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pubmed_240_13566 | PURPOSE
To test the hypothesis that psychological factors correlate with pain intensity in trigger finger (TF).
METHODS
Patients with TF were selected from two previous cohort studies measuring pain intensity and psychological parameters, 82 from one study and 72 from another. Correlation testing and multiple linear regression was performed. Measures included the pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), pain self-efficacy questionnaire (PSEQ), patient health questionnaire depression (PHQ-D) scale, center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D) scale, pain anxiety symptoms score (PASS), and the eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ-R) scales.
RESULTS
There was moderate correlation between pain intensity and PCS (ρ = 0.52; P < 0.001) and PSEQ (ρ = - 0.36; P < 0.001). There was weak correlation between pain and PHQ-D (ρ = 0.23; P = 0.019). No significant correlation existed with CES-D or EPQ-R. PCS accounted for 26% of the variance in pain for patients awaiting surgery (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Self-reported pain in TF has moderate correlation with psychological factors, most predominantly pain catastrophizing. | 10.1007/s12593-010-0009-4 |
pubmed_312_5406 | The induction of alloantigen-indifferent, MHC unrestricted suppressive cells (SC) early on in human mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) or after stimulation with suppressive T cell clones was blocked in a dose-dependent fashion by cyclosporin A (CsA). This was not prevented by the addition of the following defined lymphokines: interleukin (IL) -1, -2, -4, -5, interferon-tau or GM-CSF. The addition of MLC-conditioned medium as a source of multiple lymphokines including IL-3 also failed to reconstitute suppressive activity in the presence of CsA. In contrast, the development of allospecific, HLA-restricted SC in the same CsA-blocked MLC was not prevented or was even enhanced. These results confirm that CsA 'spares' specific SC induction late in MLC, but show that it prevents induction of non-specific suppression earlier in MLC by a mechanism presumably unrelated to blocking the secretion of interferon-tau or IL-1 to IL-5. | 10.1016/0165-2478(88)90177-0 |
pubmed_38_12903 | Production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from glucose was studied in ionic liquids in the presence of hydroxyapatite supported chromium chloride (Cr-HAP) using oil-bath heating and microwave irradiation (MI). Compared with oil-bath heating, the MI way obviously increased HMF yield and reduced the reaction time from days to several minutes. A maximum HMF yield of 40% was obtained from the dehydration of glucose under MI in 2.5 min. This method is potential as an energy-efficient and cost-effective approach for the conversion of biomass into platform chemicals. | 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.11.098 |
pubmed_262_1520 | Despite significant research efforts aimed at understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders, the diagnosis and the evaluation of treatment of these disorders are still based solely on relatively subjective assessment of symptoms. Therefore, biological markers which could improve the current classification of psychiatry disorders, and in perspective stratify patients on a biological basis into more homogeneous clinically distinct subgroups, are highly needed. In order to identify novel candidate biological markers for major depression and schizophrenia, we have applied a focused proteomic approach using plasma samples from a large case-control collection. Patients were diagnosed according to DSM criteria using structured interviews and a number of additional clinical variables and demographic information were assessed. Plasma samples from 245 depressed patients, 229 schizophrenic patients and 254 controls were submitted to multi analyte profiling allowing the evaluation of up to 79 proteins, including a series of cytokines, chemokines and neurotrophins previously suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of depression and schizophrenia. Univariate data analysis showed more significant p-values than would be expected by chance and highlighted several proteins belonging to pathways or mechanisms previously suspected to be involved in the pathophysiology of major depression or schizophrenia, such as insulin and MMP-9 for depression, and BDNF, EGF and a number of chemokines for schizophrenia. Multivariate analysis was carried out to improve the differentiation of cases from controls and identify the most informative panel of markers. The results illustrate the potential of plasma biomarker profiling for psychiatric disorders, when conducted in large collections. The study highlighted a set of analytes as candidate biomarker signatures for depression and schizophrenia, warranting further investigation in independent collections. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0009166 |
pubmed_758_7198 | As part of the U.S. 2003 National Report on Sustainable Forests, four metrics of forest fragmentation--patch size, edge amount, inter-patch distance, and patch contrast--were measured within 137744 non-overlapping 5625 ha analysis units on land-cover maps derived from satellite imagery for the 48 conterminous States. The perimeter of a typical forest patch is about 100 m from the perimeter of its nearest neighbor, except when there is not much forest, in which case that distance is 200 to 300 m. A typical analysis unit has from 10 to 40% as much forest edge as it could possibly have, given the amount of forest present. Most analysis units contain a large number of patches that are less than one hectare in size, and about 10% contain one or more 2000 to 5000 ha patches. Forest often defines the background landscape, and patch contrast is generally either very high or very low in eastern regions and intermediate in western regions. Many research needs were identified by this experimental analysis of available data and metrics. | 10.1023/b:emas.0000009240.65355.92 |
pubmed_291_22423 | A high incidence of thromboembolic events have been reported among thalassemia intermedia patients especially in splenectomized patients. This study has been conducted to evaluate the coagulation state of patients referred to thalassemia research center at Booali Sina Teaching Hospital, Sari, Iran. This descriptive-cross sectional study was performed in 2007. Sixty thalassemia intermedia patients aged older than 10 years were enrolled. After recording demographic and therapeutic data of the participants, the plasma levels of Coagulant factors were measured. Obtained Data were analyzed using SPSS 13 software and t-test and chi-square tests. Of 60 studied patients, 62% were female. The mean age of the patients was 26.6 +/- 9.3 years. ASA tablet were used in 53.3%. None of the patients have experienced thromboembolic events. Decrease in protein C has been observed in 60%. Antithrombin III was decreased in 42% and protein S declined in 10% of the patients. Mutation in factor V leiden was seen in 3%. Splenectomy performed in 53.3% and there was no significant relation between low level of protein C and protein S, antithrombin III and presence of factor V Leiden with splenectomy (p > 0.05). Regarding to the high incidence of low levels of protein C, protein S and antithrombin III among thalassemia intermedia patients, there is an increased risk of thromboembolic events in the patients. | 10.3923/pjbs.2010.448.451 |
pubmed_1084_14045 | OBJECTIVE
The role of ovarian hormones and nitric oxide on morphine-induced antinociception and their interaction have been widely investigated. The results of previous study showed that nitric oxide synthase inhibition differently affects morphine-induced antinociception in male and female rats. The present study was carried out to evaluate the different effects of chronic administration of L-arginine (LA) and L-NAME (LN) on morphine-induced antinociception in ovariectomized (OVX) and naive female rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty female rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 10) as follows: (1) sham, (2) OVX, (3) sham-LA (4) sham-LN (5) OVX-LA, and (6) OVX-LN. The animals of sham-LA and OVX-LA groups received daily injection of 200 mg/kg LA (i.p.) during 6 weeks, while in sham-LN and OVX-LN groups, the animals were treated with 10 mg/kg LN (i.p.). The animals of sham and OVX groups received 2 ml/kg saline (i.p.) instead of LA and LN. Finally, all the animals were tested on the hot plate test (52 ± 0.2°C; cut-off time 80 seconds) for evaluating the antinociceptive effects of morphine. The hot plate test was performed as three base records with a 15-min interval before the injection of morphine (10 mg/kg; s.c.) following which it was repeated every 15 min after injection. Analgesic effect of morphine was quantified as maximal percent effect (MPE). Base reaction latency times (seconds) before the injection of morphine and MPE after the injection of morphine were compared using repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post-hoc Tukey's test. Differences were considered statistically significant when P < 0.05.
RESULTS
Before injection of morphine, there was no significant difference observed between sham and OVX groups in three recorded base reaction latency times. The base reaction latency times in sham-LA group were significantly higher than those of sham group (P < 0.001). In sham-LN group, the base reaction latency times were nonsignificantly lower than those of sham group (P = 0.095). There was no significant difference between OVX-LA group and OVX group. In OVX-LN group, three base reaction latency times were nonsignificantly lower than those of OVX group (P = 0.077). MPE in sham-LN group was higher than that of sham group (P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference between sham-LA and sham groups.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that NO has a role in pain perception and the analgesic effect of morphine. The effect of NO might be differing in the presence or absence of ovarian hormones, but further investigations need to be done. | 10.4103/0253-7613.84969 |
pubmed_1011_7744 | Selenium-75 selenite and technetium-99m sulphur colloid scans were performed on 38 South African Blacks with intrahepatic space-occupying lesions. Uptake of selenite was demonstrated in the 'cold area' on the sulphur colloid scan in 17 out of 19 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, but in 16 patients with amoebic liver abscess there was no uptake of selenite in the 'cold area'. In 3 patients with secondary involvement in the liver, 2 had positive uptake of selenite in the affected region. 75Se selenite was found to be useful in the differential diagnosis of intrahepatic lesions. | pubmed_1011_7744 |
pubmed_21_14976 | FSHD2 is a rare form of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) characterized by the absence of a contraction in the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat region on chromosome 4q35 that is the hallmark of FSHD1. However, hypomethylation of this region is common to both subtypes. Recently, mutations in SMCHD1 combined with a permissive 4q35 allele were reported to cause FSHD2. We identified a novel p.Lys275del SMCHD1 mutation in a family affected with FSHD2 using whole-exome sequencing and linkage analysis. This mutation alters a highly conserved amino acid in the ATPase domain of SMCHD1. Subject III-11 is a male who developed asymmetrical muscle weakness characteristic of FSHD at 13 years. Physical examination revealed marked bilateral atrophy at biceps brachii, bilateral scapular winging, some asymmetrical weakness at tibialis anterior and peroneal muscles, and mild lower facial weakness. Biopsy of biceps brachii in subject II-5, the father of III-11, demonstrated lobulated fibers and dystrophic changes. Endomysial and perivascular inflammation was found, which has been reported in FSHD1 but not FSHD2. Given the previous report of SMCHD1 mutations in FSHD2 and the clinical presentations consistent with the FSHD phenotype, we conclude that the SMCHD1 mutation is the likely cause of the disease in this family. | pubmed_21_14976 |
pubmed_76_18057 | Choroid plexus epithelial cells are enriched in mRNA for proteins such as the iron carrier transferrin, which acts as a trophic factor in the brain. Choroid plexus epithelial cells also have a high density of 5-HT1C receptors linked to activation of the phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis second messenger system. The present studies show that the 5-HT1C/5-HT2 receptor agonist 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI) potently increases PI hydrolysis and the levels of transferrin in primary cultures of rat choroid plexus epithelial cells. These effects are blocked by the 5-HT1C/5-HT2 receptor antagonists mesulergine and mianserin, but not by the 5-HT2 receptor-selective antagonist spiperone. Similarly, mesulergine and mianserin, but not spiperone, block the increases in transferrin levels and PI hydrolysis elicited by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT), a 5-HT1 receptor-selective agonist, and by serotonin. We conclude, therefore, that 5-HT1C receptor activation in the choroid plexus leads to an increase in the production of transferrin. By promoting transferrin synthesis in the choroid plexus, 5-HT may indirectly influence brain development and differentiation. | pubmed_76_18057 |
pubmed_937_13959 | Ammonia is a key factor in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), which is a major complication in acute and chronic liver failure and other hyperammonemic states. The molecular mechanisms underlying ammonia neurotoxicity and the functional consequences of ammonia on gene expression in astrocytes are incompletely understood. Using cDNA array hybridization technique we identified ammonia as a trigger of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA levels in cultured rat astrocytes. As shown by Northern and Western blot analysis, HO-1 mRNA levels were upregulated by ammonia (0.1-5 mmol/L) after 24 h and protein expression after 72 h in astrocytes. These ammonia effects on HO-1 are probably triggered to a minor extent by ammonia-induced glutamine synthesis or by astrocyte swelling, because HO-1 expression was not inhibited by the glutamine synthetase inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (which abrogated ammonia-induced cell swelling in cultured astrocytes), and ammonia-induced HO-1 expression could only partly be mimicked by hypoosmotic astrocyte swelling. Hypoosmotic (205 mOsm/L) exposure of astrocytes led even to a decrease in HO-1 mRNA levels within 4 h, whereas hyperosmotic (405 mOsm/L) exposure increased HO-1 mRNA expression. After 24 h, hypoosmolarity slightly raised HO-1 mRNA expression. Taurine and melatonin diminished ammonia-induced HO-1 mRNA or protein expression, whereas other antioxidants (dimethylthiourea, butylated hydroxytoluene, N-acetylcysteine, and reduced glutathione) increased HO-1 mRNA levels under ammonia-free conditions. An in vivo relevance is suggested by the finding that increased HO-1 expression occurs in the brain cortex from acutely ammonia-intoxicated rats. It is concluded that ammonia-induced HO-1 expression may contribute to cerebral hyperemia in hyperammonic states. | 10.1002/glia.10128 |
pubmed_470_8178 | AIMS
(1) To identify factors at 1 week of age which put infants at risk of failing to sleep through the night at 12 weeks of age. (2) To assess whether a behavioural programme increases the likelihood that these infants will sleep through the night at 12 weeks of age.
METHODS
A community sample of 316 newborn infants was employed to identify the risk factors at 1 week of age which increased the likelihood of failing to sleep through the night at 12 weeks of age. Infants who met these risk criteria and were randomly assigned to a behavioural programme were compared with at risk infants in the control group on measures of sleeping, crying, and feeding at 12 weeks of age.
RESULTS
Infants who had a high number (>11) of feeds in 24 hours at 1 week were 2.7 times (95% CI 1.5 to 4.8) more likely than other control group infants to fail to sleep through the night at 12 weeks of age. At 12 weeks, 82% of these at risk infants assigned to the behavioural programme, compared to 61% in the control group, slept through the night. The findings were similar in breast and bottle feeders.
CONCLUSIONS
Preventing infant sleeping problems should be more cost effective than treating them after they have arisen. This study provides evidence that it is possible to identify infants who are at risk of failing to sleep through the night at an early age, and that a simple, three step, preventive behavioural programme increases the number who sleep through the night by 21%. | 10.1136/adc.88.2.108 |
pubmed_898_5997 | Death in America is changing from hospital to home, which demands complex skills by family caregivers. However, information from family members about the challenges of providing home hospice care until death is scant. To understand the challenges a family caregiver confronts when he/she decides to deliver hospice care and during the actual delivery of the hospice care, we used descriptive phenomenology methods to document the experience of 18 family caregivers as they delivered home hospice care. We learned the decision to begin home hospice was made by a physician, followed frequently by family resistance and refusal to assist. Family caregiver burden is enormous, compounded by fatigue, sleeplessness, and confusion on issues such as morphine dosage and administration. The stages and process of dying, such as transition, baffled family caregivers. All family caregivers agree financial and emotion support, empathic advocacy, and affirmation of their worth are needed to sustain them to care for the dying. The peacefulness following offering a home death comes at a high price to family caregivers. Evidence is needed from a randomized controlled trial as to effectiveness of advocacy support for family caregivers to increase their resiliency and higher probability of a good death for the dying. | 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000632 |
pubmed_311_24938 | Meniscal bearing dislocation while rolling over in sleep has never been reported in Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). This study reports two cases of meniscal bearing dislocation into the intercondylar ridge while rolling over in sleep. In the case of one patient, closed reduction of the bearing was performed, and the use of a knee brace was effective in preventing re-dislocation. In the second patient, closed reduction was possible; however, bearing dislocation was repeated. Therefore, revision surgery was performed by replacing the tibial component and using a thicker bearing. The common features in dislocation during rolling over while sleeping in both cases were dislocation into the intercondylar ridge, the combination of small femur and AA-size tibia components, and osteonecrosis. As determined by intraoperative testing, valgus position of the knee while rolling over in sleep could induce bearing dislocation into the intercondylar ridge. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective case series, Level IV. | 10.1016/j.knee.2018.10.015 |
pubmed_636_18860 | Genetic heterogeneity is common in tumors, explicable by the development of subclones with distinct genetic and epigenetic alterations. We describe an in vitro model for cancer heterogeneity, comprising the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell line U-2932 which expresses two sets of cell surface markers representing twin populations flow-sorted by CD20 vs CD38 expression. U-2932 populations were traced to subclones of the original tumor with clone-specific immunoglobulin IgVH4-39 hypermutation patterns. BCL6 was overexpressed in one subpopulation (R1), MYC in the other (R2), both clones overexpressed BCL2. According to the combined results of immunoglobulin hypermutation and cytogenetic analysis, R1 and R2 derive from a mother clone with genomic BCL2 amplification, which acquired secondary rearrangements leading to the overexpression of BCL6 (R1) or MYC (R2). Some 200 genes were differentially expressed in R1/R2 microarrays including transcriptional targets of the aberrantly expressed oncogenes. Other genes were regulated by epigenetic means as shown by DNA methylation analysis. Ectopic expression of BCL6 in R2 variously modulated new candidate target genes, confirming dual silencing and activating functions. In summary, stable retention of genetically distinct subclones in U-2932 models tumor heterogeneity in vitro permitting functional analysis of oncogenes against a syngenic background. | 10.1038/leu.2012.358 |
pubmed_1123_9735 | Natural killer (NK) cells are a promising tool for cell therapy due to their capacity to lyse tumor cells without prior activation and their influence on the innate as well as the adaptive immunity. To characterize distinct NK cell populations, it is important to find a reliable isolation method. We investigated separation methods for NK cell isolation by magnetic bead labeling. There are three commonly used different MACS protocols to isolate NK cells from murine spleen: CD49b (DX5) MicroBeads, the NK Cell Isolation Kit and a separation method which is based on a positive selection for NKp46 expressing cells. Interestingly, we found a significant difference of NK cell purities depending on the mouse strains and the purification protocol used. We observed a significantly higher level of purity and yield of NK cells by preparations from Balb/c splenocytes. In this study, we modified the negative selection protocol and adapted it to C57Bl/6 mice to obtain equal purity, viability and yields of NK cells in the different mouse strains. Moreover, we optimized the NKp46 NK cell selection method by addition of a B cell depletion step. To our knowledge, this is the first report that has directly compared and essentially modified the different NK cell purification strategies in parallel, both in C57Bl/6 and Balb/c mouse strains. Altogether, these results are a basic prerequisite for the further development of NK cell therapy protocols in murine in vivo models. | 10.1016/j.jim.2012.01.008 |
pubmed_810_15935 | AIM
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of reexcision for advanced gastric cancer (GC) with positive resection margins on prognosis and to identify the selection criteria for the reexcision of patients with positive margins.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
This was a retrospective study of 122 patients with positive margins who underwent potentially curative resection for locally advanced GC. The clinicopathological factors and survival among 50 patients who were reexcised to a negative resection margin (NR group) and 72 patients who were left with a positive resection margin (PR group) were compared using univariate and multivariate analyses.
RESULTS
Median survival in the PR group was 18 months compared with 23 months in the NR group (p = 0.019). In the ≤ pN2-category subset, the PR group had a significantly worse prognosis compared with the NR group (median survival of 25 months vs. 44 months; p = 0.021). This difference was not observed in the pN3-category subset. In the univariate analysis, variables including pTNM stage, pN-category, and positive resection margin had adverse effects on OS among the entire population of 122 patients. A positive margin was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor for OS in the multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The reexcision of a positive margin improves the prognosis of patients with advanced GC, especially in those paitents with ≤ pN2-category disease and in patients undergoing D2 lymphadenectomy. Obtaining routine frozen sections of samples from the resection margin should be mandatory in the treatment of all GC patients undergoing potentially curative surgery. | pubmed_810_15935 |
pubmed_57_21590 | Hepatitis E has traditionally been considered an endemic disease of developing countries. It generally spreads through contaminated water. However, seroprevalence studies have shown that hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are not uncommon in industrialized countries. In addition, the number of autochthonous hepatitis E cases in these countries is increasing. Most HEV infections in developed countries can be traced to the ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked pork meat or sausages. Several animal species, including pigs, are known reservoirs of HEV that transmit the virus to humans. HEVs are now recognized as an emerging zoonotic agent. In this review, we describe the general characteristics of HEVs isolated from humans and animals, the risk factors for human HEV infection, and the current status of human vaccine development. | 10.7774/cevr.2014.3.1.29 |
pubmed_484_21321 | We have investigated allosteric interactions of four closely related strychnine-like substances: Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde (WGA), propargyl Wieland-Gumlich aldehyde, strychnine, and brucine with N-methylscopolamine (NMS) on M(3) subtype of muscarinic receptor genetically modified in the second or the third extracellular loop to corresponding loops of M(2) subtype (M(3)o2 and M(3)o3 chimera). The M(3)o2 chimeric receptor The exhibited no change in either affinity of strychnine, brucine, and WGA or in cooperativity of brucine or WGA, whereas both parameters for propargyl-WGA changed. In contrast, there was a change in affinity of all tested modulators (except for brucine) and in their cooperativity in the M(3)o3 chimera. Directions of affinity changes in both chimeras were always toward values of the donor M(2) subtype, but changes in cooperativity were variable. Compared with the native M(3) receptor, strychnine displayed a slight increase in positive cooperativity and propargyl-WGA a robust decrease in negative cooperativity at M(3)o2 chimera. Similar changes were found in the M(3)o3 chimera. Interestingly, cooperativity of brucine and WGA at the M(3)o3 chimera changed from negative to positive. This is the first evidence of constitution of positive cooperativity of WGA by switching sequences of two parental receptors, both exhibiting negative cooperativity. Gradual replacement of individual amino acids revealed that only three residues (NVT of the o3 loop of the M(2) receptor) are involved in this effect. Data suggest that these amino acids are essential for propagation of a conformation change resulting in positive cooperativity induced by these modulators. | 10.1124/jpet.104.080358 |
pubmed_448_21362 | Courts may reason using precedents in various ways, but not all of them satisfy the rule of law. This article provides two ways that are compatible with this ideal and one which is not. In doing so, the article aims to explain the practice of following precedent in law and to offer criteria for evaluating its value. Two claims are defended. First, courts always have a reason to decide precedent-governed disputes by following precedent. This reason is a minimum requirement of the rule of law, and in some cases this reason may be reinforced in the form of an obligation. Secondly, depending on whether courts have a reason or an obligation to follow precedent, two modes of precedential reasoning may be identified. The article explains them in detail. The modes, together with the considerations that are reasons in favour of them or against them, provide a valuable philosophical foundation of precedent-following in law. | 10.1093/ojls/gqab007 |
pubmed_133_7899 | Knowledge about the effects of prenatal drug exposure on early development is reviewed within an ecological framework. The intersecting influences on maternal and child behavior in the early caregiving environment are considered, and similarities reported for drug-exposed children and other high-risk groups are noted. Data from a sample of 90 dyads are used to explore the impact of maternal stress, social support, and depression on children's behavior problems. Strategies for enhancing developmental outcomes in this population are discussed. | 10.1037/h0080393 |
pubmed_167_15040 | Using a model methanelike chiral system, we theoretically demonstrate a possibility to access photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD) by a single experiment with two overlapping laser pulses of carrier frequencies ω and 2ω, which are linearly polarized in two mutually orthogonal directions. Depending on the relative phase, the resulting electric field can be tailored to have two different rotational directions in the upper and lower hemispheres along the polarization of the ω pulse. We predict a strong forward-backward asymmetry in the emission of photoelectrons from randomly oriented samples, which has an opposite sign in the upper and lower hemispheres. The predicted PECD effect is phase and enantiomer sensitive, providing new insight in this fascinating fundamental phenomenon. The effect can be optimized by varying relative intensities of the pulses. | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.253201 |
pubmed_140_13319 | BACKGROUND
Malar rash is one of the three cutaneous diagnostic criteria of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although its clinical recognition is often straightforward, the differential diagnosis with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea may sometimes be challenging.
OBJECTIVE
To describe dermoscopic features of SLE malar rash and investigate the accuracy of dermoscopy for the differential diagnosis with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea.
METHODS
A representative dermoscopic image of target areas was evaluated for the presence of specific features. Fisher's test was used to compare their prevalence between the two cohorts, and accuracy parameters (specificity, sensitivity, and positive and negative predictive values) were evaluated.
RESULTS
Twenty-eight patients were included in the analysis, of which 13 had SLE malar rash and 15 erythematotelangiectatic rosacea. The main dermoscopic features of malar rash were reddish/salmon-coloured follicular dots surrounded by white halos ('inverse strawberry' pattern), being present in 53.9% of the cases, while network-like vessels (vascular polygons) turned out to be the main feature of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, with a prevalence of 93.3%. The comparative analysis showed that the 'inverse strawberry' pattern was significantly more common in SLE malar rash, with a specificity of 86.7%, while vascular polygons were significantly more frequent in rosacea, with a specificity of 92.3%.
CONCLUSION
Dermoscopy may be a useful support to distinguish SLE malar rash and erythematotelangiectatic rosacea by showing peculiar features. | 10.1177/0961203319882493 |
pubmed_839_21048 | Nix protein is a BH3-only pro-apoptotic mitochondrial protein. Here we reported the 1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of zebrafish Nix protein for further understanding the structure and function relationship. | 10.1007/s12104-007-9006-3 |
pubmed_294_13986 | One of cAMP-regulatory sites in the porcine urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) gene resides 3.4 kb upstream of the transcription initiation site and is composed of three protein binding domains, FPA, FPB and FPC. Whereas FPA and FPB contain a CRE-like sequence, the FPC sequence is not related to any known protein recognition sequences, yet all three domains are required to mediate cAMP action on a heterologous promoter. To study the functional cooperation among these three domains we purified and cloned a FPC-binding protein (FPCB) from porcine kidney derived LLC-PK1 cells. Sequence comparisons showed that FPCB is homologous to mouse LFB3 and rat vHNF1. LFB3/vHNF1 is related to a liver specific transcription factor HNF1, it recognizes the same sequence as HNF1 and is highly expressed in kidney cells. FPCB and HNF1 recognition sequences are dissimilar, nevertheless both sequences are recognized by in vitro-translated LFB3 and FPCB, indicating that binding to the two different sequences is an intrinsic character of FPCB/LFB3/vHNF1. In HeLa cells, this cAMP-responsive site was inactive whether FPCB was overexpressed or not, suggesting a requirement for an additional cell-specific factor. These results may suggest a mechanism by which hormonal control is integrated into cell-specific gene regulation. | 10.1093/nar/21.8.1845 |
pubmed_131_3554 | Cows, horses, pigs and ducks have been found to contain Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus in their intestine and to constantly excrete them with feces into the environment. These microorganisms have not been detected in the feces of man, white mice, frogs and fish. Bdellovibrio, if introduced together with Shigella or after them, prevent the development of keratoconjunctivitis in some of the rabbits. No manifestations of the lytic activity of Bdellovibrio in relation to Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae have been observed in the intestine of white mice and young rabbits. | pubmed_131_3554 |
pubmed_372_17534 | Sediment cores were used to establish past environmental impacts associated with eutrophication, erosion and metal contamination in the subtropical Atibainha reservoir (São Paulo State, Brazil). We hypothesize that: (1) the levels of nutrients, determined by a spectrophotometric method, reflect the contributions of these elements over time and (2) changes in sedimentation rates, determined by 210Pb geochronology, and metal flows, determined by ICP-AEOS, are related to anthropic activities. Stratigraphic changes in the analysed variables were used to divide the sediment cores into three intervals, according to PCA and cluster analysis (Euclidian distances, Ward's method). Interval I, composed by the period prior to operation of the reservoir, was influenced by organic matter levels. Interval II, between 1967 and 1993 (PC2: 14.94% of the total variability), a period of minor impacts, was mainly influenced by Mn (eigenvalue of 0.71) and Zn (0.74). Interval III, which included sediment deposited between 1993 and 2015 (PC1: 60.28% of the total variability), was influenced by the highest levels of the pigments lutein (0.86), zeaxanthin (0.90) and fucoxanthin (0.65), together with total nitrogen (0.78) and sedimentation rate (0.91), suggesting changes in the phytoplankton community composition probably associated to the intensification of eutrophication and erosion processes. Despite the limitations of applying paleolimnological techniques in reservoirs and the use of pigments as proxies in regions with higher temperatures, it was observed that the anoxic conditions and the aphotic environment in the hypolimnion acted to preserve pigments associated with the groups Chlorophyta (lutein), Cyanobacteria (zeaxanthin) and Bacillariophyta (fucoxanthin). The isolated analysis of nutrients was not sufficient to make conclusive inferences regarding the eutrophication history, since the levels of TP tended to decrease over time, in contrast to an increase in the levels of TN. Despite intensification of eutrophication and erosion, associated to anthropic activities, no signs of metal contamination were recorded. | 10.1007/s11356-022-18518-2 |
pubmed_476_19382 | It is reported that oxidative stress homeostasis was involved in PM2.5-induced foam cell formation and progression of atherosclerosis, but the exact molecular mechanism is still unclear. Melatonin is an effective antioxidant that could reverse the cardiopulmonary injury. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the latent mechanism of PM2.5-triggered atherosclerosis development and the protective role of melatonin administration. Vascular Doppler ultrasound showed that PM2.5 exposure reduced aortic elasticity in ApoE-/- mice. Meanwhile, blood biochemical and pathological analysis demonstrated that PM2.5 exposure caused dyslipidemia, elicited oxidative damage of aorta and was accompanied by an increase in atherosclerotic plaque area; while the melatonin administration could effectively alleviate PM2.5-induced macrophage M1 polarization and atherosclerosis in mice. Further investigation verified that NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and mitochondria are two prominent sources of PM2.5-induced ROS production in vascular macrophages. Whereas, the combined use of two ROS-specific inhibitors and adopted with melatonin markedly rescued PM2.5-triggered macrophage M1 polarization and foam cell formation by inhibiting NOX2-mediated crosstalk of Keap1/Nrf2/NF-κB and TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathways. Our results demonstrated that NOX2-mediated oxidative stress homeostasis is critical for PM2.5-induced atherosclerosis and melatonin might be a potential treatment for air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases. | 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.02.005 |
pubmed_1069_1759 | BACKGROUND
An increase in the incidence of tuberculosis in industrialized nations has prompted a need for earlier diagnosis, treatment, and isolation of disease. An associated rise in the number of patients with central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB) has forced neurosurgical services to reevaluate the indications for operative intervention.
METHODS
Seventeen cases of CNS TB were found in a retrospective review of all cases managed on the neurosurgical service between 1989 and 1994. These cases included eight with tuberculous meningitis, seven cases of supratentorial tuberculomas, and two cases of infratentorial tuberculomas.
RESULTS
Major permanent neurologic morbidity was seen in one case (6%). Five patients (29.4%) died of complications associated with their primary disease. Eleven patients (64.6%) had excellent outcomes. All patients in the latter group completed an 18-month course of antituberculous therapy. Cerebrospinal fluid shunts were necessary in three cases and emergent craniotomy was performed in three cases. Only four cases had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection.
CONCLUSION
The neurosurgeon's role in the management of CNS TB has once again become more evident. In the present series it is unclear as to whether this is due to multiple drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis or HIV coinfection. It is clear, however, that vigilance over patient compliance and serial neurologic evaluation will determine the need for operative intervention. | 10.1016/0090-3019(95)00064-x |
pubmed_120_18840 | PURPOSE
The identification of a quantifiable dose-response relationship for strength training is important to the prescription of proper training programs. Although much research has been performed examining strength increases with training, taken individually, they provide little insight into the magnitude of strength gains along the continuum of training intensities, frequencies, and volumes. A meta-analysis of 140 studies with a total of 1433 effect sizes (ES) was carried out to identify the dose-response relationship.
METHODS
Studies employing a strength-training intervention and containing data necessary to calculate ES were included in the analysis.
RESULTS
ES demonstrated different responses based on the training status of the participants. Training with a mean intensity of 60% of one repetition maximum elicits maximal gains in untrained individuals, whereas 80% is most effective in those who are trained. Untrained participants experience maximal gains by training each muscle group 3 d.wk and trained individuals 2 d.wk. Four sets per muscle group elicited maximal gains in both trained and untrained individuals.
CONCLUSION
The dose-response trends identified in this analysis support the theory of progression in resistance program design and can be useful in the development of training programs designed to optimize the effort to benefit ratio. | 10.1249/01.MSS.0000053727.63505.D4 |
pubmed_876_6127 | Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1, a detector of single-strand breaks, plays a key role in the cellular response to DNA damage. PARP-1-deficient mice are hypersensitive to genotoxic agents and display genomic instability due to a DNA repair defect in the base excision repair pathway. A previous report suggested that PARP-1-deficient mice also had a severe telomeric dysfunction consisting of telomere shortening and increased end-to-end fusions (d'Adda di Fagagna, F., M.P. Hande, W.-M. Tong, P.M. Lansdorp, Z.-Q. Wang, and S.P. Jackson. 1999. NAT: Genet. 23:76-80). In contrast to that, and using a panoply of techniques, including quantitative telomeric (Q)-FISH, we did not find significant differences in telomere length between wild-type and PARP-1(-/)- littermate mice or PARP-1(-/)- primary cells. Similarly, there were no differences in the length of the G-strand overhang. Q-FISH and spectral karyotyping analyses of primary PARP-1(-/)- cells showed a frequency of 2 end-to-end fusions per 100 metaphases, much lower than that described previously (d'Adda di Fagagna et al., 1999). This low frequency of end-to-end fusions in PARP-1(-/)- primary cells is accordant with the absence of severe proliferative defects in PARP-1(-/)- mice. The results presented here indicate that PARP-1 does not play a major role in regulating telomere length or in telomeric end capping, and the chromosomal instability of PARP-1(-/)- primary cells can be explained by the repair defect associated to PARP-1 deficiency. Finally, no interaction between PARP-1 and the telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit, Tert, was found using the two-hybrid assay. | 10.1083/jcb.200103049 |
pubmed_335_13065 | AIMS
External sphincterotomy (ES) is a therapeutic option for male spinal cord injury patients with detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. However, some patients need to change their voiding management after ES. One of the potential causes of failure is reportedly detrusor dysfunction, but long-term urodynamic follow-up data after ES is limited. In the present study, we reviewed the urodynamic data before and after ES and analyzed it for possible causes of ES failure.
METHODS
A total of 37 patients who were followed up at our center for at least 5 years after ES were included. Mean follow-up period was 16.5 years. Urodynamic assessment was routinely performed every 2 or 3 years after ES, and the data were reviewed and analyzed.
RESULTS
Of the 37 patients, 27 are still managed with reflex voiding to a condom catheter (success group), while 10 needed to change their bladder management. Mean maximum bladder pressure (MBP) was preserved at a low level after ES. However, after ES, there was a gradual increase over time in both the mean bladder volume at first neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) and the percentage of patients without NDO. The mean preoperative MBP in the success group was significantly higher than that in the failure group.
CONCLUSIONS
MBP is maintained at a low level over 20 years after ES. However, NDO gradually decreases over time, which might be one of the reasons for failure after ES. In addition, low preoperative MBP would be a poor prognostic factor for ES. | 10.1002/nau.23702 |
pubmed_984_9331 | The cyclopic and laterality phenotypes in model organisms linked to disturbances in the generation or propagation of Nodal-like signals are potential examples of similar impairments resulting in birth defects in humans. However, the types of gene mutation(s) and their pathogenetic combinations in humans are poorly understood. Here we describe a mutational analysis of the human NODAL gene in a large panel of patients with phenotypes compatible with diminished NODAL ligand function. Significant reductions in the biological activity of NODAL alleles are detected among patients with congenital heart defects (CHD), laterality anomalies (e.g. left-right mis-specification phenotypes), and only rarely holoprosencephaly (HPE). While many of these NODAL variants are typical for family-specific mutations, we also report the presence of alleles with significantly reduced activity among common population variants. We propose that some of these common variants act as modifiers and contribute to the ultimate phenotypic outcome in these patients; furthermore, we draw parallels with strain-specific modifiers in model organisms to bolster this interpretation. | 10.1016/j.ymgme.2009.05.005 |
pubmed_459_12095 | The Cook and Medley Hostility (Ho) Scale has been found to predict the occurrence of coronary heart disease, as well as total mortality, and to be related to the severity of coronary artery disease. It has been proposed that the relationship between Ho scores and health status is mediated by an unhealthy psychosocial risk profile. The present study investigated the health habits of 202 young adults; it used a shortened version of TestWell, a self-report inventory of health behaviors. Subjects were classified as high or low scorers on the Ho scale and their overall TestWell scores and those of four subscales were compared. High scorers reported poorer health habits overall (p = .003) and on three of the four subscales (Physical Fitness, p = .04; Self-Care, p = .04; Drugs and Driving, p = .0001). These results suggest that the poor health habits of individuals with high hostility scores may be an additional explanation of the link between hostility and subsequent disease to the psychosocial risk profile explanation recently proposed. | 10.1080/08964289.1988.9935136 |
pubmed_460_8722 | The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism, has many features of metabolic syndrome and can be considered a metabolic disease. Approximately 50% of patients with PCOS are overweight or obese with abdominal fat accumulation. Some metabolic alterations and abdominal fat distribution have also been reported in lean women with PCOS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect, if any, of obesity on metabolic features, body composition and fat distribution in patients with PCOS. Body composition and abdominal fat distribution (evaluated by DEXA), waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose tolerance and homeostasis model assessment index were determined in 23 lean [mean age 23 +/- 5 yr, mean body mass index (BMI) 22 +/- 2 kg/m2] and 27 overweight-obese (mean age 21 +/- 5 yr, mean BMI 32 +/- 5 kg/m2) patients with PCOS and in 20 age- and weight-matched eumenorrhoic women. Patients exhibited slight but non-significant differences in metabolic parameters, waist circumference, blood pressure and total and abdominal fat content compared with weight-matched controls. None of the lean subjects suffered from metabolic syndrome according to the National Cholesterol Education Program--Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATPIII) criteria as opposed to 10 overweight-obese patients and three overweight-obese control subjects (37% and 33.3% of each subgroup, respectively). Our data do not show significant metabolic alterations in lean PCOS women. Results indicate that obesity seems to underpin the metabolic alterations exhibited by the overweight-obese patients. However, since women with PCOS are at increased cardiovascular risk, further studies are needed to evaluate metabolic alterations and body composition in these patients. | 10.1007/BF03345285 |
pubmed_835_7013 | INTRODUCTION
Heart transplantation is the recommended treatment method for patients with advanced heart failure that is refractory to clinical treatment. Due to the progressive severity of these patients and the impossibility of performing the transplant in a short term, there are mechanical circulatory assist devices that can offer necessary hemodynamic support and clinical stability in the period preceding the heart transplant surgery. The present study aims to address and describe the main devices used as bridges for heart transplantation, as well as to analyze their advantages and disadvantages.
METHODS
This work is a literature review, developed with scientific production in the period from 2010 to 2020, that focus on circulatory assist devices as a bridge for heart transplantation.
RESULTS
These devices are characterized as a bridge for transplantation. Short-term or temporary devices are those used for hemodynamic support to stabilize the individual clinically in the presence of refractory cardiogenic shock. And long-term devices are indicated for stable patients with long-term strategic planning.
CONCLUSION
According to the present study, it is possible to observe that there is a wide variety of devices available on the market, enabling the most appropriate choice according to the patient's need. | 10.21470/1678-9741-2021-0562 |
pubmed_1009_15124 | Auditory evoked responses (AERs) were recorded from the primary cortex, medial geniculate body (MG), inferior colliculus (IC) and cochlear nucleus (CN) of the cat anesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone to examine the effects of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) on neural activity in the different levels of auditory centres. ICP was increased by injecting saline solution into the intracranial space and a tone burst was used for activating the auditory centres. Cortical response (ACR) began to decrease in amplitude from about 30-40 mmHg of ICP. A decrease in amplitude of MG response and that of IC response followed in the order with a further increase in ICP. CN response was most resistant and usually remained even when ACR and MG responses were totally abolished. Recovery of the AERs followed a release of the increased pressure in the reversed order to the decrease in the AERs. When an increase was repeated with a short interval of pressure release such as 5 to 10 min, recovery of ACR became much slower and no recovery was sometimes observed 30-60 min after the release of ICP increased to a level below 100 mmHg. A discussion was conducted on the origin of the changes in AERs in response to increased ICP. We concluded from the results that the higher auditory centres are more susceptible to an increase in ICP to suppress the neural activities without apparent influence on the lower centres. A clinical test of ABR may be available to predict the prognosis of the auditory disorders. | 10.3109/00016488609108640 |
pubmed_984_494 | CD11b(+)Gr-1(+)-expressing cells, termed myeloid-derived suppressor cells, can mediate immunosuppression and tumor progression. However, the intrinsic molecular events that drive their protumorigenic behavior remain to be elucidated. Although CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells exist at low frequencies in normal mice, it also remains unresolved whether they are biologically distinct from those of tumor-bearing hosts. These objectives were investigated using CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells from both implantable (4T1) and autochthonous (mouse mammary tumor virus-polyomavirus middle T Ag (MMTV-PyMT)) mouse models of mammary carcinoma. Limited variation was observed in the expression of markers associated with immunoregulation between CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells of both tumor models, as well as with their respective controls (Cnt). Despite limited differences in phenotype, tumor-induced CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells were found to produce a more immunosuppressive cytokine profile than that observed by Cnt CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells. Furthermore, when admixed with tumor cells, CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells from tumor-bearing mice significantly enhanced neoplastic growth compared with counterpart cells from Cnt mice. However, the protumorigenic behavior of these tumor-induced CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells was significantly diminished when the expression of IFN regulatory factor 8, a key myeloid-associated transcription factor, was enhanced. The loss of this protumorigenic effect occurred independently of the host immune system and correlated with a CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cytokine/chemokine production pattern that resembled cells from nontumor-bearing Cnt mice. Overall, our data indicate that 1) tumor-induced CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells from both cancer models were phenotypically similar, but biologically distinct from their nontumor-bearing counterparts and 2) modulation of IFN regulatory factor 8 levels in tumor-induced CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) cells can significantly abrogate their protumorigenic behavior, which may have important implications for cancer therapy. | 10.4049/jimmunol.0804132 |
pubmed_731_25951 | In this work, we present the development of a method for the determination of acetate and formate in vegetable oils by ion chromatography with conductometric detection following their extraction from samples using a diluted KOH solution. The extraction procedure was optimized using a multivariate approach. The application of a 24 full factorial design showed that the mass of sample, extraction time, and KOH concentration presented significant influence on the extraction of both acetate and formate, whereas the temperature presented little influence on the process. As a result, we set the extraction temperature at 22 °C and performed the multivariate optimization of the other variables using a Doehlert design. The optimum conditions were: 4.8 g of sample, 8 mmol L-1 KOH solution and 19 min extraction time. Six samples of vegetable oils (soybean, corn, canola, sunflower and olive) were analyzed and recovery tests provided recovery percentages in the range of 82-118%. | 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.06.136 |
pubmed_310_20598 | This study investigated the considerations of adolescents for self-referral to counsellors as reported by 421 senior-high school students and 123 school counsellors. Participants were asked to assess the extent to which different considerations affect adolescent willingness to self-refer to a counsellor. While the most important consideration for both samples was the counsellor's trustworthiness, some differences were found. Counsellors attributed more importance than adolescents to counsellor and adolescent gender and age, to adolescent academic and social status and to the conditions of the presenting problem, whereas the adolescents emphasized counsellor expertness. The results are discussed in terms of the strategies that can be implemented for motivating adolescents to independently approach counsellors with their problems. | 10.1006/jado.2000.0339 |
pubmed_5_9877 | BACKGROUND
In order to minimize surgical trauma, video-assisted mitral valve operation has been started using the Port-Access technique with the addition of a three-dimensional visualization system (Vista Cardiothoracic Systems Inc, Westborough, MA) and a voice-controlled camera-holding robotic arm (Aesop; Computer Motion Inc, Goleta, CA).
METHODS
Port-Access mitral valve replacement or repair (PAMVR) was undertaken using an endovascular cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system. Fifty patients underwent Port-Access mitral valve replacement or repair. A three-dimensional thoracoscope was inserted allowing complete three-dimensional projection of the mitral valve (Vista). In the last 20 patients, the camera was attached to a robotic arm (Aesop), which allowed stabilization and voice-activated movement of the camera. Mitral valve repair was performed in 26 patients, and the valve was replaced in 24 patients with a mechanical valve prosthesis.
RESULTS
Median time of operation was 4.2 hours, aortic cross-clamp time 83 minutes, CPB time 125 minutes, intensive care unit stay 1.5 days and hospitalization 9.0 days. Three months follow-up was complete in 40 patients, with 34 patients (85%) in New York Heart Association class I and 6 patients in class II. Mortality was 0% and rate of reoperation was 2%, with a follow-up time up to 1.5 years postoperatively.
CONCLUSIONS
Using three-dimensional video and robotic assistance, it was possible to minimize the length of skin incision, but at the same time to optimally visualize the whole mitral valve apparatus in order to perform true Port-Access mitral valve operation, including various repair techniques. | 10.1016/s0003-4975(99)01561-1 |
pubmed_505_22826 | The metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with cardiovascular disease. The low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) seen in the MS is associated with increased hepatic secretion of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins. Patients with low HDL-C and abnormal cellular lipid efflux due to ABCA1 gene defects (Tangier disease) also have elevated plasma triglycerides. In the present study, we examined the cellular cholesterol and phospholipid efflux in patients with low HDL-C and features of the MS. Forty-four patients with a HDL-C below the fifth percentile for age and gender were selected. The MS was defined by a low HDL-C and at least two additional features: body mass index at least 30 kg/m(2), plasma triglycerides at least 150 mg/dl, fasting glucose at least 110 mg/dl, and blood pressure at least 130/85 mm Hg. Cellular lipid efflux was examined on fibroblasts obtained from study subjects, nine normal controls and six subjects with Tangier disease. In 22 patients identified with the MS, HDL-C was 21 +/- 7 mg/dl, triglyceride levels were 340 +/- 157 mg/dl, and cellular cholesterol and phospholipid efflux were 107 +/- 18% and 105 +/- 17% of controls, respectively. No patient with the MS and low HDL-C showed a cellular lipid efflux defect. We conclude that primary cellular lipid efflux defects do not contribute to the low HDL-C frequently encountered in the MS. | 10.1210/jc.2003-031213 |
pubmed_1121_12271 | The spread of both infectious and noninfectious diseases through wildlife populations is of increasing concern. Neoplastic diseases are rarely associated with population-level impacts in wildlife; however, impacts on individual health can be severe and might reflect deteriorating environmental conditions. An adult male free-ranging Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) originally captured in 2005 and deemed healthy, was recaptured in 2018 with a 1 × 1.5 cm intra-oral broad-based right mandibular mass. An excisional biopsy was performed, and histopathology revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Consensus herpesvirus PCR identified a novel herpesvirus (proposed name Emydoidea herpesvirus 2 [EBHV-2]) within the tumor. EBHV-2 shares 85% sequence homology with Terrapene herpesvirus 2 (TerHV-2), a herpesvirus linked to fibropapillomas in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). Virus-associated fibropapillomas have been identified in multiple marine turtle species and have had debilitating effects on their populations, but to date, virus-associated SCCs are rarely reported. | 10.1177/1040638721989302 |
pubmed_472_17735 | [Purpose] The purpose of this study is to analyze changes in movements of the neck, trunk and hip according to foot position while performing sit-to-stand (STS) exercises from a height-fixed chair. [Subjects and Methods] The study subjects consisted of 22 university students (12 males and 10 females). STS was conducted using a height-fixed chair at three positions: symmetric foot position, right foot position, and left foot position. Through three-dimensional motion analyzer, the movements of the neck, trunk, and hip were analyzed. [Results] While performing STS, the height was more influential on changed in angle of the neck, trunk, and hip. Moreover, when the height of the chair and the height of the subject were not matched correctly, more effective STS could be achieved when both of feet were laid symmetrically rather than at the other two positions. [Conclusion] It is necessary to employ an appropriate chair height that is matched with the height of the patients when therapy using STS is performed. | 10.1589/jpts.28.2717 |
pubmed_886_2786 | A 20-year-old student presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and was diagnosed to have cortical venous thrombosis. Her dietary history and the clinical signs of vitamin deficiency prompted further investigations, which detected hyperhomocysteinaemia secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency as a factor contributing to the hypercoagulable state. This case highlights the importance of a balanced diet, as well as the necessity for primordial prevention. | pubmed_886_2786 |
pubmed_725_7697 | Repeated electrical stimulations of the olfactory bulb led to the progressive development of a generalized epilepsy (kindling effect). One week after the last stimulation eliciting a stage 5 seizure, diazepam-(3H) binding was studied in olfactory bulb-kindled rats. Numbers of benzodiazepine receptors were increased in kindled olfactory bulb and amygdala. No significant change was observed in hippocampus. This modification could be considered as a response of the inhibitory mechanisms to repeated seizures which is insufficient to counteract the installation of the kindling effect. | pubmed_725_7697 |
pubmed_223_327 | Post-learning slow wave sleep (SWS) is known to support declarative memory consolidation. As SWS is more abundant in young population, we suggested that sleep-dependent memory consolidation processes could occur at a faster pace in school-aged children. After learning new associations between non-objects and their functions, retrieval performance was tested in 30 children (7-12 years) and 34 adults (20-30 years) during an immediate (IR) and a delayed retrieval (DR) session separated by either a Sleep or a Wake condition. Sleep led to stabilized memory retrieval performance only in children, not in adults, whereas no age-related difference was observed after a similar period of wakefulness. Hence, our results suggest more efficient sleep-dependent declarative memory consolidation processes in children compared with adults, an effect potentially ascribed to more abundant and deeper SWS during childhood. | 10.1038/s41598-020-66880-3 |
pubmed_1005_14798 | Adaptive decision making in dynamic environments requires multiple reinforcement-learning steps that may be implemented by dissociable neural circuits. Here, we used a novel directionally specific viral ablation approach to investigate the function of several anatomically defined orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) circuits during adaptive, flexible decision making in rats trained on a probabilistic reversal learning task. Ablation of OFC neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens selectively disrupted performance following a reversal, by disrupting the use of negative outcomes to guide subsequent choices. Ablation of amygdala neurons projecting to the OFC also impaired reversal performance, but due to disruptions in the use of positive outcomes to guide subsequent choices. Ablation of OFC neurons projecting to the amygdala, by contrast, enhanced reversal performance by destabilizing action values. Our data are inconsistent with a unitary function of the OFC in decision making. Rather, distinct OFC-amygdala-striatal circuits mediate distinct components of the action-value updating and maintenance necessary for decision making. | 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.05.042 |
pubmed_975_12367 | A series of mutants with alterations in the U3 region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat were made, and the effects of these mutations were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. When the subterminal 6 to 8 nucleotides of the U3 long terminal repeat were mutated, the resulting provirus was unable to efficiently replicate in vivo, and a mutant oligonucleotide which mimicked the mutation could not be efficiently cleaved but could be joined to target DNA by wild-type recombinant integrase protein in vitro. These results suggest that this region is important in the specific recognition of the viral DNA by the integrase protein. | 10.1128/JVI.69.9.5904-5907.1995 |
pubmed_868_21146 | PURPOSE
The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the possible association between peri-implant marginal bone loss and the apicocoronal (vertical) positioning of dental implants placed adjacent to a tooth.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Dental records at the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, were screened. To be included in the study, the patient had to have at least one implant in the premolar or molar region, unilaterally or bilaterally, in either arch, with an immediately mesial adjacent tooth. The implant had to have been functionally loaded for at least 3 years after crown insertion, and clear, nondistorted periapical films had to be available. Several landmarks were identified: the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and crestal bone (CB) of the tooth adjacent to the implant, the implant platform (PL), and the first radiographic implant-bone contact (BL). The following parameters were measured: CEJ-PL, CEJ-CB, CB-PL, horizontal distance between the adjacent tooth and PL (HD), and vertical distance between BL and the first implant thread at the mesial (BL-m) and distal (BL-d) implant surfaces.
RESULTS
A total of 139 patients with a mean age of 62.1 ± 9.3 years were included. The mean follow-up period was 4.42 ± 2.5 years. When the implant was placed more than 3 mm apical to the CEJ of the adjacent tooth, significantly greater peri-implant bone loss occurred at the mesial (difference of means = 0.57 mm) and distal (difference of means = 0.83 mm) implant surfaces.
CONCLUSION
In this study population, implants placed in the posterior area with a vertical distance greater than 3 mm from the CEJ of the adjacent tooth displayed more peri-implant bone loss. Further investigation is required to determine whether this increased peri-implant bone loss predisposes a site to peri-implantitis. | 10.11607/jomi.4067 |
pubmed_730_15125 | Fas (APO-1/CD95) is a transmembrane receptor protein which induces apoptosis upon activation. In apoptosis triggered by Fas, a subset of cysteine proteases designated caspases is activated, playing a central role as effector molecules. Among these caspases, human caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH/Mch5) has been isolated and shown to be indispensable for Fas-mediated apoptotic signaling. In this study, we isolated the mouse homologue to human caspase-8 from a BaF3 cell cDNA library. This molecule conserved the death effector domain (DED) and protease domain as detected in human caspase-8, and was capable of inducing apoptosis in KB and Rat-1 cells when overexpressed. Expression of caspase-8 was detected in the various tissues of adult mouse and in embryos at 9.5 days and 17.5 days of development by Northern-blot analysis. Further, we isolated a chromosomal gene for caspase-8 from a mouse genomic library and analyzed the genomic structure of the isolated gene. This gene consisted of eight exons and seven introns spanning about 26 kb in the coding region. | 10.1046/j.1432-1327.1998.2530399.x |
pubmed_550_18155 | Some scientific research should not be published. The risks to national security and public health override the social benefits of disseminating scientific results openly. Unfortunately, scientists themselves are not in a position to know which studies to withhold from public view, as the National Research Council has proposed. Yet neither can government alone be trusted to balance the competing interests at stake. | 10.1353/hcr.2007.0046 |
pubmed_1097_3873 | Gene expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is needed to induce expression of transcription factor forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), which is required for the development and function of regulatory T (Treg) cells. The number of circulating Treg cells and the level of Foxp3 expression increase during granulocyte and monocyte apheresis (GMA), a useful therapy for ulcerative colitis. However, the mechanism underlying GMA-induced Foxp3 expression is unknown. We found that the level of TGF-beta mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was augmented just after treatment of peripheral blood with a GMA carrier, cellulose acetate beads, in vitro and that Foxp3 expression in PBMCs increased after culturing these cells for 5 days after the treatment. The augmentation of TGF-beta expression was observed in CD3(-) PBMCs but not in CD3(+) T cells. Furthermore, the increase in Foxp3 expression in T cells depended on co-culture with CD3(-) PBMCs. We conclude that cellulose acetate beads have an ability to induce Foxp3 expression in peripheral blood T cells via augmentation of TGF-beta expression in CD3(-) PBMCs. | 10.1002/jca.20243 |
pubmed_88_1364 | PURPOSE
To review the efficacy, safety, and patient acceptance of the Lunelle monthly contraceptive injection and to raise awareness of this new contraceptive in the United States.
DATA SOURCES
Worldwide scientific literature, reports of clinical trials, and manufacturers' product information and guidelines.
CONCLUSIONS
Lunelle is a combined hormonal method with a safety/tolerability profile comparable to that of oral contraceptives (OC) and a high efficacy rate and provides a rapid return of fertility after discontinuation. Moreover, Lunelle was well accepted in a large clinical trial, with satisfaction levels similar to those of new-start OC users.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Oral contraceptives are the most popular hormonal birth control method in the United States; however, typical use is associated with higher failure rates than those observed with perfect use because of poor compliance. Poor compliance has been attributed in part to the need for daily administration. A new contraceptive method that does not require daily administration and is readily reversible may be suitable for many women, resulting in better overall efficacy. | 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2002.tb00134.x |
pubmed_700_16103 | A study was made of the influence of gamma-irradiation of rats (14.4, 9.6, 7.2 and 4.8 Gy) on the number of nucleate cells, and the concentration of triacylglycerides (TG) and phospholipids (PL). Cellularity and concentration of PL decreased while that of TG increased under the effect of radiation. The degree of the changes in the above parameters was a function of dose and time after irradiation. | pubmed_700_16103 |
pubmed_179_17784 | Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is a traditional pretreatment procedure widely used for dissolved organic matter (DOM) desalination and enrichment prior to the Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) analysis, and the extracts are usually acidified to pH = 2 with hydrochloric acid (HCl) before passing through the cartridge. However, little is known about the effects of acidification on the integrity and molecular composition of DOM. Here, the differences in the molecular compositions in acidified and nonacidified DOM samples of soil, seawater and atmospheric aerosol were performed by FT-ICR MS. The results showed that the quantity and intensity of aromatic compounds with high oxygen content (e.g., polyphenols, tannin-like and highly oxygenated organic compounds) were greatly enhanced after acidification, while highly saturated compounds (lipid-like and aliphatic/peptide-like) were absent. The underlying reason is the variation of solubility and hydrolysis of DOM under acidic conditions. Meanwhile, the effect of acidification on the molecular composition of DOM was also dependent on their original environmental media. Based on these results, we suggest that the extracts of soil samples are selectively acidified according to the focus of research, while the extract is acidified for seawater samples and the pH of the extract can be unadjusted for aerosol samples before the SPE procedure. These findings provide a reference for the selection of suitable pretreatment methods for different experimental purposes and for the comprehensive characterization of samples with different properties. | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150284 |
pubmed_986_5781 | Three hundred thirteen patients underwent aortic valve replacement with 319 Starr-Edwards caged-ball prostheses and have been followed for 1 to 14 years. Hospital mortality (24.8%) and first-year mortality (4.8%) suggest that this is a high-risk group. Overall postoperative patients survival was 37.1%, with 18.8% free from any event, at 14 years. Thromboembolism was the most significant single event (a probability of 18.7% at 14 years), and the Series 2300/2320 valves were associated with a probability of hemolysis of nearly 80% over 13 years. Patients who underwent valve replacement before 1973 had a significantly greater probability of late death (31.1%) and of complications (47.1%) during the first 5 years. Those patients undergoing replacement after 1973 had a significantly greater probability of thromboembolic episodes (15.4%). Starr-Edwards cage-ball prosthesis provide an acceptable valve replacement for high-risk patients. However, the overall complication rate of 81.2% over 14 years, compared with 78% for homograft valves for the same period, does not support the adoption of this prosthesis as the valve of first choice at this hospital. | 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)60813-2 |
pubmed_1076_8020 | Cosmetic late effects of radiotherapy such as tissue fibrosis are increasingly regarded as being of importance. It is generally considered that the complication probability of a radiotherapy plan is dependent on the dose uniformity, and can be reduced by using better compensation to remove dose hotspots. This work aimed to model the effects of improved dose homogeneity on complication probability. The Lyman and relative seriality NTCP models were fitted to clinical fibrosis data for the breast collated from the literature. Breast outlines were obtained from a commercially available Rando phantom using the Osiris system. Multislice breast treatment plans were produced using a variety of compensation methods. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) obtained for each treatment plan were reduced to simple numerical parameters using the equivalent uniform dose and effective volume DVH reduction methods. These parameters were input into the models to obtain complication probability predictions. The fitted model parameters were consistent with a parallel tissue architecture. Conventional clinical plans generally showed reducing complication probabilities with increasing compensation sophistication. Extremely homogenous plans representing idealized IMRT treatments showed increased complication probabilities compared to conventional planning methods, as a result of increased dose to areas receiving sub-prescription doses using conventional techniques. | 10.1088/0031-9155/52/7/005 |
pubmed_254_8713 | INTRODUCTION
Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare disease in which multiple leiomyomas are formed intraperitoneally. Several LPD cases were associated with laparoscopic myomectomy using power morcellators; however, LPD with a large tumor size remains extremely rare. We present a case of large LPD occurring after laparoscopic surgery.
PRESENTATION OF CASE
A 26-year-old woman, gravida 0, underwent laparoscopic myomectomy with power morcellation in our institution. After 5 years, follow-up examination revealed pelvic tumors. Although we recommended resection, she refused and only wanted to be followed up. After 9 years from the first surgery, the tumors became symptomatic and were increasing in number (>10 nodules) and size (>15 cm). Needle biopsy detected leiomyoma. Computed tomography angiography showed that omental and mesenteric arteries were feeding the tumors. We performed laparotomy, and all the 19 tumors emerging from the omentum and mesenterium and weighing 7647 g in total were removed without injuring other organs. The maximum diameter of the largest tumor was 34 cm. The pathological diagnosis was nonmalignant LPD with leiomyoma.
DISCUSSION
Among all reported cases, our case had the largest LPD size. The tumors reached such a huge size because of two possible reasons: (1) they gradually grew asymptomatically over a long period from the time of diagnosis, and (2) they were fed by particularly large vessels, including the omental and mesenteric arteries.
CONCLUSION
A large LPD is not always symptomatic. After a laparoscopic myomectomy, especially with power morcellation, long-term follow-up is necessary to detect LPD. | 10.1016/j.ijscr.2020.12.005 |
pubmed_910_10395 | The identification of temporal protein complexes would make great contribution to our knowledge of the dynamic organization characteristics in protein interaction networks (PINs). Recent studies have focused on integrating gene expression data into static PIN to construct dynamic PIN which reveals the dynamic evolutionary procedure of protein interactions, but they fail in practice for recognizing the active time points of proteins with low or high expression levels. We construct a Time-Evolving PIN (TEPIN) with a novel method called Deviation Degree, which is designed to identify the active time points of proteins based on the deviation degree of their own expression values. Owing to the differences between protein interactions, moreover, we weight TEPIN with connected affinity and gene co-expression to quantify the degree of these interactions. To validate the efficiencies of our methods, ClusterONE, CAMSE and MCL algorithms are applied on the TEPIN, DPIN (a dynamic PIN constructed with state-of-the-art three-sigma method) and SPIN (the original static PIN) to detect temporal protein complexes. Each algorithm on our TEPIN outperforms that on other networks in terms of match degree, sensitivity, specificity, F-measure and function enrichment etc. In conclusion, our Deviation Degree method successfully eliminates the disadvantages which exist in the previous state-of-the-art dynamic PIN construction methods. Moreover, the biological nature of protein interactions can be well described in our weighted network. Weighted TEPIN is a useful approach for detecting temporal protein complexes and revealing the dynamic protein assembly process for cellular organization. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0153967 |
pubmed_41_17050 | OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the oncological long-term outcomes of trimodal therapy (TMT) and radical cystectomy (RC) for the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC) with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A systematic search was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines for studies reporting on outcomes after TMT and RC. A total of 57 studies including 30,293 patients were included. The 10-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates for TMT and RC were assessed.
RESULTS
The mean 10-year OS was 30.9% for TMT and 35.1% for RC (P = 0.32). The mean 10-year DSS was 50.9% for TMT and 57.8% for RC (P = 0.26). NAC was administered before therapy to 453 (13.3%) of 3,402 patients treated with TMT and 812 (3.0%) of 27,867 patients treated with RC (P<0.001). Complete response (CR) was achieved in 1,545 (75.3%) of 2,051 evaluable patients treated with TMT. A 5-year OS, DSS, and RFS after CR were 66.9%, 78.3%, and 52.5%, respectively. Downstaging after transurethral bladder tumor resection or NAC to stage ≤pT1 at RC was reported in 2,416 (29.1%) of 8,311 patients. NAC significantly increased the rate of pT0 from 20.2% to 34.3% (P = 0.007) in cT2 and from 3.8% to 23.9% (P<0.001) in cT3-4. A 5-year OS, DSS, and RFS in downstaged patients (≤pT1) at RC were 75.7%, 88.3%, and 75.8%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
In this analysis, the survival outcomes of patients after TMT and RC for MIBC were comparable. Patients who experienced downstaging after NAC and RC exhibited improved survival compared to patients treated with RC only. Best survival outcomes after TMT are associated with CR to this approach. | 10.1016/j.urolonc.2017.10.002 |
pubmed_1111_24215 | The pedunculopontine nucleus has been suggested as a target for DBS. In this paper we propose a single compartment computational model for a PPN Type I cell and compare its dynamic behavior with experimental data. The model shows bursts after a period of hyperpolarization and spontaneous firing at 8 Hz. Bifurcation analysis of the single PPN cell shows bistability of fast and slow spiking solutions for a range of applied currents. A network model for STN, GPe and GPi produces basal ganglia output that is used as input for the PPN cell. The conductances for projections from the STN and the GPi to the PPN are determined from experimental data. The resulting behavior of the PPN cell is studied under normal and Parkinsonian conditions of the basal ganglia network. The effect of high frequency stimulation of the STN is considered as well as the effect of combined high frequency stimulation of the STN and the PPN at various frequencies. The relay properties of the PPN cell demonstrate that the combined high frequency stimulation of STN and low frequency (10 Hz, 25 Hz, 40 Hz) stimulation of PPN hardly improves the effect of exclusive STN stimulation. Moreover, PPN-DBS at low stimulation amplitude has a better effect than at higher stimulation amplitude. The effect of PPN output on the basal ganglia is investigated, in particular the effect of STN-DBS and/or PPN-DBS on the pathological firing pattern of STN and GPe cells. PPN-DBS eliminates the pathological firing pattern of STN and GPe cells, whereas STN-DBS and combined STN-DBS and PPN-DBS eliminate the pathological firing pattern only from STN cells. | 10.1016/j.neunet.2011.03.007 |
pubmed_703_1796 | Counting individual RNA or DNA molecules is difficult because they are hard to copy quantitatively for detection. To overcome this limitation, we applied unique molecular identifiers (UMIs), which make each molecule in a population distinct, to genome-scale human karyotyping and mRNA sequencing in Drosophila melanogaster. Use of this method can improve accuracy of almost any next-generation sequencing method, including chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing, genome assembly, diagnostics and manufacturing-process control and monitoring. | 10.1038/nmeth.1778 |
pubmed_1104_6507 | This paper provides current information on the pharmacologic management of cardiovascular diseases. It also describes the drugs used to treat five common cardiovascular disorders--heart failure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and unstable angina--and lists their dental implications. This information can be used to monitor patients for potential adverse drug reactions and drug interactions and to provide an information base for medical consultation. | pubmed_1104_6507 |
pubmed_301_3558 | A microbial consortium from a mixture of garden soil and an enrichment of a coal-tar contaminated sediment mineralized naphthalene and anthracene when oxygen, nitrate, Fe(III) (soluble and insoluble) or sulphate were provided as terminal electron acceptors (TEAs). Rates of polyaromatic hydrocarbon disappearance and mineralization were similar in the presence of oxygen and nitrate, and slower with the other TEAs. A maximum mineralization of 37.5% naphthalene and 8.5% anthracene occurred in 30 and 160 days respectively when oxygen was provided as the TEA. On the other hand, only 9.5% naphthalene and 3.2% anthracene were mineralized in 42 and 160 days respectively with FeOOH. Mineralization occurred only when a TEA was provided and ceased when the naphthalene concentration decreased to non-detectable levels (less than 0.008 micromoles/L), as measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. CH4 was not detected in the headspace of any microcosm. These results showed that mineralization of polyaromatic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene and anthracene can be linked to wide range of TEAs demonstrating that intrinsic polyaromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation is possible if any of these TEAs were available. | 10.1023/a:1025620710581 |
pubmed_980_6561 | A-to-I RNA editing can contribute to the transcriptomic and proteomic diversity of many diseases including cancer. It has been reported that peptides generated from RNA editing could be naturally presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules and elicit CD8+ T cell activation. However, a systematical characterization of A-to-I RNA editing neoantigens in cancer is still lacking. Here, an integrated RNA-editing based neoantigen identification pipeline PREP (Prioritizing of RNA Editing-based Peptides) was presented. A comprehensive RNA editing neoantigen profile analysis on 12 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohorts was performed. PREP was also applied to 14 ovarian tumor samples and two clinical melanoma cohorts treated with immunotherapy. We finally proposed an RNA editing neoantigen immunogenicity score scheme, i.e. REscore, which takes RNA editing level and infiltrating immune cell population into consideration. We reported variant peptide from protein IFI30 in breast cancer which was confirmed expressed and presented in two samples with mass spectrometry data support. We showed that RNA editing neoantigen could be identified from RNA-seq data and could be validated with mass spectrometry data in ovarian tumor samples. Furthermore, we characterized the RNA editing neoantigen profile of clinical melanoma cohorts treated with immunotherapy. Finally, REscore showed significant associations with improved overall survival in melanoma cohorts treated with immunotherapy. These findings provided novel insights of cancer biomarker and enhance our understanding of neoantigen derived from A-to-I RNA editing as well as more types of candidates for personalized cancer vaccines design in the context of cancer immunotherapy. | 10.3389/fonc.2020.593989 |
pubmed_809_2759 | With the availability of ultra-precise mass spectrometric biomolecular data, the accurate mass is becoming a physical quantity of high interest for bioinformatics tools and strategies. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization sources now allows the easy determination of amino acid composition of medium size, unknown peptides when employing combinatorial calculation of hypothetical parent and fragment ion masses. This new method, which in a second step, allows the reliable de-novo sequencing of completely unknown peptides ["composition-based sequencing (CBS)"(1)] appears to open a wide new field of bioanalytical investigation. It has been shown that even unspecifically cleaved proteins can be identified easily and reliably when accurate mass evaluation is combined with protein database search tools.(2) It is quite clear that, while the nominal mass of a peptide has obviously no useful correlation to biomolecular structure, the accurate mass, instead, has a strong and direct correlation to structure that so far has not been exploited considerably by bioinformatic tools. It has already become obvious that accurate mass evaluation is going to become a central goal for bioinformatics strategies in the near future.(3-11) Strategies for extracting structural, and even functional, information out of accurate mass values of biomolecules still have to be developed. Examples and prospects of accurate mass evaluation in bioinformatics for the field of proteomics are outlined in the following. | 10.1255/ejms.840 |
pubmed_605_15938 | Alzheimer᾽s disease is characterized by cognitive deficits, impaired long-term potentiation of learning and memory. A progressive reduction in cholinergic neurons in some areas of the brain such as cortex and hippocampus is related to the deficits in memory and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the current project a new series of phthalimide derivatives were synthesized. Phthalic anhydride was reacted with 4-aminobenzoic acid in the presence of triethylamine under reflux condition. Then, the obtained acidic derivative was utilized for preparation of final compounds via an amidation reaction through a carbodiimde coupling reaction. Anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of synthesized derivatives was assessed by Ellman᾽s test. Compound 4g in this series exhibited the highest inhibitory potency (IC50 = 1.1 ± 0.25 µM) compared to donepezil (IC50 = 0.41 ± 0.12 µM) as reference drug. | pubmed_605_15938 |
pubmed_2_22527 | Renal lymphangiectasia is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of cystic masses in renal parenchyma, renal sinus or perinephric space. This condition, congenital or acquired, is probably caused by an alteration of renal lymphatic drainage to retroperitoneal lymph ducts. We report a 48-year-old woman, who consulted in the emergency room due to left flank pain and microscopic hematuria. Blood pressure and renal function were normal. A CT scan showed a multilocular cystic mass in the left renal sinus without alterations in the renal parenchyma. Renal lymphangiomatosis was diagnosed. The pain subsided with analgesics and did not recur. Annual clinical and ultrasound follow-up was suggested. | pubmed_2_22527 |
pubmed_749_24990 | Gallbladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary tract. The majority of cases are adenocarcinoma (AC). Pure squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of gallbladder accounts only 3% of the malignant neoplasm of this organ. Many patients are at advanced stage when diagnosed and have bad therapeutic efficacy. At present, radical surgery is the only chance to gain long-term survival for patients with early-stage gallbladder cancers. Recent reports have shown a benefit of adjuvant chemoradiation in this type of tumor. At present, no therapy is defined for unresectable cancer of the gallbladder, especially for SCC. | 10.21037/tgh.2016.09.07 |
pubmed_68_8858 | In a consecutive series of 317 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 32 (10.1%) had 35 extrahepatic primary malignant neoplasms (PMNs) (3 patients had triple cancers). Twenty-five PMNs occurred before the diagnosis of HCC, 7 were synchronous and 3 metachronous. These 35 PMNs were: 6 cancers of the colon, 3 of the stomach, 1 of the rectum, 4 of the breast, 2 of the lung, 1 of the larynx, 3 of the prostate, 1 of the penis, 1 of the urinary bladder, 1 of the uterus, 2 of the skin, and the remaining 10 were immunoproliferative cancers, all of B cell origin (7 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 2 multiple myeloma, and 1 chronic lymphocytic leukemia). Thus, in this series, B-lymphocyte-derived neoplasms were the most frequent PMNs associated with HCC. These 10 patients showed no difference for age, male:female ratio, HCC cytotype, presence of cirrhosis, alcohol abuse, markers related to hepatitis B and C virus, and serum level of alpha-fetoprotein when compared with the 22 patients with HCC and other PMNs and the 285 with HCC alone. B cell neoplasms constitute half of the synchronous or metachronous cancers, and must, therefore, be kept in mind in the management of HCC patients. | 10.1159/000227383 |
pubmed_322_8771 | BACKGROUND
In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between chronic anterior sinusitis with the width and height of ethmoid sinus and also assess the ethmoid length and roof asymmetry in the Iranian adult population. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 422 patients who were referred with clinical signs of rhinosinusitis to the ENT Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Study participants were divided into healthy and sinusitis groups based on the level of sinus involvement. Computed tomography images were applied to calculate ethmoid height and width. A paired t-test was used to assess the roof and width asymmetry and an independent t-test was used to investigate the association between ethmoid height and width with the incidence of rhinosinusitis.
RESULTS
The mean age of sinusitis and healthy groups was 42.5±18.9 and 38.4±17.1 years, respectively. Of a total 422 subjects, 63.4% of whom were men. The overall prevalence of rhinosinusitis was 28.0%. We observed a statistically significant difference in terms of ethmoid height, and in both healthy and sinusitis group right ethmoid roof was statistically lower (P<0.05). However, no statistical difference was observed between the left and right side regarding the ethmoid sinus width (P>0.05). We also estimated correlation coefficients for rhinosinusitis score and ethmoid sinus height and width, which were not statistically significant (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Our study shows that the right side of the ethmoid roof was lower in comparison to the left side, and it should be fully understood and regarded in rhino sinus surgery. We also observed no association between sinusitis score and height and width of the ethmoid sinus. | 10.31661/gmj.v9i0.1748 |
pubmed_734_13334 | Objective
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is an attractive therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia. Unfortunately, secondary FLT3 mutations that developed resistance to inhibitors have become a severe problem. Specifically, ASP-835 (D835F/H/V/Y) mutant within the activation loop of FLT3 is the most commonly encountered drug-resistant and observed secondary FLT3 mutations. In this study, we carried out a set of computational approaches to explore how this mutation influenced the conformation and dynamics of DFG motif in a manner altered inhibitors' susceptibility.
Methods
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, dynamic cross-correlation (DCC) analysis, surface area (SASA), binding free energy (MM-GBSA), and structural analysis were used to compare the severe and minor D835V mutation-induced impact to sorafenib and crenolanib, respectively.
Results
The A-loop of the FLT3 protein may experience conformational change in the presence of the resistant mutation, which were mainly positioned at PHE-830. The protein-inhibitor interactions displayed that the motions of PHE-830 influenced that of sorafenib, but not to crenolanib.
Conclusions
These findings indicated that the structural impact brought by D835V mutation should be considered in designing novel drugs to overcome resistance to FLT3-D835V. | 10.1155/2022/3720026 |
pubmed_1081_13913 | The tumor microenvironment greatly influences cancer cell characteristics, and acidic extracellular pH has been implicated as an essential factor in tumor malignancy and the induction of drug resistance. Here, we examined the characteristics of gastric carcinoma (GC) cells under conditions of extracellular acidity and attempted to identify a means of enhancing treatment efficacy. Acidic conditions caused several changes in GC cells adversely affecting chemotherapeutic treatment. Extracellular acidity did inhibit GC cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest, but did not induce cell death at pH values down to 6.2, which was consistent with down-regulated cyclin D1 and up-regulated p21 mRNA expression. Additionally, an acidic environment altered the expression of atg5, HSPA1B, collagen XIII, collagen XXAI, slug, snail, and zeb1 genes which are related to regulation of cell resistance to cytotoxicity and malignancy, and as expected, resulted in increased resistance of cells to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs including etoposide, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and 5-FU. Interestingly, however, acidic environment dramatically sensitized GC cells to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Consistently, the acidity at pH 6.5 increased mRNA levels of DR4 and DR5 genes, and also elevated protein expression of both death receptors as detected by immunoblotting. Gene silencing analysis showed that of these two receptors, the major role in this effect was played by DR5. Therefore, these results suggest that extracellular acidity can sensitize TRAIL-mediated apoptosis at least partially via DR5 in GCs while it confers resistance to various type of chemotherapeutic drugs. | 10.4196/kjpp.2018.22.5.513 |
pubmed_891_4245 | Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been accepted as the mainstream treatment for type B aortic dissection, but post-TEVAR biomechanical-related complications are still a major drawback. Unfortunately, the stent-graft (SG) configuration after implantation and biomechanical interactions between the SG and local aorta are usually unknown prior to a TEVAR procedure. The ability to obtain such information via personalised computational simulation would greatly assist clinicians in pre-surgical planning. In this study, a virtual SG deployment simulation framework was developed for the treatment for a complicated aortic dissection case. It incorporates patient-specific anatomical information based on pre-TEVAR CT angiographic images, details of the SG design and the mechanical properties of the stent wire, graft and dissected aorta. Hyperelastic material parameters for the aortic wall were determined based on uniaxial tensile testing performed on aortic tissue samples taken from type B aortic dissection patients. Pre-stress conditions of the aortic wall and the action of blood pressure were also accounted for. The simulated post-TEVAR configuration was compared with follow-up CT scans, demonstrating good agreement with mean deviations of 5.8% in local open area and 4.6 mm in stent strut position. Deployment of the SG increased the maximum principal stress by 24.30 kPa in the narrowed true lumen but reduced the stress by 31.38 kPa in the entry tear region where there was an aneurysmal expansion. Comparisons of simulation results with different levels of model complexity suggested that pre-stress of the aortic wall and blood pressure inside the SG should be included in order to accurately predict the deformation of the deployed SG. | 10.1007/s10237-021-01504-x |
pubmed_259_6640 | A joint analysis of five paternal half-sib Holstein families that were part of two different granddaughter designs (ADR- or Inra-design) was carried out for five milk production traits and somatic cell score in order to conduct a QTL confirmation study and to increase the experimental power. Data were exchanged in a coded and standardised form. The combined data set (JOINT-design) consisted of on average 231 sires per grandsire. Genetic maps were calculated for 133 markers distributed over nine chromosomes. QTL analyses were performed separately for each design and each trait. The results revealed QTL for milk production on chromosome 14, for milk yield on chromosome 5, and for fat content on chromosome 19 in both the ADR- and the Inra-design (confirmed within this study). Some QTL could only be mapped in either the ADR- or in the Inra-design (not confirmed within this study). Additional QTL previously undetected in the single designs were mapped in the JOINT-design for fat yield (chromosome 19 and 26), protein yield (chromosome 26), protein content (chromosome 5), and somatic cell score (chromosome 2 and 19) with genomewide significance. This study demonstrated the potential benefits of a combined analysis of data from different granddaughter designs. | 10.1186/1297-9686-35-3-319 |
pubmed_626_25209 | We present a Moran-model approach to modeling general multiallelic selection in a finite population and show how it may be used to develop theoretical models of biological systems of balancing selection such as plant gametophytic self-incompatibility loci. We propose new expressions for the stationary distribution of allele frequencies under selection and use them to show that the continuous-time Markov chain describing allele frequency change with exchangeable selection and Moran-model reproduction is reversible. We then use the reversibility property to derive the expected allele frequency spectrum in a finite population for several general models of multiallelic selection. Using simulations, we show that our approach is valid over a broader range of parameters than previous analyses of balancing selection based on diffusion approximations to the Wright-Fisher model of reproduction. Our results can be applied to any model of multiallelic selection in which fitness is solely a function of allele frequency. | 10.1534/genetics.108.089474 |
pubmed_865_3883 | INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study is to show the condition of laminar organization on 3.0T and 7.0T postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and analyze developmental changes.
METHODS
Heads of 131 fetal specimens of 14-40 weeks gestational age (GA) were scanned by 3.0T MRI. Eleven fetal specimens of 14-27 weeks GA were scanned by 7.0T MRI. Clear images were chosen for analysis.
RESULTS
On T₁-weighted 3.0T MRI, layers could be visualized at 14 weeks GA and appeared clearer after 18 weeks GA. On 7.0T MRI, four zones could be recognized at 14 weeks GA. During 15-22 weeks GA, when laminar organization appeared typical, seven layers including the periventricular zone and external capsule fibers could be differentiated, which corresponded to seven zones in histological stained sections. At 23-28 weeks GA, laminar organization appeared less typical, and borderlines among them appeared obscured. After 30 weeks GA, it disappeared and turned into mature-like structures. The developing lamination appeared the most distinguishable at the parieto-occipital part of brain and peripheral regions of the hippocampus. The migrating thalamocortical afferents were probably delineated as a high signal layer located at the lower, middle, and upper part of the subplate zone at 16-28 weeks GA on T₁-weighted 3.0T MRI.
CONCLUSIONS
T₁-weighted 3.0T MRI and T₂-weighted 7.0T MRI can well demonstrate the laminar organization. Development of the lamination follows a specific spatio-temporal regularity, and postmortem MRI of the parieto-occipital part of brain obtained with 3.0T or 7.0T is an effective way to show developmental changes. | 10.1007/s00234-010-0781-7 |
pubmed_885_3936 | Animal microRNAs (miRNA) are implicated in the control of nearly all cellular functions. Due to high sequence redundancy within the miRNA gene pool, loss of most of these 21- to 24-bp long RNAs individually does not cause a phenotype. Thus, only very few miRNAs have been associated with clear functional roles. We constructed a transgenic UAS-miRNA library in Drosophila melanogaster that contains 180 fly miRNAs. This library circumvents the redundancy issues by facilitating the controlled misexpression of individual miRNAs and is a useful tool to complement loss-of-function approaches. Demonstrating the effectiveness of our library, 78 miRNAs induced clear phenotypes. Most of these miRNAs were previously unstudied. Furthermore, we present a simple system to create GFP sensors to monitor miRNA expression and test direct functional interactions in vivo. Finally, we focus on the miR-92 family and identify a direct target gene that is responsible for the specific wing phenotype induced by the misexpression of miR-92 family members. | 10.1534/genetics.112.145383 |
pubmed_163_26122 | Climate change and invasive species are major environmental issues facing the world today. They represent the major threats for various types of ecosystems worldwide, mainly managed ecosystems such as agriculture. This study aims to examine the link between climate change and the biological invasion of insect pest species. Increased international trade systems and human mobility have led to increasing introduction rates of invasive insects while climate change could decrease barriers for their establishment and distribution. To mitigate environmental and economic damage it is important to understand the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the process of invasion (transport, introduction, establishment, and dispersal) in terms of climate change. We highlight the major biotic factors affecting the biological invasion process: diet breadth, phenological plasticity, and lifecycle strategies. Finally, we present alien insect pest invasion management that includes prevention, eradication, and assessment of the biological invasion in the form of modelling prediction tools. | 10.3390/insects12110985 |
pubmed_959_21298 | Purpose No gold standard criteria exist for diagnosing developmental auditory processing disorder (APD). This study aimed to identify APD criteria, which are consistent with that used for comorbidities, and how comorbidities predicted APD. Method A retrospective study of 167 participants (males = 105, females = 62; age: 6-16 years; nonverbal IQ > 80) with suspected APD is presented. Five SCAN-3 tests evaluated auditory processing (AP). Comorbidities included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, language impairment, and impaired manual dexterity, which were identified using percentile ≤ 5 in the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham parental rating scale; Children's Communication Checklist-2; and Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, respectively. Results Percentiles ≤ 9, ≤ 5, and < 2 in two or more AP tests had sensitivities (specificities) of 76% (70.6%), 59.3% (76.5%), and 26% (82.4%), respectively, in predicting comorbidities, which were present in 150 of the 167 participants. The criterion of "≤ 9 percentile in two or more AP tests" (Approach I) diagnosed APD in 119 participants, and criterion "≤ 5 percentile in two or more AP tests or ≤ 5 percentile in one AP plus one or more measures of comorbidities" (Approach II) diagnosed 123. The combination of approaches diagnosed 128 participants (76.6%) with APD, of which 114 were diagnosed by each approach (89%). Language impairment and impaired manual dexterity, but not attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, predicted APD. Conclusions "Percentile ≤ 9 in two or more AP tests" or "percentile ≤ 5 in one AP plus one or more measures of comorbidities" are evidence-based APD diagnostic criteria. Holistic and interprofessional practice evaluating comorbidities including motor skills is important for APD. | 10.1044/2020_AJA-20-00103 |
pubmed_17_15524 | BACKGROUND
Skeletal muscle remodeling is a critical component of an organism's response to environmental changes. Exercise causes structural changes in muscle and can induce phase shifts in circadian rhythms, fluctuations in physiology and behavior with a period of around 24 hours that are maintained by a core clock mechanism. Both exercise-induced remodeling and circadian rhythms rely on the transcriptional regulation of key genes.
RESULTS
We used DNA microarrays to determine the effects of resistance exercise (RE) on gene regulation in biopsy samples of human quadriceps muscle obtained 6 and 18 hours after an acute bout of isotonic exercise with one leg. We also profiled diurnal gene regulation at the same time points (2000 and 0800 hours) in the non-exercised leg. Comparison of our results with published circadian gene profiles in mice identified 44 putative genes that were regulated in a circadian fashion. We then used quantitative PCR to validate the circadian expression of selected gene orthologs in mouse skeletal muscle.
CONCLUSIONS
The coordinated regulation of the circadian clock genes Cry1, Per2, and Bmal1 6 hours after RE and diurnal genes 18 hours after RE in the exercised leg suggest that RE may directly modulate circadian rhythms in human skeletal muscle. | 10.1186/gb-2003-4-10-r61 |
pubmed_341_26160 | Heart failure (HF) has been recognized as a pandemic and is a serious clinical and health problem associated with significant mortality, morbidity and expenditure on healthcare, especially among older people. Progress in medicine has made it possible for an increasing number of people with HF to live longer than ever before. Therefore, a new and serious clinical problem has appeared - advanced heart failure (AHF). A better understanding of this issue is very important, because there are many more patients waiting for transplantations than there are available hearts. The role of the medical team is to keep the patient in the best condition until the heart transplant/implantation of left ventricular assist devices or at least to ensure the best possible quality of life. This article reviews the available data on AHF. The authors have succinctly presented different definitions and methods of the AHF diagnosis established by medical societies, as well as epidemiological data, methods of assessment, and possible treatment strategies. | 10.17219/acem/103669 |
pubmed_965_4181 | A pseudo-kinetic method has been developed for determining the ferrous and ferric iron in the water-soluble oxidation products of pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite, and ores and concentrates containing them. Two determinations are required for each material. In one, the total iron is determined with 1,10-phenanthroline after reduction to Fe(II). In the other, the reduction of Fe(III) is retarded by complexation with fluoride. The difference in the amount of ferrous phenanthranoline complex produced in these two determinations is a function of the original FE(III) concentration and of time. | 10.1016/0039-9140(79)80110-1 |
pubmed_825_2369 | The bacterial genus Serpula Stanton et al. 1991 is illegitimate due to the existence of a fungal genus Serpula Pers. ex S. F. Gray. Consequently, a new genus designation, Serpulina, is proposed for this spirochete genus. Serpula hyodysenteriae, the type species, and Serpula innocens Stanton et al. 1991, therefore, become Serpulina hyodysenteriae comb. nov. and Serpulina innocens comb. nov. | 10.1099/00207713-42-1-189 |
pubmed_335_25599 | BACKGROUND
Darier disease (DD) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder which develops from a mutation in the ATP2A2 gene. Inflammatory myopathies (IM) are the largest group of potentially treatable myopathies. In this case, we report development of IM in a patient with DD for the second time in the literature.
CASE PRESENTATION
The patient is a 59-year-old female, a known case of DD, who developed proximal muscle weakness 2 weeks prior to admission. Elevated muscle-enzymes, as well as typical electromyographic and radiologic confirmed the diagnosis of IM.
CONCLUSIONS
Abnormalities in intracellular calcium homeostasis may explain the association between DM and DD, therefore it is noteworthy to keep this association in mind and conduct more research regarding this issue. | 10.22088/cjim.9.2.201 |
pubmed_51_21744 | BACKGROUND
Impaired cerebral autoregulation may predispose patients to cerebral hypoperfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for impaired autoregulation during coronary artery bypass graft, valve surgery with CPB, or both and to evaluate whether near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) autoregulation monitoring could be used to identify this condition.
METHODS
Two hundred and thirty-four patients were monitored with transcranial Doppler and NIRS. A continuous, moving Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) velocity, and between MAP and NIRS data, to generate the mean velocity index (Mx) and cerebral oximetry index (COx), respectively. Functional autoregulation is indicated by an Mx and COx that approach zero (no correlation between CBF and MAP); impaired autoregulation is indicated by an Mx and COx approaching 1. Impaired autoregulation was defined as an Mx ≥0.40 at all MAPs during CPB.
RESULTS
Twenty per cent of patients demonstrated impaired autoregulation during CPB. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, time-averaged COx during CPB, male gender, Pa(CO(2)), CBF velocity, and preoperative aspirin use were independently associated with impaired CBF autoregulation. Perioperative stroke occurred in six of 47 (12.8%) patients with impaired autoregulation compared with five of 187 (2.7%) patients with preserved autoregulation (P=0.011).
CONCLUSIONS
Impaired CBF autoregulation occurs in 20% of patients during CPB. Patients with impaired autoregulation are more likely than those with functional autoregulation to have perioperative stroke. Non-invasive monitoring autoregulation may provide an accurate means to predict impaired autoregulation. Clinical trials registration. www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00769691). | 10.1093/bja/aes148 |
pubmed_211_13996 | IFN-gamma can be physicochemically distinguished from interferons-alpha, -beta or -omega through the loss of its tertiary structure and biological activity upon exposure to acid or heat. This loss is due to the irreversible aggregation of an unfolded or partially folded state. The conformational instability of IFN-gamma is reflected by its impairment to fold properly when overexpressed in Escherichia coli, resulting in its accumulation in cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Chaperones were originally identified as a heterogeneous group of proteins that mediate the folding and correct assembly of various polypeptide substrates, and protect thermolabile proteins against inactivation. In either of both cases, chaperones prevent irreversible misfolding by assisting the substrate protein along its pathway to a stable tertiary conformation. Among the best characterized chaperones are the Escherichia coli Hsp60 and Hsp70 heat shock protein complexes, i.e., GroEL/GroES and DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE. They exhibit entirely different reaction mechanisms, which, however, both depend on hydrolysis of ATP. The unfolding of recombinant IFN-gamma by acid or heat can be used as a tool to assess its in vitro interaction with each of both chaperone systems at physiological temperature (35 degrees C). Using such an experimental set-up, both the DnaK and GroEL chaperone systems appeared to form complexes with IFN-gamma from which correctly folded protein was released in an ATP-dependent manner. In addition to the biotechnological implication of these observations, the relevance to de novo folding of IFN-gamma is discussed. | 10.1016/s0300-9084(99)80026-1 |
pubmed_531_16358 | The present study determined the amount and types of glycosaminoglycans and collagen concentrations in follicles of the domestic hen. The stigma (S; the area of follicular rupture) and nonstigma (NS) regions of the theca layer were isolated from the preovulatory follicle (F1) and an immature follicle (F2) that were to ovulate 30 min and 26 h later, respectively. Glycosaminoglycan density, which was estimated by measuring follicular uronic acid concentration (micrograms/mg dry wt), was lower (p less than 0.01) in F1S (2.6 +/- 0.1) compared to F1NS (3.4 +/- 0.2), F2S (3.4 +/- 0.1), and F2NS (3.4 +/- 0.1). Theca glycosaminoglycans consisted of approximately 58% dermatan sulfate, 20% heparan sulfate, and 22% hyaluronic acid. The F1S contained lower (p less than 0.05) amounts of dermatan sulfate and hyaluronic acid compared to F1NS, F2S, and F2NS. There was no significant difference in amounts of heparan sulfate in the F1S, F1NS, F2S, and F2NS. Collagen density, which was estimated by measuring follicular hydroxyproline concentrations (micrograms/mg dry wt), were lower (p less than 0.01) in F1S (20.3 +/- 1.4) and F2S (19.8 +/- 1.4) compared to F1NS (28.9 +/- 1.9) and F2NS (29.9 +/- 2.7). However, there was not a further decrease in collagen concentration in the F1S compared to F2S. We suggest that glycosaminoglycans may be degraded specifically in the stigma region of the preovulatory follicle prior to ovulation. The lower amount of collagen in the stigma region may decrease the tensile strength in the stigma compared to the nonstigma region regardless of maturational stage. | 10.1095/biolreprod45.2.301 |
pubmed_1042_5756 | Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is currently used as a lightweight material in various parts of automobiles. However, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) material may be damaged at the time of joining via mechanical bonding; therefore, adhesion is important. When bonding is conducted without surface CFRP treatment, interfacial destruction occurs during which the adhesive falls off along with the CFRP. Mechanical strength and fracture shape were investigated depending on the surface treatment (pristine, plasma treatment times, and plasma treatment times plus epoxy modified primer coating). The plasma treatment effect was verified using the contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The wettability of the epoxy modified primer (EMP) coating was confirmed through surface morphology analysis, followed by observation of mechanical properties and fracture shape. Based on test data collected from 10 instances of plasma treatment, the EMP coating showed 115% higher strength than that of pristine CFRP. The adhesive failure shape also changed from interfacial failure to mixed-mode failure. Thus, applying an EMP coating during the automotive parts stage enhances the effect of CFRP surface treatment. | 10.3390/polym12030556 |
pubmed_1048_23456 | PURPOSE
The low-volume hospital (LVH) payment adjustment established in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 is scheduled to sunset on October 1, 2017. The purpose of this analysis was: (1) to estimate the effect of the ACA LVH adjustment on qualifying hospitals' profitability margins; and (2) to examine hospital and market characteristics of the hospitals that would be most adversely affected by the loss of the ACA LVH adjustment.
METHODS
2004-2015 data from the Hospital Cost Report Information System, Hospital Market Service Area File and Nielsen-Claritas Pop-Facts file were used to estimate difference-in-difference regression models with hospital-level random effects in order to determine whether the ACA LVH adjustment improved qualifying rural hospitals' profitability margins. Recycled predictions estimated the effect of losing the ACA LVH adjustment on profitability margins. Bivariate analyses explored associations between the predicted profitability margins and hospital and market characteristics.
FINDINGS
The ACA LVH adjustment significantly improved Sole Community Hospitals' Medicare inpatient margins in the year they received the adjustment, and it had a large but statistically insignificant effect on the profitability margins of other rural hospitals. Hospitals that would be the most adversely affected by loss of the ACA LVH adjustment were more likely to be small, located in the South, and in high-poverty markets with higher proportions of black and uninsured individuals.
CONCLUSIONS
Elimination of the ACA LVH adjustment would have differential effects on subgroups of hospitals, and those located in markets serving historically underserved populations would be the most adversely affected. | 10.1111/jrh.12225 |
pubmed_273_8520 | The aim of this study is to propose a method for analyzing measured signal obtained from functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is applicable for neuroimaging studies for car drivers. We developed a signal processing method by multiresolution analysis (MRA) based on discrete wavelet transform. Statistical group analysis using Z-score is conducted after the extraction of task-related signal using MRA. Brain activities of subjects with different level of mental calculation are measured by fNIRS and fMRI. Results of mental calculation with nine subjects by using fNIRS and fMRI showed that the proposed methods were effective for the evaluation of brain activities due to the task. Finally, the proposed method is applied for evaluating brain function of car driver with and without adaptive cruise control (ACC) system for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results showed that frontal lobe was less active when the subject drove with ACC. | 10.1155/2009/164958 |
pubmed_380_10606 | In the conservation literature, heuristic procedures have been employed to incorporate spatial considerations in reserve network selection with the presumption that computationally convenient optimization models would be too difficult or impossible to formulate. This paper extends the standard set-covering formulation to incorporate a particular spatial selection criterion, namely reducing the reserve boundary to the extent possible, when selecting a reserve network that represents a set of target species at least once. Applying the model to a dataset on the occurrence of breeding birds in Berkshire, UK, demonstrated that the technique resulted in significant reductions in reserve boundary length relative to solutions produced by the standard set-covering formulation. Computational results showed that moderately large reserve network selection problems could be solved without issue. Alternative solutions may be produced to explore trade-offs between boundary length, number of sites required or alternative criteria. | 10.1098/rspb.2003.2393 |
pubmed_678_1631 | BACKGROUND/AIMS
Nitroglycerin is widely used as a coronary vasodilator in the treatment of ischemic heart diseases. This study investigated the influence of hypoxia on nitroglycerin-induced relaxation in endothelium-intact and -denuded rabbit, monkey, and porcine coronary arteries.
METHODS
Helically cut strips of coronary arteries were suspended in organ chambers, and isometric tension was recorded.
RESULTS
Nitroglycerin concentration dependently relaxed endothelium-intact rabbit coronary arteries, which were not different under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. On the other hand, nitroglycerin-induced relaxation of endothelium-denuded arteries was significantly attenuated by hypoxia. Similarly, the relaxant response of endothelium-intact monkey coronary arteries to nitroglycerin was not affected by hypoxia, whereas that of endothelium-denuded arteries was impaired. As is the case with rabbit and monkey coronary arteries, exposure to hypoxia resulted in impaired relaxation by nitroglycerin in endothelium-denuded but not endothelium-intact porcine coronary arteries.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that coronary endothelium plays a pivotal role in preventing the hypoxia-induced impairment of nitroglycerin responsiveness, regardless of the animal species. | 10.1159/000461587 |
pubmed_235_7151 | The Chinese government has launched a digital health code system to detect people potentially exposed to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease and to curb its spread. Citizens are required to show the health code on their smartphones when using public transport. However, many seniors are not allowed to use public transport due to their difficulties in obtaining health codes, leading to widespread debates about these unfair events. Traditionally, public perceptions and attitudes toward such unfair events are investigated using analytical methods based on interviews or questionnaires. This study crawled seven-month messages from Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, and developed a hybrid approach integrating term-frequency-inverse-document-frequency, latent Dirichlet allocation, and sentiment classification. Results indicate that a rumor about the unfair treatment of elderly travelers triggered public concerns. Primary subjects of concern were the status quo of elderly travelers, the provision of transport services, and unfair event descriptions. Following the government's responses, people still had negative attitudes toward transport services, while they became more positive about the status quo of elderly travelers. These findings will guide government authorities to explore new forms of automated social control and to improve transport policies in terms of equity and fairness in future pandemics. | 10.3390/ijerph18041756 |
pubmed_632_22551 | Infiltration of T cells is associated with patients who have diabetes at an increased risk of heart attack. T-cell sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1)-mediated signaling directs T-lymphocyte trafficking. Effects of T-cell S1P1 activation on cardiac fibrosis in a murine diabetic model remain to be explored. For this purpose, conditional T-cell S1P1 knockout (TS1P1KO) mice generated by crossing S1pr1loxP/loxP mice with Lck-Cre mice were used in a model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy. The TS1P1KO mice exhibited sustained deficiency of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the blood. The TS1P1KO vehicle control mouse hearts featured an altered phenotype characterized by increased myocardial fibrosis and reduced cardiac contractility under normal levels of glucose. Compared with littermate diabetic mice, TS1P1KO diabetic mice had improved cardiac function and alleviated cardiac fibrosis detected after 11 wk of diabetic induction. Our results indicate that T-cell S1P1 signaling activation plays a dual role in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis with respect to the levels of glucose: T-cell S1P1 activation exerts antifibrotic effects in normoglycemia but exacerbates fibrosis under hyperglycemia.-Abdullah, C. S., Jin, Z.-Q. Targeted deletion of T-cell S1P receptor 1 ameliorates cardiac fibrosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. | 10.1096/fj.201800231R |
pubmed_844_1723 | In an attempt to understand cell kinetics of open neural tube defects (ONTDs) in the embryonic stages, chronological changes of cell proliferation and cell death patterns in the surgically induced spinal ONTDs of chick embryos were investigated using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. ONTDs were induced at Hamburger and Hamilton stages 17-19. Compared with the control group, the surgery group showed a lower PCNA labeling index for 5 days after surgery and demonstrated more TUNEL-positive cells at 6 h, 3 and 5 days after surgery. Decreased cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis were seen in the ventral as well as in the dorsal spinal cord. These results partly explain the functional deficits of ONTDs. | 10.1016/s0304-3940(98)00177-3 |
pubmed_414_2760 | OBJECTIVE
To describe a unique advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) in which pharmacy students provided medication education to hospitalized patients.
DESIGN
Students were trained to independently assess patients' needs for education and identify drug-related problems. Students then provided medication education and performed medication therapy management under the supervision of clinical staff pharmacists. To assess the impact of the APPE, the number of hospitalized patients assessed and educated during the 3-month time period prior to student involvement was compared to the first 3 months of the APPE.
ASSESSMENT
Student participation increased the number of patients receiving medication education and medication therapy management from the hospital pharmacy. At the end of the APPE, students reported that the experience positively affected their ability to impact patients' care and to critique their own learning and skills.
CONCLUSION
The inpatient medication education APPE provided students the opportunity to be responsible and accountable for the provision of direct patient care. In addition, the APPE benefitted the hospital, the school of pharmacy, and, most importantly, the patients. | 10.5688/aj730111 |
pubmed_1086_8072 | The relapsing fever agent Borrelia hermsii undergoes multiphasic antigenic variation through gene conversion of a unique expression site on a linear plasmid by an archived variable antigen gene. To further characterize this mechanism we assessed the repertoire and organization of archived variable antigen genes by sequencing approximately 85% of plasmids bearing these genes. Most archived genes shared with the expressed gene a <or= 62 nucleotide (nt) region, the upstream homology sequence (UHS), that surrounded the start codon. The 59 archived variable antigen genes were arrayed in clusters with 13 repetitive, 214 nt long downstream homology sequence (DHS) elements distributed among them. A fourteenth DHS element was downstream of the expression locus. Informative nucleotide polymorphisms in UHS regions and DHS elements were applied to the analysis of the expression site of relapse serotypes from 60 infected mice in a prospective study. For most recombinations, the upstream crossover occurred in the UHS's second half, and the downstream crossover was in the DHS's second half. Usually the closest archival DHS element was used, but occasionally a more distant DHS was employed. The downstream extragenic crossover site in B. hermsii contrasts with the upstream [corrected] extragenic crossover site for antigenic variation in African trypanosomes. | 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05177.x |
pubmed_521_9438 | The existence of an aphasia-like language disorder in psychotic speech has been the subject of much debate. This paper argues that a discrete language disorder could be an important cause of the disturbance seen in psychotic speech. A review is presented of classical clinical descriptions and experimental studies that have explored the similarities between psychotic language impairment and aphasic speech. The paper proposes neurolinguistic tasks which may be used in future studies to elicit subtle language impairments in psychotic speech. The usefulness of a neurolinguistic model for further research in the aetiology and treatment of psychosis is discussed. | 10.1080/00048679409075633 |
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