The purpose of this study was to validate the automated BPLab® sphygmomanometer for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in pregnant women according to Part II of the 1993 British Hypertension Society protocol. Pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic were randomly asked to participate (n=30). The BPLab sphygmomanometer was tested on pregnant women in this study and achieved A/A rat...

We review the available estimates of the masses of the compact object in Ultraluminous X-ray Sources (ULXs) and critically reconsider the stellar-mass versus intermediatemass black hole interpretations. Black holes of several hundreds to thousands of M are not required for the majority of ULXs, although they might be present in the handful of known hyper-luminous (∼ 10 erg s−1) objects and/or s...

In this paper, we examine the effect of X-ray and Lyα photons on the intergalactic medium (IGM) temperature. We calculate the photon production from a population of stars and microquasars in a set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations which self-consistently follow the dark matter dynamics, radiative processes as well as star formation, black hole (BH) growth and associated feedback processe...

In-vitro digestibility and functional properties of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) (BG) flour, and its native and hydrothermally modified starches were investigated. The isolated native starch (BNS) was modified by annealing at 50°C for 48 hr (BAS), and heat-moisture treated at 100°C for 16 hr at 25% moisture level (BHS). The crude protein of BG flour was 16.88%. The amylose content of ...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies have pinpointed many loci associated with CVD risk factors in adults. It is unclear, however, if these loci predict trait levels at all ages, if they are associated with how a trait develops over time, or if they could be used to screen individuals who are pre-symptomatic to provid...

BACKGROUND Automated devices are widely available in the community for people to measure their blood pressure. We assessed the accuracy and reproducibility of a brand of community-based automated device against the standard mercury sphygmomanometer. METHODS Same-arm pairs of blood pressure readings were obtained with the Vita-Stat 90550 automated device, a sphygmomanometer and the Omron HEM-7...

BACKGROUND To test the accuracy of a new algorithm for the BPM-100, an automated oscillometric blood pressure (BP) monitor, using stored data from an independently conducted validation trial comparing the BPM-100(Beta) with a mercury sphygmomanometer. DESIGN Raw pulse wave and cuff pressure data were stored electronically using embedded software in the BPM-100(Beta), during the validation tri...

The significance of having a correct criterion for evaluating handoff methods is that telecommunication providers can choose the right handoff algorithm in a cost effective way. In cellular or micro cellular environments in cities, users often move on predetermined paths. As the built environment is not changed often, this regularity can be exploited in a pattern recognition based handoff metho...

The use of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, obtained from infusing the shredded stalk of the malpighiaceous plant Banisteriopsis caapi with the leaves of other plants such as Psychotria viridis, is growing in urban centers of Europe, South and North America in the last several decades. Despite this diffusion, little is known about its effects on emotional states. The present study investigate...

OBJECTIVE Personality dimension is considered as a risk factor of depression. This study was to compare aggression, impulsivity, hopelessness, and TCI (temperament and character dimensions) between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and normal controls. METHODS A total of 56 MDD patients and the same number of normal controls who were matched for age, gender, and education were rec...