index
stringlengths 10
17
| text
stringlengths 101
29.2k
| doi
stringlengths 2
94
|
|---|---|---|
pubmed_1119_22118 | Two hundred and forty-four untreated acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients with unfavorable karyotypes and 109 others with favorable aneuploid karyotypes were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of having both normal and abnormal metaphases (AN) vs only abnormal metaphases (AA) at AML presentation. The AA and AN groups were similar with respect to known prognostic variables. Among patients with unfavorable karyotypes (-5, 5q-, -7, 7q-, and +8), the AN group had a significantly higher complete remission (CR) rate (46 vs 31%, P = 0.02), and a longer CR duration (P = 0.02) and survival (P = 0.026) than the AA group. The number of patients with other unfavorable karyotypes, such as t(11q23), were too small to evaluate properly. Among those with favorable karyotypes (inv(16) and t(8;21)), on the other hand, both the AN and AA group had similar CR rate, CR duration, and survival. Similarly, in patients with t(15;17), CR duration of the AN and AA groups were similar. These data suggest that, among patients with abnormal karyotypes, residual normal metaphases are associated with a higher CR rate, CR duration and survival, only in patients with unfavourable karyotypes, but not in those with favorable karyotypes. | pubmed_1119_22118 |
pubmed_762_14910 | PURPOSE
To compare angiographic features in patients with branch vein (BRVO) and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and to discuss their possible significance.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Clinical and indocyanine green (ICG) videoangiographic data of 35 patients with CRVO and 5 patients with BRVO were reviewed. In order to more fully understand the significance of hemodynamic alterations, patients with a decrease in retinal flow velocity from other causes (optic neuritis, carotid-cavernous fistula, carotid artery stenosis) were compared to patients with vein occlusion.
RESULTS
Whatever the type of occlusion, the most frequent abnormality was the presence of pulsatile venular outflow, which at the acute phase was present in the majority of cases. The decrease in arterial velocity was visualized by the presence of diastolic reversed flow. There was no correlation between visual prognosis and hemodynamic alterations. Apart from vein occlusion, the pulsatile venular outflow was present in situations where increased venous pressure was present.
CONCLUSIONS
BRVO and CRVO have similar alterations of venous flow. Videoangiography can electively show pulsatile venular outflow and reverse diastolic arterial flow, and thus contributes additional information to conventional angiography. Pulsatile venular outflow is probably due to a combination of elevated venous pressure and decreased plasma velocity. Videoangiography provides new insight to the consequences of retinal vein occlusion and will possibly lead to a better understanding of the sequence of events that lead to visual loss. | pubmed_762_14910 |
pubmed_345_9890 | AIM
To examine the psychometric properties of the German version of the abbreviated 16-item Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised in a sample of young people with Type 1 diabetes.
METHODS
A total of 246 young people, aged 11-19 years, with Type 1 diabetes from six pediatric diabetes centres in Germany were assessed using the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised. In addition, they underwent screening with two generic tools as well as the WHO five-question well-being index. A clinician's report was also obtained.
RESULTS
The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.84). The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised scores significantly correlated with those provided by the non-specific screening tools (r = 0.37, P ≤ 0.000 and r = 0.50, P ≤ 0.000 for boys and r = 0.62, P ≤ 0.000 and r = 0.79, P ≤ 0.000 for girls), indicating convergent validity. The mean (sd) total of the scores was 12.0 (9.6). Criterion validity was confirmed against HbA1c value, BMI standard deviation score and expert (clinician) report. Of the boys included in the study, 11 scored higher than the threshold score on the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised, of whom only three (27%) were classified as 'suspected to have a disordered eating behaviour' by their clinicians.
CONCLUSIONS
The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised delivered more specific information than generic screening instruments and identified more young people with eating disorders than did clinician report, especially regarding the detection of boys at risk. The results of this study support the utility of the German version of the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised to identify eating disorders in young people with Type 1 diabetes at an early stage. (German Clinical Trials Registry no.: DRKS00004699). | 10.1111/dme.12788 |
pubmed_1140_19285 | Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) currents of human pancreatic islet cells were studied by whole-cell patch clamp recording. On average, 75% of the cells tested were identified as beta-cells by single cell, post-recording RT-PCR for insulin mRNA. In most cells, the dominant Kv current was a delayed rectifier. The delayed rectifier activated at potentials above -20 mV and had a V(1/2) for activation of -5.3 mV. Onset of inactivation was slow for a major component (tau = 3.2 s at +20 mV) observed in all cells; a smaller component (tau = 0.30 s) with an amplitude of approximately 25% was seen in some cells. Recovery from inactivation had a tau of 2.5 s at -80 mV and steady-state inactivation had a V(1/2) of -39 mV. In 12% of cells (21/182) a low-threshold, transient Kv current (A-current) was present. The A-current activated at membrane potentials above -40 mV, inactivated with a time constant of 18.5 ms at -20 mV, and had a V(1/2) for steady-state inactivation of -52 mV. TEA inhibited total Kv current with an IC50 = 0.54 mm and PAC, a disubstituted cyclohexyl Kv channel inhibitor, inhibited with an IC50 = 0.57 microm. The total Kv current was insensitive to margatoxin (100 nm), agitoxin-2 (50 nm), kaliotoxin (50 nm) and ShK (50 nm). Hanatoxin (100 nm) inhibited total Kv current by 65% at +20 mV. Taken together, these data provide evidence of at least two distinct types of Kv channels in human pancreatic beta-cells and suggest that more than one type of Kv channel may be involved in the regulation of glucose-dependent insulin secretion. | 10.1113/jphysiol.2005.089375 |
others_314_186728 | Advancements in genome sequencing have facilitated whole genome characterization of numerous plant species, providing an abundance of genotypic data for genomic analysis. Genomic selection and neural networks, particularly deep learning, have been developed to predict complex traits from dense genotypic data. Autoencoders, a neural network model to extract features from images in an unsupervised manner, has proven to be useful for plant phenotyping. This study introduces an autoencoder framework, GenoDrawing, for predicting and retrieving apple images from a low-depth single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, potentially useful in predicting traits that are difficult to define. GenoDrawing demonstrated proficiency in its task while using a small dataset of shape-related SNPs, and multiple experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of SNP selection and shape relation. Results indicated that the correct relationship of SNPs with visual traits had a significant impact on the generated images, consistent with biological interpretation. While using significant SNPs is crucial, incorporating additional, unrelated SNPs results in performance degradation for simple NN architectures that cannot easily identify the most important inputs. The proposed GenoDrawing method is a practical framework for exploring genomic prediction in fruit tree phenotyping, particularly beneficial for small to medium breeding companies to predict economically significant heritable traits. Although GenoDrawing has limitations, it sets the groundwork for future research in image prediction from genomic markers. Future studies should focus on using stronger models for image reproduction, SNP information extraction, and improved dataset balance in terms of shape for more precise outcomes | 10.1101/2023.03.06.531351 |
pubmed_1117_15112 | SMS 201-995 (SMS), a synthetic analogue of somatostatin (SRIF) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of the hypersecretion of hormones such as in acromegaly. However, little is known about the effects of SMS on the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in normal subjects. In this study, plasma TSH was determined with a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay, in addition to the concentration of SMS in plasma and urine with a radioimmunoassay, following subcutaneous injection of 25, 50, 100 micrograms of SMS (4 subjects/dose) or a placebo (6 subjects) to normal male subjects, at 0900 h after an overnight fast. The plasma concentrations of SMS were dose-responsive and the peak levels were 1.61 +/- 0.09, 4.91 +/- 0.30 and 8.52 +/- 1.18 ng/ml, which were observed at 30, 15 and 45 min after the injection of 25, 50 and 100 micrograms of SMS, respectively. Mean plasma disappearance half-time of SMS was estimated to be 110 +/- 3 min. Plasma TSH was suppressed in a dose dependent manner and the suppression lasted for at least 8 hours. At 8 hours after the injection of 25, 50 and 100 micrograms of SMS, the plasma TSH levels were 43.8 +/- 19.4, 33.9 +/- 9.4 and 24.9 +/- 3.2%, respectively, of the basal values. The results suggest that SMS suppresses secretion of TSH from the normal thyrotrophs in man and thus also that attention should be paid to possible hypothyroidism during the long-term treatment of patients such as those with acromegaly with this potent analogue of SRIF. | 10.1016/0024-3205(88)90245-7 |
pubmed_1127_3434 | Lipase-catalyzed esterification of glucose with fatty acids in ionic liquids (ILs) mixture was investigated by using supersaturated glucose solution. The effect of ILs mixture ratio, substrate ratio, lipase content, and temperature on the activity and stability of lipase was also studied. The highest yield of sugar ester was obtained in a mixture of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([Bmim][TfO]) and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)-sulfonyl]amide ([Omim][Tf(2)N]) with a volume ratio of 9:1, while Novozym 435 (Candida antarctica type B lipase immobilized on acrylic resin) showed the optimal stability and activity in a mixture of [Bmim][TfO] and [Omim][Tf(2)N] with a 1:1 volume ratio. Reuse of lipase and ILs was successfully carried out at the optimized reaction conditions. After 5 times reuse of Novozym 435 and ILs, 78% of initial activity was remained. | 10.1007/s00449-009-0363-4 |
others_72_2023 | A small population of patients with severe asthma does not respond to glucocorticoids (steroid resistant [SR]). They have high morbidity, highlighting an urgent need for strategies to enhance glucocorticoid responsiveness. Objective We investigated the immunologic differences between steroid-sensitive (SS) and SR asthmatic patients and the effect on immunophenotype of oral calcitriol treatment because it has been previously shown to beneficially modulate the clinical response to glucocorticoids in patients with SR asthma. Methods CD8-depleted PBMCs were isolated from 12 patients with SS and 23 patients with SR asthma and cultured for 7 days with anti-CD3 and IL-2 with or without dexamethasone. Cytokine production was assessed in supernatants by using the Cytometric Bead Array. Patients with SR asthma were subsequently randomized to oral calcitriol or placebo therapy, and identical studies were repeated. Results Patients with SR asthma produced significantly increased IL-17A and IFN-γ levels compared with those in patients with SS asthma, although it was evident that cells from individual patients might overproduce one or the other of these cytokines. Production of IL-17A was inversely and production of IL-13 was positively associated with the clinical response to prednisolone. Oral calcitriol, compared with placebo, therapy of the patients with SR asthma significantly improved dexamethasone-induced IL-10 production in vitro while suppressing dexamethasone-induced IL-17A production. This effect mirrored the previously demonstrated improvement in clinical response to oral glucocorticoids in calcitriol-treated patients with SR asthma. Conclusions IL-17Ahigh and IFN-γhigh immunophenotypes exist in patients with SR asthma. These data identify immunologic pathways that likely underpin the beneficial clinical effects of calcitriol in patients with SR asthma by directing the SR cytokine profile toward a more SS immune phenotype, suggesting strategies for identifying vitamin D responder immunophenotypes. © 2015 The Authors | 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.01.026 |
pubmed_324_5051 | Various mechanisms of the formation of naphthalene and its substituted derivatives have been investigated by ab initio G3(MP2,CC)∕B3LYP∕6-311G∗∗ calculations of potential energy surfaces for the reactions of one and two C(2)H additions to styrene combined with RRKM calculations of product branching ratios under single-collision conditions. The results show that for the C(2)H + styrene reaction, the dominant routes are H atom eliminations from the initial adducts; C(2)H addition to the vinyl side chain of styrene is predicted to produce trans or cis conformations of phenylvinylacetylene (t- and c-PVA), whereas C(2)H addition to the ortho carbon in the ring is expected to lead to the formation of o-ethynylstyrene. Although various reaction channels may lead to a second ring closure and the formation of naphthalene, they are not competitive with the direct H loss channels producing PVAs and ethynylstyrenes. However, c-PVA and o-ethynylstyrene may undergo a second addition of the ethynyl radical to ultimately produce substituted naphthalene derivatives. α- and β-additions of C(2)H to the side chain in c-PVA are calculated to form 2-ethynyl-naphthalene with branching ratios of about 30% and 96%, respectively; the major product in the case of α-addition would be cis-1-hexene-3,5-diynyl-benzene produced by an immediate H elimination from the initial adduct. C(2)H addition to the ethynyl side chain in o-ethynylstyrene is predicted to lead to the formation of 1-ethynyl-naphthalene as the dominant product. The C(2)H + styrene → t-PVA + H∕c-PVA + H∕ o-ethynylstyrene, C(2)H + c-PVA → 2-ethynyl-naphthalene + H, and C(2)H + o-ethynylstyrene → 1-ethynyl-naphthalene + H reactions are calculated to occur without a barrier and with high exothermicity, with all intermediates, transition states, and products lying significantly lower in energy than the initial reactants, and hence to be fast even at very low temperature conditions prevailing in Titan's atmosphere or in the interstellar medium. If styrene and C(2)H are available and overlap, the sequence of two C(2)H additions can result in the closure of a second aromatic ring and thus provide a viable route to the formation of 1- or 2-ethynyl-naphthalene. The analogous mechanism can be extrapolated to the low-temperature growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in general, as a step from a vinyl-PAH to an ethynyl-substituted PAH with an extra aromatic ring. | 10.1063/1.3526957 |
others_314_180300 | The accumulation-associated protein (Aap) is the primary determinant of Staphylococcus epidermidis device-related infections. The B-repeat superdomain is responsible for intercellular adhesion that leads to the development of biofilms occurring in such infections. It was recently demonstrated that Zn-induced B-repeat assembly leads to formation of functional amyloid fibrils, which offer strength and stability to the biofilm. Rigorous biophysical studies of Aap B-repeats from S. epidermidis strain RP62A revealed Zn-induced assembly into a stable, reversible dimer and tetramer, prior to aggregation into amyloid fibrils. Genetic manipulation is not tractable for many S. epidermidis strains, including RP62A; instead, many genetic studies have used strain 1457. Therefore, to better connect findings from biophysical and structural studies of B-repeats to in vivo studies, the B-repeat superdomain from strain 1457 was examined. Differences between the B-repeats from strain RP62A and 1457 include the number of B-repeats, which has been shown to play a critical role in assembly into amyloid fibrils, as well as the distribution of consensus and variant B-repeat subtypes, which differ in assembly competency and thermal stability. Detailed investigation of the Zn-induced assembly of the full B-repeat supderdomain from strain 1457 was conducted using analytical ultracentrifugation. Whereas the previous construct from RP62A (Brpt5.5) formed a stable tetramer prior to aggregation, Brpt6.5 from 1457 forms extremely large stable species on the order of 28- and 32-mers, prior to aggregation into similar amyloid fibrils. Importantly, both assembly pathways proceed through the same mechanism of dimerization and tetramerization, and both conclude with the formation of amyloid-like fibrils. Theoretical discussions of the energy landscape of B-repeats from different strains and of different length are provided with considerations of biological implications.
Statement of SignificanceStaphylococcus epidermidis is a major pathogen responsible for device-related infections. The primary factor responsible for such infections is the accumulation-associated protein, Aap, through its ability to mediate formation of dense surface-adherent communities of bacteria known as biofilms. Our lab recently demonstrated that the B-repeat superdomain of Aap from strain RP62A undergoes Zn-dependent assembly to form functional amyloid fibrils that improve the strength and resilience of biofilms in vitro. These amyloid fibrils may be responsible for the difficulty in treating device-related infections. However, strain 1457 is commonly used for genetic manipulation. In this manuscript, the Zn-dependent assembly of B-repeats from strain 1457 is shown to lead to the same outcome of amyloidogenesis, although it occurs through different intermediate oligomeric states | 10.1101/2023.01.04.522776 |
pubmed_86_21068 | Type IX collagen is a recently characterized product of chondrocytes. The molecules of this collagen are heterotrimers of three genetically distinct polypeptide chains. One of the three chains contains chondroitin and/or dermatan sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains, giving the molecule a proteoglycan character. In fact, Type IX collagen has been identified with the proteoglycan Lt (PG-Lt), first isolated by Noro, A., Kimata, K., Oike, Y., Shinomura, T., Maeda, N., Yano, S., Takahashi, N., and Suzuki, S. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 9323-9331 from chick embryonic tibia and femur. Based on amino acid sequences predicted from the nucleotide sequences of cDNA and genomic clones specific for two of the chains of Type IX collagen, we have synthesized oligopeptides representing portions of the two chains. In addition, an oligopeptide has been made based on a partial amino acid sequence of the third chain. Antibodies against the synthetic peptides have been generated in rabbits, and the polyclonal sera have allowed identification of the three genetically distinct polypeptide subunits of Type IX collagen. In addition, labeling with [35S]sulfate and treatment with chondroitinase ABC demonstrates that glycosaminoglycan chains are present on the subunit that has been given the designation alpha 2(IX). | pubmed_86_21068 |
pubmed_989_13978 | ABSTRACT
Bacillus cereus has been reported as a foodborne pathogen worldwide. Although food processing technologies to inactivate the pathogen have been developed for decades, foodborne outbreaks related to B. cereus have occurred. In the present review, foodborne outbreaks, germination, inactivation, and detection of B. cereus are discussed, along with inactivation mechanisms. B. cereus outbreaks from 2003 to 2016 are reported based on food commodity, number of cases, and consequent illnesses. Germination before sporicidal treatments is highlighted as an effective way to inactivate B. cereus, because the resistance of the pathogen increases significantly following sporulation. Several germinants used for B. cereus are listed, and their efficacies are compared. Finally, recently used interventions with sporicidal mechanisms are identified, and rapid detection methods that have been developed are discussed. Combining two or more interventions, known as the hurdle technology concept, is suggested to maximize the sporicidal effect. Further study is needed to ensure food safety and to understand germination mechanisms and sporicidal resistance of B. cereus.
HIGHLIGHTS | 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-429 |
pubmed_1037_22963 | Extrapolation of serial stimulus patterns seems to depend upon identification and application of patterns relating sequences of stimuli stored in memory, thus allowing prediction of pending events never experienced before. There have been proposals that such a "generator of predictions system" would include the subiculum, mammillary bodies, anteroventral thalamus and cingulate cortex (e.g., Gray, 1982). The anteroventral thalamus (AVT) seems to be in a strategic position, both hodologically and experimentally, to allow testing of this hypothesis. This study investigated the effect of NMDA-induced damage to the anteroventral thalamus [part of the anterodorsal (AD) thalamus was also damaged in some animals], following stereotaxic minute topic microinjections, on the ability of male Wistar rats to extrapolate relying on serial stimulus patterns. Corresponding sham-operated controls received phosphate-saline buffer microinjections at the same stereotaxic coordinates. The subjects were trained to run through a straight alleyway along 31 sessions, one session per day, to get rewarded. Each session included four successive trials. Subjects exposed to the monotonic serial pattern received 14, 7, 3, 1 sunflower seeds along trials. Subjects exposed to the non-monotonic serial pattern received 14, 3, 7, 1 sunflower seeds. On the 32nd testing session, a fifth trial, never experienced before, was included immediately after the fourth trial. Sham-operated control subjects exposed to the monotonic serial pattern were expected to exhibit longer running times, since the content of their prediction in the fifth trial should be "less than 1 sunflower seeds". In contrast, control subjects exposed to the non-monotonic serial pattern were expected to exhibit shorter running times, since the content of their prediction would be "more than 1 sunflower seeds". Confirming these predictions, control subjects exposed to the monotonic serial pattern exhibited longer running times as compared to both, their own running times in previous trials within the same session and control subjects exposed to the non-monotonic schedule, thus indicating the occurrence of extrapolation. In contrast, AVT/AD lesioned subjects exposed to the monotonic schedule did not exhibit this increase in running times on the fifth trial, indicating lack of extrapolation. These results indicate that extrapolation relying on serial stimulus patterns is disrupted following extensive NMDA-induced damage to AVT and part of the AD. This represents the first consistent demonstration that the anterior thalamic nuclei are required for extrapolation of serial stimulus patterns and generation of predictions. | 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107536 |
pubmed_914_5821 | In the last 30 years, clinical application oftransbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) has proved its efficiency, accuracy, safety and cost-effectiveness, particularly in diagnosing and staging lung cancer as well as in diagnosing benign diseases. The application of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) increased the accuracy of TBNA. Endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has superior performance and allowing real-time sampling under direct vision. Combination of EUBS-TBNA and traditional methods (CT, PET, mediastinoscopy, et al) can improve the diagnostic rate and negative predictive value. In the future, EUBS-TBNA may have applications in both benign and malignant lung diseases as a routine examination. | 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2010.05.03 |
pubmed_1005_16033 | BACKGROUND
Sensitive and accurate hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA detection and quantification are essential to diagnose and monitor the virological response to antiviral treatment and the emergence of resistance.
OBJECTIVE AND STUDY DESIGN
The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the new Xpert HCV Viral Load assay to accurately detect and quantify HCV RNA in serum and in whole blood collected on dried blood spot (DBS). Serum and whole blood from a large series of patients chronically infected with different HCV genotypes were tested in parallel for HCV RNA detection and quantification.
RESULTS
A significant relationship between HCV RNA levels measured with the Xpert HCV Viral Load assay and the two commercial real-time PCR comparators (Abbott RealTime HCV test and Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas Taqman HCV 2.0 test) was found in serum as well as in whole blood specimens.
CONCLUSIONS
The Xpert HCV Viral Load assay accurately quantifies HCV RNA regardless of the HCV genotype and can thus confidently be used to detect active HCV infection in serum and in whole blood specimens. | 10.1016/j.jcv.2019.06.007 |
pubmed_1096_13874 | [This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60253-6.][This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60253-6.]. | 10.1016/S2221-1691(15)30338-5 |
pubmed_499_19851 | Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are a class of serine/threonine protein kinases encoded by several gene families that play key roles in stress response and plant growth and development. In this study, the BLAST method was used to search for protein sequences of the potato Calcium-dependent protein kinase gene family. The chromosome location, phylogeny, gene structures, gene duplication, cis-acting elements, protein-protein interaction, and expression profiles were analyzed. Twenty-five CDPK genes in the potato genome were identified based on RNA-seq data and were clustered into four groups (I-IV) based on their structural features and phylogenetic analysis. The result showed the composition of the promoter region of the StCDPKs gene, including light-responsive elements such as Box4, hormone-responsive elements such as ABRE, and stress-responsive elements such as MBS. Four pairs of segmental duplications were found in StCDPKs genes and the Ka/Ks ratios were below 1, indicating a purifying selection of the genes. The protein-protein interaction network revealed defense-related proteins such as; respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) interacting with potato CDPKs. Transcript abundance was measured via RT-PCR between the two cultivars and their relative expression of CDPK genes was analyzed after 15, 20, and 25 days of drought. There were varied expression patterns of StCDPK3/13/21 and 23, between the two potato cultivars under mannitol induced-drought conditions. Correlation analysis showed that StCDPK21/22 and StCDPK3 may be the major differentially expressed genes involved in the regulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content in response to drought stress, opening a new research direction for genetic improvement of drought resistance in potato. | 10.3389/fgene.2022.874397 |
pubmed_1093_13612 | This study aimed to analyze the volatile chemical profile of Longjing tea, and further develop a prediction model for aroma quality of Longjing tea based on potent odorants. A total of 21 Longjing samples were analyzed by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Pearson's linear correlation analysis and partial least square (PLS) regression were applied to investigate the relationship between sensory aroma scores and the volatile compounds. Results showed that 60 volatile compounds could be commonly detected in this famous green tea. Terpenes and esters were two major groups characterized, representing 33.89% and 15.53% of the total peak area respectively. Ten compounds were determined to contribute significantly to the perceived aroma quality of Longjing tea, especially linalool (0.701), nonanal (0.738), (Z)-3-hexenyl hexanoate (-0.785), and β-ionone (-0.763). On the basis of these 10 compounds, a model (correlation coefficient of 89.4% and cross-validated correlation coefficient of 80.4%) was constructed to predict the aroma quality of Longjing tea. Summarily, this study has provided a novel option for quality prediction of green tea based on HS-SPME/GC-MS technique. | 10.1631/jzus.B1200086 |
pubmed_1112_13895 | The increasing population in older age will lead to greater numbers of them presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). This has implications on global healthcare resources and necessitates better management and selection for evidenced-based therapies. The elderly are a high risk group with more significant treatment benefits than younger ACS. Nevertheless, age related inequalities in ACS care are recognised and persist. This discrepancy in care, to some extent, is explained by the higher frequency of atypical and delayed presentations in the elderly, and less diagnostic electrocardiograms at presentation, potentiating a delay in ACS diagnosis. Under estimation of mortality risk in the elderly due to limited consideration for physiological frailty, co-morbidity, cognitive/psychological impairment and physical disability, less input by cardiology specialists and lack of randomised, controlled trials data to guide management in the elderly may further confound the inequality of care. While these inequalities exist, there remains a substantial opportunity to improve age related ACS outcomes. The selection of elderly patients for specific therapies and medication regimens are unanswered. There is a growing need for randomised, controlled trial data to be more representative of the population and enroll those of advanced age with co-morbidity. A lack of reporting of adverse events, such as renal impairment post coronary angiography, in the elderly further limit risk benefit decisions. Substantial improvements in care of elderly ACS patients are required and should be advocated. Ultimately, these improvements are likely to lead to better outcomes post ACS. However, the improvement in outcome is not infinite and will be limited by non-modifiable factors of age-related risk. | 10.3724/SP.J.1263.2012.01312 |
pubmed_339_22652 | A nitrogen analogue 4 of the naturally occurring sulfonium ion salacinol (1), a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor isolated from the Ayruvedic medicine Salacia reticulata, was synthesized and its inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase tested. Substitution of the sulfur atom in 1 with a nitrogen reduced the activity considerably. The solid-state stereostructure of the related compound (5) was determined on the basis of single crystal X-ray measurement. | 10.1248/cpb.49.1503 |
others_40_15562 | Grass pollens lack a dormancy period, remaining in a partly hydrated state at maturation with the contents of the vegetative cell continuing in active motion thereafter. The polysaccharide-containing wall-pre-cursor bodies, derived mainly from previous dictyosome activity (P-particles), move randomly throughout much of the vegetative cell, but at the apertual pole of the grain many follow tracks related to actin fibrils focused on the single aperture. Isolated P-particles are shown by immunofluorescence localization using an antimyosin antibody to be associated individually with myosin. This, together with the fact that movement in the vegetative cell is arrested reversibly by cytochalasins, indicates that their motility is actomyosin bas | 10.1007/s004970050068 |
pubmed_807_16529 | INTRODUCTION
In the general population, erectile dysfunction (ED) is surrounded by a "taboo." Epidemiologists studying this problem have to be aware of the phenomenon of the "tip-of-the-iceberg."
AIMS
Our aim is to describe the iceberg phenomenon for ED and their help-seeking behavior in the general population during a period when public interest in ED heightened and waned after the introduction of the drug sildenafil.
METHODS
The data were obtained as part of a large longitudinal community-based study, i.e., the Krimpen study. With four rounds of data collection with an approximate 2.1 years interval, the local pharmacists provided data on medication use, whereas abstracts from the medical record and history were provided by the local general practitioners (GPs). The data from the questionnaires were entered into the Krimpen study database but were not communicated to the GPs.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
ED: according to the ICS-questionnaire, GP consultation: search of electronic medical dossier for ED or reports from any specialist, use of ED medication as delivered by the pharmacy.
RESULTS
The age-standardized prevalence of ED is stable, i.e., around 40%. During the period 1995 to 2000, the incidence increased from 5% to 6.5%, then it stabilizes around 5% per year. The first-time use of ED medication increases exponentially between 1995 and 2000, then it stabilizes at about 3.5% per year. The number of GP consultations by men with ED increases up to 1999, after which it stabilizes at about 1.8% per year.
CONCLUSION
We suggest that the availability and awareness of a new pharmacological option induced a change of behavior among GPs and their patients. | 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01849.x |
pubmed_490_16672 | BACKGROUND
To inform public health interventions, further investigation is needed to identify: (1) frequency/intensity of everyday physical activity (PA) needed to reduce dementia risk; (2) whether post-diagnosis reduction in PA is associated with cognitive outcomes in people with dementia.
METHODS
Data from 11,391 men and women (aged ≥50) were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing cohort. Assessments were carried out at baseline (2002-2003) and at biannual follow-ups (2004-2013).
RESULTS
Older adults who carried out moderate to vigorous activity at least once per week had a 34%-50% lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia over an 8-10 year follow-up period. From pre- to post-dementia diagnosis, those who decreased PA levels had a larger decrease in immediate recall scores, compared to those who maintained or increased PA levels (analyses were adjusted for changes in physical function).
CONCLUSION
PA was associated with cognitive outcomes in a dose-dependent manner. Reduction in PA after diagnosis was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and maintaining PA may reduce symptom progression in dementia. | 10.1080/13607863.2017.1390731 |
pubmed_726_7677 | Virtues define how we behave when no one else is watching; accordingly, they serve as a bedrock for professional self-regulation, particularly at the level of the individual physician. From the time of William Osler through the end of the 20th century, physician virtue was viewed as an important safeguard for patients and research participants. However, the Institute of Medicine, Association of American Medical Colleges, and other policy groups-relying on social science data indicating that ethical decisions often result from unconscious and biased processes, particularly in the face of financial conflicts of interest-have increasingly rejected physician virtue as an important safeguard for patients.The authors argue that virtue is still needed in medicine-at least as a supplement to regulatory solutions (such as mandatory disclosures). For example, although rarely treated as a reportable conflict of interest, standard fee-for-service medicine can present motives to prioritize self-interest or institutional interests over patient interests. Because conflicts of interest broadly construed are ubiquitous, physician self-regulation (or professional virtue) is still needed. Therefore, the authors explore three strategies that physicians can adopt to minimize the influence of self-serving biases when making medical business ethics decisions. They further argue that humility must serve as a crowning virtue-not a meek humility but, rather, a courageous willingness to recognize one's own limitations and one's need to use "compensating strategies," such as time-outs and consultation with more objective others, when making decisions in the face of conflicting interests. | 10.1097/ACM.0b013e318294fd5b |
pubmed_486_5017 | OBJECTIVE
Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is reportedly a useful strategy that permits marginal donor lungs to be evaluated and reconditioned for successful lung transplantation (LTx). This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the outcomes of EVLP conducted for marginal donor lungs.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase to select studies describing the results of LTx following EVLP for marginal donor lungs compared with standard LTx without EVLP. We performed a meta-analysis to examine donor baseline characteristics, recipient baseline characteristics, and postoperative outcomes.
RESULTS
Of 1380 studies, 8 studies involving 1191 patients met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the non-EVLP group (ie, standard LTx without EVLP), the EVLP group (ie, EVLP of marginal donors following LTx) had similar donor age and sex and recipient baseline age, sex, body mass index, bridge by ventilator/extracorporeal life support/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and rate of double LTx but more abnormal donor lung radiographs (P = .0002), a higher smoking history rate (P = .03), and worse donor arterial oxygen tension/inspired oxygen fraction (P < .00001). However, there were no significant differences in outcomes between the EVLP and non-EVLP groups with respect to the length of postoperative intubation, postoperative extracorporeal life support/extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use, length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, 72-hour primary graft dysfunction of grade 3, 30-day survival, or 1-year survival (all P values > .05).
CONCLUSIONS
Posttransplant outcomes were similar between EVLP-treated LTx and standard LTx without EVLP, although the quality of donor lungs was worse with EVLP-treated LTx. | 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.07.087 |
pubmed_528_137 | BACKGROUND
The malaria vector Anopheles gambiae is polymorphic for chromosomal inversions on the right arm of chromosome 2 that segregate nonrandomly between assortatively mating populations in West Africa. One such inversion, 2Rj, is associated with the BAMAKO chromosomal form endemic to southern Mali and northern Guinea Conakry near the Niger River. Although it exploits a unique ecology and both molecular and chromosomal data suggest reduced gene flow between BAMAKO and other A. gambiae populations, no molecular markers exist to identify this form.
METHODS
To facilitate study of the BAMAKO form, a PCR assay for molecular karyotyping of 2Rj was developed based on sequences at the breakpoint junctions. The assay was extensively validated using more than 700 field specimens whose karyotypes were determined in parallel by cytogenetic and molecular methods. As inversion 2Rj also occurs in SAVANNA populations outside the geographic range of BAMAKO, samples were tested from Senegal, Cameroon and western Guinea Conakry as well as from Mali.
RESULTS
In southern Mali, where 2Rj polymorphism in SAVANNA populations was very low and most of the 2Rj homozygotes were found in BAMAKO karyotypes, the molecular and cytogenetic methods were almost perfectly congruent. Elsewhere agreement between the methods was much poorer, as the molecular assay frequently misclassified 2Rj heterozygotes as 2R+j standard homozygotes.
CONCLUSION
Molecular karyotyping of 2Rj is robust and accurate on 2R+j standard and 2Rj inverted homozygotes. Therefore, the proposed approach overcomes the lack of a rapid tool for identifying the BAMAKO form across developmental stages and sexes, and opens new perspectives for the study of BAMAKO ecology and behaviour. On the other hand, the method should not be applied for molecular karyotyping of j-carriers within the SAVANNA chromosomal form. | 10.1186/1475-2875-6-133 |
pubmed_894_18682 | The genotypic distribution among patients of a marker allele, or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), can be used to determine the mode of inheritance of a disease-predisposing gene, if the association of the marker with the disease is sufficiently high. In the case of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the RFLP in the 5'-flanking region of the human insulin gene does not allow discrimination between dominant and recessive modes of inheritance, or between any intermediate model. Also, it is demonstrated, in general, that the observation of a higher odds ratio for individuals with two copies of a marker allele than for individuals with at least one copy does not in itself imply a gene-dosage model. | pubmed_894_18682 |
pubmed_1039_6830 | Intestinal infection by the coccidian parasite Cryptosporidium is a well-recognized condition in immunocompromised hosts and in some normal persons. The authors studied a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and cryptosporidiosis of the small intestine. The parasite inhabits the microvillous brush border of the intestinal epithelium and must be carefully sought on light microscopic examination of intestinal biopsy specimens. Characteristic life cycle stages are observed on electron microscopy. The absence of significant light microscopic alterations of the villous architecture in this patient's biopsy specimen and in other cases suggests that other factors, such as toxin elaboration by cryptosporidia or other organisms, may be involved in the pathogenesis of diarrhea. Abnormal aggregation of lysosomes at the apices of intestinal epithelial cells may reflect ineffective host phagocytic mechanisms. | 10.1016/s0046-8177(84)80165-3 |
pubmed_1109_3021 | This study presents an analytical model for the edge spread function (ESF) of a clinical CT system that allows reliable fits of noisy ESF data. The model was used for the calculation of the material-specific transfer function TF and an estimation of the signal transfer and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in 2D. Images of the Catphan phantom were acquired with a clinical Siemens Somatom Sensation Cardiac 64 CT scanner combining four different x-ray tube outputs (40, 150, 250 and 350 mAs) with four different reconstruction filters, which covered the range from very smooth (B10s) to very sharp (B70s). The images of the high- and mid-contrast cylinders of the phantom's 'Geometry and Sensitometry' module (air, Teflon, Delrin and PMP) were used to sample material-specific ESF curves. The ESF curves were fitted with the analytical model we developed based on a linear combination of Boltzmann and Gaussian functions. The analytical model of the ESF was used to obtain the Fourier-based material-specific transfer function TF, as well as the spatial-domain point spread function (PSF). TF was subsequently used to estimate the signal transfer, which was compared to the actual reconstructed image of a 3.0 mm diameter Teflon pin. The noise power spectrum (NPS) was calculated from images of a uniform water phantom under the same technique parameters. The task-specific SNR was calculated for all technique parameters from the model-based TF, the measured NPS and simulated 3 mm diameter disc signals modeling the aforementioned materials. Bootstrapping was performed to estimate the standard deviation of the TF and the SNR. The analytical model we developed accurately captured the features of the CT ESF data. The coefficient of determination R(2), a metric that describes the goodness of the fit, had a median value of 0.9995, and decreased for low tube output, low contrast and the sharp reconstruction filter. Our analysis showed that ESF, PSF and TF depended not only on the reconstruction filter, but also on the tube output and the material of the cylinders. For B40s and B70s, the TF of Delrin was significantly higher than the TF of other materials in the frequency range of 0.4-0.9 mm(-1). The estimated signal transfer agreed well with the actual reconstructed image of the Teflon pin. For the technique parameters we used the SNR values ranged between [64, 320], [64, 281], [37, 137] and [33, 117] for air, Teflon, Delrin and PMP respectively. While for high-contrast materials the smoothest reconstruction filter resulted in the highest SNR, for mid-contrast materials the standard filter gave the best results. The presented approach provides an accurate, analytical description of the material-specific ESF, PSF and TF as well as an estimate of the signal transfer. The transfer function TF together with the NPS and simulated signals allow the calculation of a task-specific SNR. | 10.1088/0031-9155/58/20/7447 |
pubmed_953_13364 | OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinical effects of concurrent radiochemotherapy with those of radiotherapy in treating locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Stage III~IVa).
METHODS
A total of 95 patients suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Stage III~IVa) were divided into two groups: concurrent radiochemotherapy (Group CCRT, n=49) and radiotherapy (Group RT, n=46). The two groups were both delivered conventional fractionated radiotherapy, while Group CCRT also received three cycles of PF (DDP+5-Fu) or PLF (DDP+5- Fu+CF) chemotherapy.
RESULTS
The complete remission rate and total remission rate of Group CCRT were higher than those of Group RT (X2=4.72~7.19, P<0.05). The one-year overall survival (OS) rate calculated by the life table method, was also higher than that of Group RT (X2=4.24, P<0.05) as well as the 3-year OS rate, nasopharyngeal control rate and cervical lymph nodes' control rate (X2=4.28~4.40, P<0.05). In addition, the 5-year OS and metastasis-free rates of Group CCRT were higher than those of Group RT and the differences were of statistical importance (X2=3.96~8.26, P<0.05). However, acute toxicity was also obviously higher, the difference in gastrointestinal reactions being statistically significant (X2=11.70, P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that concurrent radiochemotherapy could improve the remission rate, overall survival rate and locally control rate. The toxicity of concurrent radiochemotherapy could be tolerated by the patients. | 10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.8.3961 |
pubmed_72_3569 | PURPOSE
We evaluated photoselective vaporization of the prostate using the GreenLight™ XPS™ 180 W system for benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment in a large multi-institutional cohort at 2 years. We particularly examined safety, outcomes and the re-treatment rate in larger prostates, defined as a prostate volume of 80 cc or greater, to assess the potential of photoselective vaporization of the prostate as a size independent procedure.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 1,196 patients were treated at 6 international centers in Canada, the United States, France and England. All parameters were collected retrospectively, including complications, I-PSS, maximum urinary flow rate, post-void residual urine, prostate volume, prostate specific antigen and the endoscopic re-intervention rate. Subgroup stratified comparative analysis was performed according to preoperative prostate volume less than 80 vs 80 cc or greater on transrectal ultrasound.
RESULTS
Median prostate size was 50 cc in 387 patients and 108 cc in 741 in the prostate volume groups less than 80 and 80 cc or greater, respectively. The rate of conversion to transurethral prostate resection was significantly higher in the 80 cc or greater group than in the less than 80 cc group (8.4% vs 0.6%, p <0.01). I-PSS, quality of life score, maximum urinary flow rate and post-void residual urine were significantly improved compared to baseline at 6, 12 and 24 months of followup without significant differences between the prostate size groups. The re-treatment rate at 2 years reported in 5 of 411 patients was associated with the delivery of decreased energy density (2.1 vs 4.4 kJ/cc) in the group without re-treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Photoselective vaporization of the prostate using the XPS 180 W system is safe and efficacious, providing durable improvement in functional outcomes at 2 years independent of prostate size when treated with sufficient energy. | pubmed_72_3569 |
pubmed_180_343 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Lifting presents a significant risk for the development of low back pain. It is not known what effect lifting from a supermarket shopping trolley has on sagittal spinal curvature. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of lifting from a shopping trolley on sagittal spinal curvature.
METHODS
Fifteen female subjects (height 1.67 ± 0.04 m, weight 64.3 ± 5.0 kg) completed lifts of 9 kg from a shopping trolley and a surface matched for height whilst sagittal spinal curvature was measured using Qualysis motion analysis system. Seven retro-reflective markers were placed along spine with angle between three markers representing regional curvature. No constraints on lifting technique were instigated.
RESULTS
Results demonstrate no difference in sagittal range of motion or spinal curvature across the two lifts. A small but significant difference in knee flexion angle was observed. These results demonstrate that the chosen lifting strategy was not influenced by the constraint imposed by the shopping trolley. Furthermore the function of knee flexion did not result in change in sagittal curvature during the lifts.
CONCLUSION
Lifting from a shopping trolley has no effect of sagittal spinal curvature. | 10.3233/BMR-130421 |
pubmed_270_13748 | Quantitative proteomics is a technique that allows for large-scale comparison of the levels of individual proteins present in a biological sample. This technique has not previously been applied to examine the response of skeletal muscle proteins to an acute bout of exercise. In the present study, quantitative proteomics was applied to investigate whether the levels of individual skeletal muscle proteins are acutely affected by a short bout of high-intensity exercise. Gastrocnemius muscle was sampled from fasted rats either at rest, immediately following 3 min of high-intensity exercise or after 30 min of recovery. Muscle samples were submitted to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and 61 of the resulting protein spots were selected for quantitative analysis. It was found that skeletal muscle protein levels were generally not acutely affected by a short bout of high-intensity exercise, with only four of the 61 proteins selected for analysis being significantly altered. These altered proteins were identified using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry as creatine kinase, troponin T and a combination of heat shock 20 kDa protein and adenylate kinase 1. In conclusion, quantitative proteomics is sensitive enough to detect acute changes in skeletal muscle protein levels in response to exercise. We have found that the levels of most individual skeletal muscle proteins are not immediately altered in response to a short bout of high-intensity exercise and recovery in fasted rats. | 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2006.04470.x |
pubmed_31_2483 | Sense of agency, a feeling of generating actions and events by oneself, stems from action-outcome congruence. An implicit marker of sense of agency is intentional binding, which is compression of subjective temporal interval between action and outcome. We investigated relationships between intentional binding and explicit sense of agency. Participants pressed a key triggering auditory (Experiment 1) or visual outcome (Experiment 2) that occurred after variable delays. In each trial, participants rated their agency over the outcome and estimated the keypress-outcome temporal interval. Results showed that delays decreased agency ratings and intentional binding. There was inter-individual correlation between sensitivities to outcome delay (i.e., regression slope) of agency rating and intentional binding in the auditory but not visual domain. Importantly, we found intra-individual correlations between agency rating and intentional binding on a trial-by-trial basis in both outcome modalities. These results suggest that intentional binding coincides with explicit sense of agency. | 10.1016/j.concog.2018.11.005 |
pubmed_362_24231 | Background
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in children is a critical condition with a poor prognosis. After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic developed, the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the pediatric emergency department (PED) visits have changed. This study aimed to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric OHCA in the PED.
Methods
From January 2018 to September 2021, we retrospectively collected data of children (18 years or younger) with a definite diagnosis of OHCA admitted to the PED. Patient data studied included demographics, pre-/in-hospital information, treatment modalities; and outcomes of interest included sustained return of spontaneous circulation (SROSC) and survival to hospital-discharge (STHD). These were analyzed and compared between the periods before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results
A total of 97 patients with OHCA (68 boys and 29 girls) sent to the PED were enrolled in our study. Sixty cases (61.9%) occurred in the pre-pandemic period and 37 during the pandemic. The most common age group was infants (40.2%) (p = 0.018). Asystole was the most predominant cardiac rhythm (72.2%, P = 0.048). Eighty patients (82.5%) were transferred by the emergency medical services, 62 (63.9%) gained SROSC, and 25 (25.8%) were STHD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children with non-trauma OHCA had significantly shorter survival duration and prolonged EMS scene intervals (both p < 0.05).
Conclusion
During the COVID-19 pandemic, children with OHCA had a significantly lower rate of SROSC and STHD than that in the pre-pandemic period. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of PED visits and has affected factors related to ROSC and STHD in pediatric OHCA. | 10.3389/fped.2022.846410 |
pubmed_1136_19647 | Sulfonyl oxime ethers undergo facile nucleophilic substitutions with various nucleophiles to yield the corresponding oxime ethers which provide an easy access to amines and carbonyl compounds. | 10.1039/c0cc02081h |
pubmed_1052_4116 | The α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) is a ~32kDa cytosolic protein that plays an important role in the efficient circulation of plasma α-tocopherol in the body, a factor with great relevance in reproduction. The α-TTP gene has been studied in a number of tissues; however, its expression and function in some ovine tissues remain unclear. A previous study from our laboratory has demonstrated α-TTP expression in sheep liver. In the present study we determined whether α-TTP is expressed in non-liver tissues and investigated the effects of dietary vitamin E on the α-TTP mRNA levels. Thirty-five male Tan sheep with similar body weight were randomly allocated into five groups and supplemented 0, 20, 100, 200 and 2000IUsheep(-1)day(-1) vitamin E, for four months, respectively. At the end of the study, the animals were slaughtered and tissue samples from the heart, spleen, lung, kidney, longissimus dorsi muscle and gluteus muscle were immediately collected. We found that the α-TTP gene is expressed in sheep tissues other than the liver. Moreover, dietary vitamin E levels had influenced the expression levels of α-TTP gene in these tissues in a tissue-specific way. The technique of immunohistochemistry was used to detect α-TTP in tissues of the heart, spleen, lung, and kidney and we found that α-TTP was mainly located in the cytoplasm while no α-TTP immunoreactivity was detected in the cytoplasm of longissimus dorsi and gluteus muscle samples. Importantly, our findings lay the foundation for additional experiments focusing on the absorption and metabolism of vitamin E in tissues other than the liver. | pubmed_1052_4116 |
pubmed_602_18122 | Targeting of peroxisomal membrane proteins (PMPs) is a multistep process that requires not only recognition of PMPs in the cytosol but also their insertion into the peroxisomal membrane. As a consequence, targeting signals of PMPs (mPTS) are rather complex. A candidate protein for the PMP recognition event is Pex19p, which interacts with most PMPs. However, the respective Pex19p-binding sites are ill-defined and it is currently disputed whether these sites are contained within mPTS. By using synthetic peptide scans and yeast two-hybrid analyses, we determined and characterized Pex19p-binding sites in Pex11p and Pex13p, two PMPs from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sites turned out to be composed of a short helical motif with a minimal length of 11 amino acids. With the acquired data, it proved possible to predict and experimentally verify Pex19p-binding sites in several other PMPs by applying a pattern search and a prediction matrix. A peroxisomally targeted Pex13p fragment became mislocalized to the endoplasmic reticulum in the absence of its Pex19p-binding site. By adding the heterologous binding site of Pex11p, peroxisomal targeting of the Pex13p fragment was restored. We conclude that Pex19p-binding sites are well-defined entities that represent an essential part of the mPTS. | 10.1091/mbc.e04-03-0188 |
pubmed_277_22620 | The postpartum period in women with diabetes or GDM allows both the physician and mother to relax from the intensive medical and obstetric management that has permitted, in most cases, a successful and joyous outcome. The role of the physician, however, must switch to a proactive and preventive mode to formulate a reproductive health plan for women with diabetes and GDM. The plan should be individualized to address glycemic management and surveillance, nutritional management, contraception prescription, future pregnancy planning, and lifestyle changes. Essential to the development of a reproductive health plan is the active participation of the patient, who through education gains an understanding of the far-reaching effects her active participation will have on her subsequent health and possibly on that of her future children. | 10.1097/00003081-200003000-00008 |
others_267_10214 | llus sphaericus (NCIM 2478) produced high levels of penicillin V acylase (100 U / g dry cells) when grown on cornsteep liquor - minerals medium at 25°C for 20 h. Supplementation of the medium either with 1 % (w/v) whole wheat bran or its aqueous extract brought about more than 70 % increase in the total enzyme activity. Moreover, deletion of Na2HPO4, MgSO4, CaCl2, FeSO4, CuSO4 and KCl from the medium affected neither growth nor enzyme production. © 1994 Kluwer Academic Publishers | 10.1007/BF01022400 |
others_416_6943 | Stroke is a leading cause of death, with a continuously increasing incidence. As a metabolic process that catabolizes glucose pyruvate and provides adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glycolysis plays a crucial role in different diseases. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) facilitates energy production with biosynthesis in many diseases, including stroke. However, the exact role of PGK1/glycolysis in stroke remains to be elucidated. A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to mimic ischemia/reperfusion injuries. Oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) was used to induce injury to highly aggressively proliferating immortalized (HAPI) rat microglial cells. The extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) was determined using an XFe24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. ATP, lactate dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 levels were measured using commercial kits. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to examine the interaction between H3K27ac or p300 and the PGK1 promoter region. PGK1 was either knocked down or overexpressed by lentivirus. Thus, to examine its role in stroke, real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting were used to measure gene expression. The expression of PGK1 was increased and associated with M1 polarization and glycolysis in MCAO rat models. OGD/R promoted M1 polarization and HAPI microglial cell inflammation by regulating glycolysis. Silencing PGK1 reduced OGD/R-increased M1 polarization, inflammation, and glycolysis. Conversely, the overexpression of PGK1 promoted HAPI microglial cell inflammation by regulating glycolysis. The mechanism showed that histone acetyltransferase p300 promoted PGK1 expression through H3K27 acetylation. Finally, data indicated that silencing PGK1 inhibited microglia M1 polarization, inflammation, and glycolysis in MCAO rat models. PGK1 could promote ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced microglial M1 polarization and inflammation by regulating glycolysis, which might provide a novel direction in developing new therapeutic medications for preventing or treating stroke. © 2023, The Author(s) | 10.1007/s12017-023-08736-3 |
pubmed_372_6496 | Glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant non-protein thiol (-SH) in mammalian cells. Its synthesis and metabolism serve to maintain cellular reduction-oxidation (redox) homeostasis, which is important for multiple cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation and death. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that the essential roles of GSH extended far beyond its oxidant and electrophile scavenger activities and regulatory role in the lifespan of cells. Recent findings revealed that altered GSH levels are closely associated with a wide range of pathologies including bacterial and viral infections, neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune disorders, all of which are also characterized by aberrant activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. As a result of these findings, GSH was assigned a central role in influencing the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. To expand on our recent advances in understanding this process, we discuss here the emerging roles of GSH in activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and the therapeutic potential of GSH in its associated pathologies. | 10.1093/jb/mvab158 |
pubmed_140_20809 | Two mGluR7-derived peptides corresponding to residues 856 to 879 and 856 to 875 are known to bind to Ca2+-saturated calmodulin (Ca2+/CaM), and their binding manners are thought to differ. Met872 function is believed as one of the anchor residues for CaM-binding only in the shorter peptide. To uncover the role of Met872 in CaM-binding, we prepared a mutant of the long peptide, mGluR7 (M872A), in which Met872 was replaced with Ala. We used the mutant together with the two peptides to perform NMR-titration experiments to monitor interaction with stable isotope-labeled CaM. Interaction of Ca2+/CaM with mGluR7 (M872A) caused a spectrum that differed from that of Ca2+/CaM with the long peptide, suggesting that Met872 of mGluR7 could be involved in CaM-binding even in the long peptide. Analyses of all NMR data suggested that the binding between Ca2+/CaM and mGluR7 occurs in some conformational equilibrium manner. The unique CaM-binding properties caused by Met872 may be related to mGluR7's function. | 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.10.053 |
pubmed_554_12851 | PURPOSE
Many recent studies have reported that successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) has more beneficial effects than failed CTO-PCI; however, there are only limited data available from comparisons of successful CTO-PCI with medical therapy (MT) in the Korean population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 840 consecutive CTO patients who underwent diagnostic coronary angiography, receiving either PCI with DESs or MT, were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment assigned. To adjust for potential confounders, propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed using logistic regression. Individual major clinical outcomes and major adverse cardiac events, a composite of total death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and revascularization, were compared between the two groups up to 5 years.
RESULTS
After PSM, two propensity-matched groups (265 pairs, n=530) were generated, and the baseline characteristics were balanced. Although the PCI group showed a higher incidence of target lesion and vessel revascularization on CTO, the incidence of MI tended to be lower [hazard ratio (HR): 0.339, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.110 to 1.043, p=0.059] and the composite of total death or MI was lower (HR: 0.454, 95% CI: 0.224 to 0.919, p=0.028), compared with the MT group up to 5 years.
CONCLUSION
In this study, successful CTO PCI with DESs was associated with a higher risk of repeat PCI for the target vessel, but showed a reduced incidence of death or MI. | 10.3349/ymj.2018.59.5.602 |
pubmed_290_21825 | BACKGROUND
Specific biomarkers of pyelonephritis (PN) in cats are lacking. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have diagnostic potential in human nephropathies.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the presence/stability of miRNAs in whole urine of cats and the discriminatory potential of selected urinary miRNAs for PN in cats.
ANIMALS
Twelve healthy cats, 5 cats with PN, and 13 cats with chronic kidney disease (n = 5), subclinical bacteriuria (n = 3), and ureteral obstructions (n = 5) recruited from 2 companion animal hospitals.
METHODS
Prospective case-control study. Expression profiles of 24 miRNAs were performed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Effect of storage temperature (4°C [24 hours], -20°C, and -80°C) was determined for a subset of miRNAs in healthy cats.
RESULTS
Urinary miR-4286, miR-30c, miR-204, miR4454, miR-21, miR-16, miR-191, and miR-30a were detected. For the majority of miRNAs tested, storage at 4°C and -20°C resulted in significantly lower miRNA yield compared to storage at -80°C (mean log2fold changes across miRNAs from -0.5 ± 0.4 SD to -1.20 ± 0.4 SD (4°C versus -80°C) and from -0.7 ± 0.2 SD to -1.20 ± 0.3 SD (-20°C versus -80°C)). Cats with PN had significantly upregulated miR-16 with a mean log2fold change of 1.0 ± 0.4 SD, compared with controls (-0.1 ± 0.2, P = .01) and other urological conditions (0.6 ± 0.3, P = .04).
CONCLUSIONS
Upregulation of miR16 might be PN-specific, pathogen-specific (Escherichia coli), or both. | 10.1111/jvim.15628 |
pubmed_997_10488 | Background
Abnormalities of the mitral valve (MV) apparatus are typical features of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). These abnormalities include leaflet elongation, thick leaflets, displacement of papillary muscle, and systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the MV anterior leaflet. Mitral valve chordal rupture associated with HCM is a rare but serious issue capable of change the clinical apparence and the prognosis of the patient.
Case summary
A 57-year-old lady with a history of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and a previous single episode of atrial fibrillation (treated with pharmacological cardioversion), presented to the Emergency Department for worsening dyspnea (New York Heart Association Classification class IV). A trans-thoracic echocardiogram (TTE) showed a significant, septal, and asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy (basal anteroseptal wall diastolic thickness of 19 mm) with normal left ventricle systolic function. A SAM of AML was evident together with a left ventricular outflow tract gradient of 56 mmHg at rest, rising to 136 mmHg during the Valsalva maneuver. In addition, there was evidence of moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) with an anteriorly directed jet, not very typical of MR related to SAM. A 2D-3D trans-esophageal echocardiogram (2D-3D TEE) revealed a combined MR mechanism based on PML degenerative prolapse with P2-flail from ruptured chordae with related eccentric anteriorly directed regurgitant jet, together with a second regurgitant posteriorly directed jet, related to SAM of AML. The patient underwent MV repair together with septal myectomy, with a good final outcome.
Conclusion
Pre-operative echocardiography (both TTE and 2D-3D TEE) is an essential tool in order to detect different MV abnormalities in patients with HCM. These types of patients should never be treated by septal reduction alone. Surgical MV repair or replacement, together with septal myectomy, may be the preferred approach. | 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1020054 |
pubmed_799_17126 | The inhibition of the telomere-binding protein TRF2, by expressing the dominant negative form TRF2(DeltaBDeltaC), has been used as a model of anti-telomere strategy to induce a reversion of the malignant phenotype of M14 and JR5 human melanoma lines. Over-expression of TRF2(DeltaBDeltaC) induced apoptosis and reduced tumourigenicity exclusively in JR5 cells. p53 and Rb status and apoptotic response to DNA damage did not seem to account for the different response of the two lines to TRF2 inhibition. Interestingly, JR5 cells possess shorter and more dysfunctional telomeres compared to M14 line. Moreover, the treatment with the G-quadruplex-interacting agent (G4-ligand) RHPS4 sensitises M14 cells to TRF2 inhibition. These results demonstrate that TRF2 can impair tumuorigenicity of human cancer cells. They further suggest that a basal level of telomere instability favours an efficient response to TRF2 inhibition and that a combined anti-TRF2 and G4-ligand therapy would have synergistic inhibitory effects on tumour cell growth. | 10.1016/j.ejca.2006.03.010 |
pubmed_241_10902 | PURPOSE
Glioblastoma is an incurable solid tumor characterized by increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We performed a phase II study of cediranib in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
METHODS
Cediranib, an oral pan-VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was administered (45 mg/d) until progression or unacceptable toxicity to patients with recurrent glioblastoma. The primary end point was the proportion of patients alive and progression free at 6 months (APF6). We performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and plasma and urinary biomarker evaluations at multiple time points.
RESULTS
Thirty-one patients with recurrent glioblastoma were accrued. APF6 after cediranib was 25.8%. Radiographic partial responses were observed by MRI in 17 (56.7%) of 30 evaluable patients using three-dimensional measurements and in eight (27%) of 30 evaluable patients using two-dimensional measurements. For the 15 patients who entered the study taking corticosteroids, the dose was reduced (n = 10) or discontinued (n = 5). Toxicities were manageable. Grade 3/4 toxicities included hypertension (four of 31; 12.9%); diarrhea (two of 31; 6.4%); and fatigue (six of 31; 19.4%). Fifteen (48.4%) of 31 patients required at least one dose reduction and 15 patients required temporary drug interruptions due to toxicity. Drug interruptions were not associated with outcome. Changes in plasma placental growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2, soluble VEGF receptor 1, stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha, and soluble Tek/Tie2 receptor and in urinary MMP-9/neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin activity after cediranib were associated with radiographic response or survival.
CONCLUSION
Cediranib monotherapy for recurrent glioblastoma is associated with encouraging proportions of radiographic response, 6-month progression-free survival, and a steroid-sparing effect with manageable toxicity. We identified early changes in circulating molecules as potential biomarkers of response to cediranib. The efficacy of cediranib and the predictive value of these candidate biomarkers will be explored in prospective trials. | 10.1200/JCO.2009.26.3988 |
pubmed_588_24998 | Laboratory investigations of gambling are sometimes criticized as lacking ecological validity because the stakes wagered by human subjects are not real or no real monetary losses are experienced. These problems may be partially addressed by studying gambling in laboratory animals. Toward this end, data are summarized which demonstrate that laboratory animals will work substantially harder and prefer to work under gambling-like schedules of reinforcement in which the number of responses per win is unpredictable. These findings are consistent with a delay discounting model of gambling which holds that rewards obtained following unpredictable delays are more valuable than rewards obtained following predictable delays. According to the delay discounting model, individuals that discount delayed rewards at a high rate (like pathological gamblers) perceive unpredictably delayed rewards to be of substantially greater value than predictable rewards. The reviewed findings and empirical model support the utility of studying animal behavior as an ecologically valid first-approximation of human gambling. | 10.1007/s10899-006-9041-5 |
pubmed_682_18156 | Aesthetic dermatology includes many minimally invasive therapies that can help our patients age gracefully and discreetly. Because it is hard to systematize these treatments to make patients aware of the options they have for the area of the face they want to improve, at Clínica Dermatológica Internacional, we have developed the Skin Age Management (SAM) protocol. In this article, we describe the protocol, which is aimed at helping doctors and patients to better understand and plan available treatments, underlining the advisability of combining techniques with the goal of achieving discreet changes to obtain what we consider to be optimum results, based on our experience at our center. | 10.1016/j.ad.2018.10.016 |
pubmed_993_1963 | Rupture of the flexor tendon of the fingers occurred in three persons; one of the profundus tendon with pieces of bone, one the partial tear of the superficial tendon, and in the third rupture of both flexor tendons in finger canal due to degenerative changes. It would seem that flexor tendon rupture is more common than is generally supposed. | 10.1055/s-0028-1106372 |
others_423_14112 | Rough surface height distribution can be nonsymmetric, depending on the process of surface preparation. The prevalent processes for implant surface involve turning and milling, both resulting in surface height distributions of nonsymmetric nature. Asymmetry in a surface height distribution is manifested through a parameter known as skewness. Unlike Gaussian distribution, Weibull distribution permits characteristics such as skewness and kurtosis in data to be included in the mathematical description of a height distribution. This paper develops hip implant contact model based on Weibull distribution of surface heights. The elastic-plastic interaction of implant surfaces are considered as macroscopically spherical surfaces containing micron-scale roughness. Symmetric and asymmetric roughness height distribution are compared. The total contact force is related to the minimum mean surface separation of the contacting rough surfaces. The force is obtained using statistical integral function of the asperity heights over the possible region of interaction of the roughness of surfaces. Approximate equations are obtained that relate the contact force to the minimum mean surface separation explicitly. The approximate equations are used to derive hysteretic energy loss per load-unload sequence, contact frequency, and damping. It is shown that energy loss per cycle, contact frequency, and damping are lower for asymmetric surface roughness distribution. © 2017 World Scientific Publishing Company | 10.1142/S0219519417500233 |
pubmed_1001_18443 | We examined the role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) in integrin-mediated eosinophil adhesion. Deltap85, a dominant-negative form of the class IA PI3K adaptor subunit, was fused to an HIV-TAT protein transduction domain (TAT-Deltap85). Recombinant TAT-Deltap85 inhibited interleukin (IL)-5-stimulated phosphorylation of protein kinase B, a downstream target of PI3K. beta(2)-Integrin-dependent adhesion caused by IL-5 to the plated intracellular adhesion molecule-1 surrogate, bovine serum albumin, was inhibited by TAT-Deltap85 in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, two PI3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, blocked eosinophil adhesion to plated bovine serum albumin. By contrast, beta(1)-integrin-mediated eosinophil adhesion to vascular cell adhesion moelcule-1 was not blocked by TAT-Deltap85, wortmannin, or LY294002. Rottlerin, a protein kinase C (PKC)-delta inhibitor, also blocked beta(2)-integrin adhesion of eosinophils caused by IL-5, whereas beta(1) adhesion to vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was not affected. IL-5 caused translocation of PKCdelta from the cytosol to cell membrane; inhibition of PI3K by wortmannin blocked translocation of PKCdelta. Western blot analysis demonstrated that extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation, a critical intermediary in adhesion elicited by IL-5, was blocked by inhibition of either PI3K or PKC-delta. These data suggest that extracellular signal-regulated kinase-mediated adhesion of beta(2)-integrin caused by IL-5 is mediated in human eosinophils by a class IA PI3K through activation of a PKCdelta pathway. | 10.1165/rcmb.2005-0076OC |
pubmed_70_17794 | Genetic studies have demonstrated that nonsyndromic cleft is composed of two separate entities: the cleft palate only and cleft of the lip, alveolus with or without cleft palate; both have a heterogeneous genetic background and environmental factors contribute to the onset of these malformations. The role of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-A) was considered possible, but conflicting results have been reported. To detect if TGF-A is involved in the onset of cleft diseases, a series of patients with nonsyndromic clefts and control subjects were analyzed with regard to protein expression. Forty-three patients with nonsyndromic clefts and 21 unaffected subjects were enrolled in this study. Paraffin-embedded specimens were matched with TGF-A antibody and then scanned with a computerized image analyzer. TGF-A was scored as absent, moderately (from 10% to 30%), and highly expressed in epithelium, gland, and muscle. Data were statistically analyzed with a Kruskal-Wallis test. Comparison between control subjects and patients with clefts showed that only gland and epithelium reached a significant P value. A subsequent comparison between cleft of the lip, alveolus with or without cleft palate and cleft palate only groups demonstrated a statistically significant difference only for gland. TGF-A was decreasingly expressed in unaffected, cleft of the lip, alveolus with or without cleft palate, and patient with cleft palate only and thus further strength has been given to its role in the onset of the disease. | 10.1097/scs.0b013e3180de6506 |
pubmed_1094_21140 | BACKGROUND
Autophagy has been found to be involved in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the underlying mechanism and significance of autophagy in reperfusion injury remain unclear. Herein, we evaluated the effects of exogenous calreticulin (CRT) on autophagy in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated human microvascular endothelial cells (MECs).
METHODS
Human MECs were pretreated with CRT (25 pg/mL) for 30 min, followed by exposure in an incubator filled with a gas mixture of 90% N2, 5% O2, and 5% CO2 for 8-h hypoxia. The cells were then placed back in the normoxic CO2 incubator for 16-h reoxygenation. Cell injury was assessed by the cell counting kit-8 assay. Autophagosomes were detected by transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining. Western blot analysis was performed to detect phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR), Beclin 1, and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3).
RESULTS
H/R induced marked autophagy through the mTOR pathway. CRT suppressed rapamycin- and H/R-induced autophagosome formation, the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, and Beclin 1 expression in human MECs by upregulating mTOR phosphorylation, consequently attenuating H/R-induced human MEC injury.
CONCLUSIONS
Exogenous CRT attenuated H/R-induced human MEC injury by inhibiting autophagy. | 10.1097/SHK.0000000000000905 |
pubmed_400_7553 | It is commonly assumed that odorants are detected by the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and pheromones are sensed through the vomeronasal organ (VNO). The complete loss of MOE-mediated olfaction in type-3 adenylyl cyclase knockout mice (AC3-/-) allowed us to examine chemosensory functions of the VNO in the absence of signaling through the MOE. Here we report that AC3-/- mice are able to detect certain volatile odorants via the VNO. These same odorants elicited electro-olfactogram transients in the VNO and MOE of wild-type mice, but only VNO responses in AC3-/- mice. This indicates that some odorants are detected through an AC3-independent pathway in the VNO. | 10.1038/nn1039 |
pubmed_526_21753 | BACKGROUND
Vision plays a critical role in athletic performance; however, previous studies have demonstrated that a variety of simulated athletic sensorimotor tasks can be surprisingly resilient to retinal defocus (blurred vision). The purpose of the present study was to extend this work to determine the effect of retinal defocus on overall basketball free throw performance, as well as for the factors gender, refractive error and experience.
METHODS
Forty-four young adult participants of both genders were recruited. They had a range of refractive errors and basketball experience. Each performed 20 standard basketball free throws under five lens defocus conditions in a randomised manner: plano, +1.50 D, +3.00 D, +4.50 D and +10.00 D.
RESULTS
Overall, free throw performance was significantly reduced under the +10.00 D lens defocus condition only. Previous experience, but neither refractive error nor gender, yielded a statistically significant difference in performance.
CONCLUSION
Consistent with previous studies of complex sensorimotor tasks, basketball free throw performance was resilient to low and moderate levels of retinal defocus. Thus, for a relatively non-dynamic motor task at a fixed far distance, such as the basketball free throw, precise visual clarity was not critical. Other factors such as motor memory may be important. However, in the dynamic athletic competitive environment it is likely that visual clarity plays a more critical role in one's performance level, at least for specific task demands. | 10.1111/cxo.12267 |
others_8_18772 | All active stages of the tick Amblyomma vikirri n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) are described from the gidgee skink Egernia stokesii, a widely distributed lizard in South Australia, western New South Wales, western Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. Thus far, the tick has been collected from this host only in the Flinders and Gawler Ranges of South Australia, plus a single record from Mt Dare in the far north of South Australia. Adults attach primarily on the tail and hind-back of E. stokesii, while the larvae and nymphs prefer the ears and between the toes | 10.1007/BF01531205 |
others_175_14179 | In a Mediterranean climate, water stress is one of the principal constraints on proper forest ecosystem functioning. Drought influences rates of organic matter degradation by affecting microbial growth and enzyme activities. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the effect of repeated drying-rewetting cycles on cellulase, alkaline phosphatase and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase activities of three distinct Quercus ilex L. litter layers, and (ii) to investigate the effect of these cycles on γ-irradiated litters in order to distinguish the abiotic influence on the fluctuations observed. Results, for all three layers, showed high correlations between litter water content and enzyme activities. Under mesocosm conditions, and using non-sterilized litter samples, cellulase, alkaline phosphatase, and FDA activities significantly decreased or increased during drying or rewetting cycles respectively. Significant differences were also found when evaluating the effect of litter depth on enzyme activities, the intermediate depth (OLv layer) generally being the most active. For γ-sterilized samples, FDA activity still fluctuated with drying-rewetting cycles. Assays showed that pre-humidification of γ-irradiated litter increased FDA activity two-fold in the first 30 min. All these results have shown that, following drying-rewetting cycles, some of the fluctuations occur independently of microbial growth, suggesting abiotic interactions, such as desorption, in combination with both solvatation status and conformational changes of enzymes. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reser | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.005 |
pubmed_873_25261 | Testing for and treating Hepatitis C (HCV) patients in the prison setting is effective in the short term to reducing the overall burden of HCV in the prison microenvironment, with growing evidence that such efforts could yield substantial overall benefits in the effort to eradicate HCV in society. However, rates of reinfection are as yet unknown. | 10.1038/s41395-018-0201-x |
pubmed_419_6497 | This in vitro study compared the fracture resistance of weakened roots restored with milled or relined glass fiber post (GFP). Seventy bovine incisors were divided into seven groups, according to the weakening protocol (none: control; medium-weakened: MW; highly-weakened: HW) and post anatomization technique (non-relined, relined with Bulk Fill or Z350 resin; milled GFP: M). Roots were thermomechanical cycled and submitted to compression. Frequencies and groups were compared by the chi-square test and two-factor ANOVA, Tukey's, and t-test (α=5%). The HW-M obtained the lowest values, showing significant differences compared to all groups (p<0.001). The highest value was HW-Bulk fill, with significant difference compared to MW-M (p=0.037) and HW-M (p<0.001). The frequency of repairable fractures was 100% in the control, 87%, and 63% in the MW and HW, respectively. Relined or milled GFPs can be considered to rehabilitate weakened teeth since failure patterns were predominantly repairable in all groups. | 10.4012/dmj.2022-114 |
pubmed_622_15697 | OBJECTIVE
To explore the healthy worker survivor effect (HWSE) in a study of Vermont granite workers by distinguishing "prevalent" from "incident" hires based on date of hire before or after the start of follow-up.
METHODS
Records of workers between 1950 and 1982 were obtained from a medical surveillance programme. Proportional hazards models were used to model the association between silica exposure and lung cancer mortality, with penalised splines used to smooth the exposure-response relationship. A sensitivity analysis compared results between the original cohort and subcohorts defined by restricting date of hire to include varying proportions of prevalent hires.
RESULTS
Restricting to incident hires reduced the 213 cases by 74% and decreased the exposure range. The maximum mortality rate ratio (MRR) was close to twofold in all subcohorts. However, the exposure at which the maximum MRR was achieved decreased from 4.0 to 0.6 mg-year/m3 as the proportion of prevalent hires decreased from 50% in the original cohort to 0% in the subcohort of incident hires.
CONCLUSION
Despite loss in power and restricted exposure range, decreasing the relative proportion of prevalent to incident hires reduced HWSE bias, resulting in stronger evidence for a dose-response between silica exposure and lung cancer mortality. | 10.1136/oem.2006.031369 |
pubmed_467_1628 | The study provides data on the catch composition, length-weight relationship, age structure, gender structure, growth, maturation, fecundity, distribution and conservation status of the burbot Lota lota (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bulgaria. During six consecutive winters (2008-2014) a total of 395 burbot specimens were caught. The total length and the weight of the specimens ranged from 16 to 51 cm and 29.8 to 1057 g, respectively. Seven age classes were represented (3- to 9-years-old), with 3-, 4-, and 5-years-old most abundant. The maximal life expectancy was estimated as 12 years. Male-female ratio was 1:1. Maturity happens at the age of four at the earliest, valid for both sexes. One-quarter of the fish, older than 5 years were determined as non-reproducing in the particular year. The absolute fecundity varied between 47 462 and 810 236 eggs for females ranging from 5 to 7 years old and from 25.7 to 41.5 cm in length. A dramatic decrease of burbot population was observed in the last two decades. Warming water temperatures of the Danube, together with fragmentation in its tributaries are considered as the major threats affecting the species. Therefore, the burbot in Bulgaria is classified as Endangered. | 10.3897/zookeys.910.47866 |
pubmed_752_13109 | INTRODUCTION
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is generally recommended for removal of CBD stones. There were no studies focusing on the role of symptoms related to CBD stone in performing endoscopic stone removal. The aim of our study was to compare outcomes and complications of ERCP between asymptomatic and symptomatic CBD stones.
METHODS
The medical records of 568 patients with naïve papilla who underwent ERCP for treatment of CBD stone from Jan 2009 to Aug 2014 were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided as asymptomatic group (n = 32) and symptomatic group (n = 536).
RESULTS
Age and gender were not significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.005). Mean sizes of CBD and CBD stones were not significantly different between asymptomatic and symptomatic group (p > 0.05). No differences in performance of needle knife fistulotomy, endoscopic sphincterotomy, and endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation were observed between the two groups (p > 0.05). Unintentional injection into the pancreatic duct was not significantly different between the two groups (p > 0.05). The overall complete stone removal rate was 96.9 % in the asymptomatic group and 94.4 % in the symptomatic group (p = 0.295). Requirement of mechanical lithotripsy was not significantly different between asymptomatic and symptomatic group (18.8 vs 8.4 %, p = 0.057). Significantly higher incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis was observed in the asymptomatic group than in the symptomatic group (12.5 vs 3.9 %, p = 0.045).
CONCLUSION
The overall success rates of CBD stone removal were comparable between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. However, risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis appears to be increased in patients with asymptomatic CBD stones. | 10.1007/s10620-015-3965-5 |
pubmed_1045_256 | In the 1920s-1930s, skin glands of a new type, hepatoid glands, were described in 13 mammal species (Rodentia, Canidae, and Bovidae). The hepatoid glands resemble sebaceous glands in their morphology, bur radically differ from them in specific structure of the acinus and another type of secretion. Later, these data either could not be confirmed or were considered insignificant and the hepatoid glands were described as modified sebaceous glands, glands with uncertain function, or modifications of epidermis. Based on the studies of various hepatoid glands in 22 species of Carniviora and Artiodactyla, the authors described in detail the characteristic features of the hepatoid acinus, which allow a precise discrimination of hepatoid and sebaceous glands. Extracellular secretory canaliculi have been described in the hepatoid glands, as well as the richness of hepatoid glands in protein, distribution of hydrophobic lipids in certain hepatoid glands, and formation of excretory ducts and cysts. The hepatoid glands are a source of great amounts of protein secreted in the merocrine way; the secretory substance of some of these glands has a strong odor. | pubmed_1045_256 |
pubmed_503_9042 | Nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced by denitrification, i.e. by microbial reduction of nitrate (NO3-). Our previous studies have established an analytical method for demonstrating the existence of N2O in exhaled air, and we showed that levels of N2O in exhaled air increase with age after puberty. However, the source of this change and its biological significance are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the oral microorganisms are the main source of N2O. We measured exhaled N2O in 35 young adults (aged 19-29 years) and 34 older adults (aged 61-79 years) before and after mouth cleansing. N2O was measured using an infrared-photoacoustic analyzer equipped with an optical filter (UA0985, 2215 cm-1). Participants were classified as producers and non-producers according to the levels of exhaled N2O relative to the level in the atmosphere. N2O production differed significantly between the young adult producers and the older adult producers. Mouth cleansing resulted in an immediate reduction in exhaled N2O in both groups. We only found seven (20.0%) producers in the young, and 32 (94.1%) producers in the older after mouth washing. The differences before and after mouth cleansing were significant in both groups (P < 0.01 in the young and P < 0.05 in the older). The oral cavity is a major source of N2O. However, since approximately half-levels of N2O were still observed in exhaled air after mouth, cleansing, there may exist another N2O source in the human body. | 10.1016/s0048-9697(98)00353-2 |
pubmed_594_1298 | BACKGROUND
The inflammatory process involving Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis is thought to lead to epithelial damage and contribute to the development of gastric cancer. Evidence exists from animal and in vitro studies suggesting that tetracyclines have both anti-inflammatory and tissue-protectant effects unrelated to their antimicrobial activity. We attempted to modulate components of H. pylori's inflammatory process by: (i) eliminating the infection; (ii) using tetracycline to alter the host's reaction to the infection without reducing the bacterial load; and (iii) using calcium to counteract the effect of excessive dietary salt.
METHODS
We conducted a 16-week placebo-controlled clinical trial with 374 H. pylori-associated gastritis patients randomly assigned to one of five groups: (1) triple therapy consisting of metronidazole, amoxicillin and bismuth subsalicylate for 2 weeks, followed by bismuth alone for 14 weeks; (2) calcium carbonate; (3) triple therapy and calcium carbonate; (4) tetracycline; or (5) placebo.
RESULTS
Subjects in the tetracycline and triple therapy groups, but not the calcium carbonate only group, showed a reduction in inflammation and epithelial damage vs. those in the placebo group, independent of a change in H. pylori density and other factors. Our results also indicate that epithelial damage may be affected by mechanisms independent of H. pylori density or inflammation.
CONCLUSION
The results are consistent with the hypothesis that tetracycline can decrease inflammation independent of a reduction in the bacterial load. More research is needed to investigate mechanisms leading to epithelial damage which are independent of H. pylori density and inflammation. | 10.1046/j.1365-2036.2001.00998.x |
pubmed_744_11577 | Late toxicity and other serious adverse events (SAE) were analysed in the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trial 22863. The study evaluated the value of adjuvant endocrine treatment for locally advanced prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy. From 1987 to 1995, 415 patients were randomised. There was long-term toxicity information for 377 patients (91%). Median age was 70 years (range 50-80 years). Median follow-up for late toxicity was 42 months (range 3-136 months). Toxicity was graded according to a modified Radiotherapy and Oncology Group (RTOG) scale. Other late SAE, that was not classified as severe treatment toxicity, but were still life-threatening, were also assessed. There were 72 patients with grade 2, 10 patients with grade 3 and 4 patients with grade 4 toxicity. There were 20 patients with other late SAE, who were grouped according to their relationship to treatment; likely related (n = 1), unrelated (n = 7) and not assessable (n = 12). Although four treatment-related deaths (1%) occurred, grade 3 or 4 late complications were less than 5%. | 10.1016/j.ejca.2003.12.027 |
pubmed_137_18541 | Phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to vascular remodeling in hypertension. High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) has been reported to be involved in several pathogenic processes including VSMC proliferation and migration. The present study was designed to determine the role of HMGB1 in VSMC phenotypic transformation in hypertension. First, we demonstrated that HMGB1 was elevated in a model of Ang II-induced VSMC phenotypic transformation, which showed down-regulation of contractile proteins and up-regulation of synthetic proteins. Knockdown of HMGB1 and losartan could block the phenotypic transformation. Next, we identified three potential miRNAs for upstream regulation of HMGB1 by bioinformatic analysis; only miR-181b-5p was significantly down-regulated in Ang II-treated cells. Co-treating the cells with miR-181b-5p mimics suppressed HMGB1 expression as well as the phenotypic transformation, migration, and proliferation. Furthermore, the luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the direct interaction between miR-181b-5p and HMGB1. Finally, to extend these cell-based studies to clinical patients, we demonstrated that plasma miR-181b-5p levels were decreased, while Ang II and HMGB1 levels, as well as the intima-media thickness (IMT) were increased in hypertensive patients; these effects were reversed following the administration of angiotensin receptor blockers. Based on these observations, we conclude that the down-regulation of miR-181b-5p leads to the elevation of HMGB1 levels in hypertensive patients, which accounts, at least partially, for VSMCs phenotypic transformation and vascular remodeling. Our findings also highlight that the plasma levels of miR-181b-5p and HMGB1 may serve as novel biomarkers for vascular remodeling in the hypertensive patients. | 10.14336/AD.2018.0510 |
others_332_7773 | The plant Thymus is one of the largest and the most famous genus of Lamiacae. Thymus species are commonly used as herbal tea, condiment, spice and medicinal plants. Thymus daenensis Celak is an endemic species grown in Iran. The production of secondary metabolites in different ecosystems is affected by genetic and environmental factors. This study was conducted to determine variation of plant properties and effect of ecological factors on plant properties in different populations of T. daenensis in different regions of Iran (Isfahan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Provinces) on April to June 2009. The results showed that height plant and date of flowering between populations of T. daenensis had significant difference (P ≤ 0.05). Also, our investigation showed that there is a positive and linear relationship between content of thymol as major component with elevation. So we can conclude that the best place for the production of quantity effective materials this plant in order to attain the best results, is the height between 2400 to 2800 m above sea level. © 2011 Academic Journals | others_332_7773 |
pubmed_1075_9602 | BACKGROUND
Extramedullary (EM) organ impairment in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare event, occurring mostly during disease relapse after high-dose chemotherapy with autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This manifestation is commonly associated with an unfavourable outcome. Previous studies suggested a correlation between the clinical course of patients with MM and EM and the cytogenetic findings, e.g. deletion of TP53 on 17p13.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We investigated patients with these rare plasma cell organ infiltrations (n=17) as well as bone lesions or soft tissue lesions, known to be a common clinical feature of MM (n=14), using a newly established method of fluorescence in situ hybridization in combination with cytoplasmic immunoglobulin staining (cIg-FISH) on paraffin-embedded sections and a specific probe for TP53 on 17p13.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
The incidence of del(17)(p13) was similar in both groups but overall it was higher when compared to published data obtained from bone marrow samples and material originating from osteolyses. Further investigations on a larger patient cohort are needed in order to confirm these findings. | pubmed_1075_9602 |
pubmed_327_16416 | PURPOSE/METHODS
A 72-year-old woman that did not know to suffer diabetes was observed to present a bilateral papillopathy with no visual compromise during the postoperative control of cataract surgery. Follow up was performed by fluorescein and indocyanine green angiogram, ophthalmoscopy and campimetry.
RESULTS/CONCLUSION
Papillopathy presentation was asymmetric in both eyes. Systemic work up showed a diabetes. Optic nerve oedema resolved spontaneously without optic disc pallor. Diabetes papillopathy is an uncommon process in the elderly but it must be suspected in cases of optic nerve swelling with paucity of symptoms. | pubmed_327_16416 |
pubmed_1014_7675 | The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinically relevant concentrations of dexmedetomidine on the deformability of erythrocytes in vitro and the effects of dexmedetomidine on the deformability of erythrocytes in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Erythrocyte suspensions of different concentrations were divided into six groups: Control (group C); low, medium and high concentrations of dexmedetomidine (groups DL, DM and DH, respectively); yohimbine alone (group Y) and yohimbine mixed with dexmedetomidine (group YD). The suspensions were incubated in a thermostatic shaking incubator (50 rpm, 37°C) for 60 min. The nitric oxide (NO) concentrations and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activities of red blood cells and the erythrocyte deformability index (EI) were then measured. Patients (n=40) scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly divided into a dexmedetomidine group (group A) and a control group (group B). The induction and maintenance of anesthesia in the two groups was identical. The EI and hematocrit (Hct) were assayed prior to anesthesia (T0) and following the surgery (T1). In the in vitro assay, the EI, the activity of eNOS and the NO concentration of the erythrocytes were significantly higher in groups DL, DM, DH and YD than in group C (P<0.05). In addition, the EI, the eNOS activity and NO concentration of the erythrocytes were higher in group DM than in group YD (P<0.05). In the patients, the EI value at T1 (0.90±0.04) was higher than at T0 (0.81±0.06) in group B (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference between the EI values at T0 and T1 was identified in group A (P>0.05). Dexmedetomidine treatment is able to improve the deformability of erythrocytes in vitro and in anesthesia. The improvement of erythrocyte deformability by dexmedetomidine may be partially associated with adrenergic receptors through activation of eNOS to enhance the concentration of NO in red blood cells. | 10.3892/etm.2014.1633 |
pubmed_636_19253 | Mercury thermometers are and have been, despite their manufacture being banned, one of the main sources of exposure at the paediatric age to elementary mercury (Hg) in our environment. The toxicity produced by elementary Hg depends on the exposure channel and its length. Exposure through the digestive tract produces hardly any toxicity, but subcutaneous or intravenous inoculation and inhalation of mercury may produce damages at a local or system level. We present the case of a child who showed inoculation of liquid mercury in subcutaneous tissue after a liquid-in-glass thermometer broke. This provoked damages at a local level with steatonecrosis of the tissue. The diagnosis was decided through a radiological test and required urgent surgery with excision of skin and subcutaneous tissue, guided by radioscopy. Any spread at a system level was discarded. The levels of mercury in the bloodstream and in the urine were regular. | 10.23938/ASSN.0110 |
pubmed_600_1599 | OBJECTIVES
The introduction of the living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in Egypt as in elsewhere, has raised important psychological conflicts and ethical questions. The objective of this study was to get better understanding of the potential donors' motives toward LDLT.
METHODS
This study was conducted on consecutive 193 living-liver donors who underwent partial hepatectomy as donors for LDLT during the period between April 2003 and January 2013, at the National Liver Institute Menoufeyia University, Egypt. Potential donors were thoroughly evaluated preoperatively through a screening questionnaire and interviews as regard their demographic data, relationship to the potential recipient, and motives toward proceeding to surgery. They were assured that the information shared between them and the transplant center is confidential.
RESULTS
The donors' mean age was 25.53 ± 6.39 years with a range of 18-45 years. Males represented 64.7% and females were 35.3%. The most common donors (32.1%, n = 62) were sons and daughters to their parents (sons: n = 43, daughters: n = 19) while parents to their offsprings represent 15% (mothers: n = 21, fathers: n = 8). Brothers and sisters represent 16.5% (brothers: n = 22, sisters: n = 10). Nephews and nieces giving their uncles or aunts were 14%. The number of wives donating to their husbands was 11 (5.7%). Interestingly, there was no single husband who donated his wife. Among the remaining donors, there were 11 cousins and 1 uncle. Unrelated donors were 20 (10.4%). Several factors seemed to contribute to motivation for donation: the seriousness of the potential recipient condition, the relationship and personal history of the donor to the potential recipient, the religious beliefs, the trust in the health care system, and family dynamics and obligations.
CONCLUSION
Absolute absence of coercion on the living-liver donor's motives may not be realistic because of the serious condition of the potential recipient. It is mandatory that the donor is truly willing to donate. | 10.3389/fsurg.2014.00025 |
others_201_3144 | Several therapies to improve the management of lymphoma are currently being investigated, necessitating the development of new biomarkers. However, this requires high-quality and clinically annotated biological material. Therefore, we established a lymphoma biobank including all available biological material (tissue specimens and matched biological resources) along with associated clinical data for lymphoma patients diagnosed, according to the WHO classification, between 2005 and 2022 in the Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Nice, France. We retrospectively included selected cases in a new collection at the Côte d’Azur Biobank, which contains 2150 samples from 363 cases (351 patients). The male/female ratio was 1.3, and the median age at diagnosis was 58 years. The most common lymphoma types were classical Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and extra-nodal marginal zone lymphoma of MALT tissue. The main sites of lymphoma were the mediastinum, lymph node, Waldeyer’s ring, and lung. The Côte d’Azur Biobank is ISO 9001 and ISO 20387 certified and aims to provide high quality and diverse biological material to support translational research projects into lymphoma. The clinico-pathological data generated by this collection should aid the development of new biomarkers to enhance the survival of patients with lymphoid malignancies. © 2023 by the authors | 10.3390/jpm13071076 |
pubmed_52_6180 | A study using a structured questionnaire was conducted to assess the perception of cattle farmers of the efficacy of East Coast fever (ECF) immunization in southern Zambia. One hundred and seventy-nine farmers from five districts in southern Zambia were interviewed. The majority of farmers (85%) perceived ECF immunization as being very effective and about half of them (51.4%) preferred immunization to other ECF control strategies. The study showed that the number of calves immunized was strongly associated with the farmer's perception of the benefits of immunization. There was no association between the number of calves immunized and the number of veterinary assistants in a given district or their transport situation. Overall mortality in ECF-immunized calves from various causes stood at 4.2%. Based on farmers' reports, the majority of these deaths seemed to have been caused by anaplasmosis, another tick-borne disease, and might have resulted from relaxation of tick control after ECF immunization. The reasons identified by farmers for not immunizing their animals included failure by immunizing teams to reach certain areas, not having calves of immunization age, and lack of money. These findings provide valuable information on how livestock farmers perceive and adopt new animal disease control strategies and the information could be useful in their planning and implementation. | 10.1007/s11250-006-4341-4 |
pubmed_725_13104 | Neuropathologic examination of an autopsy series of 54 patients of various types of CVD revealed a very high frequency of pathologic changes both in brain parenchyma (in 81%) and vessels (in 78%). A broad but continuous spectrum of primary vascular alterations was observed, ranging from fibrinoid deposits in intact or necrotizing vessel walls to fibrohyalinosis and endothelial proliferations. In acute SLE showing LE cells within brain tissues, immune complex deposits were observed for the first time in brain vessels, in addition to similar deposits in the plexus chorioideus and in hematoxylin bodies. Secondary complications are frequently affecting the brain in CVD; they are mainly sequels of systemic atherosclerosis, hypertension, thromboemboli from SLE endocarditis, cardiac, hepatic or renal dysfunctions, or infections and should be clinically differentiated from primary brain involvement in CVD to ensure the appropriate therapeutic measures. | 10.1177/000331978103200601 |
others_188_5347 | Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex genetic disorder with multiple etiologies. Multiple genes as well as environmental effects are thought to play a role in causing AMD. Recent evidence pointed that elevated iron overload, resulting from hereditary defects of iron homeostasis, is associated with retinal degeneration and consequently plays a role in the pathogenesis of AMD. Hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder in which excess iron is absorbed from the diet and deposited in different tissues, primarily caused by mutations in HFE gene. Two major mutations in HFE are responsible for most hemochromatosis cases, namely, C282Y and H63D.In this work we gathered information relating to 37 AMD patients from Jordan, and investigated the potential association between hemochromatosis, or more specifically, carrier state for a mutation in HFE gene (which may moderately increase dietary iron absorption) and AMD, given the effect of elevated iron levels on AMD occurrence. Questionnaires and blood samples were collected from patients visiting the eye care clinic in the King Abdullah hospital in Jordan. DNA was extracted from patient samples and mutations in HFE were genotyped (using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and DNA sequencing) and compared to 106 control samples.We could not detect C282Y (rs1800562) variant in our patient population or in the controls. For carrier status with H63D (rs1799945) we had 30.3% compared to a frequency of 22.7% in the controls (p=. 0.37). H63D allele frequency was 15.2% in our patients compared to 11.8% in the controls (p=. 0.30).H63D variant seems to be more frequent in AMD patients though not reaching a significance of p=. 0.05. To date, this is the first attempt to link HFE (particularly, H63D) mutation to AMD. © 2012 | 10.1016/j.ejmhg.2012.10.008 |
pubmed_725_4496 | Studied was the occasional role played by the saliva of leukotic cows in the transmission of the infection to test lambs along with the role of colostrum as a factor neutralizing the leukosis virus in experimentally infected lambs. It was found that bovine leukosis could be transmitted by the saliva of affected animals. Colostrum that contained hightiter specific antibodies was found to be effective in neutralizing the leukosis virus in newborn calves provided no subsidiary infection took place. | pubmed_725_4496 |
pubmed_1070_23206 | The conserved Polo kinase controls multiple events in mitosis and cytokinesis. Although Polo-like kinases are regulated by phosphorylation and proteolysis, control of subcellular localization plays a major role in coordinating their mitotic functions. This is achieved largely by the Polo-Box Domain, which binds prephosphorylated targets. However, it remains unclear whether and how Polo might interact with partner proteins when priming mitotic kinases are inactive. Here we show that Polo associates with microtubules in interphase and cytokinesis, through a strong interaction with the microtubule-associated protein Map205. Surprisingly, this interaction does not require priming phosphorylation of Map205, and the Polo-Box Domain of Polo is required but not sufficient for this interaction. Moreover, phosphorylation of Map205 at a CDK site relieves this interaction. Map205 can stabilize Polo and inhibit its cellular activity in vivo. In syncytial embryos, the centrosome defects observed in polo hypomorphs are enhanced by overexpression of Map205 and suppressed by its deletion. We propose that Map205-dependent targeting of Polo to microtubules provides a stable reservoir of Polo that can be rapidly mobilized by the activity of Cdk1 at mitotic entry. | 10.1101/gad.486808 |
pubmed_265_11771 | The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of enamel surface pretreatment on the shear bond strength of tooth colored restorative materials bonded to human enamel with different luting systems. Forty-two extracted human molars were used in this study. Buttons, 6 x 3 mm., of two types of composite resin (Silux# & Visio-Gem@) and 5 x 3 mm. buttons of dental porcelain, were prepared. The prepared buttons were attached to the buccal, lingual and proximal surfaces of extracted molars. The enamel surfaces were cut in some groups while left uncut in other groups. One, or a combination of two, of the following luting materials was used with the composite resin groups: Chemically-cured Scotchbond#; Light-cured Scotchbond#; Visio-Gem; Visio-Gem Glaze@ and Conclude@. For the porcelain groups, Scotchprime#, Conclude, Silux, and Visio-Gem were used as luting materials. Samples were tested on an Instron testing machine. Single factor analysis of variance of the data obtained that: a) In the Silux groups there is no significant difference in shear bond strength between cut and uncut enamel with different luting systems; b) Among the Visio-Gem groups the highest shear bond strength is obtained with the cut enamel surface when a combination of Visio-Gem and Visio-Gem Glaze was used as luting material; c) The porcelain groups show the highest shear bond strength with the enamel surfaces trimmed flat and the use of a combination of Scotchprime and Conclude as luting material. | pubmed_265_11771 |
pubmed_489_12731 | The photochemistry of aldehydes in the gas phase has been the topic of extensive studies over the years. However, for all but the smallest aldehydes the dynamics of the processes is largely unknown, and key issues of the mechanisms are open. In this article, the photochemistry of pentanal is studied by dynamics simulation using a semiempirical MRCI code for the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces involved. The simulations explore the processes on the triplet state following intersystem crossing from the initially excited singlet. Test simulations show that the photochemistry takes place on the adiabatic triplet surface only and that no nonadiabatic transitions occur to the other triplets. The main findings include the following: (1) Norrish type I and type II reactions and H detachment have been observed. (2) The time scales of Norrish type I and Norrish type II reactions are determined: Norrish type I reaction tends to occur in the time scale below 10 ps, whereas the Norrish type II reaction is mostly pronounced after 20 ps. The factors affecting the time scales are analyzed. (3) The relative yield for Norrish type I and type II reactions is 34% and 66%, which is close to the experimental observed ones. Bond orders and Mulliken partial charges are computed along the trajectories and provide mechanistic insights. The results throw light on the time scales and mechanisms and competition between different channels in aldehyde photochemistry. It is suggested that direct dynamics simulations using semiempirical potentials can be a very useful tool for exploring the photochemistry of large aldehydes, ketones, and related species. | 10.1021/jp401309b |
pubmed_527_20668 | Long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal CA1 depends on the behavioral state of LTP induction. We hypothesize that histaminergic activity in the septohippocampal system, which is active during walking compared with other behavioral states, is responsible for the behavioral dependence of LTP. Field basal-dendritic EPSPs of CA1 pyramidal cells were recorded in freely behaving rats, and LTP was induced by a single 200 Hz stimulation train (0.5 s duration). Basal-dendritic LTP was facilitated when induced during walking compared with awake immobility (IMM) or rapid-eye-movement sleep. The facilitation of basal-dendritic LTP during walking was abolished by lesion of tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) neurons with orexin-saporin or by intramedial-septal infusion of the H(1) histaminergic blocker triprolidine but not the H(2) histaminergic blocker cimetidine. Conversely, histamine infusion in the medial septum enhanced the basal-dendritic LTP induced during IMM to a magnitude similar to that induced during walking. Basal-dendritic LTP induced during walking was not further enhanced by intraseptal histamine infusion. Combined with the previous result that behavior-dependent LTP is mediated by cholinergic septohippocampal neurons, we conclude that the facilitation of basal-dendritic LTP in CA1 during walking was mediated by TMN histaminergic afferents acting on H(1) receptors in the medial septum, which may then enhance cholinergic and noncholinergic inputs to the hippocampus. | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1127-10.2010 |
pubmed_337_3955 | Extended Goldschmidt tolerance factor t is applied to the hybrid double perovskites (MA)2 [B'B''(CN)6 ] (MA=methylammonium cation) to predict and screen dielectric transitions in 121 compounds through the correlations among t, the radius of the B component rB and the transition temperature Tc , based on experimental results from model compounds. For (MA)2 [B'Co(CN)6 ], it is concluded that: i) when t>0.873, the cubic phase would be stable below 298 K; ii) when 0.873>t>0.805, the cubic phase would be stable between 298 and 523 K; iii) the larger the rB , the higher the Tc of the perovskite (Tc (1/2) ∝rB ); and iv) the Tc of the hybrid perovskites can be well tuned by doping the B components. | 10.1002/anie.201602028 |
pubmed_676_6958 | The present prospective follow-up study was designed to identify whether clinical, endocrine, or ultrasound characteristics assessed by standardized initial screening of normogonadotropic oligo/amenorrheic infertile patients could predict conception in 160 women who reached ovulation after clomiphene citrate (CC) medication. Additional inclusion criteria were total motile sperm count of the partner above 1 million and a negative history for any tubal disease. Daily CC doses of 50 mg (increasing up to 150 mg in case of absent ovarian response) from cycle days 3-7 were used. First conception (defined as a positive urinary pregnancy test) was the end point for this study. A cumulative conception rate of 73% was reached within 9 CC-induced ovulatory cycles. Patients who did conceive presented more frequently with lower age (P < 0.0001) and amenorrhea (P < 0.05) upon initial screening. In a univariate analysis, patients with elevated initial serum LH concentrations (>7.0 IU/L) had a higher probability of conceiving (P < 0.01). In a multivariate analysis, age and cycle history (oligomenorrhea vs. amenorrhea) were identified as the only significant parameters for prediction of conception. These observations suggest that there is more to be gained from CC ovulation induction in younger women presenting with profound oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea. Screening characteristics involved in the prediction of ovulation after CC medication in normogonadotropic oligo/amenorrheic patients (body weight and hyperandrogenemia, as shown previously) are distinctly different from predictors of conception in ovulatory CC patients (age and the severity of cycle abnormality). This disparity suggests that the FSH threshold (magnitude of FSH required for stimulation of ongoing follicle growth and ovulation) and oocyte quality (chances for conception in ovulatory cycles) may be differentially regulated. | 10.1210/jcem.84.5.5705 |
pubmed_445_14972 | Previous studies on cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptors and enzyme induction led to the classification of steroids as inducers (optimal or sub-optimal), antagonists, or inactive steroids, with respect to their activity as glucocorticoids. The receptor was postulated to exist in allosteric equilibrium between two conformational states, one "active" and the other "inactive". Steroids behaved as inducers (optimal or sub-optimal), antagonists, or inactive steroids depending on their relative affinity for the active and inactive conformational state of the receptor. Another possible model would invoke multiple binding sites on a single receptor with interactions between the binding sites depending upon the particular steroid bound. To test this latter possibility, an experimental technique was developed to measure the rate of dissociation of tritiated dexamethasone ([3H]DM) or tritiated aldosterone ([3H]A) from the glucocorticoid receptor of rat liver or kidney cytosol. The dissociation of the [3H]DM-receptor at 25 C was not due to irreversible denaturation, and minimal recombination of the receptor with [3H]DM occurred. Progesterone and a number of other steroids consistently and significantly increased the dissociation rate of [3H]DM-receptor complexes in both liver and kidney cytosol. An identical effect was seen with hepatic glucocorticoid receptors labelled with [3H]A, like dexamethasone an optimal inducer. All steroids which enhanced glucocorticoid-receptor dissociation were either antagonists or sub-optimal inducers. Thus, it is postulated that glucocorticoid receptors have at least two classes of binding sites, and that occupation of the second site increases the dissociation rate of agonists from glucocorticoid receptors. | 10.1210/endo-99-1-260 |
pubmed_1131_5679 | Fimbrins/plastins have been implicated in the generation of distinct actin structures, which are linked to different cellular processes. Historically, fimbrins/plastins were mainly considered as generating tight actin bundles. Here, we demonstrate that different members of the fimbrin/plastin family have diverged biochemically during evolution to generate either tight actin bundles or loose networks with distinct biochemical and biophysical properties. Using the phylogenetically and functionally distinct Arabidopsis fimbrins FIM4 and FIM5 we found that FIM4 generates both actin bundles and cross-linked actin filaments, whereas FIM5 only generates actin bundles. The distinct functions of FIM4 and FIM5 are clearly observed at single-filament resolution. Domain swapping experiments showed that cooperation between the conformationally plastic calponin-homology domain 2 (CH2) and the N-terminal headpiece determines the function of the full-length protein. Our study suggests that the structural plasticity of fimbrins/plastins has biologically meaningful consequences, and provides novel insights into the structure-function relationship of fimbrins/plastins as well as shedding light on how cells generate distinct actin structures. | 10.1074/jbc.M116.730069 |
pubmed_56_21918 | BACKGROUND
Independence in performing activities of daily living (ADLs) is a central aspect of functioning. Older adults frequently experience impairments and limitations in functioning in various life areas. The aim of this survey was to explore the limitations in the ADLs in older adults in a population-based survey in Austria.
METHOD
A population-based cross-sectional study in 3097 subjects aged ≥65 years who were included in the Austrian health interview survey was performed. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate frequencies of problems in the ADLs. A principal component analysis was applied to analyze the main dimensions of 19 ADL items. Binary logistic regression models were used with the ADL dimensions as the dependent variables and osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, osteoporosis, sex, education level, anxiety or depression, age and pain intensity as independent variables.
RESULTS
People with musculoskeletal conditions were significantly more often affected by ADL problems than people without these diseases. The ADL domain which caused problems in the highest proportion of people was "doing heavy housework" (43.9 %). It was followed by the ADL domains "bending or kneeling down" (39.3 %), "climbing stairs up and down without walking aids" (23.1 %), and "walking 500 m without walking aids" (22.8 %). The principal components analysis revealed four dimensions of ADLs: (1) intense "heavy burden" ADLs, (2) basic instrumental ADLs, (3) basic ADLs and (3) hand-focused ADLs. The proportion of subjects who had problems with the respective dimensions was 58.2, 29.2, 23.0, and 9.2 %. Anxiety/depression (greatest effect), followed by the chronic musculoskeletal disease itself, female sex, higher age and pain intensity were significant predictors of ADL problems.
CONCLUSION
This population-based survey indicates that older people have considerable ADL problems. More attention should be paid to the high impact of pain intensity, anxiety and depression on ADLs. | 10.1186/s12891-016-0994-y |
pubmed_110_4559 | Phosphate-dependent glutaminase was purified to homogeneity from isolated mitochondria of Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells. The enzyme had an Mr of 135,000 as judged by chromatography on Sephacryl S-300. SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis displayed two protein bands, with Mr values of 64,000 and 56,000. Two major immunoreactive peptides of Mr values of 65,000 and 57,000 were found by immunoblot analysis using anti-(rat kidney glutaminase) antibodies. The concentration-dependences for both glutamine and phosphate were sigmoidal, with S0.5 values of 7.6 mM and 48 mM, and Hill coefficients of 1.5 and 1.6, respectively. The glutaminase pH optimum was 9. The activation energy of the enzymic reaction was 58 kJ/mol. The enzyme showed a high specificity towards glutamine. A possible explanation for the different kinetic behaviour found for purified enzyme and for isolated mitochondria [Kovacević (1974) Cancer Res. 34, 3403-3407] should be that a conformational change occurs when the enzyme is extracted from the mitochondrial inner membrane. | 10.1042/bj2551031 |
pubmed_536_1287 | PURPOSE OF REVIEW
A new nutrition-related risk assessment tool, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), has been recently proposed. The aim of this review is to summarize current evidences on the use of this tool with particular focus on the rationales of its application in elderly healthcare.
RECENT FINDINGS
Structured as a dichotomous index, based on serum albumin values and the discrepancy between real and ideal weight, the GNRI seems to account for both acute and chronic reasons of nutrition-related complications. It allows us to face the frequent difficulties in obtaining a profitable participation of the old patient to nutritional assessment. Its application appears feasible in all healthcare settings in which it shows adequacy to discriminate different profiles of nutritional risk. A GNRI less than 92 might be suggested as clinical trigger for routine nutritional support.
SUMMARY
In maths of nutrition 'recognize and treat' has become a clinical imperative. Actually, clinical judgement by an expert is still considered the reference standard to diagnose malnutrition but the use of simplified tools profitably assists in nutritional risk screening process. The GNRI is easy to use and preliminary results show that it is promising. Its routine application, next to the other validated tools already available, might be enforced in the assessment of the old patient. | 10.1097/MCO.0b013e3283186f59 |
pubmed_85_3249 | OBJECTIVE
To identify current UK screening practices prior to contrast-enhanced CT. To determine the patient management strategies to minimize the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) risk in outpatients.
METHODS
An invitation to complete an electronic survey was distributed to the CT managers of 174 UK adult National Health Service hospital trusts. The survey included questions related to local protocols and national guidance on which these are based. Details of the assessment of renal function prior to imaging and thresholds for contrast contraindication and patient management were also sought.
RESULTS
A response rate of 47.1% was received. Almost all sites had a policy in place for contrast administration (n = 80/82; 97.6%). The majority of sites require a blood test on outpatients undergoing a contrast-enhanced CT scan (n = 75/82; 91.5%); however, some (15/75; 20.0%) sites only check the result in patients at high risk and a small number (7/82; 8.5%) of sites indicated that it was a referrer responsibility. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or serum creatinine (SCr) result threshold at which i.v. contrast was contraindicated varied and 19 different threshold levels of eGFR or SCr were identified, each leading to different prophylactic strategies. Inconsistency was noted in the provision of follow-up blood tests after contrast administration.
CONCLUSION
The wide variation in practice reflects inconsistencies in published guidance. Evidence-based consensuses of which patients to test and subsequent risk thresholds will aid clinicians identify those patients in which the risk of CI-AKI is clinically significant but manageable. There is also a need to determine the value of the various prophylactic strategies, follow-up regimen and efficient service delivery pathways. Advances in knowledge: This survey has identified that further work is required to define which patients are high risk, confirm those which require renal function testing prior to contrast administration and how best to manage patients at risk of CI-AKI. The role of new technologies within this service delivery pathway requires further investigation. | 10.1259/bjr.20160077 |
pubmed_653_12371 | BACKGROUND
Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are common viruses mainly infecting young children. Most infections are mild, but HPeV3 causes severe CNS infections in new-born infants.
OBJECTIVES
The aim was to study the epidemiology of HPeVs in Finnish general population in the period 1996-2007, with special emphasis on the different types circulating in Finland.
STUDY DESIGN
A total of 2236 stool specimens were collected from 200 healthy Finnish children in a prospective birth cohort study, most before the age of 2 years. Samples were tested for the presence of HPeV RNA using a specific RT-PCR. The genotype of HPeV was determined by sequencing the VP1 genomic region.
RESULTS
HPeV RNA was detected in 144 (6.4%) specimens from 78 (39%) children. The dominant type was HPeV1 (93% of the type-identified 105 samples), although types 3 and 6 were also identified. HPeV was found sequentially in more than one sample in 43 infections lasting up to 93 days. The positive findings were distributed equally in young ages and declined towards the age of 2 years. Infections clustered around the autumn months with no obvious change between years. No significant differences were seen between boys and girls.
CONCLUSIONS
HPeV is a common virus infecting Finnish children under 2 years of age. HPeVs circulate throughout the year with clear accumulation on autumn, also seen in individual years over the 11-year study period. The virus deserves increased attention and should be included in the test panel of clinical virus laboratories. | 10.1016/j.jcv.2012.02.006 |
pubmed_882_20135 | The novel ambipolar hosts of o-CbzBz and o-DiCbzBz contain carbazole and benzimidazole through an ortho-connection. The orthogonal conformations cause the triplet state to be confined at the carbazole units to secure efficient energy transfer. The phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) show a high current efficiency, power efficiency, and low efficiency roll-off. o-DiCbzBz can be used as a host for sky-blue, green, and orange-red PhOLEDs, giving 57.5, 78.4, and 60.3 cd/A, respectively. | 10.1021/acs.orglett.5b03631 |
pubmed_174_849 | A morphologic, histochemical, and immunocytochemical study of 20 cases of pure gastrointestinal carcinoids, adenocarcinomas, and mixed neoplasms composed of both elements, so-called composite carcinoma-carcinoid tumors (CCC), was undertaken in order to correlate the morphologic patterns with the immunocytochemical localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), serotonin, and a battery of polypeptide hormones (calcitonin, glucagon, insulin, gastrin, somatostatin, and adrenocorticotropin [ACTH]). Paraffin sections from five pure carcinoids, seven pure adenocarcinomas, and eight CCC from the stomach, small bowel, appendix, and colon were studied with mucicarmine, silver impregnation stains, and a peroxidase-anti-peroxidase technic. Of the eight CCC, all were mucin positive, four were argyrophilic, and three were argentaffin positive. CEA was present in all eight, serotonin in seven, and calcitonin in one. No other neurohormonal peptides were demonstrated. The distribution of serotonin and CEA generally corresponded to the morphologic pattern, but discordance was observed in two cases, i.e., serotonin was not always localized to areas of carcinoid and CEA not always confined to areas of carcinoma. All five pure carcinoids demonstrated intracytoplasmic localization of serotonin, whereas none contained intracytoplasmic CEA. In two cases, CEA was present within acinar lumens only. The seven colonic adenocarcinomas were argyrophil and argentaffin negative. All contained CEA within the cytoplasm and in gland lumens. None contained serotonin. None of the neurohormonal peptides was localized in either pure adenocarcinomas or carcinoids. This study reveals that among gastrointestinal neoplasms displaying morphologic patterns of adenocarcinoma and carcinoid, immunocytochemical localization of CEA and serotonin confirms their bidirectional differentiation and justifies the designation "composite carcinoma-carcinoid." | 10.1093/ajcp/84.2.137 |
others_13_10510 | Th1-polarized CD4+ T cells are considered central to the development of a number of target-directed autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis. The APC-derived cytokine IL-12 is a potent inducer of Th1 polarization in T cells. Inhibition of IL-12 in vivo blocks the development of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, the animal model for multiple sclerosis. Based on previous work that suggests that the production of IL-12 by activated human central nervous system-derived microglia is regulated by autocrine TNF-α, we wanted to determine whether inhibition of TNF could induce a reduction of Th1 responses by its impact on systemic APCs. We found that soluble TNFR p75-IgG fusion protein (TNFR:Fc) inhibited production of IFN-γ by allo-Ag-activated blood-derived human CD4 T cells. We documented reduced IL-12 p70 production by APCs in the MLR. By adding back recombinant IL-12, we could rescue IFN-γ production, indicating that TNFR:Fc acts on APC-derived IL-12. Consistent with an inhibition of the Th1 polarization, we found a decreased expression of IL-12R-β2 subunit on the T cells. Furthermore, the capacity of T cells to secrete IFN-γ upon restimulation when previously treated with TNFR:Fc is impaired, whereas IL-2 secretion was not altered. Our results define a TNF-dependent cytokine network that favors development of Th1 immune responses | others_13_10510 |
pubmed_624_15763 | Renal calcium transport is described as the result of two processes, a paracellular, gradient-dependent process that predominates in most segments of the nephron and a transcellular, energy-dependent step that characterizes calcium transport in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Transcellular calcium transport involves entry into the DCT cell, possibly via channels, intracellular movement which appears to be facilitated by the presence of the vitamin D-dependent, cytosolic calcium-binding protein (CaBPr, calbindin D28k, mol mass approximately 28 kDa), and extrusion via the Ca-ATPase. Although much is known about calcium channels, their presence in renal tissue has only been demonstrated by preliminary studies. Quantitative data on CaBPr content of rat DCT are also unavailable, but theoretical analysis and early experimental values of intracellular self-diffusion of calcium have confirmed the need for an intracellular calcium "ferry," i.e., a molecule like CaBPr to amplify intracellular calcium movement. Available data on the plasma membrane Ca-ATPase are consistent with the extrusion kinetics attributed to the renal Ca-ATPase, but it has not been isolated, nor has its gene been cloned. Regulation and disorders of renal calcium transport are likely to involve one of the three transcellular steps, but indirect regulation by modification of the cell walls and molecules constituting the paracellular pathway cannot be excluded. | 10.1152/ajprenal.1989.257.5.F707 |
pubmed_163_20365 | PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and risk factors of late anastomotic leakage (AL) in a homogeneous cohort with elective sphincter-sparing surgery (SSS) with ileostomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for rectal cancer.
METHODS
Data from a total of 359 patients who underwent elective rectal cancer surgery between Jan 2017 and May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified into early and late AL groups, referring to onset of AL occurring within or after 30 post-operative days, respectively. We analyzed clinical, pathological, and inflammatory features of both AL and risk factors of stoma reversal failure and late AL.
RESULTS
A total of 85 patients with SSS with ileostomy after nCRT were classified into 8 (9.4%) patients of early AL and 16 (18.8%) of late AL. Unlike early AL patients, late AL group showed lower neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P < 0.001) and did not need an invasive intervention at the time of diagnosis. 50% (5/10) patients needed reformation of ileostomy. (P = 0.048) Failure of stoma reversal is associated with advanced stages, high NLR ratio (≥3), and inflammatory lesions seen around anastomosis in radiologic findings, which was confirmed as the risk factor of late AL.
CONCLUSION
Late AL, with different clinical features, showed a higher incidence than early AL in patients who underwent surgery after nCRT and also had a higher stoma reformation rate. Careful evaluation using laboratory and radiological findings before an ileostomy closure is performed to prevent late AL. | 10.1016/j.asjsur.2021.10.039 |
pubmed_724_23591 | A multispecialty group practice in southern Maryland offers patients a multitude of services, while all billing and record keeping is completed overnight in India. | pubmed_724_23591 |
pubmed_1108_12304 | OBJECTIVE
To postulate reasons as to why the benefits seen with novel therapies in animal models of sepsis fail to translate to the clinical setting.
DATA SOURCE
MEDLINE searches and relevant book chapters.
DATA SUMMARY
Thousands of preclinical trials performed over more than five decades have failed to find more than a handful of drugs and techniques that significantly improve outcomes in clinical sepsis. We review current concepts surrounding the variety of animal models used today, ranging from simple models of acute toxemia to more complex models of abdominal sepsis. Differences between animal and human populations are also examined including species, age, comorbidity, and the use of supportive therapies. Finally, we examine differences between preclinical and clinical trial design, and the potential for experimental and publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS
Animal models of sepsis are still too heterogeneous with regard to type of insult, duration, and supportive therapy to be regarded as representative of the human condition. Using standardized animal models may eliminate some of the differences between animal and human studies, allowing a greater degree of translation. | 10.1097/CCM.0b013e3181922bd3 |
Subsets and Splits