2,348 research outputs found
Long-term quiescence of ectopic Cushing's syndrome caused by pulmonary neuroendocrine tumor (typical carcinoid) and tumorlets: spontaneous remission or therapeutic effect of bromocriptine?
No full textn 1990, a 55-yr-old woman was admitted to the Medical Department of our hospital for severe hypercortisolism complicated by secondary diabetes mellitus and serious hypokalemia. Although inferior petrosal sinus sampling did not show any significant difference between central and peripheral ACTH concentration, suggesting an ectopic source of ACTH secretion, diagnostic imaging was negative and Cushing's disease due to hyperplasia of the pituitary intermediate lobe was suspected. Medical treatment with bromocriptine and cyproheptadine led to a rapid and stabile normalization of adrenal function, so that after two months cyproheptadine was stopped and bromocriptine was tapered to a smaller dose. An attempt to discontinue medical treatment, carried out 3 yr later, was followed by a quick increase of ACTH and cortisol levels, which were normalized by the resumption of the bromocriptine. Adrenal function remained normal until 1994 when hypercortisolism relapsed despite the treatment. Chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) scan detected a 6 mm nodule in the middle lobe of the lung which proved to be a neuroendocrine tumor, with immunohistochemical positivity for ACTH. Nests of neuroendocrine cells (tumorlets) were also demonstrated in the surrounding lung tissue. After the lobectomy, the patient recovered completely from Cushing's syndrome and no symptoms and/or signs of recurrence have been observed over the subsequent follow-up period. Although cyclical spontaneous Cushing's syndrome could not be excluded, there was strong evidence that medical treatment with bromocriptine might have played a key role in long-lasting remission. To our knowledge, this is the second case described in literature of Cushing's syndrome caused by neuroendocrine lung tumor responsive to bromocriptine
Effect of deflazacort on growth hormone response to insulin tolerance test
No full textDeflazacort (DF) has been claimed to be provided with a reduced distribution into the central nervous system, therefore it is conceivable that this glucocorticoid holds a lower inhibitory effect on GH secretion. To test this hypothesis we studied the GH response to insulin tolerance test (ITT) in two matched groups of patients given equivalent doses of DF and prednisone (PN). The serum glucose changes induced by ITT were similar in the two groups and in control subjects; the mean increase in plasma GH, in particular the peak and the area under the curve (delta AUC), were not different in control subjects and DF-treated patients (25 +/- 12.5 ng/ml and 1790 +/- 904 ng/ml/min versus 27.7 +/- 21.5 ng/ml and 1578 +/- 1242 ng/ml/min) but were significantly reduced in PN-treated patients (8.8 +/- 9.7 ng/ml and 431.6 +/- 451 ng/ml/min). Our study demonstrates that DF does not interfere with the GH response to ITT as PN does
Sleep apnoea syndrome is highly prevalent in acromegaly and only partially reversible after biochemical control of the disease.
No full textState-homomorphisms on -algebras
Get PDFsummary:Riečan [12] and Chovanec [1] investigated states in -algebras. Earlier, Riečan [11] had dealt with analogous ideas in -posets. In the monograph of Riečan and Neubrunn [13] (Chapter 9) the notion of state is applied in the theory of probability on -algebras. We remark that a different definition of a state in an -algebra has been applied by Mundici [9], [10] (namely, the condition (iii) from Definition 1.1 above was not included in his definition of a state; in other words, only finite additivity was assumed). Below we work with the definition from [13]; but, in order to avoid terminological problems we use the term “state-homomorphism” (instead of “state”). The author is indebted to the referee for his suggestion concerning terminology. Let be an -algebra which is defined on a set with . In the present paper we show that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between the system of all state-homomorphisms on and the system of all -closed maximal ideals of . For -algebras we apply the notation and the definitions as in Gluschankof [3]. The relations between -algebras and abelian lattice ordered groups (cf. Mundici [8]) are substantially used in the present paper
A 60 mV Input Voltage, Process Tolerant Start-Up System for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting
No full textThis paper presents a 60 mV input voltage start-up system for thermoelectric energy harvesting. A new process tolerant inverter cell is proposed, which is functional at supply voltages as low as 60 mV. Using the proposed unit cell, a ring oscillator has been implemented. The ring oscillator is followed by 40 charge-pump stages, an ultra-low-power level detector, and a boost converter. The energy harvesting system can generate an output voltage of 1 V and delivers a maximum power of 4.5 μW from a 60 mV supply. This system has been implemented in a standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology, uses neither zerothreshold voltage (normally-on) negative-channel metal-oxide semiconductor nor microelectromechanical systems switches and occupies 3.3 mm2.Accepted author manuscriptBio-Electronic
Sleep apnoea syndrome is highly prevalent in acromegaly and only partially reversible after biochemical control of the disease.
No full textOn some properties of quasi-MV algebras and √′ quasi-MV algebras. Part II
No full textThe present paper is a sequel to Paoli F, Ledda A, Giuntini R, Freytes H (On some properties of QMV algebras and √′ QMV algebras, submitted). We provide two representation results for quasi-MV algebras in terms of MV algebras enriched with additional structure; we investigate the lattices of subvarieties and subquasivarieties of quasi-MV algebras; we show that quasi-MV algebras, as well as cartesian and flat √′ quasi-MV algebras, have the amalgamation property. © Springer-Verlag 2007.We gratefully acknowledge the precious information and insights we gathered from conversations or e-mail exchanges with Roberto Giuntini and Danica Jakubikova-Studenovska. We are especially indebted to Matthew Spinks for his extensive and detailed comments on a preliminary draft of the paper. The first author is partially supported by Grants MTM2004-03101 and TIN2004-07933-C03-02 from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and Grant 2001SGR-00017 from the Generalitat de CatalunyaPeer Reviewe
Measles virus causes immunogenic cell death in human melanoma
No full textNoOncolytic viruses (OV) are promising treatments for cancer, with several currently undergoing testing in randomised clinical trials. Measles virus (MV) has not yet been tested in models of human melanoma. This study demonstrates the efficacy of MV against human melanoma. It is increasingly recognised that an essential component of therapy with OV is the recruitment of host antitumour immune responses, both innate and adaptive. MV-mediated melanoma cell death is an inflammatory process, causing the release of inflammatory cytokines including type-1 interferons and the potent danger signal HMGB1. Here, using human in vitro models, we demonstrate that MV enhances innate antitumour activity, and that MV-mediated melanoma cell death is capable of stimulating a melanoma-specific adaptive immune response
A 10-mV-Startup-Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting System With a Piezoelectric Starter
No full textAn ultra-low-startup-voltage thermoelectric energy harvesting system assisted by a piezoelectric generator (PEG) is presented in this paper. When the energy harvesting system is implemented in a place where there is mechanical vibration, the associated PEG can generate a stable clock signal and drive the boost converter to start from the cold state even at extremely low thermoelectric generator (TEG) voltage. The proposed system is designed and simulated in a 180-nm BCD process. The simulations show that the proposed system can start the TEG system from the cold state from as low as 10 mV of TEG voltage while keeping a 63.9% efficiency. The peak power conversion efficiency is achieved at 74.9% when the TEG voltage is 50 mV.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Electronic Instrumentatio
A PV-assisted 10-mV Startup Boost Converter for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting
No full textThis paper presents a boost converter for thermo-electric energy harvesting with photovoltaic (PV)-assisted startup. The converter employs a new two-phase startup architecture and the PV cell is used in the first phase to provide an initial high voltage for startup. This high voltage drives the boost converter to charge a startup capacitor, which powers the main control block to continue self-startup in phase 2. The proposed system is designed and simulated in a BCD process. The simulations show successful cold-start from 10 mV thermoelectric voltage. In addition, maximum power point tracking and zero current switching techniques are adopted in the system to achieve 91% peak efficiency. The proposed system can finish the cold-start within 250 ms.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Electronic Instrumentatio
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