index
stringlengths 10
17
| text
stringlengths 101
29.2k
| doi
stringlengths 2
94
|
|---|---|---|
pubmed_820_11283 | Communities are bound together by trust among their members. Trust thrives when a pervasive sense of fairness exists. Evidence suggests that trust has social, professional, and economic value for today's organizations, making it worthy of attention. Matters of trust and justice are important and timely for nurse leaders to consider given the challenge to improve practice settings in a manner that enhances nurse satisfaction. The aim of this article is to make explicit the value in building organizational justice and trust within an organization's nursing community. Nursing leadership strategies are integrated, thus offering practical guidance in creating a culture of justice, making trust explicit, and establishing trustworthiness. | 10.1097/00006216-200601000-00006 |
pubmed_1041_17213 | This Spotlight Issue of Microcirculation contains six current perspectives on the role of the intrauterine environment, especially maternal nutritional status and maternal diabetes, in influencing fetal growth and cardiovascular health in the offspring in later life. The reviews address issues such as the existence of a commonality of mechanism following both under-nutritional and over-nutritional states in utero; alterations in the placental fetal microcirculation in response to maternal and fetal changes; transmission of metabolic or nutritional perturbations affecting fetal endogenous antioxidant defense pathways; the presence of a disadvantageous microvascular phenotype resulting from perinatal priming; interactions between developmental programming and genetic variation in noncommunicable adult diseases such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia; and unresolved questions on the independency and causal mechanisms for low birth weight/intrauterine growth restriction and the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. These timely reviews highlight the accumulating evidence that changes in the intrauterine environment have pronounced effects on vascular function in the offspring whether due to maternal diabetes or altered maternal nutritional status or fetal and perinatal overnutrition. | 10.1111/j.1549-8719.2011.00097.x |
pubmed_12_1013 | Abnormal visual evoked potentials (VEPs) have been reported in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which suggests that VEPs may be useful in screening for toxicity. The authors investigated this by recording flash and pattern VEPs in a control group of 34 siblings of patients, a group of six children studied longitudinally during the early stages of treatment for ALL, and three other follow-up groups. In only three follow-up patients were VEP results outside the normal range and the six ALL patients did not develop new abnormalities during early treatment. Although differences were detected between the groups, there was no evidence of VEPs being a useful means of monitoring the treatment of individual patients. | 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1990.tb16973.x |
pubmed_871_2071 | Genital elephantiasis (esthiomene), which is the dramatic end-result of lymphatic obstruction, is rather rare. Although mainly associated with filariasis and sexually transmitted diseases, such as lymphogranuloma venereum and donovanosis, it could also be an uncommon complication of tubercular lymphadenitis, a common infection in tropical countries. We report a rare case of a 32-year-old Indian female in whom genital elephantiasis occurred as a complication of tubercular lymphadenitis. | 10.1258/095646202760029886 |
pubmed_598_1431 | BACKGROUND/AIMS
Although associations between serum alanine aminotransferase and metabolic syndrome are well-recognized in Western countries, only a limited number of prospective studies have been performed in Asian populations. The aim of the study was to cross-sectionally and longitudinally examine whether serum alanine aminotransferase levels are associated with metabolic syndrome and its associated components in a Korean population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 31,832 subjects who received health screenings were included in cross-sectional analyses; a subgroup of 4.070 subjects without metabolic syndrome at baseline was included in the longitudinal analyses. The metabolic syndrome definition was based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Third Adult Treatment Panel criteria with modification on waist circumference cut-off to be more appropriate for an Asian population.
RESULTS
In the cross-sectional analyses, serum alanine aminotransferase is positively associated with metabolic syndrome and its components. In the longitudinal analyses, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased across serum alanine aminotransferase quartiles in a dose-dependent manner after extensive adjustments (hazard ratios were 1.000, 1.609, 2.601, and 3.015 for quartiles, 1 through quartile 4; P for trend<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Our study confirmed a positive association between components of metabolic syndrome and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase in a Korean population. | 10.5152/tjg.2018.17333 |
pubmed_801_19786 | We tune optical resonances in rolled-up SiO/SiO(2) microtube cavities by gradually modifying the tube structure through asymmetrical postdeposition of SiO(2). Spectral blueshifts followed by redshifts of the resonant modes are observed in a thin-walled microtube (tube-I), which is attributed to a competition between shape deformation and effective increase of tube wall thickness. In contrast, only a monotonic redshift is detected when asymmetrical deposition is performed on a thick-walled microtube (tube-II). Distinct wavelength-dependent tuning was revealed in both kinds of tubes. Numerical calculations based on perturbation theory are carried out to explain and confirm the experimental results. | 10.1364/OL.36.003840 |
pubmed_703_22684 | OBJECTIVE
Clinical and in vitro studies suggest that altered osteogenesis or bone remodeling is involved in the progression and/or onset of osteoarthritis (OA). Wnt signaling plays a key role in osteogenesis via the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Two of the R-spondins, Rspo-1 and Rspo-2, a family of 4 proteins unrelated to other Wnt ligands that act as Wnt agonists, are present in bone tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential role of Rspo-1 and Rspo-2 in OA osteoblasts.
METHODS
Primary human normal and OA osteoblasts were prepared from tibial plateaus. The expression of Rspo-1 and Rspo-2 was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Western blot analysis was used to determine Rspo-2, β-catenin, and phospho-β-catenin levels. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was evaluated using the TOPflash T cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF) luciferase reporter assay. Mineralization was evaluated by alizarin red staining.
RESULTS
The expression of Rspo-1 was similar in normal and OA osteoblasts, whereas the expression and production of Rspo-2 were reduced in OA osteoblasts due to elevated levels of transforming growth factor β1 in these cells. The reduced Wnt-3a-dependent TOPflash TCF/LEF luciferase reporter activity in OA osteoblasts as compared to normal osteoblasts was corrected by the addition of recombinant human Rspo-2. Wnt-3a-dependent β-catenin levels were also corrected in OA osteoblasts by Rspo-2 addition. Wnt-3a alone increased the mineralization of OA osteoblasts, which was further increased by Rspo-2.
CONCLUSION
Reduced Rspo-2 levels in OA osteoblasts are responsible, at least in part, for their reduced Wnt/β-catenin signaling and abnormal mineralization. As Rspo-2 is a secreted soluble protein, this could lead to potential new avenues of treatment of OA. | 10.1002/art.30625 |
others_118_14076 | The extent to which extrahepatic cells participate in liver regeneration following transplantation is not known. Either full-size or reduced-size livers from wild-type mice were implanted into green fluorescent protein-positive (GFP+) transgenic recipient mice to determine whether regenerated liver contained host-derived GFP+ hepatic cells. After reduced-size liver transplantation, GFP+ cells were localized to the portal zone of the liver lobule. Interestingly, GFP+ cells stained for CD117, a marker for progenitor cells, beginning 2 days after transplantation. A significant number of GFP+ CD117+ cells were identified in donor livers after 28 days. GFP+ cells comprised nearly 9% of the donor liver 28 days after reduced-size liver transplant. Moreover, GFP + cells also expressed the hepatic progenitor cell marker A6 and novel marker hepatic-specific antigen (HSA), as well as stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1). Interestingly, some GFP- cells also were stained for CD117 and A6, suggesting that both extrahepatic and intrahepatic stem cells were present and may have contributed to the regenerative response under these conditions. Reduced-size liver transplantation using GFP+ transgenic mice supports the hypothesis that recipient-derived progenitor cells are present and may contribute to liver regeneration following transplantation. Copyright © 2007 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicin | others_118_14076 |
pubmed_936_15487 | The rapid development of technologies in biomedical research has enriched and broadened the range of medical equipment. Magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonic imaging, and optical imaging have been discovered by diverse research communities to design multimodal systems, which is essential for biomedical applications. One of the important tools is photoacoustic multimodal imaging (PAMI) which combines the concepts of optics and ultrasonic systems. At the same time, earlier detection of breast cancer becomes essential to reduce mortality. The recent advancements of deep learning (DL) models enable detection and classification the breast cancer using biomedical images. This article introduces a novel social engineering optimization with deep transfer learning-based breast cancer detection and classification (SEODTL-BDC) model using PAI. The intention of the SEODTL-BDC technique is to detect and categorize the presence of breast cancer using ultrasound images. Primarily, bilateral filtering (BF) is applied as an image preprocessing technique to remove noise. Besides, a lightweight LEDNet model is employed for the segmentation of biomedical images. In addition, residual network (ResNet-18) model can be utilized as a feature extractor. Finally, SEO with recurrent neural network (RNN) model, named SEO-RNN classifier, is applied to allot proper class labels to the biomedical images. The performance validation of the SEODTL-BDC technique is carried out using benchmark dataset and the experimental outcomes pointed out the supremacy of the SEODTL-BDC approach over the existing methods. | 10.1155/2022/3714422 |
pubmed_176_12564 | Aquaporin (AQP) water channel proteins play key roles in water movement across cell membranes. Extending previous reports of cryoprotective functions in insects, this study examines roles of AQPs in response to dehydration, rehydration, and freezing, and their distribution in specific tissues of the Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica (Diptera, Chironomidae). When AQPs were blocked using mercuric chloride, tissue dehydration tolerance increased in response to hypertonic challenge, and susceptibility to overhydration decreased in a hypotonic solution. Blocking AQPs decreased the ability of tissues from the midgut and Malpighian tubules to tolerate freezing, but only minimal changes were noted in cellular viability of the fat body. Immuno-localization revealed that a DRIP-like protein (a Drosophila aquaporin), AQP2- and AQP3 (aquaglyceroporin)-like proteins were present in most larval tissues. DRIP- and AQP2-like proteins were also present in the gut of adult midges, but AQP4-like protein was not detectable in any tissues we examined. Western blotting indicated that larval AQP2-like protein levels were increased in response to dehydration, rehydration and freezing, whereas, in adults DRIP-, AQP2-, and AQP3-like proteins were elevated by dehydration. These results imply a vital role for aquaporin/aquaglyceroporins in water relations and freezing tolerance in B. antarctica. | 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.02.006 |
pubmed_839_22294 | Trimethylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me3) is known both to be necessary for proper chromosome segregation and to increase in late G2. We investigated the role of late G2 methylation, specifically in mitotic progression, by inhibiting methylation for 2 hours prior to mitosis using the general methylation inhibitor adenosine dialdehyde (AdOx). AdOx inhibits all methylation events within the cell but, by shortening the treatment length to 2 hours and studying mitotic cells, the only methylation events that are affected are those that occur in late G2. We discovered that methylation events in this time period are crucial for proper mitosis. Mis-segregation of chromosomes is observed with AdOx treatment. Through studies of histone modifications, we have found that inhibiting late G2 methylation affects trimethylation of H3K9 and H4K20. The mitotic checkpoint is active and many kinetochore proteins localize properly, however, pericentric chromatin in these cells is found to be less compact (dense). The reduced integrity of pericentric heterochromatin might be responsible for a noted loss of tension at the centromere in AdOx-treated cells and activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint. We postulate that late G2 methylation is necessary for proper pericentric heterochromatin formation. The results suggest that a reduction in heterochromatin integrity might interfere both with microtubule attachment to chromosomes and with the proper sensing of tension from correct microtubule-kinetochore connections, either of which will result in activation of the mitotic checkpoint. | 10.1242/jcs.045351 |
others_417_616 | Most traditional fermented foods are produced by spontaneous fermentation. It is difficult to produce traditional fermented foods with desired flavor compound profile. In this study, using Chinese liquor fermentation as a case, we aimed to directionally control flavor compound profile in food fermentation. Twenty key flavor compounds were identified in 80 Chinese liquor fermentations. Six microbial strains, identified as high producers of these key flavor compounds, were used to generate the minimal synthetic microbial community. A mathematical model was established to link the structure of the minimal synthetic microbial community and the profile of these key flavor compounds. This model could generate the optimal structure of synthetic microbial community to produce flavor compounds with desired profile. This work provided a strategy to realize the directional control of flavor compound profile via controlling the structure of the synthetic microbial community in Chinese liquor fermentation. © 2023 Elsevier L | 10.1016/j.fm.2023.104305 |
pubmed_198_17550 | A grain counting algorithm has been developed for use with an image analysis system interfaced with a microscope. The algorithm consists of a sequence of tests involving thresholding, prospective grain center detection, contrast, and three kinds of artifact detection. The function of each of these parameters is described. This algorithm is accurate to within 4% for those fields most frequently encountered, and to within 9% for all fields examined. Furthermore, it operates very quickly and at relatively low magnification, making it possible to scan large areas efficiently. | 10.1016/0010-4809(88)90031-6 |
pubmed_851_23672 | BACKGROUND
We measured changes in the blood level of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1) at 24 h intervals in neonates treated with brain/body hypothermia (body hypothermia therapy: BHT) for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), to evaluate the usefulness of HMGB-1 level for determining outcomes.
METHODS
We studied 15 neonates with HIE who underwent BHT (BHT (+) group) and six neonates with HIE who did not (BHT (-) group). We recorded HMGB-1 changes at 24 h intervals, creatinine phosphokinase, and the resistance index of the anterior cerebral artery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine short-term outcome.
RESULT
Baseline HMGB-1 was significantly higher in the BHT (+) group than in the BHT (-) group. Thereafter, HMGB-1 in the BHT (+) group significantly decreased at 24 h intervals, reaching the reference range by 2 days of age. In the BHT (+) group, when patients were classified into clinically significant neurological disorder due to HIE (+) and (-) according to MRI, the neurological disorder (+) group had higher mean HMGB-1.
CONCLUSIONS
In HIE, HMGB-1 differs according to the presence of BHT, suggesting that HMGB-1 measurement soon after birth might be useful for determining BHT necessity and short-term outcome. | 10.1111/ped.13377 |
pubmed_1001_21895 | Some hypotheses for the evolution of sex focus on adaptation to changing or heterogeneous environments, but these hypotheses have rarely been tested. We tested for advantages of sex and of increased mutation rates in yeast strains in two contrasting environments: a standard and relatively homogeneous laboratory environment of minimal medium in test tubes, and the variable environment of a mouse brain experienced by pathogenic strains. Evolving populations were founded as equal mixtures of sexual and obligately asexual genotypes. In the sexuals, cycles of sporulation, meiosis, and mating were induced approximately every 50 mitotic generations, with the asexuals undergoing sporulation but not ploidy cycles or recombination. In both environments, replicate negative control populations established with the same pair of strains were propagated with neither mating nor meiosis. In test tubes with no sex induced, sexuals were fixed in all five replicates within 250 mitotic generations, whereas in mice with no sex induced, asexuals were fixed in all four replicates by 170 generations. Inducing sex altered these outcomes in opposite directions in test tubes and mice, decreasing the fixation frequencies of sexuals in test tubes but increasing them in mice. These contrasts with asexual controls suggest an advantage for sex in mice but not in test tubes, although there was no difference between test tubes and mice in the numbers of populations fixed-for sexuals. In analogous experiments testing for an advantage of increased mutation rates, wild-type genotypes became fixed at the expense of mutators in every replicate of both test tube and mouse populations, indicating a disadvantage for mutators in both environments. Increased rates of point mutation do not appear to accelerate adaptation. | pubmed_1001_21895 |
pubmed_85_1191 | STUDY OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the analgesic effect of preoperative single dose intravenous paracetamol on postoperative pain and analgesic consumption within 24hours after elective cesarean surgery.
DESIGN
Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
SETTING
University Teaching Hospital.
PATIENTS
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I and II 60 patients between 18-40years of age who were scheduled to undergo elective cesarean section.
INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomized into two groups to receive either intravenous 1g paracetamol (100mL) (Group P) or 0.9% NaCl solution (100mL) (Group C) 15minutes before the induction of general anesthesia. After delivery of newborn 0.15mg kg(-1) morphine was administered to all patients in both groups. Postoperative analgesia was provided with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with morphine in the postoperative period.
MEASUREMENTS
Pain which is the primary outcome measure was assessed at 15th, 30th minutes and 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 12th, 24th hours by the Visual Analogue Scale. Patients' demographics, hemodynamics, Apgar score, additional analgesic requirement, side effects, patients' satisfaction and postoperative total morphine consumption within 24hours were recorded.
MAIN RESULTS
Median visual analogue scale for pain in Group P was significantly lower compared to Group C at all time points except for the score at 24th h postoperatively (P<.05). Additional analgesic requirement during postoperative first hour was lower in Group P (P<.05). Total morphine consumption was higher in Group C compared with Group P (P<.05). There was no difference between groups with respect to Apgar scores, side effects, and patient satisfaction (P>.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative use of single-dose intravenous 1g paracetamol was found to be effective in reducing the severity of pain and opioid requirements within 24hours after cesarean section. | pubmed_85_1191 |
pubmed_733_6166 | OBJECTIVE
To search for A3243G point mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 10 cases of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and strokelike episodes (MELAS).
METHODS
Using PCR-restriction analysis, we investigated A3243G point mutations in mtDNA of muscle and/or blood cells from 10 patients and their 8 maternal relatives. We also quantitated the A3243G mtDNA in samples harboring the mutation.
RESULTS
A3243G point mutations were identified in all muscle and/or blood samples from 10 MELAS patients. The proportion of mutant mtDNA was 10.8%-47.8% in blood (7 cases), and 39.4%-67.7% in muscle (5 cases). This ratio was invariably higher in muscle than in blood from two patients whose blood and muscle samples were both available. Younger patients usually carried higher proportions of A3243G mutant mtDNA in blood. Eight maternal relatives from 6 families were also examined. Maternal transmission of the disease could be identified in one family. No A3243G point mutations were found in mothers' blood from 3 families and siblings' blood from 2 families.
CONCLUSIONS
All 10 MELAS patients were found to have the mtDNA A3243G mutation in their muscle and/or blood. The A3243G mutation seems to be sporadic in 5 of the families examined, suggesting the mechanism of de novo mutation for the pathogenesis of their MELAS syndrome. | pubmed_733_6166 |
others_240_2403 | We aimed to test the possible differences in gonial angle values between a Medieval sample and a contemporary sample because literature suggests that modern skulls tend to have larger gonial angles. We analyzed the gonial angle values in a Medieval sample (n=69) and a current sample (20th century sample; n=146). We found that current gonial angle values were 3.6º(CI95% 2.2-4.9) larger than the Medieval angle values (p<0.001). No significant differences between the right and left angle values in both the Medieval (p=0.131) and current sample (p=0.120) were observed. The right angle values of the current sample were 3.6ºlarger (CI95% 1.9-5.3) than the medieval right angle values while the left angle values of the current sample were 3.5ºlarger (CI95% 1.9-5.2) than the Medieval left angle values. Our research suggests that the present population have larger angle values than the Medieval population. © 2021 Sociedad Anatomica Espanola. All rights reser | others_240_2403 |
pubmed_532_751 | BACKGROUND
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver neoplasm and the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Intermediate stage HCC [traditionally defined as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) B disease and traditionally treated with trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE)] and advanced stage HCC (traditionally defined as BCLC C disease and traditionally treated with sorafenib) are two distinct disease entities with rapidly evolving multimodality treatment approaches. In this systematic review we explore the evidence surrounding the value of using a TACE/sorafenib combination in these two subsets of HCC.
METHODS
PubMed, Medline, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Google Scholar were searched using the terms "HCC" OR "Hepatoma" or "Liver cancer" AND "TACE" OR "Chemoembolization" AND "Sorafenib" and specifying only English literature. Outcomes of interest included time to progression and overall survival (TTP and OS), tumor response, and toxicities.
RESULTS
A total of 17 potentially relevant trials were identified, of which six studies were excluded. Hence, 11 trials involving 1,000 patients were included, encompassing two phase 1 studies, one phase 3 study, two retrospective analyses and six phase 2 studies. Median TTP was reported in five out of 11 studies and it ranged from 6.3 to 9.0 months. Median OS was reported in five out of 11 studies and it was similarly variable as PFS, ranging from 12 to 29 months. The DCR (disease control rate) was reported in eight out of 11 studies, ranging from 32 to 95%. Frequently reported grade 3/4 toxicities were increased aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase, fatigue, hypertension, hand-foot skin reaction and diarrhea.
CONCLUSIONS
The sorafenib/TACE combination shows promise as an effective and tolerable treatment strategy for intermediate stage/advanced HCC. The reported efficacy of a sorafenib/TACE combination appears to compare favorably with sorafenib or TACE monotherapies, the most commonly implemented strategies for unresectable HCC. Further clinical studies are warranted to accurately determine which patients are expected to benefit most from such combination strategies. | 10.1007/s10620-013-2872-x |
pubmed_173_2785 | Antifungal proteins (AFPs) of fungal origin have been described in filamentous fungi. AFPs are small, highly stable, cationic cysteine-rich proteins (CRPs) that are usually secreted in high amounts and show potent antifungal activity against non-self fungi. The role of AFPs in the biology of the producer fungus remains unclear. AFPs have been proposed as promising lead compounds for the development of new antifungals. The analyses of available antifungal CRP sequences from fungal origin and their phylogenetic reconstruction led us to propose a new classification of AFPs in three distinct classes: A, B and C. We initiate for the first time the characterization of an AFP in a fungal pathogen, by analysing the functional role of the unique afpB gene in the citrus fruit pathogen Penicillium digitatum. Null ΔafpB mutants revealed that this gene is dispensable for vegetative growth and fruit infection. However, strains that artificially express afpB in a constitutive way (afpB (C)) showed a phenotype of restricted growth, distortion of hyphal morphology and strong reduction in virulence to citrus fruits. These characteristics support an antifungal role for AfpB. Surprisingly, we did not detect the AfpB protein in any of the P. digitatum strains and growth conditions that were analysed in this study, regardless of high gene expression. The afpB (C) phenotype is not stable and occasionally reverts to a wild type-like phenotype but molecular changes were not detected with this reversion. The reduced virulence of afpB (C) strains correlated with localized fruit necrosis and altered timing of expression of fruit defence genes. | 10.1007/s00253-015-7110-3 |
pubmed_686_21774 | The combined use of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry has become a powerful and widely used tool in proteome studies. Following separation by electrophoresis, proteins can be transferred to an inert support such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or nitrocellulose (NC) for the visualization of individual or specific classes of proteins by immunochemical detection methods. We developed a method that allows the mass spectrometric analysis of peptides derived from proteins detected by Western blotting on PVDF. Proteolysis buffer containing either dimethyl formamide (DMF) or Triton X-100 to recover peptides amenable to mass spectrometry was investigated. Although either one can be used, the buffer containing DMF required less sample handling prior to mass spectrometry. The approach was tested using commercially available proteins and serine-phosphorylated proteins from an HEK-293 nuclear extract. | 10.1021/pr050014+ |
pubmed_1115_23552 | Anthracycline and cytosine arabinoside are used in combination as the standard therapy for remission induction of acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia. Idarubicin, a synthetic daunorubicin analogue, shows an improved spectrum activity and diminishes acute or chronic toxicity when compared with the other anthracyclines. This study has been carried out in our clinic in order to evaluate the efficiency of the acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia protocol which includes idarubicin. Thirty-eight patients admitted to our Department between 1992-1999 and diagnosed as acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) were included in the study. Their median age was 7 years 6 months (range, 8 months to 14 years). Induction therapy consisted of idarubicin plus cytosine arabinoside and etoposide. Consolidation therapy consisted of two courses, followed by maintenance therapy with thioguanine, cytosine arabinoside, vincristine and cyclophoshamide. The complete remission rate was found to be 71%. The overall survival estimate was found to be 40% for one year and 23% for three years. We established that the protocol with idarubicin reached a higher remission ratio when compared with the other protocols with anthracycline. However, the degree of the hematologic toxicity ratios related to the therapy increased the complication ratios, which affected the long-term life analyses directly. Therefore this protocol may be revised according to socioeconomical conditions, especially in the developing countries. | pubmed_1115_23552 |
pubmed_1010_21072 | BACKGROUND
In the field of malignant hematology, most microbiome studies have focused on recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). As a result, this population has remained the primary target for novel microbiota therapeutics. Because the types of insults to the microbiome are similar during hematopoietic cell transplantation and intensive antileukemia therapy, this study evaluated whether the dysbiosis states are similar in the 2 settings.
METHODS
This study compared gut microbiota assemblages and community domination states in 2 cohorts of patients: patients with intensively treated acute leukemia (AL) and allo-HCT recipients. 16S ribosomal RNA gene profiling of thrice weekly stool samples was performed. Linear discriminant analysis effect size was used to determine differentially abundant taxa in groups of interest, and mixed modes were used to determine the predictors of microbiome states.
RESULTS
Microbiome changes in both cohorts were characterized by a marked loss of diversity and domination of low-diversity communities by Enterococcus. In the AL cohort, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was also inversely correlated with diversity. Communities dominated by these genera were compositionally different.
CONCLUSIONS
Similarities in microbiota assemblages between the 2 cohorts support a broader scope for microbiota-directed therapeutics than previously considered, whereas specific differences suggest a personalized aspect to such therapeutics with the possibility of a differential response. | 10.1002/cncr.32641 |
pubmed_326_7366 | A premature male dizygotic twin born at gestational age of 28 weeks with skin lesions located on hands, knees, pretibial regions and feet is presented. The patient differs from previously reported cases of aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) in that the cutaneous manifestations first appeared 10 days after birth. The twin brother was healthy. Based on the clinical manifestations the patient was regarded to have ACC (group 6). | pubmed_326_7366 |
pubmed_72_12922 | BACKGROUND
Chylothorax is a rare but serious postoperative condition with a high rate of morbidity and may lead to the mortality of children undergoing congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery. This study evaluated the specific surgical procedures associated with the higher risk of postoperative chylothorax.
METHODS
We assessed 435 cases undergoing CHD surgery between April 2003 and May 2006. We detected postoperative chylothorax in 6 patients. The diagnosis of chylothorax was established based on the presence of an odorless fluid with the characteristic milky appearance of the fluid (except when the patients were fasting in the immediate postoperative period), a triglyceride level greater than 110 mg/dL or between 50 and 110 mg/dL with a pleural fluid white cell count greater than 1000, and more than 80% lymphocytes on differential when the pleural fluid was not chylous.
RESULTS
Over a 37-month period, 435 (mean age = 51.6 months; 232 males) patients underwent various types of surgical procedures for CHD; 6 patients developed chylothorax after the Fontan operation; one patient died due to severe chylothorax; 3 patients were managed by nutritional modifications, diuretics, and thoracocentesis; and 2 patients required thoracic duct ligation. The Fisher exact test analysis showed a significant association between the Fontan operation and postoperative chylothorax (p value < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION
Our study showed a significant association between the Fontan surgery and chylothorax. | pubmed_72_12922 |
pubmed_242_11229 | PURPOSE
Pain in more than one site is common in working populations. We aimed to characterise combined pain (pain in the upper and lower body) and to evaluate whether the prevalence of combined pain is positively related to combined occupational mechanical exposures to the upper and lower body and to high psychosocial job strain.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study was based on questionnaire data from the Musculoskeletal Research Database at the Danish Ramazzini Centre. The study included 14,081 men and 20,173 women. Occupational exposures were assessed by job exposure matrices. We analysed the prevalence of pain limited to the upper body, pain limited to the lower body, and combined pain in relation to occupational exposures using Poisson regression.
RESULTS
During the last year, 23.2 % of the men and 33.9 % of the women reported combined pain, which was characterised by somatisation, illness worrying, and low SF-36 scores. For men, the adjusted prevalence ratio for combined pain was 1.51 [95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) 1.40-1.64] in relation to exposures limited to the upper body and 2.24 (95 % CI 2.11-2.39) in relation to combined exposures. For women, the corresponding adjusted prevalence ratios were 1.56 (95 % CI 1.50-1.63) and 1.55 (95 % CI 1.50-1.61). High job strain was related to pain among men, only.
CONCLUSION
Combined pain may in part be explained by local effects of occupational mechanical exposures acting at more than one site. | 10.1007/s00420-015-1036-z |
others_314_106117 | Cell-to-cell fusion is a fundamental biological process across the tree of life. In filamentous fungi, somatic fusion (or anastomosis) is required for the normal development of their syncytial hyphal networks, and it can initiate non-sexual genetic exchange processes, such as horizontal genetic transfer and the parasexual cycle. Although these could be important drivers of the evolution of asexual fungi, this remains a largely unexplored possibility due to the lack of suitable resources for their study in these puzzling organisms. In this study, we report that the spores of the important asexual plant-pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae often engage in cell fusion via Conidial Anastomosis Tubes (CATs). We optimized appropriate procedures for their highly reproducible quantification and live-cell imaging, which were used to characterize their physiology and cell biology, and to start elucidating their underlying genetic machinery. Formation of CATs was shown to depend on growth conditions and require functional Fus3 and Slt2 MAP kinases, as well as the NADPH oxidase NoxA, whereas the GPCR Ste2 and the mating-type protein MAT1-2-1 were dispensable. We show that nuclei and other organelles can migrate through CATs, which often leads to the formation of transient dikaryons. Their nuclei have possible windows of opportunity for genetic interaction before degradation of one by a presumably homeostatic mechanism. We establish here CAT-mediated fusion in V. dahliae as an experimentally convenient system for the cytological analysis of fungal non-sexual genetic interactions. We expect that it will facilitate the dissection of sexual alternatives in asexual fung | 10.1101/2020.12.16.423040 |
pubmed_242_7032 | Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the hallmark intermediate filament (IF; also known as nanofilament) protein in astrocytes, a main type of glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes have a range of control and homeostatic functions in health and disease. Astrocytes assume a reactive phenotype in acute CNS trauma, ischemia, and in neurodegenerative diseases. This coincides with an upregulation and rearrangement of the IFs, which form a highly complex system composed of GFAP (10 isoforms), vimentin, synemin, and nestin. We begin to unravel the function of the IF system of astrocytes and in this review we discuss its role as an important crisis-command center coordinating cell responses in situations connected to cellular stress, which is a central component of many neurological diseases. | pubmed_242_7032 |
pubmed_460_10962 | In this paper we consider combinations of two well-known generalized-ensemble algorithms, namely, simulated tempering and replica-exchange method. We discuss two examples of such combinations. One is the replica-exchange simulated tempering and the other is the simulated tempering replica-exchange method. In the former method, a short replica-exchange simulation is first performed and the simulated tempering weight factor is obtained by the multiple-histogram reweighting techniques. This process of simulated tempering weight factor determination is faster and simpler than that in the usual iterative process. A long simulated tempering production run is then performed with this weight factor. The latter method is a further extension of the former in which a simulated tempering replica-exchange simulation is performed with a small number of replicas. These algorithms are particularly useful for studying frustrated systems with rough energy landscape. We give the formulations of these two methods in detail and demonstrate their effectiveness taking the example of the system of a 17-residue helical peptide. | 10.1063/1.1766015 |
pubmed_262_6448 | The effects of the acute administration of nicotine [through nicotine inhalers (NI) and placebo inhalers (PI)], nicotine-containing tobacco (NT), and denicotinized tobacco (DT), on smokers' subjective responses and motivation to smoke were examined in 22 smokers (12 male, 10 female; 11 low dependent, 11 high dependent). During four randomized blinded sessions, participants self-administered NI, PI, NT, or DT, and assessed their effects using Visual Analogue Scales and the Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges. They could then self-administer their preferred brand of cigarettes using a progressive ratio task. NT and DT were each associated with increased satisfaction and relaxation as well as decreased craving relative to the inhalers and NT increased ratings of stimulation relative to each of the other products. Both NT and DT delayed the onset of preferred tobacco self-administration relative to NI and PI but only NT reduced the total amount self-administered. Sex differences were evident in the effects of DT on withdrawal-related cravings with women experiencing greater DT-induced craving relief than men. Findings suggest that DT is effective in acutely reducing many smoking abstinence symptoms, especially in women, but a combination of nicotine and non-nicotine tobacco ingredients may be necessary to suppress smoking behavior. | 10.1097/FBP.0b013e328337be68 |
pubmed_1141_22543 | Sublabial transsphenoidal surgical removal of pituitary tumors is a common procedure with minimal complications. Although many investigators have reported oral sensory compromises following surgery, none has reported any postoperative compromise in speaking ability. In this article, we describe the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed transient but severe speech symptoms after she underwent sublabial transsphenoidal surgery. This case prompted us to undertake a brief retrospective analysis of our experience with this procedure in other patients, which revealed that speech compromise is far more common than heretofore realized. | pubmed_1141_22543 |
pubmed_302_6342 | Na+-dependent D-glucose transport was studied in brush-border membrane vesicles from duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of 5- to 6-wk-old chickens. Regional differences were found, and both initial rates and accumulation ratio of D-glucose were higher in the proximal part of the small intestine than in the ileum. To establish the mechanism(s) underlying these differences we have studied the density of Na+-dependent D-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1) as well as lipid composition and fluidity. Phlorizin-specific binding and Western blot analysis indicated a decrease in the amount of SGLT1 in the ileum when compared to the duodenum and jejunum. The distal part of the small intestine also showed a decrease in free cholesterol content and saturated-to-unsaturated fatty acid ratio together with an increase in lipid content and phosphatidylcholine-to-sphingomyelin ratio. These results were associated with a decrease in the diphenylhextriene fluorescence polarization found in brush-border membranes of the ileum. We can conclude that the decrease in the apical D-glucose transport found in the ileum is primarily due to a reduction in the amount of SGLT1 present in the brush-border membrane rather than the differences in the lipid composition and fluidity. | 10.1093/ps/81.4.537 |
pubmed_152_2209 | Thiarubrines are phototoxic plant pigments that decompose to thiophenes when exposed to sunlight. We investigated the mechanism of thiarubrine photoprotection in Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) Greene (Asteraceae), which contains high amounts of these chemicals in its stems and leaf petioles. Thiarubrines are compartmentalized in laticifers that are surrounded by anthocyanin-containing cells. When this light-screening sheath was removed and laticifers exposed to light, rapid bleaching of the thiarubrine contents occurred. The leaves and stems of A. chamissonis seedlings were found to contain 10.5+/-6.8 microg/g total anthocyanins, predominantly cyanidin 3-O-(6'-O-malonylglucoside) and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, while none was detected in roots. To correlate anthocyanin distribution with thiarubrine photoprotection, changes in thiarubrine A and thiophene A levels were measured in seedlings exposed to light. In roots, thiarubrine A levels decreased by 94% after 30 min of irradiation, and thiarubrines were completely absent after 4 h. A concomitant 3-fold increase in thiophene A levels in roots occurred during light exposure. In leaves and stems, thiarubrine A levels did not change appreciably during light exposure, with a nominal increase from 102.8+/-33.1 microg/g FW to 108.4+/-20.7 microg/g FW after 4 h. To confirm their photoprotective function, solutions of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside were used to filter visible light incident on a solution of thiarubrine A. Anthocyanin solutions of greater than 0.1 mM completely prevented thiarubrine photoconversion. This is the first report that anthocyanins function to photoprotect light-sensitive defensive chemicals in plants. | 10.1007/s00425-002-0769-6 |
others_331_15497 | We studied the diet of the little owl, Athene noctua, in an agricultural lands of Central Poland. In total, 642 pellets were collected in the years 1995-1997 and 3090 prey items were identified. In the diet, Coleoptera dominated by number (62.4%), but vertebrates dominated in terms of biomass (98%). The most frequently found vertebrate prey was the common vole, Microtus arvalis, and Muridae. Birds and amphibians were found in pellets only occasionally, mostly in summer. Contribution to the main prey categories of little owl diet differed seasonally: mammals were preyed upon more frequently in winter, while invertebrates in autumn. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed preferences of little owl to common voles in winter and summer, house mouse (Mus musculus) in spring, and Apodemus mice in autumn-winter periods. Share of particular invertebrate groups in the diet was not random over the year. Carabid beetles were preyed upon all year round and together with cantharid larvae made up an important component of the winter diet. The high proportion of invertebrates as well as the presence of synantropic rodents in the winter diet suggests that in the winter, little owl utilise buildings as hunting sites. From the analysed pellets we noted that a high frequency of lumbricid earthworms, was present in up to 53% of the pellets in the autumn. Assuming different numbers and individual body mass of an earthworm, we estimated that the contribution of lumbricids may reach from 5 to 40% of the total prey biomass consumed by little owl in autumn. © NwjZ, Oradea, Romania, 2013 | others_331_15497 |
pubmed_1006_15774 | CT findings of 20 proven cases of tuberculous spondylitis were reported. Vertebral fragmentation and paravertebral abscesses were found to be important findings. CT should be performed in cases without characteristic plain radiographic features and in cases that the extent of the disease is to be evaluated. | pubmed_1006_15774 |
pubmed_166_21233 | The electroretinogram (ERG) is composed of slow (i.e., a-, b-waves) and fast (i.e., oscillatory potentials: OPs) components. OPs have been shown to be preferably affected in some diseases (such as diabetic retinopathy), while the a- and b-waves remain relatively intact. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of OPs to the building of the ERG and to examine whether a signal mostly composed of OPs could also exist. DWT analyses were performed on photopic ERGs (flash intensities: -2.23 to 2.64 log cd·s·m-2 in 21 steps) obtained from normal subjects (n = 40) and patients (n = 21) affected with a retinopathy. In controls, the %OP value (i.e., OPs energy/ERG energy) is stimulus- and amplitude-independent (range: 56.6-61.6%; CV = 6.3%). In contrast, the %OPs measured from the ERGs of our patients varied significantly more (range: 35.4%-89.2%; p < 0.05) depending on the pathology, some presenting with ERGs that are almost solely composed of OPs. In conclusion, patients may present with a wide range of %OP values. Findings herein also support the hypothesis that, in certain conditions, the photopic ERG can be mostly composed of high-frequency components. | 10.1155/2016/2790194 |
pubmed_210_3392 | Direct imaging of exoplanets requires high contrast imaging techniques that demand tight tolerances on the optical surface error. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) (previously named WFIRST) aims to perform direct imaging of SuperEarth-like exoplanets through its active coronographic instrument (CGI). Eight off-axis parabola (OAP) mirrors are utilised within the CGI to create a compact instrument and to ensure access to the pupil and focal planes. The surface form error and surface roughness of these relay optics directly impact the quality of the dark hole, and therfore the observable location for exoplanets. A new fabrication process for OAP manufacture via stressed mirror polishing (SMP) is presented in this paper. First, the design of the mirror substrate is investigated to create an innovative thickness distribution capable of producing the OAP geometry with a simple warping harness composed by two micrometer screws. Second, the novel design is implemented on a 60 mm diameter OAP prototype in Zerodur; a description of the fabrication process chain and the characterisation of the optical surface over all spatial frequencies are presented. Results from this first prototype demonstrated that the surface form error deviates from < 1 nm root means square (RMS) from the simulations and with a surface roughness of 2.1 Å Ra. | 10.1364/OE.400284 |
pubmed_970_16427 | OBJECTIVE
Recent studies have found that transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is associated with lower risk of stroke or death compared with transfemoral carotid artery stenting but higher risk of bleeding complications, presumably associated with the need for an incision. Heparin anticoagulation is universally used during TCAR, so protamine use may reduce bleeding complications. However, the safety and effectiveness of protamine use in TCAR are unknown. We therefore evaluated the impact of protamine use on perioperative outcomes after TCAR in the Vascular Quality Initiative TCAR Surveillance Project.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing TCAR in the Vascular Quality Initiative TCAR Surveillance Project from September 2016 to April 2019. We assessed in-hospital outcomes using propensity score-matched cohorts of patients who did and did not receive protamine. The primary efficacy end point was access site bleeding complications, and the primary safety end point was in-hospital stroke or death. Secondary end points included the individual end points of stroke, death, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure exacerbation, and hemodynamic instability.
RESULTS
Of the 5144 patients undergoing TCAR, all patients received heparin and 4072 (79%) patients received protamine. We identified 944 matched pairs of patients who did and did not receive protamine. Protamine use was associated with a significantly lower risk of bleeding complications (2.8% vs 8.3%; relative risk [RR], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.52; P < .001), including bleeding that resulted in interventional treatment (1.0% vs 3.6%; RR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.13-0.54; P < .001) and in blood transfusion (1.2% vs 3.9%; RR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.15-0.58; P <.001). There were no statistically significant differences in in-hospital stroke or death for patients who received protamine and those who did not (1.6% vs 2.2%; RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.37-1.39; P = .32); however, there was a trend toward lower risk of stroke for patients who received protamine (1.1% vs 2.0%; RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.24-1.13; P = .09). There were also no statistically significant differences in the rates of transient ischemic attack (0.4% vs 1.1%; RR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.13-1.28; P = .11), myocardial infarction (0.4% vs 0.8%; RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.15-1.66; P = .25), heart failure exacerbation (0.4% vs 0.3%; RR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.30-5.96; P = .71), or postoperative hypotensive hemodynamic instability (16% vs 15%; RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.83-1.35; P = .50) with protamine use.
CONCLUSIONS
Protamine can be safely used in TCAR to reduce the risk of perioperative bleeding complications without increasing the risk of thrombotic events. | 10.1016/j.jvs.2020.02.019 |
pubmed_939_19390 | Interfacial instability between solid electrolytes (SEs) and lithium metal remains a daunting challenge for solid-sate batteries. Here, a conformal C60 interlayer is efficiently constructed on Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) SEs by physical vapor deposition, and an ideal interfacial contact is achieved via forming an ionically conducting matrix of LixC60 with lithium metal. The obtained LixC60 is beneficial to hinder the growth of lithium dendrites at interface and release the local stress during the lithiation and delithiation. As a result, the Li/LAGP-C60/Li symmetric cells demonstrate ultra-stable cycling performance for more than 4,500 h at a current density of 0.034 mA cm-2. The Li/LAGP-C60/LiFePO4 full cells deliver a reversible capacity of 152.4 mAh g-1 at room temperature, and the capacity retention rate is 85% after more than 100 cycles. This work provides a feasible and scalable strategy to improve the SEs/Li interface for high-performance solid-state batteries. | 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101636 |
pubmed_1022_15153 | A concise, highly convergent total synthesis of saptomycin B, a member of the pluramycin class of antitumor antibiotics, is reported. The target compound was assembled from four building blocks (a tricyclic platform, two sugars, and an alkynal) in 15% yield through 10 synthetic operations. The key steps included the regioselective installation of two amino sugars (L-vancosamine and D-angolosamine) on the tricycle and the efficient construction of the tetracyclic skeleton by an aldol reaction followed by formation of the pyranone. The unknown configuration at C14 was assigned as R. | 10.1002/anie.201308017 |
pubmed_224_2693 | The acute toxicity of tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) and the development of delayed neurotoxicity were characterized in the scaleless hen, a featherless mutant, and compared to the responses observed in normally feathered birds. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was comparable between scaleless and normal hens, but nonspecific cholinesterase (ChE) activities of brain and plasma were significantly higher in scaleless birds. The acute ID50 of TOCP for plasma ChE activity was 690 mg/kg for scaleless birds and 240 mg/kg for normal ones following sc administration. However, there was no difference in the ID50 for plasma ChE activity between normal and scaleless hens treated sc with the active metabolite of TOCP, 2-(o-cresyl)-4H-1:3:2-benzodioxaphosphoran-2-one, or parathion. The onset of clinical signs of delayed neurotoxicity in scaleless birds was 8 to 14 days after sc or dermal treatment with TOCP and caused typical axonal fragmentation in the sciatic nerve. Plasma creatine phosphokinase activity was significantly increased following the onset of delayed neurotoxicity in both lines of birds. Dermal application of TOCP to a 50-cm2 area on the backs of scaleless hens inhibited plasma ChE activity in a dose-related manner (ID50 = 115 mg/kg), and the lowest dose of TOCP, 114 mg/kg, did not produce delayed neurotoxicity. The results show that the scaleless hen can be used to determine a no-observable effect level for delayed neurotoxicity which regulatory agencies could use to extrapolate a safe level of human dermal exposure to organophosphates that produce delayed neurotoxicity. | 10.1016/0041-008x(83)90314-9 |
pubmed_887_11502 | 1. We have shown that it is feasible to match the linear rate of fall of cardiac output that occurs during haemorrhage at 2.7 ml/kg per min in unanaesthetized rabbits by constricting the thoracic inferior vena cava so as to decrease venous return. 2. The changes in systemic vascular resistance, arterial pressure and heart rate that occurred during haemorrhage were mimicked by simulated haemorrhage. They were reproducible when simulated haemorrhage was performed three times at 90 min intervals, and when it was repeated four times over 12 days. 3. Simulated haemorrhage caused rises in plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma arginine vasopressin concentration (AVP) that were similar to those reported after haemorrhage. The response of PRA was unaffected by repeated simulated haemorrhage, but the response of AVP was less on the third occasion. 4. When the shed blood was re-infused after haemorrhage, cardiac output tended to remain low and systemic vascular resistance high. After simulated haemorrhage, all haemodynamic variables returned to normal within 2 min of releasing the caval cuff. 5. Haematocrit fell during haemorrhage, and remained low for at least 5 days after replacement of the shed blood. Haematocrit was unaffected by simulated haemorrhage. 6. Venous pressure below the inflatable cuff rose by 6 mmHg in the course of simulated haemorrhage. 7. We conclude that the central haemodynamic effects of haemorrhage can be closely and repeatedly simulated by inflating a cuff on the inferior vena cava. This provides a useful technique for repeatedly studying the effects of acute reduction of central blood volume in conscious animals. | 10.1111/j.1440-1681.1988.tb01116.x |
pubmed_199_14177 | Optimal management of acute exacerbations of pulmonary symptoms in patients with cystic fibrosis remains questionable. The underlying cause of such exacerbations has not been identified, and the microbiology of the sputum does not differ substantially during these exacerbations. Despite the absence of conclusive evidence that antibiotic therapy enhances treatment of cystic fibrosis, the consensus favors its use. Various combination and single-agent therapies with aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, and beta-lactam antibiotics are reviewed critically. The importance of high activity against Pseudomonas strains is addressed, as is the potential value of antibiotic prophylaxis. The drawbacks of aminoglycoside treatment are reported. No evidence proves the superiority of combination therapy over monotherapy. Recent results suggesting the effectiveness of monotherapy with piperacillin or ceftazidime are encouraging and deserve follow-up to test continued efficacy and the absence of development of resistant antibiotic strains. Further investigation into the prevention of acute pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis is essential. | 10.1016/s0022-3476(85)80264-x |
pubmed_968_8407 | In this study, a novel strategy for modifying nanocellulose (NC) by borax cross-linking was developed, and the obtained borax modified nanocellulose (BNC) was incorporated into cationized high amylose maize starch (CS) films to evaluate the applicability. Cellulose molecules were successfully cross-linked by boron ester bonds, and the original crystal type and basic chemical structure were not changed. Compared with NC, the relative crystallinity of BNC was slightly increased, and the thermal stability was obviously enhanced. Addition of NC and BNC to CS films significantly improved their tensile strength and water resistance. The dispersion of nanocellulose in CS films was effectively improved by borax cross-linking modification. CS/BNC films showed higher mechanical and water resistance properties compared with CS/NC films. Compared with pure CS film, tensile strength of the composite film with 6 wt% BNC increased about 4.0 times, and its water-vapor permeability decreased about 37%. The novel strategy for preparing BNC by using boron ester bonds will provide a potential approach for the development of starch films with desirable properties. | 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.10.206 |
pubmed_915_16890 | Only minimal attention has been given to analyzing interactional moments when patients and providers talk about "pain" in general consultations and primary care, and no attention has focused on how pain gets managed during oncology interviews. Conversation analysis (CA) is used to examine a sampling of instances drawn from a collection of 146 pain instances across 65 video recorded and transcribed clinical encounters in a comprehensive cancer clinic. Specific attention is drawn to how pain descriptions are not static but malleable as cancer patients upgrade, downgrade, and produce combined orientations when making their experiences available to oncologists. In response, it is shown that doctors acknowledge patients' descriptions, but do not elaborate nor affiliate with, important pain disclosures. Three interactional environments are closely examined: 1) Reporting and responding to past pain/hurt incidents; 2) Doctor's missing assessments in response to good news announcements about patients' minimal pain; and 3) Patient-initiated pain responses to doctors' questions. These empirical findings confirm identified patterns of interactional asymmetries comprising pain events in UK consultations and USA primary care. Close examination of these social actions provides basic knowledge about how pain communication reframes historical understandings of individuals' pain experiences. Implications for future research are identified, and a protocol is described for how clinical practice and medical education can be improved by refining understandings of pain communication to promote increased sensitivities and more personalized responses to pain expressions. | 10.1080/10410236.2019.1654178 |
pubmed_924_8196 | The chiral-discriminating abilities of new triazole-linked host compounds (6, 7) toward amino acid esters were evaluated by the FABMS/EL-guest method. Two types of host appending saccharide derivatives were synthesized by the copper-catalyzed Huisgen-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC). Host compounds binding constants and chiral-discriminating abilities toward the enantiomeric alanine esters were evaluated by UV method in chloroform. The structural requirements of triazole-linked hosts were determined by their chiral-discriminating behaviors. | 10.5650/jos.57.503 |
pubmed_1011_7380 | Difficulties in the differential diagnosis of benign liver tumours and their differentiation from malignant liver tumours are discussed. Two patients with benign lesions were described, one with a liver cell adenoma, the other with a mixed cholangiohepato-adenoma (local nodular hyperplasia). | 10.1055/s-0029-1230649 |
pubmed_629_2130 | We report a general synthetic method for the formation of shape-controlled CdS, CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals and mixed-semiconductor heterostructures. The crystal growth kinetics can be manipulated by changing the injection rate of the chalcogen precursor, allowing the particle shape-spherical or rodlike-to be tuned without changing the underlying chemistry. A single injection of precursor leads to isotropic spherical growth, whereas multiple injections promote epitaxial growth along the length of the c-axis. This method was extended to produce linear type I and type II semiconductor nanocrystal heterostructures. | 10.1021/jp0509008 |
pubmed_271_643 | A high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of five acid/alkaline phytohormones, i.e., indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), naphthylacetic acid (NAA), gibberellic acid (GA(3)) and isopentenyladenine (2IP), in grapes was developed. After optimization, the samples were extracted with methanol containing 1% formic acid and purified by Oasis HLB SPE cartridges. The analytes were separated on a Thermo Hypersil Gold column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 3.0 μm) with water and acetonitrile, then determined with Thermo tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer operating in negative electro-spray ionization using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The established method was further validated by determining the linearity (R² ≥ 0.9990), average recovery (82.5-105.4%), sensitivity (0.05-1.00 ng mL⁻¹), precision (RSD ≤1 3.0%) and stability (RSD ≥ 82.0%). Finally, the application of the approach proposed to thirty grape samples convinced its desirable performance for rapid analysis of multiclass phytohormones, supporting its sufficient capability for multiresidue analyses or other analytical system targeting phytohormones in agriculture field. | 10.1016/j.jchromb.2011.12.002 |
pubmed_543_19105 | We have sequenced a region (7,376-bp) of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA (54 kb) of the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum. From the DNA and amino-acid sequence comparisons with known sequences, genes for ATPase subunit 9 (ATP9), cytochrome b (CYTB), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 1, 3 and 6 (ND1, ND3 and ND6), small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) and seven tRNAs (Arg, Asn, Cys, Lys, f-Met, Met and Pro) have been identified. The sequenced region of the mtDNA has a high average A + T-content (70.8%). The A + T-content of protein-genes (73.6%) is considerably higher than that of RNA genes (61.3%). Even with the strong AT-bias, the genetic code employed is most probably the universal one. All seven tRNAs are able to form typical clover leaf structures. The molecular phylogenetic trees of CYTB and SSU rRNA suggest that D. discoideum is closer to green plants than to animals and fungi. | 10.1007/BF00326157 |
pubmed_9_14601 | To better understand drug and carcinogen metabolism pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma we assayed the principal drug- and carcinogen-metabolizing enzyme systems in both tumors and their corresponding adjacent non-tumoral tissues. Cytochromes P450 (1A1/A2, 2B1/B2, 2C8-10, 2E1, 3A4), epoxide hydrolase and glutathione S-transferases (GST-alpha, GST-mu, GST-pi) were assayed by immunoblotting. GST activity, total glutathione, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, beta-glucuronidase, sulfotransferase and sulfatase, were determined by spectral assays. Results showed the absence of all probed cytochromes P450 in tumors and non-tumoral tissues, including P450 1A1/1A2 known to be involved in tobacco-related carcinogenesis. No statistical difference was noted between tumors and adjacent non-tumoral tissues for most enzymes studied (GST-alpha, GST-mu, GST-pi, GST activity, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, beta-glucuronidase, sulfotransferase and sulfatase). However, total glutathione concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in tumors (47 +/- 20 nmol/mg protein) than in non-tumoral tissues (19 +/- 9). On the contrary, epoxide hydrolase was significantly less expressed in tumors (18 +/- 9 micrograms/mg protein) compared to corresponding non-tumoral tissues (37 +/- 9). These data provide new information concerning human head and neck cancer biology that could possibly have clinical implications. | 10.1093/carcin/14.7.1279 |
pubmed_191_703 | PURPOSE
To examine the mechanisms of transdermal iontophoretic delivery of apomorphine.
METHODS
Anodal iontophoresis of R-apomorphine across human stratum corneum was determined in vitro. The effects on the flux of the following parameters were studied: stability of drug, pH of donor solution, concentration of NaCl, and type of Na+ co-ions.
RESULTS
Ascorbic acid was effective to prevent apomorphine degradation. The iontophoretic transport of apomorphine was strongly influenced by the pH of the donor formulation. Increasing the pH from 3 to 6 resulted in an increase in the iontophoretic apomorphine flux from 27.9+/-4.4 nmol/cm2*h to 78.2+/-6.9 nmol/cm2*h. Upon decreasing NaCl concentration from 8 to 2 g/L, the iontophoretic flux was not significantly changed. Replacing NaCl in the donor formulation by tetraethylammonium chloride or tetrabutylammonium chloride resulted in 1.3 fold greater steady-state flux.
CONCLUSIONS
For optimized apomorphine iontophoretic delivery, a constant pH of the donor formulation is of great importance. The results suggest that although flux enhancement during iontophoresis is largely due to the electrical potential gradient, secondary effects, such as convective flow and electroosmosis may also contribute. | 10.1023/a:1013014010921 |
pubmed_411_21585 | BACKGROUND
Ségou Region in central Mali is an area of high malaria burden with seasonal transmission. The region reports high access to and use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), though the principal vector, Anopheles gambiae, is resistant to pyrethroids. From 2011 until 2016, several high-burden districts of Ségou also received indoor residual spraying (IRS), though in 2014 concerns about pyrethroid resistance prompted a shift in IRS products to a micro-encapsulated formulation of the organophosphate insecticide pirimiphos-methyl. Also in 2014, the region expanded a pilot programme to provide seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) to children aged 3-59 months in two districts. The timing of these decisions presented an opportunity to estimate the impact of both interventions, deployed individually and in combination, using quality-assured passive surveillance data.
METHODS
A non-randomized, quasi-experimental time series approach was used to analyse monthly trends in malaria case incidence at the district level. Districts were stratified by intervention status: an SMC district, an IRS district, an IRS + SMC district, and control districts that received neither IRS nor SMC in 2014. The numbers of positive rapid diagnostic test (RDT +) results reported at community health facilities were aggregated and epidemiological curves showing the incidence of RDT-confirmed malaria cases per 10,000 person-months were plotted for the total all-ages and for the under 5 year old (u5) population. The cumulative incidence of RDT + malaria cases observed from September 2014 to February 2015 was calculated in each intervention district and compared to the cumulative incidence reported from the same period in the control districts.
RESULTS
Cumulative peak-transmission all-ages incidence was lower in each of the intervention districts compared to the control districts: 16% lower in the SMC district; 28% lower in the IRS district; and 39% lower in the IRS + SMC district. The same trends were observed in the u5 population: incidence was 15% lower with SMC, 48% lower with IRS, and 53% lower with IRS + SMC. The SMC-only intervention had a more moderate effect on incidence reduction initially, which increased over time. The IRS-only intervention had a rapid, comparatively large impact initially that waned over time. The impact of the combined interventions was both rapid and longer lasting.
CONCLUSION
Evaluating the impact of IRS with an organophosphate and SMC on reducing incidence rates of passive RDT-confirmed malaria cases in Ségou Region in 2014 suggests that combining the interventions had a greater effect than either intervention used individually in this high-burden region of central Mali with pyrethroid-resistant vectors and high rates of household access to LLINs. | 10.1186/s12936-020-03361-y |
pubmed_745_6398 | gamma-Interferon (IFN-gamma) has previously been found to induce monocytic differentiation in established leukemic cell lines, such as HL-60 and U937. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the differentiative effect of highly purified recombinant (r)IFN-gamma on fresh bone marrow cells from patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (n = 11) or myelodysplastic syndromes (n = 3). Blast cells were cultured in suspension in the presence or absence of rIFN-gamma (10-10(3) U/ml). While 6 out of 14 cases were unresponsive to rIFN-gamma in vitro, the remaining 8 patients showed a significant increase (0.05 greater than p greater than 0.001) in the percentage of cells expressing C3bi receptors, detected by OKM1 (median value in control cell, 9.5; median value in rIFN-gamma-treated cells, 31) and Mo1 (8.5 vs. 36), and in the percentage of cells expressing the monocytic antigens detected by Mo2 (8 vs. 28) and MY4 (6.5 vs. 32.5). In the responsive patients morphologic changes consistent with monocytic maturation, as well as a strong increase of alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity and of nitroblue tetrazolium reducing capability were observed upon culture with rIFN-gamma. We conclude that (a) rIFN-gamma may induce in vitro monocytic differentiation of blasts from acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome patients, and that (b) this agent should be investigated for its capacity to be active in vivo. | pubmed_745_6398 |
pubmed_869_18711 | The US healthcare system provides evidence that spending more on healthcare does not result in better care, but also offers many lessons and surprises on how the quality and safety of healthcare can be improved. The US Institute of Medicine has clearly articulated what needs to be achieved. A series of US agencies, including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), other major players, and the Hospital Quality Alliance, routinely collect and report on numerous measures of the quality and safety of inpatient and outpatient healthcare. Most attention to improving care in the UK has focused on vertically integrated, closed healthcare systems, but the US experience provides additional models from the work of Quality Improvement Organizations and of numerous voluntary organisations that sponsor collaborative improvement. | 10.7861/clinmedicine.6-6-551 |
pubmed_15_6369 | OBJECTIVE
To determine the independent prognostic factors of primary synovial sarcoma.
METHODS
The clinical data of 52 patients followed up from 66 patients with synovial sarcoma treated between September 1997 and September 2008 was analyzed retrospectively. There were 28 male and 24 female patients aged from 11 to 71 years old. Three and five-year overall survival (OS), recurrence rate and 9 prognostic factors were analyzed in this study. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to determine the prognostic factors of OS.
RESULTS
Fifty-two patients were followed up with the follow-up time ranged from 6 to 88 months (median 32 months). The 3-, 5-year overall survival rate and local recurrence rate were 52.8%, 30.3% and 32.7% respectively. Univariate showed tumor size < 5 cm, tumor located at extremities, adequate surgical margin and radical resection combined with radiotherapy had better survival rate (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size, primary site and adequate surgical margin were independent prognostic factors for OS. Patients received radical resection combined with radiotherapy have longer median relapse time (25 months) compared with marginal resection combined with radiotherapy (18 months) and single radical resection (12 months). Thirty-five (67%) patients were treated with chemotherapy and seventeen (33%) patients received no chemotherapy for the primary tumor. Treatment with chemotherapy was not associated with an improved OS (P = 0.52).
CONCLUSIONS
The independent prognostic factors of synovial sarcoma are tumor size, primary site and adequate surgical margin. Doxorubicin and ifosfamide based chemotherapy was not associated with an improved OS in patients with synovial sarcoma. Radical resection combined with radiotherapy can best control local condition. | pubmed_15_6369 |
others_280_14303 | Three commonly used epicutaneous allergy skin test techniques, pinprick, chalazion knife, and Berkeley scarifier, were studied for size of response and reproducibility in the top, middle, and bottom regions of the back. All methods showed large variability, which was strongly influenced by the region of the back selected and the size of the wheal and flare reaction. Greater reproducibility was found with the larger skin test responses using the pinprick and scarifier techniques in the middle region of the back. The flare reaction was slightly less variable than the wheal response. Reproducibility and reaction size did not change significantly during the 4 week study period. © 1973 | 10.1016/0091-6749(73)90144-9 |
others_114_8929 | and aim of the study: Predictors of survival and reintervention in children undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR) were assessed. Methods: A total of 37 children underwent MVR, with a mean prosthesis size of 22.5 mm. Results: Six patients died during the study. Actuarial and event-free survivals (including operative mortality) at 10 and 20 years were 85 and 85%, and 55 and 37%, respectively. The linearized rate of bleeding was 0.67% per patient-year (pt-yr). There were no instances of thromboembolism, endocarditis or structural valve dysfunction. Six patients required reintervention for somatic outgrowth at a mean postoperative interval of 104 months. Freedom from reintervention at five, 10 and 20 years was 92, 73 and 48%, respectively. There were no deaths or complications following reintervention. The mean follow up was 96 months (range: 3 to 276 months); total cumulative follow up was 296 pt-yr. Multivariate predictors of mortality were age <6 months, NYHA class IV, congestive cardiac failure, internal orifice diameter (IOD) <14 mm and effective orifice area (EOA) <1.5 cm2. Predictors for reintervention were age <6 months (p = 0.0021), predicted annulus size <16 mm (p <0.0001), IOD <18 mm (p = 0.05), IOD index (IODI) >50 mm/m2 (p = 0.007), EOA <2.5 cm2 (p = 0.05), EOA index (EOAI) >7 cm2/m 2 (p <0.0001) and prosthesis size-body surface area (BSA) index (SI) >69 mm/m2 (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Early mortality occurs in neonates and infants with associated lesions, particularly atrioventricular septal defect. Risk factors for mortality include age, NYHA class, and small IOD and EOA. Risk factors for reintervention include age <6 months, small predicted annulus size, IOD and EOA, IODI >50 mm/m2, EOAI >7 cm2/m2 and SI >69 mm/m2. © Copyright by ICR Publishers 2005 | others_114_8929 |
pubmed_894_74 | When L929 cells are exposed to 5 mug/ml dexamethasone, synthesis of a 90,000 M(r) polypeptide is induced within 12 h. Flattening of the cells begins at about this time and progresses to become quite prominent after 48 h of exposure. Two-dimensional PAGE and partial proteolytic fingerprints identify the 90,000 M(r) polypeptide as gelsolin, a Ca(++)-dependent inhibitor of actin polymerization. Thus, this system provides evidence that gelsolin may have a role in regulating cell shape in response to physiological agents such as glucocorticoids. | 10.1083/jcb.96.2.577 |
pubmed_211_6487 | We assessed two new rapid urease tests, the Helicobacter Urease Test (HUT, Astra, Sweden) and the Polish test, for accuracy, reaction time, and the effect of biopsy site and bacterial density on test characteristics and time to positivity. A prospective study was conducted in two groups of patients: 64 consecutive patients undergoing upper endoscopy for dyspepsia and 61 consecutive patients with duodenal ulcer on upper endoscopy. In the first group, test accuracy, time to positivity, and possible associations with biopsy site and bacterial density were assessed between the tests. In the second group, the two new tests were compared with the CLOtest for time to positivity and effect of bacterial density on test outcome. The Polish and HUT test had similar specificities (97%), but the Polish test was more sensitive (90.3% vs. 80.7%). The Polish test was positive within 10 minutes in 55% of the positive patients compared with 10% for the HUT test. There was no association between bacterial density (by histologic count) and reaction time in either test or in the CLOtest in the second group. The Polish test was more accurate and had a quicker time interval to positivity than the HUT. There was no significant association between bacterial density and reaction time in any of the urease tests assessed, and the biopsy site did not affect test accuracy in the HUT test. | 10.1097/00004836-199812000-00009 |
pubmed_739_10685 | STUDY DESIGN
This study evaluated safety, fusion success rate, and clinical outcome of a new lumbar interbody hollow, threaded titanium fusion cage in a multicenter, prospective 236-case program adhering to a United States Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption controlled protocol.
OBJECTIVES
The results were evaluated to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of this new method to achieve solid lumbar interbody fusions.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Interbody fusions have certain distinct mechanical advantages over lateral or posterolateral ones. Autologous, cancellous bone is the preferred graft material, but is too soft to maintain the space during fusion without mechanical support. Various methods have been used in the past to maintain the graft integrity during fusion development.
METHODS
An initial pilot study began on 10 patients (followed for 84 months, average 80 months). Two years after that investigation started, the multicenter United States Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption study began, with cases followed for 28-46 months (average, 32). Ninety-six percent of the investigational Device Exemption study cases had severe, disabling back pain; in addition, 74% had major annular degeneration; 57% had herniations; 21% had osteophytes; and 43% had disc height reduced by greater than 10%. Forty-five percent of cases had previous spinal surgeries, and none were posterior lumbar interbody fusions. Titanium fusion cage pairs were screwed into bored and threaded, parallel intradiscal holes, and 3-8 ml autologous cancellous bone was packed inside each. Fusion success was judged by absence of motion on flexion-extension radiographs, absence of bone halo around the implants, and maintenance of visible bone inside the cages on Ferguson view radiographs.
RESULTS
Segments fused rapidly; the pilot study cases fused at 10 (91%) of 11 levels, with a reported 80% average clinical improvement. Ninety-six percent of the 208 2-year follow-up Investigational Device Exemption cases had fusion, and the Prolo socioeconomic/ functional improvement scale showed: 40% excellent, 25% good, 21% fair, and 14% poor results. Less than 1% of Investigational Device Exemption cases had complications that persisted beyond the average 5 days of hospitalization, and none were serious.
CONCLUSIONS
The Ray titanium fusion cage (Surgical Dynamics, Norwalk, CT) implant method has been found to be an effective, rapid, safe procedure for lumbar spine fusions, demonstrating a high fusion rate and clinical success with rare, serious, or permanent complications. | 10.1097/00007632-199703150-00019 |
pubmed_468_7591 | In the present study we determined the expression pattern of HSPA1 and HSPA2 proteins in various normal human tissues by tissue-microarray based immunohistochemical analysis. Both proteins belong to the HSPA (HSP70) family of heat shock proteins. The HSPA2 is encoded by the gene originally defined as testis-specific, while HSPA1 is encoded by the stress-inducible genes (HSPA1A and HSPA1B). Our study revealed that both proteins are expressed only in some tissues from the 24 ones examined. HSPA2 was detected in adrenal gland, bronchus, cerebellum, cerebrum, colon, esophagus, kidney, skin, small intestine, stomach and testis, but not in adipose tissue, bladder, breast, cardiac muscle, diaphragm, liver, lung, lymph node, pancreas, prostate, skeletal muscle, spleen, thyroid. Expression of HSPA1 was detected in adrenal gland, bladder, breast, bronchus, cardiac muscle, esophagus, kidney, prostate, skin, but not in other tissues examined. Moreover, HSPA2 and HSPA1 proteins were found to be expressed in a cell-type-specific manner. The most pronounced cell-type expression pattern was found for HSPA2 protein. In the case of stratified squamous epithelia of the skin and esophagus, as well as in ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium lining respiratory tract, the HSPA2 positive cells were located in the basal layer. In the colon, small intestine and bronchus epithelia HSPA2 was detected in goblet cells. In adrenal gland cortex HSPA2 expression was limited to cells of zona reticularis. The presented results clearly show that certain human tissues constitutively express varying levels of HSPA1 and HSPA2 proteins in a highly differentiated way. Thus, our study can help designing experimental models suitable for cell- and tissue-type-specific functional differences between HSPA2 and HSPA1 proteins in human tissues. | 10.1007/s00418-011-0791-5 |
pubmed_505_23150 | The non-benzenoid aromatic D(5h) and enediolate C(2v) form of C5O5(2-) have been stabilized by hydrogen bonding with urea and 1,3-dimethylurea, respectively, in the host lattices of two novel crystalline inclusion compounds. | 10.1039/b312545a |
pubmed_125_4016 | This case report describes a 16-month-old child with an accidental ingestion of cocaine. The clinical presentation, diagnostic reasoning, hospital course, and subsequent follow-up are discussed in this report. In 2018, there were 2.1 million human poison exposure calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers, with the highest incidence of calls for children aged 1-2 years. The substances with the largest number of deaths across all age groups included sedatives, sleeping medications, stimulants, street drugs, opioids, and alcohol. The child in this case report is a male who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status. When his urine drug screen resulted positive for cocaine, a social service consult was initiated, and the child was admitted to the intensive care unit for monitoring and supportive care. His electrocardiogram showed a Brugada rhythm. This case report highlights the incidence of accidental drug ingestions by children and a rare but potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmia. | 10.1016/j.pedhc.2020.06.009 |
pubmed_1128_16418 | At speech-to-noise ratios between -3 and 6 dB, many hearing-impaired listeners have difficulty in understanding speech, but spectrograms reveal that the formant peaks of voiced speech and some of the spectral peaks associated with unvoiced speech stand out against the background noise. Our speech-enhancement process is based on the assumption that increasing spectral contrast will result in improved intelligibility. The enhancement involves calculating an auditory excitation pattern from the magnitude spectrum of overlapping short segments of the speech signal. This pattern is convolved with a difference-of-Gaussians function whose bandwidth varies with frequency in the same way as the auditory filter bandwidth. Magnitude values from this enhanced pattern are combined with the unchanged phase spectrum from the original signal to produce the enhanced speech. The processing was used to enhance Boothroyd and Bench-Kowal-Bamford Audiometric lists which had been digitally combined with speech-shaped noise at speech-to-noise ratios between -3 and 6 dB. The subjects had moderate to severe sensorineural hearing losses. The processing produced small but significant improvements in intelligibility for the hearing-impaired listeners tested. Possibilities for improving the processing are discussed. | pubmed_1128_16418 |
pubmed_675_25326 | The regulation of stem cell fate is poorly understood. Genetic studies in Caenorhabditis elegans lead to the hypothesis that a conserved cytoplasmic double-negative feedback loop consisting of the RNA-binding protein Trim71 and the let-7 microRNA controls the pluripotency and differentiation of stem cells. Although let-7-microRNA-mediated inhibition of Trim71 promotes differentiation, whether and how Trim71 regulates pluripotency and inhibits the let-7 microRNA are still unknown. Here, we show that Trim71 represses Ago2 mRNA translation in mouse embryonic stem cells. Blocking this repression leads to a specific post-transcriptional increase of mature let-7 microRNAs, resulting in let-7-dependent stemness defects and accelerated differentiation in the stem cells. These results not only support the Trim71-let-7-microRNA bi-stable switch model in controlling stem cell fate, but also reveal that repressing the conserved pro-differentiation let-7 microRNAs at the mature microRNA level by Ago2 availability is critical to maintaining pluripotency. | pubmed_675_25326 |
pubmed_716_6141 | BACKGROUND
Globally, enteric fever (EF) significantly gives rise to an appalling death toll. It is an endemic illness in Bangladesh and South Asia. The condition manifests in a wide range of clinical features in children. Nowadays, antibiotic resistance is an international stumbling block that hampers the appropriate treatment and outcome of EF.
OBJECTIVE
The study evaluated the clinical and laboratory characteristics and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Salmonella enterica in children.
METHODS
This prospective research was conducted at Delta Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 2017 to December 2019. A total of 200 pediatric cases of EF were included in this study who were either culture positive or had significantly raised Widal test titer for Salmonella with suggestive clinical features.
RESULTS
All the patients had a fever, and most had coated tongue, vomiting, abdominal pain, organomegaly, and diarrhea. Among the selected 200 cases of EF, 43.5% were Salmonella typhi culture-positive. A high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was observed in a substantial number (53%) of patients. Ceftriaxone was the most sensitive (100%) antibiotic through laboratory analysis, followed by cefotaxime (95.1%). Among the oral antibiotics used, cefixime (92.8%) was the most sensitive.
CONCLUSION
EF in children can present with varied clinical manifestations. Selective antibiotic treatment according to sensitivity patterns is crucial for effective illness management and will reduce morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. | 10.7759/cureus.30784 |
pubmed_870_8867 | Skin perfusion pressure in fingers in 6 normal persons and 12 patients suffering from generalized scleroderma was estimated as the minimum external counterpressure required to stop 133Xenon wash-out. The isotope was introduced atraumatically into the skin, and local counter-pressure was exerted by a miniature blood pressure cuff. Local perfusion blood pressure in normal fingers was 100.5 mmHg +/- 3.3 SEM, while in the patients the value was 72.5 mmHg 1.8 SEM (p less than 0.001). | pubmed_870_8867 |
others_314_68066 | The I{kappa}B kinase (IKK) - NF-{kappa}B pathway is activated as part of the DNA damage response and controls both resistance to apoptosis and inflammation. How these different functions are achieved remained unknown. We demonstrate here that DNA double strand breaks elicit two subsequent phases of NF-{kappa}B activation in vivo and in vitro, which are mechanistically and functionally distinct. RNA-sequencing reveals that the first phase controls anti-apoptotic gene expression, while the second drives expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) genes. The first, rapidly activated phase is driven by the ATM-PARP1-TRAF6-IKK cascade, which triggers proteasomal destruction of I{kappa}B and is terminated through I{kappa}B (NFKBIA) re-expression. The second phase is activated days later in senescent cells but is independent of IKK and the proteasome. An altered phosphorylation status of p65, in part driven by GSK3{beta}, results in transcriptional silencing of NFKBIA and IKK-independent, constitutive activation of NF-{kappa}B in senescence. Collectively, our study reveals a novel physiological mechanism of NF-{kappa}B activation with important implications for genotoxic cancer treatmen | 10.1101/2019.12.19.882225 |
pubmed_984_24417 | Nature has used the all-alpha-polypeptide backbone of proteins to create a remarkable diversity of folded structures. Sequential patterns of 20 distinct amino acids, which differ only in their side chains, determine the shape and form of proteins. Our understanding of these specific secondary structures is over half a century old and is based primarily on the fundamental elements: the Pauling alpha-helix and beta-sheet. Researchers can also generate structural diversity through the synthesis of polypeptide chains containing homologated (omega) amino acid residues, which contain a variable number of backbone atoms. However, incorporating amino acids with more atoms within the backbone introduces additional torsional freedom into the structure, which can complicate the structural analysis. Fortunately, gabapentin (Gpn), a readily available bulk drug, is an achiral beta,beta-disubstituted gamma amino acid residue that contains a cyclohexyl ring at the C(beta) carbon atom, which dramatically limits the range of torsion angles that can be obtained about the flanking C-C bonds. Limiting conformational flexibility also has the desirable effect of increasing peptide crystallinity, which permits unambiguous structural characterization by X-ray diffraction methods. This Account describes studies carried out in our laboratory that establish Gpn as a valuable residue in the design of specifically folded hybrid peptide structures. The insertion of additional atoms into polypeptide backbones facilitates the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds whose directionality is opposite to that observed in canonical alpha-peptide helices. If hybrid structures mimic proteins and biologically active peptides, the proteolytic stability conferred by unusual backbones can be a major advantage in the area of medicinal chemistry. We have demonstrated a variety of internally hydrogen-bonded structures in the solid state for Gpn-containing peptides, including the characterization of the C(7) and C(9) hydrogen bonds, which can lead to ribbons in homo-oligomeric sequences. In hybrid alphagamma sequences, distinct C(12) hydrogen-bonded turn structures support formation of peptide helices and hairpins in longer sequences. Some peptides that include the Gpn residue have hydrogen-bond directionality that matches alpha-peptide helices, while others have the opposite directionality. We expect that expansion of the polypeptide backbone will lead to new classes of foldamer structures, which are thus far unknown to the world of alpha-polypeptides. The diversity of internally hydrogen-bonded structures observed in hybrid sequences containing Gpn shows promise for the rational design of novel peptide structures incorporating hybrid backbones. | 10.1021/ar9001153 |
pubmed_424_24484 | Glucocorticoid hormones stimulate adherens and tight junction formation in Con8 mammary epithelial tumor cells through a multistep process in which the membrane organization of structural apical junction proteins and tight junction sealing is controlled by specific signal transduction components. We have previously shown that dexamethasone stimulation of apical junction formation requires down-regulation of the small GTPase RhoA. Here we identified Rnd3/RhoE, a GTPase-deficient Rho family member and RhoA antagonist, as a key regulator of apical junction dynamics. Exogenously expressed Rnd3/RhoE co-localized with actin at the cell periphery and induced the localization of the adherens junction protein beta-catenin and the tight junction protein ZO-1 to sites of cell-cell contact, and led to the formation of highly sealed tight junctions. Treatment with glucocorticoids was not required to achieve complete apical junction remodeling. Consistent with Rnd3/RhoE acting as an antagonist of RhoA, expression of Rnd3/RhoE rescued the disruptive effects of constitutively active RhoA on apical junction organization. Our results demonstrate a new role for the Rho family member Rnd3/RhoE in regulating the assembly of the apical junction complex and tight junction sealing. | 10.1016/j.yexcr.2004.12.010 |
pubmed_1140_7320 | Hemoglobins at high concentration have been isolated long ago from some insect larvae living in hypoxic environments. Conversely, a monomeric hemoglobin has been discovered recently in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as intracellular protein expressed both in larvae and in the adult fly. Such a finding indicates that the oxygen supply in insects may be more complex than previously thought, relying not only on O2 diffusion through the tubular tracheal system, but also on carrier-mediated transport and storage. We present here the crystal structure of recombinant D. melanogaster hemoglobin at 1.20 A resolution. Spectroscopic data show that the protein displays a hexacoordinated heme, whose axial ligands are the proximal and distal His residues. Such bis-His ligation of the heme has sizable effects on the protein local structure. Three protein matrix cavities, comparable in size but not in topological locations with those of sperm whale myoglobin, are spread through the protein matrix; one of these can host a xenon atom. Additionally, D. melanogaster hemoglobin binds one molecule of 3-(cyclohexylamino)propanesulfonic acid (CAPS) buffer at a surface pocket, next to the EF hinge. Despite the high resolution achieved, no sequence/structure features specifically supporting the heme hexa- to pentacoordination transition required for diatomic ligand binding could be recognized. | 10.1074/jbc.M503814200 |
pubmed_410_522 | PURPOSE
To report on the safety of the first 5 cohorts of a gene therapy trial using recombinant equine infectious anemia virus expressing ABCA4 (EIAV-ABCA4) in adults with Stargardt dystrophy due to mutations in ABCA4.
DESIGN
Nonrandomized multicenter phase I/IIa clinical trial.
METHODS
Patients received a subretinal injection of EIAVABCA4 in the worse-seeing eye at 3 dose levels and were followed for 3 years after treatment.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary end point was ocular and systemic adverse events. The secondary end points were best-corrected visual acuity, static perimetry, kinetic perimetry, total field hill of vision, full field electroretinogram, multifocal ERG, color fundus photography, short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography.
RESULTS
The subretinal injections were well tolerated by all 22 patients across 3 dose levels. There was 1 case of a treatment-related ophthalmic serious adverse event in the form of chronic ocular hypertension. The most common adverse events were associated with the surgical procedure. In 1 patient treated with the highest dose, there was a significant decline in the number of macular flecks as compared with the untreated eye. However, in 6 patients, hypoautofluorescent changes were worse in the treated eye than in the untreated eye. Of these, 1 patient had retinal pigment epithelium atrophy that was characteristic of tissue damage likely associated with bleb induction. No patients had any clinically significant changes in best-corrected visual acuity, static perimetry, kinetic perimetry, total field hill of vision, full field electroretinogram, or multifocal ERG attributable to the treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Subretinal treatment with EIAV-ABCA4 was well tolerated with only 1 case of ocular hypertension. No clinically significant changes in visual function tests were found to be attributable to the treatment. However, 27% of treated eyes showed exacerbation of retinal pigment epithelium atrophy on fundus autofluorescence. There was a significant reduction in macular flecks in 1 treated eye from the highest dose cohort. Additional follow-up and continued investigation in more patients will be required to fully characterize the safety and efficacy of EIAV-ABCA4. | 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.02.013 |
pubmed_412_8021 | Several cytokines are increased in psoriatic skin, mainly at the lesional level. Some of these mediators seem to be very important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis since they are thought to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and/or to drive the inflammatory changes associated with psoriasis. Among the proinflammatory modulators, hematopoietins, which are a family of cytokines sharing a receptor component (the gp130 subunit), have been under intensive investigation in recent years. The hematopoietin family includes interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11,) leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin-M (OSM), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and cardiotrophin. Amounts of two of these molecules, IL-6 and IL-11, have been found to be increased in psoriatic lesions. The present study adds new information concerning the spontaneous release of two hematopoietins, namely LIF and OSM, in 48-h culture supernatants of lesional and nonlesional skin punch biopsies from psoriatic patients and normal subjects. The cytokine determinations were performed using commercially available ELISA kits. The results are expressed as picograms per milligram of tissue, after weight normalization. The levels of LIF released by lesional skin (median 2.4 pg/mg, range 0.05-13.4 pg/mg) were significantly higher than from nonlesional (median 0.4 pg/mg, range under detection limit (UDL)-4.4 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.4 pg/mg, range UDL-0.9 pg/mg; P = 0.005). The OSM levels were also significantly higher in supernatants of lesional skin (median 0.9 pg/mg, range 0.4-5.2 pg/mg) than in supernatants of nonlesional (median 0.2 pg/mg, range UDL-0.8 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.1 pg/mg, range UDL-0.4 pg/mg; P = 0.0001). In addition, interleukin-8 (IL-8), a cytokine involved in the pathomechanisms of psoriasis, showed a similar behaviour when measured in the same samples. Lesional skin showed a median value of 752.5 pg/mg, range 98.8-2063.8 pg/mg, nonlesional skin a median value of 58.3 pg/mg, range UDL-1252.5 pg/mg (P = 0.007) and normal skin a median value of 44.6 pg/mg, range UDL-176.7 pg/mg (P = 0.004). No significant differences were found between nonlesional and normal skin for the three molecules analyzed. Taken together with the fact that at least two other hematopoietins (namely IL-6 and IL-11) are also increased in supernatants of lesional psoriatic skin, these data point to a possible involvement of the hematopoietins in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis. | 10.1007/s004030050269 |
pubmed_935_7710 | An analysis of data collected from a one-year survey of the activities of seven residency trained family physicians practicing in Massachusetts was carried out. These data were compared to a study of activities of Massachusetts general practitioners done in 1967-1968, and to the Virginia Study of 1976. Both hospital and health center encounters were analyzed. The age distribution of the practices paralleled that of the general practitioners, particularly the younger general practitioners. The sex distribution was also comparable. However, over one third of all health problems recorded during the study were for preventive or non-illness visits. This represented a significant percentage increase over the general practitioners as well as the family physicians in the Virginia Study. The site of activity was also different in showing a ten percent increase in office visits over 1967-1968. Women's health issues, which include maternity and family planning care, represented a larger percentage of the practices of the residency graduates than was the case in the Virginia Study. Educational and health manpower implications of the study are discussed. | pubmed_935_7710 |
pubmed_565_9689 | The effects of dietary administration of 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecanol (8-2 telomer alcohol), on peroxisome proliferation in the liver of mice were studied. Male ddY mice were fed on a diet containing 8-2 telomer alcohol at concentrations of 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2% (w/w) for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. These treatments with 8-2 telomer alcohol caused liver enlargement in a dose- and duration-dependent manner. Peroxisome proliferation in the liver of mice was confirmed by electron microscopic examination. Peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase was induced by these treatments with 8-2 telomer alcohol in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The concentration of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and related compounds were determined in the liver and plasma, since PFOA had been shown to be a possible metabolite of 8-2 telomer alcohol and to cause significant peroxisome proliferation in rodents. Five metabolites, namely, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), 2H, 2H-perfluorodecanoic acid (8-2 telomer acid), and two unidentified metabolites, were present in the liver and serum. PFOA was confirmed to be accumulated in the liver of mice following the administration of 8-2 telomer alcohol in a dose- and duration-dependent manner. A linear relationship was observed between the concentration of PFOA and the activity of peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase in the liver of mice. These results strongly suggest that PFOA, but not 8-2 telomer alcohol itself, caused peroxisome proliferation in the liver. The present study provided evidence that 8-2 telomer alcohol is converted into PFOA in vivo and that the PFOA formed produces biological effects in the liver of mice. | 10.1093/toxsci/kfi191 |
pubmed_477_5767 | A blind cross-over trial was carried out to compare the tooth and tongue staining associated with the use of a 0.035% alexidine and a 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthrinse. Twenty-two volunteers were divided into two groups termed "tea drinkers" and "non-tea drinkers". All volunteers were requested to refrain from oral hygiene measures throughout two 10-day periods when they rinsed twice a day with the preparation randomly allocated for the respective period. During both periods the members of the groups excluded coffee, red wine and port from their diet. The tea drinking group consumed seven cups of tea per day. Tooth and tongue staining was recorded for extent and severity at the end of each period. The amount of stain accumulating in the two groups was similar following the use of chlorhexidine and alexidine. However, for both chlorhexidine and alexidine the extent and severity of tooth and tongue staining were significantly increased in the tea drinking group. An in vitro study of tea staining of perspex blocks exposed twice a day to 0.035% solutions of alexidine or chlorhexidine throughout a 5-day period demonstrated significantly more staining with alexidine when measured spectrophotometrically. Visually however, the differences in the specimens were minimal. Saliva treatment of the perspex did not significantly alter the staining by alexidine or chlorhexidine. The results provide further evidence for a dietary aetiology to the staining associated with cationic antiseptics. However, alexidine at the concentration used offered no advantage in reducing the side effect of staining when compared with chlorhexidine. | 10.1111/j.1600-051x.1981.tb02033.x |
pubmed_236_19549 | Insulin release induced by nonglucose secretagogues is initiated from beta-cell by a wide variety of stimuli through specific receptors or binding sites. Activation of receptors in turn generates or enhances the cytosol levels of cAMP, cADPR, IP3, DAG, and AA. These second messengers then activate protein kinases, change the ion currents cross the cell membrane, and mobilize intracellular Ca2+, thereby increasing phosphorylated proteins in the cytosol and augmenting [Ca2+]i. These events trigger exocytotic discharge of insulin. The crucial steps in receptor-mediated stimulation-secretion coupling and their relationship to glucose-stimulated insulin release is summarized in Figure 1. At the present stage of research, the general processes of secretagogue binding to receptors, of generating second messengers, of activating several types of protein kinase, and of altering the membrane potential as well as cytosol calcium levels has been intensively studied and qualitatively clarified. However, we know little about the exact nature of substrates of different protein kinases and their function in the insulin secretion process. With the help of molecular biology and protein chemistry, we expect that this gap will be filled in the near future. | 10.1146/annurev.nu.14.070194.000423 |
pubmed_380_11474 | We present 3 patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and severe central nervous system (CNS) complications. All patients had at least 4 positive criteria of Bohan and Peter, which confirmed a definite diagnosis of JDM. They were all male, and had a relatively high creatinine kinase value at admission (1532-4260 U/l). Besides, progressive proximal muscle weakness and rash, one patient presented with rapid irreversible decline of vision. Ophthalmologic examination showed active vasculitis of the retina. After 2 weeks of treatment with immunosuppressive drugs and being in improved, relatively stable clinical condition, all 3 patients developed generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. Other causes of the neurological symptoms could be excluded. In all 3 patients, the course of JDM was fatal. The clinical symptoms and further investigations in our patients show CNS involvement in JDM. Although rarely reported, CNS vasculopathy can be a serious and life-threatening complication of JDM. | pubmed_380_11474 |
pubmed_977_14385 | Background
Lenvatinib has shown promising efficacy in targeted therapies that have been tested to treat anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) in both preclinical and clinical studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in the treatment of patients with ATC.
Methods
PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for potential eligible studies from inception to February 1, 2022. The outcomes included partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), disease control rate (DCR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and median overall survival (mOS). Effect sizes for all pooled results were presented with 95% CIs with upper and lower limit.
Results
Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. The aggregated results showed that the pooled PR, SD, and DCR were 15.0%, 42.0%, and 63.0%, respectively. The pooled mPFS and mOS were 3.16 (2.18-5.60) months and 3.16 (2.17-5.64) months, respectively. Furthermore, PFS rate at 3 months (PFSR-3m), PFSR-6m, PFSR-9m, PFSR-12m, and PFSR-15m were 52.0%, 22.5%, 13.9%, 8.4%, and 2.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, the 3-month OS rate (OSR-3m), OSR-6m, OSR-9m, OSR-12m, and OSR-15m were 64.0%, 39.3%, 29.7%, 18.9%, and 14.2%, respectively. The most common adverse events (AEs) of lenvatinib were hypertension (56.6%), proteinuria (32.6%), and fatigue (32%).
Conclusions
This meta-analysis showed that lenvatinib has meaningful antitumor activity, but limited clinical efficacy in ATC.
Systematic Review Registration
PROSPERO [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier [CRD42022308624]. | 10.3389/fendo.2022.920857 |
pubmed_70_16951 | Reduced crime provides a key benefit associated with substance abuse treatment (SAT). Armed robbery is an especially costly and frequent crime committed by some drug-involved offenders. Many studies employ valuation methods that understate the true costs of robbery, and thus the true social benefits of SAT-related robbery reduction. At the same time, regression to the mean and self-report bias may lead pre-post comparisons to overstate crime reductions associated with SAT. Using 1992-1997 data from the National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES), we examined pre-post differences in self-reported robbery among clients in five residential and outpatient SAT modalities. Fixed-effect negative binomial regression was used to examine incidence rate reductions (IRR) in armed robbery. Published data on willingness to pay to avoid robbery were used to determine the social valuation of these effects. Differences in IRR across SAT modalities were explored to bound potential biases.All SAT modalities were associated with large and statistically significant reductions in robbery. The average number of self-reported robberies declined from 0.83/client/year pre-entry to 0.12/client/year following SAT (p<0.001). Under worst-case assumptions, monetized valuations of reductions in armed robbery associated with outpatient methadone and residential SAT exceeded economic costs of these interventions. Conventional wisdom posits the economic benefits of SAT. We find that SAT is even more beneficial than is commonly assumed. | 10.1002/hec.1305 |
pubmed_459_10012 | Xeroradiographs and conventional film radiographs (D- and E-speed) were compared in a clinical study with the use of one-half complete-mouth radiographs for the detection of recurrent dental caries in 200 teeth. The results indicated that film was the most useful in identification of noncarious restored teeth (91% correct versus 79% correct for xeroradiography); however, xeroradiography was better than film for detection of recurrent caries (67% versus 53%). With ROC analysis, both film and xeroradiography were equally useful, having the same ROC value of 0.78. At rates of 67% and 53% for detection of the presence of recurrent caries, neither imaging system can overcome basic geometric limitations of superimposition of metallic restorations. Thus, there is the continued need for careful clinical assessesment of existing restorations for the presence of recurrent caries. | 10.1016/0030-4220(88)90364-7 |
pubmed_268_20751 | In a 4-wk oral toxicity study, 4-wk-old male and female Wistar rats were exposed to a combination of arbitrarily chosen chemicals comprising sodium metabisulphite, Mirex, Loperamide, metaldehyde, di-n-octyltin dichloride, stannous chloride, lysinoalanine and potassium nitrite. The dose levels used were based on the "no-observed-adverse-effect level" (NOAEL) and the "minimum-observed-adverse-effect level" (MOAEL) of the individual compounds obtained in similar studies with Wistar rats previously performed at TNO-CIVO, and comprised 0 (controls), 1/10 and 1/3 of the NOAEL, the NOAEL and the MOAEL. In comparison with the adverse effects of the individual compounds, both more severe and less severe adverse effects were observed at the MOAEL of the combined compounds, indicating interaction of effects at this exposure level. Slightly decreased haemoglobin content and slightly increased relative kidney weight were the only treatment-related adverse effects seen in the NOAEL group. In the 1/10 and 1/3 NOAEL groups no untoward effects were found that could be related to treatment. The present study clearly demonstrates absence of a simple additive effect, and provides some, but no convincing, evidence for an increased risk from exposure to a combination of chemicals when each chemical is administered at its own individual NOAEL. At lower dose levels no increased risk appears to exist. These generalizations may not be fully justifiable from a purely scientific point of view but are the most important practical lesson learnt from the present study. | 10.1016/0278-6915(90)90170-r |
pubmed_584_14798 | A DNA fragment homologous to the homothallism (HO) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was isolated from Saccharomyces paradoxus and was found to contain an open reading frame that was 90.9% identical to the coding sequence of the S. cerevisiae HO gene. The putative HO gene was shown to induce diploidization in a heterothallic haploid strain from S. cerevisiae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the coding and 5'-upstream regulatory regions from five Saccharomyces sensu stricto HO genes have coevolved, and that S. paradoxus is phylogenetically closer to S. cerevisiae than to S. bayanus. Finally, heterothallic haploid strains were isolated from the original homothallic type strain of S. paradoxus by disrupting the S. paradoxus HO gene with the S. cerevisiae URA3 gene. | 10.1016/S1567-1356(03)00152-1 |
pubmed_529_4061 | Metal oxide 1D nanowires are probably the most promising structures to develop cheap stable and selective chemical sensors. The purpose of this contribution is to review almost two-decades of research activity at the Sensor Lab Brescia on their preparation during by vapor solid (n-type In₂O₃, ZnO), vapor liquid solid (n-type SnO2 and p-type NiO) and thermal evaporation and oxidation (n-type ZnO, WO₃ and p-type CuO) methods. For each material we've assessed the chemical sensing performance in relation to the preparation conditions and established a rank in the detection of environmental and industrial pollutants: SnO₂ nanowires were effective in DMMP detection, ZnO nanowires in NO₂, acetone and ethanol detection, WO₃ for ammonia and CuO for ozone. | 10.3390/s17051000 |
pubmed_377_22967 | This paper compares the development of genomics as a form of state project in Japan and Taiwan. Broadening the concepts of genomic sovereignty and bionationalism, I argue that the establishment and use of genomic databases vary according to techno-political context. While both Japan and Taiwan hold population-based databases to be necessary for scientific advance and competitiveness, they differ in how they have attempted to transform the information produced by databases into regulatory schemes for drug approval. The effectiveness of Taiwan's biobank is severely limited by the IRB reviewing process. By contrast, while updating its regulations for drug approval, Japan, is using pharmacogenomics to deal with matters relating to ethnic identity. By analysing genomic initiatives in the political context that nurtures them, this paper seeks to capture how global science and local societies interact and offers insight into the assessment of state-sponsored science in East Asia as they become transnational. | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.06.066 |
pubmed_1061_13979 | BACKGROUND
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of infliximab (IFX) levels in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients can help to guide dose adjustments or changes to therapy for selected patients in remission or with secondary loss of response (LOR).
AIMS
To determine how IFX TDM is utilised in a real-life clinical setting and to quantify the potential for TDM to reduce the unnecessary use of IFX.
METHODS
Data from all public IBD IFX level testing performed across Australia were prospectively collected from June 2016 to July 2017 to assess physician-reported for testing indications (induction, in remission or LOR) and associated results. The hypothetical influence of IFX TDM was based on an optimal therapeutic range of 6-10 mg/L for mucosal healing.
RESULTS
Secondary LOR (reactive TDM) was the most common indication for TDM. These patients have consistently lower median IFX levels: 3.02 mg/L (IQR 1.14-6.67 mg/L) versus 5.22 mg/L (IQR 2.70-8.12 mg/L), P = 0.0001 compared with patients in remission (proactive TDM). TDM helped to identify unnecessary use of IFX in 30.6% of the TDM tests performed in luminal Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis patients, with an associated drug cost saving of $531.38 per IFX TDM test episode. Unnecessary IFX use was identified in 38.9% (96/247) of reactive IFX TDM tests performed and in 19.3% (35/181) of proactive testing.
CONCLUSION
Use of both reactive and proactive IFX TDM is cost-effective for IBD management as it informs the clinician where unnecessary use of IFX can be stopped. | 10.1111/imj.14644 |
pubmed_623_22294 | INTRODUCTION
Facial skeletal asymmetry is commonly found in humans and its main characteristic is menton deviation. The literature suggests that occlusal and masticatory problems arising from tooth absence could be related to the development of such asymmetries.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of mandibular skeletal asymmetries and to investigate its association with posterior tooth absences.
METHODS
Tomographic images of 952 individuals aged from 18 to 75 years old were used. Asymmetry was the analyzed outcome, and it was categorized into three groups according to gnathion displacement in relation to the midsagittal plane (relative symmetry, moderate asymmetry, and severe asymmetry). Patients were sorted by the presence of all posterior teeth, unilateral posterior tooth absence, or bilateral posterior tooth absence. Chi-square test with a significance level of 5% was used to verify the association between posterior tooth absence and asymmetry.
RESULTS
Results show relative symmetry present in 55.3% of the sample, as well as the prevalence of 27.3% for moderate mandibular asymmetry and 17.4% for severe asymmetry. Moderate and severe mandibular asymmetries occurred in a higher proportion in patients with unilateral posterior tooth absence. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the analyzed groups (p = 0.691).
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, mandibular asymmetries did not present any association with the absence of teeth on the posterior area of the arch. | pubmed_623_22294 |
pubmed_829_3553 | Administration of Escherichia coli endotoxin attenuates the ventilatory response to hypoxia (VRH) in newborn piglets, but the mechanisms responsible for this depression are not clearly understood. Nitric oxide (NO) production increases during sepsis and elevated NO levels can inhibit carotid body function. The role of endothelial NO on the VRH during endotoxemia was evaluated in 26 young rats. Minute ventilation (VE) and oxygen consumption (VO2) were measured in room air (RA) and during 30 min of hypoxia (10% O2) before and after E. coli endotoxin administration. During endotoxemia, animals received placebo (PL, n = 8); a nonselective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME, n = 9), or a neuronal NOS (nNOS) inhibitor (7-nitroindazole, 7-NI, n = 9). During endotoxemia, a larger increase in VE was observed only during the first min of hypoxia in the L-NAME group when compared with PL or 7-NI (p < 0.001). VRH was similar in the PL and 7-NI groups. A larger decrease in VO2 at 30 min of hypoxia was observed in L-NAME and 7-NI groups when compared with PL (p < 0.03). These data demonstrate that the attenuation of the early VRH during endotoxemia is in part mediated by an inhibitory effect of endothelial NO on the respiratory control mechanisms. | 10.1203/PDR.0b013e318098721a |
pubmed_583_21318 | In this study we determined the taxonomic diversity of larval Chironomidae upstream and downstream to discharges of the sewage treatment plant (STP) from Agro-industrial District of Anápolis, State of Goiás, Brazil. Additionally, we evaluated the use of the lognormal distribution as a measure of biotic integrity of this system. The Chironomidae communities were sampled in three sites, upstream and downstream of the discharge of the sewage treatment plant (STP). We fitted the truncate lognormal distribution based on a nonlinear regression of the datasets using least squares as loss function in an iterative quasi-Newton procedure. The total of 21,498 individuals were sampled, from 24 Chironomidae genera, Chironomus, Polypedilum, Rheotanytarsus e Thienemanniella, with 73.9%, 14.4%, 7.1% and 4.5%, respectively, of all analyzed community; they are generally considered resistant to organic pollution. The assemblage of the site upstream was described for a truncate lognormal distribution. The extreme increase in abundance of some genera in the first site downstream produced a distribution not fitted to lognormal. The second site downstream however, permits a good fit to lognormal, probably due to the decrease in abundance of the dominant groups. These data substantiate the hypothesis that Chironomidae community is not suitably characterized by lognormal distribution at disturbed environments. Consequently, these aquatic communities were ecological disordered by organic pollution which caused the lost of sensible species and the dominance of those tolerants to this sort of impact. Additionally, the study highlighted the distribution lognormal approach as a valuable method to assess environmental impacts. | pubmed_583_21318 |
pubmed_229_22068 | By means of histological methods and DNA cytophotometry, a study was made of the salivary glands of 16 species of gastropod molluscs belonging to the subclass Pectinibranchia and making a group of Mesogastropoda. Four cell types of salivary glands were distinguished: granular cells (with glycoproteid granular inclusions), mucocytes-I (with sulfatic acid mucopolysaccharides), mucocytes-II (with neutral and acid polysaccharides and proteins), and also the epithelial ciliated cells and mucous duct cells. Data of experiments on starvation and synchronous feeding of molluscs have testified that all described cell types are independent. In some species differentiation on protein and mucous departments within the glandular epithelium was shown. In some marine representatives of the orders Discopoda and Aspidophora polyploid cells with the ploidy levels from 8c to 32c were revealed along with diploid cells. The ecological and phylogenetic regularities of somatic polyploidy manifestation in Mesogastropoda are discussed. | pubmed_229_22068 |
pubmed_656_11649 | The calcite grains forming the wall plates of the giant barnacle Austramegabalanus psittacus have a distinctive surface roughness made of variously sized crystalline nanoprotrusions covered by extremely thin amorphous pellicles. This biphase (crystalline-amorphous) structure also penetrates through the crystal's interiors, forming a web-like structure. Nanoprotrusions very frequently elongate following directions related to the crystallographic structure of calcite, in particular, the <- 441> directions, which are the strongest periodic bond chains (PBCs) in calcite. We propose that the formation of elongated nanoprotrusions happens during the crystallization of calcite from a precursor amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). This is because biomolecules integrated within the ACC are expelled from such PBCs due to the force of crystallization, with the consequent formation of uninterrupted crystalline nanorods. Expelled biomolecules accumulate in adjacent regions, thereby stabilizing small pellicle-like volumes of ACC. With growth, such pellicles become occluded within the crystal. In summary, the surface roughness of the biomineral surface reflects the complex shape of the crystallization front, and the biphase structure provides evidence for crystallization from an amorphous precursor. The surface roughness is generally explained as resulting from the attachment of ACC particles to the crystal surface, which later crystallised in concordance with the crystal lattice. If this was the case, the nanoprotrusions do not reflect the size and shape of any precursor particle. Accordingly, the particle attachment model for biomineral formation should seek new evidence. | 10.1038/s41598-020-73804-8 |
pubmed_636_10294 | BACKGROUND
Chronic helminth infections induce a Th2 immune shift and establish an immunoregulatory milieu. As both of these responses can suppress Th1 immunity, which is necessary for control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection, we hypothesized that chronic helminth infections may exacerbate the course of MTB.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Co-infection studies were conducted in cotton rats as they are the natural host for the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis and are an excellent model for human MTB. Immunogical responses, histological studies, and quantitative mycobacterial cultures were assessed two months after MTB challenge in cotton rats with and without chronic L. sigmodontis infection. Spleen cell proliferation and interferon gamma production in response to purified protein derivative were similar between co-infected and MTB-only infected animals. In contrast to our hypothesis, MTB loads and occurrence and size of lung granulomas were not increased in co-infected animals.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
These findings suggest that chronic filaria infections do not exacerbate MTB infection in the cotton rat model. While these results suggest that filaria eradication programs may not facilitate MTB control, they indicate that it may be possible to develop worm-derived therapies for autoimmune diseases that do not substantially increase the risk for infections. | 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001970 |
pubmed_757_11425 | BACKGROUND
Approximately 3000 people die by suicide each year in Sri Lanka. As family and friends may play a role in supporting a person at risk of suicide to get appropriate help, there is a need for evidence-based resources to assist with this. The aim of this study was to culturally adapt the existing English-language mental health first aid guidelines for helping a person at risk of suicide to the Sri Lankan context.
METHODS
A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted, involving mental health professionals and consumers (people with lived experience) and caregivers, who were identified by purposive and snowball sampling methods. Participants were recruited from a wide variety of professional roles and districts of Sri Lanka in order to maximize diversity of opinion. The original questionnaire was translated into Sinhala and participants were requested to rate each item according to the importance of inclusion in the guidelines.
RESULTS
Data were collected over two survey rounds. Altogether, 148 people participated in the study (130 health professionals and 18 consumers). A total of 165 items were included in the final guidelines, with 153 adopted from the guidelines for English-speaking countries and 12 generated from the comments of panellists.
CONCLUSIONS
The adapted guidelines were similar to the English-language guidelines. However, new items relating to the involvement of family members were included and some items were omitted because they were not considered appropriate to the Sri Lankan context (particularly those relating to explicit mention of suicide). Further research is warranted to explore the use of these guidelines by the Sri Lankan public, including how they may be incorporated in Mental Health First Aid training. | 10.1186/s12888-021-03486-7 |
pubmed_862_7240 | Cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system including monocytes and macrophages (e.g., pooled human monocytes, bone marrow-derived macrophages, etc.) are often employed for in vitro assessment of novel biomaterials and to assay anti-inflammatory drug activity. In this context, numerous macrophage cells are treated interchangeably in the literature despite a lack of demonstrated equivalence among immortalized cell lines and further, between cell lines and primary-derived macrophages of different species. Three murine (monocyte-) macrophage cell lines (IC-21, J774A.1, and RAW 264.7), commonly utilizedin biomaterial and pharmaceutical screening research, have been compared with primary-derived murine bone marrow macrophages. Significant differences were discovered in the expression of cell surface proteins requisite for cell adhesion and activation among cell lines and primary-derived cells as well as between the different cell lines. Results demonstrate activation but with reduced cytokine expression to chemical stimulus (lipopolysaccharide) by cell lines compared with that of primary-derived macrophages. Limited correlation between cultured primary and immortalized cells in cytokine production, phenotype and intrinsic activation states has relevance to fidelity for in vitro testing. These differences warrant justification for selection of various cell lines for specific assay purposes, and merit caution if comparisons to primary cell types (i.e., for biocompatibility) are required. | 10.1002/jbm.a.31930 |
pubmed_529_17033 | To develop receptor based fluorescence ligands for imaging breast and prostate cancer, a series of estrogen-, testosterone- and 19-nortestosterone conjugates linked to BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) or aza-BODIPY, were prepared. Their synthesis involves attachment of iodo derivatives of differently substituted BODIPY and aza-BODIPY analogs to the C17α-position of the steroid moieties using either the Sonogashira coupling or Click reaction. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of the conjugates range from 500 to 710nm with fluorescence emission properties ranging from 520 to 700nm, facilitating observations in living cells and tissues. Selection of the site of substitution, as well as the type of substituents on the steroidal moiety and the use of different linkers, provides a library of fluorescing conjugates to explore the effect of structural modifications on biological properties. | 10.1016/j.steroids.2017.04.007 |
pubmed_35_16517 | The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of depression in patients with Parkinson's disease. The authors recruited 85 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, 42 males and 43 females aged 34-82 years (mean age 68.7). Age at onset ranged 24-79 (mean 60.9 years). Disease duration ranged from 3 month to 20 years (mean 7.86 years). In 62 patients (72.94%) mixed type of the disease was diagnosed, in 14 (16.47%) tremor and in 9 (10.59%) rigidity predominated. UPDRS was used to evaluate the severity of the disease (results ranged 28-90, mean 51.4). Activity of daily living was estimated according to Schwab and England Scale (range 40-90, mean 68.1). Depression was evaluated with Hamilton, Beck and Montgomery-Asberg scales. The results were analysed with Spearman correlation. Depression was diagnosed in 53 (62.35%) patients [in 7 (8.24%) light; in 14 (16.47%) middle; in 19 (22.35%) heavy; in 13 (15.29%) very heavy]. The results acquired with all three scales were not statistically different. There were significant positive correlations between depression and female sex, severity of the disease, dyskinesia as side effect of. | pubmed_35_16517 |
pubmed_656_26204 | Colorectal cancer is a highly heterogeneous malignancy in the Asian population, and it is considered an important prognostic factor for baseline characteristics, tumor burden, and tumor markers. This study investigated the effect of baseline characteristics and tumor burden on tumor marker expression and progressive disease in colorectal cancer by using partial least squares variance-based path modeling (PLS-PM). PLS-PM can be used to evaluate the complex relationship between prognostic variables and progressive disease status with a small sample of measurements and structural models. A total of 89 tissue samples of colorectal cancer were analyzed. Our results suggested that the expression of visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin (vaspin) is a potential indicator of colorectal cancer progression and may be affected by baseline characteristics such as age, sex, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus. Moreover, according to the characteristics of tumor burden, the expression of vaspin was generally higher in each progressive disease patient. The overall findings suggest that vaspin is a potential indicator of the progressive disease and may be affected by the baseline characteristics of patients. | 10.3390/diagnostics10100801 |
pubmed_251_20042 | Between July 1992 and October 1995. 10 Palmaz stents were implanted in 6 patients aged 2 to 25 years with stenoses of pulmonary artery branches. The stenoses were located on the right (n = 2) or left pulmonary artery (n = 3) or both branches (n = 1). Stenoses of the right pulmonary artery were secondary to a Waterston (n = 1) or Blalock-Taussig (n = 1) anastomosis or to surgical plasty with Dacron (n = 1). Stenoses of the left pulmonary artery were secondary to surgical plasty with Goretex (n = 2), pericardium (n = 1) or Dacron (n = 1): three of these patients had undergone a left Blalock-Taussig anastomosis before complete correction. After implantation of the stent, the pulmonary artery diameter increased from 4 +/- 2 mm to 11 +/- 2 mm (p = 0.0117) and the transstenotic gradient decreased from 44 +/- 18 to 15 +/- 12 mmHg (p = 0.0277). Similarly, the percentage of homolateral pulmonary perfusion at scintigraphy increased from 22 +/- 13% to 53 +/- 17% (p = 0.0431). There were no deaths. The major complication was migration of the stent, observed in three patients at the moment of implantation in two cases and in the hours following implantation in the other case. In these 3 patients, the embolised stent was left in the pulmonary arteries with no adverse consequences on pulmonary perfusion. Two of these patients later successfully underwent further catheterisation for implantation of another stent. Implantation of a stent is a therapeutic alternative in pulmonary artery stenoses which often recur after surgery and/or angioplasty. They increase the diameter of the stenosed vessel and reestablish the equilibrium of perfusion between the two lungs. | pubmed_251_20042 |
pubmed_415_9430 | The efficiency of humoral immune responses depends on the selective outgrowth of B cells and plasma cells that produce high affinity antibodies. The factors responsible for affinity maturation of B cell clones in the germinal center (GC) have been well established but selection mechanisms that allow clones to enter the GC are largely unknown. Here we identify apoptosis, regulated by the proapoptotic BH3-only member Noxa (Pmaip1), as a critical factor for the selection of high-affinity clones during B cell expansion after antigen triggering. Noxa is induced in activated B cells, and its ablation provides a survival advantage both in vitro and in vivo. After immunization or influenza infection, Noxa(-/-) mice display enlarged GCs, in which B cells with reduced antigen affinity accumulate. As a consequence, Noxa(-/-) mice mount low affinity antibody responses compared with wild-type animals. Importantly, the low affinity responses correlate with increased immunoglobulin diversity, and cannot be corrected by booster immunization. Thus, normal elimination of low affinity cells favors outgrowth of the remaining high-affinity clones, and this is mandatory for the generation of proper antibody responses. Manipulation of this process may alter the breadth of antibody responses after immunization. | 10.1182/blood-2011-09-378877 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.