Accuracy of calculated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol for the assessment of coronary heart disease risk in NIDDM patients

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of LDL cholesterol calculated with Friedewald's equation in the assessment of cardiovascular risk in NIDDM patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The calculation of LDL cholesterol according to Friedewald's formula was compared with the measurement of LDL cholesterol separated by ultracentrifugation in 151 NIDDM patients with fairly good metabolic control (HbA1c < or =10%) and in 405 nondiabetic subjects. RESULTS: Measured and calculated LDL cholesterol was found to be well correlated in both diabetic (r = 0.95) and nondiabetic (r = 0.97) subjects. Compared with measured LDL cholesterol, the calculated LDL cholesterol differed by > or =10% in 34% of samples from diabetic patients and in 26% of samples from nondiabetic subjects (chi(2) = 3.885, P < 0.05). The percentage of error increased when the serum triglyceride (TG) level was > or =200 mg/dl (2.26 mmol/l) and when the ratio of VLDL cholesterol to TG was <0.20 or >0.29 in both groups of subjects. Although the percentage of error from calculated LDL cholesterol was greater in diabetic than in nondiabetic subjects because of the greater prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia in the former group, the misclassification of coronary heart disease risk, according to the cutoff points of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), was similar in the two groups (25% in diabetic and 22% in nondiabetic subjects). In both groups of patients, the misclassification of coronary heart disease risk was higher when calculation of LDL cholesterol produced values near the cutoff points. CONCLUSIONS: Although accuracy in the estimation of LDL cholesterol is less than ideal, Friedewald's equation seems to be of value in the correct assignment of coronary heart disease risk classes in the great majority of diabetic as well as nondiabetic subjects. Caution must be exercised for subjects in whom calculated LDL cholesterol is close to the cutoff points of the NCEP guidelines.     

可适性居住建筑——基于用户需求的空间高效利用

首先分析近年来社会和人口统计数字的一系列变化,这些变化显示出因房屋空间剩余而导致资源不充分利用的现象,并将促使人们对居住建筑产生新的使用方式；进而介绍了西班牙ACORDE项目提出的一种在开放建筑框架下最大限度提高空间灵活性和可适性的新理念.指出该项目希望尽可能提高空间灵活度,通过植入设备将各功能单元分隔成随意连接或隔断的独立空间,从而允许用户根据未来需求实现建筑空间的可适性变化.     

Comet and micronucleus assays in zebra mussel cells for genotoxicity assessment of surface drinking water treated with three different disinfectants

The aim of this research was to study the influence of classic (sodium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide) and alternative (peracetic acid [PAA]) disinfectants on the formation of mutagens in surface waters used for human consumption. For this proposal, in vivo genotoxicity tests (Comet and micronucleus assay) were performed in an experimental pilot plant set up near Lake Trasimeno (Central Italy). The effects were detected in different tissues (haemocytes for the Comet assay and gills for the micronucleus test [MN]) of Dreissena polymorpha exposed in experimental basins supplied with lake water with/without the different disinfectants. Specimen collection was performed before disinfectant input for both tests and after the start of disinfection (3 h and 20 days for the Comet assay and 10 and 20 days for micronucleus test, respectively) to assess short- and long- term exposure effects during three sampling campaigns (October 2000, February 2001, and June 2001). Seasonal differences in baseline levels of DNA migration and micronucleus frequency were observed. Raw water quality modulation on disinfection by-product formation was shown. The results of the micronucleus and Comet assays on zebra mussel cells after in situ exposure to water disinfected with the two chlorinated compounds clearly indicate DNA/by-product interaction. PAA did not induce either clastogenic/aneugenic effects or DNA damage on this bioindicator.     

Constrained multivariable control of a distillation column using a simplified model predictive control algorithm

Distillation columns are important process units in petroleum refining and need to be maintained close to optimum operating conditions because of economic incentives. Model predictive control has been used for control of these units. However, the constrained optimization problem involved in the control has generally been solved in practice in a piece-meal fashion. To solve the problem without decomposition, the use of a linear programming (LP) formulation using a simplified model predictive control algorithm has been suggested in the literature. In this paper, the LP approach is applied for control of an industrial distillation column. The approach involved a very small size optimization problem and required very modest computational resources. The control algorithm eliminated the large cycling in the product composition that was present using SISO controllers. This resulted in a 2.5% increase in production rate, a 0.5% increase in product recovery, and a significant increase in profit.     

Tuberculous meningitis. A case with severe ocular complications

Tuberculosis in the world is the mean cause of death from single infectious agent. It is reported increase not only in underdeveloped countries but in developed too. Tuberculosis meningitis is a very serious form of tuberculosis. Outcome in tuberculosis meningitis is associated with the stage of the disease at presentation. When the child at presentation is extremely ill with coma the completely recovery is seen only in about 20% of cases. In our case patient had severe ocular complications: optochiasmatic tuberculomas. It is difficult recognize the two forms of tuberculomas intra- and perichiasmatic even with RNM. The good response at intrathecal therapy with recovery of the visus proves the perichiamsatic localitation of tuberculomas.     

RF and microwave high‐Q floating active inductor design and implementation

In this paper, a high‐Q floating active inductor (FAI), suitable for RF and microwave applications, is presented. The proposed FAI is based on two cascaded pairs of highly linear capacitance gyrators, which provide a symmetric and reciprocal structure. The proposed FAI shows fully symmetrical two‐port characteristics, high quality factor and high linearity. As a feasibility demonstration, a prototype of the designed FAI has been fabricated, together with an LC series band‐pass filter. At the operating frequency, the real part of the impedance of the equivalent FAI is very low (Req = 0.0039 Ω), providing a very high quality factor. The filter has a central frequency of 430 MHz and a ?3 dB bandwidth of about 9 MHz. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.