Arterial stiffness was assessed by a TensioClinic arteriograph, a recently validated technique. Brachial arterial FMD and ccIMT were determined

using high-resolution ultrasonography. Autoimmune patients exerted impaired FMD (3.7 +/- 3.8%), increased ccIMT (0.7 +/- 0.2 mm), AIx (1.2 +/- 32.2%), and PWV (9.7 +/- 2.4 m/s) in comparison to control subjects (FMD = 8.4 +/- 4.0%; ccIMT = 0.6 +/- 0.1 mm; Aix = -41.1 +/- 22.5%; PWV = 8.0 +/- 1.5 m/s; p < 0.05). We found a significant negative correlation of FMD with AIx (R = -0.64; p < 0.0001) and PWV (R = -0.37; p = 0.00014). There were significant positive correlations between mTOR inhibitor ccIMT and AIx (R = 0.34; p = 0.0009), ccIMT and PWV (R = 0.44; p < 0.0001), as well as AIx and PWV (R = 0.47; p < 0.0001).

AIx, PWV, and ccIMT positively correlated and FMD negatively correlated with the age of the autoimmune patients. Arterial stiffness indicated by increased AIx and PWV may be strongly associated with endothelial dysfunction and overt atherosclerosis in patients with autoimmune diseases. Assessment of arterial stiffness, FMD, and ccIMT are reproducible and reliable noninvasive techniques for the complex assessment of vascular abnormalities in patients at high risk.”
“The PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway effects of Ni dopants and O vacancies on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Ni-doped SnO2 are studied using the first-principles density functional calculation. Both of generalized

gradient approximation (GGA (and GGA+U calculations show that substitutional Ni atoms at Sn sites cannot induce magnetic moment in Ni-doped SnO2 without O vacancy. O vacancies prefer to locate near Ni atoms and induce the magnetic moments at Ni atom and its nearest O atoms. Moreover, O vacancies in a chain connecting two Ni atoms of large distance can lead to a long-range ferromagnetic (FM (coupling between the two Ni atoms. The strength of coupling calculated by GGA+U is about triple that calculated by GGA. The spin density distribution shows that the long-range BX-795 FM coupling between two Ni atoms can be explained in terms of the bound magnetic polaron model. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3428473]“
“This work deals with development, characterization, and performance of an electro-conductive fabric prepared by in situ polymerization of thiophene onto polyester. An attempt was made to optimize the polymerization process to achieve highest level of electro-conductivity of this fabric. The essential characteristics of this electro-conductive fabric were examined and its electromagnetic shielding performance was evaluated. Polythiophene powder was also synthesized and analyzed. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.