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pubmed_943_19404 | To elucidate genetic abnormalities in type I CD36 deficiency, we analyzed 28 Japanese subjects whose platelets and monocytes/macrophages lacked CD36 on their surface. We identified two novel mutations in the CD36 gene. One was a complex deletion/insertion mutation, in which 3 bp, GAG, were deleted at nucleotide (nt) 839-841, and 5 bp, AAAAC, were inserted at the same position (839-841del-->insAAAAC). Mutation 839-841del-->insAAAAC led to a frameshift and appearance of a premature stop codon; it was also accompanied with a marked reduction in the amount of CD36 mRNA. The other was a 12-bp deletion at nt 1438-1449 (1438-1449del) accompanied with or without skipping of exon 9 (nt 959-1028). Mutation 1438-1449del led to an inframe 4-amino-acid deletion, whereas exon 9 skipping led to a frameshift and the appearance of a premature stop codon. Expression assay revealed that both 1438-1449del and exon 9 skipping directly caused impairment of the surface expression of CD36. A survey of the five known mutations including 839-841del-->insAAAAC and 1438-1449del in type I CD36-deficient subjects demonstrated that the five mutations covered more than 90% of genetic defects among them and that the substitution of T for C at nt 478 (478C-->T) was the most common mutation with more than 50% frequency. However, none of the four subjects that possessed isoantibodies against CD36 had 478C-->T, suggesting that 478C-->T prevents the production of isoantibodies against CD36. | 10.1007/s004390100525 |
pubmed_31_2509 | The treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater is of great importance due to the potential threats of antibiotics to human and the ecosystem. We reported the preparation of cobalt oxide loaded graphitic carbon nitride (CoO/g-C3N4) by an impregnation-calcination method for tetracycline (TC) removal from aqueous solution. The developed CoO/g-C3N4 exhibited high adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetic for TC due to the complexation of TC with surface loaded CoO. In particular, 7%CoO/gC3N43 sample presented a maximum TC adsorption capacity of 391.4 mg g-1. It was found that Langmuir and pseudo-second order kinetic models fitted TC adsorption process well. Further photocatalytic studies showed that CoO loaded g-C3N4 was active for TC photodegradation, although the photocatalytic reaction rate constant was lower than that of native g-C3N4. CoO nanoparticles loading on g-C3N4 played the major role of adsorption sites rather than cocatalyst for photocatalysis. We believe that the developed CoO/g-C3N4 could be a potential adsorptive photocatalyst for antibiotic pollutants removal from wastewater. | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.111 |
pubmed_529_2979 | OBJECTIVE
Problems with everyday functioning are linked to reduced well-being in people with dementia (PwD) and their carers. However, previous research has almost solely investigated the performance of everyday activities, and global functioning without analysing individual activities. This study explored how deficits in initiating and performing individual activities were associated with carer burden and poorer quality of life of carers and PwD.
METHODS
Carers of people with mild dementia were recruited via 10 National Health Service Trusts, as well as through attending six carer support groups. Carers were asked to complete the revised Interview for Deteriorations in Daily Living Activities in Dementia 2 (R-IDDD2), and measures on carer burden, well-being, and person with dementia well-being. Data were analysed using correlation analysis.
RESULTS
Two hundred and seventy-two carers completed the R-IDDD2. Carers were grouped into those with low or high ratings of well-being based on the mean scores. All but three activities on the initiative and/or performance scale were significantly associated with carer burden and carer and PwD quality of life. Engaging in hobbies and maintaining an active social life were most strongly associated with carer and PwD well-being. Initiating computer use, driving, and medication management were not related to carer burden.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings from this study can have direct implications for improving care management early in the disease. Post-diagnostic support needs to provide more opportunities for PwD, and their carers, to engage in social groups, whilst interventions targeted at living well with dementia need to particularly improve the initiative of engaging in individual hobbies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. | 10.1002/gps.4728 |
pubmed_260_13560 | The LRR receptor serine/threonine kinases are a major eukaryotic receptor family, for which the central regulatory mechanism of endosomal trafficking remains largely unadressed. We show that the steroid receptor BRI1 localizes to both plasma membrane and early endosomal compartments, even when observed at low, endogenous expression levels, and that its localization and turnover are independent of ligand. However, increasing endosomal localization of BRI1 enhances activation of the pathway and genomic responses. Our data indicate distinct signaling and trafficking mechanisms within this receptor class and show that the use of endosomes as signaling compartments is an unexpectedly broad phenomenon in eukaryotes. | 10.1101/gad.1561307 |
others_338_6356 | A rare prenatal sonographic detection of bilateral fetal pelvic kidneys is reported. Neither kidney was visualized within the renal fossa. Both kidneys were located in the fetal pelvis, opposite the sacrum and below the aortic bifurcation. Color flow Doppler enhanced localization of the kidneys below the aortic bifurcation but did not allow identification of a specific vascular supply to either kidney. The physical examination failed to reveal any other anatomic abnormalities | 10.7863/jum.1995.14.6.487 |
pubmed_527_3410 | Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite that causes Chagas disease, which affects millions of individuals in endemic areas of Latin America. One hundred years after the discovery of Chagas disease, it is still considered a neglected illness because the available drugs are unsatisfactory. Aromatic compounds represent an important class of DNA minor groove-binding ligands that exhibit potent antimicrobial activity. This study focused on the in vitro activity of 10 aromatic dicationic compounds against bloodstream trypomastigotes and intracellular forms of T. cruzi. Our data demonstrated that these compounds display trypanocidal effects against both forms of the parasite and that seven out of the 10 compounds presented higher anti-parasitic activity against intracellular parasites compared with the bloodstream forms. Additional assays to determine the potential toxicity to mammalian cells showed that the majority of the dicationic compounds did not considerably decrease cellular viability. Fluorescent microscopy analysis demonstrated that although all compounds were localised to a greater extent within the kinetoplast than the nucleus, no correlation could be found between compound activity and kDNA accumulation. The present results stimulate further investigations of this class of compounds for the rational design of new chemotherapeutic agents for Chagas disease. | pubmed_527_3410 |
pubmed_1136_12098 | OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between several socio-economic indicators and frequency of consumption of seven predefined healthy foods (consumption of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread, vegetable-fat spread, vegetable cooking fat, low-fat milk and low-fat cheese) in populations from Eastern, Central and Western Europe.
DESIGN
Analysis of baseline data collected in two cross-sectional cohort studies between 2000 and 2005: the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study and the Finnish Helsinki Health Study (HHS).
SETTING
Urban populations in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Finland.
SUBJECTS
In the HAPIEE study, random samples of men and women aged 45-69 years were drawn from population registers and electoral lists of selected cities. In the HHS, men and women aged 40-60 years employed by the City of Helsinki were recruited. Data on 21,326 working subjects from both cohorts were analysed.
RESULTS
Healthy food habits were, in general, positively associated with higher education, occupational position and fewer economic difficulties, but there were differences in the strength of the gradient by food and country. Fruit consumption showed the most consistent gradients, especially in relation to socio-economic status among men (country-specific relative index of inequality (RII)=2.02-5.17) and women (RII=2.09-3.57).
CONCLUSIONS
The associations between socio-economic indicators and healthy food habits showed heterogeneity between countries. Future studies of dietary behaviours should consider multiple measures of socio-economic position. | 10.1017/S1368980010002570 |
pubmed_228_15352 | In aerobic organisms, protection from oxidative damage involves the combined action of enzymatic and nonproteinaceous cellular factors that collectively remove harmful reactive oxygen species. One class of nonproteinaceous antioxidants includes small molecule complexes of manganese (Mn) that can scavenge superoxide anion radicals and provide a backup for superoxide dismutase enzymes. Such Mn antioxidants have been identified in diverse organisms; however, nothing regarding their physiology in the context of cellular adaptation to stress was known. Using a molecular genetic approach in Bakers' yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we report that the Mn antioxidants can fall under control of the same pathways used for nutrient sensing and stress responses. Specifically, a serine/threonine PAS-kinase, Rim15p, that is known to integrate phosphate, nitrogen, and carbon sensing, can also control Mn antioxidant activity in yeast. Rim15p is negatively regulated by the phosphate-sensing kinase complex Pho80p/Pho85p and by the nitrogen-sensing Akt/S6 kinase homolog, Sch9p. We observed that loss of either of these upstream kinase sensors dramatically inhibited the potency of Mn as an antioxidant. Downstream of Rim15p are transcription factors Gis1p and the redundant Msn2/Msn4p pair that typically respond to nutrient and stress signals. Both transcription factors were found to modulate the potency of the Mn antioxidant but in opposing fashions: loss of Gis1p was seen to enhance Mn antioxidant activity whereas loss of Msn2/4p greatly suppressed it. Our observed roles for nutrient and stress response kinases and transcription factors in regulating the Mn antioxidant underscore its physiological importance in aerobic fitness. | 10.1534/genetics.111.134007 |
pubmed_536_2408 | A broken guide wire while operating on hip is one of every surgeon's most dreaded nightmares. We report here a method which was used successfully to retrieve a broken guide wire from a patient who was being operated for core decompression and fibular grafting for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. | pubmed_536_2408 |
pubmed_241_18670 | Mei-gui hua has been used as a crude drug in traditional medicine and as herbal tea in China. The scientific name of Mei-gui is Rosa rugosa thunb. However, the morphological characteristics and botanical ecology of Mei-gui were different from those of R. rugosa. Since the botanical origins of Mei-gui cultivated in China have not yet been clarified, we compared Mei-gui and R. rugosa in terms of their morphological characteristics, phylogenetic analysis, and phytochemical studies. Our research suggested that Mei-gui cultivated around Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Province showed homology to Rosa gallica, while those cultivated in the northeastern parts of China are considered to be hybrids of R. rugosa. | 10.1007/s11418-010-0422-9 |
pubmed_919_10678 | PURPOSE
The authors report the 2-year experience of use of the PATATRAC telemedicine system in managing maxillofacial trauma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-five regional hospitals on-line with PATATRAC in the period from January 2002-January 2004 have sent 18 consultations (11 men and 7 women) to the Maxillofacial Surgery Division of San Giovanni Battista Hospital in Turin for telemedicine evaluation of patients with maxillofacial trauma.
RESULTS
Only 50% of the consultations (9 patients) sent via PATATRAC indicated maxillofacial treatment, and only one case resulted in immediate transfer. Of the remaining 8 transfers, 2 patients were transferred after treatment of associated lesions in the receiving hospital, and the other 6 patients were transferred as scheduled based on the availability of beds in the specialist center.
CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained, despite the poor number of telemedicine maxillofacial consultations, have mainly proved the usefulness of PATATRAC in drastically reducing expensive and unnecessary transfers of maxillofacial patients, without indications for either immediate or deferred treatment, thus also avoiding discomfort to the patient with other injuries. | 10.1016/j.joms.2005.04.020 |
pubmed_525_10259 | The mechanism of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PMVT) remains unclear. To investigate the electrophysiologic mechanism of PMVT, monophasic action potentials (MAPs) were recorded with a contact electrode technique from right ventricular sites during sinus rhythm and right ventricular pacing. MAPs were obtained from 6 patients with PMVT (PMVT group) and 11 patients without PMVT (control group). The duration from the onset of the upstroke to 90% repolarization of the MAP (MAPD90) during right ventricular pacing at both pacing cycle lengths of 600 and 400 ms was significantly longer in the PMVT group than in the control group (332+/-60 ms vs 279+/-33 ms [P < .005] and 276+/-32 ms vs 229+/-23 ms [P < .0001], respectively). Dispersion of the MAPD90 in sinus rhythm was significantly larger in the PMVT group than in the control group (52.5+/-34.6 ms vs 26.1+/-12.0 ms [P < .005]), and dispersion of the MAPD90 during right ventricular pacing at both pacing cycle lengths of 600 and 400 ms was also significantly larger in the PMVT group than in the control group (86.0+/-44.2 ms vs 37.4+/-28.6 ms [P < .005], and 48.8+/-19.3 ms vs 27.1+/-7.1 ms [P < .05], respectively). Dispersion of repolarization time (activation time plus MAPD90) at a pacing cycle length of 600 ms was longer in the PMVT group than in the control group (104.3+/-38.9 ms vs 49.4+/-31.2 ms [P < .05]). These results suggest that the patients with PMVT have a greater regional dispersion of ventricular repolarization time and that the heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization may play an important role in the genesis of PMVT. | pubmed_525_10259 |
pubmed_879_18569 | Training task design with amateur female cricketers has typically comprised of deconstructed and monotonous approaches which may not maximise skill development. Clear guidelines to improve these practices in this cohort are lacking. The training environment should provide the same sources of information, decisions and variability as matches in order to prepare players for the match environment, which can be achieved through representative learning design (RLD). An RLD training intervention designed to promote skill development was performed over five weeks with two amateur female cricket teams to provide a framework for community coaches at the foundation stage of cricket. Skill development was recorded as changes in skilled actions for batting and bowling, with cognitions coded as themes for each skill during training. Six of ten batters and seven of eight bowlers exhibited increases in skill development ranging between 7-49%. Changes in batting and bowling behaviour improved substantially between moderately and extensively designed sessions. Batters' thoughts shifted from their own skill execution to objectives, while bowlers focused on their opponent's execution. Moderate to extensive RLD appears to promote skill development in amateur cricketers, making it a viable option for coach education and training design at the foundation level of cricket. | 10.1080/02640414.2021.2001160 |
pubmed_923_9278 | Didronel PMO is a new treatment, comprising cyclical disodium etidronate and calcium carbonate, for women with postmenopausal osteoporosis who already have one or more vertebral fractures. Vertebral fracture rates can be reduced by 50% after treatment for 2 years. | pubmed_923_9278 |
pubmed_245_18026 | This article describes team-based pedagogical strategies for a hybrid, four-credit research methods course with students from nursing, exercise, and nutrition science. The research problem of concussion in football, a socially relevant and controversial topic, was used to explore interprofessional perspectives and develop shared problem solving. The course was designed using permanent teams, readiness assurance, application exercises, and peer evaluation to facilitate student achievement of competencies related to interprofessional collaboration and research application. Feedback from students, faculty, and the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale was used to evaluate the learning innovation. | 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000264 |
pubmed_337_23242 | Current methods to determine cellular cytotoxicity in vitro are hampered by background signals that are caused by auto-fluorescent target and effector cells and by non-specific cell death. We combined and adjusted existing cell viability assays to develop a method that allows for highly reproducible, accurate, single cell analysis by high throughput FACS, in which non-specific cell death is corrected for. In this assay the number of living, calcein AM labeled cells that are green fluorescent are quantified by adding a fixed number of unlabeled calibration beads to the analysis. Using this modified FACS calcein AM retention method, we found EC50 values to be highly reproducible and considerably lower compared to EC50 values obtained by conventional assays, displaying the high sensitivity of this assay. | pubmed_337_23242 |
pubmed_487_8535 | Sera from 24 patients with isolated retinal vasculitis and 15 patients with retinal vasculitis accompanying systemic inflamatory diseases were assayed ofor antiretinal antibodies. Antiretinal antibodies were present in 70,8% of patients with isolated retinal vasculitis and 33,3 of patients with retinal vasculitis accompanying systemic inflamatory diseases. Titres of antiretinal antibodies were higher in patients with retinal vasculitis then patients with retinal vasculitis accompanying systemic inflamatory disease (P<0,5). | pubmed_487_8535 |
pubmed_836_14850 | Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in particular the gelatinases (MMP-2 and -9), play a significant role in tumour invasion and angiogenesis. The expression and activities of MMPs have not been characterised in malignant mesothelioma (MM) tumour samples. In a prospective study, gelatinase activity was evaluated in homogenised supernatants of snap frozen MM (n=35), inflamed pleura (IP, n=12) and uninflammed pleura (UP, n=14) tissue specimens by semiquantitative gelatin zymography. Matrix metalloproteinases were correlated with clinicopathological factors and with survival using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models. In MM, pro- and active MMP-2 levels were significantly greater than for MMP-9 (P=0.006, P<0.001). Active MMP-2 was significantly greater in MM than in UP (P=0.04). MMP-2 activity was equivalent between IP and MM, but both pro- and active MMP-9 activities were greater in IP (P=0.02, P=0.009). While there were trends towards poor survival with increasing total and pro-MMP-2 activity (P=0.08) in univariate analysis, they were both independent poor prognostic factors in multivariate analysis in conjunction with weight loss (pro-MMP-2 P=0.03, total MMP-2 P=0.04). Total and pro-MMP-2 also contributed to the Cancer and Leukemia Group B prognostic groups. MMP-9 activities were not prognostic. Matrix metalloproteinases, and in particular MMP-2, the most abundant gelatinase, may play an important role in MM tumour growth and metastasis. Agents that reduce MMP synthesis and/or activity may have a role to play in the management of MM. | 10.1038/sj.bjc.6600920 |
pubmed_516_8831 | Shp-2, a ubiquitously expressed protein tyrosine phosphatase containing two Src homology 2 domains, plays an important role in integrating signaling from the cell surface receptors to intracellular signaling mechanisms. Previous studies have demonstrated that the Shp-2 is involved in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced cell scattering. Here we report that Shp-2 is required for the HGF-induced activation of sphingosine kinase-1 (SPK1), a highly conserved lipid kinase that plays an important role in cell migration. Loss-of-function mutation of Shp-2 did not affect the expression of SPK1, but resulted in its inactivation and the blockage of HGF-induced migration in embryonic fibroblasts. Reintroduction of functional wild type (WT) Shp-2 into the mutant cells partially restored SPK1 activation, and overexpression of SPK1 in these mutant cells enhanced HGF-induced cell migration. Inhibition of expression or activity of SPK1 in WT cells markedly decreased intracellular S1P levels and HGF-induced cell migration. Furthermore, we found that Shp-2 co-immunoprecipitated with SPK1 and c-Met in embryonic fibroblasts. These studies suggest that Shp-2 is an SPK1-interacting protein and that it plays an indispensable role in HGF-induced SPK1 activation. | 10.1016/j.cellsig.2006.04.002 |
pubmed_370_11583 | This study contrasts the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis in a teaching hospital by internists and family physicians. Parameters studied included laboratory use and length of stay. The period of hospitalization was longer in the internal medicine program compared with the family practice group, 5.09 days and 4.60 days, respectively, a 10.65 percent increase. In addition, the total number of laboratory tests and x-ray procedures per patient and per hospital day were notably increased in the internal medicine group compared with the family practice group; 49.20 and 29.68, and 9.67 and 6.45, respectively, the former being a 65.77 percent increase and the latter being 49.92 percent higher. There were no deaths in either group. Serum glucose and urine spillage were comparable in both groups upon discharge. | pubmed_370_11583 |
pubmed_751_15853 | Female Wistar-Furth rats were implanted sc with GH3 rat pituitary tumor cells. Tumors were palpable by 4 weeks, and animals were killed periodically from 5-9 weeks. Tumor-bearing rats (n = 10) were heavier than their respective controls, reaching a weight of 372 +/- 3 by 9 weeks vs. 195 +/- 5 g in controls (mean +/- SE). Circulating serum GH levels increased in tumor-bearing animals from 218 +/- 50 to 9067 +/- 962 ng/ml. Serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) levels were elevated 3-fold in tumor-bearing rats. After death, pituitary glands were excised, and their total RNA was extracted. GH mRNA was assayed by dot hybridization of immobilized pituitary RNA with [32P]cDNA for rat GH. The hybridization signal was quantified by densitometry of autoradiographs. Pituitary rat GH mRNA levels were suppressed 50% in tumor-bearing animals after 5 weeks. By the end of the 9-week period, pituitary GH mRNA levels were undetectable in tumor-bearing animals. The results show that GH tumor-bearing animals exhibit high levels of circulating GH and IGF-I and suppressed endogenous pituitary GH mRNA levels. This may be caused by autoregulation of pituitary GH gene expression either at the level of the hypothalamus or by a direct effect of GH on the pituitary. Alternatively, the elevated levels of IGF-I may be responsible for the suppression of pituitary GH gene expression . | 10.1210/endo-118-3-915 |
pubmed_89_9062 | Pretreatment of lignocellulose is a vital step for biological production of bio-chemicals and bio-fuels. In this work, the pretreatment of Jerusalem artichoke stalk (JAS) by hydroxylammonium ionic liquids was evaluated based on pretreatment efficiency including polysaccharide recovery and enzymatic digestibility, and influence of ionic liquids on 2,3-butanediol fermentation using Bacillus subtilis. The results showed ethanolammonium acetate (EOAA) was efficient in JAS pretreatment, and maximum cell density was increased 25% when EOAA concentration was not greater than 0.3 mol/L in medium, while the total concentration of acetoin and 2,3-butanediol was 15% greater than the control at 0.1 mol/L EOAA. After the pretreatment under optimized conditions of 170 °C for 5-h and liquid-solid ratio of 18, about 87% cellulose and 75% hemicellulose were recovered, and glucose yield of 64% and xylose of 66% were obtained after 24-h hydrolysis of JAS residue by cellulase (15 FPU/g) with solid loading of 10 wt%. | 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127219 |
pubmed_195_4598 | The third-order nonlinear optical properties of a series of phthalocyanine-porphyrin complexes containing a sandwich-type bis(phthalocyaninato) europium(III) core and one or two zinc(II) porphyrin unit(s) were investigated by Z-scan techniques at 1064 nm. The second-order molecular hyperpolarizabilities of these complexes are in the order of 10(-30) esu. The enhanced nonlinear properties are induced by the high delocalization of the electrons in the sandwich molecular structure, which may result in charge transfer between the central metal and the phthalocyanine ligands. | pubmed_195_4598 |
pubmed_220_10631 | In this work, we featured an expression system that enables the production of sufficient quantities ( approximately mg) of low molecular weight membrane protein of photosystem II, PsbH protein, for solid-state NMR as well as other biophysical studies. PsbH gene from cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was cloned into a plasmid expression vector, which allowed expression of the PsbH protein as a glutathione-S transferase (GST) fusion protein in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. A relatively large GST anchor overcomes foreseeable problems with the low solubility of membrane proteins and the toxicity caused by protein incorporation into the membrane of the host organism. As a result, the majority of fusion protein was obtained in a soluble state and could be purified from crude bacterial lysate by affinity chromatography on immobilized glutathione under non-denaturing conditions. The PsbH protein was cleaved from the carrier protein with Factor Xa protease and purified on DEAE-cellulose column with yields of up to 2.1 microg protein/ml of bacterial culture. The procedure as we optimized is applicable for isolation of small membrane proteins for structural studies. | 10.1016/S1046-5928(03)00188-8 |
pubmed_774_7427 | Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common, and is often the leading cause of disability and death. Complications after TBI include increased risk for chronic central nervous system disease, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the pathophysiology relating acute injury to neurodegeneration is unclear. Here we present a case of a patient whose cognition declined after TBI, and whose 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan showed an AD pattern. | 10.12779/dnd.2017.16.2.54 |
others_258_102 | In order to investigate the prevalence of B.burgdorferi sensu lato in rodents from Jiangxi province of southeastern China. Isolation of B.burgdoferi strains and PCR-based studies were carried out in 204 mice collected from six counties of Jiangxi province in May of 2011 and 2012. The results showed the prevalence of Lyme spirochetal infection among seven species of wild and peridomestic rodents in Jiangxi. 3 strains isolated from 204 mice were all belonged to Borrelia yangze sp.nov. The study firstly showed the role of rodents in maintaining the pathogen of Lyme disease in the environment from Jiangxi province and there existed at least one genotype of Lyme spirochetes in Jiangxi. © 2014, E-Century Publishing Corporation. All rights reser | others_258_102 |
pubmed_754_11115 | The alkaline elution technique was used to measure DNA damage in the rat testis after intraperitoneal injection of 3 chemicals known to cause heritable mutations in rodents. These 3 chemicals are triethylenemelamine (TEM), mitomycin C, and cyclophosphamide. All three of these chemicals produced DNA damage which was readily detectable by alkaline elution. Both TEM and mitomycin C produced DNA interstrand cross-links, although TEM was a more potent cross-linker on an equimolar basis than mitomycin C. Cyclophosphamide produced both DNA cross-links and DNA strand breaks. Alkaline elution in the absence of proteinase K indicated that some of the strand breaks appeared to be closely associated with protein. These studied indicate that the alkaline elution technique is capable of detecting DNA damage in mammalian germ cells produced by chemical mutagens. This technique may prove useful as a screening tool for identifying chemicals which cause heritable mutations in mammals. | 10.1016/0165-1161(84)90105-5 |
pubmed_181_10454 | Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. While the knowledge about the molecular virology of HCV infection has markedly advanced, the molecular mechanisms of disease progression leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC are still unclear. Accumulating experimental and clinical studies indicate that HCV may drive hepatocarcinogenesis directly via its proteins or transcripts, and/or indirectly through induction of chronic liver inflammation. Despite the possibility to eradicate HCV infection through direct-acting antiviral treatment, the risk of HCC persists although specific biomarkers to estimate this risk are still missing. Thus, a better understanding of HCV-induced HCC and more physiological liver disease models are required to prevent cancer development. | 10.1016/j.coviro.2016.09.010 |
pubmed_1054_1329 | Forty Caucasian patients with classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis were tested for 7 HLA-DR alloantigens and 37 HLA-A, B, and C antigens and compared with 125 and 450 healthy controls, respectively. HLA-DRw4 was significantly (corrected p = 10(-3) increased in rheumatoid arthritis (55%) compared with controls (23%). There was no significant correlation between clinical, radiological or serological disease parameters and HLA-DRw4. The frequency of HLA-B8 was increased in the patient group; however, the corrected p value was not significant. | pubmed_1054_1329 |
pubmed_417_2244 | Detre et al. (Magn. Reson. Med. 23, 37-45 (1992)) and Zhang et al., (Magn. Reson. Med. 25, 362 (1992)) have recently demonstrated a technique for the measurement of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) based on the continuous saturation (or inversion) of the arterial blood supply to the brain in rats at 4.7 T. In the work reported here, we combined this technique with volume localized (PRESS) readouts to benefit from recording "perfusion" signals averaged over a larger volume, resulting in rapid acquisition of data with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for application at 2.0 T. In 10 baseline flow measurements, the mean error between the NMR technique and the microsphere flow measurement was -1.5% with a standard deviation of 15.2%. For five measurements obtained with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, the mean error was -32.4 +/- 20.2%. Perfusion measurements from a single animal under hypercapnic conditions indicated that the NMR technique could underestimate rCBF at high flow rates. An error analysis of the NMR perfusion model is also presented, along with results for typical parameters encountered at 2.0 T. | 10.1002/mrm.1910310208 |
others_40_2594 | A convenient system via a perfect liquid junction was developed for measuring the trans-root electric potential (TRP) of a tree in the field. This system enabled continuous measurement of the TRP of an old kaki tree (Diospyros kaki, Japanese persimmon), which showed clear diurnal oscillation throughout two successive years. The level of the TRP on the average for every ten days had two minima (ca. -70 mV) in mid winter and mid summer, and two maxima (ca. -30 mV) in October and May. A regular seasonal change in the amplitude of the oscillation was observed; it was at its maximum (ca. 70 mV) in early spring just before the sprouting of new leaves, and at its minimum (ca. 10 mV) during summer and early autumn when leaves were fully expanded. The relationship between the TRP, water transport and rainfall is discuss | 10.1007/pl00013854 |
pubmed_131_2571 | The effect of ursodesoxycholic acid (UDCA) on dyspeptic symptoms and pain in cholelithiasis and biliary dyskinesia has been investigated in a double blind trial. The results obtained in 661 patients investigated after 7 and 14 days of treatment show a significantly superior effect of UDCA compared with placebo. | pubmed_131_2571 |
pubmed_1092_23673 | The neurohormone oxytocin (OT) has been one the most studied peptides in behavioural sciences over the past two decades. Primarily known for its crucial role in labour and lactation, a rapidly growing literature suggests that intranasal OT (IN-OT) may also play a role in the emotional and social lives of humans. However, the lack of a convincing theoretical framework explaining the effects of IN-OT that would also allow the prediction of which moderators exert their effects and when has raised healthy skepticism regarding the robustness of human behavioural IN-OT research. Poor knowledge of the exact pharmacokinetic properties of OT, as well as crucial statistical and methodological issues and the absence of direct replication efforts, may have lead to a publication bias in the IN-OT literature, with many unpublished studies with null results remaining buried in laboratory drawers. Is there a file drawer problem in IN-OT research? If this is the case, it may also be true in our own laboratory. The present study aims to answer this question, document the extent of the problem and discuss its implications for OT research. For eight studies (including 13 dependent variables overall, as assessed through 25 different paradigms) performed in our laboratory between 2009 and 2014 on 453 subjects, the results obtained were too often not those that were expected. Only five publications emerged from our studies and only one of these reported a null finding. After realising that our publication portfolio has become less and less representative of our actual findings and because the nonpublication of our data might contribute to generating a publication bias in IN-OT research, we decided to retrieve these studies from our drawer and encourage other laboratories to do the same. | 10.1111/jne.12384 |
pubmed_470_8807 | It is known that body surface potential maps (BSPMs) contain diagnostic information not easily retrieved from the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Alternate lead sets that can reconstruct the BSPM have been proposed, but they are impractical because they require more than the 10 electrodes of the standard ECG and use nonstandard positions. We propose a practical approach to increasing the diagnostic information content of the standard ECG by repositioning selected chest electrodes. Thus, in the best tradition of the Dutch "poldermodel," we have sought to strike a compromise between the demands of different parties, one that, while suboptimal for each, will be seen by all as the best attainable result. We used a set of 746 120-lead BSPMs from healthy individuals and patients with various abnormalities. Data were split in a learning and a test set. Using the learning set, a general transformation to reconstruct all BSPM leads from the standard 12-lead ECG was derived by linear regression. Similarly, BSPMs were reconstructed when 2 of electrodes V(3)-V(6) were moved to other positions on the anterior part of the chest. Reconstruction performance was assessed on the test set by correlation and similarity coefficients. Thanks to the redundancy of information in the precordial leads, 2 missing precordial leads can be reconstructed from the others, using general coefficients, to a high degree of accuracy, particularly when the missing leads were not adjacent. We chose to reposition V(4) and V(6) to different sites on the anterior thorax. From the many electrode sites that we explored, those at 2 intercostal spaces below and above V(2) yielded better BSPM reconstruction than was attainable from the standard electrode positions, in most parts of the anterior thorax, including regions that are known to contain important diagnostic information less well brought forward by the standard ECG. Slight variations in the new electrode positions did not appreciably change the results. The standard 12-lead ECG proved to produce better overall reconstructions than either the EASI configuration or vectorcardiographic lead systems. Repositioning electrodes V(4) and V(6) provides a simple, practical method by which to improve the sampling of diagnostic information from the body surface while maintaining the full diagnostic content of the standard 12-lead ECG. This approach also obviates the need to determine the precise location of V(4) electrode, which may be difficult in women. | 10.1054/jelc.2002.37149 |
pubmed_266_13156 | Marine sponge-associated fungi are promising sources of structurally interesting and bioactive secondary metabolites. Great plenty of natural products have been discovered from spongeassociated fungi in recent years. Here reviewed are 571 new compounds isolated from marine fungi associated with sponges in 2010-2018. These molecules comprised eight different structural classes, including alkaloids, polyketides, terpenoids, meroterpenoids, etc. Moreover, most of these compounds demonstrated profoundly biological activities, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, cytotoxic, etc. This review systematically summarized the structural diversity, biological function, and future potential of these novel bioactive natural products for drug discovery. | 10.2174/1389557520666200826123248 |
pubmed_181_21823 | OBJECTIVE
The Pragmatic Ischaemic Thrombectomy Evaluation (PISTE) trial was a multicentre, randomised, controlled clinical trial comparing intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) alone with IVT and adjunctive intra-arterial mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients who had acute ischaemic stroke with large artery occlusive anterior circulation stroke confirmed on CT angiography (CTA).
DESIGN
Eligible patients had IVT started within 4.5 hours of stroke symptom onset. Those randomised to additional MT underwent thrombectomy using any Conformité Européene (CE)-marked device, with target interval times for IVT start to arterial puncture of <90 min. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving independence defined by a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2 at day 90.
RESULTS
Ten UK centres enrolled 65 patients between April 2013 and April 2015. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 16 (IQR 13-21). Median stroke onset to IVT start was 120 min. In the intention-to-treat analysis, there was no significant difference in disability-free survival at day 90 with MT (absolute difference 11%, adjusted OR 2.12, 95% CI 0.65 to 6.94, p=0.20). Secondary analyses showed significantly greater likelihood of full neurological recovery (mRS 0-1) at day 90 (OR 7.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 37.2, p=0.010). In the per-protocol population (n=58), the primary and most secondary clinical outcomes significantly favoured MT (absolute difference in mRS 0-2 of 22% and adjusted OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 19.7, p=0.021).
CONCLUSIONS
The trial did not find a significant difference between treatment groups for the primary end point. However, the effect size was consistent with published data and across primary and secondary end points. Proceeding as fast as possible to MT after CTA confirmation of large artery occlusion on a background of intravenous alteplase is safe, improves excellent clinical outcomes and, in the per-protocol population, improves disability-free survival.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT01745692; Results. | 10.1136/jnnp-2016-314117 |
pubmed_49_6397 | Research has verified field observations that cows grazing ponderosa pine needles may abort. The incidence and nature of the abortions produced experimentally simulate very closely those reported by livestock producers and veterinarians. The incidence of experimentally-produced abortions varied markedly from year to year even though the needles were collected in the same general area each year. This suggests that the abortifacient compound(s) in the needles vary from year to year, probably due to environmental and site conditions. The impact of stress (cold and nutrition) as a factor in the abortions was examined. It was concluded that the only effects would be on the willingness of cows to eat the needles. The pine needle abortion problem, what is known of the etiology, and mechanisms of the abortion are reviewed. The usefulness of bioassay systems to study pine needle abortions is discussed. | pubmed_49_6397 |
pubmed_980_12313 | Cancer patients are more at risk to contract SARS-CoV-2 and may develop many more severe complications, along with high mortality rates relative to the cancer-free population. The outbreak of the epidemic was characterized by a high rate of infection from person to person, however medical systems remained fully functional. Following most international guidelines, adaptations were made to the performance level of oncology treatments, and the service was to continue as usual. Moreover, the corona virus epidemic era was characterized by new challenges such as emergency work schedules, additional hygiene measures and social distancing. Furthermore, the medical staff used Personal Protection Equipment and resource preparedness for a larger outbreak and probable collapse of the health system. Therefore, changes have been made in the form and delivery of patient care and treatments. This article presents the work format employed in the Oncology Unit at Bnai Zion Medical Center during the COVID-19 epidemic. The newly adjusted protocol included four areas: staff, patients, infrastructure and malignant disease types. | pubmed_980_12313 |
pubmed_760_5430 | Malignant melanoma contributes the majority of skin cancer related deaths and shows an increasing incidence in the past years. Despite all efforts of early diagnosis, metastatic melanoma still has a poor prognosis and remains a challenge for treating physicians. In recent years, improved knowledge of the pathophysiology and a better understanding of the role of the immune system in tumour control have led to the development and approval of several immunotherapies. Monoclonal antibodies against different immune checkpoints have been revolutionizing the treatment of metastatic and unresectable melanoma. Ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody against the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) as well as nivolumab and pembrolizumab which target the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) have been shown to prolong overall survival in patients with advanced melanoma. The latter substances seem to have an increased response rate and more tolerable safety profile compared to ipilimumab. The combination of a CTLA-4 and a PD-1 inhibitor seems to be superior to the monotherapies, especially in patients with PD-L1 negative tumours. Checkpoint inhibitors are currently being tested in the adjuvant setting with initial data for ipilimumab suggesting efficacy in this context. Talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC) is the first oncolytic virus approved in the therapy of metastatic melanoma offering a treatment option especially for patients with limited disease. In this review, data on these recently developed and approved immunotherapies are presented. However, further studies are necessary to determine the optimal duration, sequencing and combinations of immunotherapies to further improve the outcome of patients with advanced melanoma. | 10.1016/j.ejso.2016.07.145 |
pubmed_1022_2061 | This article describes the pedagogical and ethical problems that ensue when ethical neutrality is mandated as the sole acceptable stance for teachers of ethics and health professionals (especially in public institutions). This paper argues that such a mandate can (1) violate public employees' own ethical integrity by forcing them to adopt the current legal order as their own ethical code; (2) erode trust, by requiring that the professional or teacher betray the honesty that patients and students commonly expect; and, finally, (3) undermine--by affirming that all opinions are equally acceptable--he pedagogical aim of generating critical thinking. Nevertheless, the article warns teachers and professionals against defending their own convictions by appealing to authority or the power of public office. The correct way to avoid ethical neutrality, this article asserts, is by distinguishing "opinion" from "argument": by not merely articulating, but providing convincing arguments for, one's own professional ethical opinions. | pubmed_1022_2061 |
others_331_284 | Plasticity in heat tolerance provides ectotherms the ability to reduce overheating risk during thermal extremes. However, the tolerance–plasticity trade-off hypothesis states that individuals acclimated to warmer environments have a reduced plastic response, including hardening, limiting their ability to further adjust their thermal tolerance. Heat hardening describes the short-term increase in heat tolerance following a heat shock that remains understudied in larval amphibians. We sought to examine the potential trade-off between basal heat tolerance and hardening plasticity of a larval amphibian, Lithobates sylvaticus, in response to differing acclimation temperatures and periods. Lab-reared larvae were exposed to one of two acclimation temperatures (15°C and 25°C) for either 3 or 7 days, at which time heat tolerance was measured as critical thermal maximum (CTmax). A hardening treatment (sub-critical temperature exposure) was applied 2 h before the CTmax assay for comparison to control groups. We found that heat-hardening effects were most pronounced in 15°C acclimated larvae, particularly after 7 days of acclimation. By contrast, larvae acclimated to 25°C exhibited only minor hardening responses, while basal heat tolerance was significantly increased as shown by elevated CTmax temperatures. These results are in line with the tolerance–plasticity trade-off hypothesis. Specifically, while exposure to elevated temperatures induces acclimation in basal heat tolerance, shifts towards upper thermal tolerance limits constrain the capacity for ectotherms to further respond to acute thermal stress. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC | 10.1002/jez.2689 |
pubmed_621_8109 | The activated sludge process can be modelled by ordinary and partial differential equations for the biological reactors and secondary settlers, respectively. Because of the complexity of such a system, simulation models are most often used to investigate them. However, simulation models cannot give general rules on how to control a complex nonlinear process. For a reduced-order model with only two components, soluble substrate and particulate biomass, general results on steady-state solutions have recently been obtained, such as existence, uniqueness and stability of solutions. The aim of the present paper is to utilize those results to formulate some implications of practical importance. In particular, strategies are described for the manual control of the effluent substrate concentration subject to the constraint that the settler is maintained in normal operation (with a sludge blanket in the thickening zone) in steady state. Such strategies contain how the two control parameters, the recycle and waste volumetric flow ratios, should be chosen for any (steady-state) values of the input variables. | 10.2166/wst.2012.162 |
pubmed_40_4660 | In the present work, the physiological effects of the ZnO nanorods on the Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Aerobacter aerogenes) bacterial cells have been studied. The analysis of bacterial growth curves for various concentrations of ZnO nanorods indicates that Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cells show inhibition at concentrations of ~64 and ~256 μg/mL respectively. The marked difference in susceptibility towards nanorods was also validated by spread plate and disk diffusion methods. In addition, the scanning electron micrographs show a clear damage to the cells via changed morphology of the cells from rod to coccoid etc. The confocal optical microscopy images of these cells also demonstrate the reduction in live cell count in the presence of ZnO nanorods. These, results clearly indicate that the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanorods is higher towards Gram positive bacterium than Gram negative bacterium which indicates that the structure of the cell wall might play a major role in the interaction with nanostructured materials and shows high sensitivity to the particle concentration. | pubmed_40_4660 |
pubmed_602_17302 | This final rule updates the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs). The payment amounts and factors used to determine the updated Federal rates that are described in this final rule have been determined based on the LTCH PPS rate year. The annual update of the long-term care diagnosis-related group (LTC-DRG) classifications and relative weights remains linked to the annual adjustments of the acute care hospital inpatient diagnosis-related group system, and will continue to be effective each October 1. The outlier threshold for July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 is also derived from the LTCH PPS rate year calculations. In this final rule, we also are making clarifications to the existing policy regarding the designation of a satellite of a LTCH as an independent LTCH. In addition, we are expanding the existing interrupted stay policy and changing the procedure for counting days in the average length of stay calculation for Medicare patients for hospitals qualifying as LTCHs. | pubmed_602_17302 |
pubmed_11_17986 | The number of nursing professors in the UK has doubled in the past decade, but the profession still lags behind medicine, a poll reveals. | 10.7748/ns2014.04.28.32.9.s8 |
pubmed_455_12272 | Page kidney was first described in animal experiments in 1939. In the 1950s and 1960s the human counterpart became evident. In this review we examine the modest literature on this rare but important renal/urological complication, summarize the clinical features, and discuss the best approach to diagnosis and management. | pubmed_455_12272 |
pubmed_67_7276 | BACKGROUND
HIV treatment prescription is a complex process. Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are a category of health information technologies that can assist clinicians to choose optimal treatments based on clinical trials and expert knowledge. The usability of some CDSSs for HIV treatment would be significantly improved by using the knowledge obtained by treating other patients. This knowledge, however, is mainly contained in patient records, whose usage is restricted due to privacy and confidentiality constraints.
METHODS
A treatment effectiveness measure, containing valuable information for HIV treatment prescription, was defined and a method to extract this measure from patient records was developed. This method uses an advanced cryptographic technology, known as secure Multiparty Computation (henceforth referred to as MPC), to preserve the privacy of the patient records and the confidentiality of the clinicians' decisions.
FINDINGS
Our solution enables to compute an effectiveness measure of an HIV treatment, the average time-to-treatment-failure, while preserving privacy. Experimental results show that our solution, although at proof-of-concept stage, has good efficiency and provides a result to a query within 24 min for a dataset of realistic size.
INTERPRETATION
This paper presents a novel and efficient approach HIV clinical decision support systems, that harnesses the potential and insights acquired from treatment data, while preserving the privacy of patient records and the confidentiality of clinician decisions. | 10.1007/s10916-022-01851-x |
pubmed_810_16607 | BACKGROUND
Recent developments in perioperative pathophysiology and care have documented evidence-based, multimodal rehabilitation (fast-track) to hasten recovery and to decrease morbidity and hospital stay for several major surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of introducing fast-track principles for perioperative care in unselected patients undergoing open or laparoscopic liver resection.
METHODS
This was a prospective study involving the first 100 consecutive patients who followed fast-track principles for liver resection. Catheters and drains were systematically removed early, and patients were mobilized and started eating and drinking from the day of surgery. An opioid-sparing multimodal pain treatment was given for the first week. Discharge criteria were: pain sufficiently controlled by oral analgesics alone, patient comfortable with discharge and no untreated complications.
RESULTS
Median length of stay (LOS) for all patients was 5 days, with 2 days after laparoscopic versus 5 days following open resection (P < 0·001). Median LOS after minor open resections (fewer than 3 segments) was 5 days versus 6 days for major resections (3 or more segments) (P < 0·001). Simple right or left hemihepatectomies had a median LOS of 5 days. The readmission rate was 6·0 per cent and 30-day mortality was zero.
CONCLUSION
Fast-track principles for perioperative care were introduced successfully and are safe after liver resection. Routine discharge 2 days after laparoscopic resection and 4-5 days after open liver resection may be feasible. | 10.1002/bjs.8996 |
pubmed_1000_18844 | The effect of dexamethasone and of three potential antiglucocorticoids, namely dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its 7alpha-and 7beta-hydroxylated metabolites, on primary immune response has been studied by measuring the number of plaque forming cells (NPFC) and their viability in a cell culture of murine spleenocytes. As expected, dexamethasone suppressed considerably the NPFC as well as their viability. Surprisingly, DHEA as well as its 7alpha-hydroxylated metabolite decreased significantly the NPFC, while the effect of 7beta-hydroxy-DHEA was different: at low doses it decreased the NPFC, but this effect was less pronounced at higher concentrations. In addition, 7beta-hydroxy-DHEA was able to counteract the effect of dexamethasone on the NPFC. None of the natural steroids affected the cell viability. | 10.1016/s0960-0760(99)00134-x |
pubmed_218_2683 | Self-assembling protein cage structures have many potential applications in nanotechnology, one of which is therapeutic delivery. For intracellular targeting, pH-controlled disassembly of virus-like particles and release of their molecular cargo is particularly strategic. We investigated the potential of using histidines for introducing pH-dependent disassembly in the E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Two subunit interfaces likely to disrupt stability, an intratrimer interface (the N-terminus) and an intertrimer interface (methionine-425), were redesigned. Our results show that changing the identity of the putative anchor site 425 to histidine does not decrease stability. In contrast, engineering non-native pH-dependent behavior and modulating the transition pH at which disassembly occurs can be accomplished by mutagenesis of the N-terminus and by ionic strength changes. The observed pH-triggered disassembly is due to electrostatic repulsions generated by histidine protonation. These results suggest that altering the degree of electrostatic repulsion at subunit interfaces could be a generally applicable strategy for designing pH-triggered assembly in protein macromolecular structures. | 10.1021/bm900674v |
pubmed_455_12543 | OBJECTIVE
C-reactive protein (CRP), a nonspecific inflammatory marker, may be associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among adults. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between plasma CRP levels and 5-y body weight and body mass index (BMI) change among school children in Taiwan.
METHOD
In 1995, we conducted an epidemiological survey to evaluate the anthropometric characteristics and CVD risk factors among 1500, aged 12-15 y, school children in Taipei. We measured plasma high sensitivity CRP levels using nephelometric method. In 2000, we followed these children to evaluate their changes in body height, weight and BMI during 5 y.
RESULTS
In general, boys were taller, heavier and had higher BMI than girls at the baseline (1995) and at the 5-y follow-up (2000). Baseline plasma CRP levels were positively correlated with body weight and BMI in both 1995 and 2000. However, plasma CRP levels were negatively correlated with 5-y BMI change in both genders. We further divided the children into three subgroups based on their baseline CRP levels (nondetected, 0.188-1.00 and >1.0 mg/dl). Children in the higher plasma CRP levels (>1.0 mg/dl) were heavier and had higher BMI (both in 1995 and 2000) than those children with nondetected CRP levels. However, children with higher CRP subgroup had a lower 5-y increasing of BMI and there was even a decrease of BMI levels among the higher CRP girls.
CONCLUSION
From this prospective study, we found that baseline plasma CRP levels were positively correlated with the baseline and the 5-y follow-up body weight and BMI in both genders. However, plasma CRP levels may not be a good predictor of 5-y body weight and BMI changes among children in Taiwan. | 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802274 |
pubmed_697_22411 | We systematically investigated effects of molecular crowding with trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) as a zwitterionic and protective osmolyte and urea as a nonionic denaturing osmolyte on conformation and thermodynamics of the canonical DNA duplex and the non-canonical DNA G-quadruplex. It was found that TMAO and urea stabilized and destabilized, respectively, the G-quadruplex. On the other hand, these osmolytes generally destabilize the duplex; however, it was observed that osmolytes having the trimethylamine group stabilized the duplex at the lower concentrations because of a direct binding to a groove of the duplex. These results are useful not only to predict DNA structures and their thermodynamics under physiological environments in living cells, but also design of polymers and materials to regulate structure and stability of DNA sequences. | 10.1080/14686996.2016.1243000 |
pubmed_910_10101 | Most proximal humerus fractures in skeletally immature individuals are treated nonoperatively with excellent functional results. Extensive remodeling of the proximal humerus and the wide arc of motion of the glenohumeral joint accommodate a large degree of fracture displacement and angulation. The treatment of severely displaced fractures and/or severely angulated fractures continues to be debated. Older patients and those with significantly displaced fractures may benefit from surgery because of their inability to remodel displacement and angulation during their limited remaining growth. The decision to treat a proximal humerus fracture in a skeletally immature patient operatively versus nonoperatively is dependent on the following 3 factors: displacement, bone age, and capacity to remodel. There is an increasing trend toward treating severely displaced and severely angulated fractures surgically, especially in older patients and adolescents. Smooth wires, percutaneous threaded wires, cannulated screws, and retrograde elastic stable intramedullary nailing are acceptable options for fixation. | 10.1097/BPO.0000000000000768 |
pubmed_731_23039 | To model spatial changes of chromatin mark peaks over time we develop and apply ChromTime, a computational method that predicts peaks to be either expanding, contracting, or holding steady between time points. Predicted expanding and contracting peaks can mark regulatory regions associated with transcription factor binding and gene expression changes. Spatial dynamics of peaks provide information about gene expression changes beyond localized signal density changes. ChromTime detects asymmetric expansions and contractions, which for some marks associate with the direction of transcription. ChromTime facilitates the analysis of time course chromatin data in a range of biological systems. | 10.1186/s13059-018-1485-2 |
pubmed_1073_16389 | OBJECTIVES
The radiological Pettersson score (PS) is widely applied for classification of arthropathy to evaluate costly haemophilia treatment. This study aims to assess and improve inter- and intra-observer reliability and agreement of the PS.
METHODS
Two series of X-rays (bilateral elbows, knees, and ankles) of 10 haemophilia patients (120 joints) with haemophilic arthropathy were scored by three observers according to the PS (maximum score 13/joint). Subsequently, (dis-)agreement in scoring was discussed until consensus. Example images were collected in an atlas. Thereafter, second series of 120 joints were scored using the atlas. One observer rescored the second series after three months. Reliability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), agreement by limits of agreement (LoA).
RESULTS
Median Pettersson score at joint level (PSjoint) of affected joints was 6 (interquartile range 3-9). Using the consensus atlas, inter-observer reliability of the PSjoint improved significantly from 0.94 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.91-0.96) to 0.97 (CI 0.96-0.98). LoA improved from ±1.7 to ±1.1 for the PSjoint. Therefore, true differences in arthropathy were differences in the PSjoint of >2 points. Intra-observer reliability of the PSjoint was 0.98 (CI 0.97-0.98), intra-observer LoA were ±0.9 points.
CONCLUSIONS
Reliability and agreement of the PS improved by using a consensus atlas.
KEY POINTS
• Reliability of the Pettersson score significantly improved using the consensus atlas. • The presented consensus atlas improved the agreement among observers. • The consensus atlas could be recommended to obtain a reproducible Pettersson score. | 10.1007/s00330-015-4013-8 |
pubmed_765_7275 | Key pathological features of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) include impairment of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and the progression of white matter lesions (WMLs) amongst other structural lesions, leading to the clinical manifestations of cSVD. The function of endothelial cells (ECs) is of major importance to maintain a proper BBB. ECs interact with several cell types to provide structural and functional support to the brain. Oligodendrocytes (OLs) myelinate axons in the central nervous system and are crucial in sustaining the integrity of white matter. The interplay between ECs and OLs and their precursor cells (OPCs) has received limited attention yet seems of relevance for the study of BBB dysfunction and white matter injury in cSVD. Emerging evidence shows a crosstalk between ECs and OPCs/OLs, mediated by signaling through the Wingless and Int-1 (WNT)/β-catenin pathway. As the latter is involved in EC function (e.g., angiogenesis) and oligodendrogenesis, we reviewed the role of WNT/β-catenin signaling for both cell types and performed a systematic search to identify studies describing a WNT-mediated interplay between ECs and OPCs/OLs. Dysregulation of this interaction may limit remyelination of WMLs and render the BBB leaky, thereby initiating a vicious neuroinflammatory cycle. A better understanding of the role of this signaling pathway in EC-OL crosstalk is essential in understanding cSVD development. | 10.3390/cells9061545 |
others_51_795 | We present the results of two exploratory parsimony analyses of DNA sequences from 475 and 499 species of seed plants, respectively, representing all major taxonomic groups. The data are exclusively from the chloroplast gene rbcL, which codes for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO or RuBPCase). We used two different state-transformation assumptions resulting in two sets of cladograms: (i) equal-weighting for the 499-taxon analysis; and (ii) a procedure that differentially weights transversions over transitions within characters and codon positions among characters for the 475-taxon analysis. The degree of congruence between these results and other molecular, as well as morphological, cladistic studies indicates that rbcL sequence variation contains historical evidence appropriate for phylogenetic analysis at this taxonomic level of sampling. Because the topologies presented are necessarily approximate and cannot be evaluated adequately for internal support, these results should be assessed from the perspective of their predictive value and used to direct future studies, both molecular and morphological. In both analyses, the three genera of Gnetales are placed together as the sister group of the flowering plants, and the anomalous aquatic Ceratophyllum (CeratophyUaceae) is sister to all other flowering plants. Several major lineages identified correspond well with at least some recent taxonomic schemes for angiosperms, particularly those of Dahlgren and Thorne. The basalmost clades within the angiosperms are orders of the apparently polyphyletic subclass Magnoliidae sensu Cronquist. The most conspicuous feature of the topology is that the major division is not monocot versus dicot, but rather one correlated with general pollen type: uniaperturate versus triaperturate. The Dilleniidae and Hamamelidae are the only subclasses that are grossly polyphyletic; an examination of the latter is presented as an example of the use of these broad analyses to focus more restricted studies. A broadly circumscribed Rosidae is paraphyletic to Asteridae and Dilleniidae. Subclass Caryophyllidae is monophyletic and derived from within Rosidae in the 475-taxon analysis but is sister to a group composed of broadly delineated Asteridae and Rosidae in the 499-taxon study | 10.2307/2399846 |
pubmed_1069_14649 | The secreted form of the beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) has previously been shown to stimulate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases in PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells. The amino-terminal half of secreted beta-APP contains a region rich in cysteine residues reminiscent of cysteine-rich binding regions in other families of extracellular proteins. We found that reductive alkylation of disulfide linkages eliminated the ability of secreted beta-APP to activate MAP kinase. To confirm the role of the cysteine-rich amino-terminal region, fragments representing the amino- and carboxyl-terminal halves of secreted beta-APP were expressed in bacteria as fusion proteins and purified. Ten-minute treatment with the amino-terminal segment of beta-APP activated MAP kinase approximately 15-fold, while the carboxyl segment had no effect. The amino-terminal fragment, like intact secreted beta-APP, was substantially inactivated by reduction of sulfhydryl groups. These results suggest that the amino-terminal region of beta-APP is responsible for activation of MAP kinase and that it requires structural loops created by disulfide linkages for activity. | 10.1016/0304-3940(95)11944-r |
pubmed_35_5693 | Forty-four male and female subjects with no history of falling and whose ages ranged from 10 to 68 years participated in a series of experiments to assess movement at the joints during gait while walking in a straight line, in pivot turns and in turns of 0.33 and 0.66 m diameter. Acceleration at the joints in the forward and side-to-side direction was measured by dual-axis accelerometers placed at the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and on the head. Eye movement was assessed from electrodes placed on the sides of the eyes. The results of the experiments showed that for people whose age was above 40 years, significant increases in the forward-back and side-to-side movements occurred at all joints and progressively increased with age. By age 60, adverse movement of the joints as much as quadrupled in many subjects when compared to people whose age was 20-30 years. The increase in joint acceleration occurred equally in the front-back and side-to-side planes. The mechanism of the increased joint movement may be due to tendon laxness, peripheral neuropathy or loss of central control of gait due to age. Accelerometry may be a much more sensitive technique to analyze abnormalities in gait than standard video or observational gait analysis. Results are given as mean (SD) unless otherwise stated. | 10.1007/s00421-004-1089-2 |
pubmed_453_1776 | In order to evaluate the therapeutic effect of continuous passive motion (CPM) on the outcome of TMJ meniscectomy, chewing movement was analyzed before surgery and six months after surgery in 31 patients receiving CPM (CPM group), 26 patients without CPM (non-CPM group), and in ten normal subjects. The surgical procedure consisted of either total meniscectomy or partial meniscectomy with disk repair. It was found that chewing in patients receiving CPM was closer to the normal range than for patients in the non-CPM group. The results from the CPM group demonstrated chewing parameters for patients with partial meniscectomy returning to the normal range. However, for the patients with total meniscectomy, some parameters remained out of the normal range. From these results, we conclude that CPM has a positive influence on the outcome of TMJ surgery. | 10.1080/08869634.1996.11745968 |
pubmed_192_5734 | BACKGROUND
Cross-sectional studies are fundamental studies in the practice of epidemiological science. This article aims to present in detail the methodology for conducting a series of cross-sectional studies, as well as the analysis of data through pooled data.
METHODS
The series of studies are population cross-sectional studies, with statewide coverage, searching for representative sample of reproductive aged women and pre-school children in Ceará, Brazil. The sampling plan followed simple random, stratified, systematic and by conglomerates, in sequence. About 300 variables were collected. For each of the individual studies, multivariate data analysis was used to verify associations between dependent variables. For all the studies together, techniques used were trend chi-squared and pooled data analysis using linear mixed modeling procedures.
RESULTS
There were 6 studies in sequence, for 30 years. Among other findings, the variables income, maternal education and breastfeeding time proved to be associated with the reduction of malnutrition in children considering all the period (p values 0.013, 0.033 and 0.037, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
Cross-sectional studies can be replicated at regular time series following the methodology exposed in this, even for locations with limited resources, ensuring adequate management of decisions of using federal funding aimed at achieving targeted programs to maximize the results obtained with the public resource available. | 10.5334/aogh.2299 |
pubmed_56_15776 | BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
Small-diameter dental implants are associated with a higher risk of implant failure. This study used both three-dimensional finite-element (FE) simulations and in-vitro experimental tests to analyze the stresses and strains in both the implant and the surrounding bone when using one-piece (NobelDirect) and two-piece (NobelReplace) small-diameter implants, with the aim of understanding the underlying biomechanical mechanisms.
METHODS
Six experimental artificial jawbone models and two FE models were prepared for one-piece and two-piece 3.5-mm diameter implants. Rosette strain gauges were used for in-vitro tests, with peak values of the principal bone strain recorded with a data acquisition system. Implant stability as quantified by Periotest values (PTV) were also recorded for both types of implants. Experimental data were analyzed statistically using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. In FE simulations, the peak value and distribution of von-Mises stresses in the implant and bone were selected for evaluation.
RESULTS
In in-vitro tests, the peak bone strain was 42% lower for two-piece implants than for one-piece implants. The PTV was slightly lower for one-piece implants (PTV = -6) than for two-piece implants (PTV = -5). In FE simulations, the stresses in the bone and implant were about 23% higher and 12% lower, respectively, for one-piece implants than those for two-piece implants.
CONCLUSION
Due to the higher peri-implant bone stresses and strains, one-piece implants (NobelDirect) might be not suitable for use as small-diameter implants. | pubmed_56_15776 |
pubmed_137_924 | Progressive neo-aortic/pulmonary root dilatation and associated valve regurgitation if translocated into the aortic position, remains a major drawback and serious late complication following the arterial switch operation. This video tutorial presents the technical aspects and a step-by-step illustration of the valve-sparing reimplantation technique, which allows the neo-aortic valve to be maintained late after the arterial switch operation. | 10.1510/mmcts.2019.013 |
pubmed_839_3684 | BACKGROUND
The aim of this work was to study the performances of 2 predictive statistical tools on a data set that was given to all participants of the Eadgene-SABRE Post Analyses Working Group, namely the Pig data set of Hazard et al. (2008). The data consisted of 3686 gene expressions measured on 24 animals partitioned in 2 genotypes and 2 treatments. The objective was to find biomarkers that characterized the genotypes and the treatments in the whole set of genes.
METHODS
We first considered the Random Forest approach that enables the selection of predictive variables. We then compared the classical Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) with a novel approach called sparse PLS, a variant of PLS that adapts lasso penalization and allows for the selection of a subset of variables.
RESULTS
All methods performed well on this data set. The sparse PLS outperformed the PLS in terms of prediction performance and improved the interpretability of the results.
CONCLUSION
We recommend the use of machine learning methods such as Random Forest and multivariate methods such as sparse PLS for prediction purposes. Both approaches are well adapted to transcriptomic data where the number of features is much greater than the number of individuals. | 10.1186/1753-6561-3-S4-S13 |
pubmed_664_21454 | David Herlihy proposed "that we seek to evaluate, and on occasion even to measure, the psychological and economic investment which families and societies in the past were willing to make in their children" and suggested an alternative to both the "theory of discovered childhood [in Europe]," as introduced by Philippe Ariès and the notion of Lloyd DeMause that the historical evolution of child-parent relations in general formed a continuous and irreversible process of progress. This article shows that although we lack some of the archival sources that are essential for reconstructing the real lives of children in the premodern Mediterranean Muslim world, we are still able, with the "investment" criterion in mind, to assess attitudes toward children, at least in some defined periods of time and geographical regions. | 10.1177/0363199011407262 |
pubmed_483_18902 | In this case report two patients, having severe intra-abdominal injuries after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with the LUCAS system, are presented. They both underwent surgical intervention. Severe intra-abdominal injuries following manual CPR are rare, but little is known about the incidence of these injuries associated with mechanical CPR. We have reviewed the literature on clinical outcome and adverse events after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with LUCAS CPR and manual CPR, and our conclusion is, that more research is needed to establish the safety of mechanical chest compression systems. | pubmed_483_18902 |
pubmed_528_24477 | Expression and localization of members of the aquaporin (AQP) family (AQP1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) in the kidney of the musk shrew (Suncus murinus) was examined by immunohistochemistry. AQP1 was expressed in the proximal tubules and in the thin limb of the loops of Henle. AQP1 was the only water channel expressed in the proximal nephron examined, indicating that AQP1 may be an independent water transporter in the proximal nephron. AQP2 and AQP5 were localized to the apical cytoplasm of the cortical to medullary collecting duct (CD) cells and AQP3 and AQP4 were localized to the basal aspect of the cortical to medullary CD cells. AQP3 expression was weaker in the cortical cells compared with the medullary cells, whereas AQP4 was strongly positive throughout the CD. These indicate that the CD is the main water reabsorption segment of the nephron and is regulated by AQPs. Indeed, apical water transport of CD cells of the musk shrew may be controlled by both AQP2 and AQP5. The characteristic expression pattern of the AQPs in this animal provides a novel animal model for elucidating the regulation of water reabsorption by AQPs in the mammalian kidney. | 10.1369/jhc.7A7281.2007 |
pubmed_1107_3578 | It has been found that gonads of sharks contain higher content of alkoxylipids and vitamin K and lower levels of monoglycerides and carotenoids than gonads of teleost fishes. The peroxidase activity is higher in gonads of shark males but the glutathione reductase activity is lower. No significant differences in lipids peroxidation indices in gonads of elasmobranchia and teleosts were found. The total antioxidant activity of lipids in gonads of shark males exceeds 1, while the same indices of teleosts are below 1. Differences in the lipid composition, antioxidant enzyme activities, the content of glutathione, carotenoids, vitamins A, E, K and lipid peroxidation in male and female fish gonads are described. Correlation coefficients for all indices of the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity are estimated. | pubmed_1107_3578 |
pubmed_421_16733 | Time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) is one of the most widely used non-contrast MR imaging methods to visualize blood vessels, but due to the 3-D volume acquisition highly accelerated acquisition is necessary. Accordingly, high quality reconstruction from undersampled TOF-MRA is an important research topic for deep learning. However, most existing deep learning works require matched reference data for supervised training, which are often difficult to obtain. By extending the recent theoretical understanding of cycleGAN from the optimal transport theory, here we propose a novel two-stage unsupervised deep learning approach, which is composed of the multi-coil reconstruction network along the coronal plane followed by a multi-planar refinement network along the axial plane. Specifically, the first network is trained in the square-root of sum of squares (SSoS) domain to achieve high quality parallel image reconstruction, whereas the second refinement network is designed to efficiently learn the characteristics of highly-activated blood flow using double-headed projection discriminator. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed learning process without matched reference exceeds performance of state-of-the-art compressed sensing (CS)-based method and provides comparable or even better results than supervised learning approaches. | 10.1016/j.media.2021.102047 |
pubmed_180_14988 | Stroke in the neonatal brain frequently results in neurologic impairments including cognitive disability. We investigated the effect of long-term sodium valproate (valproate) and trichostatin A (TSA) treatment upon post-stroke neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of stroke-injured immature mice. Decreased or abnormal integration of newborn DG neurons into hippocampal circuits can result in impaired visual-spatial function, abnormal modulation of mood-related behaviors, and the development of post-stroke epilepsy. Unilateral carotid ligation of P12 CD1 mice was followed by treatment with valproate, TSA, or vehicle for 2 weeks, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) administration for measurement of neurogenesis, and perfusion at P42 or P60. Behavior testing was conducted from P38-42. No detrimental effects on behavior testing were noted with TSA treatment, but mildly impaired cognitive function was noted with valproate-treated injured animals compared to normal animals. Significant increases in DG neurogenesis with both TSA and valproate treatment were noted with later administration of BrdU. Increased mortality and impaired weight gain was noted in the valproate-treated ligated animals, but not in the TSA-treated animals. In summary, the impact of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition upon post-stroke subgranular zone neurogenesis is likely to depend on the age of the animal at the time point when neurogenesis is assessed, duration of HDAC inhibition before BrdU labeling, and/or the stage in the evolution of the injury. | 10.3389/fncel.2013.00123 |
pubmed_898_19031 | Paclitaxel (Ptx), a type of microtubule depolymerization inhibitor, is one of the main components in gastric cancer chemotherapy. Some studies have demonstrated that tetrandrine (Tet), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, has potential antitumor effects in several cancers. Aside from the direct anticancer effect, Tet is proved to synergistically enhance the antitumor effect of Ptx in gastric cancer. However, the application of the combinational strategy is limited by the poor solubility of both drugs. Nanodrug delivery systems including polymeric nanoparticles, self-assembled nanofibers, hydrogels, etc., hold the potential to meet the need. Here, a novel supramolecular nanomaterial, based on the concept of "carrier-free nanodrugs", is reported as a feasible platform for synergistic drug delivery. Ptx-SA-RGD is obtained through the conjugation of Ptx and the tumor-specific peptide RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartic acid) with succinic acid (SA) as a linker. Ptx-SA-RGD could self-assemble into Ptx nanofibers (P-NFs) with high drug-loading efficiency. Tet was then encapsulated into P-NFs to acquire novel Ptx and Tet coloaded self-assembled nanofibers (P/T-NFs). The uptake study shows the dynamic internalization of P/T-NFs by the gastric cancer cell line MGC-803. P/T-NFs significantly triggered the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in gastric cancer cells MGC803 and further decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, which led to the induction of mitochondrial apoptosis with superior cytotoxicity against free drugs. Moreover, P/T-NFs suppressed the expressions of p-STAT3 and p-JAK, initiated cytochrome-C release, and promoted caspase protein expression. Furthermore, P/T-NFs demonstrated the strongest tumor-delaying effect as well as the lowest toxicity. Therefore, self-assembled nanofibers of P/T-NFs demonstrated an increase of the mitochondrial apoptosis level and a stronger antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo, which could be a potential way to enhance the clinical efficacy and reduce the side-effects of Ptx in gastric cancer. | 10.1021/acsami.9b17363 |
pubmed_186_14834 | UNLABELLED
Clinically isolated syndrome may reflect the first symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. Though more prevalent in Caucasians, MS can also affect Afrodescendts. Modifying disease drugs can delay convertion to clinically defined multiple sclerosis, therefore, identify patients at a higher risk of convertion is important. However data of risk factors in racially mixed population are scarce.
OBJECTIVES
To analyze predictor factors to the conversion from CIS to CDMS in a mixed race Brazilian cohort.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
It is a prognostic observational retrospective study, in 122 patients from MS referential center at Hospital da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil. Demographic and clinical features, as well as MRI and cerebrospinal fluid data were analyzed.
RESULTS
After five years follow-up 87.3% converted to CDMS. Regarding to median time of conversion, there was no difference between gender, race, age at onset, mono or polysymptomatic presentation. Cerebellar CIS significantly reduced time to second event; likewise sphincter impairment. Considering DMD, patients without treatment converted earlier.
CONCLUSION
Ancestry did not influence conversion risk. Cerebellar and shpincter impairment as well as MRI criteria both Barkhof/Tintoré and Swanton were important predictors. In future studies it should be also analysed the risk factors of progression in mixed race populations. | pubmed_186_14834 |
pubmed_87_25678 | The complete sequence and genome organisation of an endornavirus from the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolate 11691 was described and the name Sclerotinia sclerotiorum endornavirus 1 (SsEV1/11691) proposed. The genome is 10,513 nucleotides (nts) long with a single open reading frame (ORF) that codes for a single polyprotein of 3459 amino acid (aa) residues. The polyprotein contains cysteine-rich region (CRR), viral methyltransferase (MTR), putative DEXDc, viral helicase (Hel), phytoreo_S7 (S7) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domains. The polyprotein and the conserved domains are phylogenetically related to endornaviruses. However, the coding strand of SsEV1/11691 does not contain a site-specific nick characteristic of most previously described endornaviruses. The elimination of SsEV1/11691 did not result in any significant changes in the host phenotype and virulence. | pubmed_87_25678 |
pubmed_278_10601 | PURPOSE
evaluate the influence of frenotomy on the breastfeeding of newborns diagnosed with ankyloglossia.
METHODS
this is an intervention study performed with 50 newborns diagnosed with ankyloglossia. It was conducted in three stages: diagnosis, intervention and reassessment. In the diagnostic phase, the Protocol for the Assessment of Speech Language with Scores for Babies was applied to diagnose ankyloglossia and a questionnaire assessing the symptoms and coordination of sucking, swallowing and breathing during breastfeeding. In the intervention, frenotomy was performed, and at reassessment, the diagnostic protocol and questionnaire in order to compare the post-surgical effects.
RESULTS
of the 50 babies participating in the study, 35 (70%) were boys and 15 (30%) girls. A total of 68% of ankyloglossia cases were reported in the family, a majority (38%) involving cousins. There was a statistically significant reduction in the average protocol score in the reassessment stage, from 8.38 (7-12 points) to 0.86 (0-5 points), as well as a statistically significant improvement in all variables related to the symptoms of breastfeeding.
CONCLUSION
surgical intervention, known as frenotomy, made it possible to improve the negative symptoms of breastfeeding in newborns diagnosed with ankyloglossia. | 10.1590/2317-1782/20202019026 |
pubmed_298_18398 | Insects have been proposed as a new tool in early drug development. It was recently demonstrated that locusts have an efflux transporter localized in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that is functionally similar to the mammalian P-glycoprotein efflux transporter. Two insect BBB models have been put forward, an ex vivo model and an in vivo model. To use the in vivo model it is necessary to fully characterize the locust as an entire organism with regards to metabolic pathways and excretion rate. In the present study, we have characterized the locust metabolism of terfenadine, a compound that in humans is specific to the cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A4. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled to ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, we have detected metabolites identical to human metabolites of terfenadine. The formation of human metabolites in locusts was inhibited by ketoconazole, a mammalian CYP3A4 inhibitor, suggesting that the enzyme responsible for the human metabolite formation in locusts is functionally similar to human CYP3A4. Besides the human metabolites of terfenadine, additional metabolites were formed in locusts. These were tentatively identified as phosphate and glucose conjugates. In conclusion, not only may locusts be a model useful for determining BBB permeation, but possibly insects could be used in metabolism investigation. However, extensive characterization of the insect model is necessary to determine its applicability. | 10.1124/dmd.114.057430 |
pubmed_1098_13303 | Optical phased arrays (OPAs) which beam-steer in two dimensions (2D) are currently limited to grating row spacings well above a half wavelength. This gives rise to grating lobes along one axis which limit the field of view (FOV), introduce return signal ambiguity, and reduce the optical efficiency in lidar applications. We demonstrate a Vernier transceiver scheme which uses paired transmit and receive phased arrays with different row periodicities, leading to mismatched grating lobe angular spacings and only a single aligned pair of transmit and receive lobes. This permits a return signal from a target in the desired lobe to be efficiently coupled back into the receive OPA while back-scatter from the other grating lobes is rejected, removing the ambiguity. Our proposal goes beyond previously considered Vernier schemes in other domains like RF and sound, to enable a dynamic Vernier where all beam directions are simultaneously Vernier aligned, and allow ultra-fast scanning, or multi-beam, operation with Vernier lobe suppression. We analyze two variants of grating lobe suppressing beam-steering configurations, one of which eliminates the FOV limitation, and find the conditions for optimal lobe suppression. We present the first, to the best of our knowledge, experimental demonstration of an OPA Vernier transceiver, including grating lobe suppression of 6.4 dB and beam steering across 5.5°. The demonstration is based on a pair of 2D-wavelength-steered serpentine OPAs. These results address the pervasive issue of grating lobes in integrated photonic lidar schemes, opening the way to larger FOVs and reduced complexity 2D beam-steering designs. | 10.1364/OE.451578 |
pubmed_932_16138 | We have previously reported that the absence of leptin signaling in β-cells enhances glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and improves glucose tolerance in vivo. To investigate the relevance of β-cell leptin signaling in the context of postprandial or therapeutic insulin secretion, we examined the cross talk between leptin and glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and sulfonylurea actions. Single and size-matched islets isolated from control or pancreas-specific leptin receptor knockout (pancreas-ObR-KO) mice were treated either with GLP-1 or with glibenclamide. Leptin suppressed GLP-1-stimulated intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](i)) increase that paralleled the decrease in insulin secretion in controls. In contrast, and as expected, the ObR-KO islets were nonresponsive to leptin, and instead, showed a 2.8-fold greater GLP-1-stimulated [Ca(2+)](i) increase and a 1.7-fold greater insulin secretion. Phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element binding protein was enhanced, and phosphodiesterase enzymatic activity was suppressed in MIN6 β-cells with ObR knockdown compared with controls. The ObR-KO islets also showed significantly higher glibenclamide-induced insulin secretion compared with control islets, whereas [Ca(2+)](i) was similar to the controls. These data support enhanced insulinotropic effects of glucose, GLP-1, and sulfonylureas in the islets lacking leptin signaling with potential therapeutic implications. | 10.1210/me.2011-1306 |
pubmed_1127_15291 | Campylobacter requires iron for successful colonization of the host. In the last 7 years, a wealth of data has been generated allowing detailed molecular characterization of Campylobacter iron-uptake systems. Several exogenous siderophores have been identified as sources of ferric iron for Campylobacter. Ferri-enterochelin uptake requires both the outer-membrane receptor protein CfrA and the inner-membrane ABC transporter system CeuBCDE. Ferrichrome has been shown to support growth of some Campylobacter jejuni strains and the presence of homologues of Escherichia coli fhuABD genes was proposed; the Cj1658-Cj1663 system appears to be involved in the uptake of ferri-rhodotorulic acid. In addition to siderophores, the importance of host iron sources was highlighted by recent studies demonstrating that C. jejuni can exploit haem compounds and the transferrins using ChuABCDZ and Cj0173c-Cj0178, respectively. An additional putative receptor, Cj0444, present in some, but not all, strains has not yet been characterized. Following diffusion through the outer membrane, inner-membrane transport of ferrous iron can occur via the FeoB protein. While it may be assumed that all systems are not essential, there is growing evidence supporting the need for multiple iron-uptake systems for successful host colonization by Campylobacter. In light of this, comparative molecular characterization of iron systems in all Campylobacter strains is necessary to gain further insight into the pathogenesis of members of this genus. | 10.1099/mic.0.032425-0 |
pubmed_708_18531 | Bowenoid papulosis (BP) is a cutaneous condition of the external genitalia seen primarily in young adults. Evidence supports an etiologic role of human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly type 16. HPV-16 is also associated with an increased risk for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive carcinoma. A 17-year-old female, referred to the adolescent dysplasia clinic with a diagnosis of condyloma acuminatum, was presented. She had multiple smooth, shiny, brown 3- to 4-mm papules on the external genitalia. Biopsy confirmed BP. Colposcopic examination of the cervix and biopsy showed CIN III. The patient's sexual partner was examined colposcopically, and no suspicious lesions were seen. The patient underwent laser vaporization of her external genital and cervical lesions. At the time of treatment, some of the initial BP lesions had spontaneously regressed. This case highlights the need to evaluate females with BP for possible CIN, to examine sexual partners, and to use ablative therapy, as there is the potential of malignant progression in BP. | 10.1016/0197-0070(90)90115-i |
pubmed_325_3790 | Atom sensing based on Faraday rotation is an indispensable method for precision measurements, universally suitable for both hot and cold atomic systems. Here we demonstrate an all-optical magnetometer where the optical cell for Faraday rotation spectroscopy is augmented with a low finesse cavity. Unlike in previous experiments, where specifically designed multipass cells had been employed, our scheme allows to use conventional, spherical vapour cells. Spherical shaped cells have the advantage that they can be effectively coated inside with a spin relaxation suppressing layer providing long spin coherence times without addition of a buffer gas. Cavity enhancement shows in an increase in optical polarization rotation and sensitivity compared to single-pass configurations. | 10.1038/srep15448 |
pubmed_61_15549 | We have investigated in normal human volunteers the short-term and long-term metabolic consequences of the oral intake of d-lactic acid. After the consumption of 6.4 or 12.8 mmol/kg(0.75) body weight of racemic dl-lactic acid, d-lactate was eliminated from plasma with half-lives of 28.6 +/- 4.3 and 40.4 +/- 5.4 min; its maximum plasma concentrations were 0.34 +/- 0.05 and 0.45 +/- 0.06 mmol/l, respectively. Less than 2% of the administered dose of d-lactic acid was excreted in urine during the 24 hours following intake. There was only a slight, non-significant decrease in blood pH by 0.02 units, accompanied by signs of a mild, compensated metabolic acidosis. A 5 weeks chronic experiment with daily consumption of 6.4 mmol/kg(0.75) body weight dl-lactic acid in 5 volunteers did not result in the accumulation of plasma d-lactate. | 10.1016/0261-5614(90)90069-5 |
pubmed_1015_3742 | Computed axial tomography is an excellent screening procedure in patients suspected of having a tumour in or near the sella turcica. Even microadenomas can sometimes be diagnosed, although not excluded, pluridirectional tomography remaining the most accurate method for their detection. Differentiation of adenomas from other parasellar tumours is not possible by computed tomography alone. An empty sella can be differentiated reliably from tumorous sellar enlargements although cystic adenomas can cause difficulties in differential diagnosis. The amount of anteroposterior and lateral extensions can be determined but the exact suprasellar extension cannot be estimated. Coronal sections of intrathecal enhancement with either conventional or computed tomography help in these cases. Carotid angiography is needed to differentiate vascular lesions from non-vascular ones. | 10.1016/s0009-9260(81)80034-7 |
pubmed_82_22409 | PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to compare contrast-enhanced GRE and conventional SE (CSE) fat-suppressed T1-weighted techniques in the evaluation of head and neck lesions. A hybrid, opposed phase, frequency-selective, fat-suppressed fast multiplanar spoiled GRE (FMPSPGR) sequence was compared with a fat-suppressed CSE sequence.
METHOD
Thirty-two patients with head and neck pathology were evaluated with both fat-suppressed CSE and FMPSPGR sequences. Regions of interest obtained by two viewers in consensus were used to establish contrast-to-noise (CNR) and signal-to-noise ratios for both sequences. Three neuroradiologists also independently reviewed the images for quality of fat suppression, lesion conspicuity, and potential pitfalls.
RESULTS
The CNR of the FMPSPGR sequence was superior to that of the fat-suppressed CSE sequence. Subjectively, all three reviewers rated the FMPSPGR sequence as having fat suppression equal to or better than that in the CSE sequence in 94% of cases. Imaging times for the FMPSPGR sequence were 60-75% faster than those for the CSE sequence.
CONCLUSION
Enhanced imaging of the head and neck region using an opposed phase, fat-suppressed GRE sequence results in improved fat suppression compared with the CSE technique, with substantial savings in imaging time. | 10.1097/00004728-199809000-00020 |
pubmed_639_754 | Background: Kidney fibrosis is the common final pathway of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and is characterized by inflammation, mesenchymal transition with myofibroblast formation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Centella asiatia (CeA) is an herb that has a reno-protective effect. However, its mechanism of action in kidney fibrosis has not been elucidated. Aim: To elucidate the effect of CeA in amelioration of kidney fibrosis in a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model and focus on mesenchymal transition and inflammation. Methods: Unilateral ureteral obstruction was performed in male Swiss-background mice (age: 2-3 months, weight: 30-40 g, UUO group n = 6) to induce kidney fibrosis. Two doses of CeA extract with oral administration, 210 and 840 mg/kg body weight were added in UUO (U+C210 and U+C840 groups, each n = 6). The sham operation procedure was performed for the control group (SO, n = 6). The mice were euthanized at day-14 after operation. Tubular injury and interstitial fibrosis area fractions in kidney tissues of the mice were quantified based on periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Sirius Red (SR) staining. Immunostaining was performed for examination of fibroblast (PDGFR-β), myofibroblast (α-SMA), Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage (CD68), meanwhile double immunofluorescence was performed with PDGFR-β and α-SMA. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to examine mRNA expression of TGF-β, Collagen-1, Snail, E-cadherin, vimentin, fibroblast-specific protein 1 (FSP-1), CD68, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and MCP-1. Results: We observed a significantly higher interstitial fibrosis area fraction and tubular injury (p < 0.001) with fibroblast expansion and myofibroblast formation in the UUO group than in the SO group. These findings were associated with higher mRNA expression of TGF-β, Collagen-1, Snail, vimentin, FSP-1, CD68, TLR4, and MCP-1 and lower mRNA expression of E-cadherin. The U+C840 group had a significantly lower tubular injury score and interstitial fibrosis area fraction, which associated with downregulation of mRNA expression of TGF-β, Collagen-1, Snail, vimentin, FSP-1, CD68, TLR4, and MCP-1, with upregulation of mRNA expression of E-cadherin. Immunostaining observation revealed the U+C840 group demonstrated reduction of macrophage infiltration and myofibroblast expansion. Conclusion: CeA treatment with dose-dependently ameliorates mesenchymal transition and inflammation in kidney fibrosis in mice. | 10.3389/fphar.2021.621894 |
pubmed_1048_8840 | BACKGROUND
Antiepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy is widely used in many epithelial cancer types. We investigated lapatinib effects on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) scheduled for resection and in coexisting precursor lesions (actinic keratosis (AK) and Bowen's disease (BD)) in a phase 2 mode of action clinical trial including a histological workup of the cSCC.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We initiated a prospective single-centre, open-label, non-controlled clinical study with translational intentions to investigate changes in size and histopathological features in cSCC after a 14-day period of neoadjuvant lapatinib therapy at a dose of 1500 mg/day prior to surgery, to quantify the impact on AK and BD in the same patient after 56 days and to evaluate the tolerability in patients with cSCC and precursor lesions.
RESULTS
10 immunocompetent male patients were included with a mean age of 73 years (range 59-87). 8 patients were treated with the study medication lapatinib 1500 mg/day for a total duration of 56 days according to the protocol and were available for full analysis, whereas 2 patients had to discontinue treatment during the first 2 weeks because of adverse events (diarrhoea, pancreatitis). Tolerability was acceptable with only 1 related grade III adverse event. A reduction in tumour size of cSCC was documented in 2 of 8 evaluable patients after 14 days of treatment. The mean regression of captured precursor lesions was 30% after 56 days of treatment and 36% 28 days after therapy cessation.
CONCLUSIONS
Short-term lapatinib resulted in a cSCC tumour reduction in 2 of 8 patients. In addition, there was a clinically documented reduction of AK in 7 of 8 patients encouraging larger clinical trials, especially in high-risk patients with cSCC such as organ transplant recipients.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT0166431. | 10.1136/esmoopen-2015-000003 |
pubmed_497_9766 | We have measured quasiinstantaneous transverse patterns in a broad aperture laser. Nonordered patterns yielding to boundary determined regular structures in progressive time-integrated recording are observed. The linear analysis and numerical integration of the full Maxwell-Bloch equations allow us to interpret the features of the experiment. We show that this system being far from threshold cannot be fully understood with a perturbative model. | 10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.883 |
pubmed_568_546 | OBJECTIVE
To examine the therapeutic value of lower extremity functional electrical stimulation (FES) - evoked cycling on functional independence, health status, gait parameters, pulmonary functions, and biochemical values in patients with chronic complete/incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fifteen patients with SCI (duration of more than 6 months) who were able to stand up and walk with long leg braces or assistive devices and had stable neurological status and trunk balance undertook FES cycling for 6 weeks (three times per week). The main outcomes were: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and 20-meter walk test (20MWT). Secondary outcomes include measurements of pulmonary function tests and biochemical values. All parameters were evaluated at the beginning and end of the program.
RESULTS
Improvements were seen in motor and total scores of FIM (p = 0.007), physical mobility subscale of NHP (p = 0.011), 6MWT (p = 0.001), and 20MWT (p = 0.011). In pulmonary functions, only forced vital capacity (FVC) levels demonstrated a significant increase compared with baseline (p = 0.011). Biochemical values reached no significant level.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study showed that the FES cycling exercise program improves motor and total FIM scores, gait parameters, and FVC values of pulmonary functions in patients with chronic SCI experience. The FES cycle might be a valuable and well-tolerated intervention in clinical rehabilitation. | 10.1080/00207454.2021.1929212 |
pubmed_718_13192 | Estradiol (E2) is well known as stimulator of the growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors. The effect of estrone (E1), however, has not been described in this model of human breast cancer. As E1 is the predominant estrogen precursor in postmenopausal women, we have investigated the effect of this steroid and, simultaneously, the potential role of the enzyme required for interconversion of the weak estrogen E1 into the potent estrogen E2, namely 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, in the growth of DMBA-induced mammary carcinoma in the rat. Treatment for 20 days of ovariectomized animals bearing DMBA-induced mammary tumors with twice daily doses of 0.375, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 micrograms E1 increased total tumor area by 48%, 101%, 116%, and 129%, respectively. Treatment with the highest dose of E1 increased progesterone receptor levels by 20.4- and 2.3-fold in the DMBA-induced tumors and uterus, respectively. After treatment with E1, the concentration of this steroid was similar in the serum and tumor tissue, whereas concentrations of E2 were approximately 3-fold higher in the tumor tissue compared to serum. Treatment with a 1.0-microgram dose of E1 caused a 60% increase in tumoral 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in ovariectomized animals, thus favoring E2 formation from E1 in tumors. In addition, treatment with the 1.0-microgram dose of E1 or 0.1 microgram E2 gave similar stimulatory effects on tumor growth and uterine weight in ovariectomized animals; the values were comparable to those found in intact animals. The present data indicate that ovariectomized rats bearing DMBA-induced mammary tumors and treated with E1 can be a useful model of postmenopausal breast cancer. | 10.1210/endo.134.3.8119175 |
pubmed_418_4191 | PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Recent findings on the critical pathogenic role of type 1 interferons (IFN-I) in HIV-1 persistence in humanized mice suggest that inhibiting IFN-I signaling transiently will reverse HIV-induced inflammatory diseases and rescue anti-HIV immunity to control HIV-1 reservoirs.
RECENT FINDINGS
In both humanized mice and in monkeys, IFN-I signaling is functionally defined to play an important role in suppressing early HIV-1 and SIV infection. During persistent infection in humanized mice, however, IFN-I signaling is revealed to induce T cell depletion and impairment. Interestingly, in HIV-infected mice with effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), blocking IFN-I signaling reverses HIV-induced inflammation, rescues anti-HIV T cells, and reduces HIV-1 reservoirs. These findings functionally define the role of IFN-I in HIV-1 reservoir persistence and suggest that blocking IFN-I signaling will provide a novel therapeutic strategy to (i) reverse inflammation-associated diseases in HIV patients under cART, (ii) rescue host anti-HIV immunity, and (iii) reduce or control HIV-1 reservoirs. | 10.1007/s11904-019-00444-7 |
pubmed_1076_3924 | The condensing effect of cholesterol on phospholipid bilayers was systematically investigated for saturated and unsaturated chains, as a function of cholesterol concentration. X-ray lamellar diffraction was used to measure the phosphate-to-phosphate distances, PtP, across the bilayers. The measured PtP increases nonlinearly with the cholesterol concentration until it reaches a maximum. With further increase of cholesterol concentration, the PtP remains at the maximum level until the cholesterol content reaches the solubility limit. The data in all cases can be quantitatively explained with a simple model that cholesterol forms complexes with phospholipids in the bilayers. The phospholipid molecules complexed with cholesterol are lengthened and this lengthening effect extends into the uncomplexed phospholipids surrounding the cholesterol complexes. This long-range thickening effect is similar to the effect of gramicidin on the thickness of lipid bilayers due to hydrophobic matching. | 10.1529/biophysj.106.099234 |
pubmed_396_9853 | Aggressive fibromatosis is characterized by locally aggressive proliferation of fibroblasts and occasionally occurs in the head and neck. Although the etiology of this disease is still controversial, recent studies have shown that high levels of growth factors are found in these lesions. This article reports a case of 51-year-old woman with aggressive fibromatosis in the neck and inguinal region bilaterally. Gastric fiberscopic examination revealed a complication of advanced gastric scirrhous carcinoma. There were remarkably high levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the serum. Postmortem autopsy examination was performed and scattered gastric carcinoma cells were observed in the fibromatosis lesions. Immunohistological staining showed positive expression of bFGF in the fibromatoses and stomach. We concluded that this was a rare case in which bFGF and PDGF released from gastric carcinoma cells caused aggressive fibromatosis by promoting unregulated proliferation of fibroblasts and collagen production locally. | 10.1053/ajot.2001.20697 |
pubmed_786_17226 | The rat enhancer of split- and hairy-related protein-2 (SHARP-2) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor. The hepatic expression of SHARP-2 mRNA was investigated under various conditions. The level was decreased in the regenerating rat liver and malignant hepatoma cells. In contrast, the expression of SHARP-2 mRNA was induced in rat livers by feeding a high-carbohydrate diet. To analyze the molecular mechanism involved in the regulation of the rat SHARP-2 gene expression, the gene was cloned. It was approximately 6-kb in length and consists of five exons and four introns. To investigate the transcriptional regulatory region of this gene, SHARP-2/firefly luciferase reporter plasmids were transfected into hepatoma cells. A functional analysis of 5(')-deletion constructs revealed that two E box sequences between -160 and -144 are mainly responsible for promoter activity. Although upstream stimulatory factors (USFs) bound to the element in vitro, USF2 failed to stimulate promoter activity from the element using the co-transfection experiment. Therefore, other E box-binding transcription factors differing from USF proteins or USF-associated proteins are necessary for transcriptional stimulation of the rat SHARP-2 gene. | 10.1016/j.abb.2003.11.011 |
pubmed_485_5573 | We report on a 74-year-old female patient with psoriasis vulgaris who, under PUVA therapy, developed an exanthema with clinical and histological signs of systemic lupus erythematosus. Antibodies to Ro/SSA antigens were not detectable before the onset of the lupus exanthema but showed a high titer afterwards. At that time, we found the typical serological constellation of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. | pubmed_485_5573 |
pubmed_464_24986 | Nicotine pouches to be put under the upper lip are a new category of products that are being rapidly developed and marketed as consumer goods with little research or regulatory oversight. We have identified research gaps in assessing their harm and benefit potential, and possible regulatory science approaches to inform the policies that can allow a maximization of the category's public health potential while minimizing unintended consequences. Implications: This commentary presents a potential blueprint for a comprehensive assessment of the nicotine pouches category. Data from the proposed research areas can better inform the regulatory policy decisions around the category, with the aim to maximize the category's tobacco harm reduction potential while minimizing unintended harms. | 10.1093/ntr/ntab198 |
pubmed_278_19059 | If noninvasive ventilation (NIV or high-flow CPAP) fails in severe cases of COVID-19, escalation of treatment with orotracheal intubation and intermitted prone positioning is provided as standard care. The present case reports show two COVID-19 patients with severe refractory hypoxemia despite NIV treatment during the first wave (first half year 2020) and the resulting influence on the treatment regimen during the second wave (since October 2020) of the pandemic. Both patients (aged 63 years and 77 years) voluntarily positioned themselves on the side or in a prone position without prior sedation and oral intubation. Positional treatment promptly improved the arterial oxygenation level. The oxygenation index improved in the following days with continued NIV and intermittent prone and side position. The recovered patients were transferred from the intensive care unit at days 5 and 14, respectively after admission. The case reports, along with other reports, show that prone or lateral positioning may be important in the treatment of SARS-CoV‑2 pneumonia in awake and not yet intubated patients. | 10.1007/s00101-021-00973-0 |
pubmed_5_14474 | BACKGROUND
We have recently demonstrated a striking impairment in cardiac uptake of 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in most patients with syndrome X. In this study we investigated the relationship between cardiac MIBG defects and cardiac autonomic activity in these patients.
METHODS
MIBG myocardial scintigraphy and time-domain and frequency-domain heart rate variability (HRV) were compared in 11 syndrome X patients and 10 healthy controls. Cardiac MIBG uptake was assessed by the heart/mediastinum ratio and a cardiac MIBG uptake defect score (higher values = lower uptake).
RESULTS
The heart/mediastinum ratio was lower (1.71 +/- 0.6 vs 2.19 +/- 0.3, p = 0.03) and MIBG uptake score higher (37.1 +/- 32 vs 4.0 +/- 2.5, p = 0.005) in syndrome X patients, whereas average HRV values did not differ between the two groups. However, while there were no correlations between MIBG uptake and HRV in controls, in syndrome X patients both the heart/mediastinum ratio and MIBG uptake score correlated significantly with two HRV parameters, specific for vagal activity: the square root of the mean squared differences of consecutive RR intervals (r = 0.73, p = 0.01, and r = -0.67, p = 0.02, respectively), and high frequency (r = 0.64, p = 0.03, and r = -0.74, p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSIONS; In patients with syndrome X, the impairment in cardiac MIBG uptake was associated with a reduction in HRV indexes mainly reflecting vagal modulation of sinus node, thus suggesting that a predominance of cardiac adrenergic activity may be present in those with abnormal cardiac MIBG scintigraphy. | pubmed_5_14474 |
pubmed_614_22766 | Work performance is one of the most important dependent variables in Work and Organizational Psychology. The main objective of this paper was to explore the relationships between citizenship performance and task performance measures obtained from different appraisers and their consistency through a seldom-used methodology, intraclass correlation coefficients. Participants were 135 public employees, the total staff in a local government department. Jobs were clustered into job families through a work analysis based on standard questionnaires. A task description technique was used to develop a performance appraisal questionnaire for each job family, with three versions: self-, supervisor-, and peer-evaluation, in addition to a measure of citizenship performance. Only when the self-appraisal bias is controlled, significant correlations appeared between task performance rates. However, intraclass correlations analyses show that only self- (contextual and task) performance measures are consistent, while interrater agreement disappears. These results provide some interesting clues about the procedure of appraisal instrument development, the role of appraisers, and the importance of choosing adequate consistency analysis methods. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0139898 |
others_320_10231 | Through biological inoculation technology, the bacterial-mycorrhizal-legume tripartite symbiosis in artificially heavy metal polluted soil was documented and the effects of dual inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus and Rhizobium (N-fixing bacteria, NFB) on the host plant cowpea (Vigna sinensis) in pot cultures were investigated at six concentrations of Zn (0.0 - 1000 mg/kg dry soil) and Cd (0.0 - 100 mg/kg dry soil). From a number of physiological indices measured in this study, microsymbionts significantly increased dry weight, root : shoot ratios, leaf number and area, plant length, leaf pigments, total carbohydrates, N and P content of infected plants as compared with non infected controls at all levels of heavy metal concentrations. Tolerance index of cowpea plants was increased in the presence of microsymbionts than in their absence in polluted soil. Microsymbionts dependencies of cowpea plants tended to be increased at higher levels of Zn and Cd in polluted soil. Metals accumulated by microsymbionts-infected cowpea plant were mostly distributed in root tissues, suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance widely exists in them. This study provides evidence for benefits of NFB to AM fungi in the protection of host plants against the detrimental effects of heavy metals. If so, bacterial-AM-legume tripartite symbiosis could be a new approach to increase the heavy metal tolerance of legumes plants under heavy metal polluted soil. © 2006 Academic Journals | others_320_10231 |
pubmed_370_3662 | Ultrasound has become an accepted diagnostic modality since the late 1950s. Since its introduction as a soft-tissue imaging method, ultrasound has broadened and assumed many research and clinical roles in medicine. Yet, despite the growing enthusiasm for ultrasound, there has been little written about its growth that brings together the latest areas of clinical utilization and research. To gather this data, we personally researched 32 leading medical centers in the United States. This paper shows where ultrasound stands not and where it is likely to go in the near future. | 10.1002/jcu.1870090503 |
pubmed_345_21407 | A retrospective review of all angiograms done for craniocervical trauma, over an eight-year period at Groote Schuur Hospital identified 61 patients out of 823 angiographically studied who had extradural vascular injury and required endovascular treatment. Multiple lesions were identified in nine (14,8%) patients and associated injuries were found in 23 patients (37%). The mechanism of injury was blunt in nine (14.8%) patients and penetrating in 52 (85.2%). There was a statistically significant correlation between the presenting clinical feature and the underlying angiographic lesion. Patients with active bleeding were more likely to have a vessel laceration, an expanding hematoma was associated with false aneurysm and a pulsatile mass with arteriovenous fistula. Endovascular treatment with emphasis on vessel occlusion rather than preservation was successful in all cases except one which required surgical vessel ligation. | 10.1177/1591019915576666 |
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