The extra electrons appear to originate from a change in the local bonding configuration of V at the La-O terminated substrate surface as determined by Z-contrast imaging. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3601870]“
“Background:
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been implied in the pathogenesis of various diseases including acute and chronic pancreatitis. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is the key enzyme in activating the RAS. Deletion (D)-type polymorphism in the 16th intron of the ACE gene has been associated with higher serum levels of the enzyme. Inhibition of ACE was found to ameliorate acute pancreatitis in animal models suggesting that ACE plays a role in pathogenesis and progression of acute pancreatitis. Objectives were to investigate the occurrence of the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in acute pancreatitis patients and its association with the IPI 145 severity of the disease.
Material and Methods: Seventy-nine acute pancreatitis patients and 95 healthy controls were evaluated. Acute pancreatitis cases were grouped as mild or severe according to the Atlanta criteria. Main outcome measure: selleck The presence of the ACE I/D polymorphism.
Results: ACE gene I and D allele frequency of patients (44% and
56%) were similar to controls (45% and 55%, respectively). There were no significant differences in severity of pancreatitis between patients with the ACE-insertion or ACE-insertion/deletion versus ACE-deletion genotypes.
Conclusions: The ACE gene deletion polymorphism is neither a risk factor for development
of acute pancreatitis nor contributes to the severity of disease or development of complications.”
“BACKGROUND: No prior reports documenting the safety and diagnostic yield of cardiac catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in heart transplant recipients include multicenter signaling pathway data.
METHODS: Data on the safety and diagnostic yield of EMB procedures performed in heart transplant recipients were recorded in the Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Outcomes Project database at 8 pediatric centers during a 3-year period. Adverse events (AEs) were classified according to a 5-level severity scale. Generalized estimating equation models identified risk factors for high-severity AEs (HSAEs; Levels 3-5) and non-diagnostic biopsy samples.
RESULTS: A total of 2,665 EMB cases were performed in 744 pediatric heart transplant recipients (median age, 12 years [interquartile range, 4.8, 16.7]; 54% male). AEs occurred in 88 cases (3.3%), of which 28 (1.1%) were HSAEs. AEs attributable to EMB included tricuspid valve injury, transient complete heart block, and right bundle branch block. Amongst 822 cases involving coronary angiography, 10 (1.2%) resulted in a coronary-related AE. There were no myocardial perforations or deaths. Multivariable risk factors for HSAEs included fewer prior catheterizations (p = 0.006) and longer case length (p < 0.001).