A szívfrekvencia-variabilitás jelentősen csökken nem diabeteses hypertoniás betegek körében

Bevezetés: A szívfrekvencia-variabilitás csökken hypertoniában vagy diabetes mellitusban szenvedők körében. A hypertonia és a diabetes mellitus egymással gyakori komorbiditást mutatnak. Nincs elegendő adat arról, hogy a kontrollhoz képest diabetes mellitusban nem szenvedő hypertoniás betegek körében hogyan változik a szívfrekvencia-variabilitás. Célkitűzés: A szerzők hypertoniában szenvedő diabeteses és nem diabeteses betegekben, valamint kontrollegyénekben a szívfrekvencia-variabilitás vizsgálatát tűzték ki célul. Módszer: 130 hypertoniában, 48 hypertoniában és 2-es típusú diabetes mellitusban szenvedő beteget, valamint 87 kontrollszemélyt vontak be a vizsgálatba. A minimális, átlagos és maximális szívfrekvenciát, valamint az egymást követő RR-intervallumok időtartamának és 5 perces szegmensekben mért átlagának szórását határozták meg. Eredmények: Az átlagos minimális szívfrekvencia szignifikánsan nem különbözött a csoportok között. A kontrollhoz képest a többi paraméter szignifikánsan csökkent mind a hypertoniában, mind a hypertoniában és diabetesben szenvedő betegek csoportjában. A hypertoniás csoporthoz képest a hypertoniában és diabetesben szenvedő csoportban a paraméterek nem különböztek szignifikánsan. Következtetések: Diabetes mellitusban nem szenvedő hypertoniás betegek körében a szívfrekvencia-variabilitás jelentősen beszűkül. Úgy tűnik, hogy hypertoniás betegek körében a 2-es típusú diabetes mellitus szignifikánsan már nem csökkenti tovább a szívfrekvencia-variabilitást. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(22), 865–870. | Introductions: Heart rate variability is reduced among patients with hypertension or those with diabetes mellitus. Hypertension and diabetes show frequent co-morbidity, but it is still not entirely clear whether heart arte variability is reduced in non-diabetic patients with hypertension. Aim: The aim of the authors was to evaluate the heart rate variability in hypertensive patients with and without diabetes and in control subjects. Method: 130 patients with hypertension, 48 patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and 87 control subjects were involved in the study. Minimum, mean and maximum heart rate, and parameters of heart rate variability were measured. Results: The mean of minimum heart rate did not differ significantly between the three groups. However, all other parameters were significantly reduced in patients with hypertension with and without diabetes as compared to the control group. No significant differences were observed between hypertensive patients with and without diabetes mellitus. Conclusions: Heart rate variability is significantly reduced in non-diabetic patients with hypertension. It seems that type 2 diabetes results in no further significant reduction of heart rate variability in patients with hypertension. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(22), 865–870

Evolution of genes and repeats in the Nimrod superfamily

The recently identified Nimrod superfamily is characterized by the presence of a special type of EGF repeat, the NIM repeat, located right after a typical CCXGY/W amino acid motif. On the basis of structural features, nimrod genes can be divided into three types. The proteins encoded by Draper-type genes have an EMI domain at the N-terminal part and only one copy of the NIM motif, followed by a variable number of EGF-like repeats. The products of Nimrod B-type and Nimrod C-type genes (including the eater gene) have different kinds of N-terminal domains, and lack EGF-like repeats but contain a variable number of NIM repeats. Draper and Nimrod C-type (but not Nimrod B-type) proteins carry a transmembrane domain. Several members of the superfamily were claimed to function as receptors in phagocytosis and/or binding of bacteria, which indicates an important role in the cellular immunity and the elimination of apoptotic cells. In this paper, the evolution of the Nimrod superfamily is studied with various methods on the level of genes and repeats. A hypothesis is presented in which the NIM repeat, along with the EMI domain, emerged by structural reorganizations at the end of an EGF-like repeat chain, suggesting a mechanism for the formation of novel types of repeats. The analyses revealed diverse evolutionary patterns in the sequences containing multiple NIM repeats. Although in the Nimrod B and Nimrod C proteins show characteristics of independent evolution, many internal NIM repeats in Eater sequences seem to have undergone concerted evolution. An analysis of the nimrod genes has been performed using phylogenetic and other methods and an evolutionary scenario of the origin and diversification of the Nimrod superfamily is proposed. Our study presents an intriguing example how the evolution of multigene families may contribute to the complexity of the innate immune response

Oscillatory surface rheotaxis of swimming E. coli bacteria

Bacterial contamination of biological conducts, catheters or water resources is a major threat to public health and can be amplified by the ability of bacteria to swim upstream. The mechanisms of this rheotaxis, the reorientation with respect to flow gradients, often in complex and confined environments, are still poorly understood. Here, we follow individual E. coli bacteria swimming at surfaces under shear flow with two complementary experimental assays, based on 3D Lagrangian tracking and fluorescent flagellar labelling and we develop a theoretical model for their rheotactic motion. Three transitions are identified with increasing shear rate: Above a first critical shear rate, bacteria shift to swimming upstream. After a second threshold, we report the discovery of an oscillatory rheotaxis. Beyond a third transition, we further observe coexistence of rheotaxis along the positive and negative vorticity directions. A full theoretical analysis explains these regimes and predicts the corresponding critical shear rates. The predicted transitions as well as the oscillation dynamics are in good agreement with experimental observations. Our results shed new light on bacterial transport and reveal new strategies for contamination prevention.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

NA61/SHINE facility at the CERN SPS: beams and detector system

NA61/SHINE (SPS Heavy Ion and Neutrino Experiment) is a multi-purpose experimental facility to study hadron production in hadron-proton, hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. It recorded the first physics data with hadron beams in 2009 and with ion beams (secondary 7Be beams) in 2011. NA61/SHINE has greatly profited from the long development of the CERN proton and ion sources and the accelerator chain as well as the H2 beamline of the CERN North Area. The latter has recently been modified to also serve as a fragment separator as needed to produce the Be beams for NA61/SHINE. Numerous components of the NA61/SHINE set-up were inherited from its predecessors, in particular, the last one, the NA49 experiment. Important new detectors and upgrades of the legacy equipment were introduced by the NA61/SHINE Collaboration. This paper describes the state of the NA61/SHINE facility - the beams and the detector system - before the CERN Long Shutdown I, which started in March 2013

Pion emission from the T2K replica target: method, results and application

The T2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment in Japan needs precise predictions of the initial neutrino flux. The highest precision can be reached based on detailed measurements of hadron emission from the same target as used by T2K exposed to a proton beam of the same kinetic energy of 30 GeV. The corresponding data were recorded in 2007-2010 by the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS using a replica of the T2K graphite target. In this paper details of the experiment, data taking, data analysis method and results from the 2007 pilot run are presented. Furthermore, the application of the NA61/SHINE measurements to the predictions of the T2K initial neutrino flux is described and discussed.Comment: updated version as published by NIM

Comparison of multianalyte proficiency test results by sum of ranking differences, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis

Sum of ranking differences (SRD) was applied for comparing multianalyte results obtained by several analytical methods used in one or in different laboratories, i.e., for ranking the overall performances of the methods (or laboratories) in simultaneous determination of the same set of analytes. The data sets for testing of the SRD applicability contained the results reported during one of the proficiency tests (PTs) organized by EU Reference Laboratory for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (EU-RL-PAH). In this way, the SRD was also tested as a discriminant method alternative to existing average performance scores used to compare mutlianalyte PT results. SRD should be used along with the z scores-the most commonly used PT performance statistics. SRD was further developed to handle the same rankings (ties) among laboratories. Two benchmark concentration series were selected as reference: (a) the assigned PAH concentrations (determined precisely beforehand by the EU-RL-PAH) and (b) the averages of all individual PAH concentrations determined by each laboratory. Ranking relative to the assigned values and also to the average (or median) values pointed to the laboratories with the most extreme results, as well as revealed groups of laboratories with similar overall performances. SRD reveals differences between methods or laboratories even if classical test(s) cannot. The ranking was validated using comparison of ranks by random numbers (a randomization test) and using seven folds cross-validation, which highlighted the similarities among the (methods used in) laboratories. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis justified the findings based on SRD ranking/grouping. If the PAH-concentrations are row-scaled, (i.e., z scores are analyzed as input for ranking) SRD can still be used for checking the normality of errors. Moreover, cross-validation of SRD on z scores groups the laboratories similarly. The SRD technique is general in nature, i.e., it can be applied to any experimental problem in which multianalyte results obtained either by several analytical procedures, analysts, instruments, or laboratories need to be compared. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Evaluation and Selection of Gel Base for the Formulation of Dexpanthenol Products

Purpose: To formulate dexpanthenol gels with enhanced in vivo absorption properties via skin.Methods: Carboxyvinyl derivatives (Carbopol 980 and Ultrez 10) and poloxamer (Lutrol F 127) were used as the hydrogel base in the formulations. Changes in rheological properties (apparent viscosity and penetration values) during the storage period were examined by Rheotest RN rotational viscometer and PNR12 penetrometer. In vitro release study using Franz diffusion cell was employed to compare the release  characteristics of the formulated hydrogels with those of a reference cream.Results: The flow curves of the gels with Carbopol 980 and Ultrez 10 showed pseudoplastic flow. Lutrol F 127 gels presented thixotropic  behaviour. The consistency of the studied gels was in the following rank order: Lutrol F 127 > Ultrez 10 > Carbopol 980. In vitro results showed that dexpanthenol was released in lower amounts from the reference cream than from the three test gels. No significant differences were observed in the amount of active substance released from the gels due probably to the fact that Carbopol 980 and Ultrez 10 are both carboxyvinyl polymers. The highest amount of dexpanthenol was released from Lutrol F 127 gel.Conclusion: The hydrogel made with Lutrol F 127 gel base possesses the best properties of all the gels and is recommended for the formulation of a suitable dexpanthenol gel.Keywords: Hydrogel, Dexpanthenol, Carboxyvinyl polymers, Gels,  Carbopol, Poloxamer, Rheology, Drug release, Penetromete

Vitamin D prevents endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction induced by sera from women with preeclampsia or conditioned media from hypoxic placenta

Context: Placenta-derived circulating factors contribute to the maternal endothelial dysfunction underlying preeclampsia. Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFC), a sub-population of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), are thought to be involved in vasculogenesis and endothelial repair. Low vitamin D concentrations are associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia. Objective: We hypothesized that the function of human fetal ECFCs in culture would be suppressed by exposure to preeclampsia-related factors-preeclampsia serum or hypoxic placental conditioned medium- in a fashion reversed by vitamin D. Design, Setting, Patients: ECFCs were isolated from cord blood of uncomplicated pregnancies and expanded in culture. Uncomplicated pregnancy villous placenta in explant culture were exposed to either 2% (hypoxic), 8% (normoxic) or 21% (hyperoxic) O2 for 48 h, after which the conditioned media (CM) was collected. Outcome Measures: ECFC tubule formation (Matrigel assay) and migration were examined in the presence of either maternal serum from preeclampsia cases or uncomplicated pregnancy controls, or pooled CM, in the presence or absence of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3. Results: 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 reversed the adverse effects of preeclampsia serum or CM from hypoxic placenta on ECFCs capillary-tube formation and migration. Silencing of VDR expression by VDR siRNA, VDR blockade, or VEGF pathway blockade reduced ECFC functional abilities. Effects of VDR or VEGF blockade were partially prevented by vitamin D. Conclusion: Vitamin D promotes the capillary-like tubule formation and migration of ECFCs in culture, minimizing the negative effects of exposure to preeclampsia-related factors. Further evaluation of the role of vitamin D in ECFC regulation and preeclampsia is warranted. © 2014 Brodowski et al