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pubmed_328_2712 | PURPOSE
Dose and dose rate are both appropriate for estimating risk from internally deposited radioactive materials. We investigated the role of dose rate on lung cancer induction in Beagle dogs following a single inhalation of strontium-90 (90Sr), cerium-144 (144Ce), yttrium-91 (91Y), or yttrium-90 (90Y). As retention of the radionuclide is dependent on biological clearance and physical half-life a representative quantity to describe this complex changing dose rate is needed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data were obtained from Beagle dog experiments from the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute. The authors selected the dose rate at the effective half-life of each radionuclide (DRef).
RESULTS
Dogs exposed to DRef (1-100 Gy/day) died within the first year after exposure from acute lung disease. Dogs exposed at lower DRef (0.1-10 Gy/day) died of lung cancer. As DRef decreased further (<0.1 Gy/day 90Sr, <0.5 Gy/day 144Ce, <0.9 Gy/day 91Y, <8 Gy/day 90Y), survival and lung cancer frequency were not significantly different from control dogs.
CONCLUSION
Radiation exposures resulting from inhalation of beta-gamma emitting radionuclides that decay at different rates based on their effective half-life, leading to different rates of decrease in dose rate and cumulative dose, is less effective in causing cancer than acute low linear energy transfer exposures of the lung. | 10.1080/09553002.2018.1511929 |
others_67_8270 | The effects of replacing fish meal (FM) in the diet with defatted mealworm larvae meal (DMLM) on growth, carcass, and biochemical constituents of serum of Japanese quail chicks were investigated. A total of 600 unsexed one-day-old chicks were allotted to five dietary treatments with six replicates of 20 chicks each. The diets were formulated by replacing FM with DMLM at the levels of 25% (D25), 50% (D50), 75% (D75), and 100% (D100). The FM, D25 and D50 diets resulted in greater final bodyweight, higher bodyweight gain, and improved feed conversion ratio compared with the other diets. Diets that contained DMLM decreased the feed intake compared with the FM diet. The FM and D25 diets increased the hot and cold carcass yields compared with the other diets, whereas the D75 and D100 diets significantly enhanced the relative weight of the small intestine and abdominal fat compared with FM, D25, and D50. The replacement of FM with DMLM reduced the serum globulin, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and the albumin to globulin ratio significantly. The best protein and energy efficiency ratios and European efficiency factor were obtained with the D25 and D50 diets. In conclusion, the replacement of FM with DMLM at the levels of 25% and 50% produced positive results in growth performance, in serum albumin to globulin ratio, and in nutrient use efficiency in quail. © 2020, South African Bureau for Scientific Publications | 10.4314/sajas.v50i3.15 |
pubmed_1046_10675 | Salmonella enterica Serovar Indiana is a common serotype of Salmonella isolated from food especially from poultry meat. Recently it demonstrated a raising tendency of infection cases and isolate numbers with high antimicrobial resistant rate against many common antimicrobials, including quinolones and cephalosporin which were regarded as the first line drug for the treatment of Salmonella infections, and this kind of Salmonella serotype was always carrying complex resistance mechanisms and also a variety of mobile elements, all of these features made the very clinical infections caused by Salmonella hard to treat and brought great difficulties and risks. Here, we review the prevalence of Samonella Indiana on national and international view, and we also anticipate the research progress on antimicrobial drug classes, multi drug resistance, co-resistance and resistance mechanism. We discuss the resistant genotypes, phenotypes, mechanism and transmission of Salmonella Indiana strains isolated from different origins. By introducing the resistance of Salmonella Indiana, we want to attract people's attention to this bacteria and its hazard, and offer some idea to evaluate and treat infections in clinical. | 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-9624.2018.11.021 |
pubmed_439_18525 | Cellular senescence (CS), a state of permanent growth arrest, is intertwined with tumorigenesis. Due to the absence of specific markers, characterizing senescence levels and senescence-related phenotypes across cancer types remain unexplored. Here, we defined computational metrics of senescence levels as CS scores to delineate CS landscape across 33 cancer types and 29 normal tissues and explored CS-associated phenotypes by integrating multiplatform data from ~20 000 patients and ~212 000 single-cell profiles. CS scores showed cancer type-specific associations with genomic and immune characteristics and significantly predicted immunotherapy responses and patient prognosis in multiple cancers. Single-cell CS quantification revealed intra-tumor heterogeneity and activated immune microenvironment in senescent prostate cancer. Using machine learning algorithms, we identified three CS genes as potential prognostic predictors in prostate cancer and verified them by immunohistochemical assays in 72 patients. Our study provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating senescence levels and clinical relevance, gaining insights into CS roles in cancer- and senescence-related biomarker discovery. | 10.1093/bib/bbac118 |
pubmed_292_15248 | The consequences of deployment extend beyond the service member to impact the entire family. The current investigation evaluated the unique challenges of family reintegration for partnered service members using a prospective design. In total, 76 partnered service members who deployed on a year-long, high-risk mission to Iraq were assessed across the entirety of the deployment cycle, i.e., pre-, during, and postdeployment. At follow-up, nearly 1 in 5 partnered service members reported moderate to severe difficulties in multiple aspects of family reintegration. Prospective interpersonal indicators such as preparations for deployment as a couple, shared commitment to the military, and predeployment relationship distress predicted postdeployment family reintegration difficulties. Significant interpersonal risk factors were medium to large in their effect sizes. Airmen's willingness to disclose deployment- and combat-related experiences, and postdeployment relationship distress served as concurrent interpersonal correlates of difficulties with family reintegration. Intrapersonal factors, including posttraumatic stress symptoms and alcohol misuse were concurrently related to challenges with family reintegration; predeployment alcohol misuse also predicted subsequent family reintegration difficulties. Additional analyses indicated that pre- and postdeployment relationship distress, combat disclosure, and postdeployment alcohol misuse each contributed to family reintegration when controlling for other intra- and interpersonal risk factors. Implications for prevention and early intervention strategies as well as future research are discussed. | 10.1037/ser0000020 |
pubmed_533_1310 | Some heterojunction interfaces formed with molecular solids show metal-like transport behavior. In order to clarify the requirement, interfaces are fabricated by lamination of single-crystal electron-accepting 2,5-difluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F2TCNQ) and electron-donating molecules with a wide range of ionization potentials. Carrier injection between the acceptor and donor crystals leads to highly conducting interfaces, some of which exhibited band-like charge transport behaviors. Combinations with weak donors also resulted in interfaces with band-like transport properties. Accordingly, band-like conduction was achieved for interfaces where the donor and acceptor crystals do not have well-matched band energies. The results indicate that the wide range of candidates have great potential for modification of the electronic structure of organic crystals. The present method is expected to enable control of the electronic properties of the interface. | 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b03053 |
pubmed_162_4639 | Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a broad terminology which includes acute bronchitis, pneumonia, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/chronic bronchitis (AECB), and acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis. Acute LRTIs (ALRTIs) are one of the common clinical problems in community and hospital settings. Management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and AECB may pose challenges because of diagnostic difficulty in differentiating infections caused by typical and atypical microorganisms and rising rates of antimicrobial resistance. Beta-lactam antibiotics, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones are routinely prescribed medicines for the management of ALRTIs. Macrolides are time-tested and effective agents for the treatment of LRTIs. Clarithromycin, a macrolide, offers several benefits in the management of ALRTIs. In this article, we discuss the management approach of LRTIs with focus on clarithromycin in the management of mild-to-moderate LRTIs (CAP and AECB), i.e., in outpatient settings. | 10.4103/lungindia.lungindia_262_17 |
pubmed_273_22115 | AVIDOS is a computer code used for the dose assessment of aircraft crew exposed to cosmic radiation. The code employs a multiparameter model built upon simulations of cosmic radiation exposure done using the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. AVIDOS calculates both ambient dose equivalent H*(10) and effective dose E for flight routes over the whole world at typically used altitudes and for the full range of solar activity. The dose assessment procedure using AVIDOS is accredited by the Austrian office for accreditation according to European regulations and is valid in the whole Europe. AVIDOS took part in an international comparison of different codes assessing radiation exposure of aircraft crew where a fully satisfactory agreement between codes has been found. An online version of AVIDOS with user friendly interface is accessible to public under the internet address: http://avidos.healthphysics.at. | 10.1093/rpd/ncp126 |
pubmed_1005_13378 | Researchers have identified positive relationships between childhood adversities and smoking, problem drinking and illicit drug abuse. Nonetheless, to our knowledge, in no studies has there been an examination of the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and e-cigarette use. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and e-cigarette use. Data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health were used. Study respondents (N = 8915) from the 1989-95 cohort (third wave) aged 19-26 years completed an online survey in 2015. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between ACEs and e-cigarette use, adjusted for socio-demographic variables and smoking status. Participants who reported past year e-cigarette use were more likely to report childhood psychological abuse (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.45, 99%CI: 1.11, 1.90), physical abuse (AOR = 1.30, 99%CI, 1.03, 1.82), or sexual abuse (AOR = 1.41, 99%CI, 1.02, 1.95), All abuse types associated with past year e-cigarette use were also associated with ever e-cigarette use. Ever e-cigarette use was also associated with household substance abuse (AOR = 1.35, 99%CI, 1.08, 1.68), witnessing domestic violence (AOR = 1.28, 99%CI, 1.01, 1.69), or having a mentally ill household member (AOR = 1.28, 99%CI, 1.05, 1.58) compared with those who were not. A positive dose-response relationship was observed between the number of ACEs and the odds of e-cigarette use. This study identified an association between ACEs and e-cigarette use. Improvements in supportive parenting skills and the provision of counselling services for those exposed to ACEs may help avert health-harming behaviours, including e-cigarette use. | 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105759 |
pubmed_195_23618 | Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized through a facile polyol method using bacterial cellulose (BC) as a template. BC membrane was used as a host matrix to introduce quantitatively Zn(2+) ions and then as nanoreactors to fabricate ZnO nanoparticles by hydrolysis of zinc acetate in a polyol medium. The influence of the concentration of zinc acetate and hydrolytic time on the morphologies and size of ZnO nanoparticles were investigated. The results indicated that the uniform spherical ZnO nanoparticles were incorporated into BC fibers. The resulting nanocomposites show good mechanical properties and high photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl orange. | pubmed_195_23618 |
pubmed_503_1945 | Optimal treatment of hypertension requires the use of effective antihypertensive drugs. Calcium channel blockers are widely used in the treatment of hypertension and appear to be particularly efficacious in ethnic Chinese patients. The aim of this open-label study was to prospectively investigate the efficacy and tolerability of three dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers in sequence, using the same protocol for each. After 2 weeks of placebo treatment, 73 males and 45 females (mean age, 45 +/- 10 years; mean weight, 67 +/- 10 kg) with essential hypertension (diastolic blood pressure, 95 to 115 mm Hg) were treated with amlodipine (n = 41), felodipine (n = 38), or isradipine (n = 39) for 8 weeks, with dose titration after 4 weeks. Mean seated systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by 23/17, 30/17, and 20/15 mm Hg after 8 weeks of treatment with amlodipine, felodipine, and isradipine, respectively. These reductions were all statistically significant. Blood pressure was controlled (defined as diastolic pressure < 90 mm Hg at the final visit or a decrease from baseline of > or = 10 mm Hg) in 85%, 74%, and 74% of patients receiving amlodipine, felodipine, and isradipine, respectively. There were no significant changes in heart rate, plasma lipid levels, or serum biochemistry markers with any of the three treatments. No serious adverse events occurred, but mild adverse effects, including headaches, flushing, tachycardia, dizziness, and edema, were reported; 1 (2%), 6 (16%), and 5 (13%) patients receiving amlodipine, felodipine, and isradipine, respectively, withdrew from the study (P < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that all three drugs are highly effective in lowering blood pressure and are well tolerated in Chinese patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. | 10.1016/s0149-2918(98)80111-2 |
pubmed_1115_5513 | There are several autoimmune diseases and other inflammatory conditions where an infectious aetiology is suggested by the epidemiology, clinical course and pathological findings. Many candidate bacteria and viruses have been considered as potential aetiological agents but mostly without firm proof. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and may be found wherever bacteria are located, but would not be detected unless specifically sought. They have not previously been considered to be pathogens. Bacteriophages are immunogenic and therefore could play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases by acting as antigens on epithelial surfaces, bound to antibody as immune complexes, through molecular mimicry or possibly as superantigens. | 10.1016/j.mehy.2003.12.016 |
others_314_36641 | Reward modulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) could be exploited in developing an autonomously updating brain-machine interface (BMI) based on a reinforcement learning architecture. In order to understand the multifaceted effects of reward on M1 activity, we investigated how neural spiking, oscillatory activities and their functional interactions are modulated by conditioned stimuli related reward expectation. To do so, local field potentials (LFPs) and singleunit/multi-unit activities were recorded simultaneously and bilaterally from M1 cortices while five non-human primates performed cued center-out reaching or grip force tasks either manually using their right arm/hand or observed passively. We found that reward expectation influenced the strength of alpha (8-14 Hz) power, alpha-gamma comodulation, alpha spike-field coherence, and firing rates in general in M1. Furthermore, we found that an increase in alpha-band power was correlated with a decrease in neural spiking activity, that firing rates were highest at the trough of the alpha-band cycle and lowest at the peak of its cycle. These findings imply that alpha oscillations modulated by reward expectation have an influence on spike firing rate and spike timing during both reaching and grasping tasks in M1. These LFP, spike, and spike-field interactions could be used to follow the M1 neural state in order to enhance BMI decoding (An et al., 2018; Zhao et al., 2018).\n\nSignificance StatementKnowing the subjective value of performed or observed actions is valuable feedback that can be used to improve the performance of an autonomously updating brain-machine interface (BMI). Reward-related information in the primary motor cortex (M1) may be crucial for more stable and robust BMI decoding (Zhao et al., 2018). Here, we present how expectation of reward during motor tasks, or simple observation, is represented by increased spike firing rates in conjunction with decreased alpha (8-14 Hz) oscillatory power, alpha-gamma comodulation, and alpha spike-field coherence, as compared to non-rewarding trials. Moreover, a phasic relation between alpha oscillations and firing rates was observed where firing rates were found to be lowest and highest at the peak and trough of alpha oscillations, respectively | 10.1101/471151 |
pubmed_919_2749 | Donor-antigen-specific tolerance to the allograft is increasingly considered a reachable goal in the field of transplantation. As our understanding of the processes that govern donor-specific tolerance increases, so must our understanding of ways to detect this state of affairs. Unfortunately, this is not a straightforward procedure, as the mechanisms which govern tolerance are multiple and varied. Previously, the mixed lymphocyte reaction was used as standard to detect unresponsiveness. This approach is not valid for detecting tolerance because it only measures both direct pathway, naïve and memory responses, whereas the indirect pathway and 'pure' memory responses are more informative parameters for detecting tolerance. Techniques, such as the trans vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity assay, ELISPOT and antigen-specific HLA tetramer analysis address this problem, and the numbers of cell subsets, such as dendritic cells and NKT cells, can also aid us in detecting donor-antigen-specific tolerance. | 10.1016/j.coi.2005.07.011 |
pubmed_304_16795 | Five new neocaesalpins, named neocaesalpin J-N (1-5, resp.), along with the known neocaesalpin A and eight known furanditerpenoids, namely epsilon-caesalpin, 7-acetoxy-epsilon-caesalpin, 14-deoxy-epsilon-caesalpin, caesalmins D-F, and bonducellins C and D, were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia minax HANCE. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. | 10.1002/cbdv.200690128 |
pubmed_671_188 | A lysed crude secretory granule fraction from rat islets of Langerhans was shown to process endogenous proinsulin to insulin with a pH optimum of 5.0--6.0. The converting activity in the lysed fraction was not inhibited by serine protease inhibitors (diisopropyl fluorophosphate, soybean trypsin inhibitor, and aprotinin) or metalloprotease inhibitors (EDTA and o-phenanthroline) but was inhibited by some thiol protease reagents (p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid, antipain, and leupeptin) but not by others (N-ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide). N alpha-p-Tosyl-L-lysyl chloromethyl ketone only mildly inhibited at higher concentrations, whereas L-alanyl-L-lysyl-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone was a powerful inhibitor. L-Alanyl-L-lysyl-L-arginyl chloromethyl ketone was [125I]iodotyrosylated and used as an affinity labeling agent for the converting activity. Because the crude granule preparation contained contaminating lysosomes the affinity labeling of the granule preparation proteins was compared with that in liver lysosomes purified from rats injected with Triton WR1339. In the crude granule fraction the affinity label bound in a cysteine-enhanced manner to a single 31,500 molecular weight protein, but in purified liver lysosomes the major affinity-labeled protein had a molecular weight of 25,000 and minor 31,500 and 35,000 molecular weight proteins were also labeled. Evidence suggests that these proteins are thiol proteases and that in islets the 31,500 molecular weight thiol protease is involved in the conversion of proinsulin to insulin. | 10.1073/pnas.79.15.4613 |
pubmed_534_13279 | BACKGROUND
Plasmacytosis (ie, an expansion of plasma cell populations to much greater than the homeostatic level) occurs in the context of various immune disorders and plasma cell neoplasia. This condition is often associated with immunodeficiency that causes increased susceptibility to severe infections. Yet a causative link between plasmacytosis and immunodeficiency has not been established.
OBJECTIVE
Because recent studies have identified plasma cells as a relevant source of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10, we sought to investigate the role of IL-10 during conditions of polyclonal and neoplastic plasmacytosis for the regulation of immunity and its effect on inflammation and immunodeficiency.
METHODS
We used flow cytometry, IL-10 reporter (Vert-X) and B cell-specific IL-10 knockout mice, migration assays, and antibody-mediated IL-10 receptor blockade to study plasmacytosis-associated IL-10 expression and its effect on inflammation and Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in mice. ELISA was used to quantify IL-10 levels in patients with myeloma.
RESULTS
IL-10 production was a common feature of normal and neoplastic plasma cells in mice, and IL-10 levels increased with myeloma progression in patients. IL-10 directly inhibited neutrophil migration toward the anaphylatoxin C5a and suppressed neutrophil-dependent inflammation in a murine model of autoimmune disease. MOPC.315.BM murine myeloma leads to an increased incidence of bacterial infection in the airways, which was reversed after IL-10 receptor blockade.
CONCLUSION
We provide evidence that plasmacytosis-associated overexpression of IL-10 inhibits neutrophil migration and neutrophil-mediated inflammation but also promotes immunodeficiency. | pubmed_534_13279 |
pubmed_178_6328 | Survival curves were obtained for haploid and diploid yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, of a wild-type strain and radiosensitive mutants exposed to gamma-rays in oxygenated and hypoxic conditions both in the absence and in the presence of misonidazole. Misonidazole enhanced the radiosensitivity only of hypoxic cells. A correlation between oxygen and misonidazole sensitization was observed. The data confirm that misonidazole mimics the sensitizing effect of oxygen. The degree of liquid-holding recovery of yeast cells was greater when the cells were irradiated in hypoxic conditions with than without misonidazole. Possible reasons for the observed radiation responses are discussed. | 10.1016/0027-5107(83)90114-8 |
pubmed_1069_16794 | To estimate the effect of oscillated blood flow on hemodynamics in an awake condition, left ventricular assist circulation using oscillated blood flow was performed on 3 adult goats as chronic animal examination. A vibrating flow pump (VFP) was used for generating high-frequency oscillated flow. The blood flow rate of assisted circulation was approximately 1.0 L/min, and the driving frequency of VFP was 25 Hz. Systemic vascular resistance and arterial impedance were calculated in this study. Systemic vascular resistance during assist circulation was decreased compared with that without assistance. Oscillated blood flow may be effective in decreasing vascular resistance. Moreover, it was suggested from the study of arterial impedance that motive characteristics of the vascular wall against changing blood pressure may keep their normal reaction. Therefore, oscillated blood flow may be used for left ventricular assist circulation as concluded from the study of the characteristics of blood vessels. | 10.1111/j.1525-1594.1995.tb02408.x |
pubmed_93_5177 | Acetaminophen/paracetamol-induced liver failure--which is induced by the binding of reactive metabolites to mitochondrial proteins and their disruption--is exacerbated by fasting. As fasting promotes SIRT3-mediated mitochondrial-protein deacetylation and acetaminophen metabolites bind to lysine residues, we investigated whether deacetylation predisposes mice to toxic metabolite-mediated disruption of mitochondrial proteins. We show that mitochondrial deacetylase SIRT3(-/-) mice are protected from acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, that mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 is a direct SIRT3 substrate, and that its deacetylation increases acetaminophen toxic-metabolite binding and enzyme inactivation. Thus, protein deacetylation enhances xenobiotic liver injury by modulating the binding of a toxic metabolite to mitochondrial proteins. | 10.1038/embor.2011.121 |
pubmed_609_17032 | OBJECTIVE
The variability of consecutive cine phase-contrast MR flow measurements could significantly affect their use for clinical decisions, especially during provocative testing. The purposes of this study were to determine the normal variability of flow and consecutive flow measurements in the main portal vein on MR images and to determine how intraobserver variability, interobserver variability, and MR imager variability affect these measurements.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
MR flow measurements were acquired four consecutive times at the same location in the main portal vein of 12 subjects and three consecutive times at the same location in a nonpulsatile vessel model. All acquisitions were completed within 10 min. All main portal vein MR data sets were evaluated manually in a blinded review by two independent observers during three separate sessions spaced a mean of 4.5 weeks apart. Flow model data sets were evaluated during a single session by one observer. Variabilities were subsequently calculated by a components-of-variance analysis and by the coefficient of variation (SD/mean x 100).
RESULTS
Of the total variance, 90% was due to flow variability among subjects (intersubject), 6% to flow variability within one subject (intrasubject), 2% to intraobserver variability, and 2% to interobserver variability. The coefficient of variation of consecutive MR portal vein flow measurements within a single subject was 11% +/- 5% (range, 3-23%). Intra- and interobserver variabilities were 5% +/- 2% (range, 1-11%) and 4% +/- 4% (range, 0-17%), respectively. MR imager variability was 1% +/- 1% (range, 0-2%).
CONCLUSION
The mean variability of consecutive cine phase-contrast MR flow measurements in the main portal vein is 11% +/- 5% and could affect research and clinical protocols that employ this technique. | 10.2214/ajr.166.6.8633438 |
pubmed_969_15442 | The capacity of the adult frog optic nerve to regenerate following a crush lesion is well established and is in contrast to the lack of regeneration of mammalian optic nerves after similar lesions. One factor which may contribute to the enhanced regenerative capacity of amphibian optic nerves is the rapid removal of cellular debris from the nerve after injury. In this study the morphology of normal and crushed frog optic nerves has been compared. Although the intraorbital region of the normal adult frog optic nerve is avascular, new intraparenchymal blood vessels appear central to the crush site 24 h after the nerve lesion. The appearance of these blood vessels is coincident with the appearance of granulocytes and macrophages in the nerve. Successful regeneration of the adult frog optic nerve may depend on this neovascularization to facilitate the rapid removal of cellular debris and to supply regenerating axons with trophic substances. | 10.1007/BF01217300 |
pubmed_554_7436 | OBJECTIVES
We sought to characterize the correlation between diagnoses made during telerheumatology and face-to-face visits and to document patients' satisfaction with telerheumatology visits.
METHODS
This quality assurance study of the use of telerheumatology evaluated new patients referred to a Veterans Affairs rheumatology clinic. Patients were seen at a community clinic by a nurse practitioner with a rheumatologist participating in the encounter via telelink. All of the patients had a second face-to-face visit with the same rheumatologist. Diagnoses made during telerheumatology and face-to-face visits were compared. Patients' satisfaction with telerheumatology was ascertained.
RESULTS
Thirty-eight patients were included in the study. Initially, 23 were diagnosed as having an inflammatory or rheumatic condition; 15 were subsequently confirmed at the face-to-face visits. All of the patients with inflammatory, rheumatic conditions were identified at the telerheumatology visits. The overall correlation was 79% between the telerheumatology and face-to-face visits. Among patients with inflammatory, rheumatic conditions, 66% preferred a face-to-face visit compared with 41% among those without such conditions (not significant). Immediately after the telerheumatology visit, all of the patients gave a 10 out of 10 rating for satisfaction. During the subsequent telephone survey, 30 remained highly satisfied with the telemedicine encounter (10 out of 10 rating).
CONCLUSIONS
Telerheumatology at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs was well received by patients; provided an accurate diagnosis of noninflammatory, nonrheumatic conditions; and may be appropriate for screening and prioritizing patients for in-person rheumatology clinics. | 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000811 |
others_199_13617 | Helminths are metazoan organisms many of which have evolved parasitic life styles dependent on sophisticated manipulation of the host environment. Most notably, they down-regulate host immune responses to ensure their own survival, by exporting a range of immuno-modulatory mediators that interact with host cells and tissues. While a number of secreted immunoregulatory parasite proteins have been defined, new work also points to the release of extracellular vesicles, or exosomes, that interact with and manipulate host gene expression. These recent results are discussed in the overall context of how helminths communicate effectively with the host organism. © 2016 The Authors | 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.06.003 |
pubmed_171_4600 | PURPOSE
To describe the use of a motorized milling drill to perform nonpenetrating glaucoma surgery and to assess its safety.
SETTING
Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Miguel Hernandez University, School of Medicine, Alicante, Spain.
METHODS
This prospective noncomparative study included 16 eyes (13 patients) diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma. The eyes were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (8 eyes) had a milling procedure, and Group 2 (8 eyes) had combined phacoemulsification and milling. A fornix-based conjunctival flap was created, and then the milling procedure was performed using a notched hemispherical metallic tip. Evolution of intraocular pressure (IOP), visual outcomes, and the development of intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated.
RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 67.9 years +/- 10.9 (SD) (range 50 to 80 years). In Group 1, the mean IOP preoperatively was 27.6 +/- 10.1 mm Hg (range 18 to 50 mm Hg) and after 6 months, 15.8 +/- 5.2 mm Hg (range 12 to 24 mm Hg). The mean IOP reduction 6 months postoperatively was 15.4 +/- 10.6 mm Hg, a 55.7% decrease from preoperatively. In Group 2, the mean IOP preoperatively was 21.7 +/- 4.6 mm Hg (range 13 to 30 mm Hg), and after 6 months, 16.2 +/- 3.4 mm Hg (range 13 to 23 mm Hg). The mean reduction in IOP at 6 months was 5.5 +/- 2.8 mm Hg, a decrease of 25.3% from the preoperative value. In Group 1 at 6 months, 5 eyes (62.5%) had a diffuse filtering bleb and 3 (37.5%), localized filtration. In Group 2, 7 eyes (87.5%) had a diffuse filtering bleb and 1 (12.5%) had fibrosis of the bleb and reduction of filtration.
CONCLUSION
The motorized milling drill can be safely used to mill and refine the remaining scleral thickness, eliminating the rupture of trabeculo-Descemet's membrane. | 10.1016/j.jcrs.2003.11.052 |
pubmed_905_2972 | While the prevalence of smoking has declined in the UK in recent years, class differentials in smoking behaviour have become more marked and smoking is increasingly recognised as a causal factor in inequalities in health. Health education initiatives to support both smoking cessation and to teach children about the health risks of smoking remain key initiatives in reducing health inequalities. However, teaching children about the risks of smoking and the impact of parental smoking in their health is not straightforward for children from backgrounds who are more likely to encounter smoking at home and in their local communities. These children have to reconcile the key messages taught at school and reinforced in smoking cessation campaigns with the knowledge that their parents and other family members smoke. In this paper we consider how children from smoking homes make sense of these education and health campaigns as observed by their parents, and the impact that this has on both parental smoking and relationships within the home. The paper thus seeks to challenge assumptions about the delivery of health education and the need to acknowledge family diversity. | 10.1080/14733285.2013.743284 |
pubmed_993_9251 | The heart and the lung make up an inseparable anatomic and functional unit. The changes in one affect the other and vice versa. In acute myocardial infarction a heart failure syndrome develops. This syndrome is characterized by passive pulmonary congestion, which leads to hypoxemia. This hypoxemia indicate the functional disturbance of the lung, and the hemodinamic evolution of the disease. Arterial gases determination is the best way to assess the sickness progression. A certain paralelism exists among the central venous saturation, cardiac insufficiency and the degree of pulmonary disfunction. Such a procedure is not very appreciable and does not substitute the direct analysis of the arterial PO2. The pulmonary complications in the myocardial infarction shock are directly responsable of death in 50% of the patients. To heart failure and shock, hipperfusion and hypoxia are added. Many vessels close due to the decrease in the pulmonary flow. This brings about the release of substances that are toxic to the vessel causing an inflammatory vascular reaction. The decrease in the flow harms the lung cell and for this reason atelectasia or alveolar colapse occur; besides inducing the formation of shunts. Under these conditions the lung compliance decreases. The areas that are badly ventilated and hypoperfused can easily become infected and pneumonitis and abscesses cause even more harm to the tissue. The decrease in the speed of circulation and hematologic changes of shock, induce a diseminated intravascular coagulation. What was stated before leads to an important reduction of the lung as a depurating organ and makes the shock irreversible. As far as therapy is concerned in the prevention of vascular colaps and the improvement of the oxemia, oxygen is very useful when there is a venous congestion (clinically, X rays, and oxemia). When the concentration of O2 is lower than 50% in the cases with slight cardiac failure; do not use oxygen in higher concentrations unless the hypoxia is associated to acute pulmonary edema and shock. Mechanic ventilators, and intermitent possitive pressure are recommended even though they have a posenous effect on the cardiac output. Always keep the air ways permeable: changing position, breathing exercises, humidifications, aspiration of secretions, intubation, or traqueostomy depending upon the various cases. | pubmed_993_9251 |
pubmed_466_11737 | An end-result study was made of 16 cases of avulsion of the insertion of the biceps brachii tendon. The follow-up period spanned one to 25 years post-treatment (average, eight years). Fourteen of the 16 cases included in the study were acute cases with primary repair and reinsertion of the biceps tendon into the area of the radial tuberosity. One case, with the loss of function of the biceps muscle secondary to temporary paralysis of the musculocutaneous nerve, was explored. The tendon was found intact and did not require repair. The sixteenth case was included for comparison of a patient who chose to forgo surgical treatment. One surgical procedure, a modification of Bunnell's technique, was used in treating all patients from 1954 to 1977. The surgically repaired biceps showed various amounts of residual impairment, ranging from negligible to limited restriction of preinjury activities. The treatment successfully returned 14 patients to their previous occupations and activities. The one case not surgically treated of the ten work-related injuries resulted in continuing disability compensation based on no greater than 20% of the entire extremity. This end-result study substantiates the positive results of this surgical technique, presents modifications of the surgical repair procedures, and allows for a similar long-range study of other treatment techniques. The evaluation of treatment methods is easily attainable by low technological clinical methods. | pubmed_466_11737 |
others_413_3868 | The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of rock climbing experience on time to fatigue (TTF), finger flexor force production relative to body weight (REL FP), and changes in finger flexor muscle activity during tread wall climbing.
MethodsEight advanced and seven novice sport rock climbers performed a climbing protocol on a treadwall system. The protocol consisted of climbing for six 5-minute intervals or until voluntary failure. A mounted force plate was used to measure finger force production before and after the climbing protocol. Subjects performed a 20-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) against the force plate with the dominant and non-dominant fingertips in a common climbing hand configuration known as a half crimp. Muscle activity was monitored with electromyographic electrodes placed bilaterally over the subjects flexor digitorum superficialis. Median frequency (MF) and root mean square (RMS) were analyzed. The treadwall was set at a difficulty of 9 IRCRA/5.9 YDS. It rotated at 7 m/min and was fixed at 7{degrees} overhanging.
ResultsSignificant group differences were observed in subject characteristics, TTF (30{+/-}0 vs. 25.7{+/-}3.6 min), REL FP (5.6{+/-}1.2 vs. 3.2{+/-}0.9 N/kg BW), {Delta}FP (+1.5{+/-}12.3% vs. -31{+/-}16%), and {Delta}MF (+6.3{+/-}22.4% vs. -17.6{+/-}10.9%).
ConclusionThe results of this study demonstrate that advanced climbers possess greater finger flexor force production and resistance to fatigue compared to novices during bouts of climbing on a treadwall system. This may be attributed to physiological changes due to years of training, such as metabolic adaptations and oxygenation capacity in the forearm musculatur | 10.1101/2020.04.27.20077560 |
pubmed_881_14723 | Positron emission tomography studies (PET) on dopamine (DA) D2 receptors of schizophrenics provided conflicting data, perhaps because the ligands generally used, raclopride (RAC) and spiperone (SPI), did not label the same sites. In this study, we found that the in vivo binding characteristics of [3H]RAC labeled twice as many sites in striatum and olfactory tubercle and [3H]SPI twice as many sites in pituitary. 2) The kinetic was much shorter with [3H]RAC than [3H]SPI in striatum. 3) RAC, unlike SPI, did not exhibit limbic selectivity. 4) The modulation of [3H]RAC and [3H]SPI binding by endogenous DA were diametrically opposite: D-amphetamine decreased, and reserpine + alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine increased [3H]RAC binding in striatum whereas the opposite occurred with [3H]SPI. This distinct binding pattern of [3H]RAC and [3H]SPI suggests that these two radioligands do not label the same receptor sites. | 10.3109/10799899709036618 |
pubmed_85_18537 | We report the long-term follow-up in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) + radical surgery (RS) + adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) analyzing prognostic factors which may more influence, in a long time, the survival outcome using univariate and multivariate analysis. In this study, we included all patients with diagnosis of locally advanced cervical cancer (IB2-IIB) treated with NACT + RS + ACT from June 2000 and February 2007 as previously described by Angioli et al. (Gynecol Oncol 127(2):290-6, 2012). The primary end-point of the study was overall survival (OS) in patients with node metastases and in those without positive lymph nodes at the end of 10-year follow-up in order to confirm the prognostic role of nodes involvement for a long period. Moreover, we analyzed the impact of other prognostic factors, such as histotype, tumor size, grading and parametrial invasion. Secondary end-point was evaluated in the subgroup of patients with positive nodes the following prognostic factors: number of positive lymph nodes and site of positive lymph nodes. In the subgroup of patients with positive nodes, the OS was 63 %, and in that with negative nodes, the OS was 75 %. On multivariate analysis, the number of nodal metastases, parametrial involvement, grading and the lesion diameter were noted to be significant factors in determining OS. Neither the histotype nor the lymph nodal site is related to survival. Results suggest that CT alone may be an alternative postoperative therapy for patients with cervical cancer. | 10.1007/s12032-016-0830-0 |
pubmed_745_16693 | The role of Asn-linked oligosaccharide in the functional properties of both human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and a genetic variant of t-PA was studied. Nonglycosylated and glycosylated wild-type t-PA were produced in mammalian cells which express recombinant t-PA. These proteins were compared in fibrin binding and 125I-labeled fibrin clot lysis assays, using purified components. The nonglycosylated form showed higher fibrin binding, as well as higher fibrinolytic potency than the glycosylated form. Subsequently, prevention of glycosylation of a t-PA variant which lacked the finger and epidermal growth factor domains (delta FE), was carried out in an attempt to enhance its fibrinolytic activity. Glycosylation was prevented by changing Asn to Gln; at Asn-117 to produce delta FE1X t-PA, and at Asn-117, -184, and -448 to produce delta FE3X t-PA. All variants were similar to wild-type t-PA in their catalytic dependence on fibrinogen fragments, fibrinolytic activity in fibrin autography analysis, and plasminogen activator activity. In a clot lysis assay, using citrated human plasma, the fibrinolytic potency of the variants were comparable to that of wild-type t-PA at activator concentrations of 17-51 nM (approximately 1-3 micrograms/ml). At 0.5-5.1 nM (approximately 0.03-0.3 micrograms/ml), however, the variant proteins had lower fibrinolytic potency than wild-type t-PA. Fifty percent lysis in 1.5 h for wild-type, delta FE, delta FE1X, and delta FE3X t-PA, required 2.5, 10, 7.5, and 5.5 nM t-PA, respectively. The fibrinogenolytic activity in human plasma was measured for wild-type, delta FE, delta FE1X, and delta FE3X t-PA, and showed significant fibrinogen depletion after 3 h of incubation at 51 nM, decreasing to 11, 11, 50, and 72% of basal levels, respectively. These data indicate that partial or total nonglycosylated t-PA variants have a higher fibrinolytic versus fibrinogenolytic ratio than their fully glycosylated counterparts. | pubmed_745_16693 |
pubmed_1107_21004 | Neospora caninum and N. caninum-like organisms are cyst-forming coccidian parasites known to cause neuromuscular disorders in dogs and abortion in cattle. In this article we report on the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of DNA from N. caninum. After determining the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) of N. caninum and Toxoplasma gondii, and part of the sequences for 4 species of Sarcocystis, we designed a primer set for the amplification of a 279-base-pair fragment of ITS1 from N. caninum. The PCR system made possible the specific detection of 5 N. caninum organisms and no amplification was observed from any of the other cyst-forming coccidia tested, including the closely related T. gondii. Furthermore, we were also able to demonstrate the presence of N. caninum in brain and lung tissue samples from experimentally infected mice. Our data also link the 5.8S rRNA gene for T. gondii and N. caninum to the 16S-like rRNA gene, within the rDNA unit. | 10.1017/s0031182000084742 |
pubmed_325_22375 | We use functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to discriminate the alert and drowsy states for a passive brain-computer interface (BCI). The passive brain signals for the drowsy state are acquired from the prefrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The experiment is performed on 13 healthy subjects using a driving simulator, and their brain activity is recorded using a continuous-wave fNIRS system. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is employed for training and testing, using the data from the prefrontal, left- and right-dorsolateral prefrontal regions. For classification, eight features are tested: mean oxyhemoglobin, mean deoxyhemoglobin, skewness, kurtosis, signal slope, number of peaks, sum of peaks, and signal peak, in 0~5, 0~10, and 0~15 second time windows, respectively. The results show that the best performance for classification is achieved using mean oxyhemoglobin, the signal peak, and the sum of peaks as features. The average accuracies in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (83.1, 83.4 and 84.9% in the 0~5, 0~10 and 0~15 second time windows, respectively) show that the proposed method has an effective utility for detection of drowsiness for a passive BCI. | 10.1364/BOE.6.004063 |
pubmed_1013_17362 | BACKGROUND
Among esophagogastric cancer patients, the probability of having undergone treatment with curative intent has been shown to vary, depending on the hospital of diagnosis. However, little is known about the factors that contribute to this variation. In this study, we sought to understand the organization of clinical pathways and their association with variation in practice.
METHODS
A mixed-method study using quantitative and qualitative data was conducted. Quantitative data were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (e.g., outpatient clinic consultations and diagnostic procedures). For qualitative data, thematic content analysis was performed using semi-structured interviews (n = 30), observations of outpatient clinic consultations (n = 26), and multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTM, n = 16) in eight hospitals, to assess clinicians' perspectives regarding the clinical pathways.
RESULTS
Quantitative analyses showed that patients more often underwent surgical consultation prior to the MDTM in hospitals associated with a high probability of receiving treatment with curative intent, but more often consulted with a geriatrician in hospitals associated with a low probability of such treatment. The organization of clinical pathways was analyzed quantitatively at three levels: regional, local, and patient levels. At a regional level, hospitals differed in terms of the number of patients discussed during the MDTM. At the local level, the revision of radiological images and restaging after neoadjuvant treatment varied. At the patient level, some hospitals routinely conduct fitness tests, whereas others estimated the patient's physical fitness during an outpatient clinic consultation. Few clinicians performed a standard geriatric consultation in older patients to assess their mental fitness and frailty.
CONCLUSION
Surgical consultation prior to MDTM was more often conducted in hospitals associated with a high probability of receiving treatment with curative intent, whereas a geriatrician was consulted more often in hospitals associated with a low probability of receiving such treatment. | 10.1186/s12913-022-07845-2 |
pubmed_765_5376 | BACKGROUND
Putative castration-resistant (CR) stem-like cells (CRSC) have been identified based on their ability to initiate and drive prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence following castration in vivo. Yet the relevance of these CRSC in the course of the human disease and particularly for the transition from hormone-naive (HN) to castration-resistance is unclear. In this study, we aimed at deciphering the significance of CRSC markers in PCa progression.
METHODS
We constructed a tissue microarray comprising 112 matched HN and CR tissue specimens derived from 55 PCa patients. Expression of eight stemness-associated markers (ALDH1A1, ALDH1A3, ALDH3A1, BMI1, NANOG, NKX3.1, OCT4, SOX2) was assessed by immunohistochemistry and scored as a percentage of positive tumor cells. For each marker, the resulting scores were statistically analyzed and compared to pathological and clinical data associated with the samples. Unsupervised clustering analysis was performed to stratify patients according to the expression of the eight CRSC markers. Publicly-available transcriptional datasets comprising HN and CR PCa samples were interrogated to assess the expression of the factors in silico.
RESULTS
Immunohistochemical assessment of paired samples revealed atypical patterns of expression and intra- and intertumor heterogeneity for a subset of CRSC markers. While the expression of particular CRSC markers was dynamic over time in some patients, none of the markers showed significant changes in expression upon the development of castration resistance (CR vs HN). Using unsupervised clustering approaches, we identified phenotypic subtypes based on the expression of specific stem-associated markers. In particular, we found (a) patterns of mutual exclusivity for ALDH1A1 and ALDH1A3 expression, which was also observed at the transcriptomic level in publicly-available PCa datasets, and (b) a phenotypic cluster associated with more aggressive features. Finally, by comparing HN and CR matched samples, we identified phenotypic cluster switches (ie, change of phenotypic cluster between the HN and CR state), that may be associated with clinical and predictive relevance.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate stemness-associated patterns that are associated with the development of castration-resistance. These results pave the way toward a deeper understanding of the relevance of CRSC markers in PCa progression and resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy. | 10.1002/pros.24039 |
pubmed_260_17331 | It has been proposed that nuclear and cytosolic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](N) and [Ca(2+)](C)) may be regulated independently. We address here the issue of whether inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) can, bypassing changes of [Ca(2+)](C), produce direct release of Ca(2+) into the nucleoplasm. We have used targeted aequorins to selectively measure and compare the changes in [Ca(2+)](C) and [Ca(2+)](N) induced by IP(3) in GH(3) pituitary cells. Heparin, an IP(3) inhibitor that does not permeate the nuclear pores, abolished the [Ca(2+)](C) peaks but inhibited only partly the [Ca(2+)](N) peaks. The permeant inhibitor 2-aminoethoxy-diphenyl-borate (2-APB) blocked both responses. Removal of ATP also inhibited more strongly the [Ca(2+)](C) than [Ca(2+)](N) peak. The [Ca(2+)](N) and [Ca(2+)](C) responses differed also in their sensitivity to IP(3), the nuclear response showing higher affinity. Among IP(3) receptors, type 2 (IP(3)R2) has a higher affinity for IP(3) and is not inactivated by ATP removal. We find that IP(3)R2 immunoreactivity is present inside the nucleus whereas the other IP(3)R subtypes are detected only in the cytoplasm. The nuclear envelope (NE) of GH(3) cells showed deep invaginations into the nucleoplasm, with cytosol and cytoplasmic organella inside. These results indicate that GH(3) pituitary cells possess mechanisms able to produce selective increases of [Ca(2+)](N). | 10.1016/j.ceca.2007.05.005 |
pubmed_1007_4635 | This study assessed the potential of Potamogeton crispus and Pomacea canaliculata as biomonitors of sedimentary metal contamination. The results indicate P. crispus possesses several attributes of a biomonitor and its tissue concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn may reflect the levels of sedimentary contamination by these metals. Although P. canaliculata can accumulate metals to high levels and serve as an indicator of metal contamination, its tissue metal concentrations did not correlate with those of the sediments or macrophytes. | 10.1007/s00128-008-9428-3 |
others_60_11328 | Controlled activation of hepatocyte aggregation is critical to three-dimensional (3D) multicellular morphogenesis during native regeneration of liver as well as tissue reconstruction therapies. In this work, we quantify the stimulatory effects of two model hepatotrophic activators, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), on the aggregation kinetics and liver-specific function of hepatocytes cultured on organotypic substrates with differing mechanical resistivity. Substrate-specific morphogenesis of cultured hepatocytes is induced on a tissue basement membrane extract, Matrigel, formulated at two distinct levels of mechanical compliance (storage modulus G′, at oscillatory shear rate 1 rad/s, was 34 Pa for basal Matrigel and 118 Pa for crosslinked Matrigel). Overall, we report that growth factor stimulation selectively promotes the kinetics of aggregation in the form of two-dimensional corded aggregates on basal Matrigel and three-dimensional spheroidal aggregates on crosslinked Matrigel. Our analysis also indicates that costimulation with EGF and HGF (20 ng/mL each) cooperatively maximizes the kinetics of aggregation in a substrate-specific manner. In addition, we show that the role of growth factor stimulation on hepatocyte function is sensitively governed by the mechanical compliance of the substrate. In particular, on matrices with high compliance, costimulatory aggregation is shown to elicit a marked increase in albumin secretion rate, whereas on matrices with low compliance aggregation results in effective functional repression to basal, unstimulated levels. Thus, our studies highlight a novel interplay of physicochemical parameters of the culture microenvironment, leading to selective enhancement or repression of differentiated functions of hepatocytes, in concert with the activation of cellular morphogenesis. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 69: 359-369, 2000 | 10.1002/1097-0290(20000820)69:4<359::AID-BIT2>3.0.CO;2-Q |
others_45_7754 | The Cl- transport characteristics of the human leukemic cell lines K562 and HL60, with erythroid and granulocytic phenotypic features, respectively, were investigated. Cl- effluxes were measured with 36Cl- under equilibrium conditions in both cell lines and were found to be three orders of magnitude slower than the unidirectional efflux of Cl- in normal erythrocytes. Induction of differentiation of the K562 cell line with hemin does not affect the rate of Cl- transport, while induction of the HL60 cell line with dimethyl sulfoxide results in a small decrease in the rate of Cl- transport. Cl- transport in both cell lines could be divided into two components. One component is inhibited by treatment with 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), displays counter-transport characteristics, and has a high energy of activation--all properties characteristic of the human erythrocyte-facilitated anion exchange system. The second component is insensitive to DIDS, is partially inhibited by furosemide, and has a low energy of activa | others_45_7754 |
pubmed_469_21643 | BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a rare neurosurgical emergency, associated with deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones. Few studies have explored the relative outcomes associated with conservative and neurosurgical intervention.
METHODS
A retrospective evaluation of all patients with PA reviewed at Morriston Hospital was undertaken and diagnosis was obtained from Morriston database (Leicester Clinical Workstation database) between 1998 and 2019 from clinic letters and discharge summaries.
RESULTS
Thirty-nine patients with PA were identified with a mean age of 74.5 years and 20 (51.3%) patients were women. Patients were followed up for a mean±SD 68.1±61.7 months. Twenty-three (59.0%) patients had a known pituitary adenoma. Commoner clinical presentations of PA were ophthalmoplegia or visual field loss. Following PA, 34 (87.2%) patients were noted to have a non-functioning pituitary adenoma (either pre-existing or new), while 5 (12.8%) patients had a pre-existing functional macroadenoma. Neurosurgical intervention was taken in 15 (38.5%) patients of which 3 (20.0%) patients also received radiotherapy, 2 (13.3%) patients had radiotherapy alone and the remainder managed conservatively. External ophthalmoplegia recovered in all cases. Visual loss remained in all cases. One (2.6%) patient with chromophobe adenoma had a significant second episode of PA requiring repeat surgery.
CONCLUSION
PA often occurs in patients with undiagnosed adenoma. Hypopituitarism commonly occurred following conservative or surgical treatment. External ophthalmoplegia resolved in all cases, however, visual loss did not recover. Pituitary tumour recurrence and further PA episodes are rare. | 10.1136/postgradmedj-2022-141836 |
others_171_10960 | The effect of dexamethasone (Dex) on protection of vaccinated buffaloes against challenge by wild-type Pasteurella multocida B:2 was studied. Sixty field buffaloes were selected and divided into 3 groups. Buffaloes of group 1 was exposed intranasally to 106 CFU mL_1 of the gdhA derivative P. multocida B:2. Buffaloes of group 2 were not vaccinated but were allowed to commingle with the buffaloes of group 1. Buffaloes of group 3 remained un-vaccinated and were kept separated. Serum samples were collected prior to and at 2-monthly intervals post-exposure for 12 months to determine the levels of IgG. At the end of the 12-month period, three buffaloes from each group were selected and injected intramuscularly with dexamethasone at the dose rate of 1 mg kg-1 b.wt. for 3 consecutive days. Following dexamethasone treatment, all selected buffaloes were challenged subcutaneously with 109 CFU mL_1 of wild-type P. multocida B:2. There was significant (p<0.05) increase in the IgG levels in groups 1 and 2 following the intranasal exposure. The dexamethasone treatment resulted in significant (p<0.05) and rapid reduction in the IgG levels in the control group 3. Groups 1 and 2 showed insignificant (p>0.05) reduction. Following challenge, all control group 3 succumbed the infection while buffaloes of groups 1 and 2 survived the challenge. In conclusion, dexamethasone injections did not significantly reduce the protective efficacy of the live attenuated gdhA derivative P. multocida B:2 but significantly predisposed unvaccinated buffaloes to the infection. © 2013 Academic Journals I | 10.3923/ajava.2013.548.554 |
pubmed_346_10110 | The history of ECMO and the development of its present-day use is discussed. The results of the National ECMO Registry and the first 100 patients at Children's Hospital National Medical Center are presented. Future developments and directions of ECMO are presented. | pubmed_346_10110 |
pubmed_888_6275 | Migration of cancer cells is one of the key factors responsible for cancer metastasis. The elucidation of mechanisms responsible for the highly invasive potential of cancer cells can help to identify specific targets for the treatment of cancer patients. Highly invasive cancers are usually characterized by aberrant activity of specific intra- or extracellular molecules such as protein kinases, phosphatases, transcriptional factors, proteolytic enzymes, and others. Protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) are responsible for the constitutive activity of transcriptional factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 in some of the highly invasive cancers. Furthermore, NF-kappaB and AP-1 control the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR), and expression of both uPA and uPAR correlates with invasive cancer cell phenotype and poor prognosis. The inhibition of PKC and PI3K signaling (through NF-kappaB and AP-1) suppressed the secretion of uPA, resulting in the inhibition of motility of highly invasive breast cancer cells. Therefore, inhibition of specific target molecules in common signaling pathway(s) responsible for metastatic spread can have potential clinical relevance. This review will summarize different approaches to targeting distinct signaling molecules involved in cancer invasion and metastasis. | 10.2174/1568009043332961 |
pubmed_548_21462 | BACKGROUND
Articular cartilage has poor intrinsic capacity for regeneration because of its avascularity and very slow cellular turnover. Defects deriving from trauma or joint disease tend to be repaired with fibrocartilage rather than hyaline cartilage. Consequent degenerative processes are related to the width and depth of the defect. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) deriving from patients affected by osteoarthritis have a lower proliferative and chondrogenic activity, the systemic or local delivery of heterologous cells may enhance regeneration or inhibit the progressive loss of joint tissue. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are very promising, since they can self-renew for prolonged periods without differentiation and can differentiate into tissues from all the 3 germ layers. To date only a few experiments have used ESCs for the study of the cartilage regeneration in animal models and most of them used laboratory animals. Sheep, due to their anatomical, physiological and immunological similarity to humans, represent a valid model for translational studies. This experiment aimed to evaluate if the local delivery of male sheep embryonic stem-like (ES-like) cells into osteochondral defects in the femoral condyles of adult sheep can enhance the regeneration of articular cartilage. Twenty-two ewes were divided into 5 groups (1, 2, 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery). Newly formed tissue was evaluated by macroscopic, histological, immunohistochemical (collagen type II) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) assays.
RESULTS
Regenerated tissue was ultimately evaluated on 17 sheep. Samples engrafted with ES-like cells had significantly better histologic evidence of regeneration with respect to empty defects, used as controls, at all time periods.
CONCLUSIONS
Histological assessments demonstrated that the local delivery of ES-like cells into osteochondral defects in sheep femoral condyles enhances the regeneration of the articular hyaline cartilage, without signs of immune rejection or teratoma for 24 months after engraftment. | 10.1186/s12917-014-0301-9 |
pubmed_364_17684 | BACKGROUND
As one of the vital signs, the respiratory rate is an important index of general health in an initial examination. The duration of respiratory rate measurements is known to influence the results in adults. We examined the difference in respiratory rate measurements between two measurement durations in a pediatric population.
METHODS
The prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 through March 2018 at Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Medical Center and analyzed differences in the respiratory rate in a 1 min group and 30 s group using the Bland-Altman plot.
RESULTS
Ninety-five patients were enrolled. The median age was 0.99 years, and 50 patients were male. The correlation between the results of the 30 s and 1 min measurement durations was good (r2 = 0.970, P < 0.001; Spearman's rank correlation). The mean difference between the 30 s and 1 min measurement results was 0.86 (95% confidence interval: 0.27-1.45).
CONCLUSIONS
The shorter measurement duration may result in overestimation of the respiratory rate, especially in young children or children with tachypnea. Nonetheless, the shorter measurement times correlated well with the 1 min measurement, and the difference was less than one per minute compared with the 1 min measurement. Thus, this method may be able to detect life-threatening conditions earlier than longer measurement times. | 10.1111/ped.14513 |
pubmed_684_450 | We report a historical case of hyperparathyroidism in a young patient hospitalized for an array of osteolytic foci and incomplete fracture associated with a swollen neck, revealing a very special form of a metastatic parathyroid carcinoma with unusual multiple locations and exceptional medullary flooding. Carcinoma of the parathyroid gland produces a malignant hypersecreting tumor particularly difficult to diagnose. Treatment of this rare tumor is primarily surgical. The preoperative syndrome is unusually severe primary hyperparathyroidism. Intraoperatively, the size of the tumor and its local extension to surrounding tissue are highly suggestive. Confirmation requires pathological analysis of the operative specimens and can be further supported by the clinical course of local recurrence or metastasic spread. Specific immunohistochemical techniques have recently been shown to be contributive. The diagnosis is strengthened in the presence of associated Schantz and Castelman criteria. Foci of local extension can be identified preoperatively with ultrasound, (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy and MRI of the neck and mediastinum. The prognosis depends mainly on the possibility of achieving complete resection at the initial surgery. In some cases, very aggressive complementary postoperative radiotherapy is likely to improve locoregional control of the tumor. Chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiation has not demonstrated its effectiveness. The disease course and control can be monitored by regular assay of serum calcium and the parathormone. | 10.1016/j.ando.2008.08.001 |
pubmed_467_26111 | OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate and compare the outcomes in patients undergoing pharyngeal closure with the linear stapler and suture techniques after total laryngectomy.
METHODS
Forty-one patients who needed total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups according to the pharyngeal closure technique: the linear stapler group (Group A) and the suture closure group (Group B). Rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF), nasogastric tube (NGT) removal time and pharyngeal closure time were analyzed and compared between the two groups.
RESULTS
PCF developed in three patients in Group A (14.3%) and in seven patients in Group B (35%). Although the rate of PCF was lower in Group A, this did not represent a statistical difference (p:0.129). Median NGT removal time was 12 days (IQR=3) and 19.5 days (IQR=1) in Groups A and B, respectively. Median NGT removal time was not statistically different between the two groups (p:0.642). All patients were able to swallow liquids and solids without difficulty. Median pharyngeal closure time was 3 minutes (IQR=1) and 37.5 minutes (IQR=9) in Groups A and B, respectively. Median pharyngeal closure time was significantly lower in Group A (p:0.00).
CONCLUSION
The linear stapler technique in total laryngectomy is a reliable, safe, easy-to-apply and time-saving method. Closure with linear stapler significantly reduces pharyngeal closure time without adverse effect on NGT removal times and PCF rates. | 10.5152/tao.2019.4469 |
pubmed_139_15291 | In an attempt to determine whether radiation therapy leads to an increased density of salivary glands on subsequent contrast-enhanced CT, 109 CT scans from 78 patients with head and neck tumors were reviewed. The density of parotid and submandibular glands was subjectively evaluated (compared with adjacent muscle) and correlated with treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Density of the parotid and/or submandibular glands was found to be significantly associated with previous irradiation on contrast-enhanced scans (p less than .05). One or both glands were denser than normal in seven (44%) of 16 patients who received only radiation therapy and in eight (38%) of 21 who received chemotherapy and radiation therapy, compared with only two (10%) of 20 patients who received chemotherapy alone and two (4%) of 52 patients who received neither. The type or amount of irradiation, type of chemotherapy, or timing of the CT scan after the initiation of treatment was not found to be significant. We conclude that the density of the parotid and/or submandibular glands on contrast-enhanced CT is frequently increased after radiation therapy for tumors of the head and neck. | 10.2214/ajr.149.6.1259 |
others_179_4945 | Cell division of Mycobacterium vaccae was initiated by deposition of new wall material in the cross wall. The surface layers of the old wall remained continuous until septum formation was complete. Subsequently, rupture of the outer cell wall layers occurred circumferentially, leaving rings on the cell wall. The two daughter cells remained connected with each other at the new pole and bent to form V-shaped structures at the connecting poin | others_179_4945 |
pubmed_433_22278 | BACKGROUND
Cervical herniation is commonly treated by anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) if conservative management has failed in relief of the patient's symptoms. Disc fusion is needed after ACDF as anterior longitudinal ligament will be absent after doing the operation, especially if multiple levels are needed. The occurrence of complications as cage subsidence and adjacent segment failure related to the length of follow up as they are increasing in percentage is directly proportional to the length of follow up.
AIM
Analysis of the results for patients who underwent 3 levels of ACDF with cage fusion for short term and long term follow up in multiple centres as the visual analogue score for neck pain & brachialgia.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort series of 68 patients selected out of 136 patients suffering from 3 levels of degenerative cervical disc disease who were unresponsive to adequate conservative therapy. All cases were treated at one of the neurosurgery departments of 3 different hospitals (Naser institute for research and treatment hospital, Haram hospital for research and treatment and Misr university for science and technology) by the same surgical team in the period from February 2012 to February 2017.
RESULTS
We found in this study;68 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria, of the 29 patients underwent 3 levels of ACDF starting from C3-4 (42.65%) and 39 patients who underwent 3 levels of ACDF starting from C4-5 (57.35%). Clinical assessment for VAS pain score for both neck pain and radiculopathy were done before the surgery and immediately post-operative and during each time follow up visit and we found statistically significant immediate postoperative improvement. (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Stand-alone three levels of an anterior cervical discectomy with cage fusion technique improved the clinical outcomes on long term follow up. | 10.3889/oamjms.2019.631 |
pubmed_177_14581 | The numbers and success of minority students in science and the health fields remain relatively low. This study presents the outcomes of a research training program as an illustrative case study. The Short-Term Training Program for Minority Students (STPMS) recruits underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate students for immersion in research training. A total of 69 students participated in the STPMS between 1995 and 2012, and 59 of these completed our survey to determine the perceived impact of the program on the students' motivations and professional development. Results indicated that motivations to participate in the STPMS were commonly related to long-term professional development, such as obtaining mentoring and guidance in career decision making, rather than gaining specific research skills or for economic reasons. Students reported that participation in short-term research training had the most significant effect on improving their attitudes toward biomedical research and promoted positive attitudes toward future careers in health research. A total of 85% of the program's alumni have since completed or are currently working toward a degree in higher education, and 79% are currently working in science research and health care fields. Overall, the short-term training program improved students' attitudes toward research and health science careers. Mentoring and career guidance were important in promoting academic development in students. | 10.1016/j.aogh.2017.08.001 |
pubmed_57_17682 | The nonlinear optical properties of nanocrystalline-Si/SiO2 (nc-Si/SiO2) multilayers have been investigated through Z-scan technique by using a Ti-sapphire laser with 50-fs pulse duration at 800 nm as a pump laser. It is interesting to note that with increasing the annealing temperature to make the sample change from amorphous phase to nanocrystalline state, the nonlinear absorption turns the reverse saturation absorption into saturation absorption while the nonlinear optical refraction is also changed simultaneously from self-defocusing to self-focusing. We propose that the localized states at the nc-Si/SiO2 interfaces play the key role in the observed switching behaviors. Our results demonstrate that the tunable optical nonlinearities can be achieved by controlling the microstructures of nc-Si, which can be used as engineering different nonlinear optical devices. | 10.1186/1556-276X-9-28 |
pubmed_382_19689 | A combinatorial approach to receptor design provides an expedient method to discover the most effective host-guest complexes from within a library. Recent advances focus on generation of larger libraries, facile detection, combinatorial catalysis and the formation of dynamic receptor libraries. | 10.1016/S1367-5931(99)80047-7 |
pubmed_625_5283 | BACKGROUND
According to the AMNOG act, the German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) determines the additional benefit of new medicines as a basis for subsequent price negotiations. Pharmaceutical companies may withdraw their medications from the market at any time during the process. This analysis aims to compare recommendations in clinical guidelines and HTA appraisals of medicines that were withdrawn from the German market since the introduction of AMNOG in 2011.
METHODS
Medications withdrawn from the German market between January 2011 and June 2016 following benefit assessment were categorized as opt-outs (max. 2 weeks after start of price negotiations) or supply terminations (during or after further price negotiations). Related guidelines were systematically analyzed. For all withdrawals, therapeutic area, additional benefit rating and recommendation status in relevant clinical guidelines were assessed.
RESULTS
Among 139 medications, 10 opt-outs and 12 supply terminations were identified. Twenty-one out of 22 withdrawn medicines (95%) received 'no additional benefit' appraisal by the G-BA (average 'no additional benefit' rating for all AMNOG products: 47%). Of the 22 medicines, 15 (68%) were recommended by at least one guideline at the time of benefit assessment and 18 (82%) on 1 June 2016. Heterogeneity among guidelines was high. Acceptance of clinical trial endpoints was different between G-BA appraisals and clinical guidelines.
CONCLUSION
Our analysis revealed considerable differences across clinical guidelines as well as between clinical guidelines and HTA appraisals of the medicines that were withdrawn from the German market. Better alignment of the clinical perspective and close collaboration between all involved parties is required to achieve and maintain optimization of patient care. | 10.1186/s13561-018-0209-3 |
pubmed_496_4201 | Various strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria produce bicomponent toxins such as leukocidin LukE/LukD consisting of two subunits S (LukE) and F (LukD). The toxin subunits bind to leukocyte cell membrane inducing transmembrane pore formation and subsequent cell lysis. There is a lack of data on the effects of staphylococcal leukocidin LukE/LukD on fish immunocompetent cells in vitro. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of leukocidin LukE/LukD on the proliferative ability of T and B lymphocytes isolated from head kidney and spleen of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). The response of T and B lymphocytes was stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and lypopolysaccharide (LPS) respectively and measured by the MTT test. The results revealed the modulatory influence of staphylococcal leukocidin LukE/LukD on the proliferative ability of fish T and B lymphocytes. The highest concentrations (5000-25000 ng ml(-1) of medium) of complete leukocidin LukE/LukD and its subunit LukE induced statistically significant suppression of both head kidney and splenic T and B lymphocyte proliferation. On the other hand, the lowest concentrations of the complete toxin (0.32-1.6 ng ml(-1) of medium) caused slight but statistically significant stimulation of both head kidney and splenic T and B lymphocyte proliferative ability. No modulatory effects were observed at any concentration of subunit LukD used in the experiment. There is a need for further studies concerning the susceptibility of other immune cell populations isolated from fish to different types of staphylococcal leukocidin. | 10.1016/j.fsi.2005.07.002 |
pubmed_27_15273 | In previous studies we showed that 5 days of treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and stem cell factor (SCF) mobilized murine repopulating cells to the peripheral blood (PB) and that these cells could be efficiently transduced with retroviral vectors. We also found that, 7-14 days after cytokine treatment, the repopulating ability of murine bone marrow (BM) increased 10-fold. In this study we examined the efficiency of gene transfer into cytokine-primed murine BM cells and extended our observations to a nonhuman primate autologous transplantation model. G-CSF/SCF-primed murine BM cells collected 7-14 days after cytokine treatment were equivalent to post-5-fluorouracil BM or G-CSF/SCF-mobilized PB cells as targets for retroviral gene transfer. In nonhuman primates, CD34-enriched PB cells collected after 5 days of G-CSF/SCF treatment and CD34-enriched BM cells collected 14 days later were superior targets for retroviral gene transfer. When a clinically approved supernatant infection protocol with low-titer vector preparations was used, monkeys had up to 5% of circulating cells containing the vector for up to a year after transplantation. This relatively high level of gene transfer was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Engraftment after transplantation using primed BM cells was more rapid than that using steady-state bone marrow, and the fraction of BM cells saving the most primitive CD34+/CD38- or CD34+/CD38dim phenotype increased 3-fold. We conclude that cytokine priming with G-CSF/SCF may allow collection of increased numbers of primitive cells from both the PB and BM that have improved susceptibility to retroviral transduction, with many potential applications in hematopoietic stem cell-directed gene therapy. | 10.1073/pnas.93.21.11871 |
pubmed_724_18904 | BACKGROUND
A number of neurophysiological characteristics demonstrated in autism share the common theme of under-connectivity in the cerebral cortex. One of the prominent theories of the cause of the dysfunctional connectivity in autism is based on distinct anatomical structures that differ between the autistic and the neurotypical cortex. The functional minicolumn has been identified as occupying a much smaller space in the cortex of people with autism as compared to neurotypical controls, and this aberration in architecture has been proposed to lead to under-connectivity at the local or within-macrocolumn level, which in turn leads to dysfunctional connectivity globally across cortical areas in persons with autism. Numerous reports have indicated reduced synchronization of activity on a large scale in the brains of people with autism. We hypothesized that if the larger-scale aberrant dynamics in autism were due - at least in part - to a widespread propagation of the errors introduced at the level of local connectivity between minicolumns, then aberrations in local functional connectivity should also be detectable in autism.
METHODS
Recently, we reported a method for measuring the perceptual changes that are impacted by the presence of synchronized conditioning stimuli on the skin. In this study, the temporal order judgment (TOJ) and temporal discriminative threshold (TDT) of 10 adult autism subjects were assessed both in the absence and presence of synchronized conditioning vibrotactile stimuli.
RESULTS
Our previous report demonstrated that delivering simultaneous and synchronized vibrotactile stimuli to near-adjacent skin sites decreases a subject's ability to determine temporal order by 3 to 4-fold. However, results presented in this report show that subjects with autism do not demonstrate such decreased capacity in temporal order judgment (TOJ) in the presence of synchronized conditioning stimuli, although these same subjects do have TOJ thresholds well above that of controls.
CONCLUSION
It is speculated that the differences in sensory perceptual capacities in the presence of synchronized conditioning stimuli in autism are due to local under-connectivity in cortex at the minicolumnar organizational level, and that the above-average TOJ thresholds in autism could be attributed to structural differences that have been observed in the frontostrial system of this population. | 10.1186/1744-9081-4-19 |
pubmed_703_4896 | Recent genome-wide association studies showed that four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DP (rs3077 and rs9277535) and HLA-DQ (rs2856718 and rs7453920) were associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Japanese populations. More than 75% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are attributable to persistent infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV), especially in China. We genotyped these four SNPs in 1,300 HBV-positive HCC patients, 1,344 persistent HBV carriers, and 1,344 persons with HBV natural clearance from Southeast China to further test the associations of HLA-DP/DQ variants and with risk of both HBV clearance and HCC development. Logistic regression analyses showed that HLA-DQ rs2856718 significantly decreased host HCC risk, whereas three SNPs were associated with HBV clearance (HLA-DP rs9277535 as well as HLA-DQ rs7453920 and rs2856718). In addition, HLA-DP rs3077 showed an approaching significant effect on susceptibility to HBV persistent infection and HCC development when considering multiple testing adjustments. Taken together, we report, for the first time, that genetic variants in the HLA-DP and HLA-DQ loci may be marker SNPs for risk of both HBV clearance and HCC development. | 10.1002/hep.24799 |
pubmed_14_2309 | Bacterial transport experiments were conducted using intact sediment cores collected from sites on the Delmarva Peninsula near South Oyster, VA, to delineate the relative importance of physical and chemical heterogeneity in controlling transport of an adhesion-deficient bacterial strain. Electron microscopy revealed that the sediments consisted of quartz and feldspar with a variable amount of clay and iron and aluminum hydroxide coatings on the grains. A nonmotile, gram-negative indigenous groundwater strain, designated as Comamonas sp. DA001, was injected into the cores along with a conservative tracer bromide (Br). DA001 cells were 1.2 x 0.6 microm in size with a hydrophilic surface and a slightly negative surface charge. Bacterial breakthrough preceded that of Br. This differential advection phenomenon can be accounted for by reduction of the effective porosity for the bacteria relative to Br. The distribution of cells remaining in the core as determined by scintillation counting and phosphor imaging techniques was variable, ranging from nearly uniform concentrations throughout the core to exponentially decreasing concentrations with distance from the point of injection. The fraction of bacterial retention in the core was positively correlated with the abundance of the metal hydroxides and negatively correlated with grain size. Because grain size was inversely correlated with the abundance of the metal hydroxide coatings, it was necessary to separate the effects of grain size and mineralogy. The fraction of the bacterial retention accounting for the effect of grain size, the collision efficiency, exhibited no correlation with the abundance of the metal hydroxides, indicating that the bacterial retention was primarily controlled by grain size. Reasons for the lack of influence of mineralogy on bacterial transport include (i) the slightly negatively charged bacterial surfaces; (ii) an insufficient heterogeneity of sediment surface properties; and (iii) the masking of the positive charge of the metal hydroxide surfaces by adsorbed organic carbon (up to 1180 ppm). This study demonstrates that the laboratory-based bacterial transport experiments are effective in delineating physical versus chemical controlling factors and provide an important link to field-based bacterial transport studies. | 10.1021/es010144t |
pubmed_746_3123 | OBJECTIVES
This paper presents the exposure assessment and job-exposure matrix (JEM) used to estimate coal tar pitch volatile (CTPV) exposure for a study of mortality and cancer incidence in aluminum smelter workers in Quebec, Canada.
METHODS
Historical CTPV exposure was assessed by estimating benzene-soluble material (BSM) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) levels for combinations of job and time period. Estimates were derived by using several procedures including averaging measurement data, a deterministic mathematical model using process-related correction factors, and expert-based extrapolation.
RESULTS
The JEM comprised 28,910 jobs, covering 7 facilities from 1916 to 1999. Estimated exposures ranged from 0.01 microg/m(3) to 68.08 microg/m(3) (B[a]P) and 0.01 mg/m(3) to 3.64 mg/m(3) (BSM) and were lowest before 1940 and after 1980.
CONCLUSION
This methodology constitutes an improvement compared with methods used for previous studies of the Quebec cohort. | 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181484cf3 |
pubmed_854_14118 | Wilms tumor (WT) is a triphasic malignant neoplasm comprised of variable proportions of epithelial, blastemal, and mesenchymal (stromal) elements. Cytogenetic analysis of these tumors has revealed a number of recurring abnormalities, including hyperdiploidy and structural abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 7, 11, and 16. We describe a WT in which apparently unrelated cytogenetic clones were detected at diagnosis, when the predominant histologic component was blastema, and after therapy, when the tumor was composed primarily of stroma. At diagnosis, a pseudodiploid karyotype was present, characterized by an X;14 insertion with concurrent deletion of 14q. In contrast, the post-therapy specimen had a hyperdiploid karyotype with a constellation of gains typical for WT. The presence of clonal abnormalities in both the blastemal and mesenchymal components of a WT supports the hypothesis that the stromal component is neoplastic, rather than reactive. The clonal abnormalities seen in different histologic components of the same WT are typically related or identical. The finding in this case of apparently unrelated clones is unusual. Possible etiologies for this biclonality, and clinical implications, are discussed. | 10.1016/j.cancergencyto.2004.09.012 |
pubmed_472_3080 | BACKGROUND
A potentially important factor yet to receive adequate study is the time when hospital falls occur. A prior study conducted before the system-wide introduction of preventive measures revealed a biphasic 24-hour pattern of hospital falls with major peak in the morning.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose was to identify the temporal patterning of falls among elderly patients in hospitals with comprehensive fall prevention programs in place.
METHODS
A 4-year observational study was conducted by the local health authority in the five nonteaching public hospitals located in the province of Ferrara, Italy. Fall records involving patients of ages ≥65 years hospitalized in the general medical departments were used. Single- and multiple-component cosinor (time series) analyses were used to explore 24-hour, weekly, and annual patterns of falls.
RESULTS
A total of 763 falls were experienced by 709 different elderly hospitalized patients. Falls typically took place in the patient's hospital room (72%) and bathroom (23%). Major causes were patient instability (32%) and accident (13%), and most occurred when not wearing footwear (45%) or wearing inappropriate sling-back open-toe shoes (39%). Falls happened while standing (39%), while seated (21%), and while getting into, out of, or laying in bed (32%)-either with the bed rails raised or lowered. Fall outcome usually involved no injury (58%) or slight injury (35%), but some (7%) were disabling. Fall occurrence was higher during the night (46%) compared to either the morning (30%) or afternoon (24%) shift. Patterns across 24 hours were characterized by a single major and one or more minor peaks that seemed to be associated with a variety of scheduled patient, hospital, and nursing activities. Multiple-component cosinor analysis identified significant (p < .05) prominent day-night patterns according to fall location, patient position, cause, injury severity, and type of footwear. Falls were more frequent, but not significantly so, on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays compared with Tuesdays, and were more frequent in winter and spring (p = .003).
DISCUSSION
Documentation by cause and circumstance of these moderate- to high-amplitude temporal patterns in hospital falls of elderly patients advances the knowledge of fall epidemiology by identifying the times of day, week, and year and nursing shifts of elevated risk that is of critical importance to improving hospital patient safety programs. | 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000184 |
pubmed_334_1642 | CONTEXT
Calls for increased inclusion of men in matters of reproductive health emphasize the need for research into vasectomy acceptability and decision making. Vasectomy is a safe, simple and effective method of contraception, but is underused worldwide.
METHODS
Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted with potential and actual sterilization clients and their partners in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania. Content analysis was used to search for emergent themes related to vasectomy decision making.
RESULTS
Six themes emerged as overarching factors contributing to the vasectomy decision-making process: economics, spousal influence, religion, provider reputation and availability, uncertainty about the future, and poor vasectomy knowledge and understanding. There was substantial communication between partners regarding the vasectomy decision, and wives had a strong influence on the outcome; however, men and women agreed that husbands would resist vasectomy if wives initially raised the topic. Vasectomy acceptance is limited by the scarcity of skilled vasectomy providers and by the fact that men and women hold many of the same misunderstandings about vasectomy, including a fear of decreased sexual performance as a result of the procedure.
CONCLUSIONS
Spousal discussions are important in the decision to get a vasectomy, but these discussions should be initiated by the male partner. Programs need to educate men about contraceptive options, including vasectomies. Detailed, culturally relevant knowledge of the barriers and facilitators individuals experience during their decision- making process will enable vasectomy promotion programs to more successfully target appropriate populations. | 10.1363/3301307 |
pubmed_537_17115 | Rhodobacter sphaeroides is chemotactic to glutamate and most other amino acids. In Escherichia coli, chemotaxis involves a membrane-bound sensor that either binds the amino acid directly or interacts with the binding protein loaded with the amino acid. In R. sphaeroides, chemotaxis is thought to require both the uptake and the metabolism of the amino acid. Glutamate is accumulated by the cells via a binding protein-dependent system. To determine the role of the binding protein and transport in glutamate taxis, mutants were created by Tn5 insertion mutagenesis and selected for growth in the presence of the toxic glutamine analogue gamma-glutamyl-hydrazide. One of the mutants, R. sphaeroides MJ7, was defective in glutamate uptake but showed wild-type levels of binding protein. The mutant showed no chemotactic response to glutamate. Both glutamate uptake and chemotaxis were recovered when the gltP gene, coding for the H(+)-linked glutamate carrier of E. coli, was expressed in R. sphaeroides MJ7. It is concluded that the chemotactic response to glutamate strictly requires uptake of glutamate, supporting the view that intracellular metabolism is needed for chemotaxis in R. sphaeroides. | 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.mmi_18040641.x |
pubmed_475_6401 | BACKGROUND
It is important for targeted interventions to consider vulnerabilities of female sex workers (FSWs) such as poverty, work-related mobility, and literacy, for effective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention. This paper describes and examines the association of the Aastha HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention project in Mumbai and Thane, India, on the relationship between vulnerability and behavioral outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data were drawn from the Behavioural Tracking Survey, a cross-sectional behavioral study conducted in 2010 with 2,431 FSWs recruited in Mumbai and Thane. The key independent measures used were program exposure and "vulnerability index", a composite index of literacy, factors of dependence (alternative livelihood options, current debt, and children), and aspects of sex work (mobility and duration in sex work). Dependent measures included service uptake, self-confidence, self-identity, and individual agency. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the study objectives.
RESULTS
Of the analytical sample of 2,431 FSWs, 1,295 (53.3%) were categorized as highly vulnerable. Highly vulnerable FSWs who were associated with the Aastha program for more than a year were more likely to have accessed crisis-response services in the past 6 months (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-3.6; P<0.001), to have visited a clinic to get a checkup for STI symptoms (AOR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.8; P<0.015), not to be ashamed to disclose identity as an FSW to health workers (AOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.5; P<0.008), and to be confident in supporting a fellow FSW in crisis (AOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-2.8, P<0.033) compared to those less vulnerable with similar exposure to the Aastha program.
CONCLUSION
It is critical for HIV/STI interventions to consider vulnerabilities of FSWs at project inception and address them with focused strategies, including a segmented service-delivery model and community involvement, in order to strengthen the structural response to HIV prevention. | 10.2147/HIV.S54062 |
pubmed_877_5116 | The recovery of people with psychiatric disabilities requires high-quality nursing care. However, the existing research on the nursing competencies needed for caring for people with psychiatric disabilities have been based on a narrow competency framework. By adopting a broader competency framework, this study aimed to find the competencies needed for the nursing care of people with psychiatric disabilities in a hospital environment. Accordingly, a questionnaire will be developed to measure these competences. First, a literature review and interviews with psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and people with psychiatric disabilities were conducted to develop the pool of competency items. Second, a pilot study was conducted to review the initial pool of items. Finally, a survey of 581 psychiatric nurses was used to conduct a series of principal component analyses to explore the structure of the questionnaire. The 17-item questionnaire included 5 factors, which accounted for 68.60% of the total variance: sense of responsibility, vocational identification, agreeableness, cooperation capacity, and carefulness; the Cronbach's alpha coefficients were 0.85, 0.85, 0.74, 0.80, and 0.77, respectively. Most of the competencies belonged to attitudes, values, and traits, which were overlooked in previous studies. The questionnaire has satisfactory internal reliability and structural validity, and could contribute some to the selection of the psychiatric workforce. | 10.1007/s11126-018-9567-6 |
pubmed_298_6760 | BACKGROUND
Studies have shown that beyond public and self stigma, stigma can also impact family members. Only scant research has examined the internalised aspects of stigma, known as affiliate stigma, among family caregivers of individuals with disabilities. This study examined affiliate stigma among family caregivers of individuals with developmental disabilities via a comparison between caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and physical disabilities (PD) in Israel.
METHODS
Family caregivers (n = 171) of individuals with developmental disabilities, mainly ID (22.4%), ASD (32.9%) and PD (27.1%), completed a self-report structured questionnaire including the Affiliate Stigma Scale and background variables.
RESULTS
Results supported a one-factor structure for the Affiliate Stigma Scale. Overall, affiliate stigma was relatively low in this sample, but was found to be higher among caregivers of individuals with ASD when compared with caregivers of individuals with ID or PD.
CONCLUSION
Findings from this study point to the importance of supporting caregivers of individuals with ASD to decrease their feelings of stigma. It is also important to further develop scales measuring affiliate stigma in order to capture the multi-dimensional nature of the concept. | 10.1111/jir.12136 |
pubmed_598_7415 | Inactivated influenza vaccines are not approved for use in infants less than 6 months of age due to poor immunogenicity in that population. While the live attenuated influenza vaccine has the potential to be more immunogenic, it is not an option for infants and other vulnerable populations, including the elderly and immunocompromised individuals due to safety concerns. In an effort to improve the immunogenicity of the inactivated vaccine for use in vulnerable populations, we have used an approach of chemically crosslinking the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist R848 directly to virus particles. We have reported previously that an R848-conjugated, inactivated vaccine is more effective at inducing adaptive immune responses and protecting against lung pathology in influenza challenged neonatal African green monkeys than is the unmodified counterpart. In the current study, we describe a second generation vaccine that utilizes an amide-sulfhydryl crosslinker with different spacer chemistry and length to couple R848 to virions. The new vaccine has significantly enhanced immunostimulatory activity for murine macrophages and importantly for monocyte derived human dendritic cells. Demonstration of the significant differences in stimulatory activity afforded by modest changes in linker impacts our fundamental view of the design of TLR agonist-antigen vaccines. | 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.01.035 |
pubmed_979_4786 | A pharmacist-operated anticoagulation clinic at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center is described. An anticoagulation clinic established by the pharmacy service at the Denver VA Medical Center cares for 600 patients by using 1.35 fulltime-equivalent pharmacists. The pharmacists are privileged by medical staff to write prescriptions for warfarin, adjust warfarin dosages, and conduct appropriate laboratory monitoring. A protocol has been developed to standardize care. Patients referred to the clinic are scheduled for a same-day warfarin class and laboratory so that International Normalized Ratios (INRs) are available for the patient's appointment with the pharmacist; the patient's understanding of the material presented in the class is assessed during this appointment. The pharmacist determines the therapeutic range and duration of treatment and schedules a follow-up appointment. A locally developed computer program imports patient data from the hospitalwide computer system and simplifies scheduling and tracking of patient-related information. At any point in time, approximately 67% of clinic patients are in the therapeutic range, 13% are above range, and 20% are below range. From January to December 1994, 1.1% of clinic patients were admitted to the medical center for bleeding compared with 2.0% of patients receiving usual care, and 0.9% of clinic patients had thromboembolic complications compared with 3.1% of usual care patients. A computer program, clinical privileging of pharmacists, and a clinic protocol have helped a pharmacist-operated anticoagulation clinic to provide efficient care to veterans. | 10.1093/ajhp/56.5.443 |
pubmed_692_6566 | Proteins and peptides are well-documented as useful marker adjuncts to cardiovascular clinical decision-making. Most markers measured derive from a defined, stable proprotein region of their respective gene. However, a neglected portion of preproproteins known as the signal peptide (SP) is also present in the circulation and may also present as a measurable marker. SPs were assumed to be degraded intracellularly after directing secretion, but a small, growing body of evidence is identifying SPs as not being degraded within and without cells. In this article, evidence for the persistence of SPs after translation is presented and their role as potential cardiovascular biomarkers is discussed. | 10.2217/bmm.14.64 |
pubmed_137_7137 | OBJECTIVE
To study the distribution of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance(MGUS) in different age, sex and ethnic people over 40 years old.
METHODS
Five hundred and ninety-six people(over 40 years old) examened in the Health Examination center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from July 2017 to September 2017 were selected. Among 596 people, male 310, female 286, Han people 488, and Uygur ethnic people 108. According to age, 596 people were divided into 3 groups, (40-59 years old group, 60-79 years old group, over 80 years old group). First, all samples were screened by capillary serum protein electrophoresis. If the suspected monoclonal bands were found in the electrophoretogram, and then the specific protein types were determined by serum immunofixation electrophoresis.
RESULTS
The total incidence of MGUS in 596 screened population was 4.027%. The incidence of MGUS in 40-59 years old group, 60-69 years old group and over 80 years old group were 1.762%, 2.929% and 10% respectively, and the differences among the groups were statistically significant(P<0.05). The incidence of MGUS in male (5.806%) was significantly higher than that in female (2.097%)(χ2=5.177，P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that over 80 years old and male were independent risk factors for MGUS(P=0.001, OR=4.188, 95%CI: 1.814-9.673, P=0.048, OR=2.605, 95%CI: 1.009-6.725). The types of immunoglobulin in patients with MGUS were mostly IgG, IgG(66.7%) was significantly more than IgA (29.2%)(χ2=21.375，P<0.05)，and there was no significant difference in the incidence of MGUS between people with in Kappa and Lambda.
CONCLUSION
The age increase and male may increase the incidence of MGUS, the IgG is the most common type of immunoglobcdin in pathogenesis of MGUS, so the early screening should be done. | 10.19746/j.cnki.issn.1009-2137.2019.02.051 |
others_35_12349 | The high levels of anti-nutritional substances such as tannin and lignin in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) pod husk hinder its proper utilization by animals. The purpose of the present study was to isolate laccase from the residual substrate of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in order to investigate its potential as a tool for the degradation of lignin and tannin in cocoa pod husk. Laccase (specific activity of 7.4 mU mg -1) was extracted from spent sawdust and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The isolated enzyme oxidized 2,6-dimethoxyphenol optimally at pH 5.0 and showed maximum activity at 50°. Treatment of cocoa pod husk with laccase for 40 min resulted in a 66% reduction in tannin content. Pretreatment of cocoa pod husk with laccase resulted in a higher rate of cellulose degradation in vitro. The enzyme was, however, unable to promote lignin depolymerization under the experimental paradigm employed. These findings provide an important opportunity for the isolation of laccase from the residual substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus on a commercial scale in Ghana. Treatment of cocoa pod husk with isolated extracellular laccase would reduce tannin levels considerably and thus, improve the nutritive value of cocoa pod husk-based animal feeds. © 2012 Academic Journals I | 10.3923/ijbc.2012.31.36 |
pubmed_716_2017 | INTRODUCTION
Acute primary angle closure (APAC) is often characterized by acute elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP) accompanied by severe ocular and systemic symptoms. Excessive collagen accumulation, which can be caused by upregulated heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) expression, can produce scarring in rat conjunctival blebs. Meanwhile, the presence of HSP47 in human aqueous humor and its levels are yet to be determined.
METHODS
We examined 32 consecutive patients with APAC and 16 age-matched participants without APAC scheduled for cataract surgery who were enrolled as a control group. Aqueous humor samples were collected from all subjects at the time of surgery and compared between the subjects with and without APAC.
RESULTS
The levels of HSP47 in the aqueous humor of patients with APAC (1,210.4 ± 450.2 pg/mL) were found to be significantly increased (P = 0.001) compared with those in the control group (863.4 ± 240.0 pg/mL). Notably, the levels of HSP47 negatively correlated with the age of patients with APAC (P = 0.023).
CONCLUSION
HSP47 was upregulated in the aqueous humor of patients with APAC and may play a role in scarring after trabeculectomy for APAC. | 10.1159/000527634 |
pubmed_786_1127 | A consequence of relativity is that in the presence of an electric field, the spin and momentum states of an electron can be coupled; this is known as spin-orbit coupling. Such an interaction opens a pathway to the manipulation of electron spins within non-magnetic semiconductors, in the absence of applied magnetic fields. This interaction has implications for spin-based quantum information processing and spintronics, forming the basis of various device proposals. For example, the concept of spin field-effect transistors is based on spin precession due to the spin-orbit coupling. Most studies, however, focus on non-spin-selective electrical measurements in quantum structures. Here we report the direct measurement of coherent electron spin precession in zero magnetic field as the electrons drift in response to an applied electric field. We use ultrafast optical techniques to spatiotemporally resolve spin dynamics in strained gallium arsenide and indium gallium arsenide epitaxial layers. Unexpectedly, we observe spin splitting in these simple structures arising from strain in the semiconductor films. The observed effect provides a flexible approach for enabling electrical control over electron spins using strain engineering. Moreover, we exploit this strain-induced field to electrically drive spin resonance with Rabi frequencies of up to approximately 30 MHz. | 10.1038/nature02202 |
pubmed_430_12851 | A study was carried out in general practice to assess the benefit-risk ratio of a single new drug, bromazepam, prior to marketing. Analysis of data supplied by 393 participating doctors on 3101 patients showed that bromazepam, in a dose range of 3 mg to 9 mg daily in divided doses, was effective as an anxiolytic in 79% of the patients and that the acute risk of treatment was predictable and low. It is concluded that the acute benefit-risk ratio is acceptable with respect to the class of drug and indication for which bromazepam is prescribed. | 10.1185/03007998409110117 |
pubmed_105_17170 | AIM
Guided tissue regeneration has been considered a promising strategy to replace conventional endodontic therapy of teeth with incomplete root formation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a tubular scaffold (TB-SC) with poly (caprolactone)-aligned nanofibres associated with a fibronectin (FN)-loaded collagen hydrogel and assess the pulp regeneration potential mediated by human apical papilla cells (hAPCs) using an in vitro model of teeth with incomplete root formation.
METHODOLOGY
Aligned nanofibre strips based on 10% poly(caprolactone) (PCL) were synthesized with the electrospinning technique to produce the TB-SCs. These were submitted to different treatments, according to the following groups: TB-SC (negative control): TB-SC without treatment; TB-SC + FN (positive control): TB-SC coated with 10 μg/ml of FN; TB-SC + H: TB-SC associated with collagen hydrogel; TB-SC + HFN: TB-SC associated with FN-loaded collagen hydrogel. Then, the biomaterials were inserted into cylindrical devices to mimic the regenerative therapy of teeth with incomplete root formation. The hAPCs were seeded on the upper surface of the TB-SCs associated or not with any treatment, and cell migration/proliferation and the gene expression of markers related to pulp regeneration (ITGA5, ITGAV, COL1A1 and COL1A3) were evaluated. The data were submitted to anova/Tukey's tests (α = 5%).
RESULTS
Higher values of cell migration/proliferation and gene expression of all markers tested were observed in groups TB-SC + FN, TB-SC + H, and TB-SC + HFN compared with the TB-SC group (p < .05). The hAPCs in the TB-SC + HFN group showed the highest values of cell proliferation and gene expression of COL1A1 and COL3A1 (p < .05), as well as superior cell migration results to groups TB-SC and TB-SC + H (p < .05).
CONCLUSION
Aligned nanofibre scaffolds associated with the FN-loaded collagen hydrogel enhanced the migration and proliferation of hAPCs and gene expression of pulp regeneration markers. Therefore, the use of these biomaterials may be considered an interesting strategy for regenerative pulp therapy of teeth with incomplete root formation. | 10.1111/iej.13823 |
pubmed_367_9925 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
The SD-101 is a non-restrictive, sheet-like medical device with an array of pressure sensors, to detect sleep-disordered breathing by sensing gravitational alterations in the body corresponding to respiratory movements. This study evaluated the accuracy of the SD-101 for screening sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) by comparison with polysomnography.
METHODS
Nocturnal polysomnography and SD-101 monitoring were conducted simultaneously and compared in 201 patients with suspected SAHS (suspected SAHS group) and 165 male employees of a transport company (screening group).
RESULTS
Polysomnography revealed an AHI of <5, 5 < or = AHI < 15, 15 < or = AHI < 30, 30 < or = AHI < 60 and AHI > or = 60 events/h in 39, 35, 38, 68 and 21 subjects in the suspected SAHS group and 103, 34, 12, 12 and four subjects in the screening group, respectively. Central SAHS and obstructive SAHS were subsequently diagnosed in 11 (5.5%) and 135 (67.2%) of subjects in the suspected SAHS group and five (3.0%) and 39 (23.6%) of subjects in the screening group, respectively. Significant correlations were apparent between AHI and the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) measured with the SD-101 in both the suspected SAHS group (r = 0.88) and screening group (r = 0.92). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed 89.5% sensitivity and 85.8% specificity in identifying SAHS, using an RDI of 14.0 events/h.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that the SD-101 is a useful device for screening SAHS. | 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2009.01627.x |
pubmed_601_3786 | The effects of repeated injections of epinephrine on lipolysis in rats were investigated in vivo and in vitro. By daily subcutaneous injections of epinephrine (100 micrograms/kg) for 20 days, the weight of epididymal adipose pads were significantly decreased. By repeated injections of epinephrine for 20 days, the extent of increase in plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels after epinephrine injection became smaller, and the amount of epinephrine-induced NEFA and cyclic AMP release from epididymal adipose tissue were decreased. These results suggested that the lipolytic response to epinephrine in rats was decreased by repeated injections of epinephrine. | 10.1538/expanim1978.34.3_315 |
pubmed_531_15310 | 120 subjects high or low on social anxiety were asked to speak in front of a camera. While watching a replay of their performance, false heart-rate feedback was presented. Highly anxious subjects (n = 36) reported significantly more embarrassment than subjects who scored low in anxiety. Further, subjects reported being embarrassed according to the direction of false heart-rate information. Results offer support for the self-attribution theory of emotions. | 10.2466/pr0.1991.69.3.1024 |
others_393_147 | The Palaearctic leaf beetle Chrysomela lapponica usually feeds upon willows in the northern region of its occurrence. However, in Central Europe, some populations are known that have specialised on birch. In this study, we investigated the significance of other herbivores occurring together on the same host plants as possible exploitative competitors of C. lapponica. Two populations were studied: a population from Finland specialised on the willow Salix borealis, and a population from the Czech Republic, specialised on the birch Betula pubescens. Abundances of folivorous and suctivorous insects on both host plants were recorded at both population sites. The willow leaf beetle Phratora vitellinae was the most abundant herbivorous insect at both study sites on willow. A field study was conducted to examine the effects of P. vitellinae on the performance of C. lapponica. The presence of P. vitellinae larvae on the same twig upon which C. lapponica larvae were feeding did not affect increase of body weight in C. lapponica larvae. Thus, the high resource availability of both willows and birches suggest that interspecific competition is unlikely to be a selection factor driving the evolution of host shift in C. lappon | 10.1007/s10340-007-0165-x |
pubmed_1114_22793 | BACKGROUND
Topical treatments with nasal saline irrigation, topical steroid sprays, or corticosteroid rinses can improve sinonasal symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, the impact of these therapies on commensals (Corynebacterium) and on biofilm pathogens associated with CRS (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas) is not well characterized.
METHODS
Paired nasal and sinus swabs were collected endoscopically from 28 controls and 14 CRS patients with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) who had not received systemic antibiotics or corticosteroids in the previous 8 weeks. Total DNA from swab eluents were extracted and analyzed by 16S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing. A total of 359,077 reads were obtained and classified taxonomically. The association of use of topical therapies with sinonasal microbiota composition was assessed by factor/vector-fitting. The proportional abundances of sinonasal bacteria between topical therapy users and nonusers were further compared by 2-tailed Kolmogorov-Smirnov test among controls and among CRSwNP participants.
RESULTS
Nasal saline irrigation, with or without added budesonide, was not associated with significantly distinct sinonasal microbiota composition or significantly decreased Pseudomonas or S. aureus abundances among either controls or CRSwNP participants. Corynebacterium was slightly lower in controls that reported using saline irrigation than those who did not. No significant association was found between nasal saline irrigation and the proportional abundances of Pseudomonas, S. aureus, and Corynebacterium in CRSwNP participants. However, male CRSwNP patients were noted to have significantly higher Corynebacterium proportional abundances than their female counterparts. The use of topical steroid sprays was associated with a distinct microbiota in control subjects, characterized by higher proportional abundances of Dolosigranulum and Simonsiella and a lower proportional abundance of Campylobacter.
CONCLUSION
Nasal saline irrigation is not associated with a distinct alteration in the proportional abundance of commensal bacteria or biofilm-forming pathogens in CRSwNP patients. However, use of topical intranasal corticosteroid sprays in control subjects is associated with a distinct sinonasal microbiota. | 10.1002/alr.21467 |
pubmed_748_17876 | In the study of chaotic behavior, Lyapunov exponents play an important part. In this paper, we demonstrate how the Lyapunov exponents close to zero of a system of many hard spheres can be described as Goldstone modes, by using a Boltzmann type of approach. At low densities, the correct form is found for the wave number dependence of the exponents as well as for the corresponding eigenvectors in tangent space. The predicted values for the Lyapunov exponents belonging to the transverse mode are within a few percent of the values found in recent simulations, the propagation velocity for the longitudinal mode is within 1%, but the value for the Lyapunov exponent belonging to the longitudinal mode deviates from the simulations by 30%. For higher densities, the predicted values deviate more from the values calculated in the simulations. These deviations may be due to contributions from ring collisions and similar terms, which, even at low densities, can contribute to the leading order. | 10.1103/PhysRevE.70.016207 |
pubmed_1017_7379 | We developed a simple and rapid method for detecting dissolved radio-Cs in litter and/or soil seepage water using nonwoven fabrics impregnated with copper-substituted Prussian blue (Cu-NF). In laboratory and field experiments, litter and/or soil seepage water including dissolved radio-Cs were passed through traditional lysimeter systems combined with seven sheets of the Cu-NF. We then examined the recovery ratios of dissolved (137)Cs in the Cu-NF. In the laboratory experiments with faster flow rates (11-2200 mm h(-1)), over 86% of the total dissolved (137)Cs in litter seepage water was detected in the Cu-NF and over 82% of the collected (137)Cs was present in the first three sheets. In the field experiments, 99% of the total dissolved (137)Cs litter seepage water was collected in the Cu-NF and more than 96% of the collected (137)Cs was present in the first three sheets. Furthermore, the recovery ratio of dissolved (137)Cs increased with increasing installation Cu-NF length, probably because the packed soil in the Cu-NF lysimeter become more stable over time. Finally, because only the Cu-NF is measured, it is not necessary to undertake traditional measurement preparations such as filtration to remove particulate radio-Cs materials and evaporative concentration for low concentration of radio-Cs. As a result, we can save time and effort in measurement preparation by using the Cu-NF lysimeter method. | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.010 |
pubmed_108_9467 | BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of ischemic stroke. We therefore explored the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and early neurological deterioration (END) after acute ischemic stroke in a hospital-based prospective study.
METHODS
From June 2016 to June 2018, patients with ischemic stroke within 48 hr from symptom onset were consecutively recruited. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured at admission. END was defined as an increase of ≥1 point in motor power or ≥2 points in the total National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score within 7 days after admission. Multiple logistic regression models were performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) of 25(OH)D levels in predicting END.
RESULTS
A total of 478 subjects were enrolled, of which 136 (28.5%) patients developed END. The mean 25(OH)D levels were 49.5 ± 15.8 nmol/L. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, white matter lesions, high level of body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and homocysteine, and low 25(OH)D levels were associated with END. Furthermore, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the first quartile of 25(OH)D concentrations [OR, 2.628; 95% CI,1.223-5.644; p = 0.013] was independently risk factor for END.
CONCLUSIONS
This study illustrated that lower 25(OH)D levels might be associated with an increasing risk of END in acute ischemic stroke patients. | 10.1002/brb3.1227 |
pubmed_760_5594 | RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to systematically detect and quantify differential effects of chronic tobacco use in organs of the whole body.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty healthy male subjects (10 nonsmokers and 10 chronic heavy smokers) were enrolled. Subjects underwent whole-body FDG-PET/CT, diagnostic unenhanced chest CT, mini-mental state examination, urine testing for oxidative stress, and serum testing. The organs of interest (thyroid, skin, skeletal muscle, aorta, heart, lung, adipose tissue, liver, spleen, brain, lumbar spinal bone marrow, and testis) were analyzed on FDG-PET/CT images to determine their metabolic activities using standardized uptake value (SUV) or metabolic volumetric product (MVP). Measurements were compared between subject groups using two-sample t tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests as determined by tests for normality. Correlational analyses were also performed.
RESULTS
FDG-PET/CT revealed significantly decreased metabolic activity of lumbar spinal bone marrow (MVPmean: 29.8 ± 9.7 cc vs 40.8 ± 11.6 cc, P = 0.03) and liver (SUVmean: 1.8 ± 0.2 vs 2.0 ± 0.2, P = 0.049) and increased metabolic activity of visceral adipose tissue (SUVmean: 0.35 ± 0.10 vs 0.26 ± 0.06, P = 0.02) in chronic smokers compared to nonsmokers. Normalized visceral adipose tissue volume was also significantly decreased (P = 0.04) in chronic smokers. There were no statistically significant differences in the metabolic activity of other assessed organs.
CONCLUSIONS
Subclinical organ effects of chronic tobacco use are detectable and quantifiable on FDG-PET/CT. FDG-PET/CT may, therefore, play a major role in the study of systemic toxic effects of tobacco use in organs of the whole body for clinical or research purposes. | 10.1016/j.acra.2016.09.003 |
pubmed_957_16817 | Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a common cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. Recent trials of platelet-activating factor receptor antagonists (PAFRA) appeared to indicate that they could play a neuroprotective role in the treatment of AIS; therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of PAFRA in patients with AIS. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in seven electronic databases from inception to 11 March 2022. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which patients were treated with PAFRA strategies within 7 days of stroke onset were included. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was selected as the primary outcome of this systematic review. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed based on the Cochrane Collaborations tool. The review protocol was previously registered (PROSPERO CRD42020182075). Results: Fifteen RCTs comprising a total of 3,907 participants were included in this study. The PAFRA-related compounds included natural preparations of terpenoids, flavonoids, and saponins, namely, ginkgo endoterpene diester meglumine (GEDM, seven RCTs), ginkgo biloba dropping pill (GBDP, one RCT), ginkgolide injection (GDI, four RCTs), hesperidin (HES, one RCT), ginsenoside Rd injection (GSRI, one RCT), and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA, one RCT). All studies were conducted in China between 2017 and 2021, employing a two-arm parallel design with sample sizes ranging from 40 to 1,113. Eight studies (53.3%) provided no information on their method of randomization, and only two studies (13.3%) utilized the double-blind design. Treatment was associated with improved clinical outcomes for (1) GEDM, GDI, and GBDP in patients treated with conventional treatment (CM) [GEDM + CM for AIS on mRS: MDmRS = -0.42, 95% CI (-0.47, -0.37), five trials, p < 0.00001; GEDM + CM for AIS on NIHSS: MDNIHSS = -1.02, 95% CI (-1.51, -0.52), four trials, p < 0.0001]; (2) GEDM and GDI in patients treated with neuroprotective agent (NPA) [GEDM + NPA + CM for AIS on mRS: MDmRS = -0.40, 95% CI (-0.54, -0.26), p < 0.00001; GEDM + NPA + CM for AIS on NIHSS: MDNIHSS = -3.93, 95%CI (-7.72, -0.14), p = 0.04]; (3) GBDP in patients treated with CM; (4) GDI and GSRI in patients treated with IV rt-PA therapy (IVT); and (5) HSYA in patients compared with Dengzhan Xixin injection (DZXXI). No access to improved clinical outcome was associated with HES in patients treated with IVT. Seven RCTs reported adverse events (AEs) but found that taking PAFRA-related preparations was not associated with an increased incidence of AEs. Conclusions: This systematic review not only makes an important contribution to the existing body of current evidence but also lays a well-conducted basis for providing opinions and recommendation on the evaluation of PAFRA-based medicine, which could also highlight the need for well-designed clinical trials of PAFRA for AIS to increase the quality of available evidence. Further research is required, using standardized functional outcome measures for AIS, adequate blinding and suitable comparator groups reflecting current best practice. | 10.3389/fphar.2022.933140 |
pubmed_486_14790 | Hilar tumors pose unique challenges during partial nephrectomy. We present the characteristics and outcomes of 263 patients with hilar tumors undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) in the largest series to date. Perioperative, pathologic, functional, and oncological outcomes were compared between 1467 (84.8%) patients with a non-hilar tumor and 263 (15.2%) patients with a hilar tumor undergoing RPN. Variables were compared in univariable (unadjusted) analysis and using multivariable linear, logistic, poisson, cox proportional hazards and linear mixed effects regression models adjusting for tumor diameter and RENAL Nephrometry score. Hilar tumors were larger (3.7 vs. 3.0 cm, p < 0.001) and more complex (RENAL Score 9 vs. 7, p < 0.001), leading to longer operative time (186 vs. 161 min, p < 0.001), ischemia time (18 vs. 15, p < 0.001), greater blood loss (150 vs. 100 ml, p < 0.001), eGFR decline at discharge (∆ = 3.9%, p = 0.035) and eGFR decline per month up to 36 months post-RPN (β = - 0.25; p = 0.017). In multivariable analysis, hilar tumors were only associated with a 10% increase in operative time (p ≤ 0.001) and marginally worse eGFR decline over time (β = - 0.19, p = 0.076), with no differences in other outcomes analyzed including ischemia time, blood loss, complication rate, recurrence-free survival, or eGFR decline at discharge. Although hilar tumors were found to be larger and more anatomically complex, there were only marginal differences in outcome when compared to non-hilar tumors. A hilar renal tumor should be considered for partial nephrectomy when feasible without an expected increase in complications or adverse events. | 10.1007/s11701-019-01028-8 |
others_331_19820 | For group-living primates, the information on postconflict management is crucial for understanding primate competition and cooperation. However, such information is poorly known for snub-nosed monkeys, especially for wild populations. In this study, from September 2007 to June 2008, we investigated postconflict behavior among adult females Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys Rhinopithecus roxellana within one-male units in a wild, provisioned group in the Qinling Mountains of China by means of the time-rule method and the PC-MC method. We obtained a total of 81 PC-MC pairs and each individual was involved in only 0.004 aggressive behavior per observation hour. The first affiliative behavior was more likely to occur within the first minute after a conflict. The postconflict affiliative behaviors most often seen were contact-sit, embrace and grooming. The affiliative contacts between adult females occur due to selective attraction, i.e. reconciliation. The pattern of postconflict affiliation demonstrates that the R. roxellana belongs to a tolerant species. © 2010 Current Zoology | 10.1093/czoolo/56.2.222 |
pubmed_561_3692 | We have previously identified a DNA ligase (LigTk) from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1. The enzyme is the only characterized ATP-dependent DNA ligase from a hyperthermophile, and allows the analysis of enzymatic DNA ligation reactions at temperatures above the melting point of the substrates. Here we have focused on the interactions of LigTk with various DNA substrates, and its specificities toward metal cations. LigTk could utilize Mg2+, Mn2+, Sr2+ and Ca2+ as a metal cation, but not Co2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, or Cu2+. The enzyme displayed typical Michaelis-Menten steady-state kinetics with an apparent Km of 1.4 microm for nicked DNA. The kcat value of the enzyme was 0.11*s-1. Using various 3' hydroxyl group donors (L-DNA) and 5' phosphate group donors (R-DNA), we could detect ligation products as short as 16 nucleotides, the products of 7 + 9 nucleotide or 8 + 8 nucleotide combinations at 40 degrees C. An elevation in temperature led to a decrease in reaction efficiency when short oligonucleotides were used, suggesting that the formation of a nicked, double-stranded DNA substrate preceded enzyme-substrate recognition. LigTk was not inhibited by the addition of excess duplex DNA, implying that the enzyme did not bind strongly to the double-stranded ligation product after nick-sealing. In terms of reaction fidelity, LigTk was found to ligate various substrates with mismatched base-pairing at the 5' end of the nick, but did not show activity towards the 3' mismatched substrates. LigTk could not seal substrates with a 1-nucleotide or 2-nucleotide gap. Small amounts of ligation products were detected with DNA substrates containing a single nucleotide insertion, relatively more with the 5' insertions. The results revealed the importance of proper base-pairing at the 3' hydroxyl side of the nick for the ligation reaction by LigTk. | 10.1046/j.0014-2956.2001.02695.x |
others_117_15354 | Abstract—: Anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), a homodimeric glycoprotein, described over 70 years ago by A. Jost, is the least studied member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily. Despite the antitumor activity of AMH discovered at the end of the last century, creation of effective AMH-based drugs is hampered primarily by the lack of information on the mechanism of interaction of various AMH forms with a specific type II receptor (MISRII). Previously, we have shown that not only the full-length activated hormone but also its C-terminal fragment (C-rAMH) could bind to MISRII. In this work, using the surface plasmon resonance technique, we have compared the interaction of three forms of recombinant AMH (rAMH) with the MISRII analogue—the chimeric protein MISRII-Fc containing AMH type II receptor and-Fc fragment of the human IgG1 heavy chain. Comparison of the binding of MISRII-Fc, immobilized on a chip with group specificity for human immunoglobulins, to C-rAMH, to intact rAMH (pro-rAMH), and to rAMH containing one uncleaved monomer (hc-rAMH), showed that the KD of the complexes increased: 1.7 nM, 88 nM and 110 nM, respectively. Thus, we have shown that the C-terminal fragment of AMH exhibits the maximum affinity for the recombinant MISRII analogue, thus indicating the prospects for the development of drugs based on this hormone derivative. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, L | 10.1134/S1990750821030082 |
others_214_701 | Non- influenzae commensal Haemophilus species of low pathogenicity may be difficult to discriminate from Haemophilus influenzae. We investigated the level of misidentifications in respiratory specimens from cystic fibrosis patients and evaluated the colonisation dynamics of genuine H. influenzae isolates. One hundred and ninety-two presumptive H. influenzae isolates were re-examined by assessment of marker genes sodC and fucK, and isolates with aberrant genotypes were subjected to multilocus sequence typing. Misidentifications (3%) were mainly caused by failure to identify porphyrin-synthesising strains, and only a single strain (0.5%) could be classified as 'non-haemolytic Haemophilus haemolyticus'. Sequential isolates of confirmed H. influenzae isolates from individual patients were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Despite the routine prescription of antimicrobial therapy, the majority of H. influenzae isolates were identical with at least one of the strains cultured from the two preceding positive samples from the same patient. © 2012 Elsevier GmbH | 10.1016/j.ijmm.2012.10.001 |
pubmed_615_16644 | The potential impact of nanoparticles on the environment and on human health has attracted considerable interest worldwide. The amount of transcriptomics data, in which tissues and cell lines are exposed to nanoparticles, increases year by year. In addition to the importance of the original findings, this data can have value in broader context when combined with other previously acquired and published results. In order to facilitate the efficient usage of the data, we have developed the NanoMiner web resource (http://nanominer.cs.tut.fi/), which contains 404 human transcriptome samples exposed to various types of nanoparticles. All the samples in NanoMiner have been annotated, preprocessed and normalized using standard methods that ensure the quality of the data analyses and enable the users to utilize the database systematically across the different experimental setups and platforms. With NanoMiner it is possible to 1) search and plot the expression profiles of one or several genes of interest, 2) cluster the samples within the datasets, 3) find differentially expressed genes in various nanoparticle studies, 4) detect the nanoparticles causing differential expression of selected genes, 5) analyze enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and Gene Ontology (GO) terms for the detected genes and 6) search the expression values and differential expressions of the genes belonging to a specific KEGG pathway or Gene Ontology. In sum, NanoMiner database is a valuable collection of microarray data which can be also used as a data repository for future analyses. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0068414 |
pubmed_378_298 | A multigram scale synthesis of the four stereoisomers of methyl 3-silylglycidates (epoxysilanes) with high enantiopurity is described. Key reactions include a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation (SAE) of a trans-vinylsilane and an enzymatic resolution of a racemic cis-epoxysilane to establish the desired configurations. Few chromatographic separations (5 columns out of 13 steps) are required for purification, establishing a convenient reaction sequence for both the trans- and cis-isomers. | 10.1021/jo060134g |
pubmed_538_5555 | Moexipril (7.4-15 mg/day) was given to 34, spirapril (3-6 mg/day) -- to 18 postmenopausal women with hypertension and metabolic syndrome for 16 weeks. Hydrochlorthiazide was added when therapy was not sufficiently effective. Both angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors had similar hypotensive activity: blood pressure normalized in 71 and 61% of moexipril and spirapril treated women, respectively. Both drugs promoted normalization of metabolism of lipid (lowering of levels of cholesterol, atherogenic lipoproteins and triglycerides) and carbohydrates (lowering of hyperinsulinemia). Patients with postmenopausal metabolic syndrome had elevation of leptin level up to 27.5+/-5.5 pg/ml. Moexipril and spirapril caused lowering of elevated levels of leptin. These drugs did not affect levels of sex hormones. They exerted vasoprotective (normalization of endothelium dependent and independent vasodilatation) and nephroprotective (attenuation and normalization of microalbuminuria) effects. Thus spirapril and moexipril are effective in treatment of hypertension in patients with postmenopausal metabolic syndrome. | pubmed_538_5555 |
pubmed_470_11996 | The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of diagnosed sinusitis and the effect of diagnosis and treatment on the outcome in critically ill burn victims. Chart analysis of 84 consecutive burn victims requiring mechanical ventilation for greater than 7 days was performed. Sinusitis was diagnosed in 13/84 patients (15%). There was no difference in age or total body surface area burned, or the incidence of inhalation injury, ARDS, pneumonia and sepsis (P>0.05). Co-morbid disease was similar in both the groups. The number of ventilator-dependent days and hospital length of stay were higher in the sinusitis group (P<0.05). The hospital mortality in those diagnosed and treated for sinusitis was 23% (3/13) as opposed to 48% (34/71) in those not diagnosed with sinusitis (P<0.05). Increased number of ventilator-dependent days and longer hospital stay are associated with the diagnosis of sinusitis. Our findings suggest an improved survival in those diagnosed and treated for sinusitis. | 10.1016/s0305-4179(02)00233-4 |
pubmed_405_12474 | In biomaterial engineering, the surface of an implant can influence cell differentiation, adhesion and affinity towards the implant. On contact with an implant, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells demonstrate differentiation towards bone forming osteoblasts, which can improve osteointegration. The process of micropatterning has been shown to improve osteointegration in polymers, but there are few reports surrounding ceramics. The purpose of this study was to establish a co-culture of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells with osteoclast progenitor cells and to observe the response to micropatterned zirconia toughened alumina ceramics with 30 µm diameter pits. The aim was to establish whether the pits were specifically bioactive towards osteogenesis or were generally bioactive and would also stimulate osteoclastogenesis that could potentially lead to osteolysis. We demonstrate specific bioactivity of micropatterns towards osteogenesis, with more nodule formation and less osteoclastogenesis compared to planar controls. In addition, we found that that macrophage and osteoclast-like cells did not interact with the pits and formed fewer full-size osteoclast-like cells on the pitted surfaces. This may have a role when designing ceramic orthopaedic implants. | 10.1177/2041731414552114 |
pubmed_949_21586 | Researchers and members of the drug culture have employed the term 'strawberries' to describe African American women who trade sex for drugs. Data from six US cities participating in a community-based drug research project were analysed to examine the determinants of trading sex for drugs. As shown by our data, some African American women match the street description commonly attributed to 'strawberries'. However, our results also show that trading sexual favours for drugs is not limited to African American women, nor solely to women. Rather, trading sex for drugs is an economic behaviour that occurs among women and men of any race/ethnicity who use crack cocaine. Trading sex for drugs is closely related to conditions of poverty and homelessness, conditions that especially affect many crack smokers. The discussion urges educators and researchers to be alert for 'strawberry behaviours' exhibited by drug-users of any racial/ethnic background or gender. | 10.1080/713613155 |
others_314_105940 | Few investigations have been conducted on selective stimulation of small-radius unmyelinated C nerves (C), which is critical to both recoveries of damaged nerves and pain suppressions. The purpose of this study is to understand how an anodal pulse in an anodal-first stimulation could improve C-selectivity over myelinated nociceptive A{delta} nerves (A{delta}), and further clarify the landscape of the solution space. The Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model and the Mclntyre-Richardson-Grill (MRG) model were used for modelling C and A{delta}, respectively to analyze the underlying ion dynamics and the influence of relevant stimulation waveforms, including monopolar, polarity-symmetric, and asymmetric pulses. Results showed that polarity-asymmetric waveforms with preceding anodal stimulations benefit C-selectivity most, underlain by the decrease of the potassium ion current of C. The optimal parameters for C-selectivity have been identified in the low frequency band, which will benefit remarkably the designs of nociceptive nerve selective stimula | 10.1101/2020.12.13.422609 |
pubmed_197_648 | The noise power spectrum (NPS) measurement is important for assessing noise properties of digital radiography systems, and its measurement method was standardized in International Electrotechnical Commission 62220-1 (IEC). However, improvement of its accuracy is not easy due to random data analysis. In this study, regarding error factors in the NPS measurement using 2-dimensional (2D) Fast Fourier transform, we investigated effects of overlap of region of interests (ROIs), number of average lines in 2D frequency space, directional dependence of frequency property, and detrending techniques. If the number of average lines was set so as to obtain a similar frequency range to IEC, total matrix size was the most important factor and error rate was decreased with increasing of the size. For images, including many trends, detrending using 256 x 256-pixels ROI and second-order polynomial fitting was the most effective. Consistent with the previous report, the overlap of ROIs was not effective for improving accuracy. Contrary to the previous report that indicated effectiveness of 128 x 128-pixels ROI for detrending, we demonstrated less affectivity of the ROI size, other than 256 x 256-pixels. | 10.6009/jjrt.66.734 |
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