Atrial Fibrillation: Pathogenesis,Predisposing Factors,and Genetics

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmia managed in clinical practice, and it is linked to an increased risk of death, stroke, and peripheral embolism. The Global Burden of Disease shows that the estimated prevalence of AF is up to 33.5 million patients. So far, successful therapeutic techniques have been implemented, with a high health-care cost burden. As a result, identifying modifiable risk factors for AF and suitable preventive measures may play a significant role in enhancing community health and lowering health-care system expenditures. Several mechanisms, including electrical and structural remodeling of atrial tissue, have been proposed to contribute to the development of AF. This review article discusses the predisposing factors in AF including the different pathogenic mechanisms, sedentary lifestyle, and dietary habits, as well as the potential genetic burden.     

Impact of the solidification path of FeOx–SiO2 slags on the resultant inorganic polymers

Aiming to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions associated with cement production, alternative binders such as inorganic polymers currently receive substantial attention and slags from the non-ferrous metallurgy are promising precursors. However, studies  that correlate their chemistry and crystallinity with the newly formed binder remain limited. In this work, the effect of three different solidification methods on glass formation and reactivity of FeO_x–SiO₂ slags, as well as on the molecular structure of the resultant Fe-rich inorganic polymers, was investigated. The inorganic polymers were synthesized by mixing the slags (approximate molar ratio FeO/SiO₂ = 1.6) with an alkali silicate solution (molar ratios SiO₂/Na₂O = 1.6 and H₂O/Na₂O = 25). Results demonstrated that higher cooling rates promoted higher glass formation and faster reaction kinetics when the slags were activated. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated that all the slags consisted predominantly of Fe²⁺ ions with a minor amount of Fe³⁺ ions, regardless of the variability in glass content. The binder phase of all inorganic polymers consisted of iron in both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ states, after 28 days of curing. After pulverizing the inorganic polymer pastes and exposing the powder to air for 28 additional days, the Fe²⁺ state in the binder transformed to Fe³⁺. The compressive strength evolution of the three slags showed that the 2-day strength was higher for the samples with a higher amorphous fraction, while after 28 days, this influence was less pronounced.     

Inorganic polymers made of fayalite slag: On the microstructure and behavior of Fe

The microstructure of inorganic polymers (IP) formed from fayalite slag was investigated as a function of the composition of different activating solutions. The starting slag was 80 wt% amorphous, and after activation using sodium silicate solutions with varying SiO₂/Na₂O molar ratios, the amorphous phase dissolved and a binder phase was formed. The morphology of this binder, including the population and size of remnant particles and pores, was dependent on the particular activating solution used, and became denser as the level of silicate rose. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the IP synthesis reaction is combined with the oxidation of Fe²⁺ from the fayalite slag to Fe³⁺ in the inorganic polymer binder. The reaction extent varied and could be quantified using the absorption areas of these ions. Data corroborate that the Fe²⁺ ions in the amorphous part of the fayalite slag and the Fe³⁺ ions in the new binder phase had an average oxygen‐coordination number of 5.     

Factors Associated with Platelet Activation-Recent Pharmaceutical Approaches

Platelets are at the forefront of human health and disease following the advances in their research presented in past decades. Platelet activation, their most crucial function, although beneficial in the case of vascular injury, may represent the initial step for thrombotic complications characterizing various pathologic states, primarily atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we initially summarize the structural and functional characteristics of platelets. Next, we focus on the process of platelet activation and its associated factors, indicating the potential molecular mechanisms involving inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and miRs. Finally, an overview of the available antiplatelet agents is being portrayed, together with agents possessing off-set platelet-inhibitory actions, while an extensive presentation of drugs under investigation is being given.     

A SiGe BiCMOS analog SISO decoder with I/O interface

Although recent implementations of analog iterative decoders have proven their potential for higher decoding speed and less power consumption than their digital counterparts, the CMOS or conventional BiCMOS technologies used so far seem to be incapable to cope with the need for high throughput that high-speed applications require. Within this context this work presents the design and test results of a high-speed analog SISO (Soft-Input Soft-Output) channel decoder for an 8-bit trellis code by exploiting the high-speed features of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). It is one of the first successful implementations of an error-correcting decoder in SiGe BiCMOS technology, which incorporates a high-speed I/O interface. A high-level model of the mismatch effects indicates that there is no significant performance penalty. Moreover, simulations and performance evaluations of an analog Turbo decoder based on the designed SISO decoder are provided. Even though the IC of the SISO module was tested at a throughput up to 3 Mbps, simulation results show that the decoder is capable to operate at 50 Mbps. The measured power consumption is 860 mW and the die area is 3.4 × 3 mm².     

Design,Synthesis, and in vitro Evaluation of P2X7 Antagonists

The P2X7 receptor is a promising target for the treatment of various diseases due to its significant role in inflammation and immune cell signaling. This work describes the design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of a series of novel derivatives bearing diverse scaffolds as potent P2X7 antagonists. Our approach was based on structural modifications of reported (adamantan-1-yl)methylbenzamides able to inhibit the receptor activation. The adamantane moieties and the amide bond were replaced, and the replacements were evaluated by a ligand-based pharmacophore model. The antagonistic potency of the synthesized analogues was assessed by two-electrode voltage clamp experiments, using Xenopus laevis oocytes that express the human P2X7 receptor. SAR studies suggested that the replacement of the adamantane ring by an aryl-cyclohexyl moiety afforded the most potent antagonists against the activation of the P2X7 cation channel, with analogue 2-chloro-N-[1-(3-(nitrooxymethyl)phenyl)cyclohexyl)methyl]benzamide ( 56 ) exhibiting the best potency with an IC₅₀ value of 0.39 μM.     

Model‐based design of IoT systems with the BIP component framework

The design of software for networked systems with nodes running an Internet of things operating system faces important challenges due to the heterogeneity of interacting things and the constraints stemming from the often limited amount of available resources. In this context, it is hard to build confidence that a design solution fulfills the application's requirements. This paper introduces a design flow for web service applications of the representational state transfer style that is based on a formal modeling language, the behaviour, interaction, priority (BIP) component framework. The proposed flow applies the principles of separation of concerns in a component‐based design process that supports the modular design and reuse of model artifacts. The BIP tools for state‐space exploration allow verifying qualitative properties for service responsiveness, ie, the timely handling of events. Moreover, essential quantitative properties are validated through statistical model checking of a stochastic BIP model. All properties are preserved in actual implementation by ensuring that the deployed code is consistent with the validated model. We illustrate the design of a representational state transfer sense‐compute‐control application for a Wireless Personal Area Network architecture with nodes running the Contiki operating system. The results validate qualitative and quantitative properties for the system and include the study of error behaviours.