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pubmed_943_20807 | Sources of heavy metal pollution of Lake Victoria is of interest due to its economic and domestic implication in East Africa. Sediments from the shore of Lake Victoria and from some streams flowing into the lake have been analyzed for their heavy metal content using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis. The samples were collected from seventeen different locations around the Municipality of Mwanza divided into three zones according to their activities. The results show that sediments from Mwanza North, which is least in anthropogenic activities, contains Cr and Co in addition to metals of terrestrial origin (K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr, Y, and Zr), samples from Mwanza Central, which is the town center, contains high concentrations of V, Cu, Zn and Pb, and samples collected from Mwanza South, which is the industrial area, contains the highest concentrations of V, Cu, Zn, As and Pb. It is concluded that the industrial and sewage wastes discharged into the lake are the main sources of the heavy metal contamination of Lake Victoria. Further studies will be required to assess detriments of these pollutants to human and aquatic life before policy for the factories responsible is put in place. | 10.1081/ese-100104120 |
pubmed_61_20726 | Central venous parenteral nutrition (PN) is frequently used in preterm infants. Although central venous catheters (CVC) permit reliable delivery of hypertonic solution, they may be associated with more serious complications than when a peripheral venous infusion is used. The aim of this randomised prospective study was to compare complications of central versus peripheral venous access using Silastic catheters identical expect for intravascular length. Eighty such devices were inserted, 38 central (CVC), 42 peripheral (PVC). Catheter life was not significantly different between groups: median (range) CVC 10d (2-25); PVC 7d (1-22) with no difference in overall complication rate. Although peripherally sited catheters tended not to function for as long as CVCs, they offer a useful alternative to central venous catheterisation. | 10.1016/s0261-5614(95)80068-9 |
pubmed_1070_12636 | OBJECTIVE
To describe the capabilities and limitations of the current state of the art in pancreatic cancer diagnostics and to discuss recent progress in the development of novel, highly accurate molecular diagnostic approaches.
RESULTS
Molecular analyses currently under evaluation as novel diagnostic tests include detection of point mutations, genomic imbalances, aberrant methylation patterns and gene expression changes on the mRNA and protein levels in pancreatic juice, fine needle aspiration biopsies and brush cytologies.
CONCLUSIONS
In exploratory studies, several candidate molecular markers show great potential to serve as general indicators of malignancy, but need to be validated in large, controlled, prospective studies. Multiplexing of diagnostic tests, e.g. in the form of specialized DNA microarrays, may provide more differentiated diagnoses such as the distinction of various tumor types or prognostic information for individual patients. The MolDiag-Paca consortium is strongly engaged in advancing these developments on a European level. | 10.1159/000159213 |
pubmed_891_18823 | BACKGROUND
Genioplasty has nowadays become a routine procedure in the correction of dentofacial deformities. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the osseous and soft-tissue stability after advancement genioplasties, stabilized using wire and plate osteosynthesis.
METHODOLOGY
The study was conducted on ten patients who underwent advanced genioplasty. The patients were divided equally into two groups. In the Group I patients, plates and in Group II, wires were used for stabilization. Lateral cephalograms preoperative and 6 months postoperative were analyzed using Park et al. method of cephalometric analysis.
RESULTS
All the ten patients experienced a reliable improvement in esthetics. Although statistically not significant, Group II wire patients have slightly more relapse in the horizontal direction than Group I. The mean ratio of sagittal changes of osseous soft tissue for Group I was 1:0.88 and for Group II wires was 1:0.80.
CONCLUSION
The choice of method of fixation following genioplasty would entirely be based on the merits of the individual cases. The marginal edge of advantage seen in miniplate osteosynthesis when compared to wire osteosynthesis is seen in cases that require larger chin advancements. | 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_547_20 |
pubmed_1027_15676 | Kawasaki syndrome and RSV infection are common illnesses that afflict infants and young children. Recent studies demonstrate that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment significantly reduces the clinical severity of these illnesses. The purpose of the current review will be initially to examine mechanisms of disease pathogenesis in KS and RSV infection. This will be followed by a discussion of the potential mechanisms by which IVIG acts in these two illnesses. In both KS and RSV prophylaxis, an important action by which IVIG may work is primarily through toxin or microbial neutralization resulting in the dampening or prevention of the inflammatory response. Other immunomodulatory actions of IVIG are likely to be operative in these diseases and will be an active area of future research. | 10.2741/a143 |
pubmed_658_615 | Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in an acute altered metabolic profile of brain tissue which resolves within hours of initial insult and yet some of the functional deficits and cellular perturbations persist for days. It is hypothesized that a delayed change in energy status does occur and is a factor in the neural tissue's ability to survive and regain function. Regional metabolic profile and glucose consumption were determined at either 1 or 3 days following two different intensities of parasagittal fluid-percussion (F-P). A significant decrease in both 1CMRgluc and levels of ATP and P-creatine was evident in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the trauma at 1 day after the insult. The effect was greater in the cortical than the subcortical regions and was more pronounced at the higher trauma intensity. Normalization of glucose consumption and energy levels was essentially complete by 3 days. It would appear that the delayed metabolic changes at 1 day postinsult cannot be explained by a secondary ischemia since the changes in the metabolite profile do not elicit an increase in the consumption of glucose. These changes in energy metabolites may account for and contribute to the chronic neurological deficits following TBI. | 10.1023/a:1019973921217 |
pubmed_1124_10352 | Rats offered a zinc-deficient (-Zn) diet voluntarily reduce their food intake within 3-4 days. Megestrol acetate (MA) is an appetite-stimulating drug used to treat cachexia of chronic diseases. In previous work, we found MA administration to male rats increased consumption of a -Zn diet. This approach would provide a useful tool for nutritional studies in which nutrient intake, except for zinc, would be maintained. The present study further examined the use of MA to increase consumption of a -Zn diet over a longer time period in both male and female rats. Rats were fed either a -Zn or a zinc-adequate (+Zn) diet. In Experiment 1, rats were treated orally with 0, 20, 50 or 100 mg MA/kg BW in corn oil for 21 days. MA stimulated intake of the -Zn diet in a linear manner. In Experiments 2 and 3, male and female rats, respectively, were fed the -Zn or +Zn diets and treated with 100 mg MA/kg BW for 21 days. In both experiments, MA administration increased intake of the -Zn diet to levels similar to the +Zn diet through Day 14. MA increased the hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) concentration in male rats, but did not affect serum IGF-I. MA administration improved growth of female but not male rats fed the -Zn diet. In females, serum IGF-I was not lower in zinc-deficient rats, which may have allowed the improved growth response with MA. Hence, MA administration may be a useful tool to increase consumption of a -Zn diet in short-term studies. | 10.1016/s0031-9384(01)00663-1 |
pubmed_1109_13767 | Tailor-made nucleases for precise genome modification, such as zinc finger or TALE nucleases, currently represent the state-of-the-art for genome editing. These nucleases combine a programmable protein module which guides the enzyme to the target site with a nuclease domain which cuts DNA at the addressed site. Reprogramming of these nucleases to cut genomes at specific locations requires major protein engineering efforts. RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 of the type II (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat) CRISPR-Cas system uses CRISPR RNA (crRNA) as a guide to locate the DNA target and the Cas9 protein to cut DNA. Easy programmability of the Cas9 endonuclease using customizable RNAs brings unprecedented flexibility and versatility for targeted genome modification. We highlight the potential of the Cas9 RNA-guided DNA endonuclease as a novel tool for genome surgery, and discuss possible constraints and future prospects. | pubmed_1109_13767 |
pubmed_213_8777 | The Bacillus subtilis cdd gene encoding cytidine/2'-deoxycytidine deaminase has been located by transduction at approximately 225 degrees on the chromosome, and the gene order trpC-lys-cdd-aroD was established. The gene was isolated from a library of B. subtilis DNA cloned in lambda D69 by complementation of an Escherichia coli cdd mutation. Minicell experiments revealed a molecular mass of 14,000 dalton for the cytidine deaminase subunit encoded by the cloned DNA fragment. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was determined to be 58,000, suggesting that it consists of four identical subunits. The nucleotide sequence of 1170 bp, including the cdd gene, was determined. An open reading frame encoding a polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 14,800 dalton was deduced to be the coding region for cdd. The deduced amino acid composition of the 136-amino acid-long subunit shows that it contains six cysteine residues. A computer search in the GenBank DNA sequence library revealed that the 476 bp HindIII fragment containing the putative promoter region and the first ten codons of cdd is identical to the P43 promoter-containing fragment previously isolated by Wang and Doi (1984). They showed that the fragment contained overlapping promoters transcribed by B. subtilis sigma 43 and sigma 37 RNA polymerase holoenzymes during growth and stationary phase. | 10.1007/BF00334391 |
pubmed_93_1217 | BACKGROUND
Although childhood vaccination programmes have been very successful, there are some hard to reach minority groups that object to vaccination. The Netherlands has experienced several epidemics of vaccine-preventable diseases, confined to the orthodox Protestant minority. However, vaccination coverage in this minority is still unknown and this hampers prevention and control of epidemics.
METHODS
We estimated vaccination coverage among the orthodox Protestant minority and its various subgroups (denominations), using two sub-studies with different design and study population. For both sub-studies separately, we determined overall vaccination coverage and vaccination coverage per denomination. The results were compared and discussed.
RESULTS
An online survey was filled out by 1778 orthodox Protestant youngsters, invited via orthodox Protestant media using a snowball method. Next to that, results of a national sample study on vaccination were used, of which only orthodox Protestant respondents were included in our analyses (N = 2129). Overall vaccination coverage among orthodox Protestants in The Netherlands was estimated to be at minimum 60%. Moreover, in both sub-studies three clusters of denominations could be identified, with high (>85%), intermediate (50-75%) and low (<25%) vaccination coverage.
CONCLUSION
The integration of both sub-studies, with their own specific strengths and weaknesses, added to our insight in the vaccination coverage in this minority. Based on these results, we recommend to focus prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases on the orthodox Protestant subgroups with intermediate and low vaccination coverage. | 10.1093/eurpub/ckr081 |
pubmed_71_16433 | Extrafloral nectary (EFN) plants are widespread and can be quite species-rich in some communities. Thus, ants that utilize extrafloral nectar may have the opportunity to discriminate among a wide variety of nectar sources, resulting in variation in the ant attention EFN plants receive. In this study, we compare ant visitation rates of three Passiflora species that coexist in an early successional neotropical forest. These three vine species (Passiflora auriculata, P. biflora, and P. oerstedii) differ in their extrafloral nectary structure and placement, and thus may attract different numbers or species of ants. Through censuses of ants tending extrafloral nectaries, we found that P. auriculata received significantly higher numbers of ant visitors than P. oerstedii, but did not differ significantly from P. biflora in its attractiveness to ants. We also found that termite worker baits (simulating herbivores) placed on P. auriculata and P. biflora were discovered by ants significantly more quickly than baits placed on P. oerstedii. In both ant visitation censuses and in termite bait trials, we found no significant associations between Passiflora species and the species of ant visitors. We also performed experimental manipulations of several characteristics of P. auriculata, which resulted in changes in levels of ant visitation. When petiolar nectaries of P. auriculata were experimentally blocked, visitation by the common ant Ectatomma ruidum declined, even though nectaries on the leaf surfaces were still functional. Connections with other vegetation also had an effect on ant visitation. Though experimental creation of connections between growing P. auriculata shoots and other vegetation did not enhance ant visitation, eliminating connections resulted in a significant decline in the number of ant visitors. The results of this study suggest factors that may contribute to variation in ant visitation of extrafloral nectary plants. In addition, this study demonstrates that extrafloral nectary plants co-occurring in a habitat and available to the same ants may differ in patterns of visitation by ants and perhaps in the quality of protection from herbivores that they receive. | 10.1007/s004420000605 |
pubmed_473_381 | We construct a model based on biological principles of the interaction of HIV-1 with the CD4+ T cells at primary infection. Most of the parameters are obtained from the literature, the remainder from fitting the output of the model to data from seven patients. On the basis of the model we find that initial viral containment is due to an effective immune response. The viral level after the initial peak, a surrogate marker of disease progression, was determined by the rate of reactivation of memory cells. Differences in this rate may occur because of inter- or intra-individual differences in the capability of memory cells to recognise and dispose of variants of HIV, either due to immune escape mutations within the virus or because the virus directly inhibits reactivation. With no choice of parameters could direct and indirect killing produce the gradual loss in CD4+ T cells with the observed viral behaviour. The loss of CD4+ T cells is perhaps due to defective expansion of activated cells of both HIV specific and nonspecific cells. As less memory cells are produced as a result then this compartment decreases and hence so do naive numbers through less reversion of memory cells to the naive phenotype. | 10.1016/s0025-5564(98)10046-9 |
pubmed_997_8989 | The reactive nitrogen deposition in subtropical region of China has been increasing annually, which affects biogeochemical processes in forest soils. In this study, three treatments were established, including control (no N addition, CK), low nitrogen deposition (40 kg·hm-2·a-1, LN), and high nitrogen deposition (80 kg·hm-2·a-1, HN) to study the response of denitrifying functional genes and potential N2O emissions to simulated nitrogen deposition in the soils of a natural Castanopsis carlesii forest. Results showed that HN significantly decreased soil potential N2O emission, while 8-year nitrogen deposition did not affect the abundances of nirS, nirK, nosZ Ⅰ and nosZ Ⅱ. However, the abundance of nosZ Ⅰwas significantly higher than nosZ Ⅱ in all the treatments, indicating that nosZ Ⅰ dominated over nosZ Ⅱ in the acidic soils. HN significantly decreased the ratio of (nirK+nirS)/(nosZ Ⅰ+nosZ Ⅱ), which was positively correlated with soil pH. The results suggested that long-term high nitrogen deposition reduced soil pH and the abundance ratio of (nirK+nirS)/(nosZ Ⅰ+nosZ Ⅱ), which subsequently reduced the potential N2O emission. | 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202210.005 |
pubmed_651_15452 | Patients with prostatic cancer frequently require evaluation of bony metastases as well as renal function. 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate, a commonly used bone-imaging agent, is about 60 per cent localized in the bony skeleton and about 40 per cent excreted by the kidneys. Immediate imaging after intravenous injection of the isotope may yield high-quality radionuclide nephrourograms, which provide excellent visual and graphic displays of renal anatomy and excretory function. Our preliminary studies suggest that the immediate 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate scan may usefully expand the value of a routine bone scan to screen for ureteral obstruction. Patients with underlying malignancy who require simultaneous evaluation and follow-up of bony metastases and renal function might be conveniently served by the dual functions of the expanded bone scan to include immediate imaging of the kidneys. | 10.1016/0090-4295(84)90122-5 |
pubmed_629_470 | AIM
The aim of our study was to assess diagnostic value of magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) in patients with suspected common bile duct (CBD) stones focusing on the capability of this noninvasive method to replace invasive diagnostic procedures in these patients and to limit the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) to the patients who need simultaneous therapeutic intervention.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Single-shot fast-spin-echo rapid-acquisition thick-section MRC images were obtained in 310 patients recruited into this prospective study. There were 136 male and 174 female patients aged 21-95 years [mean +/- standard deviation (SD) 64.9 +/- 13.6 years]. Patients were subsequently classified into different risk groups (high, moderate, low) according to biochemical abnormalities or morphological features on abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography. Direct cholangiography was the reference method of CBD evaluation.
RESULTS
CBD stones were diagnosed in 115 (37%) patients; 86 of 175 patients in the high-risk group, 24 of 83 patients in the moderate-risk group, and 5 of 50 patients in the low-risk group. In dependent risk groups, the mean CBD caliber was 9.7 +/- 4.5, 7.1 +/- 2.0, and 4.8 +/- 1.2 mm, respectively. The difference was significant between all three groups (P < 0.05). The median size of CBD stones was 7 mm (range 3-21 mm). MRC achieved accuracy and positive and negative predictive values of 97%, 94%, and 98%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
MRC has a potential to substitute diagnostic ERC in all patients with suspected choledocholithiasis due to its high accuracy, reducing invasive direct cholangiography to patients who require therapeutic intervention. | 10.1007/s00268-005-0459-1 |
pubmed_262_23355 | BACKGROUND
Although the definitive therapy of acute cholecystitis is cholecystectomy, nonsurgical treatment such as percutaneous cholecystostomy could be indicated in patients who are unsuitable candidates for cholecystectomy. EUS-guided cholecystoenterostomy with a plastic stent and/or nasobiliary drainage has been proposed as an alternative effective treatment for these patients.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted this study to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety, usefulness, and follow-up results of EUS-guided cholecystoenterostomy with single-step placement of a plastic stent for patients with acute cholecystitis who are unsuitable candidates for cholecystectomy.
DESIGN
A prospective feasibility study with a case series.
SETTING
Tertiary teaching hospital.
PATIENTS
Eight consecutive patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis who were poor candidates for surgery.
INTERVENTIONS
EUS-guided cholecystoenterostomy with single-step placement of a 7F double-pigtail plastic stent.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
Technical success, clinical resolution of acute cholecystitis, procedure-related complications, and recurrence of cholecystitis.
RESULTS
Technical success and clinical resolution were achieved in all patients (100% [8/8] as intent to treat). A transduodenal approach was used for 7 patients and a transgastric approach for 1 patient. One patient showed self-limited pneumoperitoneum, and bile peritonitis occurred in 1 patient. One patient showed distal stent migration without bile leakage 3 weeks after stent insertion. During follow-up periods (median 186 days; range 22-300 days), cholecystitis did not recur in any patients.
LIMITATIONS
Small number of patients.
CONCLUSION
EUS-guided cholecystoenterostomy with single-step placement of a 7F double-pigtail plastic stent may be a feasible and useful alternative in patients with acute cholecystitis who are unsuitable candidates for cholecystectomy. | 10.1016/j.gie.2009.11.024 |
pubmed_546_11420 | OBJECTIVE
Employing automated methods of image analysis to determine bone maturity helps to avoid subjectivity, reduce the execution time and to increase continuity in maturity scales. We have studied bone maturity by the Tanner-Whitehouse method (TW2) and by image analysis based on Fourier transformation.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Bone maturity (BM) was evaluated in 200 X-rays of the left hand and wrist from 45 children between 2 and 18 years of age employing the TW2 method, manual or traditional, to determine the state of maturity of each bone. At the same time, BM was evaluated by using an automated form of a recognizance program (IMAGO 2). As a standard we used the schemes of the phases described in the TW2 method. The image of the bone in question captured by a video camera after digitalization was classified by statistical comparison of its Fourier coefficient matrix with that previously determined by each of the standard schemes. Manual and computerized bone age concordance was also studied.
RESULTS
The computerized procedure showed a tendency to give lower values than the manual procedure. There were no significant differences between mean phases when calculated by both methods (manual and computerized) for the radius and the fifth metacarpal. The least degree of concordance was observed in the third metacarpal and phalanges. We found better concordance in the carpal bones than in the phalanges. This concordance was lower than that found in the radius and fifth metacarpal. The worst results were observed in the carpus and large bones and the best results were observed in the semilunar and scaphoid bones.
CONCLUSIONS
Divergence in the reproducibility between this computerized system and others (CASES method) are probably related to the differences between the digitalization process and the standard images used. | pubmed_546_11420 |
pubmed_132_11636 | Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, caused by the reactivation of the ubiquitous JC virus. PML usually occurs during severe immunosuppression, and the most common causes are represented by human immunodeficiency virus infection, lymphoproliferative disorders and other forms of cancer. Recently, the introduction of monoclonal antibodies (e.g. natalizumab, rituximab, efalizumab) in the treatment of several dysimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus, has led to an increased incidence of PML. This phenomenon has had severe consequences, leading, for example, to the withdrawal from the market of Efalizumab, and important restrictions in the use of the other compounds, all of which are characterized by high efficacy in improving prognosis and quality of life. In this review we will discuss clinical, laboratory and imaging findings of PML. In addition, proposed pathogenetic mechanisms promoting the reactivation of JC virus in the context of treatment with monoclonal antibodies will be described. | 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03653.x |
pubmed_428_7855 | In this study, successive infectious stages by diatom Cylindrotheca closterium (Bacillariophyceae) are described for the first time during the early development of sea urchin at low temperature (8°C). Diatom cell-types enclosed or not by typical theca were capable of infection. As an immune response, red spherulocytes and amoebocytes migrated towards infested areas and restrained the infection spreading over shells in 2- and 3-month old urchins. Only amoebocyte cells appeared to be involved in the immune reaction of 1-month old specimens which turned out to be a less effective fence to stop infestation. The effectiveness of the inflammatory process caused by diatoms within sea urchin spines seemed to vary as a function of urchin age, cohort's type and individual cell pool. | 10.1016/j.jip.2017.06.005 |
pubmed_582_12458 | BACKGROUND
New immunosuppression protocols have resulted in decreased rates of biopsy-proven acute rejection; however, it is unclear whether recipients without biopsy-proven acute rejection are still at risk for immune complication and chronic allograft dysfunction. The aim of our studies was to determine whether pretransplant immune parameters were associated with posttransplant early acute rejection, unstable creatinine courses, and poor graft outcome.
METHODS
Immune parameters, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch, HLA-specific antibodies, global CD4+ cellular response as measured by intracellular adenosine triphosphate (iATP) synthesis, and IFN-gamma precursor frequencies to donor or third-party cells as measured by ELISPOT were determined for a total of 126 kidney recipients treated with a protocol, including rapid discontinuation of prednisone.
RESULTS
The donor specific pretransplant parameters of HLA class I mismatches (P=0.04) and total HLA mismatches (P=0.04) with the donor as well as the pretransplant HLA-donor specific antibodies (P=0.002) were associated with biopsy-proven acute rejection. Higher pretransplant iATP levels, a donor nonspecific parameter, were found associated with biopsy proven acute rejection (P=0.04). Pretransplant iATP levels were significantly greater for recipients with early unstable creatinine levels (P=0.01). Recipients with a pretransplant iATP value greater than 375 ng/ml were 3.67 times more likely to experience acute rejection (P=0.03).
CONCLUSIONS
Pretransplant assessment of donor specific and nonspecific immune parameters may identify recipients who can benefit from closer clinical and immunological surveillance to allow for tailored immunsuppression and selective intervention aimed at optimizing both short and long-term graft outcome. | 10.1097/TP.0b013e3181612ead |
pubmed_1039_6619 | The philosophy, techniques, and concepts involved in the mechanical modeling of the process of stress adaptation in bone are described here. First, the idea of a control surface, across which all mechanical forces and fluid transport are monitored, is introduced and employed to totally enclose a living whole bone. Then the mechanical forces are related to local tissue stresses and the fluid transport to the local microcirculation. The concepts of strain, stress, and elasticity are introduced next and the applications of these concepts to biological tissue are discussed. It is argued that biological tissue can only sense strain and not stress; thus baroreceptors are, in fact, strain receptors. The concept of remodeling or stress adaptive equilibrium is then introduced and associated with a particular range of strain values called the band of remodeling equilibrium strains. The deposition or resorption of bone tissue is hypothesized to be a function of the amount of strain by which the actual strain at an anatomical site differs from values of strain in the band of remodeling equilibrium strains. The form of this functional dependence is discussed with regard to a number of points, including its variance from anatomical site to site and the particular features of the strain history which are the most significant in enhancing bone remodeling. In the closing section of the paper, the basic mechanistic ideas underlying our models of bone stress adaptation are presented. These are mechanical models for internal bone remodeling (remodeling) and surface bone remodeling (modeling). | 10.1007/BF02406141 |
pubmed_450_1216 | CONTEXT
Immunity related disorder is one of the leading causes of disease in the world. Oxidative stress and microbial infections play a major role in inflammation-induced diseases. Bovine colostrum (BC) contains immunoglobulins and lactoferrins which help in building the immunity and protect against the bacterial proliferation and growth.
AIM
This study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial and antiinflammatory activities of BC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Antimicrobial activity was determined by the pour-plate method using five different strains of bacteria (Gram -ve and +ve), and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema method was used for the evaluation of antiinflammatory activity in adult Wistar rats. Diclofenac was used as standard antiinflammatory drug, and amoxicillin was used as standard antimicrobial agent.
RESULTS
BC showed significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia. coli, Staphylococcus. aureus, Proteus. vulgaris, Enterobacter. aerogenes and Salmonella. typhi. At 100 µg/mL of BC, the inhibition zones were found to be 13mm, 11mm, 12mm, 12mm, and 11mm, respectively. The BC zones were comparatively smaller than those of amoxicillin at 10µg/mL, where the inhibition zones were 16mm, 30mm, 23mm, 22mm and 23mm, respectively. In the BC treated animals, the percentage edema inhibition was found to be 67.94% at the third hour, suggesting high antiinflammatory activity of BC in rats.
CONCLUSION
BC may be beneficial in reducing the risks of inflammation associated diseases. Further studies are needed before BC can be recommended for therapeutic interventions in humans. | 10.2174/1872214810666160219163118 |
pubmed_724_7018 | Physiological and behavioral responses to transportation stress were examined in a chicken strain selected for high group productivity and survivability (HGPS) resulting from reduced cannibalism and flightiness in colony cages and in chickens from Dekalb XL (DXL) commercial strain. At 13 wk of age, 96 pullets per strain were randomly assigned to 4-bird cages within the same strain. At 17 wk of age, half of the cages of each strain (n = 12) were randomly used as experimental group. The birds of the experimental group were crated by line, with a caution to ensure all the birds in the same cage were unfamiliar to each other, and then transported for 2 h on a country road. After transportation, the birds were recaged in groups of 4 within the same line. Behavioral data were collected immediately after the recaging of the birds. Physical parameters (BW and organ weight), plasma corticosterone levels, blood and brain serotonin (5-HT) concentrations, and 5-HT1A receptor mRNA expressions were measured at 1 d posttransportation. Results showed that, compared with the control birds of each strain, transportation stress-induced behavioral changes in eating, drinking, and preening were found in the birds from both strains, but the HGPS birds showed a greater increase in drinking and preening (P < 0.01). In addition, after transportation stress, the HGPS birds had heavier adrenal glands (P < 0.01) with higher concentrations of plasma corticosterone (P < 0.01) and a trend to higher central 5-HT levels (P = 0.09) with a downregulated 5-HT1A receptor gene expression (P < 0.05), whereas the DXL birds had a higher H:L ratio (P < 0.05). The data indicate that there are a genetic basis of variations in chickens in response to transportation stress. The HGPS birds may have a better coping capability to transportation stress than DXL birds. | 10.3382/ps.2007-00482 |
pubmed_323_8089 | Although extensive research supports repeated readings (RR) as an intervention for improving reading fluency, it largely ignores reading prosody, which is a key component of reading fluency. The current study extends the RR literature by examining the impact of RR on prosody and whether the content of directions and feedback might impact what components of fluency are improved. Elementary students (N = 76) were randomly assigned to either a rate- or prosody-focused RR intervention. The study differs from existing RR research in that (a) students were average as opposed to struggling students, (b) prosody was evaluated, and (c) measures of prosody were objective as opposed to subjective. Results support previous research suggesting that RR improves fluency but indicate that the nature of the instruction and performance feedback provided to students influences the components of reading fluency (i.e., rate or prosody) that are improved. | 10.1037/spq0000027 |
pubmed_289_16162 | Prdm9 (Meisetz) is the first speciation gene discovered in vertebrates conferring reproductive isolation. This locus encodes a meiosis-specific histone H3 methyltransferase that specifies meiotic recombination hotspots during gametogenesis. Allelic differences in Prdm9, characterized for a variable number of zinc finger (ZF) domains, have been associated with hybrid sterility in male house mice via spermatogenic failure at the pachytene stage. The mule, a classic example of hybrid sterility in mammals also exhibits a similar spermatogenesis breakdown, making Prdm9 an interesting candidate to evaluate in equine hybrids. In this study, we characterized the Prdm9 gene in all species of equids by analyzing sequence variation of the ZF domains and estimating positive selection. We also evaluated the role of Prdm9 in hybrid sterility by assessing allelic differences of ZF domains in equine hybrids. We found remarkable variation in the sequence and number of ZF domains among equid species, ranging from five domains in the Tibetan kiang and Asiatic wild ass, to 14 in the Grevy's zebra. Positive selection was detected in all species at amino acid sites known to be associated with DNA-binding specificity of ZF domains in mice and humans. Equine hybrids, in particular a quartet pedigree composed of a fertile mule showed a mosaic of sequences and number of ZF domains suggesting that Prdm9 variation does not seem by itself to contribute to equine hybrid sterility. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0061746 |
pubmed_192_18729 | OBJECTIVES:
This study tested whether delayed photoactivation could reduce shrinkage stresses in dual-cure composites and how it affected the depth-of-cure and mechanical properties.
METHODS AND MATERIALS:
Two dual-cure composites (ACTIVA and Bulk EZ) were subjected to two polymerization protocols: photoactivation at 45 seconds (immediate) or 165 seconds (2 minutes delayed) after extrusion. Typodont premolars with standardized preparations were restored with the composites, and cuspal flexure caused by polymerization shrinkage was determined with three-dimensional scanning of the external tooth surfaces before restoration (baseline) and at 10 minutes and one hour after photoactivation. Bond integrity (intact interface) was verified with dye penetration. Depth-of-cure was determined by measuring Vickers hardness through the depth at 1-mm increments. Elastic modulus and maximum stress were determined by four-point bending tests (n=10). Results were analyzed with two- or three-way analysis of variance and pairwise comparisons (Bonferroni; α=0.05).
RESULTS:
Delayed photoactivation significantly reduced cuspal flexure for both composites at 10 minutes and one hour ( p≤0.003). Interface was >99% intact in every group. Depth-of-cure, elastic modulus, and flexural strength were not significantly different between the immediate and delayed photoactivation ( p>0.05). The hardness of ACTIVA reduced significantly with depth ( p<0.001), whereas the hardness of Bulk EZ was constant throughout the depth ( p=0.942).
CONCLUSIONS:
Delayed photoactivation of dual-cure restorative composites can reduce shrinkage stresses without negatively affecting the degree-of-cure or mechanical properties (elastic modulus and flexural strength). | 10.2341/18-140-L |
pubmed_441_3592 | Of 118 patients treated for peptic stenosis between 1970 and 1979, 89 cases (75.4%) had developed in connection with endobrachyesophagus, i. e., as the result of primary reflux disease; 26 cases were the consequence of secondary reflux disease without endobrachyesophagus. In three cases the peptic stenosis had to be explained as the result of a local acid secretion. The treatment which followed was conservative (bougienage + Cimetidine/Antacids) or operative (bougienage + fundoplication). The results of the therapy varied according to the type of stenosis. In cases where the stenosis was located in the upper part (endobrachyesophagus), good results could be achieved with conservative therapy in 38.3% and with operative therapy, in 67.3%. The results were worse in terminal stenosis (conservative therapy, 45.5%; operative therapy, 60%). Retrospective analysis of unsuccessful treatment shows that predominantly scarred stenosis shows worse results than florid stenosis with recent esophagitis. | 10.1007/BF01261960 |
pubmed_759_2160 | The appropriate use of acetazolamide in examining physiological function is based on the following: 1) the dissociation constant of the drug-carbonic anhydrase complex (10(-8) M); 2) the concentration needed to eliminate the catalyzed reaction (10(-4) M can be achieved readily in tissues by giving 20 mg/kg at no toxicity; and 4) the lack of known effects on any other systems at concentrations below 10(-3) M. Several problems have been identified and are analyzed concerning the use of acetazolamide and allied drugs. Concentrations greater than 10(-3) M have been used in vitro and occasionally in vivo, generating nonspecific effects. Experiments in which the substrate (CO2) is varied over a large range have been interpreted without regard to alteration in both the catalyzed and uncatalyzed rates, leading to conclusions that acetazolamide acts on a transport system other than carbonic anhydrase, while in reality the drug is acting on carbonic anhydrase at different levels of its catalytic rate. Since calculation of the uncatalyzed hydration of CO2 or dehydration of HCO3-in tissues involves some uncertainty, these rates are generally best defined by studying the dose-response curves of inhibitors and observing the residual activity after full inhibition. The kidney is an exception, since here the residual rate also involves an entirely separate process. Inhibitors other than acetazolamide are useful in ruling out nonspecific effects, and in gaining certainty of access to cells. Compounds closely akin to the inhibitors, but lacking action upon carbonic anhydrase, are also available as controls. It is emphasized that acetazolamide and other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, when properly used, are highly specific probes of a single enzyme that has a wide variety of physiological functions. | 10.1152/ajprenal.1977.232.4.F291 |
pubmed_472_11452 | Gene-category analysis is one important knowledge integration approach in biomedical sciences that combines knowledge bases such as Gene Ontology with lists of genes or their products, which are often the result of high-throughput experiments, gained from either wet-lab or synthetic experiments. In this chapter, we will motivate this class of analyses and describe an often used variant that is based on Fisher's exact test. We show that this approach has some problems in the context of Gene Ontology of which users should be aware. We then describe some more recent algorithms that try to address some of the shortcomings of the standard approach. | 10.1007/978-1-4939-3743-1_13 |
pubmed_17_12985 | In the current legislative debate about mandating parity of insurance coverage for mental disorders, many question the use of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria to indicate benefit eligibility. Some have indicated that resistance to adopting parity legislation has been driven by inadequacies in the theory underlying psychiatric diagnosis. This paper takes issue with that perspective and reviews the scientific basis for the current classification and the advances in research and clinical practice made possible by reliable diagnostic criteria. As hypotheses that are subject to empirical testing, the DSM-IV criteria have set the stage for further advances-independent of the economic and political forces that are now playing out in the parity debate. | 10.1377/hlthaff.22.5.21 |
pubmed_97_8029 | Post-lumbar puncture (LP) headache may be due to "low CSF pressure", leading to stretching of pain sensitive intracranial structures. The low intracranial pressure is secondary to net loss of intracranial CSF. It has, however, not been possible to measure intracranial CSF volume accurately during life until recently. Intracranial CSF volume can now be measured non-invasively by a MRI technique. The changes in intracranial CSF volume were studied in 20 patients who had LP. Total intracranial CSF volume was reduced in 19 of the 20 patients 24 hours after LP (range -1.8 mls to -158.6 mls). Most of the CSF was lost from the cortical sulci. Very large reductions in intracranial CSF volume were frequently related to post-LP headache but some patients developed headache with relatively little alteration in the intracranial CSF volume. There was not a measurable change in position of the intracranial structures following LP. | 10.1136/jnnp.54.5.440 |
pubmed_922_12806 | This study aimed to evaluate the marginal and internal adaptation of partial coverage crowns (ceramic onlays) fabricated with Press, CEREC BlueCam, and CEREC OmniCam systems, using two preparation designs and evaluating the internal discrepancies at different locations. Two phantom maxillary premolars (master teeth) received different preparation designs, with (BX) and without (NB) a modified occlusal box with round internal angles. Sixty IPS e-max ceramic restorations were fabricated with three systems: Press (n=20), CEREC BlueCam (n=20), and CEREC OmniCam (n=20). Both marginal and internal discrepancy width were measured by using a stereomicroscope at ×25 magnification. The data were evaluated statistically using analysis of variance followed by Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference test (α=0.05). The ceramic restorations fabricated with the Press system presented significantly smaller marginal and internal disadaptations than the BlueCam and OmniCam CEREC systems (p<0.0001). Regarding the preparation designs, preparation BX presented the smallest marginal discrepancies for all fabrication systems and larger internal discrepancies than for restorations fabricated with the Press system. The occlusal location presented a larger internal discrepancy compared with the axial locations. Although the three systems resulted in the fabrication of restorations within a clinically acceptable adaptation with marginal discrepancies below 100 μm, the Press system presented the smallest marginal and internal discrepancies. An improved marginal adaptation was observed in the preparation design with a modified occlusal box with rounded internal angles. | 10.2341/19-014-L |
pubmed_55_19265 | We have reported that peak hip extension is nearly identical in walking and running, suggesting that anatomical constraints, such as flexor muscle tightness may limit the range of hip extension. To obtain a more mechanistic insight into mobility at the hip and pelvis we examined the lengths of the muscle-tendons units crossing the hip joint. Data defining the three-dimensional kinematics of 26 healthy runners at self-selected walking and running speeds were obtained. These data were used to scale and drive musculoskeletal models using OpenSIM. Muscle-tendon unit (MTU) lengths were calculated for the trailing limb illiacus, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, and biceps femoris long head and the advancing limb biceps femoris and gluteus maximus. The magnitude and timing of MTU length peaks were each compared between walking and running. The peak length of the right (trailing limb) illiacus MTU, a pure hip flexor, was nearly identical between walking and running, while the maximum length of the rectus femoris MTU, a hip flexor and knee extensor, increased during running. The maximum length of the left (leading limb) biceps femoris was also unchanged between walking and running. Further, the timing of peak illiacus MTU length and peak contralateral biceps femoris MTU length occurred essentially simultaneously during running, at a time during gait when the hamstrings are most vulnerable to stretch injury. This latter finding suggests exploring the role for hip flexor stretching in combination with hamstring stretching to treat and/or prevent running related hamstring injury. | 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.11.005 |
pubmed_561_12239 | PURPOSE
To assess the accuracy of a dedicated adrenal computed tomographic (CT) protocol.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred sixty-six adrenal masses were evaluated with a protocol consisting of unenhanced CT, and, for those with attenuation values greater than 10 HU, contrast material-enhanced and delayed enhanced CT. Attenuation values and enhancement washout calculations were obtained. An adenoma was diagnosed if a mass had an attenuation value of 10 HU or less at unenhanced CT or a percentage enhancement washout value of 60% or higher.
RESULTS
The final diagnosis was adenoma in 127 masses and non-adenoma in 39. Masses measuring more than 10 HU on unenhanced CT scans were confirmed at biopsy (n = 28) or were examined for stability or change in size at follow-up CT performed at a minimum interval of 6 months (n = 33). Thirty-six (92%) of 39 non-adenomas and 124 (98%) of 127 adenomas were correctly characterized. The sensitivity and specificity of this protocol were 98% and 92%, respectively. This protocol correctly characterized 160 (96%) of 166 masses.
CONCLUSION
With a combination of unenhanced and delayed enhanced CT, nearly all adrenal masses can be correctly categorized as adenomas or non-adenomas. | 10.1148/radiol.2223010766 |
pubmed_948_15907 | The incidence of free and integrated hepatitis B virus (HBV) in various human tissues is discussed. Although hepadnavirus replication is restricted to a more or less stringent host cell range, it is clear that viral integration is not restricted to any particular organ but occurs in many tissues, including the placenta, embryo, and spermatozoa. The evidence for mother-to-infant transmission of HBV is presented. Direct transfer of HBV through the germ line cells and its implication in the development of embryonal tumours are discussed. HBV may thus possess potential oncogenicity not only for those directly infected by the virus, but also for their offspring. | pubmed_948_15907 |
pubmed_882_1220 | Helicobacter cinaedi is a rare pathogen but known to cause bacteremia, cellulitis and enterocolitis. Recently, cases of involving various organs are increasingly reported such as endocarditis, meningitis, and kidney cyst infection. We report a case of intrauterine H. cinaedi infection leading preterm birth and neonatal sepsis. A 29-year-old pregnant women who was no underlying disease hospitalized due to threatened preterm labor at 22 weeks of gestation. Clinical findings showed uterine tenderness, fever, leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein. H. cinaedi was isolated from amniotic fluid obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis. We diagnosed as intrauterine H. cinaedi infection and administered intravenous ampicillin followed by oxytocin to terminate pregnancy. A live 446 g male infant was delivered. The patient was no signs of infection throughout postpartum course and discharged on post-delivery day 5. The neonate was admitted in neonatal intensive care unit and administered ampicillin and amikacin. H. cinaedi was isolated from umbilical cord blood culture. He has no signs of infection on day 5 but died from uncontrollable hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis on 15 days of age. H. cinaedi can cause intrauterine infection during pregnancy and lead preterm labor and neonatal sepsis. | pubmed_882_1220 |
pubmed_403_2878 | Women with end-stage kidney disease commonly have difficulty conceiving through spontaneous pregnancy, and many suffer from infertility. Kidney transplantation restores the impairment in fertility and increases the possibility of pregnancy. In addition, the number of female kidney transplant recipients of reproductive age has been increasing. Thus, preconception counseling, contraceptive management, and family planning are of great importance in the routine care of this population. Pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is complicated by underlying maternal comorbidities, kidney allograft function, the effect of pregnancy on the transplanted kidney, and the effect of the maternal health on the fetus, in addition to immunosuppressive medications and their potential teratogenesis. Given the potential maternal and fetal risks, and possible complications during pregnancy, pretransplant and prepregnancy counseling for women of reproductive age are crucial, including delivery of information regarding contraception and timing for pregnancy, fertility and pregnancy rates, the risk of immunosuppression on the fetus, the risk of kidney allograft, and other maternal complications. In this article, we discuss aspects related to pregnancy among kidney transplant recipients and their management. | 10.1053/j.ackd.2020.06.004 |
pubmed_256_10026 | Fifty-nine patients with idiopathic subfertility were treated with IVF in 176 minimally stimulated cycles. Twenty pregnancies were achieved, resulting in pregnancy rates of 11.4% per treatment cycle and 21.3% per embryo transfer. Thus, the mode of treatment described here appears to be an useful alternative to IVF or laparoscopic GIFT in gonadotropin-stimulated cycles, since it carries good chances of success while avoiding the risk of massive ovarian hyperstimulation and increased incidence of multiple pregnancies. | 10.1055/s-2007-1022789 |
pubmed_213_17774 | The urinary excretion of two orally administered polyethylene glycol markers (PEG 900 and PEG 4000) was measured in rats after feeding various carbohydrate gelling agents. Pectin, guaran, methylcellulose, and carrageenan were added (20% wt/wt) to a fiber-free control diet and were fed for 4 wk prior to the experiment. Excretion of 3H-PEG 900 and 14C-PEG 4000 was measured over a period of 96 h after administration of the markers in the drinking water. In general, the ratio of PEG 4000 to PEG 900 in the urine increased after fiber feeding: from 0.20 in the controls to 0.31, 0.37, 0.29, or 0.27 (medians) in the pectin-, guaran-, methylcellulose-, or carrageenan-fed group, respectively. The pattern of excretion of the two PEG markers in rats fed the fiber-free diet differed from that in the polysaccharide-fed rats. Pectin and guaran, two polysaccharides readily fermented by intestinal bacteria, led to a higher excretion of PEG 4000 but an unaltered excretion of PEG 900, whereas methylcellulose and carrageenan, two polysaccharides more inert against microbial degradation, were associated with a lower excretion of PEG 900 with unchanged excretion of PEG 4000. The study shows that polysaccharides, which may be representative of the soluble portion of dietary fiber, can influence the intestinal permeability of larger molecules. The microbiologically degradable polysaccharides in particular may lead to an increased absorption of larger molecules. | 10.1093/jn/119.3.380 |
pubmed_756_5653 | BACKGROUND
S-nitrosothiols have been recognized as biologically-relevant products of nitric oxide that are involved in many of the diverse activities of this free radical.
SCOPE OF REVIEW
This review serves to discuss current methods for the detection and analysis of protein S-nitrosothiols. The major methods of S-nitrosothiol detection include chemiluminescence-based methods and switch-based methods, each of which comes in various flavors with advantages and caveats.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS
The detection of S-nitrosothiols is challenging and prone to many artifacts. Accurate measurements require an understanding of the underlying chemistry of the methods involved and the use of appropriate controls.
GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE
Nothing is more important to a field of research than robust methodology that is generally trusted. The field of S-nitrosation has developed such methods but, as S-nitrosothiols are easy to introduce as artifacts, it is vital that current users learn from the lessons of the past. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn. | pubmed_756_5653 |
pubmed_411_8562 | Radiotherapy, the most common therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, exerts its effects by inducing DNA damage. To fully understand the extent and nature of this damage, DNA models that mimic the in vivo situation should be utilized. In a cellular context, genomic DNA constantly interacts with proteins and these interactions could influence both the primary radical processes (triggered by ionizing radiation) and secondary reactions, ultimately leading to DNA damage. However, this is seldom addressed in the literature. In this work, we propose a general approach to tackle these shortcomings. We synthesized a protein-DNA complex that more closely represents DNA in the physiological environment than oligonucleotides solution itself, while being sufficiently simple to permit further chemical analyses. Using click chemistry, we obtained an oligonucleotide-peptide conjugate, which, if annealed with the complementary oligonucleotide strand, forms a complex that mimics the specific interactions between the GCN4 protein and DNA. The covalent bond connecting the oligonucleotide and peptide constitutes a part of substituted triazole, which forms due to the click reaction between the short peptide corresponding to the specific amino acid sequence of GCN4 protein (yeast transcription factor) and a DNA fragment that is recognized by the protein. DNAse footprinting demonstrated that the part of the DNA fragment that specifically interacts with the peptide in the complex is protected from DNAse activity. Moreover, the thermodynamic characteristics obtained using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are consistent with the interaction energies calculated at the level of metadynamics. Thus, we present an efficient approach to generate a well-defined DNA-peptide conjugate that mimics a real DNA-peptide complex. These complexes can be used to investigate DNA damage under conditions very similar to those present in the cell. | 10.3390/molecules25163630 |
pubmed_622_22106 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Primary HIV drug resistance, characterized by mutant virus strains in untreated HIV-infected persons, is of significant epidemiological significance. Primary resistance is associated with reduced efficacy of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We determined the prevalence of primary resistance in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Genotypic resistance testing was performed in a prospective multicenter study in chronically infected previously untreated HIV-positive patients before administration of first-line ART. Mutations were classified according to the International AIDS Society USA guidelines and the geno2pheno interpretation tool.
RESULTS
Between January 2001 and December 2005, resistance testing was performed in 831 patients. 77.4% were males, the mean age was 39 years (SD: 10.5). The mean duration of diagnosis of HIV infection was 1.6 years (SD: 3.4). 32.4% of patients were at CDC stage C, mean CD4 cell count was 236 /microl (SD: 205), and mean viral load was 206,855 copies/ml (SD: 450,610). In total, resistance-associated mutations were detected in 75 patients (9.0%; 95%CI, 7.1-11.0). After inclusion of mutations E44D and V118I, resistance was identified in 99 patients (11.9%; 95%CI, 9.7-14.1). 5.4% had mutations indicating nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) resistance (95%CI, 3.9-7.0), 3.0% had non-NRTI resistance (95%CI, 1.8-4.2), and 2.4% had protease inhibitor resistance (95%CI, 1.4-3.4), respectively. Two-class resistance was detected in 0.8% (95%CI, 0.2-1.5), three-class resistance in 0.5% (95%CI, 0.01-1.0). Mutations indicating revertant variants of resistant strains were found in 3.9% (95%CI, 2.5-5.2). Considering the variables age, gender, time since diagnosis, CDC stage, CD4 cell count, viral load, HIV subtype, ethnic origin, and HIV transmission group, no significant risk factor for the presence of primary resistance was demonstrated in univariate and mutlivariate analyses.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of primary resistant virus strains was about 10% in chronically infected ART-naive HIV-patients in the largest federal state of Germany. The majority of these patients had NRTI-associated resistance. No risk factor for the presence of primary drug resistance was identified. Because of the high prevalence and the possible impact on efficacy of drug treatment, routine genotypic resistance testing should be performed in untreated HIV-positive patients before administration of first-line ART. | 10.1055/s-2007-979365 |
pubmed_123_11002 | Structural changes in large arteries are often considered the predominant mechanism responsible for decreased baroreflex sensitivity and baroreceptor resetting in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and aging. Recent work has demonstrated that "functional" mechanisms, both at the level of the peripheral sensory endings and within the central nervous system, contribute significantly to altered baroreflex responses. We have conducted both reductive studies of mechanoelectrical transduction in cultured baroreceptor neurons and integrative studies with in vivo recordings of the activity of baroreceptor afferent fibers and efferent sympathetic nerves. Results suggest that the primary mechanism of mechanical activation of baroreceptor neurons involves opening of stretch-activated ion channels susceptible to blockade by gadolinium. Baroreceptor nerve activity is modulated by the activity of potassium channels and the sodium-potassium pump and by paracrine factors, including prostacyclin, oxygen free radicals, and factors released from aggregating platelets. Endothelial dysfunction and altered release of these paracrine factors contribute significantly to the decreased baroreceptor sensitivity in hypertension and atherosclerosis. The central mediation of the baroreflex depends on the pulse phasic pattern of afferent baroreceptor discharge. Baroreflex-mediated inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity is well maintained during pulse phasic afferent activity. Continuous, nonphasic baroreceptor discharge or a rapid (> 1.5 Hz) pulse phasic discharge results in disinhibition of sympathetic activity. This disinhibition during continuous baroreceptor input is exaggerated with aging. Thus, a defect in central mediation of the baroreflex may be a major cause of the impaired baroreflex and sympathoexcitation in the elderly. In summary, functional neural mechanisms, in addition to structural vascular changes, contribute importantly to altered baroreflex responses in normal and pathophysiological states.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 10.1161/01.hyp.26.2.341 |
pubmed_304_14630 | The abdominal aortic aneurysm is a dilatation of infrarenal part of aorta. Its ethiology is still unknown. An infection and congenital disorders of conjunctive tissue are regarded as the main risc factors. Other factors could be a perimural thrombus and elastin and colagen degradation. It's not proved that atheromatosis is a risc factor. The disease concerns mainly the old males. Not treated aneurysm grows until rupture. The aneurysms are usually asympthomatic. Majority of them are found incidentally. Ultrasonography and computed tomography are used to extended diagnosis. The open surgery or endovascular surgery are only possible ways of treatment. The aneurysm with diameter over 55 milimeters, sympthomatic or rupted is an indication for surgery. The aim of the open surgery is implantation of the vascular prosthesis into retroperitoneal space. Endovascular method consist in placement of stent-graft in the lumen of aneurysm through small incision in a peripherial vessel. Stent-graft consists of metal chassis covered by classic vascular prosthesis. This method still requires the long-term assessment. | pubmed_304_14630 |
pubmed_1028_982 | The presence of three pools of exchangeable calcium (A,B and C) was demonstrated by the method of investigating the kinetics of 45Ca efflux from the fat issue of rats; the two most slowly exchangeable pools (B and C) reflected the distribution of intracellular calcium. The calcium content in the pools B and C of the fat tissue of rats with spontaneous hypertension was increased by 71 and 29%, respectively, as compared to that in the normotensive controls. Adrenalectomy leads to a marked redistribution of intracellular calcium, but the differences between spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive rats in the calcium content in the pools B and C are nonetheless maintained. These differences in the distribution of intracellular calcium may be the direct cause of the change in the hormonal sensitivity of the adipocytes of rats with spontaneous genetic hypertension. | pubmed_1028_982 |
pubmed_644_10344 | Among the varied hallucinations associated with sleep paralysis (SP), out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and vestibular-motor (V-M) sensations represent a distinct factor. Recent studies of direct stimulation of vestibular cortex report a virtually identical set of bodily-self hallucinations. Both programs of research agree on numerous details of OBEs and V-M experiences and suggest similar hypotheses concerning their association. In the present study, self-report data from two on-line surveys of SP-related experiences were employed to assess hypotheses concerning the causal structure of relations among V-M experiences and OBEs during SP episodes. The results complement neurophysiological evidence and are consistent with the hypothesis that OBEs represent a breakdown in the normal binding of bodily-self sensations and suggest that out-of-body feelings (OBFs) are consequences of anomalous V-M experiences and precursors to a particular form of autoscopic experience, out-of-body autoscopy (OBA). An additional finding was that vestibular and motor experiences make relatively independent contributions to OBE variance. Although OBEs are superficially consistent with universal dualistic and supernatural intuitions about the nature of the soul and its relation to the body, recent research increasingly offers plausible alternative naturalistic explanations of the relevant phenomenology. | 10.1016/j.cortex.2007.05.002 |
pubmed_573_6497 | Fast current intermittency of the tunneling current through single semiconductor quantum dots was observed through time-resolved intermittent contact conductive atomic force microscopy in the dark and under illumination at room temperature. The current through a single dot switches on and off at time scales ranging from microseconds to seconds with power-law distributions for both the on and off times. On states are attributed to the resonant tunneling of charges from the electrically conductive AFM tip to the quantum dot, followed by transfer to the substrate, whereas off states are attributed to a Coulomb blockade effect in the quantum dots that shifts the energy levels out of resonance conditions due to the presence of the trapped charge, while at the same bias. The observation of current intermittency due to Coulomb blockade effects has important implications for the understanding of carrier transport through arrays of quantum dots. | 10.1021/nl3036096 |
pubmed_1132_11333 | The potential energy surfaces of both components of the X̃(2)Π electronic ground state of the double Renner-Teller SiCN/SiNC system are calculated using explicitly correlated coupled cluster approach. The SiNC minimum is found to lie at 628 cm(-1) above the SiCN one. The isomerization transition state is found at 7583 cm(-1) on the (2)A' surface and at 7936 cm(-1) on the (2)A(") surface. The cyclic local minimum on surface (2)A' is also reproduced by our potential energy surface and is located at 3901 cm(-1). The calculated potentials are used to simulate rovibrational spectroscopy employing the recently developed EVEREST variational code. It is shown that Renner-Teller interaction (ε = 0.3043 for SiCN and ε = 0.3874 for SiNC) and spin-orbit coupling are both very important for a correct description of the spectroscopy of this system. Comparison with available experimental measurement is reported. | 10.1063/1.4794050 |
pubmed_6_26589 | High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) stress generates cellular responses similar to those to other stresses that yeasts endure in fermentation tanks. Structural and spatial compaction of molecules, as well as weakening and stretching of plasma membranes and cell walls, are often observed and have a significant influence on the fermentative process. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) yields accurate data on the morphological characteristics of yeast cell walls, providing important insights for the development of more productive yeast strains. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall assessment using AFM in the intermittent contact reading mode using a silicon cantilever, before and after application of a pressure of 100 MPa for 30 min, demonstrated that mother and daughter cells have different responses. Daughter cells were more sensitive to the effects of HHP, presenting lower average Ra (arithmetic roughness), Rz (ten-point average roughness), and Rq (root-mean-square roughness) after exposure to high pressure. Better adaptation to stress in mother cells leads to higher cell wall resistance and, therefore, to better protection. | 10.1016/j.micron.2021.103091 |
pubmed_1094_15418 | Based on several postmortem morphometric and in vivo imaging studies it has been postulated that brain maturation roughly follows a caudal to rostral direction. In this study, we linked this maturational pattern to psychological function employing a series of well-established behavioral tasks. We addressed three distinct functions and brain regions with a perceptual (contour integration, CI), motor (finger tapping, FT), and executive control (Navon global-local) task. Our purpose was to investigate basic visual integration functions relying on primary visual cortex (V1) in CI; motor coordination function related to primary motor cortex (M1) in FT, and the executive control component, switching, related to the dorsolateral prefrontal region of the brain in the Navon task. 122 volunteer subjects were recruited to participate in this study between the ages of 10 and 20 (females n = 63, males n = 59). Employing conventional statistical methods, we found that 10 and 12 year olds are performing significantly weaker than 20 year olds in all three tasks. In the CI and Navon global-local tasks, even 14 years old perform poorer than adults. We have also investigated the developmental trajectories by fitting sigmoid curves on our data streams. The analysis of the developmental trajectories of the three tasks showed a posterior to anterior pattern in the emergence of the developmental functions with the earliest development in the visual CI task (V1), followed by motor development in the FT task (M1), and cognitive development as measured in the Navon global-local task (DLPC) being the slowest. Gender difference was also present in FT task showing an earlier maturation for girls in the motor domain. | 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00674 |
pubmed_285_7609 | Wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1), a phosphatase previously considered as an oncogene, has been implicated in the regulation of thymus homeostasis and neutrophil maturation. However, the role of Wip1 in B-cell development is unknown. We show that Wip1-deficient mice exhibit a significant reduction of B-cell numbers in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and spleen. A reciprocal transplantation approach revealed a cell-intrinsic defect in early B-cell precursors caused by Wip1 deficiency. Further experiments revealed that Wip1 deficiency led to a sustained activation of p53 in B cells, which led to increased level of apoptosis in the pre-B-cell compartment. Notably, the impairment of B-cell development in Wip1-deficient mice was completely rescued by genetic ablation of p53, but not p21. Therefore, loss of Wip1 phosphatase induces a p53-dependent, but p21-independent, mechanism that impairs B-cell development by enhancing apoptosis in early B-cell precursors. Moreover, Wip1 deficiency exacerbated a decline in B-cell development caused by aging as evidenced in mice with aging and mouse models with serial competitive bone marrow transplantation, respectively. Our present data indicate that Wip1 plays a critical role in maintaining antigen-independent B-cell development in the bone marrow and preventing an aging-related decline in B-cell development. | 10.1182/blood-2015-02-624114 |
pubmed_564_14602 | An understanding of the pathogenesis of mixed types of chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis is important for the treatment of the patients. A 40-year-old Japanese woman with antiphospholipid syndrome has been treated with prednisolone for two years since she was diagnosed as having a mixed type of chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Biochemical tests for liver function were normal during treatment. Laparoscopy revealed a white liver, and histology demonstrated disappearance of the findings of piecemeal necrosis or chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis in the specimen. Steroid treatment of patients with mixed types of chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis is controversial, since it is contra-indicated in some. Although the clinical features of the patients varies from one to another, this case suggests that the autoimmune mechanism of some patients may resemble autoimmune hepatitis rather than primary biliary cirrhosis, and treatment with steroid is effective. | pubmed_564_14602 |
pubmed_1050_10895 | Ovarian cancer is common gynaecological malignancy and a leading cause of death among women. Despite the advances in treatment strategies, majority of patients present with recurrence after first- or second-line treatment. Targeted therapy that has proven to be effective in other advanced or metastatic solid tumors have also demonstrated its efficacy in ovarian cancer. Recent studies have shown that the androgen receptor (AR) signalling is involved in pathogenicity and progression of cancer. Current observations suggest AR could be a potential target in managing the disease. In this case report we present a patient with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) with multiple relapses with excellent disease control on AR inhibition with bicalutamide. | 10.18632/oncotarget.27809 |
pubmed_1091_12149 | The performance of functionals based on the idea of interpolating between the weak- and the strong-interaction limits the global adiabatic-connection integrand is carefully studied for the challenging case of noble-metal clusters. Different interpolation formulas are considered and various features of this approach are analyzed. It is found that these functionals, when used as a correlation correction to Hartree-Fock, are quite robust for the description of atomization energies, while performing less well for ionization potentials. Future directions that can be envisaged from this study and a previous one on main group chemistry are discussed. | 10.1063/1.5022669 |
pubmed_738_13768 | BACKGROUND
The epidemiology of neural tube defect (NTD) is face ignorance from the global community. However, the problem is complex and it is a cause for child mortality and morbidity. We provide the latest insights with respect to determinant factors of NTD.
METHODS
Google Scholar and PubMed were systematically searched to identify potential research articles concerning the epidemiology and its determinant factors of NTD.
RESULTS
The epidemiology of Neural tube defects increased in some countries. The epidemiology and determinant factors were varies across countries,geographical regions and socioeconomic status of the populations. In general, the determinant factors of NTD were summarized as behavioral, nutrition-related, environmental, medical illness, and health service-related factors.
CONCLUSION
Birth defect is fatal which affects the new generation; specifically, NTD is the problem of middle- and low-income countries. It is a direct cause for neonatal and perinatal mortality rate globally. Even if little factors identified, yet conducting experimental and clinical trial researches are a better approach to slow down the progress. | 10.25259/SNI_84_2020 |
pubmed_794_18858 | Epigenetic dysregulation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of ovarian cancer. Since the first experiment conducted on resistant ovarian cancer cells using demethylating drugs, multiple clinical trials have revealed that epigenetic targeted drugs combined with chemotherapy, molecular-targeted drugs, or even immunotherapy could enhance tumor sensitivity and reverse acquired resistances. Here, we summarized the combination strategies of epigenetic targeted drugs with other treatment strategies of ovarian cancer and discussed the principles of combination therapy. Finally, we enumerated several reasonable clinical trial designs as well as future drug development strategies, which may provide promising ideas for the application of epigenetic drugs to ovarian cancer. | 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175071 |
pubmed_779_22031 | Mechanical loading leads to adaptive bone formation - the formation of new bone on existing skeletal surfaces - which increases bone strength and fatigue resistance. The same mechanical loading can also cause microdamage to bone and development of a stress fracture through targeted remodelling. Stress fractures are common in military recruits and cause significant morbidity, lost training time, and discharge from military service. This narrative review proposes strategies to promote adaptive bone formation as a novel approach to mitigate the risk of stress fracture injuries during arduous military training. Exercise that is unaccustomed, dynamic, high-impact, multidirectional, intermittent, and includes extended rest periods to restore bone mechanosensitivity, is most osteogenic. New bone formation can take up to one year to mineralize, and so new exercise training programmes should be initiated well in advance of military activities with high risk of stress fracture. Bone mechanosensitivity is highest in adolescence, before puberty, and so increasing physical activity in youth is likely to protect skeletal health in later life, including for those in the military. Recent data show that adaptive bone formation takes place during initial military training. Adaptive bone formation can also be supported with adequate sleep, vitamin D, calcium, and energy availability. Further evidence on how strategies to promote adaptive bone formation affect stress fracture risk are required. Adaptive bone formation can be optimized with a range of training and nutritional strategies to help create a resilient skeleton, which may protect against stress fracture throughout military service. | 10.1080/17461391.2021.1949637 |
pubmed_28_14251 | Camelina sativa is relatively drought tolerant and requires less fertilizer than other oilseed crops. Various lipid- and phenolic-based extracellular barriers of plants help to protect them against biotic and abiotic stresses. These barriers, which consist of solvent-insoluble polymeric frameworks and solvent-extractable waxes, include the cuticle of aerial plant surfaces and suberized cell walls found, for example, in periderms and seed coats. Cutin, the polymeric matrix of the cuticle, and the aliphatic domain of suberin are fatty acid- and glycerol-based polyesters. These polyesters were investigated by base-catalyzed transesterification of C. sativa aerial and underground delipidated tissues followed by gas chromatographic analysis of the released monomer mixtures. Seed coat and root suberin had similar compositions, with 18-hydroxyoctadecenoic and 1,18-octadecenedioic fatty acids being the dominant species. Root suberin presented a typical lamellar ultrastructure, but seed coats showed almost imperceptible, faint dark bands. Leaf and stem lipid polyesters were composed of fatty acids (FA), 1,ω-dicarboxylic fatty acids (DCA), ω-hydroxy fatty acids (HFA) and hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA). Dihydroxypalmitic acid (DHP) and caffeic acid were the major constituents of leaf cutin, whereas stem cutin presented similar molar proportions in several monomers across the four classes. Unlike the leaf cuticle, the C. sativa stem cuticle presented lamellar structure by transmission electron microscopy. Flower cutin was dominated by DHP, did not contain aromatics, and presented substantial amounts (>30%) of hydroxylated 1,ω-dicarboxylic acids. We found striking differences between the lipid polyester monomer compositions of aerial tissues of C. sativa and that of its close relatives Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus. | 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112665 |
pubmed_837_3922 | A human Burkitt's lymphoma cell line (Raji-HN2) made resistant to nitrogen mustard, a bifunctional alkylating agent, was used to study the mechanism of resistance to nitrogen mustard. A comparative study of Raji-HN2 and the parental sensitive Raji cell lines revealed the following: (1) The DNA of Raji-HN2 cells was crosslinked by nitrogen mustard to a lower extent than Raji DNA; (2) once interstrand crosslinks were formed, they were repaired at the same rate in both cell lines; (3) DNA crosslink formation in Raji-HN2, but not in Raji cells, was enhanced by novobiocin, a topoisomerase II inhibitor; (4) Raji-HN2 cells had elevated topoisomerase II activity and were hypersensitive to topoisomerase inhibitors (amsacrine, novobiocin, teniposide); (5) similar amounts of topoisomerase I were found in both cell lines; and (6) the chromatin of Raji-HN2 but not of Raji cells, was hypersensitive to DNase I digestion. The relationship between DNA repair, topoisomerase II activity, chromatin structure and drug resistance is discussed. | pubmed_837_3922 |
pubmed_259_3165 | This review focuses on the role of impaired endothelial function for the development of atherosclerosis in human arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia in vivo. Potential mechanisms underlying impaired endothelial function and decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide under these clinical conditions are discussed. It further addresses therapeutic strategies aimed at improving the bioavailability of nitric oxide in these patients. The overall conclusion is that the bioavailability of nitric oxide is probably impaired, not by a single defect, but by various mechanisms affecting nitric oxide synthesis as well as nitric oxide breakdown. In both diseases increased superoxide anion production and oxidative stress represent a major mechanism. Decreased bioavailability of nitric oxide not only impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation, but also activates other mechanisms that play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Thus, therapeutic strategies should aim to restore bioavailability of nitric oxide, which has been demonstrated for lipid-lowering therapy in hypercholesterolemia and blood pressure control in hypertension. In addition, antioxidative strategies will represent a major therapeutic tool against atherosclerotic diseases in the future. Statins and blockers of the renin-angiotensin system seem to have such antioxidative effects independent from their effects on lipid profiles or blood pressure control. | 10.1007/s11906-003-0021-1 |
pubmed_484_2253 | A new sesquiterpene glycoside with a picrotoxane-type aglycone has been isolated from the stems of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. Its structure was elucidated as 7,12-dihydroxy-5-hydroxymethyl-11-isopropyl-6-methyl-9-oxatricyclo[6.2.1.0(2,6)]undecan-10-one-15-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical methods. | 10.1080/10286020310001595971 |
pubmed_806_24926 | The platinum(ii) half-lantern dinuclear complexes [{Pt(bzq)(μ-C7H4NS2-κN,S)}2] () and [{Pt(bzq)(μ-C7H4NOS-κN,S)}2] () [bzq = benzo[h]quinolinate, C7H4NS2 = 2-mercaptobenzothiazolate, C7H4NOS = 2-mercaptobenzoxazolate] in solution of DMSO-H2O undergo a dramatic color change from yellowish-orange to purple and turn-off phosphorescence in the presence of a small amount of Hg(2+), being discernible by the naked-eye and by spectroscopic methods. Other metal ions as Ag(+), Li(+), Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Ba(2+), Pb(2+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+) and Tl(+) were tested and, even in a big excess, showed no interference in the selective detection of Hg(2+) in water. Job's plot analysis indicated a 1 : 1 stoichiometry in the complexation mode of Hg(2+) by /. The phosphorescence quenching attributed to the formation of [/ : Hg(2+)] complexes showed binding constants of K = 1.13 × 10(5) M(-1) () and K = 1.99 × 10(4) M(-1) (). The limit of detection has been also evaluated. In addition, dried paper test strips impregnated in DMSO solutions of and can detect concentration of Hg(2+) in water as low as 1 × 10(-5) M for and 5 × 10(-5) M for , making these complexes good candidates to be used as real-time Hg(2+) detectors. The nature of the interaction of the Pt2 half-lantern complex with the Hg(2+) cation, has been investigated by theoretical calculations. | 10.1039/c5dt00087d |
pubmed_102_3710 | The medical environment has undergone many radical changes in the past decade. The advent of "discount medicine" plans, such as PPOs and HMOs, has given new physicians both more choices and more restrictions to consider when planning their practices. The interdependence of physicians and hospitals is discussed. | pubmed_102_3710 |
pubmed_407_14335 | Liver transplantation has been an accepted treatment for end-stage liver disease since the 1980s. The development of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) was driven by limited deceased donor organ donation and a response to the growing demand for the option of liver replacement. LDLT is now performed with high rates of success due to judicious donor and recipient selection, careful preoperative planning, excellent anesthesia management, and prompt detection and treatment of complications. The first successful liver transplantation in Asia was performed in 1984, in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in a Taiwanese adolescent with Wilson's disease, complicated by end-stage liver cirrhosis. The longest Asian liver transplant survivor has now been living for 26 years and that patient's transplant was also performed in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Through December 31, 2011, a total of 924 (783 living donor, 141 deceased donor) liver transplants have been performed at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, where both graft and patient survivals are excellent. For biliary atresia, hepatitis B virus cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma recipients, our 5-year LDLT survival rates are 98%, 94%, and 90%, respectively. Our overall (deceased and living donor) actuarial 3-year survival rate is 91%. Innovative techniques in LDLT represent technical refinements in hepatic vein, portal vein, hepatic artery, and biliary reconstruction approaches. Hepatic vein reconstruction is highlighted by venoplasty reconstructions in both graft hepatic vein orifices and recipient hepatic veins, to ensure adequate outflow and decrease ischemia times during implantation. Vascular interposition to reconstruct middle hepatic vein tributaries with either fresh or cryopreserved vessels is used when the middle hepatic vein is not routinely harvested with the graft. We have extended the routine use of microsurgical techniques, initially for hepatic artery reconstruction, to biliary reconstruction where the possibility of duct-to-duct reconstruction is performed with accuracy and precision in pediatric non-biliary atresia and in multiple, small bile ducts. Long-term survival has always been related to the immunosuppression regimen, which influences outcome. Newer drugs do not equate to lesser complications. Rather, improvement in how we can find new uses for old drugs is now the norm. Less immunosuppression, as long as hepatic function is maintained at an acceptable level, decreases the chances of long-term complications related to immunosuppression use. | pubmed_407_14335 |
pubmed_667_23556 | Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is a pathogen of cattle, member of the family Flaviviridae, genus pestivirus, which also includes Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV, or hog cholera virus), and Border Disease Virus of sheep (BDV). It causes important economical losses associated mainly with reproductive failure. Pestiviruses are small enveloped viruses, with a diameter of about 40 nm. The nucleocapsid is probably icosahedral . The genome consists of a single stranded positive RNA, encoding approximately 430 kD of proteic product. Genetic expression consists of the synthesis of a polyprotein which is co- and post-translationally processed. According to its behavior "in vitro" two biotypes can be distinguished: non cytopathic (ncp) and cytopathic (cp), most probably derived from the ncp through mutations and/or recombination. BVDV is able to cross the placenta and infect the fetus, causing a variety of problems, from fetal death to the birth of a persistently infected (P) calf, according to the fetal age at the time of infection. PI animals are immunotolerant to the virus and shed it in all secretions. Only the ncp biotype has been isolated from PI animals. The superinfection of a PI animal with a cp strain causes mucosal disease, always fatal. Outbreaks of a severe, sometimes hemorrhagic disease, caused by ncp BVDV, have occurred in Canada and USA since 1993. Genomic and serological differences between the "traditional" strains and the viruses isolated from these outbreaks led to the division of BVDV in subtypes I and II, both including cp and ncp strains. Analyses of the non coding 5'-UTR zone of the genome of pestiviruses from different species (bovine, ovine, porcine) suggest that there are at least 3 genotypes within the genus. A new classification of these viruses, based on genomic sequence instead of species of origin, has been proposed. Genomic heterogeneity exists in the BVDV genome, which presents 3 hypervariable zones, 2 of them in the major neutralizing protein. In Argentina prevalence of BVDV antibodies in cattle population is 70%, and the prevalence of persistent infections is around 1%. | pubmed_667_23556 |
pubmed_18_20215 | Heat stress perturbs prolactin (PRL) release and affects dairy cow lactational performance and immune cell function. We hypothesized that greater PRL concentration in plasma of heat-stressed cows relative to cooled cows would decrease expression of prolactin receptor (PRL-R) mRNA and increase mRNA expression of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) in lymphocytes, altering their cytokine production. To test this hypothesis, multiparous Holstein cows were dried off 46 d before their expected calving date and assigned randomly to heat stress (HT; n=9) or cooling (CL; n=7) during the entire dry period. A second study was conducted the following year with an additional 21 cows (12 HT; 9 CL). Lymphocytes were isolated from cows at -46, -20, +2, and +20 d relative to expected calving date and mRNA expression of PRL-R, SOCS-1, SOCS-2, SOCS-3, cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS), and heat shock protein 70 KDa A5 (HSPA5), and housekeeping genes hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS), ATP synthase, H+ transporting mitochondrial F1 complex, beta subunit (ATP5B), and ribosomal protein S9 (RPS9) was analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cows exposed to HT had greater PRL concentration in plasma compared with CL cows. Measurement of lymphocyte proliferation indicated that lymphocytes of CL cows proliferated more than those from HT cows and exressed more PRL-R mRNA and less SOCS-1 and SOCS-3 mRNA relative to HT cows. Further, lymphocytes from CL cows produced more tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) than those from HT cows. These results suggest that changes in PRL-signaling pathway genes during heat stress are associated with differential cytokine secretion by lymphocytes and may regulate lymphocyte proliferation in dairy cows. | 10.1016/j.domaniend.2009.07.005 |
pubmed_1005_21196 | The policies and technological drivers to manage food waste in Asia have been shaped by the increasing awareness of the countries to this issue, their commitment to national and international development goals, their socio-economic constraints, and their recognition of the potency to recover nutrients and energy from food waste. The concept of reduce, reuse and recycle (the 3R principles) streamline the existing food waste management policies, and scrutinising the gaps and challenges led to a conclusion that most of the countries emphasise food waste segregation and treatment instead of prevention at source itself. Furthermore, a qualitative SWOT analysis of five prevailing treatment options led to a conclusion that animal feeding, incineration, and landfilling are unsustainable since they pose various health and environmental hazard risks. It was further concluded that anaerobic digestion was the preferred option than aerobic digestion (composting) considering the characteristics of the available food waste in Asia as well as the underlying environmental and economic benefits. Moreover, decentralised, community-scale, anaerobic digestion system has been gaining traction over centralised, large-scale system because of their lower energy footprint, ease of operation, need for lesser resources, lower operation and maintenance costs, and higher chances of public acceptance. It was also observed that the policy to gain energy from segregated food waste is a larger driving force for the efforts to promote anaerobic digestion and thereby manage food waste sustainably. | 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.079 |
pubmed_995_16356 | This 20-year follow-up report presents the incidence of definite coronary events and its relation to serum total cholesterol (TC) and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol percentage (percentage of serum TC bound with alpha-lipoprotein), now usually called high-density lipoprotein cholesterol percentage (HDL-C%). The cohort consists of 1,454 men and 1,481 women, presumably healthy, aged 35 to 64 years at the time of entrance examination in 1964. During the follow-up period 123 men and 44 women died from coronary disease. Ninety-six men and 42 women had nonfatal myocardial infarctions. The incidence of definite coronary events increased from 6% in men with TC levels of less than 200 mg/dl to 25% in men with levels of more than 264 mg/dl. The corresponding figures in women were 3% and 10%. The incidence of definite coronary events was inversely correlated to HDL-C%. The incidence of definite coronary events in 225 men with HDL-C% of less than 14% was 28%, and in 669 men with HDL-C% of 21% or more, 7%. The corresponding figures in 234 women with HDL-C% of less than 17% was 14%, and in 853 women with HDL-C% of 23% or more, 2%. Two HDL-C% subsets were assessed: "low" and "high" subsets refer to HDL-C% of less than 21% and 21% or more, respectively, in men and less than 23% and 23% or more in women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 10.1016/0002-9149(87)90903-9 |
pubmed_605_2761 | PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The recurrence rate in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer is high, and the quality of transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB) tumour influences recurrence risk. We review new methods that aim to improve the effectiveness of TURB, and highlight studies of the past year.
RECENT FINDINGS
Several approaches have been explored: bipolar resection is well tolerated and efficient; however, surgical outcomes are not clearly superior to monopolar resection; en-bloc resection seems feasible and well tolerated, and has the potential to improve the quality of tissue for histopathology; enhancement techniques such as photodynamic diagnosis, narrow band imaging, and Image1 S improve tumour detection, whereas photodynamic diagnosis reduces recurrence rates; high-resolution imaging modality such as confocal laser endomicroscopy may provide histopathologic information. Additionally, optical coherence tomography, Raman spectroscopy, multiphoton microscopy and ultraviolet autofluorescence microscopy, molecular imaging, and photoacoustic imaging are techniques that are in development.
SUMMARY
Recent advances in resection methods and image enhancement techniques have been studied to improve the quality of TURB, but more evidence is still needed before these techniques can be implemented in daily practice. | 10.1097/MOU.0000000000000370 |
pubmed_54_17503 | This study assessed the efficacy of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OVEO) and carvacrol in inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027, as well as the development of direct tolerance and cross-tolerance when this bacterium was challenged with sublethal amounts of these substances in a meat-based broth and in a meat model. OVEO and carvacrol at their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), 1/2 MIC and 1/4 MIC decreased the viable cell counts of P. aeruginosa in meat-based broth. Direct tolerance or cross-tolerance was not induced after exposure of the assayed bacterial strain to sublethal amounts of OVEO or carvacrol in meat-based broth and in an artificially contaminated ground beef. Bacterial cells progressively subcultured in meat-based broth with increasing amounts of the tested substances survived up to the MIC of OVEO and to 1/2 MIC of carvacrol. The results reveal a lack of induction of tolerance in P. aeruginosa by exposure to OVEO or carvacrol in meat-based broth and in a meat model. | 10.1177/1082013214554467 |
pubmed_266_12444 | Accumulating evidence has supported an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture in postmenopausal women and elderly men diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. However, it is not uncommon for young and middle-aged male patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis. Few studies focused on this population group are available. The aim of this study is to evaluate bone metabolic status and investigate the influence of T2DM on bone metabolism in 30-50-year-old men. Anthropometric assessment and blood samples were obtained from 160 patients with T2DM and 69 nondiabetic volunteers. Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and bone turnover markers (BTMs), including serum procollagen type I N-terminal peptide (PINP), osteocalcin (OC), and β-cross-linked C-telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX), were analysed. No significant differences were observed based on age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, serum calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, total protein, and albumin levels when comparing T2DM and control groups. Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly increased, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased in the T2DM group. Compared with controls, diabetic patients showed lower serum PINP, OC, and PTH levels, whereas serum β-CTX levels were similar between the two groups. Moreover, HbA1c levels were positively correlated with PINP and inversely associated with PTH levels. TG levels were negatively correlated with OC or β-CTX levels. Furthermore, multiple linear regression revealed a positive correlation between HbA1c and PINP levels. These results also revealed a negative association between HbA1c and PTH, and between TG and OC levels, even after adjusting for expected confounder factors. Collectively, these findings indicated that young and middle-aged male patients with T2DM showed a lower turnover state resulting from bone formation inhibition. Glucose and lipid metabolic disorders may affect bone formation through different pathways. | 10.1155/2020/6191468 |
pubmed_1040_3293 | A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the derivatization, identification and separation of carboxylic acids in beverages such as wines and other commercial drinks or natural fruit juices has been developed. The accuracy and precision of the method are discussed with reference to specific methods for the determination of single acids. Applications to the analysis of different wines and beverages are demonstrated. | 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)97670-8 |
pubmed_335_25970 | Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been investigated in recent years as an emerging therapy for various musculoskeletal conditions, including lumbar degenerative disc disease. Although PRP has received increasing attention from medical science experts, comprehensive clinical reports of its efficacy are limited to those treating knee osteoarthritis and epicondylitis. Use of PRP is gaining popularity in the area of degenerative disc disease, but there is a clear need for reliable clinical evidence of its applications and effectiveness. In this article, we review the current literature on PRP therapy and its potential use in the treatment of chronic discogenic low back pain, with a focus on evidence from clinical trials. | 10.21037/jss.2018.03.04 |
pubmed_547_2354 | Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a ligand of RET tyrosine kinase, and its family ligands promote the survival and differentiation of a variety of neurons. Gene ablation studies have revealed that the GDNF-RET receptor system is essential for the development of kidney and peripheral neurons, including sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric neurons. RET can activate various signaling pathways such as RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways. These signaling pathways are activated via binding of adaptor proteins to intracellular tyrosine residues of RET phosphorylated by its own kinase activity. The RET is profoundly involved in the development of several human neuroendocrine diseases. The constitutive activation of the RET by somatic rearrangement with other partner genes or germ-line mutations causes a considerable population of human papillary thyroid carcinomas or multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A and 2B, respectively, whereas the dysfunction of RET by germ-line missense and/or nonsense mutations causes Hirschsprung's disease. Biological properties of mutant RET protein determine the disease phenotype. For example, the MEN 2B mutation alters the substrate specificity of RET tyrosine kinase and RET carrying the MEN 2B mutation hereby induces the different set of genes from that carrying the MEN 2A mutation. In this review, we describe the current knowledge about the molecular mechanism of RET activation in human neuroendocrine tumors as well as the physiological roles and signal transduction of RET tyrosine kinase. | 10.1016/S0304-3835(03)00456-7 |
pubmed_3_5828 | OBJECTIVE
To study the changes of blood coagulative and fibrinolytic system and the function of pulmonary vascular endothelium in the course of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and after anticoagulant or thrombolytic treatment.
METHODS
Twenty patients with acute non-massive PTE, 10 males and 10 females, aged (57 +/- 11) underwent anticoagulant treatment and 17 sex-, and age-matched acute massive PTE patients underwent thrombolytic treatment. The plasma level of D-dimer (D-D), thrombomodulin (TM), protein C (PC), protein S (PS), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity were measured by ELISA before and after normal subjects severed as control group were included in the study. The plasma level of D-D, PS, PC, TM, t-PA and PAI-1 were measured by a method of ELISA before the treatment and six days after the anticoagulant treatment or 24 hours after the thrombolytic treatment. AT-III activity was measured by chromo-substrate method at the same time points. Forty sex- and age-matched healthy persons were used as controls.
RESULTS
The plasma levels of D-D, t-PA, PS, and TM level of the anticoagulant group were all significantly higher and the AT-III activity of the 2 treatment groups was significantly lower than those of the controls before treatment (all P < 0.05); the plasma levels of D-D, t-PA, PAI-1, PS, and TM of the thrombolytic group were ala significantly higher and the AT-III activity was significantly lower than those of the control group before the treatment (all P < 0.05). After anticoagulant therapy, the plasma levels of D-D, t-PA, PS, and PC were significantly lower than those before treatment (all P < 0.05), however, the plasma levels of PAI-1, TM, and AT-III activity after treatment did not differ significantly from those before treatment. The plasma levels of D-D, t-PA, PS, PC, and TM after treatment of the thrombolytic group were all significantly lower than those before treatment (all P < 0.05), however, the plasma levels of PAI-1, TM, and AT-III activity after treatment did not differ significantly from those before treatment.
CONCLUSION
Apparent imbalance in the blood coagulative and fibrinolytic system and pulmonary vascular endothelium damage occur in the patients with acute PTE. Combination tests of plasma D-D, AT-III, PS, PC, TM, t-PA and PAI-1 can give a more comprehensive explanation of the imbalance in the blood coagulative and fibrolytic system. Anticoagulant treatment and thrombolytic treatment play important roles in the regulation of the imbalance of coagulative and fibrinolytic system and protection of the function of pulmonary vascular endothelium of PTE patients. | pubmed_3_5828 |
pubmed_116_1811 | BACKGROUND
Expression of 67 kD laminin binding protein, 67LR, is reported to be associated with invasive and metastatic phenotypes in several types of human malignancies. In mammary carcinomas, however, the biologic role of 67LR has been less clear. The authors explored the potential biologic significance of expression of 67LR in 148 patients with axillary lymph node negative breast carcinoma.
METHODS
Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded histologic sections were immunohistochemically evaluated for 67LR using monoclonal antibody MLuC5. The staining results were correlated with morphologic data as well as with estrogen receptor content and p53 product accumulation.
RESULTS
There were statistically significant correlations between positivity for 67LR and lower histologic grade (P = 0.003), lower nuclear grade (P = 0.002), positivity for estrogen receptor (P = 0.003), and lack of p53 abnormality (P < 0.001). Expression of 67LR had no independent effect on the disease free or overall survival of lymph node negative patients with breast carcinoma. Nevertheless, in the subgroup of 67LR positive patients, positivity for estrogen receptor was associated with significantly longer overall survival (P = 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS
The data from this study suggest that tissue expression of 67LR, as detected by antibody MLuC5, is associated with better differentiated, less aggressive forms of axillary lymph node negative breast carcinoma. | 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19990115)85:2<432::aid-cncr22>3.0.co;2-j |
pubmed_594_19664 | OBJECTIVE
To describe the viroimmunologic response and its prognostic factors 6 months after initiating triple antiretroviral therapy in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients.
METHODS
Positive virologic response during follow-up (VL+) was defined as plasma HIV RNA level <500 copies/ml and positive immunologic response (CD4+) as an increase of CD4+ count of at least 50 cells/mm3. Four categories of response were defined: VL+/CD4+; VL+/CD4-; VL-/CD4+ and VL-/CD4-. Prognostic factors were studied through a polytomous logistic regression (VL-/CD4-, as reference).
RESULTS
Baseline characteristics of the 478 studied patients were: 22% at AIDS stage, 77% pretreated, median CD4+ cell count 195/mm3 and HIV RNA level 4.42 log. At 6 months 37.5% were VL+/CD4+; 15.7% VL+/CD4-; 23.8% VL-/CD4+ and 23.0% VL-/CD4-. Baseline HIV RNA level was associated to a higher risk of VL-/CD4+ response. More advanced age was associated with a higher risk of isolated immunologic failure (VL+/CD4-), whereas pretreatment and saquinavir therapy were associated with a lower frequency of positive virologic response independently of immunologic response.
CONCLUSION
HIV-RNA level, pretreatment, and saquinavir therapy were already known to be linked to therapeutic response. Based on our results, a high baseline HIV-RNA level is associated with isolated immunologic response; moreover, age should be of importance in treatment decision. | 10.1097/00126334-200106010-00011 |
pubmed_1063_25494 | Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) are severe cutaneous adverse reactions, which can be life-threatening and lead to severe sequelae. Antiepileptic drugs frequently cause severe adverse reactions in the form of. It is important to understand the characteristics of each disease and attempt at early diagnosis. | 10.11477/mf.1416201284 |
pubmed_989_2555 | Forty-eight newborn infants were tested in one of three multimodal stimulus conditions, in which auditory quantities were presented alongside visual object arrays in two test trials. These tests varied with respect to which side (either left or right) numerically matched the auditory number. The infants looked longer to the test trials in which the left side of the visual display exhibited a quantity that matched the presented auditory quantity. This study provides the first evidence for an untrained, innate bias for humans to preferentially process quantity information presented in the left field of vision. | 10.1111/nyas.14457 |
pubmed_339_21849 | OBJECTIVE
In patients with type 2 diabetes, microalbuminuria is associated with an increase in predominantly cardiovascular mortality. Considerable interindividual variability in the rate of progression of microalbuminuria exists. The prognostic significance of rate of progression of microalbuminuria with regard to cardiovascular and renal clinical end points is, however, unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of rate of progression of microalbuminuria for cardiovascular end points and renal function.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
In a previous prospective cohort study, progression of microalbuminuria (expressed as mean yearly change in albumin-to-creatinine ratio) was assessed in 58 patients with type 2 diabetes. During a median follow-up of 7 years after progression of microalbuminuria was determined, we registered all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease mortality as primary end points and coronary heart disease (fatal or nonfatal), peripheral vascular disease, ischemic stroke, retinopathy, macroalbuminuria, and change in serum creatinine as secondary end points.
RESULTS
Seven subjects died during the study; five of these subjects died of coronary heart disease. Cox's regression analysis identified progression of microalbuminuria as a significant predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.46 per point increase in albumin-to-creatinine ratio per year, P < 0.001), coronary heart disease mortality (hazard ratio 2.32, P = 0.006), and macroalbuminuria (hazard ratio 1.79, P < 0.001). Adjustment for multiple cardiovascular risk factors did not affect these results. Identical analyses for baseline level of microalbuminuria instead of progression rate of microalbuminuria did not show significant hazard ratios. In addition, progression of microalbuminuria significantly predicted an increase in serum creatinine (r = 0.29, P = 0.04).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria, the rate of progression of albumin excretion seems to be a powerful independent predictor of mortality caused mainly by coronary heart disease. | 10.2337/diacare.24.12.2097 |
pubmed_585_21930 | BACKGROUND
Genomic islands play an important role in medical, methylation and biological studies. To explore the region, we propose a CpG islands prediction analysis platform for genome sequence exploration (CpGPAP).
RESULTS
CpGPAP is a web-based application that provides a user-friendly interface for predicting CpG islands in genome sequences or in user input sequences. The prediction algorithms supported in CpGPAP include complementary particle swarm optimization (CPSO), a complementary genetic algorithm (CGA) and other methods (CpGPlot, CpGProD and CpGIS) found in the literature. The CpGPAP platform is easy to use and has three main features (1) selection of the prediction algorithm; (2) graphic visualization of results; and (3) application of related tools and dataset downloads. These features allow the user to easily view CpG island results and download the relevant island data. CpGPAP is freely available at http://bio.kuas.edu.tw/CpGPAP/.
CONCLUSIONS
The platform's supported algorithms (CPSO and CGA) provide a higher sensitivity and a higher correlation coefficient when compared to CpGPlot, CpGProD, CpGIS, and CpGcluster over an entire chromosome. | 10.1186/1471-2156-13-13 |
pubmed_240_19188 | AIMS
The association between obesity and a poorer health-related quality of life (HRQL) has previously been explored. The influence of ethnicity on this relationship has less frequently been considered. We aimed to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and HRQL in a mixed population of White European (WE) and South Asian (SA) ethnicity.
METHODS
Cross-sectional data were analysed (n = 4989, 16% SA) from a population-based diabetes screening study. BMI categories were based on ethnic-specific cut-points. HRQL was categorized low (<0.848) or high (≥0.848) according to the median EQ5D score. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between BMI and HRQL. Interaction analysis was conducted to determine the effect of ethnicity.
RESULTS
Overweight (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.10-1.41, p < 0.001) and obese people (OR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.56-2.10, p < 0.001) had increased odds of having a low HRQL compared to normal weight people. After adjusting for potential confounders, age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation score, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and smoking, this association was strengthened further. However, for obese people, SA ethnicity significantly reduced the risk of having a low HRQL when compared to WEs (adjusted OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34-0.97).
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide further evidence of an association between increasing BMI and low HRQL but suggest that SA ethnicity modifies this relationship. These results could have important health implications and are a basis for further research. | 10.1111/dom.12033 |
pubmed_590_5263 | OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of anthropometric indices on seminal parameters.
METHODS
Men who underwent treatment for conjugal infertility during the period of October, 2011, to March, 2012, were randomly selected. Patients with any prior diseases related to sperm alterations were excluded. Patients were submitted to an anthropometric evaluation to obtain body mass index, and the seminal analysis was made through a spermogram. Two anthropometric methods of classification were used: body mass index (normal and altered) and abdominal circumference (<94 cm and >94 cm). Data were analyzed by statistical tests.
RESULTS
The group with the altered body mass index presented lower volumes of ejaculated volume and a larger percentage of patients with abdominal circumference <94 cm presented with progressive forms of spermatozoa below reference values. However, in the statistical tests, there was no significant difference.
CONCLUSION
No significant difference was found in the sperm quality relative to the body mass index or abdominal circumference. | pubmed_590_5263 |
pubmed_316_17493 | In two cases of suspected appendicitis, laparotomy revealed an inflammatory mass medially in the caecum. Colonic resection was performed in both cases and the final diagnosis was solitary caecal diverticulitis. When inflammation of a caecal diverticulum is recognized at laparotomy, simple diverticulectomy is the procedure of choice, but colonic resection is recommended if malignancy cannot be excluded or inflammatory changes are severe. | pubmed_316_17493 |
pubmed_949_21480 | OBJECTIVES
To examine the incidence, clinical and radiologic findings, and response to treatment of renovascular hypertension (RVHT) in moyamoya disease (MMD).
METHODS
A retrospective analysis of medical records in six RVHT cases (8.3%) among 72 MMD patients observed from November 1987 to December 1995.
RESULTS
The age at onset of MMD ranged from 9 months to 7 years 1 month (mean, 3.3 years). The most common initial manifestation of MMD was transient ischemic attack. Hypertension was detected between 4 years 4 months and 12 years 3 months (mean, 7.87 years). Unstimulated plasma renin activity was elevated in all six cases. Renal ultrasonography and captopril technetium 99m-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid scan showed abnormal findings in four of five and in three of four available studies, respectively. However, both imaging studies showed abnormal findings only in the most severely affected kidneys even with bilateral renal artery stenosis. Renal arteriography revealed bilateral lesions in three of the patients and unilateral lesions in the others. Renal angioplasty was performed in four cases but was successful in only one and partially successful in another. A renal artery specimen obtained during renal autotransplantation showed intimal fibroplasia. At the last follow-up, one patient had normal blood pressure without the use of antihypertensive agents, but the other five patients needed this medication to control blood pressure.
CONCLUSION
Because RVHT may be more commonly associated with MMD than has hitherto been appreciated, it is recommended that blood pressure be carefully followed and that diagnostic procedures for RVHT be carried out in hypertensive patients with MMD. | 10.1016/s0022-3476(97)70163-x |
pubmed_201_8997 | The majority of Parkinson's disease (PD) cases are sporadic with only about 10% of PD patients having a family history of the disease suggesting that this neurodegenerative disorder is the result of both environmental and genetic factors. Both oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are thought to contribute to PD. Previously, we showed that the activation of interleukin 13 receptor alpha 1 (IL-13Rα1) increases the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to oxidative damage both in cultured cells and in animals. In this study, we investigated the pathways involved in the IL-13-mediated potentiation of oxidative stress-induced dopaminergic cell death using a combination of cell survival assays and Western blotting with appropriate antibodies. In addition, siRNA was used to examine the role of 4E-BP1 in this cell toxicity paradigm. We show that activation of both the Jak-Stat and PI3 kinase-mTOR pathways play key roles in the promotion of cell death by IL-13 in the presence of mild oxidative stress. The Jak 1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib, the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and the PI3 kinase inhibitor LY294002 all prevented the potentiation of cell death by IL-13. Moreover, 4E-BP1, a target of mTOR, appeared to mediate the protective effects of rapamycin. Together, these results indicate that multiple signaling pathways downstream of IL-13Rα1 activation play a role in the toxic effects of IL-13 in dopaminergic neurons in the presence of mild oxidative stress and suggest that any of these pathways might provide potential targets for the treatment of PD. | 10.1016/j.cyto.2017.09.018 |
pubmed_320_5195 | Routine use of EmbryoGlue did not significantly improve pregnancy or implantation rates in nonselected patients receiving either a day 3 or day 5 embryo transfer compared with standard culture media. Future prospective randomized studies need to be performed to determine whether EmbryoGlue is beneficial in a selected patient population. | 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.05.063 |
pubmed_965_3575 | Amorphous and crystalline thorium tungstate have been prepared by mixing 0.1M thorium nitrate and 0.1M sodium tungstate under different conditions. The physico-chemical properties, chemical stability, composition, TGA, DTA, X-ray, infrared absorption and ion-exchange behaviour of thorium-tungstate are reported and discussed. Distribution coefficients of metal ions on thorium tungstate have been determined at pH 2-3 and 5.5-6.5. Selective ion-exchange separations of bismuth and mercury from other metal ions have been achieved on a column of thorium tungstate. | 10.1016/0039-9140(76)80036-7 |
pubmed_238_12856 | Young adults are frequent consumers of food prepared outside the home (FOH). In a cross-sectional survey, the MYMeals study, we showed FOH provided one-third of meals and snacks for young Australian adults, yet it contributed higher proportions of energy and nutrients of concern, such as saturated fat and sodium. This study aimed to determine the detailed proportional contribution of nutrients of concern from the nine food outlet types captured in the MYMeals study. Young adults residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, (n = 1001) used a validated smartphone app to report all types and amounts of food and beverages consumed for three consecutive days, as well as their preparation location. The proportions of daily energy, macronutrients, sodium, total sugars, and saturated fat were calculated for each of the nine following outlet types: bakeries or patisseries, coffee chains, cold-drink chains, fast-food chains, ice creamery or frozen yoghurt outlets, independent cafes or restaurants, pubs (hotels) and clubs, service stations or convenience stores, and others not fitting the above categories. Of all FOH outlet types, independent cafes or restaurants contributed the most energy (17.5%), sodium (20.0%) and saturated fat (17.8%) to the total diet, followed by fast-food chains (12.0% energy, 15.8% sodium, and 12.0% saturated fat) and other outlets, with smaller proportions. For males, the proportion of energy and nutrients contributed by fast-food outlets was higher than for females (14.8% versus 9.8% energy). Menu labelling at independent cafes and restaurants is recommended, comprising, in addition to the energy labels already in use in fast-food restaurants, the labelling of nutrients of concern. The feasibility of this recommendation warrants further exploration. | 10.3390/nu14183751 |
pubmed_832_9805 | The challenges experienced by families in western countries, where a parent has a mental illness, are well established. However, research documenting the experiences of Chinese families with parental mental illness appears limited. This study aimed to systematically review qualitative research about the experiences of families, living in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, where parents have a mental illness. Eight databases were comprehensively searched, along with manual search of reference lists. The identified studies were critically appraised and analysed using a thematic synthesis approach. Ten papers were identified, with nine investigating mothers' experiences, one focusing on children's experiences, and none reporting on fathers' experiences. Subsequently, only papers presenting mothers' experiences were included for thematic synthesis. Five primary themes were identified including managing parenting in the context of mental illness; failure to meet one's expectations of motherhood; being burdened by others' expectations; stigma from self, others and service providers; and support obtained and needed. Similar to western mothers, Chinese mothers struggled to balance the demands of parenting and their illness, and experienced stigma associated with being a parent with a mental illness. Western and Chinese mothers' experiences differ in regard to the influence of parents-in-law and the division of domestic labour. Future research might investigate Chinese mothers with various mental health diagnoses, the perspectives of Chinese fathers with a mental illness, and the children in these families. | 10.1111/inm.12834 |
pubmed_416_15692 | We present the prenatally identified case of mosaicism of chromosome 16 trisomy. A patient with the pregnancy complicated in the first trimester by the threat of breaking was refered to the high risk group according to the results of the screening program. The ultrasonic research revealed a number of phenotypical pathologies in 19-weeks-old fetus such as congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect), hyperechoic bowel, single umbilical artery and some other ones. Cytogenetical and FISH analyses of the placental villi revealed karyotype with chromosome 16 trisomy. The further research of amniotic fluid cells revealed the karyotype of fetus as mos47,XX,+16 / 46,XX. The pathologoanatomic research of the abortus has verified the multiple congenital malformations. | pubmed_416_15692 |
pubmed_1091_20907 | BACKGROUND
Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Intravenous inotropic agents play an important role in treating ADHF. Relatively small clinical studies have evaluated the effects of levosimendan, a positive inotropic agent with calcium-sensitizing effects, in ADHF. The present meta-analysis pooled these studies to assess the clinical efficacy of levosimendan in ADHF.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.com databases were systematically searched for prospective clinical studies published in English up to May 2017 on effects of levosimendan alone or versus other agents (placebo [glucose], dopamine, furosemide) on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, and heart rate (HR) in patients with ADHF.
RESULTS
Seven articles were selected with 132 patients for levosimendan and 125 patients for control groups. Compared with controls (except dopamine) or after vs. before use, levosimendan was associated with a significantly reduced BNP level (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.92, -0.48; p = 0.000; I2 = 22.0%), as well as improved LVEF (SMD: 0.47; 95%CI: 0.12, 0.81; p = 0.008; I2 = 63.3%) and increased HR (SMD: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.63; p = 0.002; I2 = 23.6%) when comparing after vs. before use but not in comparisons to controls.
CONCLUSION
In the present meta-analysis, levosimendan infusion in patients with ADHF appeared to reduce BNP regardless of the comparator (except for dopamine), and also improve LVEF and increase HR in after vs. before use comparisons but not compared to controls. Future larger studies on the benefit of levosimendan in ADHF patients are warranted. | 10.1007/s00059-018-4693-3 |
pubmed_733_12455 | OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, amodiaquine, and the sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine-amodiaquine combination for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in young children in Cameroon.
METHODS
In a randomized study we evaluated the effectiveness and tolerance of (i) sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) (25 mg/kg body weight of sulfadoxine and 1.25 mg/kg of pyrimethamine in a single oral dose), (ii) amodiaquine (AQ) (30 mg/kg body weight in three divided daily doses), and (iii) the sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine-amodiaquine combination (SP+AQ) (same doses as in the other two treatment groups, given simultaneously on day 0) in young children in southern Cameroon. The parasitological and clinical responses were studied until day 28 in accordance with the modified 1996 WHO protocol for the evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of antimalarial drugs.
FINDINGS
Of 191 enrolled patients, 6 and 8 were excluded or lost to follow-up before day 14 and between day 14 and day 28, respectively. For the AQ-treated patients, parasitological and clinical evaluation on day 14 showed late treatment failure in 2 of 61 (3.3%) and adequate clinical response with parasitological failure in one (1.6%). There was an adequate clinical response in all patients treated with SP or SP+AQ. Therapeutic failure rates on day 28 were 13.6%, 10.2% and 0% in the SP, AQ, and SP+AQ groups, respectively. Anaemia improved in all three regimens. AQ produced faster fever clearance but was associated with more transient minor side-effects than SP. SP+AQ reduced the risk of recrudescence between day 14 and day 28 but increased the incidence of minor side-effects.
CONCLUSION
SP+AQ can be recommended as a temporary means of slowing the spread of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in Africa while the introduction of other combinations, including artemisinin derivatives, is awaited. | pubmed_733_12455 |
pubmed_822_23088 | In the present paper, we report the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation as antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic/anticancer agents of N-, S-, O-substituted-1,4-naphtho- and 2,5-bis(amino-substituted)-1,4-benzoquinone derivatives. In the synthesized compounds, antimicrobial activity at low concentrations against Escherichia coli B-906, Staphylococcus aureus 209-P, and Mycobacterium luteum B-917 bacteria and Candida tenuis VKM Y-70 and Aspergillus niger F-1119 fungi in comparison with controls was identified. 2-(N-Diphenylmethylpiperazin-1-yl)-3-chloro-1,4-naphthoquinone 9a was the most potent, with a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 3.9 µg/mL against test culture M. luteum. The synthesized compounds were screened for their antioxidant capacity using the cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) method. 2,2'-[1-(2-Aminoethyl)piperazin-1-yl]-3,3'-dichloro-bis(1,4-naphthoquinone) 10 showed the highest antioxidant capacity, with a 0.455 CUPRAC-trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) coefficient. Other parameters of antioxidant activity (scavenging effects on OH(·), O2(·－), and H2O2) of these compounds were also determined. The cytotoxic activity of the compounds was investigated by employing the sulforhodamine B cell viability assay against A549 (lung), MCF-7 (breast), DU145 (prostate), and HT-29 (colon) cancer cell lines. Compound 10 exhibited the most powerful cytotoxic activity at a concentration of 20 µM against all cell lines. In addition to the strongest antioxidant activity of compound 10, it also had lowest IC50 values (<3 µM), warranting further in vivo studies due to its anticancer activity. | 10.1248/cpb.c15-00607 |
pubmed_767_3710 | The pathological basis of nasal inflammation is still not well defined. Extensive studies showed the immune response mediated by T cells played an important role in the pathogenesis of nasal inflammation. The inflammation in the nasal membrane could be considered as the common routines for the development of chronic sinusitis(CRS), allergic rhinitis and allergic fungal sinusitis.Glucocorticosteroid, a compound with similar structure with the adrenal cortical hormone, has been commonly used for the treatment of nasal inflammation. To date, its efficiency via nasal membrane has been well acknowledged in clinical practice, while the efficiency of oral administration is still not well defined. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficiency of oral administration of glucocorticosteroid for treating nasal inflammation. | 10.13201/j.issn.1001-1781.2016.22.021 |
pubmed_1063_17036 | In the auditory system, distinct and reproducible transient activities responding to the onset of sound have long been the focus when characterizing the auditory cortex, i.e., tonotopic maps, subregions, and layer-specific representation. There is limited information on sustained activities because the rapid adaptation impairs reproducibility and the signal-to-noise ratio. We recently overcame this problem by focusing on neural synchrony and machine learning demonstrated that band-specific power and the phase locking value (PLV) represent sound information in a tonotopic and region-specific manner. Here, we attempted to reveal the layer-specific representation of sustained activities. A microelectrode array recorded sustained activities from layers 2/3, 4, and 5/6 of the rat auditory cortex. We characterized band-specific power and PLV patterns and applied sparse logistic regression (SLR) to discriminate (1) between the sound-induced and spontaneous activities and (2) five test frequencies from the sound-induced activities in each layer. SLR achieved the highest discrimination performance in high-gamma activities in layers 4 and 5/6, higher than in layer 2/3, indicating poor sound representation in layer 2/3. Moreover, the recording sites that contributed to the discrimination in layers 4 and 5/6 had a characteristic frequency similar to the test frequency and were often located in the belt area, indicating tonotopic and region-specific representation. These results indicate that information processing of sustained activities may depend on high-gamma oscillators, i.e., cortical inhibitory interneurons, and reflects layer-specific thalamocortical and corticocortical neural circuits in the auditory system, which may contribute to associative information processing beyond sound frequency in auditory perception. | 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.063 |
pubmed_44_22874 | Several amendments of the examination guidelines for medicinal inventions may be good news for pharmaceutical companies. | 10.1038/nbt1105-1367 |
pubmed_908_23689 | Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumors located in the alimentary tract. Its usual manifestation is gastrointestinal bleeding. However, small asymptomatic lesions are frequently detected as incidental finding. Characteristically, most GISTs (> 95%) are positive for the KIT protein (CD117) by IHC staining and approximately 80%-90% of GISTs carry a mutation in the c-KIT or PDGFRA genes. Mutational analysis should be performed when planning adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy, due to its possible resistance to conventional treatment. The arise of tyrosine kinase inhibitor has supposed a revolution in GISTs treatment being useful as adjuvant, neoadjuvant or recurrence disease treatment. That is why a multidisciplinary approach to this disease is required. The correct characterization of the tumor at diagnosis (the diagnosis of recurrences and the evaluation of the response to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors) is fundamental for facing these tumors and requires specialized Endoscopist, Radiologists and Nuclear Medicine Physician. Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment for suspected resectable GIST. In the case of high risk GISTs, surgery plus adjuvant Imatinib-Mesylate for 3 years is the standard treatment. Neoadjuvant imatinib-mesylate should be considered to shrink the tumor in case of locally advanced primary or recurrence disease, unresectable or potentially resectable metastasic tumors, and potentially resectable disease in complex anatomic locations to decrease the related morbidity. In the case of Metastatic GIST under Neoadjuvant treatment, when there are complete response, stable disease or limited disease progression, complete cytoreductive surgery could be a therapeutic option if feasible. | 10.3748/wjg.v24.i18.1925 |
pubmed_893_5565 | Mitochondria, which evolved from a free-living bacterial ancestor, contain their own genomes and genetic systems and are produced from preexisting mitochondria by binary division. The mitochondrion-dividing (MD) ring is the main skeletal structure of the mitochondrial division machinery. However, the assembly mechanism and molecular identity of the MD ring are unknown. Multi-omics analysis of isolated mitochondrial division machinery from the unicellular alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae revealed an uncharacterized glycosyltransferase, MITOCHONDRION-DIVIDING RING1 (MDR1), which is specifically expressed during mitochondrial division and forms a single ring at the mitochondrial division site. Nanoscale imaging using immunoelectron microscopy and componential analysis demonstrated that MDR1 is involved in MD ring formation and that the MD ring filaments are composed of glycosylated MDR1 and polymeric glucose nanofilaments. Down-regulation of MDR1 strongly interrupted mitochondrial division and obstructed MD ring assembly. Taken together, our results suggest that MDR1 mediates the synthesis of polyglucan nanofilaments that assemble to form the MD ring. Given that a homolog of MDR1 performs similar functions in chloroplast division, the establishment of MDR1 family proteins appears to have been a singular, crucial event for the emergence of endosymbiotic organelles. | 10.1073/pnas.1715008114 |
pubmed_1057_23522 | China has been the major fishery producer in the Northwest Pacific Ocean for decades and the seafood safety deserves continuous concern. In this study, 188 organism and 27 sediment samples were collected from the Jiaozhou Bay, a typical semi-enclosed bay adjacent to the Northwest Pacific Ocean, to study the arsenic (As) pollution level and trophodynamics in the coastal regions of China combined with a meta-analysis. Results showed that arsenic was the most abundant in crustaceans with the average of 28.84 ± 4.95 mg/kg in dry weight, in comparison with molluscs (18.68 ± 2.51 mg/kg) and fish (9.31 ± 1.45 mg/kg). Additionally, based on a meta-analysis, arsenic in coastal organisms generally decreased from north to south in China. With increasing values of δ15N, arsenic was significantly biomagnified in the molluscs but bio-diluted in the groups of crustaceans and fish. When all the species were taken into consideration, overall bio-dilution of As was observed through the simplified food chain in the Jiaozhou Bay. Based on the target hazard quotient (THQ), the health risk of consuming seafood from the Jiaozhou Bay was not significant except for several kinds of crustaceans. The smaller THQs indicated lower health risk of eating molluscs and fish than crustaceans. Besides, urban households tended to undertake much higher risk than rural households. Based on our results, it is recommended for urban citizens to reduce the frequency of consuming crustaceans and give preference to fish when choosing seafood. | 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116186 |
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