3,134 publications from this institution
Population-based epidemiology and clinical case studies document a prominent 24-hour pattern in the occurrence of silent and non-silent angina pectoris (AP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and sudden cardiac death (SCD). When the data are summarized per 3 - 6 hour intervals of the 24 hours, the temporal pattern of these ischemic heart disease (IHD) events shows a single morning peak between 06: 00 and 12:00 h in incidence. However, when the occurrence of such events is examined according to the hour of their occurrence, several studies reveal a second late-afternoon/early-evening minor peak. The true day - night pattern in AP, AMI, and SCD is unknown because the data represent nothing more than the recorded `"time of day'' of the events. It has been postulated that the day - night pattern in IHD events is at least in part dependent on endogenous circadian rhythms, which are synchronized by the daily routine of sleep in darkness/ activity in light. Approximately 20% of the working population is involved in night and rotating shift employment; thus, "time of day'' studies are not likely to accurately represent the actual "chronorisk'' of vulnerable individuals to IHD events. Moreover, it is likely that the events in the persons comprising the population and clinical case studies were influenced by ongoing treatment with antihypertensive, anticoagulant, and antianginal medications. Details regarding the class, dose, and schedule of such medications are rarely if ever reported in accounts of IHD events. Many of the investigations were conducted decades ago, when short-acting antihypertensive and cardiovascular medications required twice or thrice-a-day dosing, and thus the observed day - night variations could be significantly affected by such multiple treatment timings each day. Thus, the magnitude and nature (single versus multiple peaks) of the reported day - night patterns in AP, AMI, and SCD are suspect, as are their geneses. Presently, it is hypothesized that multiple cyclic exogenous triggers (e. g. posture, physical exertion, emotional stress, and medication scheduling) superimposed upon an endogenous 24-hour susceptibility-resistance pattern that arises from circadian rhythms in heart rate, blood pressure, rate-pressure product, and haemostasis, are major contributory factors.
A systematic study of the optical effects derived from plasmon coupling in mono- and multilayers of gold nanorods is presented. The monolayers were prepared using the standard polyelectrolyte-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) method and gold nanorods coated with either poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) or homogeneous silica shells. Such plasmon coupling leads in general to extensive red-shift and broadening of the longitudinal plasmon bands, which are discussed on the basis of recently reported theoretical modeling. Whereas for PVP-coated rods, strong interactions were observed for high-density monolayers and closely spaced multilayers, increasingly efficient screening is observed for thicker silica shells.
BG intersubtype recombinants represented 11.6% of HIV-1 isolates in a recent survey in Cuba based on pol sequences, most of them forming a single clade further subdivided into 3 subclades. Here, we analyze 8 near full-length genomes and 1 gag-pol sequence from epidemiologically unlinked Cuban BG recombinants from these 3 subclades (3 from each). Near full-length sequences were also obtained from 3 subtype G and 2 subtype B Cuban viruses. Phylogenetic relationships were estimated via maximum likelihood, and mosaic structures of the recombinants were inferred with the bootscanning, MaxChi, Genconv, and GARD methods. For the near full-length genomes, all recombinants formed a strongly supported clade further subdivided into the same subclades previously defined in pol. Mosaic structures were identical within each subclade and different among subclades, although 5 breakpoints were coincident among all recombinants. Individual phylogenetic trees for nonrecombinant fragments (concatenated B and G subtype segments) indicated a common ancestry for the parental viruses and their relationships to local subtype B and G strains. These results allow us to identify 3 new BG intersubtype circulating recombinant forms in Cuba derived from a common recombinant ancestor, which originated from B and G subtype parental strains circulating in Cuba.
ABSTRACT In recent decades, potential challenges associated with food adulteration, food safety, and the lack of safe distribution networks have emerged globally. Advances in science and technology have attracted the attention of consumers toward food safety assessment and related technologies. The development of future smart detection techniques, such as smart packaging and distribution networks, require enhanced intelligence and sensitivity. Smart packaging and distribution networks address all aspects from farm to fork, including production, packaging, distribution (delivery/supply to consumers), storage, and processing for consumption. Their development could significantly contribute to food quality, safety, and sustainability. Food packaging has evolved to become smarter and more intelligent through the integration of wireless electronic communication systems, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G communication, machine learning, and cloud computing. The integration of such future technologies has facilitated advancements in food monitoring and distribution applications. This article introduces the concept of integrated food supply chain management, which can enhance product distribution networks within the entire chain. The incorporation of smart sensors in various sectors has reduced human involvement, supporting sustainable development and societal benefits. Furthermore, recent challenges in developing sustainable smart biosensors for future applications are highlighted.
The performance of all metamaterial-based applications is significantly limited by the inherent and strong energy dissipation present in metals, especially in the visible range. In fact, these materials suffer from rather strong damping of the plasmon fields which can become obstructive for most optical and photonic applications. Therefore, eliminating losses in optical metamaterials is critical for enabling their numerous potential applications. We experimentally demonstrate that the incorporation of gain material (fluorophores) in the high-local-field areas of a metamaterial subunits (gold core/silica shell nanoparticles) makes it possible to induce resonant energy transfer processes from gain units to plasmonic nanoparticles. A comparison between gain-assisted (nanoparticle-dye dispersion) and gain-functionalized (dye encapsulated into the shell) systems is reported. Fluorescence quenching and time-resolved spectroscopy along with modification of Rayleigh scattering and transmission of a probe beam as a function of impinging energy are key evidence of the strong coupling occurring between NPs and gain medium. The multipronged approach used to compensate losses in these metal-based subunits permits one to obtain important advances in materials science and paves the way toward further promising scientific research aimed to enable the wide range of electromagnetic properties of optical metamaterials.
