Long Range Hydration Effects in Electrolytic Free Suspended Black Films

The force law within free suspended black films made of negatively charged Aerosol-OT (AOT) with added LiCl or CsCl is studied accurately using X-ray reflectivity (ca. 1{\AA}). We find an electrolyte concentration threshold above which a substantial additional repulsion is detected in the LiCl films, up to distances of 100 {\AA}. We interpret this phenomenon as an augmentation of the Debye screening length, due to the local screening of the condensed hydrophilic counterions by the primary hydration shell.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published Phys. Rev. Let

Anti-KIF20B autoantibodies are associated with cranial neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Cranial neuropathies (CN) are a rare neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) manifestation. Previous studies reported that antibodies to the kinesin family member 20B (KIF20B) (anti-KIF20B) protein were associated with idiopathic ataxia and CN. We assessed anti-KIF20B as a potential biomarker for NPSLE in an international SLE inception cohort. Methods: Individuals fulfilling the revised 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) SLE classification criteria were enrolled from 31 centres from 1999 to 2011 and followed annually in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics inception cohort. Anti-KIF20B testing was performed on baseline (within 15 months of diagnosis or first annual visit) samples using an addressable laser bead immunoassay. Logistic regression (penalised maximum likelihood and adjusting for confounding variables) examined the association between anti-KIF20B and NPSLE manifestations (1999 ACR case definitions), including CN, occurring over the first 5 years of follow-up. Results: Of the 1827 enrolled cohort members, baseline serum and 5 years of follow-up data were available on 795 patients who were included in this study: 29.8% were anti-KIF20B-positive, 88.7% female, and 52.1% White. The frequency of anti-KIF20B positivity differed only for those with CN (n=10) versus without CN (n=785) (70.0% vs 29.3%; OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 18.5). Compared with patients without CN, patients with CN were more likely to fulfil the ACR haematological (90.0% vs 66.1%; difference 23.9%, 95% CI 5.0%, 42.8%) and ANA (100% vs 95.7%; difference 4.3%, 95% CI 2.9%, 5.8%) criteria. In the multivariate analysis adjusting for age at baseline, female, White race and ethnicity, and ACR haematological and ANA criteria, anti-KIF20B positivity remained associated with CN (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 19.1). Conclusion: Anti-KIF20B is a potential biomarker for SLE-related CN. Further studies are needed to examine how autoantibodies against KIF20B, which is variably expressed in a variety of neurological cells, contribute to disease pathogenesis

Anti-KIF20B autoantibodies are associated with cranial neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Background: Cranial neuropathies (CN) are a rare neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) manifestation. Previous studies reported that antibodies to the kinesin family member 20B (KIF20B) (anti-KIF20B) protein were associated with idiopathic ataxia and CN. We assessed anti-KIF20B as a potential biomarker for NPSLE in an international SLE inception cohort. // Methods: Individuals fulfilling the revised 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) SLE classification criteria were enrolled from 31 centres from 1999 to 2011 and followed annually in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics inception cohort. Anti-KIF20B testing was performed on baseline (within 15 months of diagnosis or first annual visit) samples using an addressable laser bead immunoassay. Logistic regression (penalised maximum likelihood and adjusting for confounding variables) examined the association between anti-KIF20B and NPSLE manifestations (1999 ACR case definitions), including CN, occurring over the first 5 years of follow-up. // Results: Of the 1827 enrolled cohort members, baseline serum and 5 years of follow-up data were available on 795 patients who were included in this study: 29.8% were anti-KIF20B-positive, 88.7% female, and 52.1% White. The frequency of anti-KIF20B positivity differed only for those with CN (n=10) versus without CN (n=785) (70.0% vs 29.3%; OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 18.5). Compared with patients without CN, patients with CN were more likely to fulfil the ACR haematological (90.0% vs 66.1%; difference 23.9%, 95% CI 5.0%, 42.8%) and ANA (100% vs 95.7%; difference 4.3%, 95% CI 2.9%, 5.8%) criteria. In the multivariate analysis adjusting for age at baseline, female, White race and ethnicity, and ACR haematological and ANA criteria, anti-KIF20B positivity remained associated with CN (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 19.1). // Conclusion: Anti-KIF20B is a potential biomarker for SLE-related CN. Further studies are needed to examine how autoantibodies against KIF20B, which is variably expressed in a variety of neurological cells, contribute to disease pathogenesis

Anti-KIF20B autoantibodies are associated with cranial neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND: Cranial neuropathies (CN) are a rare neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) manifestation. Previous studies reported that antibodies to the kinesin family member 20B (KIF20B) (anti-KIF20B) protein were associated with idiopathic ataxia and CN. We assessed anti-KIF20B as a potential biomarker for NPSLE in an international SLE inception cohort. METHODS: Individuals fulfilling the revised 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) SLE classification criteria were enrolled from 31 centres from 1999 to 2011 and followed annually in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics inception cohort. Anti-KIF20B testing was performed on baseline (within 15 months of diagnosis or first annual visit) samples using an addressable laser bead immunoassay. Logistic regression (penalised maximum likelihood and adjusting for confounding variables) examined the association between anti-KIF20B and NPSLE manifestations (1999 ACR case definitions), including CN, occurring over the first 5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 1827 enrolled cohort members, baseline serum and 5 years of follow-up data were available on 795 patients who were included in this study: 29.8% were anti-KIF20B-positive, 88.7% female, and 52.1% White. The frequency of anti-KIF20B positivity differed only for those with CN (n=10) versus without CN (n=785) (70.0% vs 29.3%; OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 18.5). Compared with patients without CN, patients with CN were more likely to fulfil the ACR haematological (90.0% vs 66.1%; difference 23.9%, 95% CI 5.0%, 42.8%) and ANA (100% vs 95.7%; difference 4.3%, 95% CI 2.9%, 5.8%) criteria. In the multivariate analysis adjusting for age at baseline, female, White race and ethnicity, and ACR haematological and ANA criteria, anti-KIF20B positivity remained associated with CN (OR 5.2, 95% CI 1.4, 19.1). CONCLUSION: Anti-KIF20B is a potential biomarker for SLE-related CN. Further studies are needed to examine how autoantibodies against KIF20B, which is variably expressed in a variety of neurological cells, contribute to disease pathogenesis

Kinematic Path Control of Robot Arms with Redundancy

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Association of 24-hour ambulatory central aortic pressure and left atrium-ventriculo-arterial interactions

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. INTRODUCTION Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor in arterial hypertension, but little is known about the association between  left –heart side remodeling and arterial stiffness in middle – aged hypertensive patients. AIM The aim of our study was to assess the independence between the parameters of arterial stiffness and their relation with left atrium – ventriculo – arterial coupling in hypertensive patients, without any target-organ damage (TOD). METHODS A total 110 patients (56 ± 14 years) with hypertension, were separated in two groups: 32 patients with normal EA/Ees ratio (Arterial elastance (AE) and ventricular elastance (Ees)) and 78 hypertensive patients with decrease EA/Ees ratio, marker for ventriculo – arterial coupling. All patients underwent standard two - dimentional echocardiography with Speckle tracking analysis for LA – reservoir (LARs), conduit (LAScd) and contractile (LASct) and LV global longitudinal strain ( LV - GLS). End – systolic pressure was determined from the brachial pulse wave. Arterial elastance (AE) and ventricular elastance (Ees) were calculated as and – systolic pressure/stroke volume and end – systolic pressure/end – systolic volume. Parameters for arterial stiffness – 24 - hour central systolic pressure (cSys24h), central pulse pressure (cPP24h) and 24 - hour pulse wave velocity (PWV24h) were measured non – invasively with oscillometric method by Mobil-O-graph PWA. RESULTS Statistically significant differences in parameters of vascular stiffness were found in patients with normal ventriculo – arterial coupling in comparison with disturbed EA/Ees: cSys24h (106.78 ± 9.33 vs. 114.59 ± 16.1 mm Hg, p = 0.02), cPP24h (39.89 ± 11.78 vs. 48.56 ± 10.21 mm Hg, p= 0.04). There were statistically significant differences in echocardiography parameters between patients with disturbed VAC in comparison to other group: LAScd (16.66 ± 1.67 vs. 19.57 ± 1.34 %, p&amp;lt; 0.001), LASr (31.76 ± 5.14 vs. 30.56 ± 3.28 %, p= 0.007) and LAVI (30.15 ± 9.20 vs. 36.78 ± 8.80 ml/m², p= 0.007). There was positive correlation between LAScd with EA/Ees (r = -0.285, p&amp;lt; 0.008) and negative E/Em (r = -0.278, p&amp;lt; 0.01). LAVI correlated moderate positively with E/Em ratio (r = 0.416, p&amp;lt; 0.0001) and negatively with LAScd (r = - 0.418, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). cSys24h correlated negatively with LV – GLS (r = - 0.218, p &amp;lt; 0.03) and with EA/Ees (r = - 0.253, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION In well-controlled hypertension, 24 - hour ambulatory central aortic pressure played a part in LV remodeling. High LV filling pressures determined LA remodeling and dysfunction in middle–aged patients. These results could be used for a new direction of central aortic pressure-guided therapy. </jats:sec