scholarly journals Dynamics of clinical, X-ray and functional data during treatment of patients with sarcoidosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
I. Yu. Vizel ◽  
Aleksandr A. Vizel

Aim. To analyze the literature data and the results of original studies on the respiratory function in patients with sarcoidosis. Material and methods. The study included 1199 patients with sarcoidosis (67.8% women and 32.2% of males, median age 43 years). The first X-ray stage was documented in 34.8% ofpatients , stage II in 57.0%, stage III in 6.1%, stage IV in 1.3%, stage 0 in 0.7%. One patient (0.1%) had pleural sarcoidosis. Loefgren syndrome was diagnosed in 20% of the patients. In 658 patients (54.9%) the diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy studies. Results. The patients with sarcoidosis exhibited significant correlation between radiographic and spirometric characteristics. In those with Loefgren syndrome, all breathing parameters were much better than in the remaining ones. Changes of spirometry parameters were more pronounced in smokers and in patients with concomitant lung diseases. However, the lung function remained impaired after adjustment for these factors, and 9,7% of the cases positively responded to the administration of a short-acting bronchodilator. Х-ray examination and spirometry are independent methods for the evaluation of the health status of patients with sarcoidosis and their results do not always correlate with each other after different treatment regimens. Changes in Х-ray image and lung vital capacity were consistent in patients treated with prednisone, methotrexate and pentoxifylline, but not in the cases treated with vitamin E and in the absence of treatment. Spirometry with simultaneous X-ray examination is recommended for all patients with intrathoracic sarcoidosis. Conclusion. Forced vital capacity of lungs (FVC) is an independent criterion for evaluating the condition of patients with sarcoidosis and the effectiveness of the treatment.

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 687
Author(s):  
Salman Sakib ◽  
Dawit Ghebreyesus ◽  
Hatim O. Sharif

Tropical Storm Imelda struck the southeast coastal regions of Texas from 17–19 September, 2019, and delivered precipitation above 500 mm over about 6000 km2. The performance of the three IMERG (Early-, Late-, and Final-run) GPM satellite-based precipitation products was evaluated against Stage-IV radar precipitation estimates. Basic and probabilistic statistical metrics, such as CC, RSME, RBIAS, POD, FAR, CSI, and PSS were employed to assess the performance of the IMERG products. The products captured the event adequately, with a fairly high POD value of 0.9. The best product (Early-run) showed an average correlation coefficient of 0.60. The algorithm used to produce the Final-run improved the quality of the data by removing systematic errors that occurred in the near-real-time products. Less than 5 mm RMSE error was experienced in over three-quarters (ranging from 73% to 76%) of the area by all three IMERG products in estimating the Tropical Storm Imelda. The Early-run product showed a much better RBIAS relatively to the Final-run product. The overall performance was poor, as areas with an acceptable range of RBIAS (i.e., between −10% and 10%) in all the three IMERG products were only 16% to 17% of the total area. Overall, the Early-run product was found to be better than Late- and Final-run.


1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
B.G. Taylor ◽  
A. Peacock

AbstractESA’s X-ray Astronomy Mission, XMM, scheduled for launch in 1998, is the second of four cornerstones of ESA’s long term science program Horizon 2000. Covering the range from about 0.1 to 10 keV, it will provide a high throughput of 5000 cm2 at 7 keV with three independant telescopes, and have a spatial resolution better than 30 arcsec. Broadband spectrophotometry is provided by CCD cameras while reflection gratings provide medium resolution spectroscopy (resolving power of about 400) in the range 0.3–3 keV. Long uninterrupted observations will be made from the 24 hr period, highly eccentric orbit, reaching a sensitivity approaching 10−15 erg cm−2 s−1 in one orbit. A 30 cm UV/optical telescope is bore-sighted with the x-ray telescopes to provide simultaneous optical counterparts to the numerous serendipitous X-ray sources which will be detected during every observation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 299-300 ◽  
pp. 77-81
Author(s):  
Yang Xu ◽  
Sheng Zhi Hao ◽  
Xiang Dong Zhang ◽  
Min Cai Li ◽  
Chuang Dong

The surface irradiation of 6063 aluminum alloy by high current pulsed electron was conducted with the aim of replacing the complicated pre-treatment in the processes of electroless plating. To explore the microstructure changes, optical metallography, SEM (scanning electron microscope), XRD (X-ray diffraction) analyses were carried out, and the sliding tests were used for the detection of wear resistance. It was concluded that the HCPEB irradiation could replace the pre-treatment of aluminum substrate as required in conventional electroless plating with a decreased surface roughness of Ni-P alloy plating layer. The plates exhibited an amorphous microstructure as demonstrated by XRD analysis. The plates, produced with the routine of HCPEB irradiation, activation and electroless plating possess, also exhibited good quality, even better than that of conventional electroless plating technique.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Hongtao Yu ◽  
Xie Quan ◽  
Shuo Chen

MoS2/CdS photocatalyst was fabricated by a hydrothermal method for H2production under visible light. This method used low toxic thiourea as a sulfur source and was carried out at 200°C. Thus, it was better than the traditional methods, which are based on an annealing process at relatively high temperature (above 400°C) using toxic H2S as reducing agent. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images showed that the morphologies of MoS2/CdS samples were feather shaped and MoS2layer was on the surface of CdS. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy testified that the sample was composed of stoichiometric MoS2and CdS. The UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra displayed that the loading of MoS2can enhance the optical absorption of MoS2/CdS. The photocatalytic activity of MoS2/CdS was evaluated by producing hydrogen. The hydrogen production rate on MoS2/CdS reached 192 μmol·h−1. This performance was stable during three repeated photocatalytic processes.


Author(s):  
Laura A. Lallemand ◽  
James G. McCarthy ◽  
Sean McSweeney ◽  
Andrew A. McCarthy

Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) are a group of soluble phenolic compounds that are produced by a variety of plants, includingCoffea canephora(robusta coffee). The last step in CGA biosynthesis is generally catalysed by a specific hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HQT), but it can also be catalysed by the more widely distributed hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT). Here, the cloning and overexpression of HCT fromC. canephorainEscherichia colias well as its purification and crystallization are presented. Crystals were obtained by the sitting-drop technique at 293 K and X-ray diffraction data were collected on the microfocus beamline ID23-2 at the ESRF. The HCT crystals diffracted to better than 3.0 Å resolution, belonged to space groupP42212 with unit-cell parametersa=b= 116.1,c= 158.9 Å and contained two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The structure was solved by molecular replacement and is currently under refinement. Such structural data are needed to decipher the molecular basis of the substrate specifities of this key enzyme, which belongs to the large plant acyl-CoA-dependent BAHD acyltransferase superfamily.


Author(s):  
P. Laurent ◽  
F. Acero ◽  
V. Beckmann ◽  
S. Brandt ◽  
F. Cangemi ◽  
...  

AbstractBased upon dual focusing techniques, the Polarimetric High-Energy Modular Telescope Observatory (PHEMTO) is designed to have performance several orders of magnitude better than the present hard X-ray instruments, in the 1–600 keV energy range. This, together with its angular resolution of around one arcsecond, and its sensitive polarimetry measurement capability, will give PHEMTO the improvements in scientific performance needed for a mission in the 2050 era in order to study AGN, galactic black holes, neutrons stars, and supernovae. In addition, its high performance will enable the study of the non-thermal processes in galaxy clusters with an unprecedented accuracy.


Author(s):  
Abyson Joseph ◽  
Valakunja Nagaraja ◽  
Ramanathan Natesh

The transcriptional activity of RNA polymerase (RNAP) is controlled by a diverse set of regulatory factors. A subset of these regulators modulate the activity of RNAP through its secondary channel. Gre factors reactivate stalled elongation complexes by enhancing the intrinsic cleavage activity of RNAP. In the present study, the protein MSMEG_6292, a Gre-factor homologue from Mycobacterium smegmatis, was expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli and purified using standard chromatographic techniques. The hanging-drop vapour-diffusion crystallization method yielded diffraction-quality crystals. The crystals belonged to the trigonal space group P3121 (or its enantiomorph P3221), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 83.15, c = 107.07 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. The crystals diffracted to better than 3.0 Å resolution. Molecular-replacement attempts did not yield any phasing models; hence, platinum derivatization was carried out with K2PtCl4 and derivative data were collected to 3.4 Å resolution.


2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 1684-1691
Author(s):  
Marek L. Główka ◽  
Sylwia Kałużyńska ◽  
Malwina Krause ◽  
Katarzyna Gobis ◽  
Henryk Foks ◽  
...  

Tuberculosis still remains a very important problem, especially its multidrug resistant varieties (MDR-TB). Among the potential tuberculostatics, there are two benzimidazole derivatives, namely 5,6-dimethyl-2-phenylethylbenzo[d]imidazole (1) and (E)-5,6-dimethyl-2-styryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (2) which showed significant tuberculostatic activities, better than those of Pyrazinamide and Isoniazyd. Also, the cytotoxicity of 1 appeared promising. The compounds were studied (with the use of X-ray diffraction) in the form of the hemihydrate of 1, C17H18N2·0.5H2O (1a), the methanol hemisolvate of 2, C17H16N2·0.5CH3OH (2a), and the acid oxalate salt of 2, namely (E)-5,6-dimethyl-2-styryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazolium hydrogen oxalate, C17H17N2 +·C2HO4 − (2b). All three structures reveal a similar extended conformation, despite the flexible linker between the two aromatic systems and the different types of strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The molecules of 2a are practically planar due to the double bond in the linker, which enables conjugation along the whole molecule, while the molecules of 1a exhibit the possibility of parallel orientations of their aromatic systems, despite the aliphatic (ethyl) linker.


1995 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 1132-1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Orozco-Levi ◽  
J. Gea ◽  
J. Sauleda ◽  
J. M. Corominas ◽  
J. Minguella ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether respiratory function influences the structure of the latissimus dorsi muscle (LD). Twelve patients (58 +/- 10 yr) undergoing thoracotomy were studied. Lung and respiratory muscle function were evaluated before surgery. Patients showed a forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) of 67 +/- 16% of the reference value, an FEV1-forced vital capacity ratio of 69 +/- 9%, a maximal inspiratory pressure of 101 +/- 21% of the reference value, and a tension-time index of the diaphragm (TTdi) of 0.04 +/- 0.02. When patients were exposed to 8% CO2 breathing, TTdi increased to 0.06 +/- 0.03 (P < 0.05). The structural analysis of LD showed that 51 +/- 5% of the fibers were type I. The diameter was 56 +/- 9 microns for type I fibers and 61 +/- 9 microns for type II fibers, whereas the hypertrophy factor was 87 +/- 94 and 172 +/- 208 for type I and II fibers, respectively. Interestingly, the histogram distribution of the LD fibers was unimodal in two of the three individuals with normal lung function and bimodal (additional mode of hypertrophic fibers) in seven of the nine patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An inverse relationship was found between the %FEV1-forced vital capacity ratio and both the diameter of the fibers (type I: r = -0.773, P < 0.005; type II: r = -0.590, P < 0.05) and the hypertrophy factors (type I: r = -0.647, P < 0.05; type II: r = -0.575, P = 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document