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There is no widely recognized preventive treatment for patients with paroxysmal hypertension (“pseudopheochromocytoma”) who suffer recurrent and often severe paroxysmal elevation of blood pressure, repeated emergency room visits and hospitalizations. In this case series we assessed the effectiveness of treatment with an antidepressant in preventing recurrent paroxysms. A secondary exploratory objective was to examine the psychological profile of patients and its relationship to response to treatment. The charts of 52 patients who reported having experienced at least 3 symptomatic episodes were selected; and and for whom treatment data were included. Treatment with an antidepressant was offered to, and follow-up data were available in 37..Two patients refused treatment, 6 were unable to tolerate an effective dose, 3 were lost to follow-up, and 1 was non-compliant with the medication. Of the remaining 25 evaluable patients, 92% (23/25) responded, with 80% (21/25) achieving complete and persisting cessation of paroxysms, and 8% (2/25), a reduction in frequency. Importantly, an antidepressant was effective in nearly all patients who reported that they were not suffering from anxiety or depression. The data were insufficient to determine superiority of any one antidepressant versus another. We conclude that treatment with an antidepressant is effective in preventing hypertensive paroxysms in a high proportion of patients with paroxysmal hypertension. Given the absence of any other pharmacologic intervention capable of preventing recurrent paroxysms, the similarly high response rate observed in previous reports, and the relatively safe profile of antidepressant agents, the findings support more widespread use of an antidepressant in patients with this disorder to prevent years of continued hypertensive paroxysms and their consequences.

Plasma Proteome Database (PPD; http://www.plasmaproteomedatabase.org/) was initially described in the year 2005 as a part of Human Proteome Organization's (HUPO's) pilot initiative on Human Plasma Proteome Project. Since then, improvements in proteomic technologies and increased throughput have led to identification of a large number of novel plasma proteins. To keep up with this increase in data, we have significantly enriched the proteomic information in PPD. This database currently contains information on 10,546 proteins detected in serum/plasma of which 3784 have been reported in two or more studies. The latest version of the database also incorporates mass spectrometry-derived data including experimentally verified proteotypic peptides used for multiple reaction monitoring assays. Other novel features include published plasma/serum concentrations for 1278 proteins along with a separate category of plasma-derived extracellular vesicle proteins. As plasma proteins have become a major thrust in the field of biomarkers, we have enabled a batch-based query designated Plasma Proteome Explorer, which will permit the users in screening a list of proteins or peptides against known plasma proteins to assess novelty of their data set. We believe that PPD will facilitate both clinical and basic research by serving as a comprehensive reference of plasma proteins in humans and accelerate biomarker discovery and translation efforts.

Background and objectives This in vitro study evaluated and compared the abrasion resistance of types IV and V gypsums, resin-modified type IV and type V gypsums, synthetic gypsum, and epoxy resin die material at two different time intervals spanning a period of 24 hours. Materials and methods A total of 10 dies of each die material were fabricated and tested for abrasion resistance at each time interval. An average of five readings was taken for the test, measuring the rate of abrasion of the materials. Results All the tested properties of the epoxy resin material were far superior to those of the other materials (being tested). Resin-modified type IV gypsum had significantly better abrasion resistance than its type V counterpart at setting. However, when tested at 24 hours, both materials had comparable resistance to abrasion, which was the highest among the gypsum-based materials. Interpretation and conclusion Epoxy die resin had the most superior physical properties of all. A significant decrease in the rate of abrasion (-38 to -83%) was noted, when the gypsumbased products were tested at 24 hours. From the data obtained in this study, it is recommended that when gypsum-based materials are used, to wait at least 24 hours prior to separating casts from impressions (and subsequent laboratory procedures) to avoid damage to the casts and dies. Abbreviations RR IV: Resin modified type IV gypsum; RR V: Resin modified type V gypsum; S: Synthetic gypsum; V: Type V gypsum; IV: Type IV gypsum. How to cite this article Wankhade SV, Sanghavi KV, Rajguru V, Lokade J. A Comparative Evaluation of Six Commonly used Types of Die Materials for the Property of Abrasion Resistance, at Two Time Intervals: An in vitro Study. Int J Prosthodont Restor Dent 2013;3(1):1-6.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are malignant and rare form of soft tissue sarcoma of the digestive tract. The incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors is very low Kramer et al. 2005 Jejunal GISTs are extremely rare. Here we present a rare case of jejunal GIST with unusually large size at presentation. The patient presented with severe abdomen pain, exophytic growth, and dimorphic anemia. Surgical resection of the tumor was carried out, and operative findings revealed a 15 × 10 cm growth, arising from serosal surface of jejunum, at the antimesenteric surface. Diagnosis in this case was made by subjecting the resected specimen to immunohistochemical analysis. In view of large size of the resected tumor, and high-risk histopathological features, imatinib mesylate 400 mg once daily was given as adjuvant chemotherapy. Patient is asymptomatic without any evidence of tumor recurrence after six months of postoperative followup. Imatinib as such is recommended in metastatic, residual or recurrent cases of GISTs or which are surgically not removable; however, recent recommendations suggests the use of imatinib mesylate after radical surgery in high-risk cases, because it has shown a significant decrease in the recurrence rate, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also approved the use of imatinib as adjuvant therapy after complete resection of localized, primary GIST.

_________________________________________________________________ ‘The post cultural city?’ Vikram Kaushal _________________________________________________________________ Yona Friedman believed that architecture’s task was to provide citizens a framework, a structure to implement their own ideas. Like Constants, New Babylon, Friedman regarded the rise of the automation of industrial labour and the rise of recreation as a decisive social change that would render traditional urban structures obsolete. An immobile and elaborate conventional architecture was to be replaced by flexible and mobile structures. While many architecture monologues attempt to promote new sets of rules or systems by which we (architects) ultimately want the user (non-architects) to unwittingly follow, Friedman insists that we should rather lay a framework within which the inhabitants can structure their surroundings. In recent years, this is fast becoming a reality, the rise of innovative technology and dynamic new working models, now allow us to explore the possibility of architecture as a truly transformative experience. The past decade has seen the transformation of many of are post industrial cities through crude regeneration programs, that have done little but create an unrealistic image of the city. Based heavily on cultural consumption models of regeneration, “Landmark” buildings and self-proclaiming “icons” 3d logos, city slogans ‘urban living’, synthetic-modern towers, bars, shopping centres and sport stadiums where to be the saviour of are cities. The cities become a ‘brand’ based on a superficial image of its-self. The culture that once made a city unique has been eroded by the regeneration process replacing it with ‘empty functionality’, the function of the useless space. This de-radicalization is leading are cities in to cultural meltdown. The city is becoming a void for the consumption of mass produced products. This process is ineffective and slow to respond to the social, technological and economical changes that are occurring across the world, leaving are cities in a vulnerable position. Citizens have become content providers, they negotiate what’s presented, designers now need to create frameworks, rather than relying on the magical strokes of their pens! How can we alter the crude cultural-led regeneration strategies and techniques of the last century? How can we begin to solve the problems of de-radicalization and Gentrification of regenerated cities? Will the post cultural city be a place of hyper-production or hyper–consumption, or perhaps there is a way of combining the two?

The results of the entropy generation and availability energy loss analysis under conditions of oscillating pressure and oscillating helium gas flow in two Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) test rigs piston-cylinder and piston-cylinder-heat exchanger are presented. Two solution domains, the gas spring (single-space) in the piston-cylinder test rig and the gas spring + heat exchanger (two-space) in the piston-cylinder-heat exchanger test rig are of interest. Sage and CFD-ACE+ commercial numerical codes are used to obtain 1-D and 2-D computer models, respectively, of each of the two solution domains and to simulate the oscillating gas flow and heat transfer effects in these domains. Second law analysis is used to characterize the entropy generation and availability energy losses inside the two solution domains. Internal and external entropy generation and availability energy loss results predicted by Sage and CFD-ACE+ are compared. Thermodynamic loss analysis of simple systems such as the MIT test rigs are often useful to understand some important features of complex pattern forming processes in more complex systems like the Stirling engine. This study is aimed at improving numerical codes for the prediction of thermodynamic losses via the development of a loss post-processor. The incorporation of loss post-processors in Stirling engine numerical codes will facilitate Stirling engine performance optimization. Loss analysis using entropy-generation rates due to heat and fluid flow is a relatively new technique for assessing component performance. It offers a deep insight into the flow phenomena, allows a more exact calculation of losses than is possible with traditional means involving the application of loss correlations and provides an effective tool for improving component and overall system performance.