195,992 research outputs found
Homocysteine and cardiovascular risk in patients with intestinal transplantation.
No full textPLASMA TOTAL HOMOCYSTEINE (HCY) AS ADDITIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTOR IN PATIENTS WITH INTESTINAL TRANSPLANTATION
G Bianchi, E Pompignoli, A Lauro, G Passerini, R Chianese, A Pinna, M Zoli
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Cardioangiologia, Epatologia and Centro Trapianti, Università di Bologna
Transplanted patients show an increased rate of cardiovascular events, probably due to metabolic changes induced by immunosuppressive therapy. Among cardiovascular risk factors, high plasma homocysteine (HiHCY) has an indepedent role. No data are available about HiHCY prevalence in subjects with intestinal transplant (ITX) as effect of immunosuppressive drugs.
21 subjects, ageing 24 to 57, with ITX dating 6 months or more (median 29 months; range 6-69) were tested in 79 determinations. All patients received Tacrolimus (FK) as major immunosuppressive agent. Total Hcy was assayed on chromatography. Routine laboratory data, history of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, overweight and cardiovascular events, occurred over 6 months from ITX, were recorded. Additional events were recorded during the study period.
ITX subjects showed increased Hcy levels (median 19 mmol/L, range 8.6 – 80.6). 75% of ITX patients had Hcy >15 μmol/L. The same prevalence was observed for patients with mild kidney failure (creatinine levels above 1.7 mg/dl). Patients with normal and increased creatinine did not differ significantly for HCY or prevalence of HiHCY, and no relation was present between the two variables. Total homocysteine plasma levels were related to tacrolimus serum levels (R = 0.305, P < 0.01).
One heart ischemic problem was observed in a patient with severe kidney failure; two patients had problems in abdominal and/or peripheral venous districts, with HiHCY and some signs of the metabolic syndrome. HiHCY is frequently found in ITX patients. Its role in the genesis of cardiovascular events and the usefulness of a HiHCY lowering therapy remains to verify
The Influence of Menstrual Cycle on Bioimpedance Vector Patterns, Performance, and Flexibility in Elite Soccer Players
No full textPurpose: To examine whether menstrual cycle affects body composition and bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) patterns, jumping and sprinting ability, and flexibility in elite soccer players. Methods: A total of 20 elite female soccer players (age: 23.8 [3.4] y, height: 1.63 [0.04] m, body mass: 61.4 [5.9] kg, and body mass index: 22.5 [2.4] kg/m2) were monitored during the early follicular and ovulatory phase across 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. Bioimpedance analysis was performed using foot-to-hand technology, and total body water and fat mass were determined by specific equations developed for athletes. Bioelectrical resistance and reactance were adjusted according to the BIVA procedures and plotted as a vector within the resistance-reactance graph. In addition, countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and sit and reach were assessed. Results: A time effect (P < .05) was found for body mass, total body water, bioelectrical resistance and reactance, and flexibility. Specifically, body mass increased (P = .021) along with a gain in total body water (P = .001) from the ovulatory to the early follicular phase, while it decreased from the early follicular to the ovulatory phase during the second menstrual cycle. The BIVA vector shortened during the early follicular phases (P < .001). No change in jumping and sprinting capacity was observed (P > .05). Flexibility was impaired during the early follicular phases (P < .05). Conclusions: Specific bioelectrical impedance analysis and BIVA procedures are able to detect menstrual cycle-induced changes in body composition in elite soccer players. The early follicular phase resulted in fluid accumulations and BIVA vector shortening. In addition, while menstrual cycle did not affect performance, a fluctuation in flexibility was observed
Attività del Laboratorio di Meccanica Del Volo dell’Università di Bologna, nell’ambito dei Sistemi Avionici
No full textLa presente memoria riporta una descrizione delle attività di ricerca e dei sottosistemi sviluppati presso il Laboratorio di Meccanica del Volo dell’ Università di Bologna. La ricerca, nel primo anno di attività del Laboratorio, ha riguardato principalmente problematiche di modellazione, simulazione e controllo del volo atmosferico, con particolare riferimento alle applicazioni nell’ambito dei velivoli non abitati (UAV), e nella memoria si riporta una sintesi delle attività di ricerca riguardanti la progettazione, la prototipazione, e la sperimentazione di sistemi di bordo per velivoli abitati e non abitati in corso di svolgimento presso il Laboratorio di Meccanica del Volo dell’ Università di Bologna. In particolare vengono descritti un sistema per un velivolo non abitato ed un sistema di ausilio al pilotaggio rivolto sia a velivoli abitati che pilotati in remoto da una stazione di terra. Sono infine presentati i principali risultati sperimentali ottenuti con i suddetti sistemi
The influence of menstrual cycle on bioimpedance vector patterns, performance, and flexibility in elite soccer players
No full textTo examine whether menstrual cycle affects body composition and bioimpedance vector analysis (BIVA) patterns, jumping and sprinting ability, and flexibility in elite soccer players. Methods: A total of 20 elite female soccer players (age: 23.8 [3.4] y, height: 1.63 [0.04] m, body mass: 61.4 [5.9] kg, and body mass index: 22.5 [2.4] kg/m2) were monitored during the early follicular and ovulatory phase across 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. Bioimpedance analysis was performed using foot-to-hand technology, and total body water and fat mass were determined by specific equations developed for athletes. Bioelectrical resistance and reactance were adjusted according to the BIVA procedures and plotted as a vector within the resistance–reactance
graph. In addition, countermovement jump, 20-m sprint, and sit and reach were assessed. Results: A time effect (P < .05) was found for body mass, total body water, bioelectrical resistance and reactance, and flexibility. Specifically, body mass increased (P = .021) along with a gain in total body water (P = .001) from the ovulatory to the early follicular phase, while it decreased from the early follicular to the ovulatory phase during the second menstrual cycle. The BIVA vector shortened during the early follicular phases (P < .001). No change in jumping and sprinting capacity was observed (P > .05). Flexibility was impaired during the early follicular phases (P < .05). Conclusions: Specific bioelectrical impedance analysis and BIVA procedures are able to detect menstrual cycle–induced changes in body composition in elite soccer players. The early follicular phase resulted in fluid accumulations and BIVA vector shortening. In addition, while menstrual cycle did not affect performance, a fluctuation in flexibility was observed
A New Approach for NaI(Tl) Detector Efficiency Calibration Using 41Ar Radionuclide for Air Exhaust Systems
No full textArgon-41 is an essential gaseous radionuclide that must be monitored in gaseous effluents from nuclear facilities. Therefore, a precise evaluation of Ar-41 activity is highly desired. Gamma spectroscopy with a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector coupled with a multichannel analyzer (MCA) is one of the widely used techniques for the identification and activity measurements of radioisotopes. However, the efficiency calibration of these kinds of monitoring systems highly depends on the source-detector geometry, and a large amount of uncertainty may complicate the calibration. This paper presents the evaluation of the full peak efficiency of a 2 x 2-in. NaI(Tl) scintillation detector coupled with a stable MCA for a Ar-41 source with 1293.5 keV energy in two different source-detector geometries, duct and Marinelli beaker, using the FLUKA code. A new experimental technique is considered to produce Ar-41 in a controlled geometry, like a Marinelli beaker, through neutron irradiation of natural argon inside a cyclotron bunker. The simulation data were compared with the experimental results for Marinelli beaker geometry, and the ratio was evaluated as 0.99 +/- 0.07. The ratio was considered a scaling factor for the final efficiency calibration of duct geometry
Dr. Duane M. Jackson, Morehouse College, July 2011
No full textThis video is a conversation with Dr. Duane M. Jackson. Dr. Jackson talks about his paper, "Recall and the Serial Position Effect: The Role of Primacy and Recency on Accounting Students' Performance." Jackie Daniel, AUC Woodruff Library, is the interviewer
"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States" By M. Carey.
No full text"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States: containing bried sketches of the moral and political character of those states.
By M. Carey, member of the American philosophical, and of the American Antiquarian Society, and author of The Olive Branch, Cindiciae Hibernicae, essays on banking, on political economy, and on internal improvement.
To which are now added the English editor's comments on the subject; together with Important Advice to Emigrants, and Cautions Against Impositions Practiced in the Outports
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Dr. Glendon Swarthout
No full textHosted by Roger M. Busfield, MSU Assistant Professor of Speech and Theater, Meet the Author is designed to introduce a general audience to a contemporary author and their work through in-depth interviews. This episode features a conversation between Dr. Glendon Swarthout, prolific author and English professor at MSU, and assistant professors Sam S. Baskett and Theodore B. Strandness
Simulation of thermal plant optimization and hydraulic aspects of thermal distribution loops for large campuses
No full textFollowing an introduction, the author describes Texas A&M University and its utilities system. After that, the author presents how to construct simulation models for chilled water and heating hot water distribution systems. The simulation model was used in a $2.3 million Ross Street chilled water pipe replacement project at Texas A&M University. A second project conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio was used as an example to demonstrate how to identify and design an optimal distribution system by using a simulation model. The author found that the minor losses of these closed loop thermal distribution systems are significantly higher than potable water distribution systems. In the second part of the report, the author presents the latest development of software called the Plant Optimization Program, which can simulate cogeneration plant operation, estimate its operation cost and provide optimized operation suggestions. The author also developed detailed simulation models for a gas turbine and heat recovery steam generator and identified significant potential savings. Finally, the author also used a steam turbine as an example to present a multi-regression method on constructing simulation models by using basic statistics and optimization algorithms. This report presents a survey of the author??s working experience at the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Texas A&M University during the period of January 2002 through March 2004. The purpose of the above work was to allow the author to become familiar with the practice of engineering. The result is that the author knows how to complete a project from start to finish and understands how both technical and nontechnical aspects of a project need to be considered in order to ensure a quality deliverable and bring a project to successful completion. This report concludes that the objectives of the internship were successfully accomplished and that the requirements for the degree of Degree of Engineering have been satisfied
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