Relationship of pectoralis muscle area and skeletal muscle strength with exercise tolerance and dyspnea in interstitial lung disease.

Pectoralis muscle area (PMA) is an easily derived computed tomography-based assessment that can provide insight into clinical features of other skeletal muscles. Respiratory and locomotor muscle dysfunction has been increasingly recognized in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Its contribution to exercise performance has been controversial.

Coronary artery treatment with paclitaxel-coated balloon using a BTHC excipient: clinical results of the international real-world DELUX registry.

Aims: Safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary interventions using the Pantera Lux paclitaxel-coated balloon have been demonstrated in the PEPPER first-in-man trial. This prospective, multicentre, clinical registry aims to evaluate its safety and efficacy in an international real-world setting in a larger cohort of patients.

Methods And Results: Between April 2010 and April 2011, 1,064 patients were treated for predominantly diffuse and proliferative in-stent restenosis of bare metal stents (BMS-ISR) and drug-eluting stents (DES-ISR), or for de novo lesions.

Death of effector memory T cells characterizes AIDS.

The adaptive effector CD4+ T helper-mediated immune response is highly heterogeneous, based on the development of distinct subsets that are characterized by the expression of different profiles of cell surface markers. Functional impairment of T cells is characteristic of many chronic mouse and human viral infections. Excessive induction of apoptosis in infected and uninfected CD4+ T cells has been proposed as one of the pathogenic mechanisms that may impair the immune response and cause the development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Kinetic control of reagent dissolution for the flow injection determination of iron at trace levels.

A novel methodology for the determination of iron at the ppb level by spectrophotometric flow injection analysis is described. The method is based on the control of the flow dissolution of the colorimetric reagent 1,10-phenanthroline. This is achieved by means of the minimization of the area of contact between the carrier and the solid reagent, thus allowing the use of the fairly soluble organic compound without affecting the reactor lifetime.

Oscillatory control of sample dispersion in a continuous flow system.

A new strategy for the instrumental control of sample dispersion in continuous flow systems is presented. The method is based on shaking a loosely held straight reactor while the sample travels through the flow injection manifold. This external disturbance yields a sample transport more similar to the plug flow type because of the changes promoted on the flow pattern.