1,721,398 research outputs found
Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Solvers for Preliminary DP Capability and Operability Predictions
No full textWith the constant movement of DP operations through deep water areas, nowadays the DP system is installed on all kinds of offshore units. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to predict the DP system’s capability since the early stages of the design. In this stage, it is impossible to perform accurate time domain simulations as many vessel and system parameters are unknown. Then, it is only possible to perform quasi-static simulations to perform capability and operability predictions. In the literature, plenty of methods are suitable for executing a quasi-static calculation, employing different algorithms for the problem of thrust allocation. The thrust allocation problem has straightforward resolutions, up to complex and sophisticated options based on differential evolution algorithms. Besides the definition of the thrust allocation algorithm, there is a problem associated with the environmental loads. Also in this case the representations are multiple and can cause a problem in interpreting the capability and operability predictions. The present work compares different resolution methods for the thrust allocation procedure by keeping the estimation process for the environmental loads constant. The results presented for a reference vessel highlight the peculiarities and abilities of each type of thrust allocation solution, providing insight to an offshore designer in selecting the proper tool for their preliminary predictions
Thrombophilic screening in young patients (
No full textThromb Res. 2011 Feb;127(2):85-90. Epub 2010 Dec 18.
Thrombophilic screening in young patients (< 40 years) with idiopathic ischemic
stroke: a controlled study.
Dragoni F, Chiarotti F, Rosano G, Simioni P, Tormene D, Mazzucconi MG, Cafolla A,
Avvisati G.
Thrombosis Center, Department of Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia,
University Sapienza, Rome, Italy. [email protected]
INTRODUCTION: Despite extensive clinical and laboratory investigations, the
etiology of ischemic stroke remains unknown in approximately one third of
patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients less than 40 years old
(Males 13, Females 21, mean age 26.6 years, range 2-39) with documented ischemic
stroke underwent, one year after the acute event, laboratory evaluation of
antithrombin, protein C, free and total protein S, activated protein C
resistance, fibrinogen, factor VII:C, homocysteine levels and antiphospholipid
antibodies (APA). Moreover, prevalence of F5 R506Q, F2 G2021A and homozygosis for
thermolabile variant C677T of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)
were also evaluated and compared to the results obtained in 120 normal controls.
RESULTS: Antithrombin and protein C levels resulted normal in all cases. One
patient (2.9%) showed free protein S deficiency and 3 patients (8.8%) had
activated protein C resistance. Homocysteine levels above 15 μmol/L were found in
one patient (2.9%). APA were found in 21 patients (61.7%) and in only 2 out of
120 (1.66%) controls (OR=95.31; 95% C.I.: 18.22-667.81). The multivariate
analysis selected that the presence of APA was significantly associated with an
increased risk of stroke (OR=156.60; 95% C.I.: 25.99-943.47) in this cohort of
patients. The combination between APA and cardiovascular risk factors determined
a risk of 29-fold (OR=29.31; 95% CI: 3.28-261.69).
DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that the presence of APA is associated with an
increased risk of idiopathic ischemic stroke in young patients. Furthermore, also
the combination of APA and cardiovascular risk factors is significantly
associated with development of idiopathic ischemic stroke.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PMID: 21172722 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Testosterone deficiency and exercise intolerance in heart failure: treatment implications.
No full textNeed for gender-specific pre-analytical testing: the dark side of the moon in laboratory testing
No full text
Serendipity of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors: A new paradigm in the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
No full textType 2 sodium-glucose co-transporter inhibitors (SGLT2i) are a new drug class with extremely relevant benefits in the prevention and treatment of heart failure (HF). In type 2 diabetic patients with both high cardiovascular risk and known cardiovascular disease, SGLT2i proved effective in reducing the risk of HF hospitalizations as well as the progression of renal disease. New evidence in patients with chronic HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has also demonstrated their prognostic beneficial effects both in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Based on these data, the use of this class of drugs in daily clinical practice is of primary importance to prevent HF hospitalization in diabetic patients and to improve the prognosis of HFrEF regardless of the presence of diabetes. In these patients, SGLT2i act synergistically with drugs capable of modulating the neurohormonal systems, thus allowing a further prognostic benefit
Not just numbers, but years of science: Putting the ACE inhibitor—ARB meta-analyses into context
No full textPrevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) events is an essential
target in the management of hypertension. A series of meta-analyses
have now provided proof of clear differences in the cardioprotection
afforded by two of themostwidely prescribed antihypertensive classes:
the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and the angiotensin
II receptor blockers (ARBs). These two classes of drugs have been
often considered interchangeable, and ARBs have been considered
to be ACE inhibitors with added value. ARBs have often been tested
in hypertensive patients in noninferiority studies with comparators
other than ACE inhibitors. Studies in heart failure failed to show
noninferiority of ARBs versus ACE inhibitors, while only one study
tested the hypothesis of noninferiority between ramipril and telmisartan
[1]. More recently, ARBs have been tested in placebo-controlled studies
and have failed to show superiority to placebo in reducing cardiovascular
events and in some cases have raised concerns about the safety of
long-term treatment with ARBs
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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