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pubmed_314_1862
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UV irradiation induces histone variant H2AX phosphorylated on serine 139 (gammaH2AX) foci and high levels of pan-nuclear gammaH2AX staining without foci, but the significance of this finding is still uncertain. We examined the formation of gammaH2AX and 53BP1 that coincide at sites of double-strand breaks (DSBs) after ionizing radiation. We compared UV irradiation and treatment with etoposide, an agent that causes DSBs during DNA replication. We found that during DNA replication, UV irradiation induced at least three classes of gammaH2AX response: a minority of gammaH2AX foci colocalizing with 53BP1 foci that represent DSBs at replication sites, a majority of gammaH2AX foci that did not colocalize with 53BP1 foci, and cells with high levels of pan-nuclear gammaH2AX without foci of either gammaH2AX or 53BP1. Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase and JNK mediated the UV-induced pan-nuclear gammaH2Ax, which preceded and paralleled UV-induced S phase apoptosis. These high levels of pan-nuclear gammaH2AX were further increased by loss of the bypass polymerase Pol eta and inhibition of ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related, but the levels required the presence of the damage-binding proteins of excision repair xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A and C proteins. DSBs, therefore, represent a small variable fraction of UV-induced gammaH2AX foci dependent on repair capacity, and they are not detected within high levels of pan-nuclear gammaH2AX, a preapoptotic signal associated with ATM- and JNK-dependent apoptosis during replication. The formation of gammaH2AX foci after treatment with DNA-damaging agents cannot, therefore, be used as a direct measure of DSBs without independent corroborating evidence.
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10.1073/pnas.1002175107
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pubmed_995_13813
|
The ability of isolated cardiac muscle preparations to maintain force of contraction was assessed at different extracellular Ca2+ concentrations and at various stimulation frequencies. Preparations were incubated in Krebs-Henseleit buffer at 32 degrees C and electrically stimulated at frequencies between 0.25 and 3.0 Hz. Extra-cellular Ca2+ was maintained at given concentrations between 0.8 and 2.4 mM, a range that included the plasma-ionized Ca2+ levels determined for rat and guinea pig. Developed tension of atrial or papillary muscle preparations of guinea pig heart was more stable at higher stimulation frequencies. Rat atria and ventricular strips were more stable at 0.25 than at 0.5 or 1.0 Hz, and the stability increased at 2.0 and 3.0 Hz. Guinea pig atrial muscle was maintained for a longer time at higher media Ca2+ concentrations; however, no such effect was observed with rat atrial tissue. Thus, the decrementing at developed tension in isolated cardiac muscle preparations is dependent on stimulation frequency and Ca2+ concentrations and can be retarded by selection of appropriate incubation conditions.
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10.1016/0160-5402(87)90021-0
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pubmed_222_17639
|
OBJECTIVE
To test the convergence between the empirical-quantitative approach of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the clinical-diagnostic approach of the DSM.
METHOD
The parent version of the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC), version 2.3, was administered after completion of the CBCL for 231 children and adolescents consecutively referred to an outpatient mental health clinic.
RESULTS
Of the subjects with a DSM-III-R diagnosis, 60% scored in the clinical range of the CBCL total problem score. The Withdrawn scale predicted affective and anxiety disorders. The Somatic Complaints scale predicted anxiety and mood disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The Anxious/Depressed scale predicted anxiety and mood disorders and, to a lesser extent, disruptive behavior disorders. The Social Problems scale predicted Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The Attention Problems scale was the only significant predictor of "pure" Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Aggressive Behavior scale predicted several disruptive behavior disorders, and Major Depression. The Delinquent Behavior scale was strongly associated with Conduct Disorder.
CONCLUSIONS
Empirically based CBCL scale scores and DISC-P based DSM-III-R diagnoses converged. However, both approaches do not converge to a degree that one approach can replace the other. Instead, combining both approaches may be valuable by adding information from one approach that is not captured by the other.
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10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01689.x
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pubmed_307_6840
|
Microdialysis is a powerful in vivo technique for the continuous sampling of small molecules within the extracellular fluid space. However, efforts to collect larger molecules have met with little success. To identify biologically active larger molecules in free-moving animals would be of great benefit. For this purpose, we have developed a novel microdialysis method that allows consistent recovery of large molecules from the brain interstitial space in the awake, free-moving mouse. Using a new "vent" probe with a push-pull perfusion system, the present study successfully demonstrated in vivo sampling of pathophysiologically important macromolecules in free-moving mouse brain. This sampling system allowed monitoring of the dynamic changes in their concentrations. Overall, this novel microdialysis system would provide the opportunity to identify the expression patterns of pathophysiologically important proteins in a variety of physiological and pathological processes for a better understanding of various diseases.
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10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.04.035
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pubmed_72_19580
|
Over the course of the last years the importance of hair analysis increased obviously. For example work place testing, driving licence cases, so-called health checks, and especially in criminal acts the analysis of illicit substances is common. With the modern multiplex analytical methods (GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, LC/MS) the routine analytical probe of hair is in general unproblematic. But one of the major problems in hair analysis is the interpretation of the results. To solve this difficult and challenging task statistical data as a source of information could be a helpful tool. Examination of more than 1,000 hair segments within the past 2 years using gas chromatography/tandem-mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) as the preferred method for conducting the daily routine detection of the most prevalently abused drugs and metabolites, such as cannabinoids, cocaine, some synthetic drugs from the amphetamine group, and opiates serve as the basis for the statistics. The quantity of analytical results and additional essential facts have been documented in the publication to present our sources of information and supplementary data to prepare forensic reports.
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10.1007/s12024-007-0009-2
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pubmed_426_11186
|
The purpose of this article is to familiarize dentists with alternative methods of therapy for trifurcation involvement. Because failures with complex treatment are a reality, patients should be informed of the risks before treatment is instituted. Despite the potential for failure, longitudinal clinical results support the extraordinary measures to retain teeth in critical arch positions.
|
10.1016/s0022-3913(87)80163-4
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pubmed_46_6804
|
AFLP was used to characterize 24 potato cyst nematode populations. This novel DNA fingerprinting technique enabled the identification of 987 marker loci by screening only 12 primer combinations. Data on presence or absence polymorphisms and data on the intensities of corresponding DNA fragments were collected. Separate analysis of both data sets revealed similar dendrograms for the nine G. rostochiensis populations included in this study. Both dendrograms consisted of two groups containing three and five related populations, respectively. One population differed from either of these groups. Each group represented a different pathotype as defined by Kort et al. (J. Kort, H. Ross, H. J. Rumpenhorst, and A. R. Stone, Nematologica 23:333-339, 1977). Previously, a similar arrangement was found after analysis of the genetic variation using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) (R. T. Folkertsma, J. N. A. M. Rouppe van der Voort, M. P. E. van Gent-Pelzer, K. E. de Groot, W. J. van den Bos, A. Schots, J. Bakker, and F. J. Gommers, Phytopathology 84:807-811, 1994). For the 15 G. pallida populations analyzed, complex AFLP patterns were obtained and therefore only qualitative AFLP data were used. Incongruities were observed between clustering on the basis of AFLP data and classical pathotyping. This strongly confirms earlier findings obtained with RAPDs, because the AFLP markers used in this study outnumbered the population characteristics revealed by RAPDs by a factor of five. To arrive at a reliable pathotype designation of potato cyst nematode populations molecular data and virulence characteristics should be integrated. Possible causes for the difference in distribution of polymorphisms among g. rostochiensis and G. pallida populations are discussed.
|
10.1094/mpmi-9-0047
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pubmed_765_11362
|
The root-feeding scarab insect Costelytra giveni causes severe damage to pasture ecosystems in New Zealand. Loline alkaloids produced by some Epichloë endophytes deter this insect. In two experiments, tall fescue infected with E. coenophiala, strain AR584, and endophyte-free (Nil) controls were subjected to pulse drought stress (DS) or well-watered conditions (WW). The second experiment also included meadow fescue infected with E. uncinata. After 4-6 weeks exposure to the different conditions, roots were excised and fed to C. giveni larvae for 7 days. Relative root consumption (RC), frass production, and relative weight change (RWC) of larvae were measured and the loline content of roots determined. RC and frass output were higher for larvae feeding on Nil DS tall fescue than WW and reduced by AR584. RWC was also greater on DS than on WW Nil plants but reduced by endophyte only in DS plants. RC, frass output, and RWC of larvae were reduced by endophyte in DS and WW meadow fescue, but the effect was greater for WW plants. Loline alkaloid concentration in roots was significantly higher in DS than WW tall fescue in Experiment I but higher in WW than DS meadow fescue in Experiment II. These experiments have demonstrated that moisture status interacts with endophyte to differentially affect root herbivory in tall fescue and meadow fescue.
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10.3390/microorganisms8070997
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pubmed_1097_17420
|
This study was aimed to investigate the role of sequence similar matching (SSM) method in prediction of GVHD after HLA unmatched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The data from 23 patients undergoing HLA unmatched allo-HSCT were analyzed and calculated by SSM method. The results showed that the incidence of acute and severe GVHD were significantly less in the allo-HSCT cases with total SSM value less than 55. In conclusion, the SSM method can be used to predict GVHD in the HLA-unmatched allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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pubmed_1097_17420
|
pubmed_474_6846
|
We studied the effects of peripheral blood lymphocytes from 16 untransfused patients with severe aplastic anemia (AA) of diverse etiologies on the growth of granulocyte-macrophage colonies from normal marrows. Normal lymphocytes in our system increased the number of granulocytic colonies by 31 +/- 6% (mean +/- SEM). Lymphocytes from 3 of 16 untransfused AA patients significantly inhibited growth in HLA-matched sibling marrows (-30%, -40%, and -37%; p less than 0.01). Although these results suggest that the majority of cases of AA are not mediated by a coculture-detectable immunologic mechanism, studies using lymphocytes obtained from AA patients before transfusions may detect the subpopulation whose disease is immune-mediated and who may therefore respond to immunosuppressive therapy.
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pubmed_474_6846
|
pubmed_682_8590
|
Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy has produced dramatic responses in hematologic malignancies. One of the challenges in the field is the lack of a simple assay for the detection of CARs on the surface of immune effector cells. In this study, we describe a novel luciferase-based assay, termed Topanga Assay, for the detection of CAR expression. The assay utilizes a recombinant fusion protein, called Topanga reagent, generated by joining the extra-cellular domain of a CAR-target in frame with one of the marine luciferases or their engineered derivatives. The assay involves incubation of CAR expressing cells with the Topanga reagent, a few washes and measurement of luminescence. The assay can detect CARs comprising either immunoglobulin- or non-immunoglobulin-based antigen binding domains. We further demonstrate that addition of epitope tags to the Topanga reagent not only allows its convenient one step purification but also extends its use for detection of CAR cells using flow cytometry. However, crude supernatant containing the secreted Topanga reagent can be directly used in both luminescence and flow-cytometry based assays without prior protein purification. Our results demonstrate that the Topanga assay is a highly sensitive, specific, convenient, economical and versatile assay for the detection of CARs.
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10.1038/s41598-018-38258-z
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pubmed_472_20373
|
The intricate properties of articular cartilage and the complexity of the loading environment are some of the key challenges in developing models for biomechanical analysis of the knee joint. Fibril-reinforced poroelastic (FRPE) material models have been reported to accurately capture characteristic responses of cartilage during dynamic and static loadings. However, high computational and time costs associated with such advanced models limit applicability of FRPE models when multiple subjects need to be analyzed. If choosing simpler material models, it is important to show that they can still produce truthful predictions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare depth-dependent maximum principal stresses and strains within articular cartilage in the 3D knee joint between FRPE material models and simpler isotropic elastic (IE), isotropic poroelastic (IPE) and transversely isotropic poroelastic (TIPE) material models during simulated gait cycle. When cartilage-cartilage contact pressures were matched between the models (15% allowed difference), maximum principal stresses in the IE, IPE and TIPE models were substantially lower than those in the FRPE model (by more than 50%, TIPE model being closest to the FRPE model), and stresses occurred only in compression in the IE model. Additional simulations were performed to find material parameters for the TIPE model (due to its anisotropic nature) that would yield maximum principal stresses similar to the FRPE model. The modified homogeneous TIPE model was in a better agreement with the homogeneous FRPE model, and the average and maximum differences in maximum principal stresses throughout the depth of cartilage were 7% and 9%, respectively, in the lateral compartment and 9% and 11% in the medial compartment. This study revealed that it is possible to match simultaneously maximum principal stresses and strains of cartilage between non-fibril-reinforced and fibril-reinforced knee joint models during gait. Depending on the research question (such as analysis of fibril strain necessitates the use of fibril-reinforced material models) or clinical demand (fast simulations with simpler material models), the choice of the material model should be done carefully.
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10.1016/j.jbiomech.2016.10.025
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pubmed_575_6441
|
Anodizing wastewater contains principally phosphate (PO43-) anions according to previous studies, but with the purpose to promote water reuse in this type of industry, a complete characterization of wastewater was made to remove other anions and cations also present in significant concentration. Particularly, the adsorption of sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), fluoride (F-), sulfate (SO42-) and phosphate (PO43-) was studied using different sorbents such as: coconut shell activated carbon, bone char, bituminous coal activated carbon, natural zeolite, silica, anionic and cationic exchange resins, a coated manganese-calcium zeolite, coconut shell activated carbon containing iron and iron hydroxide. All sorbents were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, potentiometric titration, nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K, X-ray diffraction and SEM/EDX analysis to study the adsorption mechanism. The adsorption studies were performed in batch systems under constant agitation using both standard solutions of each ion and real anodizing wastewater. Results showed that, in general, the adsorption of all anions and cations is higher when mono-component standard solutions were used, since in the anodizing wastewater all species are competing for the active sites of the adsorbent. Na+ present in anodizing wastewater was efficiently adsorbed on coated manganese-calcium zeolite (20.55 mg/g) and natural zeolite (18.55 mg/g); while K+ was poorly adsorbed on all sorbents (less than 0.20 mg/g). Anions such as F-, SO42- and PO43-, were better adsorbed on the anionic resin (0.17, 45.38 and 2.92 mg/g, respectively), the iron hydroxide (0.14, 7.96 and 2.87 mg/g, respectively) and the bone char (0.34, 8.71 and 0.27 mg/g, respectively). All these results suggest that adsorption is a promising tertiary treatment method to achieve water reuse in the anodizing industry.
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10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112877
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pubmed_613_13725
|
The [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of Sc(3)N@I(h)-C(80) with benzyne was successfully conducted for the first time. The reaction affords both the [5,6]- and [6,6]-monoadducts with a four-membered ring attached to the cage surface on 5,6- and 6,6-ring fusions, respectively. The compounds were characterized by MALDI-TOF, NMR, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray structure determination. The electrochemical behavior of both monoadducts was investigated. The [5,6]-regioisomer displays reversible cathodic behavior similar to that observed for the fulleropyrrolidines with a 5,6-addition pattern. Surprisingly, the [6,6]-regioisomer also exhibits reversible cathodic behavior. The interconversion reaction of the isomers was also explored, and the results showed that both monoadducts are thermally very stable.
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10.1021/ja1097176
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pubmed_460_11263
|
Activity of the human (h) cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) channel is predominantly regulated by PKA-mediated phosphorylation. In contrast, Xenopus (X)CFTR is more responsive to PKC than PKA stimulation. We investigated the interaction between the two kinases in XCFTR. We expressed XCFTR in Xenopus oocytes and maximally stimulated it with PKA agonists. The magnitude of activation after PKC stimulation was about eightfold that without pretreatment with PKC agonist. hCFTR, expressed in the same system, lacked this response. We name this phenomenon XCFTR-specific PKC potentiation effect. To ascertain its biophysical mechanism, we first tested for XCFTR channel insertion into the plasma membrane by a substituted-cysteine-accessibility method. No insertion was detected during kinase stimulation. Next, we studied single-channel properties and found that the single-channel open probability (Po) with PKA stimulation subsequent to PKC stimulation was 2.8-fold that observed in the absence of PKC preactivation and that single-channel conductance (gamma) was increased by approximately 22%. To ascertain which XCFTR regions are responsible for the potentiation, we constructed several XCFTR-hCFTR chimeras, expressed them in Xenopus oocytes, and tested them electrophysiologically. Two chimeras [hCFTR NH2-terminal region or regulatory (R) domain in XCFTR] showed a significant decrease in potentiation. In the chimera in which XCFTR nucleotide-binding domain (NBD)2 was replaced with the hCFTR sequence there was no potentiation whatsoever. The converse chimera (hCFTR with Xenopus NBD2) did not exhibit potentiation. These results indicate that potentiation by PKC involves a large increase in Po (with a small change in gamma) without CFTR channel insertion into the plasma membrane, that XCFTR NBD2 is necessary but not sufficient for the effect, and that the potentiation effect is likely to involve other CFTR domains.
|
10.1152/ajpcell.00045.2004
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pubmed_625_6751
|
BACKGROUND
It is regularly criticized that the detection of dementia in primary care is not effective enough, especially with regard to early stages of dementia. Previous research results suggest that there are reservations among general practitioners towards dementia diagnostics. So far, however, the causes for this or the positions and strategies of general practitioners towards dementia care have not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of the study was to investigate the attitudes of general practitioners towards dementia diagnostics, to identify common challenges in day-to-day practice and to derive starting points for optimization.
METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS
In the course of a survey, which was developed on the basis of a separate preliminary interview study, 425 general practitioners in Rhineland-Palatinate were interviewed (survey period: November 2017 - January 2018).
RESULTS
The results show that a considerable part of the doctors surveyed have withdrawn from dementia diagnostics and delegated the care of dementia patients exclusively to the medical specialist level. From the data material, various reservations and challenges can be summarized, which can be seen as barriers to the effectiveness of primary care for dementia patients: 1) Low self-efficacy perception towards dementia, 2) differential diagnosis as hurdle, 3) challenges in doctor-patient communication, 4) lack of remuneration, 5) low involvement of practice staff members, 6) more negative attitudes towards dementia diagnosis due to lack of geriatric education, 7) limited cooperation with and knowledge of regional counseling and care services.
DISCUSSION
Several starting points can be identified to further optimize the GP dementia diagnoses and care: 1) Increased awareness of options beyond therapeutic interventions, 2) differential diagnosis and care pathways, 3) doctor-patient communication, 4) remuneration and incentives, 5) involvement of practice staff members, 6) higher sensitivity due to geriatric education, 7) cooperation with and knowledge of dementia care and counseling services.
|
10.1055/a-0651-1978
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pubmed_347_9362
|
Longitudinal studies of biological domains in bipolar disorder (BD) are crucial in determining if such baseline changes are progressive. We reviewed reported studies of longitudinal brain structural/functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neuropsychological changes in BD through November 2012. Longitudinal brain structural MRI studies suggest cortical and subcortical abnormalities within networks subserving emotional regulation. There is evidence of neuroprogressive loss of gray matter volume in prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex and the subgenual region, with less consistent findings in temporal and subcortical regions. Abnormal amygdala neurodevelopment is noted in adolescent onset BD and possible changes in hippocampus require further evaluation. The fewer reported longitudinal functional MRI studies suggest neurobiological changes in activation patterns involving fronto-limbic circuitry which relate to different illness phase and mood states. Early onset pediatric/adolescent BD may signify a more malignant course of illness in which extensive and executive neurocognitive deficits are found early and may persist, with some potential for improvement during remission and perhaps with treatment. Future studies should include larger samples, combine investigational modalities, incorporate genetic profiles, consider standardization of assessments and collaborative ventures across institutions, selection of more homogeneous subgroups and track neurobiological changes longer to clarify trajectories of changes.
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pubmed_347_9362
|
pubmed_830_369
|
BACKGROUND
The accuracy of predicting the survival of insecticide-resistant aphids following the application of commonly used insecticides from the carbamate, the pyrethroid, a mix of the two or the neonicotinoid chemical classes was evaluated in a potato field in Scotland. Equal proportions of five genotypes of the peach-potato aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), with none, resistance to dimethyl-carbamates, resistance to pyrethroids or combinations conferring resistance to both chemical classes were released into potato field plots. The insecticides were sprayed separately onto these plots, the aphid populations were analysed after 6-8 days and the process repeated.
RESULTS
For each assessment after the three separate spray events, plots treated with the carbamate had 48, 147 and 28%, those treated with pyrethroid 53, 210 and 89%, those treated with carbamate/pyrethroid 28, 108 and 64% and those treated with neonicotinoid 43, 55 and 11% of the numbers of M. persicae by comparison with untreated controls. Only the proportions of surviving aphids from the genotype containing no insecticide resistance traits and the genotype containing elevated carboxylesterases matched ratios predicted from the selective advantage afforded by the resistance traits alone. Survival of aphids from the other three genotypes that carried 1-3 of the insecticide resistance traits differed from expectations in all cases, possibly owing to physiological differences, including their vulnerability to predators and hymenopterous parasitoids present at the site and/or their carrying unknown insecticide resistance mechanisms.
CONCLUSION
Control strategies based on knowledge of the genetically determined insecticide resistance profile of an M. persicae population alone are insufficient. Hence, other important factors contributing to aphid survival under insecticide pressure need to be considered.
|
10.1002/ps.3370
|
pubmed_415_5138
|
High plasma copeptin level has been associated with one-month mortality after traumatic brain injury. However, not much is known regarding its relation with long-term outcome. Thus, we investigated the ability of copeptin to predict 1-year outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury. One hundred and six healthy controls and 106 patients with acute severe traumatic brain injury were included. Plasma samples were obtained on admission. Its concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forty-eight patients (45.3%) suffered from unfavorable outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3) and 31 patients (29.2%) died in 1 year after traumatic brain injury. Upon admission, plasma copeptin level in patients was substantially higher than that in healthy controls. A forward stepwise logistic regression selected plasma copeptin level as an independent predictor for 1-year unfavorable outcome and mortality of patients. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed plasma copeptin level predicted 1-year unfavorable outcome and mortality obviously. The predictive value of the copeptin concentration was thus similar to that of Glasgow Coma Scale score for the prediction of unfavorable outcome and mortality after 1 year. In a combined logistic-regression model, copeptin improved the area under curve of Glasgow Coma Scale score for the prediction of unfavorable outcome and mortality after 1 year, but the differences were not significant. Thus, copeptin level is a useful, complementary tool to predict functional outcome and mortality 1 year after traumatic brain injury.
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10.1016/j.peptides.2011.11.017
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pubmed_861_18246
|
BACKGROUND
Gut bacteria are an important component of the microbiota ecosystem in humans and other animals, and they play important roles in human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and multiple demographical-, behavioral-, or biochemical-related factors in subjects with chronic disease. Subjects with a very wide age range who participated in community-based chronic disease prevention and screening programs in China were enrolled. We analyzed the intestinal microbiota composition using 16S rRNA-based high-throughput sequencing of fecal samples, analyzed the association between gut microbiota structure and multiple demographical, behavioral, and biochemical factors, and compared the differences in microbiota composition in age-stratified groups with different blood glucose levels.
RESULTS
Our results showed that both age and blood glucose levels had a significant impact on the gut microbiota structure. We also identified several taxa showed distinct abundance in groups with different glucose levels. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium at genus level and their related taxa were more abundant in the GLU high group comparing with GLU normal group and in NGR group comparing with DM group. Further analysis using the age-stratified data showed that blood glucose levels had a more significant impact on the gut microbiota in the ≥76 y age group than in the ≤75 y age group, which indicated that it is necessary to take age into account when conducting such studies. Moreover, we identified several taxa that were highly associated with blood glucose levels in the ≥76 y age group but not in the ≤75 y age group. Within the ≥76 y age group, Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis and Bacteroides were more abundant in the GLU normal group, whereas Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium at genus level were more abundant in the GLU high group.
CONCLUSIONS
This result suggested that taxa that are capable of differentiating blood glucose levels might differ significantly in different age groups.
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10.1186/s12866-019-1466-y
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pubmed_400_19400
|
With the aim to enhance the plant vitamin E content, the barley gene encoding 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase was overexpressed in tobacco plants under control of the 35S promoter. Transgenic lines have a higher capacity for homogentisate biosynthesis as evident by a more than 10-fold higher resistance towards the bleaching herbicide sulcotrione. Seeds from transgenic lines have an up to two-fold enhanced level of vitamin E without a change in the ratio of gamma-tocopherol and gamma-tocotrienol. While the vitamin E content is not affected in leaves, the level of plastoquinone is enhanced in leaves of transgenic lines during leaf senescence.
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10.1016/s0014-5793(03)00166-2
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pubmed_1125_17317
|
The definitive fate of peripherally injected PKH26 labelled bone marrow mononuclear cells expressing the CD34+ antigen following experimental myocardial cryodamage in rats (n=10) has been examined by direct visualization on photoconverted light and electron microscopy images. One week after the injection in each rat of about 150,000 CD34+ cells early stage PKH26+ vascular structures were localized in the infarcted areas, suggesting that a potential benefit of this therapeutic approach consists in the regeneration of the vasculature.
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10.1016/j.micron.2006.08.007
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pubmed_1038_17308
|
Parapapillary atrophy has been reported to occur in glaucoma eyes. Seeking the microscopical equivalent, we evaluated histomorphometrically serial sections of 21 human eyes enucleated due to secondary angle-closure glaucoma and 28 nonglaucomatous eyes with malignant choroidal melanoma. In the parapapillary region two zones were differentiated: in zone "B" adjacent to the optic disc, Bruch's membrane was denuded of retinal pigment epithelium cells; zone "A" peripheral to zone "B" showed pigment irregularities in the retinal pigment epithelium. Both zones "B" and "A" were significantly larger and zone B occurred more frequently in glaucomatous eyes than in the control group. Additionally, the outer and inner retinal layers and the parapapillary retina as a whole were significantly thinner in the glaucoma eyes than in the control eyes. Photoreceptors were completely lost or markedly decreased in number in zone "B." The findings may indicate that zones "B" and "A" represent the histological correlate of the glaucomatous parapapillary chorioretinal atrophy.
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10.1007/BF00164651
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pubmed_812_21147
|
SETTING
Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, located at Sekondi-Takoradi, the capital and third largest city of the Western Region of Ghana.
OBJECTIVE
To examine factors associated with treatment default among tuberculosis (TB) patients registered for treatment in 2000-2001.
DESIGN
Retrospective review of institutional records of TB patients.
METHOD
The database for registered TB patients was sorted out into the six treatment outcomes. Five outcomes were combined into one variable named 'non-defaulters' and were compared with defaulters. Statistical significance was taken as P < 0.05.
RESULTS
The defaulter rate for all categories of patients was 13.9%. Default from treatment was significantly associated with male sex, smear positivity and living in communities far from the treatment centre. Patients in the 25-44 year age group and those put on the retreatment regimen have higher defaulter rates, but these were not statistically significant when compared to non-defaulters. The mean defaulting moment was 3.4 months. The overall probability of a patient remaining on treatment 5 months after starting was 3.6%.
CONCLUSION
Treatment centres should be sited near the patients to improve access. Further studies are needed to identify the barriers for patients in completing their treatment.
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pubmed_812_21147
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pubmed_100_23638
|
Organobismuth(III) and organobismuth(V) compounds have been used in a variety of C-C bond forming reactions using transition-metal catalysis. Triarylbismuths are the most often used reagents among organobismuth reagents. All three aryl groups of triarylbismuths are potentially used in C-C bond formation, as shown in a number of reactions. Some heterocyclic organobismuth compounds have high potential as useful reagents for C-C bond forming reactions.
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10.1007/128_2011_202
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pubmed_703_14985
|
The ability to manipulate the genome of organisms at will is perhaps the single most useful ability for the study of biological systems. Techniques for the generation of transgenics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans became available in the late 1980s. Since then, improvements to the original approach have been made to address specific limitations with transgene expression, expand on the repertoire of the types of biological information that transgenes can provide, and begin to develop methods to target transgenes to defined chromosomal locations. Many recent, detailed protocols have been published, and hence in this chapter, we will review various approaches to making C. elegans transgenics, discuss their applications, and consider their relative advantages and disadvantages. Comments will also be made on anticipated future developments and on the application of these methods to other nematodes.
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10.1016/B978-0-12-544172-8.00006-2
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pubmed_759_8976
|
Rabbit 136 represented the first instance whereby more than two alleles for any immunoglobulin locus are detected phenotypically in a single animal. This was reported as the acquisition of the a2 and b6 markers in the animal nominally typed a1a3, b4b5 after intensive immunization. Follow-up studies indicate that another immunoglobulin marker, notably d11, also appeared in the postimmune serum. The d11 specificity was detected serologically by the hemagglutination-inhibition assay and chemically by analysis of the CNBr digestion products involving a strategic methionine.
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pubmed_759_8976
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pubmed_669_13033
|
Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important cause of aging, and supplementing antioxidants through diet is one of the important ways to delay aging. Some studies have confirmed that rice protease hydrolysate has antioxidant activity, but was rarely been investigated on cells. Thus, commercial enzymes, alkaline enzyme, neutral enzyme, pepsin, chymotrypsin, and trypsin were selected to hydrolyze broken rice protein (BRP) to obtain the corresponding hydrolysates, which were A-broken rice protein hydrolysate (BRPH), N-BRPH, P-BRPH, C-BRPH, and T-BRPH, respectively. Then the antioxidant properties of BRPHs were evaluated by different chemical and cellular antioxidation. Molecular weight, peptide length distribution, and amino acid sequence were detected to insight into the antioxidant properties. Among BRPHs, the A-BRPH displayed the strongest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 1.159 mg/ml) and metal ion-chelating activities (IC50 = 0.391 mg/ml). Furthermore, cellular antioxidation confirmed that A-BRPH significantly increased cell viability and inhibited the intracellular ROS release in both aging cells and cell-aging processes. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results revealed that peptides with molecular weight <14.5 KDa were produced by enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, A-BRPH rich in low molecular weight (<3 kDa) and short-length peptides with some specific amino acids, such as aromatic and hydrophobic amino acids, contributes to the antioxidant properties. This study provided theoretical to the utilization of broken rice and confirmed that A-BRPH could be used in new anti-aging food and health products for human consumption.
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10.3389/fnut.2021.788078
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pubmed_1011_8734
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A relatively crude enzyme preparation derived from the subcuticular epithelium of earthworms catalyzed the formation of 4-hydroxyproline from prolyl residues in unhydroxylated natural collagens and in several synthetic collagen-like polypeptides. The specificity of hydroxylation differed from that of all vertebrate polyl hydroxylases in that (Gly-Pro-Ala)n was a much better substrate than (Gly-Ala-Pro)n. In contrast, however, only the so-called Y position proline (Gly-X-Y) was hydroxylated in Gly-Pro-Pro sequences derived either from natural collagen or from synthetic polypeptides; specificity of hydroxylation for the latter sequence is identical with that of the vertebrate enzymes. Little or no formation of 3-hydroxyproline could be demonstrated in preparations of the enzyme active as a 4-hydroxylase. In contrast with an earlier report from another laboratory, using a crude extract of earthworm body wall, we were unable to demonstrate either significant 3-hydroxyproline formation or efficient 4-hydroxylation of X position prolyl residues in synthetic polypeptides with the internal sequence Gly-Pro-Pro.
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pubmed_1011_8734
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pubmed_934_6633
|
European white stork (Ciconia ciconia) populations have been object to several conservation measures such as reintroduction programs, habitat improvement or supplementary feeding in the last decades. Although recent white stork censuses revealed an upward trend of most of the western populations, evaluations of the relative importance of certain conservation measures are still scarce or even lacking. In our study we analyzed the effect of supplementary feeding on the reproductive success of white storks in conjunction with other factors such as weather or nest site characteristics. We present data of 569 breeding events at 80 different nest sites located in variable distances to an artificial feeding site at Affenberg Salem (south-western Germany) collected from 1990-2012. A multilevel Poisson regression revealed that in our study population (1) reproductive success was negatively affected by monthly precipitation in April, May and June, (2) pairs breeding on power poles had a lower reproductive success than pairs breeding on platforms or trees and (3) reproductive success was significantly higher in pairs breeding in close distance to the feeding site. The number of fledglings per nest decreased by 8% per kilometer distance to the feeding site. Our data suggest that supplementary feeding increases fledgling populations which may be a tool to attenuate population losses caused by factors such as habitat deterioration or unfavorable conditions in wintering habitats.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0104276
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pubmed_721_7684
|
Eleven patients in our institution with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms involving the celiac, superior mesenteric and renal arteries underwent surgical treatment with the aid of a partial femoro-femoral bypass during the last three years. Three patients with expanding aneurysms underwent emergency operations. Another three patients with extensive aneurysms had two-stage operations: initial aortic arch or descending thoracic graft replacement followed by thoracoabdominal graft replacement in the second stage. Exposure of the aneurysms was made through a left transthoracic, retroperitoneal abdominal approach in all patients. The surgical technique employed in most cases in this series was graft inclusion with direct reattachment of the visceral vessels by anastomosis to an opening made in the graft. Pairs of intercostal and lumbar arteries between the levels of the ninth thoracic and fourth lumbar regions were reconstructed in a similar fashion on the basis of monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials. The operations were performed with the aid of a partial femoro-femoral bypass with selective celiac and renal arterial perfusion in most cases. All patients but one survived the operation and are leading normal lives late in the postoperative period. Graft inclusion with the aid of a partial bypass is a valid technique for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms involving visceral branches.
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pubmed_721_7684
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pubmed_1026_19195
|
BACKGROUND
Penile inversion vaginoplasty is the surgical gold standard for genital gender-affirmative surgery in transgender women. However, there is an increase of attention for gender-confirming vulvoplasty (GCV), in which no neovaginal cavity is created.
AIM
To describe underlying motives and surgical outcomes of GCV in transgender women.
METHODS
All transgender women who underwent GCV were retrospectively identified from a departmental database. A retrospective chart study was conducted, recording underlying motives, demographics, perioperative complications, and reoperations.
OUTCOMES
Underlying motives and perioperative complication rate.
RESULTS
In the period January 1990 to January 2020, 17 transgender women underwent GCV at our center. Most women reported that their motivation to undergo GCV was because they had no wish for postoperative neovaginal penetration (n = 10, 59%). This was due to a sexual preference toward women without the wish for neovaginal penetrative intercourse (n = 6, 35%) or due to a negative sexual experience in the past (n = 4, 24%). Some women desired vaginoplasty with neovaginal cavity creation but were ineligible for this because of their medical history (n = 4, 24%), for example, due to locoregional radiotherapy. The median clinical follow-up was 34 months (range 3-190). The postoperative course was uncomplicated in 11 (65%) women. Postoperative complications comprised the following: meatal stenosis (n = 2, for which surgical correction), remnant corpus spongiosum tissue (n = 1, for which surgical correction), minor wound dehiscence (n = 3, for which conservative management), and postoperative urinary tract infection (n = 1, successfully treated with oral antibiotics). One woman, who developed meatal stenosis, had a history of radiotherapy because of rectal carcinoma and needed 2 surgical procedures under general anesthesia to correct this. Information on self-reported satisfaction was available for 12 women. All were satisfied with the postoperative result and they graded their neovagina an 8.2 ± 0.9 out of 10.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
GCV may be added to the surgical repertoire of the gender surgeon. Transgender women with a desire for genital gender-affirmative surgery should be counseled on surgical options and its (dis)advantages.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
Strengths of this study comprise that it is from a high-volume center. A weakness of this study is the retrospective design. The absence of a self-reported outcome measure validated for the transgender persons is a well-known problem.
CONCLUSION
An increase is observed in transgender women who opt for GCV; however, the absolute number undergoing this surgery remains small in our center. Postoperative complications do occur but are generally minor and treatable. van der Sluis WB, Steensma TD, Timmermans FW, et al. Gender-Confirming Vulvoplasty in Transgender Women in the Netherlands: Incidence, Motivation Analysis, and Surgical Outcomes. J Sex Med 2020;17:1566-1573.
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10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.04.007
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pubmed_359_16513
|
To develop a dashboard reporting system for hospitals, four critical factors should be taken into account: Factors most important to the organization's success. Critical drivers that influence performance attainment. Relevant measures. Relevant benchmarking data.
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pubmed_359_16513
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pubmed_834_17521
|
Smoking disturbs health and causes inflammations und tumors in the upper respiratory tract. Passive smoking is also dangerous, especially for children of smoking parents. Health is incompatible with smoking.
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pubmed_834_17521
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pubmed_586_9742
|
Azepatine, a potent alpha adrenergic antagonist, was catalytically reduced with tritium and hydrogen gas to form dihydroazapetine. The pA2 azapetine was 7.9 whereas that of dihydroazapetine was 6.6, corresponding to a 20-fold decrease in potency. 3H-dihydroazapetine is accumulated into three kinetically distinct compartment in the denervated rabbit aorta. Likewise, efflux of the labeled antagonist occurs from three compartments. The rat constant for onset of alpha adrenoreceptor blockade is 3.15 min-1 which is nearly identical to the rate constant for entry of 3H-dihydroazapetine into a rapidly filling compartment (3.86 min-1) possibly representing the extracellular space. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that onset of alpha adrenoreceptor blockade by dihydroazapetine is diffusion limited.
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pubmed_586_9742
|
pubmed_861_21754
|
The heat resistance of nonproteolytic type B and type E Clostridium botulinum spores in phosphate buffer and turkey slurry was determined from 70 to 90°C. Thermal-death times were determined in vials heated using a water bath. Recovery of heat-injured spores was on reinforced clostridial medium (RCM) and tryptic soy agar (TSA) with and without added lysozyme (10 μg/ml). Decimal-reduction times (D-values) were determined by fitting a survival model to the data using a curve-fitting program. The apparent or measured heat resistance was maximum with RCM supplemented with lysozyme. The D-values at 80°C for type E spores in buffer ranged from 1.03 min for strain Whitefish to 4.51 min for strain Saratoga. The D-value for the most heat-resistant nonproteolytic type B strain KAP B5 in buffer was 4.31 min at 80°C. The z-values in buffer for all strains were very similar, ranging from 8.35 to 10.08°C.Turkey slurry offered protection to the spores with a concomitant increase in heat resistance. The D-values in turkey slurry ranged from 51.89 min at 70°C to 1.18min at 85°C for type E strain Alaska (z = 9.90°C) and from 32.53 min at 75°C to 0.80 min at 90°C for nonproteolytic type B strain KAP B5 (z = 9.43°C). Thermal-death-time values from this study will assist food processors to design thermal processes that ensure safety against nonproteolytic C. botulinum in cook/chill foods.
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10.4315/0362-028X-58.7.758
|
pubmed_33_13277
|
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and tobacco use are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The prevalence and clinical impact of COPD on mortality and kidney transplantation among patients who begin dialysis therapy is unclear.
METHODS
We explored the clinical impact of COPD and continued tobacco use on overall mortality and kidney transplantation in a national cohort study of US dialysis patients. National data on all dialysis patients (n = 769,984), incident between May 1995 and December 2004 and followed until October 31, 2006, were analyzed from the United States Renal Data System. Prevalence and period trends were determined while multivariable Cox regression evaluated relative hazard ratios (RR) for death and kidney transplantation.
RESULTS
The prevalence of COPD was 7.5% overall and increased from 6.7 to 8.1% from 1995-2004. COPD correlated significantly with older age, cardiovascular conditions, cancer, malnutrition, poor functional status, and tobacco use. Adjusted mortality risks were significantly higher for patients with COPD (RR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.18-1.21), especially among current smokers (RR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.25-1.32), and varied inversely with advancing age. In contrast, the adjusted risks of kidney transplantation were significantly lower for patients with COPD (RR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.41-0.54, for smokers and RR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.50-0.58, for non-smokers) than without COPD [RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.70-0.75, for smokers and RR = 1.00 for non-smokers (referent category)].
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with COPD who begin dialysis therapy in the US experience higher mortality and lower rates of kidney transplantation, outcomes that are far worse among current smokers.
|
10.1159/000342207
|
pubmed_880_8563
|
Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) broadens the spectrum of available echocardiographic techniques and provides the operator direct visualization of cardiac structures in real time. ICE has clear advantages over fluoroscopy, transthoracic echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography as the imaging modality of choice in the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiological laboratories. With the development of steerable phased array catheters with low frequency and Doppler qualities, there is marked improvement in visualization of left-sided structures from the right heart. Appropriate utilization of ICE is likely to maximize safety and efficacy of complex interventional procedures and may improve patient outcomes. Future advances in ICE imaging will further improve the ease of device guidance and, in combination with new imaging modalities, could dramatically improve other applications of echocardiography which may result in improved patient outcomes. This review describes the technical evolution of ICE, the use of ICE in guiding percutaneous interventional procedures and possible future applications of ICE in the ever-growing field of interventional cardiology.
|
10.1111/j.1540-8175.2011.01395.x
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pubmed_379_15197
|
Serum selenium levels of 160 healthy Greeks were determined by Zeeman-effect background-corrected atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean value for 101 men (70.7 +/- 16.2 micrograms/L) tended to be higher, but not statistically significant, compared to the mean value for 59 women (64.9 +/- 14.7 micrograms/L). When the subjects were divided into various age groups there appeared to be some increase as a function of age. Compared to the extensive literature data on serum Se levels for various countries healthy Greeks proved to be at the lower concentration range. The scarce, but conflicting literature data on serum Se values for Greeks is discussed.
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pubmed_379_15197
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pubmed_165_21443
|
We have previously reported a 62% response rate and 54% 1-year survival rate for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) by 24-hour infusion in combination with carboplatin, using area under the concentration-time curve dosing (FCCC 93-024). Myelosuppression proved dose limiting, but was substantially reduced by the routine use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor during the second and subsequent cycles. Antitumor activity has been reported with minimal myelosuppression, with paclitaxel 135 and 200 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks by 1-hour infusion to patients with NSCLC. In November 1994, we initiated a phase II trial of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 given over 1 hour, with carboplatin dosed to a fixed, targeted area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5 every 3 weeks. In the absence of grade 4 myelosuppression, paclitaxel was escalated on an intrapatient basis by 35 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum dose of 280 mg/m2 by cycle 4. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was not routinely used. Eligibility stipulated advanced, measurable, chemotherapy-naive NSCLC. Of 47 patients accrued, 39 (83%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1. The median age was 64 years; 40 patients were evaluable for toxicity. Of the first 20 evaluable patients accrued (cohort A), myelosuppression was tolerable. Cumulative peripheral sensory neuropathy grade > or = 1 in 15 (75%) patients and grade 3 in six (30%), however, generally occurring at paclitaxel doses greater than 215 mg/m2, obligated removal from study of at least three patients, despite the absence of disease progression, and proved to be dose-limiting. Consequently, the protocol was revised: the starting dose of paclitaxel was reduced to 135 mg/m2, with intrapatient dose escalation of 40 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum dose of 215 mg/m2, thus recapitulating the original dosing schema used in FCCC 93-024. To date, 25 patients have been enrolled in this second cohort (cohort B) and treatment has been better tolerated. Of 21 evaluable patients, 13 (62%) have experienced peripheral sensory neuropathy, but only one (5%) has been grade 3. Myelosuppression also has been less pronounced, with 33% grade 4 granulocytopenia and 13% grade > or = 3 thrombocytopenia in cohort B compared with 70% and 50%, respectively, in cohort A. Of the first 22 patients accrued to cohort A, 12 (55%) had major objective responses. Median event-free survival is 23 weeks and median survival is 47 weeks. Of 15 evaluable patients in cohort B, five (33%) have had major objective responses. It is too early to report survival data. In conclusion, paclitaxel by 1-hour infusion in combination with carboplatin at a fixed targeted area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5 is an active regimen in advanced NSCLC. Neurotoxicity, rather than myelosuppression, is dose and protocol limiting at paclitaxel doses exceeding 215 mg/m2.
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pubmed_165_21443
|
pubmed_914_1211
|
Indroduction. At present, modern telemedicine methods are being introduced, that may contribute to reducing lack of qualified stroke patient care, particularly in less populated regions. With the help of video conferencing systems, a so-called neuromedical teleconsultation is carried out. Methods. The study included a multicentered, completely standardized survey of physicians in hospitals by means of a computerized on-line questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods were used for data analysis. Results. 119 acute hospitals without neurology departments were included in the study. The most important reasons for participating in a teleneuromedical network is seen as the improvement in the quality of treatment (82%), the ability to avoid unnecessary patient transport (76%), easier and faster access to stroke expertise (72%) as well as better competitiveness among medical services (67%). The most significant problem areas are the financing system of teleneuromedicine with regard to the acquisition costs of the technical equipment (43%) and the compensation for the stroke-unit center with the specialists' consultation service (31%) as well as legal aspects of teleneuromedicine (27%). Conclusions. This investigation showed that there is a high acceptance for teleneuromedicine among co-operating hospitals. However these facilities have goals in addition to improved quality in stroke treatment. Therefore the use of teleneuromedicine must be also associated with long term incentives for the overall health care system, particularly since the implementation of a teleneuromedicine network system is time consuming and associated with high implementation costs.
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10.1155/2010/916868
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pubmed_929_23142
|
International mobility for nursing students is still a relatively new phenomenon. While educators and students are both excited by the opportunity that mobility presents, there are often many challenges inherent within third level organisations and practice organisations. These obstacles not only serve to make international mobility arrangements complex to manage but also mean that these opportunities are only available to very small numbers of students. Furthermore the benefits of undergraduate international exchanges remain largely anecdotal and the elements that facilitate success are not entirely clear. To address these issues, a qualitative study was conducted to identify the elements that characterize a nursing student's successful learning during international clinical placement. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six students who had completed their international clinical placements experiences in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Three common themes emerged from the data analysis: relationship with institutions and countries, student's thoughts and feelings and learning outcomes and the role of the nursing student's clinical supervisor. These themes contain seven sub-categories, representing the characterizing elements of the student's experience of mobility in the foreign country. These results are useful to nurse educators internationally to inform clinical learning experiences within exchange programmes.
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10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102705
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pubmed_97_8913
|
A case of abdominal abscess and bacteremia due to Cardiobacterium hominis and Clostridium bifermentans was successfully treated with surgical drainage and ampicillin-penicillin. This case represents the rare occurrence of C. hominis infection without apparent endocarditis.
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10.1093/clinids/13.3.418
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pubmed_1088_23055
|
PURPOSE
To evaluate the effect of magnesium sulphate on the pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine, umbilical and fetal middle cerebral arteries, according to the persistency or not of the bilateral protodiastolic notch of the uterine arteries in severe pre-eclampsia.
METHODS
A cohort study including 40 pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia, 23 of them presenting bilateral protodiastolic notch, and 17, unilateral/absent notch. The patients were submitted to Doppler velocimetry before and 20 minutes after the intravenous administration of 6 g of magnesium sulphate. The examination was carried out with the patient in semi-Fowler position, the sonograms being obtained during fetal inactivity, in apnea and absent uterine contraction periods. All the exams were performed by two researchers, the average being considered as the final result. Wilcoxon's test was used to compare the PI, before and after magnesium sulphate in both groups. The difference between the two measurements (before and after magnesium sulphate) was compared between the groups (bilateral incision and unilateral/absent incision) using the Mann-Whitney test.
RESULTS
There was a significant increase in the maternal heart rate (MHR) and decrease in the maternal blood pressure, and in the PI medians of the two uterine arteries and in the fetal middle cerebral artery, after magnesium sulphate in both groups. There was a significant decrease in the PI of the left uterine artery and in the umbilical artery, only in the protodiastolic unilateral/absent notch group. Nevertheless, it was not found any significant difference regarding the PI of the right uterine artery, or the cerebral/umbilical relationship, before and after magnesium sulphate in each group. No difference between the groups was found, before and after magnesium sulphate, for any of the studied outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
After the intravenous administration of 6 g of magnesium sulphate to patients with severe pre-eclampsia, a decrease in blood pressure and in the PI of the uterine, umbilical and fetal middle cerebral arteries occurs, besides the increase in the MHR, not influenced by the presence of bilateral protodiastolic notch in the uterine arteries.
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pubmed_1088_23055
|
pubmed_512_23904
|
OBJECTIVE
To survey effective treatment strategies for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).
METHODS
The clinical data of 78 patients diagnosed with CSP from January 2010 to December 2013 were reviewed.
RESULTS
Among these patients, 17 patients were first treated at our hospital; of them, 2 were misdiagnosed. The other 61 patients were referred from other hospitals; of them, 21 were initially misdiagnosed. There were 9 patients who were treated with laparotomy, 50 patients with curettage after uterine artery embolization (UAE) with or without local methotrexate (MTX) infusion, 10 patients with dilatation and curettage, 6 patients with transvaginal sonographic guided local intragestational MTX injection, and 3 patients with systemic MTX injection. All patients finally recovered. Patients with excessive vaginal hemorrhage underwent either emergency UAE treatment or laparotomy. These two treatments had similar success rates (81.82% vs. 100%, χ2 =0.289, P>0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The accurate diagnosis of CSP is important. Curettage after UAE with or without local MTX infusion is a safe and effective method.
|
10.1016/s1001-9294(16)30005-0
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pubmed_462_5380
|
The innervation of lumbar facet capsule and ligamentum flavum was investigated using antisera to a general neuronal marker protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and to peptide markers of sensory nerves (calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP] and substance P) and autonomic nerves (vasoactive intestinal polypeptide [VIP] and C-flanking peptide of neuropeptide Y [CPON]). In the facet capsule (n = 14), PGP 9.5 and CGRP-immunoreactive nerves occurred in 12 and five specimens, respectively, both around blood vessels and as free fibers in the stroma. Free fibers immunoreactive for substance P or VIP were noted in three and five specimens, whereas in nine specimens there were CPON-immunoreactive nerves located perivascularly. There was no immunoreactivity in the ligamentum flavum. This study provides further evidence that the facet capsule but not the ligamentum flavum has substantial innervation by sensory and autonomic nerve fibers and has a structural basis for pain perception.
|
10.1002/jor.1100100109
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pubmed_509_2821
|
AIM
To study the differences of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) gene on human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) of adults and fetuses.
METHODS
Indirect in situ RT-PCR was adopted for detection of FGFR1 gene. The cDNA of the mRNA in the paraffin sections of fetus and adult HLEC was synthesized by reverse transcription reaction. After PCR amplification, in situ hybridization test was performed with synthesized oligonucleotide probe and relative quantification was carried out using image analysis.
RESULTS
HLECs of adults and fetuses expressed FGFR1 gene, the expression level was higher in fetuses than in adults. The difference between them had significance (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
FGFR1 exist in HLEC and the expression is age-related, which could be one of causes of the high occurrence of post operational after-cataract in children.
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10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2011.01.08
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pubmed_349_22675
|
OBJECTIVES
To apply chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in the diagnosis of karyotyping with uncertain genomic rearrangement.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 48 samples (34 samples of amniotic fluid, 14 samples of peripheral blood) of karyotype analyses with uncertain genomic rearrangement in patients admitted to our department from September 2014 to April 2016. The CMA results were compared with those of karyotyping.
RESULTS
The 48 samples consisted of 13 samples with marker chromosomes, 19 samples with derivative chromosomes, and 16 samples with balanced translocation. Sixteen cases (33.33%) were detected with abnormalities by CMA. In the 32 samples with marker chromosomes or derivative chromosomes, 16 cases were detected with deletions or duplications (>5 Mb) by CMA, including 1 case 21-trisomy, 2 cases XYY syndrome and 3 cases microdeletion/ microduplication syndromes (22q11 duplication syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and 15q26 overgrowth syndrome). In the 16 balanced translocation cases, all revealed negative results in CMA.
CONCLUSIONS
CMA can confirm the karyotyping with uncertain genomic rearrangement and clarify its clinical significance.
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pubmed_349_22675
|
pubmed_586_10421
|
The effect of beta-adrenoceptor antagonists on the irreversible alpha-adrenoceptor blockade produced by phenoxybenzamine was studied in dogs. The pressor effects of adrenaline were revived after the inhibition by the alpha-receptor block by (+/-) propranolol, (-) INPEA, (+/-) MJ 1999 and (+/-) butoxamine. The enantiomers (+) propranolol and (+) INPEA were ineffective in this regard. (+/-) Practolol also did not revive the pressor effect of the amines. The alpha-receptor mediated effect of the amines, in the nictitating membrana-receptor blockade. It is concluded that (1) blockade of the peripheral (beta-2) receptors is essential for the revival of the pressor effects, (2) local anesthetic effect of the beta-antagonists is not involved. Further work using a series of doses of agonists and antagonists of alpha-and beta-receptors is indicated to clarify the nature of this drug-interaction.
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pubmed_586_10421
|
pubmed_286_5415
|
Combination of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) and lactoferrin (Lf), biomacromolecules derived from bovine whey, was used in the formation of supramolecular structures by thermal gelation technique to adjust the pH. Furthermore, the influence of the molar ratio, temperature, pH, and heating time in the formation of supramolecular structures were also studied. The characterization of the protein supramolecular structures was performed using dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements, molecular spectrofluorimetry, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The thermal behavior of the pure proteins was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The protein denaturation temperatures were of around 85°C for the β-Lg and around 52°C and 85°C (a small portion) for the Lf. The protein molar ratio of 2:1 Lf/β-Lg was used to form the structures, whose characterization showed that the best conditions of supramolecular structure formation occurred at pH6.5 and at temperatures of 62.5°C. In those conditions, more stable systems with reduced hydrophobic surface and average sizes between 30 and 100nm were generated. The correlation between pH and temperature suggests that the method of preparation of the supramolecular structure affects its size during storage.
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10.1016/j.foodres.2017.07.065
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pubmed_461_9130
|
Neural retina cells from chick embryos up to 15 days of incubation can transdifferentiate in culture into both lentoids and pigment cells. Some transdifferentiation into pigment cells but none into lentoids was found in cultures of 17-day embryonic neural retina. No transdifferentiation occurred in cultures of neural retina from embryos immediately before hatching. In general, lentoids and pigment cells develop more rapidly and in greater numbers in cultures of neural retina from the earlier embryonic stages, and lens-specific crystallins also appear earlier and accumulate in greater amounts in these cultures. Delta crystallin accumulation is much greater in transdifferentiating cultures of early embryonic neural retina, wheras alpha and beta crystallins become proportionately more prominent in cultures of late embryonic neural retina. Traces of alpha and beta but not delta crystallin are detectable in 60-day cultures of 17-day embryonic neural retina. Analogies between these results and the ontogeny of crystallin polypeptides in lens cells in vivo are discussed.
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pubmed_461_9130
|
pubmed_781_1149
|
An international study was performed by 26 experienced PCR laboratories from 14 countries to assess the performance of duplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) strategies on the basis of TaqMan probes for detection and quantification of parasitic loads in peripheral blood samples from Chagas disease patients. Two methods were studied: Satellite DNA (SatDNA) qPCR and kinetoplastid DNA (kDNA) qPCR. Both methods included an internal amplification control. Reportable range, analytical sensitivity, limits of detection and quantification, and precision were estimated according to international guidelines. In addition, inclusivity and exclusivity were estimated with DNA from stocks representing the different Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units and Trypanosoma rangeli and Leishmania spp. Both methods were challenged against 156 blood samples provided by the participant laboratories, including samples from acute and chronic patients with varied clinical findings, infected by oral route or vectorial transmission. kDNA qPCR showed better analytical sensitivity than SatDNA qPCR with limits of detection of 0.23 and 0.70 parasite equivalents/mL, respectively. Analyses of clinical samples revealed a high concordance in terms of sensitivity and parasitic loads determined by both SatDNA and kDNA qPCRs. This effort is a major step toward international validation of qPCR methods for the quantification of T. cruzi DNA in human blood samples, aiming to provide an accurate surrogate biomarker for diagnosis and treatment monitoring for patients with Chagas disease.
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pubmed_781_1149
|
pubmed_659_26216
|
Bioassay-guided fractionation of a coral-associated fungus Aspergillus ochraceus LZDX-32-15 resulted in the isolation of eleven notoamide-type alkaloids, including four new congeners, namely notoamides W-Z (1-4). The structures of the new alkaloids were determined by extensive analyses of spectroscopic data (1D and 2D NMR, HRESIMS), while ECD data were used for the configurational assignment. Three alkaloids (6, 10, 11) exerted potent inhibition against a panel of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.42 to 3.39 μM, that are comparable to the data for paclitaxel. Notoamide G (6) inhibited the viability of HepG2 and Huh-7 cells via both apoptosis and autophagy pathways. Notoamide G activated the expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9, in association with the degradation of the downstream gene PARP in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that notoamide G induced apoptosis via a mitochondrial pathway and a dead receptor-mediated pathway. In addition, notoamide G increased the autophagic vacuole in both HepG2 and Huh-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h through the significant upregulation of the key proteins Beclin1 and LC3B. Further investigation revealed that notoamide G promoted P38 and JNK phosphorylation, whereas the total protein of P-38 and JNK was slightly influenced. Accordingly, the antitumor proliferation of notoamide G in HCC cells was mechanistically mediated by apoptosis and autophagy through a P38/JNK signaling pathway, while notoamide G was considered as a potent lead for further development as an antitumor agent.
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10.1039/c9ra03640g
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pubmed_107_3593
|
Circulating monocytes comprise functionally distinct regular (CD14bright+) and mature (CD14low+) cells. Cell surface receptors were determined by three colour flow cytometry in 8 healthy control subjects. Compared to regular monocytes, mature monocytes had lower levels of the high affinity Fc gamma receptor 1 (CD64), complement receptor 3 (CD11b), CD45RO and higher levels for HLA-DR, LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18), interleukin-2 receptor (CD25), CD45RA and the Fc gamma receptor 3 (CD16). Both regular and mature monocytes were measured before and up to three hours after four different types of exercise (Ex) in endurance trained athletes (n = 9-16). Immediately after anaerobic exercise of 1 min with a maximal lactate concentration (la max) of 12.3 (SD 1.4) mmol.1-1 and exhaustive exercise of 24 (SD 8) min with a maximal lactate concentration (lamax) of 7.4 (SD 2.6) mmol..-1 mature monocytes increased more than regular monocytes. Exhaustive endurance exercise of 87 (SD 21) min [lamax 3.7 (SD 1.0)] led to a similar increase of regular and mature monocytes. 15-33 min after a 100km run regular monocytes increased significantly, whereas mature monocytes decreased. Up to three hours after the end of all exercises mature monocytes fell below pre-exercise values. In conclusion, duration and intensity of exercise alter distinct maturation stages of monocytes differently. It is probable that the avidity of adhesion molecules like LFA-1 to their endothelial ligands is increased to enable the firm attachment to the endothelium.
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10.1007/BF00609414
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pubmed_793_5917
|
Large for gestational age (LGA) infants of insulin-dependent diabetic mothers (IDM), appropriate for gestational age (AGA) IDM, and infants of nondiabetic mothers were compared for the incidence of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and related etiologic factors. At 60 hours of age, LGA IDM had significantly higher serum bilirubin concentrations (12.3 +/- 2.1 mg/100 ml) than AGA IDM (7.6 +/- 3.9 mg/100 ml) or control infants (7.8 +/- 2.8 mg/100 ml) (P < .001). Peak serum bilirubin concentrations were also significantly higher in LGA IDM (14.4 +/- 2.1 mg/100 ml) than in AGA IDM (8.4 +/- 3.7 mg/100ml) or control infants (8.6 +/- 3.3 mg/100 ml) (P < .001). Mean percent of carboxyhemoglobin was used as an indicator of hemolysis and showed a significant elevation in LGA IDM (1.51 +/- 0.19) when compared to AGA IDM (1.10 +/- 0.27) and control infants (1.19 +/- 0.33) (P < .05). No significant differences were found among the three groups with respect to mode of delivery, frequency of pitocin administration, 5-minute Apgar scores, incidence of isoimmunization, incidence of enclosed hemorrhage, hemoglobin concentration, bilirubin concentrations at 12 hours, and percent of weight loss. Our data suggest that only LGA IDM are at increased risk for hyperbilirubinemia and that increased heme turnover is a significant factor in the pathogenesis.
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pubmed_793_5917
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pubmed_787_5242
|
Transmembrane adapter proteins (TRAPs) are critical components of signaling pathways in lymphocytes, linking antigen receptor engagement to downstream cellular processes. While these proteins lack intrinsic enzymatic activity, their phosphorylation following receptor ligation allows them to function as scaffolds for the assembly of multi-molecular signaling complexes. Many TRAPs have recently been discovered, and numerous studies demonstrate their roles in the positive and negative regulation of lymphocyte maturation, activation, and differentiation. One such example is the linker for activation of T cells (LAT) family of adapter proteins. While LAT has been shown to play an indispensable role in T-cell and mast cell function, the other family members, linker for activation of B cells (LAB) and linker for activation of X cells (LAX), are necessary to fine-tune immune responses. In addition to its well-established role in the positive regulation of lymphocyte activation, LAT exerts an inhibitory effect on T-cell receptor-mediated signaling. Furthermore, LAT, along with LAB and LAX, plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining tolerance. Here, we review recent data concerning the regulation of lymphocyte development and activation by the LAT family of proteins.
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10.1111/j.1600-065X.2009.00828.x
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pubmed_1005_10263
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Among all the vital signs, respiratory rate remains the least measured in several scenarios, mainly due to the intrusiveness of the sensors usually adopted. For this reason, all contactless monitoring systems are gaining increasing attention in this field. In this paper, we present a measuring system for contactless measurement of the respiratory pattern and the extraction of breath-by-breath respiratory rate. The system consists of a laptop's built-in RGB camera and an algorithm for post-processing of acquired video data. From the recording of the chest movements of a subject, the analysis of the pixel intensity changes yields a waveform indicating respiratory pattern. The proposed system has been tested on 12 volunteers, both males and females seated in front of the webcam, wearing both slim-fit and loose-fit t-shirts. The pressure-drop signal recorded at the level of nostrils with a head-mounted wearable device was used as reference respiratory pattern. The two methods have been compared in terms of mean of absolute error, standard error, and percentage error. Additionally, a Bland-Altman plot was used to investigate the bias between methods. Results show the ability of the system to record accurate values of respiratory rate, with both slim-fit and loose-fit clothing. The measuring system shows better performance on females. Bland-Altman analysis showed a bias of -0.01 breaths · min - 1 , with respiratory rate values between 10 and 43 breaths · min - 1 . Promising performance has been found in the preliminary tests simulating tachypnea.
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10.3390/s19122758
|
pubmed_808_12684
|
Live-cell imaging is used to simultaneously capture time-lapse images of angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT1aR) and intracellular compartments in transfected human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK) cells following stimulation with angiotensin II (Ang II). HEK cells are transiently transfected with plasmid DNA containing AT1aR tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Lysosomes are identified with a red fluorescent dye. Live-cell images are captured on a laser scanning confocal microscope after Ang II stimulation and analyzed by software in three dimensions (3D, voxels) over time. Live-cell imaging enables investigations into receptor trafficking and avoids confounds associated with fixation, and in particular, the loss or artefactual displacement of EGFP-tagged membrane receptors. Thus, as individual cells are tracked through time, the subcellular localization of receptors can be imaged and measured. Images must be acquired sufficiently rapidly to capture rapid vesicle movement. Yet, at faster imaging speeds, the number of photons collected is reduced. Compromises must also be made in the selection of imaging parameters like voxel size in order to gain imaging speed. Significant applications of live-cell imaging are to study protein trafficking, migration, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, autophagy and protein-protein interaction and dynamics, to name but a few.
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10.3791/55177
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pubmed_492_12860
|
The idea that an already consolidated memory can become destabilized after recall and requires a process of reconsolidation to maintain it for subsequent use has gained much credence over the past decade. Experimental studies in rodents have shown pharmacological, genetic, or injurious manipulation at the time of memory reactivation can disrupt the already consolidated memory. Despite the force of experimental data showing this phenomenon, a number of questions have remained unanswered and no consensus has emerged as to the conditions under which a memory can be disrupted following reactivation. To date most rodent studies of reconsolidation are based on negatively reinforced memories, in particular fear-associated memories, while the storage and stability of forms of memory that do not rely on explicit reinforcement have been less often studied. In this review, we focus on recognition memory, a paradigm widely used in humans to probe declarative memory. We briefly outline recent advances in our understanding of the processes and brain circuits involved in recognition memory and review the evidence that recognition memory can undergo reconsolidation upon reactivation. We also review recent findings suggesting that some molecular mechanisms underlying consolidation of recognition memory are similarly recruited after recall to ensure memory stability, while others are more specifically engaged in consolidation or reconsolidation. Finally, we provide novel data on the role of Rsk2, a mental retardation gene, and of the transcription factor zif268/egr1 in reconsolidation of object-location memory, and offer suggestions as to how assessing the activation of certain molecular mechanisms following recall in recognition memory may help understand the relative importance of different aspects of remodeling or updating long-lasting memories.
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10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00177
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pubmed_459_10831
|
Small-dose Harringtonine (1-3 mg infused during 4-5 hr) was used as a single agent to treat 10 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Every patient received one to three courses, each lasting 13-81 days (mean 33 days). The interval between courses (i.e., interruptions) was 5-11 days. During treatment, marrow aplasia occurred in one patient and hypoplasia in three. Pancytopenia occurred in all 10 patients. Complete remission was achieved in seven patients (70%) and cytoreduction in two. In vitro studies showed that, although Harringtonine produced a decrease in leukemic cells in all five series of marrow cultures from five patients, there was only one wherein the decrease was accompanied by a simultaneous absolute increase in differentiated myeloid cells. Considerable discrepancy existed between the culture results and clinical responses. These results seem to suggest that the therapeutic effect of Harringtonine on acute promyelocytic leukemia originates chiefly from cytotoxicity.
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pubmed_459_10831
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pubmed_942_12232
|
Analysis of acid-fast bacillus smear results at a hospital with a moderate incidence of tuberculosis confirms recent recommendations that 2 negative smear results suffice for discontinuation of respiratory isolation. Use of polymerase chain reaction analysis further increases the confidence with which the diagnosis of active tuberculosis likely to be transmitted to others can be excluded.
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10.1086/504451
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pubmed_1110_23746
|
Correlation between meridians and viscera is the core of meridian theory, and eight extra meridians are a vital part of meridian system. Based on the running courses, diseases and modern researches of eight extra meridians, we found that governor and heel vessels were closely related to brain and kidney; conception and thoroughfare vessels were related to kidney and uterus; there was no defined relationship between link, belt vessels and viscera. The theory of eight extra meridians belonging to liver and kidney, and the clinical application of the eight confluence points provide evidence for the correlation between the eight extra meridians and viscera. The correlation research can fill up current meridian-viscus correlation theory and provide its new research thought.
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10.13703/j.0255-2930.2017.12.012
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pubmed_431_8296
|
Organic holographic materials are pursued as versatile and cheap data-storage materials. It is generally assumed that under steady-state conditions, only photorefractive holographic media exhibit a non-local response to a light-intensity pattern, which results in an asymmetric two-beam coupling or 'gain', where intensity is transferred from one beam to the other as a measure of writing efficiency. Here, we demonstrate non-local holographic recording in a non-photorefractive material. We demonstrate that reversible photoisomerization gratings recorded in a non-photorefractive azo-based material exhibit large optical gain coefficients beyond 1,000 cm(-1), even for polarization gratings. The grating characteristics differ markedly from classical photorefractive features, but can be modelled by considering the influence of the Poynting vector on the photoisomerization. The external control of the Poynting vector enables manipulation of the gain coefficient, including its sign (the direction of energy exchange), a novel phenomenon we refer to as 'gain steering'. A very high sensitivity of about 100 cm(2) J(-1) was achieved. This high sensitivity, combined with a high spatial resolution, suggests a great technical advantage for applications in image processing and phase conjugation.
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10.1038/nmat2186
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pubmed_1067_14462
|
We used positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO) to study tumor hypoxia in six dogs with spontaneous sarcomas. The tumors were regarded as hypoxic if [18F]FMISO uptake exceeded normal tissue radioactivity by 40% (tumor/muscle ratio > 1.4) or if kinetic analysis indicated a positive [18F]FMISO tissue influx rate (Ki > 0) by a Patlak plot. Using these criteria, we found hypoxia in a fibrosarcoma grade II, an undifferentiated sarcoma, and an ostoeosarcoma, but not in a fibrosarcoma grade I, another osteosarcoma, and a myxosarcoma. In three animals, the tumor oxygen partial pressure (pO2) was also measured invasively using Eppendorf needle electrodes. In these cases, the Eppendorf measurements were confirmed by the [18F]FMISO PET results. In addition, [15O]H2O PET was performed in four dogs in order to assess tumor perfusion. Comparisons of the [18F]FMISO with [15O]H2O PET images in two cases showed that tumor hypoxia occurred in the tumor center with low perfusion, whereas perfusion was heterogeneous in a nonhypoxic tumor.
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10.1111/j.1740-8261.2005.00065.x
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pubmed_1025_12946
|
BACKGROUND
Novel research has suggested that altered miRNA expression in the placenta is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and with potentially harmful xenobiotic exposures. We hypothesized that aberrant expression of miRNA in the placenta is associated with fetal growth, a measurable phenotype resulting from a number of intrauterine factors, and one which is significantly predictive of later life outcomes.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
We analyzed 107 primary, term, human placentas for expression of 6 miRNA reported to be expressed in the placenta and to regulate cell growth and development pathways: miR-16, miR-21, miR-93, miR-135b, miR-146a, and miR-182. The expression of miR-16 and miR-21 was markedly reduced in infants with the lowest birthweights (p<0.05). Logistic regression models suggested that low expression of miR-16 in the placenta predicts an over 4-fold increased odds of small for gestational age (SGA) status (p = 0.009, 95% CI = 1.42, 12.05). Moreover, having both low miR-16 and low miR-21 expression in the placenta predicts a greater increase in odds for SGA than having just low miR-16 or miR-21 expression (p<0.02), suggesting an additive effect of both of these miRNA.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Our study is one of the first to investigate placental miRNA expression profiles associated with birthweight and SGA status. Future research on miRNA whose expression is associated with in utero exposures and markers of fetal growth is essential for better understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying the developmental origins of health and disease.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0021210
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pubmed_830_8027
|
Heart failure is the leading cause of mortality and rehospitalization in Western countries. With the development of new technologies applied to medical diagnostic pathways, cardiovascular imaging has rapidly gained ground. Therefore, the clinical cardiologist has to keep updated on the management of such innovative diagnostic tools which were once the exclusive domain of radiologists. The need to understand a new language is fundamental for the selection of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in patients with heart failure, which is often the final destination for many cardiovascular diseases. Alongside standard diagnostic techniques such as chest radiography two-dimensional ultrasound and cardiac color Doppler, all of which are indispensable in daily practice, innovative tools have been defining their incremental role in cardiovascular imaging. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), cardiac computed tomography (CT), speckle tracking, 3D echocardiography, new applications in nuclear medicine (SPECT MIBG), and "cardiac hybrid imaging" are emerging for research and are also playing a pivotal role in the clinical scenario. These techniques are useful the for non-invasive acquisition of diagnostic and prognostic information in heart failure. Whether the radiological and economic impact of these new technologies is sustainable is a question the clinical cardiologist will need to answer when considering the cost/benefit of the diagnostic tool selected among these methods.
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pubmed_830_8027
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pubmed_11_15765
|
Intravital fluorescence microscopy enables the direct imaging of fluorophores in vivo and advanced techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) enable the simultaneous detection of multiple fluorophores. Consequently, it is now possible to record distribution and metabolism of a chemical in vivo and to optimise the delivery of fluorophores in vivo. Recent clinical applications with fluorescein and other intravital fluorescent stains have occurred in neurosurgery, dermatology [including photodynamic therapy (PDT)] and endomicroscopy. Potential uses have been identified in periodontal disease, skin graft and cancer surgery. Animal studies have demonstrated that diseased tissue can be specifically stained with fluorophore conjugates. This review focuses on the fluorescein derived fluorophores in common clinical use and provides examples of novel applications from studies in tissue samples.
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10.3390/cells2030591
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pubmed_32_15515
|
Because of the popularity of some third-generation cephalosporins, emergence of resistant organisms (e.g., selected Enterobacteriaceae) that produce inducible and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases has been a problem. Cefepime's twice-a-day dosage schedule and enhanced activity against Enterobacteriaceae and gram-positive organisms give it several advantages over older drugs. The clinical efficacy of cefepime has been demonstrated in comparative and noncomparative trials in the United States and Europe. Cefepime with twice-daily dosing has been useful in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, skin and skin structure infections, and in serious infection, including those with associated bacteremia. Cefepime is comparable to ceftazidime in clinical and bacteriologic response rates when both agents are administered three times a day in febrile neutropenic patients. Cefepime is also active against organisms that show resistance to other agents. Several studies have shown that cefepime retains its activity against E. cloacae and E. coli strains resistant to other cephalosporins and against many strains of P. aeruginosa resistant to ceftazidime. Cefepime exhibits a low level of cross-resistance with third-generation cephalosporins and a low propensity for selection of resistant mutants and offers a low potential for the induction of bacterial resistance, which complicates the course of many patients treated with single-agent third-generation therapy. Cefepime should be used in place of ceftazidime based on resistance potential, activity against resistant organisms, and cost.
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10.1016/s0025-7125(16)30035-9
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pubmed_171_22682
|
Some endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been evidenced to affect cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation. However, it is unknown whether EDCs disturb Th1/Th2 development. We chose alkylphenols that have been widely used as plastic additives and surfactants, and some of them are recognized as xenoestrogens. We examined whether they exert direct effects on T cells to suppress or enhance Th1/Th2 development. We used two experimental systems with isolated T cells in vitro. In one system, isolated CD4+CD8+ thymocytes differentiated into Th1 and Th2 by two transient stimulations and cytokine treatment. In the second system, purified naïve CD4+ T cells from DO11.10 T cell receptor-transgenic and RAG-2-deficient mice differentiate into Th1 and Th2 by the treatment with cytokines and antibodies to CD3 and CD28. In both systems, 1-10 microM of p-n-nonylphenol suppressed Th1 development and enhanced Th2 development, whereas estrogen by itself failed to affect Th1/Th2 development. p-n-Octylphenol elicited similar effects, but 4-nonylphenol and p-t-octylphenol elicited much weaker effects. p-n-Dodecylphenol or p-n-octylbenzene failed to affect Th1/Th2 development. Thus, the length and branching of the alkyl side chain appeared to affect the activity. Although some alkylphenols have been suggested to have a weak affinity to retinoic acid receptors (RAR) or progesterone receptor (PRGR), antagonists of RAR, PRGR, glucocorticoid receptor (GCR), or retinoid X receptors (RXR) failed to inhibit the activity. These results suggest that p-n-nonylphenol and p-n-octylphenol directly suppress Th1 development and enhance Th2 development through mechanisms independent of estrogen receptors, RAR, RXR, PRGR, and GCR.
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10.1016/j.imlet.2004.04.013
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pubmed_611_12732
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This qualitative study elicited the explanatory models (EMs) of child growth held by mothers of growth-deficient children. EMs are culturally constructed explanations for a specific illness and its treatment (Kleinman, 1980). The EM concept was adapted for this study to focus on a child health condition instead of an illness. The sample comprised 22 mothers of growth deficient children who were interviewed 2 years after the conclusion of an intervention study to promote child growth. Growth deficiency was defined as below the 10th percentile for weight, height, or weight for height on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth grids (Hamill, Drzid, Johnson, Reed, & Roche, 1976). Three major domains were identified in the EMs of growth held by mothers: (1) illness or heredity (etiology); (2) keeping track of growth (course); and (3) helping my child grow (treatment). The mothers in this study were concerned about their children's size and growth patterns and they monitored their children's growth with the methods available to them. They identified illnesses and allergies as environmental factors that negatively impact their children's growth. All mothers viewed size as a function of heredity. The findings from this study suggest that an emphasis on size will not encourage mothers to focus on their children's growth. The EMs for growth and size were different. Health care providers may be more effective in enhancing children's growth by teaching parents how to deal with the day-to-day problems of children who are picky eaters, stretching limited food money, creating mealtime schedules, and dealing with illnesses before they become severe.
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10.1046/j.1525-1446.2000.00434.x
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pubmed_683_5895
|
Microwave propagation experiments performed with Voyager 2 at Neptune revealed sharp layers of electrons in Neptune's lower ionosphere with densities of approximately 10(4) per cubic centimeter. These layers are reminiscent of the sporadic-E layers in the Earth's ionosphere, and when taken together with data from the other giant planets, these data confirm the importance of the magnetic field in layer formation. A photochemical model that incorporates species produced by meteoroid ablation predicts that singly ionized magnesium is the most likely metal to be found in the layers, although laboratory data on the kinetics of metallic atoms and ions in a reducing environment are lacking. The metal chemistry discussed here is directly relevant to the abundant metals observed at the impact site of the G fragment of comet Shoemaker Levy 9 on Jupiter.
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10.1126/science.7839139
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pubmed_306_23617
|
Submerged macrophytes enhance water transparency and aquatic biodiversity in shallow water ecosystems. Therefore, the return of submerged macrophytes is the target of many lake restoration projects. However, at present, north-western European aquatic ecosystems are increasingly invaded by omnivorous exotic crayfish. We hypothesize that invasive crayfish pose a novel constraint on the regeneration of submerged macrophytes in restored lakes and may jeopardize restoration efforts. We experimentally investigated whether the invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard) affects submerged macrophyte development in a Dutch peat lake where these crayfish are expanding rapidly. Seemingly favourable abiotic conditions for macrophyte growth existed in two 0.5 ha lake enclosures, which provided shelter and reduced turbidity, and in one lake enclosure iron was added to reduce internal nutrient loading, but macrophytes did not emerge. We transplanted three submerged macrophyte species in a full factorial exclosure experiment, where we separated the effect of crayfish from large vertebrates using different mesh sizes combined with a caging treatment stocked with crayfish only. The three transplanted macrophytes grew rapidly when protected from grazing in both lake enclosures, demonstrating that abiotic conditions for growth were suitable. Crayfish strongly reduced biomass and survival of all three macrophyte species while waterfowl and fish had no additive effects. Gut contents showed that crayfish were mostly carnivorous, but also consumed macrophytes. We show that P. clarkii strongly inhibit macrophyte development once favourable abiotic conditions for macrophyte growth are restored. Therefore, expansion of invasive crayfish poses a novel threat to the restoration of shallow water bodies in north-western Europe. Prevention of introduction and spread of crayfish is urgent, as management of invasive crayfish populations is very difficult.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0078579
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pubmed_347_14981
|
Extracellular microRNAs (miRNA) are present in most biological fluids, relatively stable, and hold great potential for disease biomarkers and novel therapeutics. Circulating miRNAs are transported by membrane-derived vesicles (exosomes and microparticles), lipoproteins, and other ribonucleoprotein complexes. Evidence suggests that miRNAs are selectively exported from cells with distinct signatures that have been found to be altered in many pathophysiologies, including cardiovascular disease. Protected from plasma ribonucleases by their carriers, functional miRNAs are delivered to recipient cells by various routes. Transferred miRNAs use cellular machinery to reduce target gene expression and alter cellular phenotype. Similar to soluble factors, miRNAs mediate cell-to-cell communication linking disparate cell types, diverse biological mechanisms, and homeostatic pathways. Although significant advances have been made, miRNA intercellular communication is full of complexities and many questions remain. This review brings into focus what is currently known and outstanding in a novel field of study with applicability to cardiovascular disease.
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10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300139
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pubmed_1053_2274
|
We studied lung structure and function in Fischer-344 and Sprague Dawley rats to compare the pathophysiologic features of the aged lung in animal strains. Both strains were maintained under identical conditions of minimal exposure to injurious environmental agents. We measured the number, size, and surface area of alveoli, pressure-volume characteristics and connective tissue content of lungs at midlife (12 or 14 months of age) and old age (24 months of age). Results showed differences in the older versus younger group of the Sprague Dawley strain as indicated by enlarged air spaces [154 +/- 21 (SEM) versus 118 +/- 13 micromicroliter] (p less than 0.05), increased collagen (hydroxyproline content 4.1 +/- 0.1 versus 3.0 +/- 0.1 mg/lung) (p less than 0.05), and a leftward shifted pressure-volume curve. There was no change in surface area or alveolar number. The structural lesions are consistent with air space enlargement with fibrosis and not emphysema. In contrast, no major changes were found in the lungs with age in Fischer-344 rats. We hypothesize that in the Sprague Dawley strain the aging process impairs the ability of the lung to maintain normal structure and function. Two strains of rats which differ pathologically in old age may be useful in the study of the effects of aging on the lung.
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10.1016/0531-5565(90)90022-t
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pubmed_334_2931
|
The relationship between clinicopathological findings and the long-term prognosis was investigated in 42 breast cancer patients in whom aneusomy was detected for chromosomes 1, 11 and 17. The frequencies of aneusomy of those chromosomes were 78.6%, 47.5% and 52.5%, respectively, and more than 90% of anomalies consisted of polysomy. The relationship between aneusomy and the clinicopathological findings showed a statistical correlation with a high histological grade in the case of polysomy of chromosome 17 compared with disomy, indicating a tendency for a high incidence of lymph node metastasis. Analysis of the survival data revealed that the prognosis was poor when there was polysomy of chromosomes 1 or 11. These results indicate the possibility that aneusomy of chromosomes 1, 11 and 17 can serve as prognostic factors of poor outcome in breast cancer patients.
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pubmed_334_2931
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pubmed_385_14260
|
Stenting of the extravesical ureteroneocystostomy in renal transplantation is controversial. This study is a metaanalysis of 49 published studies over 30 years time in which the extravesical technique was used. Stented and nonstented anastomoses were compared. One-hundred six articles published between 1973 and 2002 were reviewed and 49 met criteria for inclusion. Articles were required to list original, numeric, previously unpublished data and to report or to describe the use of an extravesical ureteroneocystostomy, with or without stent. Data were analyzed within separate groups, (1) randomized, controlled trials and (2) case series. Data were included from five randomized, controlled trials and 44 case series. In the controlled trials group, there were urologic complications in 6 of 407 stented (1.5%), and 35 of 389 nonstented subjects (9.0%) (p < 0.0001, OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10-0.57). In the case-series group, there were urologic complications in 137 of 4245 stented (3.2%) and 433 of 9077 nonstented subjects (4.8%) (p = 0.007, OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.39-0.86). Renal transplants with stented extravesical ureteroneocystostomy have a significantly lower urologic complication rate than those with nonstented anastomoses. All five randomized, controlled trials individually found stented anastomoses to have a lower complication rate and this was confirmed by metaanalysis of these trials and of case-series data.
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10.1111/j.1600-6143.2004.00595.x
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pubmed_153_7053
|
Recently, night eating syndrome (NES) was included into the DSM-5 as an example of "Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders." The study provides insight into the population prevalence of NES using a large representative German population sample (n = 2,460) with a wide age range (14-85 years). The prevalence of NES was 1.1% using a cut-off on the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) of 25. A positive screening for NES was positively associated with depression and anxiety, eating disorder psychopathology, and body weight.
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10.1371/journal.pone.0097667
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pubmed_285_6149
|
Many years ago, β(2) /β(3) -peptides, consisting of alternatively arranged β(2) - and β(3) h-amino-acid residues, have been found to undergo folding to a unique type of helix, the 10/12-helix, and to exhibit non-polar, lipophilic properties (Helv. Chim. Acta 1997, 80, 2033). We have now synthesized such 'mixed' hexa-, nona-, dodeca-, and octadecapeptides, consisting of Val-Ala-Leu triads, with N-terminal fluorescein (FAM) labels, i.e., 1-4, and studied their interactions with POPC (=1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and with human white blood cancer cells U937. The methods used were microfluidic technology, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), a flow-cytometry assay, a membrane-toxicity assay with the dehydrogenase G6PDH as enzymatic reporter, and visual microscopy observations. All β(3) /β(2) -peptide derivatives penetrate the GUVs and/or the cells. As shown with the isomeric β(3) /β(2) -, β(3) -, and β(2) -nonamers, 2, 5, and 6, respectively, the derivatives 5 and 6 consisting exclusively of β(3) - or β(2) -amino-acid residues, respectively, interact neither with the vesicles nor with the cells. Depending on the method of investigation and on the pretreatment of the cells, the β(3) /β(2) -nonamer and/or the β(3) /β(2) -dodecamer derivative, 2 and/or 3, respectively, cause a surprising disintegration or lysis of the GUVs and cells, comparable with the action of tensides, viral fusion peptides, and host-defense antimicrobial peptides. Possible sources of the chain-length-dependent destructive potential of the β(3) /β(2) -nona- and β(3) /β(2) -dodecapeptide derivatives, and a possible relationship with the phosphate-to-phosphate and hydrocarbon thicknesses of GUVs, and eukaryotic cells are discussed. Further investigations with other types of GUVs and of eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism(s) of interaction of 'mixed' β(3) /β(2) -peptides with membranes and to evaluate possible biomedical applications.
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10.1002/cbdv.201500085
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pubmed_533_1958
|
Ethylene plays pleiotropic roles in plant growth, plant development, and stress responses. Although the effects of ethylene on plants are well documented, little is known about molecular-level events that result in transcriptional repression during the ethylene response. In this study, we found that two histone deacetylases, SRT1 and SRT2, interact with ENAP1, which associates with EIN2 in the nucleus. Genetic and transcriptome analyses revealed that SRT1 and SRT2 are required for negative regulation of certain ethylene-responsive genes. The acetylation of HISTONE3 at K9 (H3K9Ac) is specifically regulated by SRT1 and SRT2 in ethylene-repressed genes. In addition, the srt1 srt2 double mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana suppresses both the ENAP1ox and the EIN3ox constitutive ethylene response phenotypes, and the ethylene-induced transcriptional repression observed in EIN3ox plants is derepressed in the EIN3ox/srt1 srt2 mutant. SRT2 and ENAP1 both bind to promoter regions of genes negatively regulated by ethylene, reducing H3K9Ac levels and resulting in transcriptional repression. This work establishes a mechanism by which histone deacetylases SRT1 and SRT2 interact with ENAP1 to mediate transcriptional repression by regulating the levels of H3K9 acetylation in the ethylene signaling.
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10.1105/tpc.17.00671
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pubmed_431_9434
|
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether evidence of denervation/reinnervation of the external anal sphincter is associated with anal incontinence symptoms immediately after delivery.
STUDY DESIGN
After a first vaginal delivery, 42 women completed an anal incontinence questionnaire. They also underwent concentric needle electromyography of the external anal sphincter. For each subject, motor unit action potential and interference pattern parameters were determined.
RESULTS
For the motor unit action potential, no difference was observed between patients with and without anal incontinence symptoms (t-test). For the interference pattern, the amplitude/turn was greater in subjects with fecal urgency (318 +/- 48 [SD] microV) and fecal incontinence (332 +/- 48 microV), compared with those without fecal urgency (282 +/- 38 microV) and fecal incontinence (286 +/- 41 microV; P = .02, t-test).
CONCLUSION
In this group of postpartum women with mild anal incontinence symptoms, interference pattern analysis shows evidence of denervation and subsequent reinnervation.
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10.1016/j.ajog.2008.01.053
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pubmed_459_4539
|
Although attitudes and beliefs about wife beating have been regarded as important for understanding the factors that cause and perpetuate women abuse, researchers have not had adequate instruments to measure these attitudes and beliefs. This article reports on the construction of a scale of attitudes about wife beating and an assessment of the scale's dimensionality and validity. Data were collected from 675 students, 94 residents of a midwestern city, 71 men who batter, and 70 advocates for battered women. Five reliable subscales were derived, and seven tests of validity were supported. Sympathetic attitudes toward battered women were related, as predicted, with liberal views of women's roles and sympathetic attitudes toward rape victims. Abusers and advocates were the most dissimilar in their attitudes. Male and female students also differed significantly. Many of the results are analogous to those in studies of attitudes toward rape. Several possible uses of the measure are described.
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pubmed_459_4539
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pubmed_776_21131
|
OBJECTIVE
To report 3 cases of gastrointestinal (GI) complications associated with the use of intramuscular ketorolac tromethamine therapy in elderly patients.
CASE SUMMARIES
In case 1, an 88-year-old woman was taken to surgery for the management of an acute abdomen and repair of a 2+ cm perforated prepyloric gastric ulcer. The patient had received a total 16 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The patient died after surgery from complications associated with bacterial and candidal sepsis, as well as acute renal failure. In case 2, an 80-year-old woman with no known history of GI problems developed a prepyloric gastric ulcer, which perforated and penetrated into the pancreas after the patient received 13 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The patient died from complications associated with candidal sepsis, peritonitis, and cardiopulmonary collapse. In case 3, an 85-year-old man with a history of a gastric ulcer developed GI bleeding after receiving a total of 9 doses of ketorolac 30 mg im. The bleeding was stabilized and the patient was discharged 12 days later in stable condition.
DISCUSSION
Ketorolac tromethamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with potent analgesic properties. We report 3 cases of GI complications associated with intramuscular ketorolac therapy in the elderly. A temporal relationship was established with the development of gastric ulceration in 2 patients and the recurrence of a gastric ulcer in the third patient.
CONCLUSIONS
We recommend that the manufacturer's guidelines be followed when ketorolac is used in elderly patients, and the drug should not be used in patients with a history of gastric ulcer disease. The use of misoprostol may be warranted as prophylactic therapy in high-risk patients who are receiving ketorolac.
|
10.1177/106002809502907-808
|
pubmed_1063_10562
|
In recent years, gene therapy has become a promising technology to enhance endothelialization of artificial vascular grafts. The ideal gene therapy requires a gene carrier with low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency. In this paper, we prepared a biodegradable cationic copolymer poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-PEI (PLGA-g-PEI), grafted Cys-Ala-Gly-Trp (CAGW) peptide onto this copolymer via the thiol-ene Click-reaction, and then prepared micelles by a self-assembly method. pEGFP-ZNF580 plasmids (pDNA) were condensed by these micelles via electrostatic interaction to form gene complexes. The CAGW peptide enables these gene complexes with special recognition for endothelial cells, which could enhance their transfection. As a gene carrier system, the PLGA-g-PEI-g-CAGW/pDNA gene complexes were evaluated and the results showed that they had suitable diameter and zeta potential for cellular uptake, and exhibited low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency for EA.hy926 cells.
|
10.3390/polym9050158
|
pubmed_403_11526
|
Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphotropic hormone that belongs to a subfamily of endocrine FGFs with evolutionarily conserved functions in worms and fruit flies. FAM20C phosphorylates FGF23 post-translationally, targeting it to proteolysis through subtilisin-like proprotein convertase FURIN, resulting in secretion of FGF23 fragments. O-glycosylation of FGF23 through GALNT3 appears to prevent proteolysis, resulting in secretion of biologically active intact FGF23. In the circulation, FGF23 may undergo further processing by plasminogen activators. Crystal structures show that the ectodomain of the cognate FGF23 receptor FGFR1c binds with the ectodomain of the co-receptor alpha-KLOTHO. The KLOTHO-FGFR1c double heterodimer creates a high-affinity binding site for the FGF23 C-terminus. The topology of FGF23 deviates from that of paracrine FGFs, resulting in poor affinity for heparan sulphate, which may explain why FGF23 diffuses freely in the bone matrix to enter the bloodstream following its secretion by cells of osteoblastic lineage. Intact FGF23 signalling by this canonical pathway activates FRS2/RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK1/2. It reduces serum phosphate by inhibiting 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D synthesis, suppressing intestinal phosphate absorption, and by downregulating the transporters NPT2a and NPT2c, suppressing phosphate reabsorption in the proximal tubules. The physiological role of FGF23 fragments, which may be inhibitory, remains unclear. Pharmacological and genetic activation of canonical FGF23 signalling causes hypophosphatemic disorders, while its inhibition results in hyperphosphatemic disorders. Non-canonical FGF23 signalling through binding and activation of FGFR3/FGFR4/calcineurin/NFAT in an alpha-KLOTHO-independent fashion mainly occurs at extremely elevated circulating FGF23 levels and may contribute to mortality due to cardiovascular disease and left ventricular hypertrophy in chronic kidney disease.
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pubmed_403_11526
|
pubmed_1013_19649
|
OBJECTIVE
Role misidentification among hospital staff is common. Female resident physicians are more likely to be misidentified as non-physicians. This study utilized a pre-post examination to determine if the usage of a "doctor" badge by resident physicians at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center influences role identification, gender-based aggressions, and workplace experience.
METHODS
Twenty-six psychiatry residents at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System participated in a voluntary, anonymous electronic pre-survey in December 2020 and post-survey in March 2021 to report their experiences with role identification and gender-based aggressions before and after the implementation of a "doctor" badge.
RESULTS
Females were significantly more likely than males to report role misidentification (x2(1)=10.8, p=0.001). Females were significantly more likely to experience gender-based aggressions compared to males (x2(1)=19.5, p<0.001). Compared to pre-intervention, females who wore the badge were significantly less likely to be misidentified (x2(1)=9.6, p=0.002). There was no significance when comparing males who were misidentified pre- to post-intervention (x2(1)=1.1, p=0.294). Compared to pre-intervention, females who wore the badge were significantly less likely to experience gender-based aggressions (x2(1)=17.3, p=<0.001). Compared to pre-intervention, there was no significant change in gender-based aggressions for males who wore the badge (x2(1)=1.05, p=0.306).
CONCLUSIONS
Female residents were more likely than male residents to report role misidentification. Usage of the "doctor" badge resulted in improved role identification and a reduction in gender-based aggressions for females, but not males. "Doctor" badges can improve role identification, gender-based aggressions, workplace experience, patient communication, and care.
|
10.1007/s40596-022-01641-0
|
pubmed_223_4076
|
Recently, the pentadecapeptide BPC 157-induced counteraction of bupivacaine cardiotoxicity has been reported. Medication includes (i) lidocaine-induced local anesthesia via intraplantar application and axillary and spinal (L4-L5) intrathecal block, (ii) lidocaine-induced arrhythmias, (iii) convulsions, and (iv) lidocaine-induced HEK293 cell depolarisation. BPC 157 applications (intraplantar, intraperitoneal, and intragastric) were given (i) immediately after lidocaine, (ii) 10 min after, or (iii) 5 min before. The BPC 157/NO-system relationship was verified with NO-agents, the NOS-blocker L-NAME and the NOS-substrate L-arginine, given alone and/or together, in axillary and spinal intrathecal blocks. BPC 157 applied immediately after lidocaine or 5 min before the application of lidocaine considerably ameliorated plantar presentation. BPC 157 medication considerably counteracted lidocaine-induced limb function failure; L-NAME was counteracted; L-arginine exhibited counteraction when given immediately after lidocaine, but prolongation was seen when given later. Given together, prophylactically or therapeutically, L-NAME and L-arginine (L-NAME + L-arginine) counteracted the other's response. BPC 157 maintained its original response when given together with L-NAME or L-arginine. When BPC 157 was given together with L-NAME and L-arginine, its original response reappeared. BPC 157 antagonised the lidocaine-induced bradycardia and eliminated tonic-clonic convulsions. Also, BPC 157 counteracted the lidocaine-induced depolarisation of HEK293 cells. Thus, BPC 157 has antidote activity in its own right against lidocaine and local anesthetics.
|
10.1155/2020/6805354
|
pubmed_835_16791
|
Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) is a mitochondrial enzyme catalyzing the ATP-dependent reaction of pyruvate prolongation with bicarbonate ion to oxaloacetate. The synthesis of oxaloacetate by PC, an intermediate of the Krebs cycle, is recently recognized as a significant anaplerotic reaction that supports the biosynthetic capability, growth, aggressiveness, and even viability of several cancer cell types. PC expression was confirmed in several types of cancer cells and tumors. To evaluate the possibility that prostate tumor-forming cells are also exploiting the anaplerotic role of PC, we applied immunoblotting analysis to estimate its presence. Our results revealed that PC is present among the lysate proteins derived from prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia samples. The expression of PC in cells of prostate tumors and benign prostatic hyperplasia supposes that PC could facilitate the formation of oxaloacetate in situ and enhance the autonomy of their biosynthetic metabolism from the availability of extracellular substrates by increasing the cellular anaplerotic capability (Tab. 1, Fig. 1, Ref. 30). Keywords: pyruvate carboxylase, prostate cancer, cancer metabolism, anaplerosis.
|
10.4149/BLL_2022_077
|
pubmed_130_10830
|
Sensitive and accurate analysis of low-concentration of tumor-derived exosomes (Exos) in biofluids is essential for noninvasive cancer diagnosis but is still challenging due to the lack of high-sensitive methods with low-cost and easy-operation. Herein, exploiting target Exos as a three-dimensional (3D) track for the first time, we developed a self-serviced-track DNA walker (STDW) for wash-free detection of tumor Exos using exosomal glycoprotein, which was enabled by split aptamer-recognition-initiated autonomous running powered by a catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). Benefiting from high selectivity and sensitivity of the STDW assay, direct detection of tumor Exos in cell culture medium and serum could also be realized. Furthermore, this method exhibited high accuracy in clinical sample analysis, offering the potential for early cancer diagnosis and postoperative response prediction.
|
10.1002/anie.202116932
|
pubmed_1108_17773
|
A 55-year-old African-American woman with a history of end-stage renal disease secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus, dual-chamber pacemaker placement secondary to sick sinus syndrome, and a previous subarachnoid hemorrhage presented via ambulance to our Emergency Department (ED) from an outside hospital with the report of altered mental status, hyperkalemia, and hypoglycemia. In the ED, the patient's initial physical examination revealed a stable, normal heart rate. Reassessment after placement of external monitoring devices found the patient to be tachycardic at approximately 132-135 beats/min, with minimal variation in rate. The patient was also tachypneic during this episode, up to a respiratory rate of 38 breaths/min. When misplaced external monitoring device leads were removed during pacemaker interrogation, the patient's heart rate dropped to the 70s. Reapplication of the external monitoring leads replicated the tachycardia. With permanent repositioning of the leads in the ED, the tachycardia did not return. The placement of the leads was determined to have caused a plethysmography-induced pacemaker-driven tachycardia.
|
10.1016/j.jemermed.2007.12.032
|
pubmed_715_13068
|
OBJECTIVES
During a hospital surveillance programme to detect VRE carriers, an anaerobic vancomycin-resistant bacterial strain CCRI-9842 containing a vanB gene was isolated from a human faecal specimen. In this study, we have characterized this strain and its vanB-containing element.
METHODS
Strain CCRI-9842 was characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing and susceptibility testing. PCR mapping and sequencing of the vanB-containing element, as well as plasmid extraction and mating experiments, were carried out to investigate the genetic basis of vancomycin resistance in this strain.
RESULTS
Strain CCRI-9842 was identified as a Clostridium species closely related to Clostridium bolteae (96.8% 16S rDNA identity). This strain was resistant to a high level of vancomycin (MIC of 256 mg/L), but was susceptible to teicoplanin and ampicillin. The complete sequence of the CCRI-9842 vanB gene exhibited 99.1% identity with that of vanB2. PCR mapping and sequencing showed that the genetic element carrying vanB2 was similar to transposon Tn5382/Tn1549. This Tn5382-like transposon forms circular intermediates and is flanked on the left and right ends by repeat sequences of at least 700 bp in the opposite direction. No plasmid was detected in this strain, suggesting that the Tn5382-like transposon was integrated into the chromosome. The vancomycin resistance was not transferable to enterococci.
CONCLUSIONS
Our report shows for the first time the presence of a Tn5382-like transposon carrying vanB2 in a Clostridium species of the human intestinal flora. This suggests that the vanB2 Tn5382-like transposon is an important vector for the spread of vancomycin resistance in several bacterial species.
|
10.1093/jac/dki029
|
pubmed_660_3478
|
BACKGROUND
Mesenteric fat plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD), and a higher ratio of visceral fat area (VFA) to subcutaneous fat area (SFA) is related to complicated disease status. Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an effective treatment option for patients with CD, and the aims of this study were to assess the effects of EEN on abdominal fat in patients with CD.
METHODS
Patient data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database. The SFA and VFA were measured in 38 patients with CD before and after 8-week EEN therapy, and the mesenteric fat index (MFI), defined as the ratio of VFA to SFA, was calculated. The correlations between MFI and CD activity index and C-reactive protein level were also evaluated.
RESULTS
The median age of the patients in our study was 29 years, and the median duration of disease was 3.05 years. Both VFA (P = 0.029) and MFI (P = 0.021) were significantly decreased in patients after EEN, but no significant change was observed in SFA (P = 0.335). MFI was significantly correlated with CD activity index (r = 0.523, P = 0.001) and C-reactive protein (r = 0.634, P < 0.0001) in patients with active CD before EEN, although no positive correlations were observed in patients after EEN treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
EEN induction therapy was associated with a significant decrease in VFA in patients with CD, and MFI was significantly correlated with CD activity index and C-reactive protein in active CD. Thus, our data reveal additional beneficial therapeutic mechanisms of enteral nutrition treatment in CD.
|
10.1097/MIB.0000000000000114
|
pubmed_810_17917
|
Functionalities of biomaterials and drug delivery systems are improved by tailoring their surface properties using modern nanotechnology. Orthopedic implants and invasive electrodes are examples of implantable biomaterials. Biological interactions of orthopedic implants can be optimized by the synergetic effect of surface micro- and nanotexturing with a chemical composition of coating. Further, mechanical flexibility and electrochemical characteristics of invasive electrodes are improved by using micro- and nanotechnology. In nano-size drug delivery systems, surface properties of nanocarriers strongly affect their safety and efficacy. Mesoporous silicon nanoparticles are example of nanocarriers those properties can be tailored for drug delivery applications.
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pubmed_810_17917
|
pubmed_1119_21534
|
Culture filtrates of Shigella flexneri 2a strain M4243 grown in iron-depleted medium, caused significant fluid accumulation in rabbit ileal loops. Also, when tested in Ussing chambers, a greater rise in potential difference and short circuit current was seen with such filtrates compared with the medium control. Analogous filtrates from two M4243 derivatives lacking the 140-MD invasiveness plasmid (either M4243avir or BS103) retained 60-65% of the wild-type enterotoxic activity. Ultrafiltration and gel exclusion size fractionation of M4243 filtrate revealed that the activity was approximately 60 kD. SDS-PAGE performed on this fraction showed 18 bands, 5 of which reacted with human convalescent sera. Genes encoding this enterotoxin, named ShET1 for Shigella enterotoxin 1, were cloned from the S. flexneri 2a chromosome, and two separate open reading frames of 534 and 186 bp were sequenced. These observations suggest that S. flexneri 2a elaborates two distinct enterotoxins: ShET1, encoded by genes located on the chromosome, and ShET2, encoded by a gene on the 140-MD invasiveness plasmid. ShET1, which is composed of two distinct subunits and is elaborated in vivo, where it elicits an immune response, may be important in the pathogenesis of diarrheal illness due to S. flexneri 2a.
|
10.1172/JCI117991
|
pubmed_187_9589
|
bcl-2 protein expression was characterized in a series of 58 astrocytomas from 21 pediatric and 37 adult patients. As part of a continuing attempt to define relevant prognostic factors which may predict clinical outcome, we have determined the impact of bcl-2 accumulation in malignant astrocytes on the length of patient survival. Aberrant overexpression of bcl-2 protein in tumor cells was detected in 57% (12 of 21) of pediatric and 73% (27 of 37) of the adult cases. Among pediatric patients, the median survival in months showed no relationship with the incidence of bcl-2-positive tumors. Among the adult patients, a favorable prognostic indicator was low-tumor grade (P = 0.05). bcl-2-positive tumors occurred with similar frequencies in WHO grades III and IV of malignancy. When bcl-2 expression in tumor cells was tested as a variable to predict for patient survival, the 6 patients without bcl-2 expression among 23 adult patients with grade IV tumors had a shorter median survival. The same 58 tumors had been previously analyzed for alterations of p53:4 pediatric and 16 adult tumors had p53 gene mutations. There was no significant difference in median survival related to p53 gene status. There was no relationship between bcl-2 expression and p53 gene status: approximately equal numbers of tumors with either wild-type or mutant p53 were bcl-2 negative or bcl-2 positive. bcl-2 expression is high (40-100%) among other tumors of the central nervous system which also show low malignant potential. Up-regulation of bcl-2 in malignant astrocytes or constitutive expression in some tumor types may be a factor leading to a more favorable clinical outcome.
|
10.1007/s004010050721
|
pubmed_1065_16380
|
Several models have been proposed for how the brain measures velocity from the output of motion-energy units. These models make some unrealistic assumptions such as the use of Gabor-shaped temporal filters, which are non causal, or flat spatial spectra, which are invalidated by existing data. We present a Bayesian model of velocity perception, which makes more realistic assumptions and allows the estimation of local retinal velocity regardless of the specific mathematical form of the spatial and temporal filters used. The model is consistent with several aspects of speed perception, such as the dependence of perceived speed on contrast.
|
10.1016/s0042-6989(00)00176-0
|
pubmed_111_14280
|
A procedure for fast and simple preparation of cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid from Physarum polycephalum microplasmodia is described. Microplasmodia are homogenized in a high-magnesium-high-ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N'-tetraacetic acid buffer and nuclei are pelleted. The supernatant is extracted with sodium dodecyl sulfate-phenol-chloroform and crude RNA is precipitated. This is further purified by selective ethanol precipitation from 6 M guanidinum hydrochloride. This RNA preparation is suitable for direct use in hybridization studies.
|
10.1016/0003-2697(85)90652-9
|
pubmed_595_17429
|
Courtship records of 15 pairs of Drosophila melanogaster were analyzed for temporal stationarity of courtship behaviors, behavioral diversity, behavioral intercorrelations, sequential properties, and information transmission for both sexes. Durations of one male behavior, "orient-back," and two female behaviors, "preen" and "stand still," were found to change from the first to the second half of courtship. Male diversity was greater than female diversity, and both were stationary over time. Correlation analyses failed to single out any particular male or female behaviors as being influential in controlling courtship duration. Male behavior sequences formed several multibehavior loops; female behavior consisted of only a few terminal two-tuple transitions. Transmission analysis carried out on the joint male/female transition matrix showed a higher transmission rate from males to females (12%) than from females to males (7%). Potential applications of this multivariate analysis to investigations of neurobiological and evolutionary aspects of Drosophila courtship behavior are proposed.
|
10.1073/pnas.78.1.430
|
pubmed_919_4426
|
A 2-year-old girl with Moya Moya disease who had relapsing cerebrovascular strokes presented with loose skin folds, 'chicken' skin appearance and perforating elastosis serpiginosa-like lesions in the genitocrural region. Histologically, calcified material perforating the epidermis and adjacent short curled and mineralized elastic fibres suggested a variant of pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). As PXE is known to be caused by various mutations in the transmembrane transporter ABCC6 gene, we hypothesized that a novel ABCC6 mutation may underlie this unique combination of PXE and elastopathic vascular damage. Therefore, the complete ABCC6 coding region of the patient and her parents was screened for genetic alterations. No bona fide disease-causing mutation of ABCC6 could be found in the child and in her parents. However, two novel allelic amino acid substitutions (Arg1273Lys and Glu1293Lys; exon 27) were found in the girl and her father, localized in close proximity to the region that codes for the functionally critical second nucleotide-binding fold of ABCC6. Although a causal involvement of these amino acid substitutions could not be proven based on this study, both heterozygote substitutions may possibly have interacted with other undetected recessive maternal ABCC6 changes in the child. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between early-onset PXE and severe Moya Moya syndrome possibly related to ABCC6 changes.
|
10.1111/j.1365-2133.2005.06658.x
|
pubmed_1114_13324
|
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis dysregulation is a prominent finding in more severe Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and is characterized by increased baseline cortisol levels at awakening (BCL), blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR) and increased area under the cortisol curve (AUC). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to normalize HPA-axis dysfunction, but this is hardly investigated longitudinally. We studied salivary BCL, CAR and AUC at awakening and 30min thereafter. We compared measurements in initially drug-free MDD-patients with healthy controls (HCs) at study-entry. In patients, we repeated measures after 6 and 12 weeks' treatment with the SSRI paroxetine. Non-responding patients received a randomized dose-escalation after six weeks' treatment. We found no significant study-entry differences in BLC, CAR or AUC between MDD-patients (n=70) and controls (n=51). In MDD-patients, we found general decreases of BCL and AUC during paroxetine treatment (p≤0.007), especially in late and non-responders. Importantly, while overall CAR did not change significantly over time, it robustly increased over 12 weeks especially when patients achieved remission (p≤0.041). The dose-escalation intervention did not significantly influence CAR or other cortisol parameters. In conclusion, paroxetine seems to interfere with HPA-axis dysregulation, reflected in significant overall decreases in BCL and AUC during treatment. Paroxetine appears to decrease HPA-axis set-point in MDD, which might result in increased HPA-axis activity over time, which is further improved when patients achieve remission (ISRCTN register nr. ISRCTN44111488).
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pubmed_1114_13324
|
pubmed_293_21981
|
Purpose: Target-shooting sport requires mental effort and concentration. Training may reduce inattentiveness and distractibility. There is little knowledge if children with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) benefit from practicing target-shooting sport. Materials and methods: Our study aims to investigate this in a non-randomised controlled open-label study of 128 children, 10-14 years of age, with ADHD-symptoms. The intervention-group (n = 64) practiced target-shooting in local shooting associations once a week for 6 months. The control group (n = 64) received treatment as usual. Primary outcome: teacher-rated ADHD-RS-IV-total score. Secondary outcomes: (a) parent-rated ADHD-RS-IV-total score; (b) teacher- and parent-rated Strengths-and-Difficulties-Questionnaire (SDQ); (c) self-rated quality of life (KIDSCREEN-27-total score); and (d) four objective measurements of ADHD-symptoms using the QbTest™. The data were collected at baseline and after 6 months. Results: When estimating the marginal effect of the intervention on our primary outcome, the teacher-rated ADHD-RS-IV, we found no significant effect (mean change between groups (contrast)=2.23; p = 0.193). However, we did find significant beneficial effects on four of the eight secondary outcomes, including the parent-rated ADHD-RS-IV-total score (contrast = 4.76; p = 0.024), the parent-rated SDQ-total score (contrast = 2.09; p = 0.027), and on the QbTest™ measurements of the Reaction Time Variation (RTVar) (contrast = 36.96; p = 0.013), and of Omission Errors (contrast = 7.57; p = 0.019). Conclusions: Despite the negative result on the primary outcome, the robust findings on these secondary outcomes in this open-label study indicate proof of concept that practicing target-shooting sport may have some beneficial effects on the severity of ADHD-symptoms in children. No adverse events were reported. Randomised trials of this non-pharmacological intervention are needed.
|
10.1080/08039488.2019.1612467
|
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