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01), hypertension (P less then 0.05) and diet restriction (P less then 0.05) were found. Controlling for confounding effects of these factors, group distribution to PTCA, compared to CABG, significantly predicted greater improvements in QoL (P less then 0.01).Glucocorticoid (GC)-induced bone loss is the most prevalent form of secondary osteoporosis. Previous studies demonstrated that long-term incubation of dexamethasone (DEX) induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions, consequently leading to apoptosis of differentiated osteoblasts. This DEX-induced cell death might be the main causes of bone loss. We previously described that DEX induced biphasic mitochondrial alternations. As GC affects mitochondrial physiology through several different possible routes, the short-term and long-term effects of GC treatment on mitochondria in the osteoblast have not been carefully characterized. Here, we examined the expression levels of genes that are associated with mitochondrial functions at several different time points after incubation with DEX. Mitochondrial biogenesis-mediated genes nuclear respiratory factor 1 (Nrf1) and Nrf2 were upregulated after 4-h incubation, and then declined after 24-h incubation, suggesting that mitochondrial biogenesis were transiently upregulated by DEX. In contrast, mitochondrial fusion gene optic atrophy 1 (Opa1) and mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) started to be elevated as the biogenesis started to decrease. Finally, the mitochondrial fission increased and apoptosis becomes prominent. Agree with the mitochondrial biphasic alterations hypothesis, the results suggested an early increase of mitochondrial activities and biogenesis upon DEX stimulation to the osteoblasts. The oxidative phosphorylation and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels increased results in oxidative stress accumulation, leading to mitochondrial fusion, and subsequently fission and triggering the apoptosis. Our results indicated that the primary effects of GC on mitochondria are promoting their functions and biogenesis. Mitochondrial breakdown and the activation of the apoptotic pathways appeared to be the secondary effect after long-term treatment.

Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is most commonly due to heterozygous mutations of the

gene. Based on expert consensus, guidelines recommend annual screening echocardiography in asymptomatic

mutation carriers. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate characteristics of asymptomatic

mutation carriers, assess their risk of occurrence of PAH, and detect PAH at an early stage in this high-risk population.

Asymptomatic

mutation carriers underwent screening at baseline and annually for a minimum of 2 years (DELPHI-2 study, NCT01600898). Annual screening included clinical assessment, electrocardiogram, pulmonary function tests, 6-minute walk distance, cardiopulmonary exercise test, chest X-ray, echocardiography, and NT pro-BNP level. Right heart catheterisation (RHC) was performed based on predefined criteria. An optional RHC at rest and exercise was proposed at baseline.

Fifty-five subjects (26 males, median age 37 years) were included. At baseline, no PAH was suspected based on echocardiography and NT pro-BNP levels. All subjects accepted RHC at inclusion, which identified two mild PAH cases (3·6%), and 12 subjects with exercise pulmonary hypertension (21·8%). At long term follow-up (118·8 patients.year follow-up), three additional cases were diagnosed, yielding a PAH incidence of 2·3%/year (0·99%/year in men and 3·5%/year in women). All PAH cases have remained at low-risk status on oral therapy at last follow-up.

Asymptomatic

mutation carriers have a significant risk of developing incident PAH. International multicenter studies are needed to confirm that refined multimodal screening programs with regular follow-up allow early detection of PAH.

Asymptomatic BMPR2 mutation carriers have a significant risk of developing incident PAH. International multicenter studies are needed to confirm that refined multimodal screening programs with regular follow-up allow early detection of PAH.

Spinal cord injury (SCI), often characterized by sensory-motor dysfunction, is a major debilitating disorder of the central nervous system. As no useful treatment for post-SCI complications has been approved thus far, finding novel treatments is of great importance.

Considering the promising effects of melatonin (MEL) against destructive mechanisms in other models of brain damage, in the current study we evaluated its ameliorative effects on sensory-motor outcomes, inflammatory mediators, histological changes and other post-SCI complications.

Rats, in SCI and MEL groups, underwent laminectomy followed by a severe compression injury by an aneurysm clip. Then, intrathecal treatment with vehicle (5% dimethyl sulfoxide) or MEL was carried out post-injury. Acetone drop, von Frey, inclined plane, and BBB tests as well as weight changes and auricle temperature, were used to evaluate the neuropathic pain, motor function, and other post-SCI complications. The effects of MEL on the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assessed using gelatin zymography method every week till day 28 post-SCI. Histopathological assessments were performed on days 14, 21, and 28.

MEL treatment resulted in decreased motor dysfunction, mechanical and cold allodynia, auricle temperature, and also ameliorated weight loss. Moreover, MEL suppressed MMP-9 activity while increasing that of MMP-2 post-SCI indicating its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Also, MEL significantly preserved white matter myelinated areas and the number of sensory neurons post-SCI.

The results suggest MEL as a promising candidate for medical therapies with advantageous effects on improving functional recovery through suppressing inflammatory mediators, and attenuating spinal tissue damages.

The results suggest MEL as a promising candidate for medical therapies with advantageous effects on improving functional recovery through suppressing inflammatory mediators, and attenuating spinal tissue damages.We investigated changes in 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) activity which is a product of oxidative DNA damage, histopathological changes and antioxidant responses in liver and gill tissues of rainbow trout, following a 21-day exposure to three different concentrations of linuron (30 µg/L, 120 µg/L and 240 µg/L). Our results indicated that linuron concentrations caused an increase in LPO levels of liver and gill tissues (p less then 0.05). While linuron induced both increases and decreases in GSH levels and SOD activity, CAT activity was decreased by all concentrations of linuron (p less then 0.05). The immunopositivity of 8-OHdG was detected in the hepatocytes of liver and in the epithelial and chloride cells of the secondary lamellae of the gill tissues. Our results suggested that linuron could cause oxidative DNA damage by causing an increase in 8-OHdG activity in tissues, and it induces histopathological damage and alterations in the antioxidant parameters of the tissues.Based on our recently published range-separated random phase approximation (RPA) functional [Kreppel et al., "Range-separated density-functional theory in combination with the random phase approximation An accuracy benchmark," J. Chem. Theory Comput. 16, 2985-2994 (2020)], we introduce self-consistent minimization with respect to the one-particle density matrix. In contrast to the range-separated RPA methods presented so far, the new method includes a long-range nonlocal RPA correlation potential in the orbital optimization process, making it a full-featured variational generalized Kohn-Sham (GKS) method. The new method not only improves upon all other tested RPA schemes including the standard post-GKS range-separated RPA for the investigated test cases covering general main group thermochemistry, kinetics, and noncovalent interactions but also significantly outperforms the popular G0W0 method in estimating the ionization potentials and fundamental gaps considered in this work using the eigenvalue spectra obtained from the GKS Hamiltonian.We define the class of multivariate group entropies as a novel set of information-theoretical measures, which extends significantly the family of group entropies. We propose new examples related to the "super-exponential" universality class of complex systems; in particular, we introduce a general entropy, representing a suitable information measure for this class. We also show that the group-theoretical structure associated with our multivariate entropies can be used to define a large family of exactly solvable discrete dynamical models. The natural mathematical framework allowing us to formulate this correspondence is offered by the theory of formal groups and rings.The problem of two-dimensional acoustic scattering of time-harmonic plane waves by a multi-ringed cylindrical resonator is considered. The resonator is made up of an arbitrary number of concentric sound-hard split rings with zero thickness. Each ring opening is oriented in any direction. The acoustics pressure field in each layered region enclosed between adjacent rings is described by an eigenfunction expansion in polar coordinates. An integral equation/Galerkin method is used to relate the unknown coefficients of the expansions between adjacent regions separated by a ring. The multiple scattering problem is then formulated as a reflection/transmission problem between the layers, which is solved using an efficient iterative scheme. An exploration of the parameter space is conducted to determine first, the conditions under which the lowest resonant frequency can be minimised, and second, how non-trivial resonances of the multi-ring resonators can be explained from those of simpler arrangements, such as a single-ring resonator. It is found here that increasing the number of rings while alternating the orientation lowers the first resonant frequency, and exhibits a dense and nearly regular resonant structure that is analogous to the rainbow trapping effect.The method of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry usable for the complete optical characterization of inhomogeneous thin films exhibiting complicated thickness non-uniformity together with transition layers at their lower boundaries is presented in this paper. The inhomogeneity of these films is described by means of the multiple-beam interference model. The thickness non-uniformity is taken into account by averaging the elements of the Mueller matrix along the area of the light spot of the ellipsometer on the films. selleck chemicals llc The local thicknesses are expressed using polynomials in the coordinates along the surfaces of the films. The efficiency of the method is illustrated by means of the optical characterization of a selected sample of the polymer-like thin film of SiOxCyHz prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto the silicon single crystal substrate. The Campi-Coriasso dispersion model is used to determine the spectral dependencies of the optical constants at the upper and lower boundaries of this film. The profiles of these optical constants are determined too. The thickness non-uniformity is described using a model with local thicknesses given by the polynomial with at most quadratic terms. In this way it is possible to determine the geometry of the upper boundary. The thickness and spectral dependencies of the optical constants of the transition layer are determined as well. Imaging spectroscopic reflectometry is utilized for confirming the results concerning the thickness non-uniformity obtained using ellipsometry.