress, nucleate, grow and coalesce to form macroscopic failure planes, or spall planes. Using a model based on microstructural evolution, this paper examines the failure process during photoablation. Specifically, the paper describes a physically motivated, micromechanical model based on the nucleation and growth of spherical voids. This model is then used to simulate photoablation of cornea. Potential for using this model to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An availability assessment of the principal systems of the Heber Geothermal Power Plant has been carried out based on the final issue of the process descriptions, process flow diagrams, and the approved for design P and IDs prepared by Fluor Power Services, Inc. (FPS). The principal systems are those which contribute most to plant unavailability. The plant equivalent availability, considering forced and deferred corrective maintenance outages, was computed using a 91 state Markov model to represent the 29 principal system failure configurations and their significant combinations. The failure configurations and associated failure and repair rates were defined from system/subsystem availability assessments that were conducted using the availability assessments based on the EPRI GO methodology and availability block diagram models. The availability and unavailability ranking of the systems and major equipment is presented.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The reliability analysis of the Fast Flux Test Facility reactor shutdown system was reevaluated. Failure information based on five years of plant operating experience was used to verify original reliability numbers or to establish new ones. Also, system modifications made subsequent to performance of the original analysis were incorporated into the reevaluation. Reliability calculations and sensitivity analyses were performed using a commercially available spreadsheet on a personal computer. The spreadsheet was configured so that future failures could be tracked and compared with expected failures. A number of recommendations resulted from the reevaluation including both increased and decreased surveillance intervals. All recommendations were based on meeting or exceeding existing reliability goals. Considerable cost savings will be incurred upon implementation of the recommendations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Analyses were performed of the safety-related performance of the reactor protection system (RPS) at U.S. Westinghouse and General Electric commercial reactors during the period 1984 through 1995. RPS operational data from these reactors were collected from the Nuclear Plant Reliability Data System (NPRDS) and Licensee Event Reports (LER). The common-cause failure (CCF) modeling in the fault trees developed for these studies and the analysis and use of common-cause failure data were sophisticated, state-of-the-art efforts. The overall CCF effort helped to test and expand the limits of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's CCF methodology.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy, it is suggested that there is a reduced uptake of [sup 123]I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in the heart. We compared the difference of myocardial [sup 123]I-MIBG accumulation between 4 diabetic patients with triopathy and 6 patients without it. In all 10 patients, coronary angiography and [sup 201]Tl imaging (rest and 4 hours later) were performed. [sup 123]I-MIBG (111 MBq) was administered intravenously and its imaging was recorded on 15 minutes and 4 hours after injection. In all 4 cases with triopathy, [sup 123]I-MIBG imaging showed defect in apical and inferior region. In 2 out of 6 cases without triopathy, rapid clearance was noticed in apical and inferior region. There was no significant stenosis in right coronary artery and no defect in initial and delayed [sup 201]Tl images in all cases. We concluded that diabetic autonomic neuropathy in the heart was prominent in apical and inferior ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Targeted studies completed include the evaluation of tritiated N-0437, evaluation of /sup 35/S-cysteamine, evaluation of /sup 18/F-FDG and initiation of synthetic efforts towards the synthesis of iodinated N-0437 and pergolide analogs. The direction of the project has been changed due to several factors which include the decided lack of favorable experimental results, the excellence of results using muscarinic receptor ligands in pituitary, brain and heart and the contention of the DOE review panel that the original grant proposal was based on flawed assumptions together with their perceived lack of importance to pituitary imaging. In the final year of this grant, three studies will be completed. The first study is the continuation of synthetic efforts to prepare iodinated N-0437 and pergolide analogs for possible use as brain imaging agents. The second study is directed towards completion of biochemical evaluation of various muscarinic receptor analogs for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A rapid filtration technique has been used to measure at room temperature the kinetics of ADP and ATP transport in rat heart mitochondria in the millisecond time range. Transport was stopped by cessation of the nucleotide supply, without the use of a transport inhibitor, thus avoiding any quenching delay. The kinetics of ({sup 14}C)ADP transport in energized mitochondria were apparently monophasic. The rate of transport of ({sup 14}C)ATP in energized mitochondria was 5-10 times lower than that of ({sup 14}C)ADP. Upon uncoupling, the rate of ({sup 14}C)ATP uptake was enhanced, and that of ({sup 14}C)ADP uptake was decreased. However, the two rates did not equalize, indicating that transport was not exclusively electrogenic. Transport of ({sup 14}C)ADP and ({sup 14}C)ATP by resting mitochondria followed biphasic kinetics. Depletion of nucleotides in resting mitochondria resulted in a greater decrease in the extent of the slow phase than of the rapid one. In addition, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose was to compare the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in prosthetic valve disorders using the operative findings as a gold standard. In a 3-year period, we prospectively enrolled 25 patients with 31 prosthetic heart valves. MDCT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were done to evaluate pannus formation, prosthetic valve dysfunction, suture loosening (paravalvular leak) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patients indicated for surgery received an operation within 1 week. The MDCT findings were compared with the operative findings. One patient with a Bjoerk-Shiley valve could not be evaluated by MDCT due to a severe beam-hardening artifact; thus, the exclusion rate for MDCT was 3.2% (1/31). Prosthetic valve disorders were suspected in 12 patients by either MDCT or TTE. Six patients received an operation that included three redo aortic valve replacements, two redo mitral replacements and one Amplatzer ductal occluder occlusion of a ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Albeit the considerable progress that has been made both in our understanding of the pathophysiology of acute renal failure (ARF) and in its treatment (continuous renal replacement therapies), the morbidity...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In a group of 32 patients with terminal renal failure the initial hypocalcaemia was corrected after two months' adequate maintenance haemodialysis. In seven patients hypercalcaemia occurred with a...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background and purpose It has been speculated that the prevalence of metal allergy may be higher in patients with implant failure. We compared the prevalence and cause of revisions following...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThere is a strong inverse relationship between final vessel diameter and subsequent risk of treatment failure after coronary stent deployment. The aim of this study was...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundContrast-induced nephropathy is the leading cause of in-hospital acute renal failure. This side effect of contrast agents leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and health...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Failures in cortical control of fronto-striatal neural circuits may underpin impulsive and compulsive acts. In this narrative review, we explore these behaviors from the perspective of neural processes...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It is well known that the lightning protection of transmission lines is exclusively relying on their correct initial design. Although detailed engineering studies are usually performed by electric power utilities for the design of new transmission lines, there are reported cases where the design is based simply on tradition or on utilities' standardization policy. In this paper, the lightning protection of high-voltage transmission lines is faced as an optimization problem where optimum design parameters are calculated for the lines, relating their cost with the lightning failures' cost, aiming to reduce or even eliminate lightning failures. The optimization method considers all the available protection means, i.e. ground wires and surge arresters. In order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, it is applied on several operating Hellenic transmission lines of 150 kV carefully selected among others due to their ...

Science.gov (United States)

Oct 25, 2000 ... The shutdown 9310 HPFTP Roller Bearing Inner Race Failure Rate is then: 0.50 X 10/100k = 5 fail/100k firings. Reliability Prediction ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Bone remodeling is necessary to avoid microdamage accumulation, which could lead to whole-bone failure. Previous studies have shown that this bone-repair mechanism is triggered by osteocyte apoptosis....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Serial studies of iron transport in patients on maintenance dialysis showed normal or raised values in almost all subjects and a transient increase soon after the start of dialysis in three. These...Full Text Available