Resonantly Coupled High-Efficiency Sensors for Assessment of Ventricular Chamber Size for Autonomous Control of Left Ventricular Assist Device.

Current left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are set to a fixed rpm and are unable to adjust to physiological demands irrespective of preload or afterload. Autonomous control of LVADs has the potential to reduce septal shift, preserve right ventricle function, and meet physiological demands. A highly innovative resonantly coupled regimen is presented which can achieve this goal.

Draft Genome Sequences of 16 Halophilic Prokaryotes Isolated from Diverse Environments.

Halophile-specific enzymes have wide-ranging industrial and commercial applications. Despite their importance, there is a paucity of available halophile whole-genome sequences. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 16 diverse salt-tolerant strains of bacteria and archaea isolated from a variety of high-salt environments.

Acute Warm-up Effects in Submaximal Athletes: An EMG Study of Skilled Violinists.

Background: Warm-up is commonly recommended for injury prevention and performance enhancement across all activities, yet this recommendation is not supported by evidence for repetitive submaximal activities such as instrumental music performance.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to quantify the effects of cardiovascular, core muscle, and musical warm-ups on muscle activity levels, musical performance, and subjective experience in skilled violinists.

Methods: Fifty-five undergraduate, postgraduate, or professional violinists performed five randomly ordered 45-s musical excerpts of varying physical demands both before and after a randomly assigned 15-min, moderate-intensity cardiovascular, core muscle, musical (technical violin exercises), or inactive control warm-up protocol.

Holographic stripes.

We construct inhomogeneous asymptotically anti-de Sitter black hole solutions corresponding to the spontaneous breaking of translational invariance and the formation of striped order in the boundary field theory. We find that the system undergoes a second-order phase transition in both the fixed density and fixed chemical potential ensembles, for sufficiently large values of the axion coupling. We investigate the phase structure as a function of the temperature, axion coupling, and the stripe width.

Modification of late-time phase structure by quantum quenches.

The consequences of the sudden change in the coupling constants (quenches) on the phase structure of the theory at late times are explored. We study in detail the three-dimensional φ6 model in the large-N limit and show that the φ6 coupling enjoys a widened range of stability compared to the static scenario. Moreover, a new massive phase emerges, which for sufficiently large coupling becomes the dominant vacuum.

Critical dimension in the black-string phase transition.

In spacetimes with compact dimensions, there exist several black object solutions including the black hole and the black string. They may become unstable depending on their relative size and the length scales in the compact dimensions. The transition between these solutions raises puzzles and addresses fundamental questions such as topology change, uniquenesses, and cosmic censorship.

Initial data for black holes and black strings in 5D.

We explore time-symmetric hypersurfaces containing apparent horizons of black objects in a 5D spacetime with one coordinate compactified on a circle. We find a phase transition within the family of such hypersurfaces: the horizon has different topology for different parameters. The topology varies from S3 to S2 x S1.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome complicating orthotopic liver transplantation.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is an acutely devastating situation characterized by widespread thrombotic microangiopathy in the presence of elevated titers of antiphospholipid antibodies. We describe a 57-year old woman who underwent liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis and developed this malignant variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Cilostazol.

Cilostazol is an antiplatelet agent with vasodilating properties that has been used in the treatment of patients with peripheral ischaemia such as intermittent claudication. The drug inhibits platelet aggregation induced by ADP, collagen and arachidonic acid. Unlike aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), cilostazol inhibits both primary and secondary aggregation.

[Renal failure in patients with liver transplant: incidence and predisposing factors].

Renal failure is a common finding in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence, prognostic value of pre, intra and postoperative factors and severity of renal dysfunction in patients who undergo liver transplantation. Therefore, the records of 38 consecutive adult patients were reviewed.

Dalteparin sodium. A review of its pharmacology and clinical use in the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders.

The low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) dalteparin sodium is notable for its improved pharmacokinetic characteristics (chiefly increased bioavailability and plasma elimination half-life) compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH). These properties enable the drug to be given subcutaneously as a single daily dose, compared with the 8- to 12-hourly regimens necessary with UFH. Dalteparin sodium also appears to exert a greater inhibitory effect than UFH on plasma activity of coagulation factor Xa relative to its effects on clotting times [usually expressed as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)] and activity of factor IIa.

Propofol. An overview of its pharmacology and a review of its clinical efficacy in intensive care sedation.

Propofol is a phenolic derivative that is structurally unrelated to other sedative hypnotic agents. It has been used extensively as an anaesthetic agent, particularly in procedures of short duration. More recently it has been investigated as a sedative in the intensive care unit (ICU) where it produces sedation and hypnosis in a dose-dependent manner.

Spirapril. A preliminary review of its pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of hypertension.

Spirapril is a non-sulfhydryl angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prodrug which is converted to the active metabolite spiraprilat following oral administration, and which has been evaluated primarily for the treatment of hypertension. In dose-finding studies of patients with mild to severe hypertension, spirapril > or = 6 mg once daily produced reductions in blood pressure of approximately 10 to 18 mm Hg (systolic) and 7 to 13 mm Hg (diastolic) [24-hour postdose trough readings at the end of the treatment period]. Blood pressure normalisation (trough diastolic blood pressure < or = 90 mm Hg) had occurred in 29 to 50% of patients at the end of these investigations.

Isradipine. An update of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension.

Since the earlier review in Drugs substantial additional data have accumulated regarding the antihypertensive efficacy of isradipine in various clinical situations, as well as data on its clinical effects in atherosclerosis. Recent therapeutic trials confirm that the efficacy of isradipine in the treatment of patients with mainly mild to moderate hypertension, when administered orally as a conventional or modified release preparation, is similar to that of titrated dosages of amlodipine, felodipine, nifedipine, diltiazem, captopril, methyldopa, metoprolol, prazosin and hydrochlorothiazide. A further decrease in blood pressure can be expected when isradipine is combined with another antihypertensive drug in patients who have not responded adequately to monotherapy.

Doxazosin. An update of its clinical pharmacology and therapeutic applications in hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Doxazosin is a long-acting alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist structurally related to prazosin and terazosin. Its antihypertensive effect is produced by a reduction in the smooth muscle tone of peripheral vascular beds resulting in a decrease in total peripheral resistance without significant effect on cardiac output or heart rate. In benign prostatic hyperplasia, doxazosin's effect of relieving bladder outflow obstruction is produced through a reduction in prostatic tone mediated via alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade.

Etidronic acid. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic efficacy in resorptive bone disease.

Etidronic acid is an orally and intravenously active bisphosphonate, which is believed to inhibit resorption of bone via a number of cellular mechanisms, including alteration of osteoclastic activity. In studies of patients with symptomatic Paget's disease, etidronic acid 5 to 20 mg/kg/day administered orally rapidly decreased the biochemical indices of bone turnover. Mineralisation defects in forming bone may be avoided by the use of an initial dosage of 5 mg/kg/day for up to 6 months; dosages above 10 mg/kg/day should be limited to 3 months' duration, and dosages greater than 20 mg/kg/day should be avoided.

Dornase alfa. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic potential in cystic fibrosis.

By cleaving neutrophil-derived DNA present in the infected lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), dornase alfa (recombinant human deoxyribonuclease I) reduces the adhesiveness and viscoelasticity of CF sputum. Well designed clinical studies performed in patients with CF and mild to moderate pulmonary disease [forced vital capacity (FVC) > or = 40% of predicted value] show that aerosolised dornase alfa improves lung function, achieving a 6 to 7% increase from baseline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) after 6 months' therapy. Improvements in general well-being and CF-related symptoms were also noted by patients.

Abciximab (c7E3 Fab). A review of its pharmacology and therapeutic potential in ischaemic heart disease.

Abciximab (c7E3 Fab) is a chimaeric human-murine monoclonal antibody Fab (fragment antigen binding) fragment. It binds to the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor and inhibits platelet aggregation. In two double-blind placebo-controlled trials, abciximab therapy reduced the incidence of ischaemic complications during the initial postoperative period (30 days or until hospital discharge) in high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angioplasty or directional atherectomy.

Quinapril. A reappraisal of its pharmacology and therapeutic efficacy in cardiovascular disorders.

Following systemic absorption, quinapril is converted by de-esterification to quinaprilat (the active diacid metabolite), an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Pharmacodynamic studies in animals indicate inhibition of ACE both in plasma and at tissue sites, such as the arterial wall and heart, following administration of quinapril. Tissue ACE inhibition may be an important component of the mechanism of action of quinapril (and other ACE inhibitors) in achieving favourable effects in cardiovascular disorders.

Inhaled fluticasone propionate. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic use in asthma.

Fluticasone propionate is an androstane carbothioate glucocorticosteroid with almost twice the topical anti-inflammatory potency of beclomethasone dipropionate. Importantly, it is not appreciably absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. However, the fraction of active drug absorbed from the lungs after inhalation, and therefore total systemic availability, has yet to be determined.

Cladribine. A review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties and therapeutic potential in haematological malignancies.

Cladribine (2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine) is an adenosine deaminase-resistant analogue of deoxyadenosine. In the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia, cladribine has demonstrated excellent efficacy (complete response in 33 to 92% of patients) in noncomparative studies. Cladribine appears to compare favourably with other systemic agents in this indication as it achieves a high degree of efficacy after a single 7-day course, with an acceptable tolerability profile.