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pubmed_1118_25864
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BACKGROUND
The introduction of minimal invasive principles in colorectal surgery was a major breakthrough, resulting in multiple clinical benefits, at the cost, though, of a notably steep learning process. The development of structured nation-wide training programs led to the easier completion of the learning curve; however, these programs are not yet universally available, thus prohibiting the wider adoption of laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
AIM
To display our experience in the learning curve status of laparoscopic colorectal surgery under a non-structured training setting.
METHODS
We analyzed all laparoscopic colorectal procedures performed in the 2012-2019 period under a non-structured training setting. Cumulative sum analysis and change-point analysis (CPA) were introduced.
RESULTS
Overall, 214 patients were included. In terms of operative time, CPA identified the 110th case as the first turning point. A plateau was reached after the 145th case. Subgroup analysis estimated the 58th for colon and 52nd case for rectum operations as the respective turning points. A learning curve pattern was confirmed for pathology outcomes, but not in the conversion to open surgery and morbidity endpoints.
CONCLUSION
The learning curves in our setting validate the comparability of the results, despite the absence of National or Surgical Society driven training programs.
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10.4253/wjge.v14.i6.387
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pubmed_901_11349
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This study was designed to investigate properties of laryngeal secretion and secretory activity of IgA in the larynx. Laryngeal secretions were collected by adsorption method on filter paper during laryngomicrosurgery from 20 patients having an inflammatory lesion in the larynx. Contents of IgG, IgA, IgE, secretory component (SC), and lactoferrin in the laryngeal secretions were determined and compared with results of those in nasal secretions, tracheobronchial washings, and serum samples obtained from the same subjects. The laryngeal mucosae of 8 laryngectomized materials for cancer lesion were subjected to immunofluorescence studies including the cytoplasmic SC affinity test. Results of this study indicate that laryngeal secretions are characterized by exocrine secretion, resembling nasal and tracheobronchial secretions in the electrophoretic pattern and immunoglobulins content. The immunofluorescence studies and SC affinity test found that the larynx possesses secretory activity of IgA, particularly in the ventricle and subglottis.
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10.3109/00016487909126397
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pubmed_911_20484
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The number of implanted cardiac pacing and defibrillating devices is currently increasing, leading to an increasing number of device-related complications, due to either malfunction or infection. Removal of the whole system, including the leads, was proven to be the most effective therapy. At present the importance of transvenous lead extraction is consequently increased. In order to remove pacing and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) leads, they have to be made free from any binding site from the entry in the vein to the tip. Different techniques, including mechanical dilation, powered dilation and intravascular approaches have been developed over the last years and are currently available. Results reported in the literature show a significant success rate (ranging between 90% and 98% of the leads) and a reduced incidence of serious complications (1% to 3% in different series) in selected centres. The extraction procedures are complex and life-threatening complications may always occur, suggesting the need of trained and experienced operators as well as the availability of a surgical standby. At present indications to removal are restricted to infection or to damage of the leads inducing serious risk for the patients; the availability of a more effective and safe technique will probably spread indications to most of abandoned leads.
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pubmed_911_20484
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pubmed_417_8394
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We report on a male patient with advanced relapsing polychondritis (RP), who was hospitalized for an ophthalmologic intervention. He had to undergo a tracheostomy with general anesthesia due to respiratory decompensation. RP is a rare systemic, inflammatory, and destructive disease of the cartilaginous structures leading to multiple functional disorders in the affected organs. Involvement of the tracheobronchial tract may cause severe respiratory problems and even life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. Treatment consists of corticoids, chemotherapy, antirheumatics, and surgical intervention. Anesthesiologic management requires careful preoperative evaluation of vital organ functions, in particular respiration, so that the anesthetic approach can be tailored to the individual needs of each patient.
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10.1016/0952-8180(94)90121-x
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pubmed_453_20959
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BACKGROUND
The upper thigh is an alternative but infrequently used site to the forearm for placement of subcutaneous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) arteriovenous conduits in patients requiring hemodialysis for end stage renal failure. This site has the great advantage of easier accessibility for self-cannulation.
METHODS
The outcome was reviewed for 74 PTFE loops placed in 61 patients between 1985 and 1991.
RESULTS
Mean loop survival time was 99.8 weeks (SD 78.0) when patients with early failure (<1 week), and those patients whose loops functioned adequately until transplantation or death were excluded. Infection occurred in 12 of 74 loops.
CONCLUSIONS
Thigh PTFE loops provide satisfactory medium- to long-term vascular access for hemodialysis although, like all other forms of access currently available, they fall short of the ideal for prolonged dialysis.
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10.1016/S0002-9610(96)00405-9
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pubmed_13_15799
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The goal of the present study was to examine clinician, supervisor, and organizational factors that are associated with the intensity of evidence-based treatment (EBT) focus in workplace-based clinical supervision of a specific EBT, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Supervisors (n = 56) and clinicians (n = 207) from mental health organizations across Washington State completed online self-report questionnaires. Multilevel modeling (MLM) analyses were used to examine the relative influence of nested clinician and supervisor factors on the intensity of EBT focus in supervision. We found that 33% of the variance in clinician report of EBT supervision intensity clustered at the supervisor level and implementation climate was the only significant factor associated with EBT supervision intensity. While individual clinician and supervisor factors may play a role in EBT coverage in supervision, our results suggest that an implementation climate that supports EBT may be the most critical factor for improving intensity of EBT coverage. Thus, implementation efforts that address the extent to which EBTs are expected, rewarded, and supported within an organization may be needed to support greater coverage of EBT during workplace-based supervision.
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10.1016/j.beth.2017.12.007
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pubmed_1070_13497
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This study compares the antioxidant activity of ten different pomegranate cultivars grown in Iran using the ferric reducing power assay (FRAP assay), which is based on the reduction of a ferric-tripyridyl triazine complex to its ferrous, colored form in the presence of antioxidants. Aqueous solutions of known Fe(+2) concentration, in the range of 100-1000 micromol L(-1) were used for calibration. The results showed that among pulp and peel fractions the sour alac and sweet white peel cultivars had more FRAP value respectively. The pomegranate peel extract had markedly higher antioxidant capacity than the pulp extract. The peel extract of sweet white peel cultivar appeared to have more potential as a health supplement rich in natural antioxidants compared to the pulp and peel extracts of other pomegranate cultivars.
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10.3923/pjbs.2008.1600.1604
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pubmed_50_22768
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Our previous study demonstrated that the incorporation of a tumor antigen into a self-assembling DNA hydrogel, comprised of a DNA containing un-methylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides (CpG DNA), efficiently induced antigen-specific tumor immunity after intra-tumoral injection into tumor-bearing mice. We hypothesized that the additional incorporation of immune cells, the target for the antigen and immunostimulatory CpG DNA, would increase the antitumor response. To prove this, immune cells were also encapsulated into the CpG DNA hydrogel and delivered along with the antigen. Mouse dendritic DC2.4 cells maintained their form even after incorporation into the DNA hydrogel. The incorporation of mouse macrophage-like J774.1 cells and RAW264.7 cells into CpG DNA hydrogel did not significantly affect their viability. J774.1, RAW264.7, DC2.4, and mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were efficiently activated when incorporated into the CpG DNA hydrogel. The CpG DNA hydrogel incorporated with both the tumor antigen and BMDCs effectively induced antigen-specific immune responses, and retarded tumor growth following intradermal administration before and after tumor inoculation without severe local and systemic adverse events. These data indicate that the combined delivery of a tumor antigen and immune cells using an immunostimulatory CpG DNA hydrogel is effective in inducing antigen-specific antitumor immunity.
|
10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.09.007
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pubmed_670_18183
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Unidirectional fluxes of 45Ca, 36Cl, and of [3H]mannitol from blood into the sciatic nerve and cerebral cortex were determined from 5- and 15-min uptakes of these tracers after an intravenous (i.v.) bolus injection in awake rats. Rats were fed diets for 8 wk, that had either a low (0.01% wt/wt), normal (0.67%), or high (3%) Ca content. Plasma [Ca] was 32% less and 11% more in rats fed low (LOCA) and high Ca diets (HICA), respectively, than in rats fed a normal Ca diet (CONT). The mean permeability-surface area product (PA) of 45Ca at the blood-nerve barrier was about eightfold higher than at the blood-brain barrier in the same animals and did not differ significantly between groups (greater than 0.05). Mean PA ratios of 45Ca/36Cl for the blood-nerve and blood-brain barriers in CONT rats, 0.52 +/- 0.04 and 0.40 +/- 0.02, respectively, were not significantly different from corresponding ratios in LOCA and HICA groups, and corresponded to the aqueous limiting diffusion ratio (0.45). Our results show no evidence for concentration-dependent transport of Ca over a plasma [Ca] range of 0.8-1.4 mmol/liter at the blood-nerve barrier of the rat peripheral nerve, and suggest that Ca and Cl exchange slowly between nerve and blood via paracellular pathways.
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10.1002/jnr.490280413
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pubmed_218_9494
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This study investigated the influence of pulsed low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the healing of a third-degree burn in a rat model. Two third-degree burns (distal and proximal) were made in the skin of 74 rats. Rats were divided into four groups. In group 1, the distal burn received LLLT with laser switched off; in groups 2 and 3, distal burns were treated with a 3,000 Hz-pulsed infrared diode laser with 2.3 and 11.7 J/cm(2) energy densities, respectively. In group 4, the distal burns were treated topically with 0.2% nitrofurazone. The proximal burn of all groups was considered a control burn. We assessed the response to treatment both microbiologically and macroscopically. The chi-square test showed that the incidence of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Lactobacillus, and diphtheria decreased significantly in laser-treated groups compared with other groups. Independent sample t-test showed that LLLT with 11.7 J/cm(2) energy density significantly increased wound-closure rate at 3 and 4 weeks after burning compared with their relevant control burns (p = 0.018 and p = 0.01, respectively). Pulsed LLLT with 11.7 J/cm(2)/890 nm of a third-degree burn in a rat model significantly increased wound-closure rate compared with control burns.
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10.1682/jrrd.2008.09.0121
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pubmed_786_2928
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Tessier III clefts represent one of the most difficult and challenging malformations of the face to repair. Ectropion caused by a Tessier III cleft may be secondary to a vertical loss of both the anterior and posterior lamellae of the lower eyelids.A composite Z plasty to treat recurrence of cicatricial ectropion of the lower eyelids in Tessier III cleft is described. This is not only a technically easy and effective surgical method but also has a short operation time. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the application of a composite Z plasty in the successful treatment of ectropion.
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10.1097/00001665-200401000-00016
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pubmed_392_1417
|
BACKGROUND
The consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic have already exceeded 10 million infected and more than 560,000 deaths worldwide since its inception. Currently, it is known that the disease affects mainly the respiratory system; however, recent studies have shown an increase in the number of patients with manifestations in other systems, including gastrointestinal manifestations. There is a lack of literature regarding the development of acute pancreatitis as a complication of coronavirus disease 2019.
CASE REPORT
We report a case of acute pancreatitis in a white male patient with coronavirus disease 2019. A 35-year-old man (body mass index 31.5) had acute epigastric pain radiating to his back, dyspnea, nausea, and vomiting for 2 days. The patient was diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis (AP)-APACHE II: 5, SOFA: 3, Marshall: 0; then he was transferred from ED to the semi-intensive care unit. He tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and his chest computed tomography findings were compatible with coronavirus disease 2019. Treatment was based on bowel rest, fluid resuscitation, analgesia, and empiric antibiotic therapy. At day 12, with resolution of abdominal pain and improvement of the respiratory condition, the patient was discharged.
CONCLUSION
Since there is still limited evidence of pancreatic involvement in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, no definite conclusion can be made. Given the lack of other etiology, we consider the possibility that the patient's acute pancreatitis could be secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 infection, and we suggest investigation of pancreas-specific plasma amylase in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and abdominal pain.
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10.1186/s13256-021-02911-5
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pubmed_442_6735
|
OBJECTIVES
To assess the impact of the percentage of fluid infused as Lactated Ringer (%LR) during the first 2 days of ICU admission in hospital mortality and occurrence of acute kidney injury.
DESIGN
Retrospective cohort.
SETTING
Analysis of a large public database (Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care-II).
PATIENTS
Adult patients with at least 2 days of ICU stay, admission creatinine lower than 5 mg/dL, and that received at least 500 mL of fluid in the first 48 hours.
INTERVENTIONS
None.
MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS
10,249 patients were included in mortality analysis and 8,085 were included in the acute kidney injury analysis. For acute kidney injury analysis, we excluded patients achieving acute kidney injury criteria in the first 2 days of ICU stay. Acute kidney injury was defined as stage 2/3 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes creatinine criteria and was assessed from days 3-7. The effects of %LR in both outcomes were assessed through logistic regression controlling for confounders. Principal component analysis was applied to assess the effect of volume of each fluid type on mortality. Higher %LR was associated with lower mortality and less acute kidney injury. %LR effect increased with total volume of fluid infused. For patients in the fourth quartile of fluid volume (> 7 L), the odds ratio for mortality for %LR equal to 75% versus %LR equal to 25% was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.32-0.79; p < 0.001). Principal component analysis suggested that volume of Lactated Ringer and 0.9% saline infused had opposite effects in outcome, favoring Lactated Ringer.
CONCLUSIONS
Higher %LR was associated with reduced hospital mortality and with less acute kidney injury from days 3-7 after ICU admission. The association between %LR and mortality was influenced by the total volume of fluids infused.
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10.1097/CCM.0000000000001948
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pubmed_1124_7401
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Externalizing behavior problems of 124 adolescents were assessed across Grades 7-11. In Grade 9, participants were also assessed across social-cognitive domains after imagining themselves as the object of provocations portrayed in six videotaped vignettes. Participants responded to vignette-based questions representing multiple processes of the response decision step of social information processing. Phase 1 of our investigation supported a two-factor model of the response evaluation process of response decision (response valuation and outcome expectancy). Phase 2 showed significant relations between the set of these response decision processes, as well as response selection, measured in Grade 9 and (a) externalizing behavior in Grade 9 and (b) externalizing behavior in Grades 10-11, even after controlling externalizing behavior in Grades 7-8. These findings suggest that on-line behavioral judgments about aggression play a crucial role in the maintenance and growth of aggressive response tendencies in adolescence.
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10.1017/s0954579402001062
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pubmed_308_14254
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BACKGROUND
Immunization programs currently measure coverage by assessing the proportion of children 12-24 months who have been immunized but this does not address the important question of when the scheduled vaccines were administered. Data capturing the timing of vaccination in first 6 months, when severe disease is most likely to occur, are limited.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the time to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) (recommended at birth), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-H, influenza b-hepatitis B (DTP-Hib-HepB), and oral polio vaccine (OPV) (recommended at 6, 10, and 14 weeks) vaccinations and risk factors for vaccination delay in infants <6 months of age in a district in southern Nepal where traditional coverage metrics are high.
DESIGN/METHODS
Infants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of maternal influenza vaccination were visited weekly at home from birth through age 6 months to ascertain if any vaccinations had been given in the prior week. Infant, maternal, and household characteristics were recorded. BCG, DTP-Hib-HepB, and OPV vaccination coverage at 4 and 6 months was estimated. Time to vaccination was estimated through Kaplan-Meier curves; Cox-proportional hazards models were used to examine risk factors for delay for the first vaccine.
RESULTS
The median age of BCG, first OPV and DTP-Hib-HepB receipt was 22, 21, and 18 weeks, respectively. Almost half of infants received no BCG by age 6 months. Only 8% and 7% of infants had received three doses of OPV and DTP-Hib-HepB, respectively, by age 6 months.
CONCLUSION
A significant delay in receipt of infant vaccines was found in a prospective, population-based, cohort in southern Nepal despite traditional coverage metrics being high. Immunization programs should consider measuring time to receipt relative to the official schedule in order to maximize benefits for disease control and child health.
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pubmed_308_14254
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pubmed_543_11454
|
For many years efforts have been made toward the substitution of less toxic chemicals for particularly toxic ones. Substitutions have been made mainly on the basis of the toxic effect of the virgin compound on humans and the environment, a rationale that may be open to question. This study evaluated a number of substitutions made in recent years. To identify effects on the work and external environments, the chemical products were studied in use within a production system. The main observation was that substitution is a very complex process that might have drawbacks as well as beneficial effects, since new problems may arise through the use of new chemicals. In some cases, knowledge about the extent of these new problems is inadequate, since the substitutions are sometimes not well documented. Substitution may result in reduced use or discontinuance of the original toxic substance and may affect the external as well as the workplace environment.
|
10.1080/15428119591017024
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pubmed_6_6669
|
BACKGROUND
little is known about the forecasting of new variants of SARS-COV-2 in North America and the interaction of variants with vaccine-derived neutralizing antibodies.
METHODS
the affinity scores of the spike receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) of B.1.1.7, B. 1.351, B.1.617, and P.1 variants in interaction with the neutralizing antibody (CV30 isolated from a patient), and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor were predicted using the template-based computational modeling. From the Nextstrain global database, we identified prevalent mutations of S-RBD of SARS-CoV-2 from December 2019 to April 2021. Pre- and post-vaccination time series forecasting models were developed based on the prediction of neutralizing antibody affinity scores for S-RBD of the variants.
RESULTS
the proportion of the B.1.1.7 variant in North America is growing rapidly, but the rate will reduce due to high affinity (~90%) to the neutralizing antibody once herd immunity is reached. Currently, the rates of isolation of B. 1.351, B.1.617, and P.1 variants are slowly increasing in North America. Herd immunity is able to relatively control these variants due to their low affinity (~70%) to the neutralizing antibody. The S-RBD of B.1.617 has a 110% increased affinity score to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) in comparison to the wild-type structure, making it highly infectious.
CONCLUSION
The newly emerged B.1.351, B.1.617, and P.1 variants escape from vaccine-induced neutralizing immunity and continue circulating in North America in post- herd immunity era. Our study strongly suggests that a third dose of vaccine is urgently needed to cover novel variants with affinity scores (equal or less than 70%) to eliminate developing viral mutations and reduce transmission rates.
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10.3390/v13050930
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pubmed_569_22835
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Multideterminant wavefunctions, while having a long history in quantum chemistry, are increasingly being used in highly accurate quantum Monte Carlo calculations. Since the accuracy of QMC is ultimately limited by the quality of the trial wavefunction, multi-Slater determinants wavefunctions offer an attractive alternative to Slater-Jastrow and more sophisticated wavefunction ansatz for several reasons. They can be efficiently calculated, straightforwardly optimized, and systematically improved by increasing the number of included determinants. In spite of their potential, however, the convergence properties of multi-Slater determinant wavefunctions with respect to orbital set choice and excited determinant selection are poorly understood, which hinders the application of these wavefunctions to large systems and solids. In this paper, by performing QMC calculations on the equilibrium and stretched carbon dimer, we find that convergence of the recovered correlation energy with respect to number of determinants can depend quite strongly on basis set and determinant selection methods, especially where there is strong correlation. We demonstrate that properly chosen orbital sets and determinant selection techniques from quantum chemistry methods can dramatically reduce the required number of determinants (and thus the computational cost) to reach a given accuracy, which we argue shows clear need for an automatic QMC-only method for selecting determinants and generating optimal orbital sets.
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10.1063/1.4921984
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pubmed_1125_16410
|
BACKGROUND
To determine the clinimetric properties of two questionnaires assessing symptoms (Symptom Severity Scale) and physical functioning (hand and finger function subscale of the AIMS2) in a Dutch primary care population.
METHODS
The first 84 participants in a 1-year follow-up study on the diagnosis and prognosis of hand and wrist problems completed the Symptom Severity Scale and the hand and finger function subscale of the Dutch-AIMS2 twice within 1 to 2 weeks. The data were used to assess test-retest reliability (ICC) and smallest detectable change (SDC, based on the standard error of measurement (SEM)). To assess responsiveness, changes in scores between baseline and the 3 month follow-up were related to an external criterion to estimate the minimal important change (MIC). We calculated the group size needed to detect the MIC beyond measurement error.
RESULTS
The ICC for the Symptom Severity Scale was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.54-0.78). The SDC was 1.00 at individual level and 0.11 at group level, both on a 5-point scale. The MIC was 0.23, exceeding the SDC at group level. The group size required to detect a MIC beyond measurement error was 19 for the Symptom Severity Scale. The ICC for the hand and finger function subscale of the Dutch-AIMS2 was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.47-0.74). The SDC was 3.80 at individual level and 0.42 at group level, both on an 11-point scale. The MIC was 0.31, which was less than the SDC at group level. The group size required to detect a MIC beyond measurement error was 150.
CONCLUSION
In our heterogeneous primary care population the Symptom Severity Scale was found to be a suitable instrument to assess the severity of symptoms, whereas the hand and finger function subscale of the Dutch-AIMS2 was less suitable for the measurement of physical functioning in patients with hand and wrist problems.
|
10.1186/1477-7525-4-87
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pubmed_1108_11224
|
Proteins that bind telomeric DNA modulate the structure of chromosome ends and control telomere function and maintenance. It has been shown that AtTRB (Arabidopsis thaliana telomere-repeat-binding factor) proteins from the SMH (single-Myb-histone) family selectively bind double-stranded telomeric DNA and interact with the telomeric protein AtPOT1b (A. thaliana protection of telomeres 1b), which is involved in telomere capping. In the present study, we performed the first quantitative DNA-binding study of this plant-specific family of proteins. Interactions of full-length proteins AtTRB1 and AtTRB3 with telomeric DNA were analysed by electrophoretic mobility-shift assay, fluorescence anisotropy and surface plasmon resonance to reveal their binding stoichiometry and kinetics. Kinetic analyses at different salt conditions enabled us to estimate the electrostatic component of binding and explain different affinities of the two proteins to telomeric DNA. On the basis of available data, a putative model explaining the binding stoichiometry and the protein arrangement on telomeric DNA is presented.
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10.1042/BJ20082195
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pubmed_103_21462
|
Aligning images in a mid-space is a common approach to ensuring that deformable image registration is symmetric - that it does not depend on the arbitrary ordering of the input images. The results are, however, generally dependent on the mathematical definition of the mid-space. In particular, the set of possible solutions is typically restricted by the constraints that are enforced on the transformations to prevent the mid-space from drifting too far from the native image spaces. The use of an implicit atlas has been proposed as an approach to mid-space image registration. In this work, we show that when the atlas is aligned to each image in the native image space, the data term of implicit-atlas-based deformable registration is inherently independent of the mid-space. In addition, we show that the regularization term can be reformulated independently of the mid-space as well. We derive a new symmetric cost function that only depends on the transformation morphing the images to each other, rather than to the atlas. This eliminates the need for anti-drift constraints, thereby expanding the space of allowable deformations. We provide an implementation scheme for the proposed framework, and validate it through diffeomorphic registration experiments on brain magnetic resonance images.
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10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.055
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pubmed_397_7724
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Using 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid methyl ester (2,4-DME) as a benchmark chemical, we determined relative pseudo-first-order rate coefficients for the butoxyethyl ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-DBE), methyl parathion, and methyl-3-chlorobenzoate in a diversity of microbial samples, including water, sediment, biofilm, and floating microbial mats collected from a laboratory mesocosm as well as from streams, lakes, and wetlands in Georgia and Florida. The decreasing order of reactivity for relative microbial transformation rates was 2,4-DBE > 2,4-DME > methyl-3-chlorobenzoate > methyl parathion. Half-lives of the chemicals varied about 60-fold depending on the chemical and microbial sample. Relative rate coefficients, however, typically varied only about threefold for field-collected samples. Relative rate coefficients determined with samples from a laboratory mesocosm were consistently low compared with the field sample data. Overall, the data indicated that microbial transformation rates of a chemical can be satisfactorily inferred for a wide variety of microbial habitats-such as water, biofilm, or a sediment-on the basis of its transformation rate relative to that of an appropriate benchmark chemical by using a single type of microbial sample.
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10.1128/aem.56.1.288-291.1990
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pubmed_1100_6037
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The development of a specific and sensitive immunoassay for the measurement of serum erythropoietin (s-Epo) allows to improve our understanding of the model of in vivo regulation of erythropoiesis. In most anemias, circulating hemoglobin level determines Epo production which in turn stimulates erythropoietic activity. The disruption of the expected feedback mechanism of Epo production leads to an inadequately low s-Epo. The definition of inadequate Epo response to anemia relies on the documentation of a downregulated dependence of s-Epo on Hb with respect to the same dependence in patients with a physiologically regulated erythropoiesis. Literature reports a wide range of so called adequate s-Epo response to anemia and a number of criteria for judging on the adequateness of s-Epo at a certain degree of anemia. The O/P (observed/predicted) ratio allows categorization of each individual patient. The clinical syndromes in which an inadequate Epo response has been reported are numerous and the mechanisms of defective Epo production are different. A number of evidences clearly point to a relation between responsiveness to r-Hu-Epo and inadequate Epo response. This inequivocabily confirms the role inadequate Epo response plays in the pathogenesis of anemia.
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10.1007/BF01737420
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pubmed_537_3906
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A capillary electrophoretic procedure for the separation of eleven nucleotides, 5'-mono-, di- and triphosphates of adenosine, guanosine, cytidine and uridine, has been developed. All eleven analytes can be separated in a fused-silica capillary (63 cm to the detector, I.D. 75 microns) at 20 kV in a 0.02 mol 1(-1) phosphate-borate buffer (pH 8.0-9.0) with a separation factor > or = 1. The values of the Offord parameter calculated for individual nucleotides predict that monophosphates will migrate faster than triphosphates, and in turn triphosphates will precede diphosphates. By analogy, faster electroosmotic mobility (lower electromigration) of purine nucleotides (AP, GP) can be explained by a more voluminous structure of purine derivatives (two aromatic rings as compared to pyrimidines). Generally speaking, all compounds separated follow the Offord equation assuming that the triphosphate derivatives are ionized to the third degree forming HL(3-) anions. This assumption is in agreement with the current knowledge about protolytic equilibria of polyphosphates. The only exception to this rule is faster migration of guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) preceding uridine-5'-monophosphate (UMP) which is ascribed in part to the larger molecule of GTP and the two additional OH-groups bound to the pyrimidine ring of UMP.
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10.1016/0378-4347(95)00535-8
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pubmed_278_10273
|
Rectal cancer is a common malignant tumour and the progression is highly affected by the tumour microenvironment (TME). This study intended to assess the relationship between TME and prognosis, and explore prognostic genes of rectal cancer. The gene expression profile of rectal cancer was obtained from TCGA and immune/stromal scores were calculated by Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumors using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm. The correlation between immune/stromal scores and survival time as well as clinical characteristics were evaluated. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified according to the stromal/immune scores, and the functional enrichment analyses were conducted to explore functions and pathways of DEGs. The survival analyses were conducted to clarify the DEGs with prognostic value, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed to explore the interrelation of prognostic DEGs. Finally, we validated prognostic DEGs using data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database by PrognoScan, and we verified these genes at the protein levels using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases. We downloaded gene expression profiles of 83 rectal cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The Kaplan-Meier plot demonstrated that low-immune score was associated with worse clinical outcome (P = .034), metastasis (M1 vs. M0, P = .031) and lymphatic invasion (+ vs. -, P < .001). A total of 540 genes were screened as DEGs with 539 up-regulated genes and 1 down-regulated gene. In addition, 60 DEGs were identified associated with overall survival. Functional enrichment analyses and PPI networks showed that the DEGs are mainly participated in immune process, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Finally, 19 prognostic genes were verified by GSE17536 and GSE17537 from GEO, and five genes (ADAM23, ARHGAP20, ICOS, IRF4, MMRN1) were significantly different in tumour tissues compared with normal tissues at the protein level. In summary, our study demonstrated the associations between TME and prognosis as well as clinical characteristics of rectal cancer. Moreover, we explored and verified microenvironment-related genes, which may be the potential key prognostic genes of rectal cancer. Further clinical samples and functional studies are needed to validate this finding.
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10.1111/jcmm.16547
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pubmed_592_21511
|
The rate of disappearance of alcohol from the blood (beta-slope) was determined in drinking drivers by taking two blood samples about 60 min apart (mean 68 min, span 30 to 120 min). The results were compared for men and women as a function of their age and the prevailing blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). The material consisted of 1090 double blood samples from 976 men and 114 women with mean age 36.6 +/- 12.9 y (+/- SD) and 38.0 +/- 12.3 y (+/- SD), respectively. The mean BAC for the male DUI suspects was 1.88 +/- 0.748 mg/mL (+/- SD) compared with 1.86 +/- 0.702 (+/- SD) for the females. The relationship between beta-slope (y) and BAC (x) was y = 0.175 + 0.009x with a small positive correlation (r = 0.13) and standard error estimate (Syx) of 0.049 mg/mL. The mean beta-slope for female DUI suspects was 0.214 +/- 0.053 mg/mL/h (+/- SD), compared with 0.189 +/- 0.048 mg/mL/h in the male suspects, and this small difference was statistically highly significant (t = 5.21, p < 0.001). The overall mean rate of alcohol elimination from blood in drinking drivers was 0.191 +/- 0.049 mg/mL/h (+/- SD), and the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) spanned from 0.09 to 0.29 mg/mL/h. The value of the beta-slope was slightly steeper starting from a high initial BAC but was not much influenced by the person's age.
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pubmed_592_21511
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pubmed_158_18427
|
Palpable thyroid nodules are common in women. The thyroid gland may enlarge in response to hyperemia, relative iodine depletion, and slight stimulation by beta Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG) during pregnancy. The presence of goiter or a discrete nodule requires investigation. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA), a reliable diagnostic tool, can be safely used during pregnancy. The tenet that a "histologic hyperplasia" accompanies the physiologic hyperplasia of pregnancy may hamper FNA interpretation. We reviewed 97 (10 previous, 46 pregnant, 13 postpartum, 1 spontaneous abortion, and 27 follow-up) aspirates of thyroid nodules from 57 patients. Cytologic diagnoses were divided into five categories: 31 benign, 7 cellular adenomatoid nodules, 5 suspicious for papillary carcinoma, 12 papillary carcinomas, and 2 follicular neoplasms. There were an unanticipated number of carcinomas. Lesions present before pregnancy did not show "progression" or significant change. No characteristic features ascribable to pregnancy were identified. Standard diagnostic criteria may be used in the evaluation of FNA of thyroid nodules from pregnant patients.
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10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(199702)16:2<122::aid-dc5>3.0.co;2-j
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pubmed_710_17944
|
We review the theory of weakly coupled oscillators for smooth systems. We then examine situations where application of the standard theory falls short and illustrate how it can be extended. Specific examples are given to non-smooth systems with applications to the Izhikevich neuron. We then introduce the idea of isostable reduction to explore behaviours that the weak coupling paradigm cannot explain. In an additional example, we show how bifurcations that change the stability of phase-locked solutions in a pair of identical coupled neurons can be understood using the notion of isostable reduction. This article is part of the theme issue 'Coupling functions: dynamical interaction mechanisms in the physical, biological and social sciences'.
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10.1098/rsta.2019.0092
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pubmed_900_10470
|
The latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is closely associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we investigated that the effect of silencing LMP1 on cell cycle distribution and chemosensitivity in EBV-positive naso-pharyngeal carcinoma C666-1 cells. Silencing of LMP1 by specific siRNA induced G1 arrest in C666-1 cells. The protein expression of CDK4 and cyclin D1 decreased and P27 was upregulated following LMP1 knockdown. Phosphorylation of AKT and its downstream targets IkappaB, FKHR was inhibited by LMP1 siRNA. The chemosensitivity of C666-1 cells to bleomycin and cisplatin was enhanced by siRNA targeting LMP1. The cells treated with LMP1 siRNA showed enhanced cleavage of the effector caspase3 and PARP, and Bax had the tendency to exhibit higher expression. Also, cotransfection of constitutive active AKT plasmid with LMP-1 siRNA plasmid abrogates sensitivity of C666-1 to bleomycin and cisplatin. It is reported for the first time that AKT signaling pathway was directly involved in the effects induced by siRNA targeting LMP1. Our findings confirm LMP1 as a rational therapeutic target in NPC.
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10.4161/cc.6.11.4274
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pubmed_91_8272
|
Extrachromosomal DNA purified from mink cells acutely infected with the Snyder-Theilen strain of feline sarcoma virus (FeSV) was digested with restriction endonucleases, and the DNA fragments were electrophoretically separated, transferred to a solid substrate, and hybridized with radiolabeled DNA transcripts complementary to different portions of the FeSV RNA genome. Major DNA species 8.4 and 5.0 kilobase pairs (kbp) long represent the linear, unintegrated proviruses of Snyder-Theilen feline leukemia virus and FeSV, respectively. Transfection experiments performed with electroeluted DNAs showed that the 8.4-kbp form led to the production of replicating nontransforming virus in mink and cat cells; in contrast, the 5.0-kbp DNA produced helper virus-independent foci of transformation in mouse NIH/3T3 cells and helper virus-dependent foci in mink cells at an efficiency comparable to that obtained with unfractionated extrachromosomal DNA. Sites of restriction endonuclease cleavage for six enzymes were oriented with respect to one another within the FeSV provirus. EcoRI recognized cleavage sites at 0.3 to 0.4 kbp from each terminus of FeSV DNA, reducing the 5.0-kbp DNA to molecules 4.3 kbp long; this enzyme excised a large internal proviral DNA fragment of corresponding size from the DNA of FeSV-transformed mink nonproducer cells. By using DNA transcripts complementary to different portions of the FeSV genome, sarcoma-specific sequences (the FeSV src gene) were positioned within 2.1 and 3.4 kbp from the 5' end of the proviral DNA with respect to the viral RNA genome. The src gene is flanked at both ends by sequences shared in common with feline leukemia virus. The localization of src sequences to this region suggests that a portion of an FeSV polyprotein which contains feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA-S) is the major product of this gene.
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10.1128/JVI.32.3.860-875.1979
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pubmed_498_7591
|
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the transverse dimensions of the maxillary arch of 5-year-old children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) have changed following centralization of cleft services in the United Kingdom.
DESIGN
Retrospective cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Digital analysis of UCLP maxillary dental casts.
PARTICIPANTS
All available maxillary dental casts from 5-year-old participants of the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG, N = 114) and Cleft Care UK (CCUK, N = 175) studies.
INTERVENTIONS
Quantitative measurements of the intercanine width (ICW), intermolar width (IMW), and the distance from the midline to the greater and lesser side canine (GC/LC) and greater side and lesser side second primary molar (GE/LE). Degree measurements of the greater and lesser arch form angles, arch length, anterior palatal depth (APD), and posterior palatal depth were also measured.
MAIN OUTCOME
Differences between the transverse dimensions of the maxillary arch for the CSAG and CCUK cohorts.
RESULTS
In 5 (ICW, IMW, LC, LE, and APD) of the 11 measurements, there was a statistically significant difference between the CSAG and CCUK cohorts. In all of these, the CCUK values were greater than CSAG.
CONCLUSIONS
There have been small but positive improvements for the transverse maxillary dimensions since centralization of the UK cleft service.
|
10.1177/10556656211028511
|
pubmed_167_11574
|
Photonic crystals (PCs) are periodically patterned dielectrics providing opportunities to shape and slow down the light for processing of optical signals, lasing and spontaneous emission control. Unit cells of conventional PCs are comparable to the wavelength of light and are not suitable for subwavelength scale applications. We engineer a nanoscale hole array in a van der Waals material (h-BN) supporting ultra-confined phonon polaritons (PhPs)-atomic lattice vibrations coupled to electromagnetic fields. Such a hole array represents a polaritonic crystal for mid-infrared frequencies having a unit cell volume of [Formula: see text] (with λ0 being the free-space wavelength), where PhPs form ultra-confined Bloch modes with a remarkably flat dispersion band. The latter leads to both angle- and polarization-independent sharp Bragg resonances, as verified by far-field spectroscopy and near-field optical microscopy. Our findings could lead to novel miniaturized angle- and polarization-independent infrared narrow-band couplers, absorbers and thermal emitters based on van der Waals materials and other thin polar materials.
|
10.1038/s41467-018-07795-6
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pubmed_166_7582
|
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer types and represents a major therapeutic challenge. Although initial events in colorectal carcinogenesis are relatively well characterized and treatment for early-stage disease has significantly improved over the last decades, the mechanisms underlying metastasis - the main cause of death - remain poorly understood. Correspondingly, no effective therapy is currently available for advanced or metastatic disease. There is increasing evidence that colorectal cancer is hierarchically organized and sustained by cancer stem cells, in concert with various stromal cell types. Here, we review the interplay between cancer stem cells and their microenvironment in promoting metastasis and discuss recent insights relating to both patient prognosis and novel targeted treatment strategies. A better understanding of these topics may aid the prevention or reduction of metastatic burden.
|
10.1002/1878-0261.12018
|
pubmed_169_2197
|
In 17 patients with tumours of the urinary bladder angiographies of the pelvis were carried out and then the angiography was repeated during an increase of the intravesical pressure to 60--120 mm Hg. In the normal, angiographically depictable vessels of the urinary bladder the blood circulation could not be interrupted by increased intravesical pressure. On the other hand, the pathological vessels of the tumours clearly reacted to an increase of the intravesical pressure. In 9 cases the circulation was completely interrupted, in 6 patients nearly all pathological vessels were compressed, and in 2 patients a clear reduction of the vessels visible before was reached. The different behaviour of normal and pathological vessels in our opinion is based on the inferior construction of the walls of the pathological vessels as well as on the lower blood pressure in the vessels of the tumour.
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pubmed_169_2197
|
pubmed_844_13359
|
Because poor compliance introduces a major risk of bias in the interpretation of the results of a therapeutic trial, it is an important element to consider. At the planning stage, factors known to be associated with poor compliance should be recognized. The different methods of evaluating compliance, either clinical or biological, should be reviewed and the best strategy selected. During the therapeutic trial, the objective is to maintain an appropriate level of compliance. Patients, investigators, and sponsors have different options and responsibilities. The analysis should incorporate compliance as a specific variable in order to help test the robustness of the data. Compliance constitutes by itself a specific outcome measure. Compliance should be an integral part of study reports and publications, but it is frequently not discussed.
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10.1016/s0197-2456(98)00005-1
|
pubmed_117_13103
|
BACKGROUND
U.S. research examining the illicit drug supply remains rare even though the information could help reduce overdoses. Relatively little is known regarding how often opioids are found in stimulants and whether temporal and geographic trends exist. We examined trends in fentanyl-cocaine and fentanyl-methamphetamine combinations in the national illicit drug supply.
METHODS
We analysed serial cross-sectional data from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) collected between January 2011 and December 2016. We restricted the analysis to cocaine (N = 1,389,968) and methamphetamine (n = 1,407,474) samples and calculated proportions containing fentanyl (including 23 related analogs) over time.
RESULTS
The combined presence of fentanyl and cocaine steadily increased nationally between 2012-2016 (p = 0.01), and the number of such samples tripled from 2015 to 2016 (n = 423 to n = 1,325). Similarly, the combined presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine increased 179 % from 2015 to 2016 (n = 82-n = 272). Patterns varied widely by state; in 2016, fentanyl-cocaine samples were most common in New Hampshire (7.2 %), Connecticut (5.4 %), Ohio (2.6 %) and Massachusetts (2.1 %), whereas fentanyl-methamphetamine samples were most often in New Hampshire (6.1 %), Massachusetts (5.6 %), Vermont (2.4 %) and Maine (1.2 %).
CONCLUSIONS
Although relatively uncommon, the presence of fentanyl in the stimulant supply increased significantly between 2011 and 2016, with the greatest increases occuring between 2015-2016; the presence of these products was concentrated in the U.S. Northeast. Given these trends, strengthening community-based drug checking programs and surveillance within the public health infrastructure could help promote timely responses to novel threats posed by rapid shifts in the drug supply that may lead to inadvertent exposures.
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10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108416
|
pubmed_215_510
|
BACKGROUND
The use of stapling devices for performing gastrointestinal anastomosis has gained wide acceptance in the last decade. Linear cutting devices have been used routinely during gastrointestinal operations in our hospital since 1992. However, we still have shortage of stapling devices due to cost reduction politics.
METHODS
We propose a modification of the standard technique in order to reduce the number of devices used. Our technique employs a single stapled including the section of the jejunum and the side-to-side jejunoanastomosis.
RESULTS
We have used this technique for 1 year without complications related to the stapled anastomosis.
CONCLUSIONS
This technique may reduce the time of reconstruction of Roux-en-Y anastomosis without interfering in its final result. This modified technique may be useful in hospitals with reduced economic resources.
|
10.1016/s0002-9610(02)01000-0
|
pubmed_163_16213
|
In this study, two-dimensional (2D) MXene material (Ti3C2Tx) was employed to investigate its potentials toward the Cr(VI) removal in aqueous system by batch experiments. Characterization techniques such as SEM-EDS, HRTEM, XRD, FI-TR and XPS were used to analyze the structure and interaction of Ti3C2Tx before and after Cr(VI) adsorption. The results indicated that the layered structure of Ti3C2Tx had unique surface functional properties and abundant active sites, such as -OH, Ti-O, C = O, which exhibited high adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) removal. The Cr(VI) adsorption capacity by Ti3C2Tx decreased with the increase of pH, and its maximum value can reach 169.8 mg/g at pH = 2.0. The adsorption kinetic was well-explained by a pseudo-second-order kinetic, indicating that chemical interaction played a dominant role in the adsorption of Cr(VI) on Ti3C2Tx. Meanwhile, the isotherm data was calculated to conform to the Freundlich isotherm model. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process of Cr(VI) on Ti3C2Tx was a spontaneous endothermic process. These experimental results revealed that Ti3C2Tx had tremendous potential in heavy metals adsorption from aqueous solutions.
|
10.2166/wst.2021.434
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pubmed_290_20362
|
Multi-metallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) can enable the advanced applications in the energy, biology, electronics, optics and catalysis due to their multi-functionality, wide tunable range and electronic heterogeneity. In this work, various mono-, bi- and tri-metallic nanostructures composed of Ag, Au and Pt are demonstrated on transparent c-plane sapphire (0001) substrates and the corresponding morphological and optical characteristics are thoroughly investigated. The resulting Pt and AuPt NPs in this study demonstrate much enhanced LSPR responses as compared to the pure Pt NPs from the previous studies, which was contributed by the synergistic effect of Au and Pt and improved surface morphology. These results are sharply distinct in terms of surface morphology and elemental variability from those obtained by the dewetting of monometallic Ag, Au and Pt films under the similar growth conditions, which is due to the distinct dewetting kinetics of the bi-layer and tri-layer films. These NPs exhibit strongly enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) bands in the UV-VIS wavelengths such as dipolar, quadrupolar, multipolar and higher order resonance modes depending upon the size and elemental composition of NPs. The LSPR bands are much stronger with the high Ag content and gradually attenuated with the Ag sublimation. Furthermore, the VIS region LSPR bands are readily blue shifted along with the reduction of NP size. The Ag/Pt bi-layers and Ag/Au/Pt tri-layers are systematically dewetted and transformed into various AgPt and AgAuPt nanostructures such as networked, elongated and semispherical configurations by means of enhanced surface diffusion, intermixing and energy minimization along with the temperature control. The sublimation of Ag atoms plays a significant role in the structural and elemental composition of NPs such that more isolated and semispherical Pt and AuPt NPs are evolved from the AgPt and AgAuPt NPs respectively.
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10.1038/s41598-019-53292-1
|
pubmed_953_23848
|
The molecular profiling of brain tumors, including testing for MGMT promoter methylation and chromosome 1p/19q deletion, can provide both diagnostic and prognostic information that may guide treatment. Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation testing is a recent addition to this armamentarium of molecular pathology tools that similarly provides both diagnostic (eg, glioma vs. gliosis) and prognostic information. Herein, we describe a pyrosequencing-based approach to IDH1 and IDH2 mutation testing and its application to 139 neoplastic and non-neoplastic central nervous system specimens. Several technical issues encountered in the development of the assay, particularly with regard to the optimization of the sequencing reaction, are described. Mutations in IDH1 codon 132 or IDH2 codon 172 were identified in 31.2% of all screened cases and 46.2% of screened World Health Organization grade I to IV gliomas (n=93), with mutations arising exclusively in grade II to IV oligodendroglial, astrocytic, or mixed oligoastrocytic neoplasms. Examination of the relationship between the mutation status and other pertinent variables demonstrated a significant male predominance among IDH1-mutated gliomas, most notably in grade III to IV astrocytic neoplasms. A significant association between IDH1/IDH2 mutation and 1p/19q deletion was also seen (Kendall τ coefficient=0.26, P=0.018), although several cases with 1p/19q deletion were IDH1/IDH2 wild type.
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10.1097/PDM.0b013e31825d802b
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pubmed_259_17466
|
Twenty synchronized Sakiz ewes (aged 3-4 years) were used in this study. Blood samples were taken once in pre-pregnancy and at the 100th day of pregnancy. At the 120th day of pregnancy and the 10th day postpartum, blood samples were collected every 2 h for 24 h from 10 ewes. Plasma progesterone and estradiol-17beta levels were estimated by radioimmunoassay. Plasma cholesterol levels were determined by colorimetric method. Plasma progesterone levels increased during pregnancy and especially late pregnancy and decreased to basal values during lactation. Plasma estradiol-17beta and cholesterol levels were not significantly different between pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and early lactation periods. The insignificant rise in plasma cholesterol during pregnancy showed that pregnancy toxemia may not occur in multiple lambing ewes when fed a balanced diet sufficient in energy and protein levels. The increased plasma progesterone level above normal observed during pregnancy and especially late pregnancy may be interpreted as a feature of multiple lambing breeds.
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10.1159/000070036
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pubmed_481_11906
|
Cost-effective imaging evaluation of a suspected soft tissue tumor requires knowledge of all available imaging modalities, including indications for each and relative advantages and disadvantages. Imaging studies are useful in pre-treatment diagnostic evaluation, biopsy planning, and post-treatment evaluation for recurrence. Close communication between the orthopedic surgeon and radiologist is essential for appropriate management. This article will emphasize an approach to the imaging evaluation of a suspected soft tissue tumor.
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10.1016/s0030-5898(05)70004-3
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pubmed_301_11686
|
Parameters of humoral and cellular immunity were investigated in pigs experimentally infected with a modified-live European porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV, strain DV). PRRSV was detected by real-time RT-PCR and PRRSV-specific antibodies by a commercial ELISA test-kit, respectively. Interleukins IL-1alpha, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) as well as IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) were quantified at mRNA level using RT-PCR. Subpopulations of blood lymphocytes were assayed using flow cytometry. No significant changes neither in cytokine expression nor in shifts of CD4 and CD8 markers could be found, but similar curve diagrams concerning CD8 single positive T cells could be observed in all vaccinated animals with an initial decrease and an increase between post-infection days (PIDs) 7 and 14. In the vaccination group, TNF-alpha and IL-6 tended to be increased at PIDs 22 and 40, whereas no increase could be seen in IFN-gamma. When comparing the in vivo immune response to that being seen in in vitro experiments, similar shifts of CD4/CD8 lymphocyte subpopulations may be seen. Cytokine curve diagrams, however, do not reflect the in vitro findings to that extent.
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10.1089/088282403322396136
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pubmed_869_9745
|
Visual stimuli undetected by normal subjects as a result of masking procedures can nonetheless activate response preparation in motor areas and yield a motor response. An unanswered question is whether the same holds for undetected subliminal stimuli that are not responded to. To answer this question, in this study normal subjects were tested on a simple visual reaction time task with stimuli above, at, or below the psychophysical threshold while the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), i.e. an electrophysiological correlate of premotor activation in the primary motor cortex, was computed. We found a reliable LRP not only for suprathreshold stimuli but also for subthreshold stimuli to which subjects did not respond. The main thrust of this study is that it provides evidence that activation of the motor cortex occurs even with subthreshold visual stimuli and without an overt response.
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10.1007/s00221-006-0825-8
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pubmed_720_14743
|
Muscle accretion is affected by the difference between protein synthesis and its degradation. Studies on different species revealed that muscle proteolysis is mediated by different pathways including the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in which the ubiquitin protein ligases play an important role. These muscle atrophy associated ligases were not well studied in tilapia. In this study, we characterized the ubiquitin protein ligases MuRF1/2/3, Atrogin-1 and F-box25, members of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and their expressions in the muscle of starved, fed, refed, and control fish. Sequences of these genes revealed presence of Ring finger, B-box, and Cos domains in all MuRF genes, as well as F-box domain in Atrogin-1 and F-box25 genes. Real-time qPCR data analysis showed that expression of MuRF1/2/3, Atrogin-1, F-box25, and proteasome complex genes was significantly upregulated in starved fish compared to fed fish. Concurrently, the proteasome activity was 1.7-folds elevated in the starved fish compared to fed fish. These results confirm the important role of these genes in muscle degradation and suggest potential usage as markers of muscle accretion in tilapia.
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10.1007/s10695-019-00667-w
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pubmed_215_17477
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The prevalence of Listrophorus gibbus infestation in seven groups of New Zealand White female rabbits that were purchased from the same source was determined by microscopic examination of hair tufts collected from affected rabbits. Thirtynine of 52 (75%) rabbits were infested, although there was variation in the degree of infestation for each group (ranging from 0 to 100%). The infestation did not spread to other rabbits that had been housed in the same room for 72 h. Infested rabbits were treated with a commercially available carbamate-based acaricide, which effectively eliminated infestation with one application ( 3 groups) or two applications at a 5 to 7-day interval (4 groups). Cross-infestation was prevented by use of strict isolation, and eradication was easily accomplished with the use of available acaricides.
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pubmed_215_17477
|
pubmed_152_14115
|
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of cilostazol on the expression of CD(54), CD(106), CD(62P) in kidney, aorta, surface of platelet, and mononuclear cell of blood in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
METHODS
Rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group (n = 8), diabetes control group (n = 8), insulin group (n = 7 subcutaneous injection of insulin, 1 approximately 4 U * d(-1)), and cilostazol group (n = 7, gastric infusion of cilostazol, 18 mg * kg(-1) * d(-1)). Sciatic nerve conductive velocity and level of CD(54)/CD(62p) on the surface of mononuclear cell/platelet were examined by flow cytometry. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of CD(54) and/or CD(106) in kidney and aorta.
RESULTS
The sciatic nerve conductive velocity was 20.3 +/- 2.2 m * s(-1) and 28.9 +/- 7.9 m * s(-1) in diabetic rats and cilostazol group respectively (P < 0.05). The mononuclear cell surface expression of CDa-a(c)54 was 69.1 +/- 14.9% and 25.9 +/- 8.6% in diabetic group and cilostazol group respectively (P < 0.05). The expression of CD(54)/CD(106) in kidney and aorta was decreased. The expression of CD(62p) on the surface of platelets was 40.4 +/- 8.7% in diabetic group and 28.5 +/- 3.7% in cilostazol group (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Cilostazol treatment delays the development of diabetic pathological change in kidney, aorta and sciatic nerve and decreases the expression of CD(54) and CD(106).
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pubmed_152_14115
|
pubmed_0_8324
|
Bacillus cereus can cause the diarrheal and emetic type of food poisoning but the symptoms of emetic food poisoning caused by B. cereus occasionally include emesis and diarrhea. The enterotoxin characteristics of emetic toxin (cereulide) producing B. cereus were needed to be determined. Therefore, forty B. cereus strains isolated from various sources in Korea were investigated for the presence of enterotoxin genes. All strains were confirmed to produce the emetic toxin using HPLC-MS methods. The rates of the nheABC, hblCDA, entFM and cytK genes amongst emetic toxin producing B. cereus strains were 82.5, 7.5, 50.0 and 27.5%, respectively. Pattern III harbored nheABC and entFM genes and pattern V processed entFM gene and were shown to be the major patterns, being present in 55.0% (21 of 40) of the emetic toxin producing B. cereus strains. Our findings revealed that 34 (85.0%) of 40 emetic toxin producing B. cereus strains isolated in Korea have the potential to cause diarrheal and emetic type of food poisoning, simultaneously. Thus, emetic toxin and enterotoxin genes should be constantly screened to provide insight into B. cereus food poisoning.
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10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.08.021
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pubmed_1029_13702
|
The myofibroblast is found in normal tissue as well as in a wide variety of pathological processes. We have cultured myofibroblasts and dermal fibroblasts and have found that they secrete similar type-specific procollagens into the culture media. These were primarily type I and III procollagens with a predominance of type I procollagen. These patterns are distinctly different from those of smooth muscle cells, which synthesize predominantly type III procollagen. Cultured fixed cells were also examined by immunohistochemistry. Both myofibroblasts and fibroblasts stained positively with antibodies to type I and III procollagens. Reaction to type V procollagen antibodies was prominent only in the myofibroblast, as was immunostaining with anti-muscle actin antibodies. Immunostaining with desmin antibodies was negative in both cell types. By electron microscopy, the myofibroblast had well-developed dense microfilament fibers of 40-80 degrees that were prominent in the long axes of the cells near the cellular margins. Although the myofibroblast has properties of both smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, it appears to be most likely a modified fibroblast that has undergone differentiation, probably in response to specific signals from the extracellular matrix.
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10.1016/0014-4800(88)90004-4
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pubmed_639_14252
|
Oropharyngeal, cervical, vulvar, and anal cancers share a common risk factor of HPV infection. HPV vaccination is currently recommended at age 11 or 12 to prevent new HPV infections for all genders with catch-up vaccination recommened up to age 26. Despite the known effectiveness of HPV vaccination to prevent HPV-related cancer, there is continued low uptake in the United States; only 40% of eligible persons were vaccinated in 2018, though rates are 70% among teenagers. Current American Cancer Society cancer screening guidelines recommend cervical cancer screening, but do not have specific recommendations for screening for other HPV-related cancers. Oropharyngeal cancer precursors have yet to be identified, and there are currently no routine screening tests for oropharyngeal cancer recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Cancer Society recommend cervical cancer screening for women at average risk up to age 65, and screening guidelines do not currently differ by HPV vaccination status. Primary HPV DNA testing was first approved for cervical cancer screening in 2016 and was shown to be superior for cervical cancer prevention. Vulvar and anal cancer precursors have been identified, but optimal screening remains unclear. Examination of the anal canal and perianus is best performed by trained clinicians using high-resolution anoscopy, and effectiveness of using high-resolution anoscopy to detect and treat anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions to prevent cancer is actively being researched. Current multistep approaches to control HPV-related malignancies include HPV vaccination coupled with cervical cancer screening or surveillance for oropharyngeal, vulvar, and anal cancers.
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10.1200/EDBK_325319
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pubmed_466_463
|
Postsurgical and posttraumatic encephaloceles of the tegmen tympani and tegmen mastoideum are well-recognized occurrences. Less frequently recognized, however, is the spontaneous occurrence of an encephalocele associated with cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea or rhinorrhea. This cerebral herniation into the middle ear and the mastoid cavity in adults is associated with a loss of both bony and dural support, and surgical management must deal with both the cerebrospinal fluid leak and herniation of the brain.
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10.1001/archotol.1986.03780050082015
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pubmed_919_16147
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Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are metabolic intermediates in the production of potent androgens, estrogens and other less well-characterized steroids. DHEA(S) and closely related steroid hormones have a variety of immunological effects both in vitro and in vivo in experimental animals and humans. Many of these effects have been demonstrated in animal models where there is little circulating DHEA(S), and the demonstrated effects are generally seen at concentrations of DHEA(S) which are supra-physiological in man. The physiological role of DHEA(S) in the immunological system is unknown. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism of action of DHEA(S) is unclear. In this review, I focus on studies of the immunological effects of DHEA(S) and closely related steroid metabolites and analogs, mainly derived from literature published in the last five years. My purpose is to describe the demonstrated effects and to highlight some of the remaining major research issues in this field. These issues include defining the molecular mechanism of DHEA(S) action; determining whether the effect of DHEA(S) is related to the steroid itself or to a metabolic product of DHEA; determining the relationship of physiological function to the pharmacological effects; and determining the molecular basis for species-specific differences in effects.
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10.2174/1568010054022079
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pubmed_665_10644
|
INTRODUCTION
Polymicrogyria (PMG), a neuronal migration disorder, commonly manifests as a seizure disorder. The aim of this study was to look for the abnormalities in the underlying white matter using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) that appeared normal on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with PMG.
METHODS
DTI was performed in three patients with PMG and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values were calculated for the cortex and adjoining subcortical white matter in both controls and patients.
RESULTS
We observed a significantly decreased mean FA value with no significant change in the MD value in subcortical white matter underlying polymicrogyric cortex (FA = 0.23+/-0.04, MD = 1.0+/-0.05 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) as compared to both contralateral (FA = 0.32+/-0.04, MD = 1.0+/-0.05 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and normal control (FA = 0.32+/-0.04, MD = 1.0+/-0.06 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) white matter. Significantly increased MD and decreased FA values were also observed in the polymicrogyric cortex (FA = 0.08+/-0.01, MD = 1.2+/-0.10 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) as compared to normal contralateral (FA = 0.12+/-0.04, MD = 1.1+/-0.09 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) and normal control (FA = 0.12+/-0.01, MD = 1.1+/-0.09 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s) cortex.
CONCLUSION
Significantly decreased FA values with no change in MD values in the subcortical white matter subjacent to polymicrogyric cortex reflect microstructural changes in the white matter probably due to the presence of ectopic neurons.
|
10.1007/s00234-006-0075-2
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pubmed_48_17202
|
Studies suggest interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) may be beneficial in obesity-related disorders with inconsistent results. This study was designed to investigate and compare their pathophysiological roles in lipid metabolism with gene knockout approach. Male wild-type (WT), IL-6 knockout (IL-6-/-), and TNF-α knockout (TNF-α-/-) mice were maintained on either a chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Indices of lipid metabolism in blood, adipose, and liver were determined. Our data showed that IL-6-/- and TNF-α-/- mice were more pronounced in body weight gains, hypercholesterolemia, fasting and post-load hyperglycemia on a chow diet or a HFD compared with WT mice. In WT mice feeding on a HFD, lipolysis and glyceroneogenesis were enhanced, lipogenesis was inhibited in adipose tissue; lipogenesis was increased in liver tissue. IL-6-/- mice on a chow diet or a HFD showed similar metabolic phenotypes as WT mice on a HFD, since those mice had similar expression profiles of lipid-related genes in adipose tissue and liver. However, TNF-α-/- mice were different. Therefore, IL-6-/- and TNF-α-/- mice showed different hepatic triglyceride infiltration in response to different diets. Our study suggests that complete blockage of IL-6 and TNF-α is unbeneficial in obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders in mice.
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10.1089/jir.2016.0022
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pubmed_4_15712
|
Insulinoma-associated 1 (Insm1), a zinc-finger transcription factor, is widely expressed in the developing nervous system and plays important roles in cell cycle progression and cell fate specification. However, the functions of Insm1 in the embryonic development of the sensory system and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, through whole-mount in situ hybridization, we found that the zebrafish insm1a gene was expressed in the posterior lateral line (pLL) system, including both the migrating pLL primordium and the deposited neuromast cells. In order to decipher the specific roles of insm1a in zebrafish pLL development, we inhibited insm1a expression by using a morpholino knockdown strategy. The insm1a morphants exhibited primordium migration defects that resulted in reduced numbers of neuromasts. The inactivation of insm1a reduced the numbers of hair cells in neuromasts, and this defect could be a secondary consequence of disrupting rosette formation in the pLL primordium. Additionally, we showed that insm1a knockdown decreased the proliferation of pLL primordium cells, which likely contributed to these pLL defects. Furthermore, we showed that loss of insm1a resulted in elevated Wnt/β-catenin signaling and downregulation of Fgf target genes in the primordium. Insm1a knockdown also perturbed the expression patterns of chemokine signaling genes. Taken together, this study reveals a pivotal role for Insm1a in regulating pLL development during zebrafish embryogenesis.
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10.3389/fnmol.2017.00241
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pubmed_635_20030
|
Plants experiencing drought stress are frequently more susceptible to pathogens, likely via alterations in physiology that create favorable conditions for pathogens. Common plant responses to drought include the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the accumulation of free amino acids (AAs), particularly proline. These same phenomena also frequently occur during pathogenic attack. Therefore, drought-induced perturbations in AA and ROS metabolism could potentially contribute to the observed enhanced susceptibility. Furthermore, nitrogen (N) availability can influence AA accumulation and affect plant resistance, but its contributions to drought-induced susceptibility are largely unexplored. Here we show that drought induces accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) shoots, but that shoot infection by the blight and canker pathogen Diplodia sapinea (Fr.) Fuckel leads to large reductions in H2O2 levels in droughted plants. In in vitro assays, H2O2 was toxic to D. sapinea, and the fungus responded to this oxidative stress by increasing catalase and peroxidase activities, resulting in substantial H2O2 degradation. Proline increased in response to drought and infection when examined independently, but unlike all other AAs, proline further increased in infected shoots of droughted trees. In the same tissues, the proline precursor, glutamate, decreased significantly. Proline was found to protect D. sapinea from H2O2 damage, while also serving as a preferred N source in vitro. Fertilization increased constitutive and drought-induced levels of some AAs, but did not affect plant resistance. A new model integrating interactions of proline and H2O2 metabolism with drought and fungal infection of plants is proposed.
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10.1093/treephys/tpv026
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pubmed_600_729
|
Dopamine (DA) is a key neuromodulator in the brain that supports motor and cognitive functions. Here, we use apomorphine (Apo) and 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) to develop two rat models of Tourette's syndrome (TS), a common neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by stereotyped repetitive involuntary tics. The models enabled the assessment of unique ameliorative effects of Ningdong granule (NDG), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation dedicated to the treatment of TS, on the striatal DA content of rats. By using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we found that long-term administration of NDG could, at least partially, restore the striatal dopamine alterations, either by increasing them after IDPN treatment or by decreasing them after Apo treatment. Taken together, our data indicated that NDG could ameliorate the abnormal striatal DA content dually, and the unique therapeutic property may be meaningful for the treatment of TS.
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10.1038/srep07731
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pubmed_133_511
|
The occurrence of the acmA gene, encoding the lactococcal N-acetylmuramidase in new lactococcal isolates from raw milk cheeses, has been determined. Isolates were genotypically identified to the subspecies level with a PCR technique. On the basis of PCR amplification of the acmA gene, the presence or absence of an additional amplicon of approximately 700 bp correlated with Lactococcus lactis subspecies. L. lactis subsp. lactis exhibits both the expected 1,131-bp product and the additional amplicon, whereas L. lactis subsp. cremoris exhibits a single 1,131-bp fragment.
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10.1128/AEM.65.11.5151-5153.1999
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pubmed_958_11858
|
Mechanical debonding of the stem/cement interface has been implicated in the failure process of cemented femoral hip components. The nature of this failure process remains poorly understood due, in part, to limited understanding of how interfacial debonding occurs in response to a wide range of loading conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the fracture toughness of the cobalt-chromium alloy/polymethylmethacrylate interface under mixed-mode loading conditions. The hypothesis was that the critical energy release rate was dependent on the phase angle of the crack tip and that the fracture response would be significantly different for a smooth compared with rough interface surface. A novel in-plane shear test fixture was developed with use of a combination of finite element and experimental fracture-mechanics tests. A wide range (-65-60 degrees) of phase angles was determined with the in-plane shear test and a clamped cantilever-beam test. Sixty experimental tests were performed for cobalt-chromium alloy bars with a plasma-sprayed coating or a precoat of polymethylmethacrylate over a satin-finished surface. For the specimens with the plasma-sprayed coating, critical energy release rates (500-700 J/m2) were not a function of the phase angle of the crack tip. In contrast, critical energy release rates (15-80 J/m2) were found to be strongly affected by the phase angle for the specimens precoated with polymethylmethacrylate. The critical energy release rate for specimens with the plasma-sprayed surface was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than for those precoated with polymethylmethacrylate. The critical energy release rate increased markedly with the phase angle of the crack tip for the specimens precoated with polymethylmethacrylate. The results suggest that the failure response of a stem with a plasma-sprayed surface may be insensitive to the loading angle of the crack tip, whereas a stem precoated with polymethylmethacrylate may be more likely to debond under tensile opening loading.
|
10.1002/jor.1100170305
|
pubmed_641_12617
|
Despite significant technical limitations, the portable chest radiograph remains the primary tool for radiographic evaluation of patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Using good-quality films, experienced observers usually can distinguish permeability-induced from nonpermeability-induced pulmonary edema. In patients with ARDS, the chest radiograph typically shows rapid dramatic deterioration within 24 hrs, as indicated by the development of patchy peripheral infiltrates. Radiographic density may increase in severity for 5 to 7 days, after which time, further deterioration usually signals the occurrence of another process (e.g., infection, fluid overload). In the period beyond 1 wk, where the radiograph usually remains relatively stable, the chest radiograph is most useful in detecting complications of therapy, predominantly barotrauma. The vast majority of survivors of ARDS show improvement in their radiographs within the first 10 to 14 days after the onset of illness. Failure to show improvement during this time is a poor prognostic factor. Computed tomography is a useful modality in patients with questionable chest radiograph findings, provided that the patients are stable enough to leave the ICU for evaluation.
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pubmed_641_12617
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pubmed_579_22204
|
OBJECTIVES
Health care workers, including dentists, are at the front line for acquiring blood-borne virus infections. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency viruses among Iranian dentists.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The survey included 1628 dental health care workers who attended the 51st annual Congress of the Iranian Dental Association. Data on the risk of blood-borne virus transmission during health care and infection control practices were gathered from self-administered questionnaires. Sera were screened serologically by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The positive samples were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PRC) followed by direct sequencing.
RESULTS
Six (0.36%) and 81 (5.0%) were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and (anti-hepatitis B virus core antigen (anti-HBc), respectively. Only 1 (0.061%) was positive for anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). No case was positive for anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV). One case was diagnosed as being occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. One thousand five hundred thirty-five (94.3%) of participants had received at least 1 dose of HBV vaccine. One thousand three hundred fifty-nine (88.5%) contained hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) > 10 IU/ml, of whom 55 (4.0%) were anti-HBc positive, suggesting that they had been infected with HBV in the past. Anti-HBc positive cases had past histories of hepatitis, either their own or their spouses'. Individuals with inadequate anti-HBs levels (< 10 IU/ml) were significantly more prevalent among anti-HBc positive cases (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of blood-borne viruses among dental HCWs found in this study was lower than past reports from Iranian dentists and general population. The implementation of HBV vaccination together with improvement in infection control procedures has reduced the potential for risk infection among Iranian dentists.
|
pubmed_579_22204
|
pubmed_889_22504
|
The substitution of virgin resins by recycled ones is a worldwide tendency that is supported by the fluctuation of oil prices and the transition to a circular economy. Polymeric blends have been intensively studied because of their ability to provide tailored properties for particular applications. However, in their design phases, the issue of end-life re-use had not been well addressed, and now difficulties in their recycling are arising. In this study, we investigated the effect of three different compatibilizers: two chain extenders (CEs), (1) a styrene-acrylic oligomer (ESAo), and (2) methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and an impact strength modifier, (3) an ethylene copolymer (EMAco), for the recycle of a post-industrial polycarbonate/polyethylene terephthalate (PC/PET) blend. The materials were prepared by reactive extrusion and characterized by intrinsic viscosity (IV) measurements, mechanical tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The introduction of each additive has been demonstrated to improve the compatibility between PET and PC in the post-industrial blend, leading to enhanced mechanical properties. The IV measurements increased to values that were comparable to the virgin material. In addition, CEs affected the crystallization of PET (as they reduced the degree of crystallinity), while EMAco acted as a nucleating agent. Morphological analysis enabled confirming the compatibilization effects induced by the tested additives.
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10.3390/ma12010049
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pubmed_117_24518
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Soda-lime-silica is a glassy system of strong industrial interest. In order to characterize its liquid state properties, we performed molecular dynamics simulations employing an aspherical ion model that includes atomic polarization and deformation effects. They allowed us to study the structure and diffusion properties of the system at temperatures ranging from 1400 K to 3000 K. We show that Na+ and Ca2+ ions adopt a different structural organization within the silica network, with Ca2+ ions having a greater affinity for non-bridging oxygens than Na+. We further link this structural behavior to their different diffusivities, suggesting that escaping from the first oxygen coordination shell is the limiting step for the diffusion. Na+ diffuses faster than Ca2+ because it is bonded to a smaller number of non-bridging oxygens. The formed ionic bonds are also less strong in the case of Na+.
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10.1063/5.0029702
|
pubmed_300_21396
|
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
To determine whether radical prostatectomy (RP) or intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to > or =72 Gy, plus hormonal therapy if indicated, results in improved biochemical disease-free survival (BDFS) in localized prostate adenocarcinoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between 1997 and 2005, a consecutive sample of 556 patients who underwent RP (n=204) or IMRT (n=352) at two referral centers was analyzed. The patients were stratified into prognostic groups based on clinical stage, Gleason score, and pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The outcome measure was BDFS.
RESULTS
IMRT patients had more advanced disease at baseline (p<.001). There was no difference in five-year BDFS rates between RP and IMRT in the favorable (92.8% vs. 85.3%, p=.20) or intermediate prognosis (86.7% vs. 82.2%, p=.46) subsets. A difference favoring IMRT plus hormonal therapy was seen in the poor prognosis (38.4% vs. 62.2%, p<.001) subset. Within the entire cohort, after adjustment for confounding variables, Gleason score (p<.001) and clinical stage (p<.001) predicted BDFS, but treatment modality (p=.06) did not. Within the poor prognosis subset, treatment modality (p=.006) predicted BDFS.
CONCLUSIONS
BDFS is similar between RP and IMRT for patients with a favorable or intermediate prognosis. Patients with a poor prognosis display higher BDFS when treated with IMRT to > or =72 Gy plus hormonal therapy.
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10.1016/j.radonc.2009.09.001
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pubmed_979_10856
|
Rising costs and a new emphasis on outcomes are stimulating closer scrutiny of traditional OR practices such as draping. What is truly necessary? What is proven? What makes sense? This is the second of a two-part article on draping. In the July issue, we examined draping for clean-contaminated procedures, total body draping, and adherent drapes. In this issue, we tackle three more draping questions.
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pubmed_979_10856
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pubmed_412_8083
|
The use of sedation, muscle relaxation, or analgesia in the management of ventilated neonates has been controversial. Many neonatologists face a difficult decision on whether or not to use a muscle relaxant on a ventilated infant. This article reviews neonatal physiology and pharmacology, drug administration, absorption, distribution, and certain selected sedatives and analgesics. The muscle relaxants, financial issues, and family issues are also discussed.
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pubmed_412_8083
|
pubmed_483_13487
|
BACKGROUND
The frequent occurrence of medicine stockouts represents a significant obstacle to tuberculosis control in South Africa. Stockouts can lead to treatment alterations or interruptions, which can impact treatment outcomes. This study investigates the determinants and effects of TB drug stockouts and whether poorer districts are disproportionately affected.
METHODS
TB stockout data, health system indicators and TB treatment outcomes at the district level were extracted from the District Health Barometer for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Poverty terciles were constructed using the Census 2011 data to investigate whether stockouts and poor treatment outcomes were more prevalent in more impoverished districts. Fixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the effects of TB stockouts on TB treatment outcomes.
RESULTS
TB stockouts occurred in all provinces but varied across provinces and years. Regression analysis showed a significant association between district per capita income and stockouts: a 10% rise in income was associated with an 8.50% decline in stockout proportions. In terms of consequences, after controlling for unobserved time invariant heterogeneity between districts, a 10% rise in TB drug stockouts was found to lower the cure rate by 2.10% (p < 0.01) and the success rate by 1.42% (p < 0.01). These effects were found to be larger in poorer districts.
CONCLUSIONS
The unequal spread of TB drug stockouts adds to the socioeconomic inequality in TB outcomes. Not only are stockouts more prevalent in poorer parts of South Africa, they also have a more severe impact on TB treatment outcomes in poorer districts. This suggests that efforts to cut back TB drug stockouts would not only improve TB treatment outcomes on average, they are also likely to improve equity because a disproportionate share of this burden is currently borne by the poorer districts.
|
10.1186/s12913-019-3972-x
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pubmed_844_17344
|
Herbert Gilles' study of disease and environment at Akufo in Nigeria around 1960 was an early example of an integrated and detailed approach to understanding the health of a small group of people. Subsequent studies on a larger scale have focused on particular diseases or on the provision of medical care. The primary-health-care movement has tended in practice to neglect the material environment. Medical anthropological work has returned to detailed studies of processes in small communities. There is a need to return to looking at the overall health and disease pattern of small communities, together with their environment and human behaviour, to get a coherent understanding. The formulation of interventions appropriate to this understanding will be more difficult.
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10.1080/00034989760455
|
pubmed_1055_17783
|
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND
The GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) was endorsed as the initial diagnostic tool in people suspected of human immunodeficiency virus-associated or drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). However, information regarding the performance of Xpert for diagnosing smear-negative TB in high burden settings remains limited. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert and the impact of bleach concentration on the performance of Xpert using smear-negative sputum samples from human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients.
METHODS
One spot and one morning smear-negative sputum samples per patient were examined using Xpert and culture at the Mycobacteriology Research Center of Jimma University, Ethiopia. The sputum culture on both Löwenstein-Jensen and/or Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube was the gold-standard.
RESULTS
Of 185 smear-negative presumptive pulmonary TB cases, 19 (10.3%) had culture-proven TB. The sensitivity of Xpert on spot and morning sputum was similar (63.2%). Testing two specimens per patient insignificantly increased the sensitivity of Xpert. Bleach concentration and pelleting improved the sensitivity of Xpert over unprocessed sputum in paired samples (73.8% vs. 63.2%) without affecting the specificity (95%). Bleach concentration and pelleting allowed an additional seven cases of TB (missed on the first and second direct Xperts) to be detected, five of which were from culture-negative cases.
CONCLUSION
Testing of a single sputum sample by Xpert can reach reasonable sensitivity and results would be available on the same day, avoiding loss of patients and treatment delay. The sensitivity of Xpert was improved after bleach concentration and pelleting, although its added value needs further study on a larger scale.
|
pubmed_1055_17783
|
pubmed_300_4140
|
The Monte Carlo pivot algorithm is employed to investigate the shapes of continuum, tangent hard sphere H-comb polymers in both the ideal and excluded volume regimes. Polymers with a number of units ranging from 241 to 931 have been simulated. It is found that the extrapolated asphericity values are in excellent agreement with theory in the ideal regime and that, somewhat, higher values occur in the excluded volume regime.
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10.1063/1.3236835
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pubmed_1069_850
|
Many patients the neonatal nurse cares for daily have the potential for abnormal blood glucose levels. Recognizing infants at risk can facilitate timely and appropriate interventions. The quality of the information received from tests and observation depends on decisions made by the nurse. Therefore, knowledge of glucose kinetics and monitoring techniques is essential.
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pubmed_1069_850
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pubmed_851_13136
|
Renal histologic expression of the podocyte-specific protein, nephrin, but not podocin, is reduced in preeclamptic compared with normotensive pregnancies. We hypothesized that renal expression of podocyte-specific proteins would be reflected in urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) of podocyte origin and accompanied by increased urinary soluble nephrin levels (nephrinuria) in preeclampsia. We further postulated that podocyte injury and attendant formation of EVs are related mechanistically to cellfree fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in maternal plasma. Our study population included preeclamptic (n=49) and normotensive (n=42) pregnant women recruited at delivery. Plasma measurements included HbF concentrations and concentrations of the endogenous chelators haptoglobin, hemopexin, and α1- microglobulin. We assessed concentrations of urinary EVs containing immunologically detectable podocyte-specific proteins by digital flow cytometry and measured nephrinuria by ELISA. The mechanistic role of HbF in podocyte injury was studied in pregnant rabbits. Compared with urine from women with normotensive pregnancies, urine from women with preeclamptic pregnancies contained a high ratio of podocin-positive to nephrin-positive urinary EVs (podocin+ EVs-to-nephrin+ EVs ratio) and increased nephrinuria, both of which correlated with proteinuria. Plasma levels of hemopexin, which were decreased in women with preeclampsia, negatively correlated with proteinuria, urinary podocin+ EVs-to-nephrin+ EVs ratio, and nephrinuria. Administration of HbF to pregnant rabbits increased the number of urinary EVs of podocyte origin. These findings provide evidence that urinary EVs are reflective of preeclampsia-related altered podocyte protein expression. Furthermore, renal injury in preeclampsia associated with an elevated urinary podocin+ EVs-to-nephrin+ EVs ratio and may be mediated by prolonged exposure to cellfree HbF.
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10.1681/ASN.2016111202
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pubmed_808_3861
|
As healthcare teams have worked to improve infant survival rates, the management of painful events experienced by these hospitalized neonates has increased and yet pain management remains highly variable between healthcare institutions. At the same time, emerging evidence suggests that these early painful experiences may alter the trajectory of development for pain-processing pathways both peripherally and centrally. This concise review highlights findings from both the basic and clinical science literature supporting the hypothesis that early painful experiences can have long-lasting negative effects on biological, psychological, and socioemotional functions. Implications for pain management in neonates and considerations for evidence-based practice change are discussed.
|
10.1097/JPN.0000000000000258
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pubmed_297_858
|
Prey transmit sensory illusions to redirect predatory strikes, creating a discrepancy between what a predator perceives and reality. We use the acoustic arms race between bats and moths to investigate the evolution and function of a sensory illusion. The spinning hindwing tails of silk moths (Saturniidae) divert bat attack by reflecting sonar to create a misleading echoic target. We characterized geometric morphometrics of moth hindwings across silk moths, mapped these traits onto a new, robust phylogeny, and found that elaborated hindwing structures have converged on four adaptive shape peaks. To test the mechanism underlying these anti-bat traits, we pit bats against three species of silk moths with experimentally altered hindwings that created a representative gradient of ancestral and extant hindwing shapes. High-speed videography of battles reveals that moths with longer hindwings and tails more successfully divert bat attack. We postulate that sensory illusions are widespread and are underappreciated drivers of diversity across systems.
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10.1126/sciadv.aar7428
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pubmed_852_5421
|
Efflux pump mechanisms perform important physiological functions such as prevention of toxin absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, elimination of bile from the hepatocytes, effective functioning of the blood-brain barrier and placental barrier, and renal excretion of drugs. They exist in all living cells, but those in the bacterial and mammalian cells are more important to the clinician and pharmacologist, as they constitute an important cause of antimicrobial drug resistance, which contributes to treatment failure, high medical bills, and increased mortality / morbidity. This review was aimed at highlighting the role of efflux pump mechanisms in microbial resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. It was also aimed to elucidate their structure and mechanisms of action so as to integrate the efflux pump mechanisms in the design and development of novel antimicrobial agents. Findings from previous studies and research on this subject assessed through Google search, Pubmed, Hinari websites, as well as standard textbooks on chemotherapy, provided the needed information in the process of this review. Efflux pump inhibitors are promising strategies for preventing and reverting efflux-mediated resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. They are usually employed as adjuncts in antimicrobial and cancer chemotherapy. Toxicity, more common with the older-generation inhibitors such as verapamil and reserpine, constitutes the greatest impediment to their clinical applications. No efflux pump inhibitor has been approved for routine clinical use, as a result of doubtful clinical efficacy and unacceptably high incidence of adverse effects, particularly inhibition of the P-450 drug metabolizing enzyme. At present, their applications are mainly restricted to epidemiological studies. Nonetheless, the search for efficacious and tolerable efflux pump inhibitors continues because of the potential benefits. There is a need to consider efflux pump substrate selectivity in the design and development of novel chemotherapeutic agents.
|
10.4103/2141-9248.105671
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pubmed_1074_10777
|
There has been much progress in antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B; however, antiviral therapy for hepatitis B in special populations is still very challenging. Here, we review antiviral therapy for hepatitis B in special populations, including children and pregnant patients, patients with hepatitis-B-related cirrhosis, patients with acute hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers who receive immunosuppressive or cytotoxic therapy. Major advances have been made in antiviral therapy for hepatitis B in these special populations because of recent increasing availability of oral nucleoside/nucleotide analogues that are well-tolerated and highly effective; however, the findings are mostly based on small uncontrolled short-term studies. More well-designed clinical studies on antiviral therapy for hepatitis B in these special populations are urgently needed to obtain more evidence-based high-quality data.
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10.3851/IMP1663
|
pubmed_859_5425
|
Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, influencing the learning of mathematics in developing children. In the last two decades, continuous growth of research has helped in the advancement of the state of knowledge of dyscalculia. This upsurge in the number of studies makes it relevant to conduct a systematic review, covering all the empirical evidence, but there is a dearth of review studies synthesizing findings of the studies in the recent past. Therefore, the current study aims to systematically review studies investigating the underlying cognitive causal factors associated with developmental dyscalculia in the last two decades. To investigate the underlying cognitive factors associated with dyscalculia, two prominent approaches have been used: domain-general and domain-specific. While the domain-general approach argues for the deficit in general cognitive abilities, the domain-specific approach argues for the deficit in core numerical abilities. In the present review, the PRISMA method is followed. Articles were searched using two methods: firstly, through database sources of Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, 1738 abstracts were screened, of which 46 articles met the specific inclusion criteria; and secondly, through recently published systematic reviews and meta-analyses, 29 studies were included. A total of 75 studies, 48 studies from domain-general and 27 studies from domain-specific approaches, have been selected. This review discusses domain-general and domain-specific approaches of developmental dyscalculia, along with specific theories associated with both approaches. Based on the discussed findings, visuospatial working memory and symbolic number processing abilities emerged as the best predictor of math ability in children with dyscalculia.
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10.1080/09297049.2022.2147914
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pubmed_931_19087
|
INTRODUCTION
Circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement in patients undergoing surgery for rectal tumors is a factor predicting poor prognosis in terms of the possibility of local recurrence, distant recurrence, and survival. CRM involvement has been related to the quality of the surgery. We analyzed the rate of CRM involvement in patients with locally-advanced rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy and its relation with disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A total of 101 patients diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma between January 2001 and December 2001 who underwent surgery after receiving neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy were included. The CRM was considered positive when the distance between the tumor and the surgical border was less than 1 mm. The relation between CRM involvement and DFS and DSS was evaluated using the log-rank test.
RESULTS
The mean age was 66.6 years. The rate of CRM involvement was 10.8% (11 patients); CRM involvement was due to proximity or contact of the CRM with the tumor in 7 patients, proximity of enlarged nodes in 2 patients, perineural invasion in the CRM in 1 patient and discontinuous tumoral growth in 1 patient. With a mean follow-up of 25.4 months, disease recurrence was diagnosed in 13 patients: local recurrence occurred in 3 (2.97%) patients and distant metastases in 10 (9.9%). Eleven (10.8%) patients died from disease progression. CRM involvement was significantly related to DFS (p = 0.0167) and DSS (p = 0.0176).
CONCLUSION
In patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy, CRM involvement is a negative prognostic factor for DFS and DSS.
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10.1016/s0009-739x(07)71251-4
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pubmed_700_10322
|
The Sertoli cells of the Cape horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus capensis) and Schreiber's long-fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) undergo marked changes in ultrastructure related to stages in the spermatogenic cycle. The amount of lipid stored in the Sertoli cells varies annually and is at a maximum from just after spermiation to early in the following spermatogenic cycle. During spermatogenesis, the diameter of the lipid droplets decreases, reaching a minimum prior to spermiation. Sertoli cells exhibit a marked apicobasal differentiation, particularly in the vicinity of developing late spermatids, where the cytoplasm of the Sertoli cell is packed with smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The possible roles of lipid droplets and smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The possible roles of lipid droplets and smooth endoplasmic reticulum in steroidogenesis by Sertoli cells are discussed. Junctional complexes occur between Sertoli cells and spermatogonia, are apparently absent from between Sertoli cells and spermatocytes, and are restricted to the region of the developing acrosome in the spermatids. Annulate lamellae, which occur commonly in the developing germinal cells and less frequently in the Sertoli cells, may be associated with the production of microtubules, which are present in both spermatids and Sertoli cells.
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10.1002/jmor.1051990302
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pubmed_641_8177
|
The in vitro cytotoxic reactivity of allograft infiltrating cells cultured from endomyocardial biopsies was tested against endothelial cells (EC) isolated from the own donor heart. EC derived from pieces of atrium were found to be proper targets for graft infiltrating cytotoxic T cells from four patients. The specificity of this cytotoxicity was further analysed by cold target inhibition studies and blocking with anti-CD3, anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 monoclonal antibodies. The experiments revealed that, besides a clearly HLA directed recognition, a more heterogeneous, multispecific response can be found, which might be partially explained by the activity of EC specific T cell clones. We conclude that this system provides a valuable approach to investigate the reactivity of graft infiltrating cells against EC in relation to the clinical course of the transplantation.
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10.1016/0966-3274(93)90057-f
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pubmed_642_10100
|
In May 2005, the Plant Protection Service in the Netherlands received two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) plant specimens for diagnosis from a protected crop production facility of 2.5 ha near Kebili in Tunisia. Growth of the plants was reduced and leaves were chlorotic and brittle. Ripening of the fruits was delayed and their storage life was reduced from 3 weeks to 1 week. The grower reported that initially only 5% of plants showed symptoms; however, the number of symptomatic plants increased quickly to 100% as a result of increasing temperatures in the production facility. Test plant species Chenopodium quinoa, Datura stramonium, Nicotiana glutinosa, N. hesperis-67A, N. occidentalis-P1, and L. esculentum 'Money-maker' were mechanically inoculated with sap from the affected plants. Symptoms including chlorosis and stunting were observed only on L. esculentum. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with universal pospiviroid primers Pospi1-RE/FW (2) yielded amplicons of the expected size (196 bp) for each of the two samples. One of these amplicons was sequenced and showed the highest identity to the four isolates of Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd) in the NCBI Gen-Bank. Subsequently, the complete sequence of the Tunisian isolate (Gen-Bank Accession No. DQ144506) was determined by sequencing the am-plicon obtained after RT-PCR using primers developed for the detection of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) (1). The isolate consisted of 363 nucleotides and showed the highest sequence identity (96.7%) to tomato isolates of TASVd from Indonesia and Israel (GenBank Accession Nos. X06390 and AY062121, respectively), 92.6% to a tomato isolate from the Ivory Coast (GenBank Accession No. K00818), and 87.7% to an isolate from Solanum pseudocapsicum (GenBank Accession No. X95293). The next highest sequence identity was 81.5% to an isolate of CEVd (GenBank Accession No. X53716). On the basis of these results, the viroid was identified as TASVd. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TASVd in Tunisia. Reference: (1) N. Önelge. Turkish J. Agric. For. 21:419, 1997. (2) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:823, 2004.
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10.1094/PD-90-0528A
|
pubmed_774_16566
|
We have generated Lennard-Jones potentials for the interaction between CX2 (X = O, S) and 11 nitrogen-doped benzene derivatives in different orientations at the M06-2X/def2-tzvpp level as tools to parametrize accurate force fields and to better understand the interaction of these greenhouse gases with heterocyclic building blocks used in the design of capture and detection systems. We find that the most favorable interactions are found between the carbon in CO2 and the main heterocycle in the ring in a parallel orientation, whereas the preferred interaction mode of CS2 is established between sulfur and the π density of the aromatic ring. The fact that the preferences for interaction sites and orientations of CO2 and CS2 are most of the times opposite helps in terms of ensuring the selectivity of these systems in front of these two isoelectronic compounds. The existence of very good linear correlations ( R2 values very close to one) between the number of nitrogen atoms in the heterocyclic ring and the depth of the interaction potential wells opens the door to the use of these results in generating coarse-grained potentials or models with predictive power for use in the design of larger systems.
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10.1021/acs.jpca.9b00375
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pubmed_1070_20851
|
Tooth loss is a common occurrence in mankind and damages human health. Osseointegrated dental implants have been successfully used as a popular prosthetic restoration for the missing teeth for many years. However, osseointegration, representing a direct connection between the implant and bone tissue without the periodontium, causes some inevitable problems, such as masticatory force concentration and immobility of the dental implant. Thus, an ideal dental implant should have its own peri-implant periodontium, as do the natural teeth. A number of attempts have been made to reconstruct the periodontium around the implants. Unfortunately, it has been established that a predictable periodontal reconstruction, especially the acellular cementum reconstruction on the surface of the implant, is a very difficult task. In this paper, we propose the hypothesis that the cementum may be a special phenotype of the bone tissue, on the basis of its strong similarity in development, structure, and function. In a certain condition, the bone tissue may change to cementum for special functional needs. In accordance with this hypothesis, we consider a novel approach to reconstruct the peri-implant tissues. Unlike previous studies, this approach imitates the tooth re-plantation process. The key point is to convert the implant-surrounding bone tissues to cementum as a result of adaptive changes to the implant-support demands. This hypothesis, if proven to be valid, will not only represent a breakthrough in cementum research, but also will open a new door to the restoration of missing teeth.
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10.1016/j.mehy.2008.08.018
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pubmed_168_1434
|
UNLABELLED
The use of fiber-reinforced resin (FRR) posts to restore endodontically treated teeth has gained popularity as an alternative to cast or prefabricated metal posts. This may be due to the two important characteristics of fiber posts: I) their modulus of elasticity, which is similar to that of dentin, and 2) their ability to be adhesively cemented. The following article will discuss these characteristics, clinical indications for FRR posts, as well as increased fracture resistance, adhesion to root dentin, and guidelines for placement.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This article reviews recent research on prefabricated fiber-reinforced resin (FRR) endodontic posts. Upon completing this article, the reader should: Understand clinical guidelines for the selection and cementation of FRR posts. Realize the importance of fracture resistance to the long-term performance of an endodontically treated tooth.
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pubmed_168_1434
|
pubmed_769_18194
|
BACKGROUND
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a cancer biomarker used in colorectal cancer (CRC) for tumor screening and outcome prediction. However it is still lack of sensitivity and specificity in general population. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of CEA in patients with normal preoperative CEA levels.
METHODS
Ninety-four patients were included who received surgery and developed an elevated CEA level postoperatively. They were divided into group A1 and A2 according to the peak CEA level (whether more than 10 ng/mL); group B1 and B2 according to CEA variation (whether reached a normal level at least once). The association between postoperative CEA and overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's proportional hazards regression model.
RESULTS
The median follow-up time was 38 months. Patients in Group A2 and Group B2 had greater opportunities for recurrence and metastasis (P<0.05) compared to Group A1 and Group B1. Cox regression analysis revealed that high CEA levels and consistently elevated CEA levels were significantly associated with worse OS and DFS. Furthermore, patients with p-stage II in group A2 had worse OS than patients with p-stage III in group A1. The same result was detected when comparing group B2 and B1.
CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with an initially normal CEA level, postoperative CEA level and variation could be effective markers for tumor progression assessment. TNM stage, combined with CEA level might be more accurate in prognostic prediction.
|
10.21037/tcr.2019.11.27
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pubmed_596_5100
|
The aim of this study was to determine the osmotic tolerance limits of stallion sperm as well as the osmotic behavior of different sperm subpopulations, including viable and non-viable cells as well as viable cells of different average sizes. A flow cytometric approach was used for simultaneous assessment of cell volume and permeability of the plasma membrane for the fluorescent dye propidium iodide while exposing the cells to media with different solute concentrations. Equine spermatozoa have limited osmotic tolerance limits: exposure to hypotonic conditions below approximately 240 mOsm kg(-1) already results in an increase in plasma membrane damaged cells, increasing up to 50% at an osmolality of 136 mOsm kg(-1). Plasma membrane damaged stallion sperm do not show an osmotic response after 10 min incubation in hypotonic conditions, and their volume is smaller as compared to viable cells. It is shown that inclusion or exclusion of different subpopulations greatly affects Boyle van 't Hoff behavior and therewith determination of the osmotic inactive volume. Osmotic inactive volumes were determined to be 76% and 46% of the isotonic volume for the whole sperm population and the plasma membrane intact viable cells, respectively. In addition, viable subpopulations with different average cell volumes also show different osmotic behavior. The main subpopulation of viable cells increased up to 1.6 times its isotonic volume upon exposure to 150 mOsm kg(-1), and exhibited an osmotic inactive volume of 79%.
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10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.02.027
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pubmed_646_3948
|
The initial solid fixation of an uncemented acetabular component affects the amount of bone ingrowth. We had several problems with broken screws in cases of acetabular revision. In recent years, the development of uncemented components without screws has attempted to improve these problems. We started to use "press-fit"-type acetabular shells in November 1996. Our thirty cases undergoing 2 mm under-reaming show good initial stability. The aim of our biomechanical study was to assess the most suitable degree of under-reaming of the bony acetabulum for the implantation of an uncemented hemispherical porous coated component.
|
10.1007/s004020050473
|
pubmed_934_19818
|
A semiquantitative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) binding assay suitable for analyzing mixtures of oligosaccharides, at unknown concentrations, for interactions with target proteins is described. The assay relies on the differences in the ratio of the relative abundances of the ligand-bound and free protein ions measured by ESI-MS at two or more initial protein concentrations to distinguish low affinity (≤10(3) M(-1)) ligands from moderate and high affinity (>10(5) M(-1)) ligands present in the library and to rank their affinities. Control experiments were performed on solutions of a single chain antibody and a mixture of synthetic oligosaccharides, with known affinities, in the absence and presence of a 40-component carbohydrate library to demonstrate the implementation and reliability of the assay. The application of the assay for screening natural libraries of carbohydrates against proteins is also demonstrated using mixtures of human milk oligosaccharides, isolated from breast milk, and fragments of a bacterial toxin and human galectin 3.
|
10.1007/s13361-014-0964-2
|
pubmed_967_3771
|
I present a common philosophy for implementing the EMBL and GENBANK (BBN-Los Alamos) nucleic acid sequence databases, as well as the National Biological Foundation (Dayhoff) protein sequence database. The associated FORTRAN 77 fully transportable software package includes: 1) modules for implementing each of these databases from the initial magnetic tape file, 2) modules performing a fast mnemonic access, 3) modules performing key-string access and allowing the definition of user-specific database subsets, 4) a common probe searching module allowing the stacking of multiple combined search requests over the databases. This software is particularly suitable for 32-bit mini/microcomputers but would eventually run on 16-bit computers.
|
10.1093/nar/12.1part1.397
|
pubmed_239_24757
|
BACKGROUND
The prophylactic use of antimicrobial agents to prevent infections in non-surgical situations has hardly been investigated. We investigate the extent, indications and appropriateness of antimicrobial prophylaxis given outside the operating room in a tertiary care hospital.
METHODS
Four point-prevalence surveys were conducted in which all inpatients on that day were screened for the use of prophylactic antimicrobials: medical prophylaxis, prophylaxis around non-surgical interventions and surgical prophylaxis given on the ward. The primary endpoint was the extent of prophylaxis relative to the total number of antimicrobial prescriptions. We also investigated per prescription the presence of a (local) protocol and adherence to these protocols.
RESULTS
We registered in total 1020 antimicrobial prescriptions, of which 317 (31.1%) were given as prophylaxis. 827/1020 were antibiotic prescriptions. Of these antibiotic prescriptions, 17.0% was medical prophylaxis, 2.7% prophylaxis around non-surgical interventions and 6.9% surgical prophylaxis administered on a ward. For medical antibiotic prophylaxis, a protocol was present in 125 of 141 prescriptions (88.7%); the protocol was followed in 118 cases (94.4%). For prophylaxis around non-surgical interventions and surgical prophylaxis on the wards, protocol presence and adherence rates were 59.1% and 92.3%, and 73.3% and 97.6% respectively. Of the 96 antiviral and 97 antifungal prescriptions, 42.7% and 57.8%, respectively, were medical prophylaxis, of which 95.1 and 96.3% were prescribed according to protocols respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Antimicrobial prophylaxis outside the operating theatre is responsible for a considerable part of total in-hospital antimicrobial use. For most prescriptions there was a protocol and adherence to the protocols was high. The main targets for improvement were prophylaxis around non-surgical interventions and surgical prophylaxis given on the ward.
|
10.1186/s12879-017-2354-4
|
pubmed_765_14603
|
Given its approval for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome, tocilizumab is under investigation in severe coronavirus disease-2019. To characterize serious adverse events (AEs) with tocilizumab, we queried the worldwide FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and performed disproportionality analysis, selecting only designated medical events (DMEs) where tocilizumab was reported as suspect, with a focus on hepatic reactions. The reporting odds ratios (RORs) were calculated, deemed significant by a lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (LL 95% CI) > 1. A total of 2,433 reports of DMEs were recorded with tocilizumab, mainly in rheumatic diseases. Statistically significant RORs emerged for 13 DMEs, with drug-induced liver injury (n = 91; LL 95% CI 3.07), pancreatitis (151; 1.41), and pulmonary fibrosis (222; 7.21) as unpredictable AEs. A total of 174 cases of liver-related DMEs were retrieved (proportion of deaths = 18.4%), with median onset of 27.5 days. These serious unpredictable reactions occurring in chronic real-world tocilizumab use may support patient care and monitoring of ongoing clinical trials.
|
10.1111/bcp.14459
|
pubmed_937_3948
|
Five polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-degrading bacteria were tested for the ability to differentiate between the enantiomers of four atropisomeric PCB congeners (2,2',3,6-tetra-CB; 2,2',3,3',6-penta-CB; 2,2',3,4',6-penta-CB; and 2,2',3,5',6-penta-CB) after growth in the presence of tryptone-soytone, biphenyl, carvone, or cymene. Enantioselectivity was shown to vary with respect to strain, congener, and cosubstrate.
|
10.1128/AEM.68.11.5756-5759.2002
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pubmed_229_17132
|
Hydatid liver disease in children is a serious problem where the parasite is endemic. Although surgery is considered the treatment of choice, medical therapy is an alternative, but its curative efficacy is controversial. The aims of this study were to evaluate the curative efficacy of medical treatment and compare the results of surgical techniques with respect to postoperative complications in 102 consecutive children (64 male and 38 female, aged 4 to 15 years, mean 8.15 years) treated in two children's hospitals between 1988 and 1997. In 67, medication with albendazole was used as the initial therapy; 17 had multiple hepatic cysts and 8 had coexisting cysts in the lung. Success was defined as progressive shrinkage and solidification of the cyst. The overall success of medical therapy was approximately 27%: 18 of the 67 patients were cured with albendazole (15 had a single cyst, 3 multiple cysts) and 1 recurrence (6%) was observed. Age, sex, and the size, location, and number of cysts did not show any relationship to the response to medical therapy. After 12 to 14 weeks of medical treatment, a viable cyst on ultrasonography and/or computed tomography was accepted as a sign of treatment failure and these patients were scheduled for surgery. A total of 84 patients (35 primarily, 49 after unsuccessful medical therapy) were treated surgically. Procedures included cystectomy and tube drainage in 11 patients, cystectomy in 17, cystectomy and capitonnage in 24, and cystectomy and omentoplasty in 32. The incidence of early postoperative complications was 55% for tube drainage, 18% for cystectomy, 13% for capitonnage, and 0% for omentoplasty. During the follow-up period, 2 surgical patients (2%) developed recurrent disease. Medical treatment with albendazole resulted in fewer curative successes than expected. A longer period of medical treatment may increase the success rate; this question requires further study. Omentoplasty decreased the rate of early postoperative complications, especially cavity abscess and biliary fistula, after surgical treatment and should be recommended in this setting.
|
10.1007/s003830000562
|
pubmed_658_3354
|
"This paper presents the results of an ecological analysis of the relationship between infant mortality and economic status in a metropolitan aggregate comprised of six of the larger cities in Ohio covering the years 1979-81 and 1989-91.... Results of the analysis revealed, first of all, that there continues to be a clear and pronounced inverse association between the aggregate economic status of an area and the probability that a newborn infant will not survive the first year of life. There are, however, some noteworthy race-cause differences....Only one cause, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, stood out as having a generally consistent and very strong inverse relationship with economic status."
|
10.1080/00380237.1996.10571073
|
pubmed_173_15417
|
A novel frequency 12-tupling optical millimeter-wave (mm-wave) generation using two cascaded dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulators (DP-MZMs) without an optical filter is proposed and demonstrated by computer simulation. By properly adjusting the amplitude and phase of radio frequency (RF) driving signal and the direct current (DC) bias points of two DP-MZMs, a 120 GHz mm-wave with an optical sideband suppression ratio (OSSR) of 25.1 dB and a radio frequency spurious suppression ratio (RFSSR) of 19.1 dB is shown to be generated from a 10 GHz RF driving signal, which largely reduces the response frequency of electronic devices. Furthermore, it is also proved to be valid that even if the phase difference of RF driving signals, the RF driving voltage, and the DC bias voltage deviate from the ideal values to a certain degree, the performance is still acceptable. Since no optical filter is employed to suppress the undesired optical sidebands, a high-spectral-purity mm-wave signal tunable from 48 to 216 GHz can be obtained theoretically when a RF driving signal from 4 to 18 GHz is applied to the DP-MZMs, and the system can be readily implemented in wavelength-division-multiplexing upconversion systems to provide high-quality optical local oscillator signal.
|
10.1364/AO.54.009432
|
pubmed_92_205
|
Anion exchanger-1 (AE1) mediates chloride-bicarbonate exchange across the plasma membranes of erythrocytes and, via a slightly shorter transcript, kidney epithelial cells. On an omnivorous human diet, kidney AE1 is mainly active basolaterally in α-intercalated cells of the collecting duct, where it is functionally coupled with apical proton pumps to maintain normal acid-base homeostasis. The C-terminal tail of AE1 has an important role in its polarized membrane residency. We have identified the β1 subunit of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase (sodium pump) as a binding partner for AE1 in the human kidney. Kidney AE1 and β1 colocalized in renal α-intercalated cells and coimmunoprecipitated (together with the catalytic α1 subunit of the sodium pump) from human kidney membrane fractions. ELISA and fluorescence titration assays confirmed that AE1 and β1 interact directly, with a Kd value of 0.81 μM. GST-AE1 pull-down assays using human kidney membrane proteins showed that the last 11 residues of AE1 are important for β1 binding. siRNA-induced knockdown of β1 in cell culture resulted in a significant reduction in kidney AE1 levels at the cell membrane, whereas overexpression of kidney AE1 increased cell surface sodium pump levels. Notably, membrane staining of β1 was reduced throughout collecting ducts of AE1-null mouse kidney, where increased fractional excretion of sodium has been reported. These data suggest a requirement of β1 for proper kidney AE1 membrane residency, and that activities of AE1 and the sodium pump are coregulated in kidney.
|
10.1681/ASN.2013101063
|
pubmed_1011_10731
|
Young pheasants (24-hour- and 7-day-old) are capable of producing viraemia and antibodies after experimental infection with Lednice virus even after low doses of virus (0.7-0.9 log mouse LD50/g). Viraemia lasts approximately 3 days, but the titres of virus in the blood are low. The possible role of young pheasants in the circulation of virus in nature is discussed.
|
pubmed_1011_10731
|
pubmed_788_18691
|
PURPOSE
To assess excision of choroidal new vessels (CNV) combined with autologous transplantation of the equatorial retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as a means of restoring vision for patients with acute neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
DESIGN
Prospective interventional cohort study.
PARTICIPANTS
Twelve patients were recruited into an ethics committee approved trial with informed consent between 2004 and 2005. All had <6 months of acute visual loss owing to subfoveal neovascular AMD and were ineligible for photodynamic therapy.
METHODS
Patients underwent submacular removal of CNV through a single retinotomy. A full-thickness patch graft of RPE, Bruch's membrane, and choroid was harvested from the superior equatorial retina and transplanted into the subfoveal space. The graft was flattened under heavy liquid, before silicone oil exchange. Removal of silicone oil and cataract surgery were performed 3 months later. All patients underwent cataract grading, full refraction, optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and fluorescein and indocyanine angiography preoperatively and again 6 months postoperatively. Retinal pigment epithelium samples from 3 patients were tested for ex vivo gene transfer using a recombinant lentiviral vector.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Six months after surgery, successful transplantation was determined by the presence of a pigmented subfoveal graft showing RPE autofluorescence and choroidal reperfusion. Visual outcome was assessed by subjective refraction and microperimetry of the retina overlying the graft.
RESULTS
Successful viable grafts were seen in 11 patients. Three patients had good visual function on the grafts, with mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) improving from 0.88 to 0.79 and maintained beyond 1 year. Operative complications occurred in 8 patients, including retinal detachment in 5 patients and hemorrhage affecting the graft in 4 patients. The mean visual acuity over the whole cohort fell from logMAR 0.82 to 1.16. The excised RPE choroid could also be genetically modified outside the eye with a viral vector applied within the time frame of the operation.
CONCLUSIONS
Autologous RPE transplantation can in principle restore vision in neovascular AMD, but surgical complications remain high. The possibility for ex vivo gene transfer to the free graft of RPE may widen the scope of this procedure to include gene therapy or adjunctive molecular treatments for AMD.
|
10.1016/j.ophtha.2006.06.049
|
pubmed_524_10690
|
PURPOSE
TSPO PET imaging may hold promise as a single-step diagnostic work-up for clinical immunopsychiatry. This review paper on the clinical applicability of TSPO PET for primary psychiatric disorders discusses if and why TSPO PET imaging might become the first clinical immunopsychiatry biomarker and the investment prerequisites and scientific advancements needed to accommodate this transition from bench to bedside.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic search of the literature to identify clinical studies of TSPO PET imaging in patients with primary psychiatric disorders. We included both original case-control studies as well as longitudinal cohort studies of patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis.
RESULTS
Thirty-one original studies met our inclusion criteria. In the field of immunopsychiatry, TSPO PET has until now mostly been studied in schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, and to a lesser extent in mood disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders. Quantitative TSPO PET appears most promising as a predictive biomarker for the transdiagnostic identification of subgroups or disease stages that could benefit from immunological treatments, or as a prognostic biomarker forecasting patients' illness course. Current scanning protocols are still too unreliable, impractical and invasive for clinical use in symptomatic psychiatric patients.
CONCLUSION
TSPO PET imaging in its present form does not yet offer a sufficiently attractive cost-benefit ratio to become a clinical immunopsychiatry biomarker. Its translation to psychiatric clinical practice will depend on the prioritising of longitudinal research and the establishment of a uniform protocol rendering clinically meaningful TSPO uptake quantification at the shortest possible scan duration without arterial cannulation.
|
10.1007/s00259-021-05308-0
|
pubmed_290_5174
|
Aim: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) is an attractive target for antitumor therapy. Therefore, the development of novel HDAC inhibitors is warranted. Materials & methods: A series of HDAC inhibitors based on N-hydroxycinnamamide fragment was designed as the clinically used belinostat analog using amide as the connecting unit. All target compounds were evaluated for their in vitro HDAC inhibitory activities and some selected compounds were tested for their antiproliferative activities. Conclusion: Among them, compound 7e showed an IC50 value of 11.5 nM in inhibiting the HDAC in a pan-HDAC assay, being the most active compound of the series.
|
10.4155/fmc-2018-0587
|
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