Search results for "block"
showing 10 items of 1177 documents
Nontumorous portal vein thrombosis in liver cirrhosis: Possible role of β-blockers
2018
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> Nonselective β-blockers (NSBB) are used in liver cirrhosis (LC) to prevent variceal bleeding because they decrease portal pressure. A main risk factor for the development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in LC is decreased portal vein inflow velocity. The aim of our study was to examine retrospectively the incidence of PVT and its correlation with the use of β-blockers in a cohort of LC patients. <b><i>Subjects and Methods:</i></b> Data from 230 LC patients (90% Child-Pugh class A), who had been followed up for at least 5 years, were reviewed. The diagnosis of PVT was made by ultrasound. The presence of PVT was evaluate…
A Coexistence Analysis of Blockchain, SCADA Systems, and OpenADR for Energy Services Provision
2022
The advent of blockchain technology allows the raise of new business models for the electricity market, opening the way also to end-users and letting them offer regulation services to the power grid. Thanks to the characteristic of being distributed, the blockchain technology could be a solution to balancing problems caused by the penetration of renewable sources, implementing a platform for Demand-Response programs delivery. Demand-Response allows consumers to respond to market signals by increasing or reducing their energy consumption, contributing to greater flexibility and stability of the grid and to a more efficient use of infrastructures and energy resources. Currently, Demand-Respon…
Lower-Extremity Blocks
1988
Operations on the lower extremities are commonly performed with either subarachnoid or epidural block. Although conduction anesthesia has a high rate of success and is relatively easy to perform, subarachnoid or epidural procedures may not be indicated for certain groups of patients, including the elderly, debilitated, arthritic, obese, or critically ill. With such patients, lowerextremity regional anesthesia can be accomplished by blocking the lumbosacral plexus or its branches.
Multifunctional Poly(ethylene glycol)s
2011
In the rapidly evolving multidisciplinary field of polymer therapeutics, tailored polymer structures represent the key constituent to explore and harvest the potential of bioactive macromolecular hybrid structures. In light of the recent developments for anticancer drug conjugates, multifunctional polymers are becoming ever more relevant as drug carriers. However, the potentially best suited polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), is unfavorable owing to its limited functionality. Therefore, multifunctional linear copolymers (mf-PEGs) based on ethylene oxide (EO) and appropriate epoxide comonomers are attracting increased attention. Precisely engineered via living anionic polymerization and d…
An Efficient and Secure Energy Trading Approach with Machine Learning Technique and Consortium Blockchain
2022
In this paper, a secure energy trading mechanism based on blockchain technology is proposed. The proposed model deals with energy trading problems such as insecure energy trading and inefficient charging mechanisms for electric vehicles (EVs) in a vehicular energy network (VEN). EVs face two major problems: finding an optimal charging station and calculating the exact amount of energy required to reach the selected charging station. Moreover, in traditional trading approaches, centralized parties are involved in energy trading, which leads to various issues such as increased computational cost, increased computational delay, data tempering and a single point of failure. Furthermore, EVs fac…
Temperature and concentration effects on supramolecular aggregation and phase behavior for poly(propylene oxide)–b-poly(ethylene oxide) –b-poly(propy…
2011
The micro- and mesoscopic structure of reverse Pluronic 25R4 in aqueous mixtures has been studied by SANS, SAXS and shear rheology. These techniques have been able to give a deep insight into the complex structure of the system phase diagram, that includes an isotropic water-rich liquid phase L(1), and liquid crystalline phases with hexagonal, E, or lamellar order, D. Particular attention has been paid to the isotropic water-rich phase L(1), which has a large stability region in the temperature-composition phase diagram. This region is crossed by a large "cloudy zone". Below it, namely at low temperature and composition, SANS data show the presence of polymer unimers in a gaussian coil conf…
A magnetic skyrmion as a non-linear resistive element - a potential building block for reservoir computing
2017
Inspired by the human brain, there is a strong effort to find alternative models of information processing capable of imitating the high energy efficiency of neuromorphic information processing. One possible realization of cognitive computing are reservoir computing networks. These networks are built out of non-linear resistive elements which are recursively connected. We propose that a skyrmion network embedded in frustrated magnetic films may provide a suitable physical implementation for reservoir computing applications. The significant key ingredient of such a network is a two-terminal device with non-linear voltage characteristics originating from single-layer magnetoresistive effects,…
Generalization of seizures parallels the formation of "dark" neurons in the hippocampus and pontine reticular formation after focal-cortical applicat…
2008
Abstract Distribution and time course of the occurrence of “dark” neurons were compared with the EEG activity and behavior of rats during 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) induced epileptic seizures. A crystal of the K + channel blocker 4-AP (0.5 mg/kg) was placed onto the exposed parieto-occipital cortex of Halothane-anesthetized rats for 40 min. Thereafter, the anesthesia was discontinued and the behavioral signs of the epileptic seizure activity were observed. The presence of “dark” neurons was demonstrated by the sensitive silver method of Gallyas in rats sacrificed at 0, 3 and 6 h after the end of the 4-AP crystal application. The EEG activity was recorded in the rats with longer survival times. …
THE USE OF INTERLEUKIN 1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST (ANAKINRA) IN KAWASAKI DISEASE: A RETROSPECTIVE CASES SERIES
2018
Introduction: Persistent fever and inflammation after infusion of 2g/kg of IVIG, the standard treatment of KD represents a high-risk situation for coronary aneurysms in Kawasaki disease. Identifying patients at risk for IVIG resistance is difficult outside the Asian population, and there remains a critical unmet need to identify an anti-inflammatory treatment that is efficacious in all KD patients. Recent evidence from studies in animals and humans suggest a critical role for interleukin-1 (IL-1) α and β in the pathogenesis of KD. Objectives: To identify the clinical characteristics, reasons for use and response to treatment with anakinra in a retrospective series of patients with Kawasaki …
Systemic blockade of ACVR2B ligands attenuates muscle wasting in ischemic heart failure without compromising cardiac function
2020
Signaling through activin receptors regulates skeletal muscle mass and activin receptor 2B (ACVR2B) ligands are also suggested to participate in myocardial infarction (MI) pathology in the heart. In this study, we determined the effect of systemic blockade of ACVR2B ligands on cardiac function in experimental MI, and defined its efficacy to revert muscle wasting in ischemic heart failure (HF). Mice were treated with soluble ACVR2B decoy receptor (ACVR2B-Fc) to study its effect on post-MI cardiac remodeling and on later HF. Cardiac function was determined with echocardiography, and myocardium analyzed with histological and biochemical methods for hypertrophy and fibrosis. Pharmacological blo…