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pubmed_765_12159 | INTRODUCTION
At least 30% of people living with HIV (PLWH) infection have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has now become a leading cause of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Management is based largely on lifestyle modifications, which are difficult to achieve, and therapeutic options are urgently needed. Maraviroc (MVC), through antagonism of CCR5 receptors, may reduce hepatic fibrosis progression and could be an effective treatment for NAFLD. However, dosing is usually two times per day, unlike most currently recommended antiretroviral therapies. This study will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of addition of MVC to combination antiretroviral therapy in PLWH and NAFLD as a treatment for NAFLD.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
This is a phase IV, randomised, open-label, non-invasive feasibility study. Sixty individuals with well-controlled HIV-1 and NAFLD will be recruited from UK HIV clinics and randomised 1:1 to receive either optimised background therapy (OBT) plus MVC or OBT alone. Follow-up will be every 24 weeks for 96 weeks. The primary outcome measures will include recruitment and retention rates, adverse events and adherence. Secondary outcomes will include changes in markers of hepatic fibrosis, including the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis score, median liver stiffness measurement and controlled attenuation parameter scores on Fibroscan, and quality of life assessments. Analyses will be performed according to intention-to-treat principles. For secondary outcomes, estimated differences and 95% CIs between the groups using a t-method will be presented for continuous variables and as exact 95% binomial CIs for categorical variables.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
Ethical approval was obtained through the London Dulwich UK Research Ethics Committee (reference 17/LO/2093). Results will be disseminated both through community groups and peer-reviewed scientific literature.Trial registration number SRCTN31461655. EudraCT number 2017-004141-24; Pre-results. | 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035596 |
pubmed_664_7223 | There are at least two obvious features that must be considered upon targeting specific metabolic pathways/enzymes for drug development: the pathway must be essential and the enzyme must allow the design of pharmacologically useful inhibitors. Here, we describe Trypanosoma cruzi sterol 14α-demethylase as a promising target for anti-Chagasic chemotherapy. The use of anti-fungal azoles, which block sterol biosynthesis and therefore membrane formation in fungi, against the protozoan parasite has turned out to be highly successful: a broad spectrum anti-fungal drug, the triazole compound posaconazole, is now entering phase II clinical trials for treatment of Chagas disease. This review summarizes comparative information on anti-fungal azoles and novel inhibitory scaffolds selective for Trypanosomatidae sterol 14α-demethylase through the lens of recent structure/functional characterization of the target enzyme. We believe our studies open wide opportunities for rational design of novel, pathogen-specific and therefore more potent and efficient anti-trypanosomal drugs. | 10.1016/B978-0-12-385863-4.00004-6 |
pubmed_1103_17575 | cHox11L2, the chick counterpart of mouse Hox11L2, was isolated. cHox11L2 was expressed in the developing chick peripheral nervous system, i.e. sensory cranial nerves of placodal ectoderm origin, sympathetic ganglia, dorsal root ganglia and enteric ganglia as well as a limited regions of the spinal cord. In neuronal derivatives of the neural crest, cHox11L2 was expressed in the postmigratory cells and not in the migrating neural crest cells. Furthermore, intense signals of cHox11L2 mRNA were detected also in the spinal cord and the dorsal roots of 10-day embryos. No transcripts were detected in the spinal cord of the postnatal day-2 animals. These results suggest that cHox11L2 might play a role in neuronal differentiation during chick nervous system development. | 10.1016/s0304-3940(99)00637-0 |
pubmed_449_9592 | Ninety-nine deaths involving propoxyphene or codeine or both were investigated through interviews with surviving relatives and associates. The criterion for admission to this study was the presence of propoxyphene or codeine in the body fluids or tissues, determined analytically. The codeine-related group included more ethnic minority persons, more histories of primary drug addiction, more users of street drugs, and more accidental deaths. In the propoxyphene-related group there were fewer histories of drug addiction and more persons with mental illness and more suicides. Most victims had considerable past experience with one or both of the drugs and other drugs as well. Propoxyphene was usually obtained by physician prescription. Codeine was often obtained illegally. | pubmed_449_9592 |
pubmed_134_14220 | Both the dissolution and growth of a molecular crystalline material, urea, has been studied using dynamical atomistic simulation. The kinetic steps of dissolution and growth are clearly identified, and the activation energies for each possible step are calculated. Our molecular dynamics simulations indicate that crystal growth on the [001] face is characterized by a nucleation and growth mechanism. Nucleation on the [001] urea crystal face is predicted to occur at a very high rate, followed by rapid propagation of the steps. The rate-limiting step for crystallization is actually found to be the removal of surface defects, rather than the initial formation of the next surface layer. Through kinetic Monte Carlo modeling of the surface growth, it is found that this crystal face evolves via a rough surface topography, rather than a clean layer-by-layer mechanism. | 10.1021/ja043395l |
pubmed_417_3698 | The evolution of gut endocrine cells can be seen to have depended in the first instance on the expression of genes encoding regulatory peptides in cells that had evolved the regulated pathway of secretion. It seems probable that the endocrine cells made use of molecules and mechanisms that first emerged in early nervous systems. However, by the start of the vertebrate line of evolution, most of the major families of gut hormones were already found in association with endocrine cells. A single common class of receptor with seven transmembrane domains and acting via association with G-proteins transduces many (perhaps all) gut peptide actions. The duplication and divergence of receptors and peptides can now be traced, in outline at least, for gastrin and CCK in vertebrates. Even in phylogenetically similar groups such as birds and mammals, quite different molecular approaches have been applied to solving the same physiological problem. Evolution of the modern gastrointestinal control system evidently depended in this case both on molecular evolution of peptides and receptors and on cells expressing the genes encoding them. | 10.1016/s0950-351x(05)80224-1 |
pubmed_266_24926 | Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing is an enzymatic post-transcriptional modification which modulates immunity and neural transmission in multicellular organisms. In particular, it involves editing of mRNA codons with the resulting amino acid substitutions. We identified such sites for developmental proteomes of Drosophila melanogaster at the protein level using available data for 15 stages of fruit fly development from egg to imago and 14 time points of embryogenesis. In total, 40 sites were obtained, each belonging to a unique protein, including four sites related to embryogenesis. The interactome analysis has revealed that the majority of the editing-recoded proteins were associated with synaptic vesicle trafficking and actomyosin organization. Quantitation data analysis suggested the existence of a phase-specific RNA editing regulation with yet unknown mechanisms. These findings supported the transcriptome analysis results, which showed that a burst in the RNA editing occurs during insect metamorphosis from pupa to imago. Finally, targeted proteomic analysis was performed to quantify editing-recoded and genomically encoded versions of five proteins in brains of larvae, pupae, and imago insects, which showed a clear tendency toward an increase in the editing rate for each of them. These results will allow a better understanding of the protein role in physiological effects of RNA editing. | 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00347 |
others_197_1708 | The accumulation of biogenic elements and organic matter in sediments from selected aquaculture ponds were analyzed before and after a 6-month experiment on shrimp (Penaeus japonicus) growth with and without feed addition. Potential changes in the structure of the trophic system as a result of management practices were investigated by comparing the physico- chemical characteristics of the sediments and the relative concentration of signature organic molecules accumulated preferentially in different situations. The major compounds identified in the sedimentary lipid extracts by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) include series of linear and branched alkanes, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, alcohols, and sterols, as well as individual components such as phytol and some ω- hydroxyacids. It is suggested that variable inputs from the feed, terrigenous plant material, phytoplankton and bacterial biomass are the main sources of the isolated lipids | 10.1016/S0044-8486(96)01322-1 |
others_84_13973 | This pilot study examined a specific exercise program designed for skeletal muscle strengthening in postmenopausal women. The program consisted of patterns of movement using diagonal and spiral patterns, superimposed on a progressive weight-bearing sequence from prone lying to standing. Progressive resistance was provided with the use of progressively thicker elastic straps. Eighteen of an initial 22 healthy volunteer women aged 50 to 64 years completed 8 weekly hour-long group exercise sessions supplemented with twice weekly sessions at home to pilot test the program's safety, acceptability, and effectiveness in changing muscle strength. A physical therapist conducted baseline and final quadriceps, hamstrings, and grip strength assessments using a portable isokinetic dynamometer. Participants achieved a 21% increase in quadriceps (p ≤ .001), 9% increase in hamstrings (p ≤ .07), and a 14% increase in grip strength (p ≤ .002). A positive dose-response relationship was observed between strength gains and compliance with the program. This approach to strength training in postmenopausal women is feasible and effective in increasing muscle strength. It has considerable promise and deserves further testing and evaluation. © 1994 | 10.1016/0003-9993(94)90396-4 |
pubmed_1142_24309 | Objective: To study the predictive value of central venous-arterial CO2 difference (Pv-aCO2)/arterial-central venous O2 difference (Ca-vO2) ratio for progressive organ dysfunction in patients with septic shock after resuscitation. Methods: Septic shock patients receiving resuscitation in ICU were retrospectively enrolled from July 2018 to June 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital Anhui Medical University. Hemodynamic and laboratory data were collected. Single and multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to explore the independent risk factors of progressive organ dysfunction. The predictive value of hemodynamic parameters to progression of organ dysfunction was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve analysis. Results: A total of 99 patients were enrolled with 25 patients (25.25%) progressing to organ dysfunction. The norepinephrine dose [0.61 (0.27,1.42) μg·kg-1·min-1 vs. 0.91 (0.47,2.87) μg·kg-1·min-1], blood lactic acid [2.93 (1.77,5.88) mmol/L vs. 6.15 (2.56,8.59) mmol/L], Pv-aCO2 [5.00 (3.98,7.85) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs. 7.00 (5.00,8.35) mmHg] and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 [1.36(1.17,1.69) vs. 2.23 (1.83,2.78)] in patients with progressive organ dysfunction were significantly higher than those in patients without(P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (OR=20.48,95%CI 5.25-79.93,P<0.001) was independent risk factors for predicting organ dysfunction. The cutoff value of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 was equal or more than 1.77 with a sensitivity of 80.00% and a specificity of 79.73%. Compared with those with Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2<1.77, patients with Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2≥1.77 had a greater probability of progressive organ dysfunction (47.37% vs. 8.20%, P<0.001). Conclusion: The progression of organ dysfunction in septic patients after resuscitation is associated with poor prognosis. Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 is a good indicator to evaluate oxygen metabolism and predict the progression of organ dysfunction. | 10.3760/cma.j.cn112138-20201120-00959 |
pubmed_638_12219 | The chemokine SDF-1 (CXCL12) and its receptor, CXCR4, have been implicated in organ-specific metastases of several malignancies. CXCR4 expression has recently been characterized in many cancer cell types and is thought to play a pivotal role in directing the migration of metastasizing tumor cells to SDF-1-rich tissues. SDF-1, which is highly expressed in the organs where breast cancers preferentially metastasize, has been shown to promote cancer cell migration. The tumor cells use chemotaxis which occurred between CXCR4 and its ligand SDF-1 to direct migration from their primary sites via the circulation to the preferential sites of metastases, and further studies on the mechanism involved in a variety of cellular signaling pathways are beneficial to tumor therapy. | pubmed_638_12219 |
pubmed_644_557 | Protection of honeycombs from the Wax moth, Galleria mellonella, involves the use of physical, biological or chemical control methods. As chemical control may result in residues in the extracted honey, the presence of p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene residues was investigated by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas-chromatographic/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The method was linear between 5 and 200 microg kg(-1) honey for p-dichlorobenzene and 1 and 200 microg kg(-1) for naphthalene. Limits of detection were 1 and 0.1 microg kg(-1), respectively, for p-dichlorobenzene and naphthalene, while relative standard deviations were 2.6 and 7.9%, respectively. Application of the method to 90 unifloral Greek honeys revealed that, in 25.6% of the samples, the concentration of either one of the pesticides exceeded the maximum residue level (MRL). Maximum concentrations were 163.03 microg kg(-1) honey for p-dichlorobenzene and 193.74 microg kg(-1) honey for naphthalene. Naphthalene was found in traceable amounts in 78.9% of the samples, but only 5.6% of them contained concentrations above the MRL, which indicates the use of pre-contaminated honeycomb foundations or built combs. Nevertheless, because naphthalene is naturally present in some plant species growing in Greece, the contribution of nectar from such a floral source should not be overlooked. | 10.1080/02652030802007546 |
pubmed_258_19963 | BACKGROUND
Despite increased efforts to improve the health of those with temporomandibular disorder (TMD), the focus remains on medical knowledge rather than patients' opinions and needs regarding quality of treatment and pain management.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to identify what TMD patients want their dentists to know and do.
METHODS
Open-ended questions were used to understand the perspectives of 6 TMD patients. Two researchers examined the transcripts using interpretive phenomenological analysis.
FINDINGS
TMD participants consistently stressed the need for their dentists to listen and provide them with more advice and information to cope with TMD conditions. They also noted the need for dentists to be skilled in communications, particularly maintaining respectful doctor-patient relations and interpersonal communication.
CONCLUSIONS
Health care providers must acquire practical communication skills and expand their knowledge of TMDs to better support their patients. Improving relations between doctors and their TMD patients could result in positive health outcomes. The implications of this study will be to decrease medical crises and expensive interventions, provide better assistance to patients and refer them to other necessary health care professionals, an approach that will lead to lower care costs, more satisfaction and higher quality of life. | pubmed_258_19963 |
pubmed_936_7474 | A total of 96 Black Slavonian pigs were subjected to the research, in which they were split into 6 groups. Three groups (100, 120, and 130 kg) were fed a higher level (HL) of crude protein in fodder mixtures (CPFM), and three groups (100, 120, and 130 kg) were fed a lower level (LL) of CPFM. After the pigs were slaughtered, pig carcasses were dissected and the meat and halves quality indicators were determined. According to the influence of the final body weight (BW) and nutrition of pigs on the quality of their halves, meat, and dry fermented sausages (kulens), it was concluded that feeding an HL of CPFM increased the proportion of loin, belly rib part, and chin and increased the muscle tissue in the ham, loin, shoulder, neck, and belly rib parts. However, the chemical composition of the meat and the sensory properties of the kulen were not significantly affected by feeding the pigs an HL of CPFM. It was concluded that, by selecting the final BW and adjusting the feeding strategies for pigs, it is possible to modify the conformation and composition of pig carcasses and the quality of meat and kulens produced from the Black Slavonian pig, which is important because consumers prefer products with certain characteristics and of a standard quality and are ready to pay for them. | 10.3390/foods11091313 |
pubmed_643_291 | Proteins play a key role in disease diagnosis, and protein discrimination is an important but difficult issue. Here, we report a novel strategy for improving protein discrimination through a facile colorimetric sensor array, which is based on DNA-gold nanoparticle (AuNP) conjugates manipulated by exonuclease I (Exo I). Different proteins exhibit diverse affinities toward the three DNAs, and the DNA-protein binding is resistant to the digestion of Exo I and protects the AuNPs from aggregation in high concentrations of NaCl media, forming distinct response patterns of the array. These response patterns as "fingerprints" can be acquired on the sensor array and then identified by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The sensor array achieved the correct discrimination of 15 proteins at a 10 nM level in buffer solution and real serum samples. Also, the sensor array had the capability to discriminate individual proteins and the mixtures of them. Remarkably, the practicability of the sensor array was further confirmed by the identification of 35 unknown protein samples with 100% accuracy. | 10.1039/c9an00918c |
pubmed_323_16768 | Abstract To date, many studies on the association between methionine synthase (MTR) A2756G and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have provided either controversial or inconclusive results. To clarify the effect of MTR A2756G on the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a meta-analysis of all relevant studies was performed. The fixed effects model showed that the 2756A allele was associated with a decreased risk of childhood ALL compared with the G allele (ORA vs. G = 0.872; 95% CI 0.782-0.974; p = 0.015, I(2) = 46.9%). Additionally, when comparing subjects with ALL and controls with AA vs. AG or AA vs. AG + GG (dominant model), significant differences were found in the fixed effects model (ORAA vs. AG = 0.869; 95% CI 0.760-0.994; p = 0.040, I(2) = 26.4%; ORAA vs. AG+ GG = 0.858; 95% CI 0.754-0.976; p = 0.020, I(2) = 39.6%). In a subgroup analysis in a population with the same background, individuals with the AA genotype had a reduced risk of developing ALL compared to individuals with the AG genotype. In conclusion, our study provides evidence suggesting that MTR A2756G is associated with a reduced risk of developing childhood ALL. | 10.3109/10428194.2013.830304 |
others_188_4951 | The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic background of familial clustering of diabetes using genome-wide linkage analysis combined with exome sequencing. We recruited a Japanese family with a 3-generation history of diabetes. The family comprised 16 members, 13 having been diagnosed with diabetes. Nine members had been diagnosed before the age of 40. Linkage analysis was performed assuming an autosomal dominant model. Linkage regions were observed on chromosomes 4q34, 5q11-q13, and 12p11-q22 and the logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were 1.80. To identify the susceptibility variants, we performed exome sequencing of an affected family member. We predicted that the familial clustering of diabetes is caused by a rare non-synonymous variant, and focused our analysis on non-synonymous variants absent in dbSNP131. Exome sequencing identified 10 such variants in the linkage regions, 7 of which were concordant with the affection status in the family. One hundred five normal subjects and 67 lean diabetes subjects were genotyped for the 7 variants; the only variant found to be significantly more frequent in the diabetes subjects than in the normal subjects was the N1072K variant of the early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) gene (0 in normal subjects and 4 in diabetes subjects, p = 0.022). We therefore propose that the N1072K variant of the EEA1 gene is a candidate mutation for susceptibility to diabetes in the Japanese population. © 2013 Elsevier I | 10.1016/j.ymgme.2013.02.010 |
pubmed_575_4893 | INTRODUCTION
Hindfoot deformities in the pediatric population can be painful and result in severe limitations. Although arthrodesis is known to relieve pain, there are concerns over its use because of the risk that adjacent joint degenerative disease could result, leading to a new source of pain, dysfunction, and additional surgical procedures later in life.
METHODS
A literature review of hindfoot fusions in children focused on articles with the highest levels of evidence and those of particular historical significance. Case examples were obtained by querying the billing records of the local clinic system for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes of hindfoot arthrodeses. Surgery procedures were performed by both fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedists and fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons.
RESULTS
The medical literature for this topic generally is divided into 2 main types of articles: those that describe hindfoot fusion procedures for a specific type of deformity or disease process and those that provide the indications and results of a single type of arthrodesis. Long-term follow-up studies are limited.
DISCUSSION
The long-term risk of degeneration to adjacent joints has been studied, with mixed results. Other problems, such as recurrent deformity, overcorrection, pseudarthrosis, osteonecrosis, and foot shortening also may be encountered over intermediate-term follow-up. Nevertheless, in properly chosen patients, hindfoot fusion can offer a great improvement over the damaging and destructive deformities of the feet caused by a variety of diseases and traumatic injuries. Hindfoot fusions have been used for the treatment of foot deformities secondary to severe trauma, hemophilia, tarsal coalition, clubfoot, and neurological disease such as polio, static encephalopathy, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies, and myelodysplasia.
CONCLUSIONS
Hindfoot fusion in a child or adolescent should be considered only for the most extreme cases when all other options, short of amputation, have been considered or exhausted. While these procedures can offer improvement in the challenging cases, the surgeon should be aware of their long-term implications, including adjacent joint degeneration. | 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001777 |
pubmed_631_21452 | Thymidylate synthase (TS) catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methylenetetrahydrofolate to dUMP to form dTMP. It is a primary target in the chemotherapy of colorectal cancers and some other neoplasms. In order to obtain pure protein for analysis of structure and biological function, an expression vector TS-pET28b (+) was constructed by inserting wild-type human thymidylate synthase (hTS) cDNA into pET28b (+). Then an expression strain was selected after transformation of the recombined plasmid into Rosetta (DE3). Fusion protein with His-tag was efficiently expressed in the form of inclusion bodies after IPTG induction and the content was approximately 40.0% of total bacteria proteins after optimizing expression conditions. When inclusion bodies were washed, dissolved and purified by Ni-NTA under denatured conditions, the purity was up to 90%. On SDS-PAGE and West-blotting, the protein band was found to match well with the predicted relative molecular mass-36kDa. Bioactivity was 0.1 U/mg. The results indicated that high-level expression of wild-type hTS cDNA can be achieved in prokaryotes with our novel method, facilitating research into related chemotherapy. | 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.12.7523 |
pubmed_967_888 | The content of protein and reserve compounds was studied in yeast cells growing on glucose, hexadecane and ethanol in a complete medium and in media limited with a source of nitrogen, phosphorus or sulfur. It was shown that the proportion between these components characterises the direction of biosynthetic processes in the cell depending on cultivation conditions. This is strongly shifted towards protein synthesis in the period of exponential growth when constructive processes are active. When the growth is limited with the sources of mineral nutrition, the content of protein drops down abruptly while that of the reserve compounds, lipids and carbohydrates, rises. Glycogen prevails in cells grown on glucose whereas lipids are the major component of cells cultivated on hexadecane. Nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur deficiency causes quantitative and qualitative changes in the composition of free and bound amino acids in yeast biomass. The degree of these changes depends on the nature of the growth--limiting factor. | pubmed_967_888 |
pubmed_1034_14158 | Despite an improved understanding of the genetic background and the pathomechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) no novel disease-modifying therapies have been successfully implemented in clinical routine. Riluzole still remains the only clinically approved substance in human ALS treatment with limited efficacy. We have previously identified pharmacological rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors as orally applicable substances in SOD1.G93A transgenic ALS mice (SOD1G93A), which are able to extend survival time and improve motor function after presymptomatic treatment. Here, we have evaluated the therapeutic effect of the orally administered ROCK inhibitor Fasudil starting at a symptomatic disease stage, more realistically reflecting the clinical situation. Oral Fasudil treatment was initiated at a symptomatic stage at 80 days of life (d80) with 30 or 100 mg/kg body weight in both female and male mice. While baseline neurological scoring and survival were not influenced, Fasudil significantly improved motor behavior in male mice. Spinal cord pathology of motoneurons (MN) and infiltrating microglial cells (MG) at disease end-stage were not significantly modified. Although treatment after symptom onset was less potent than treatment in asymptomatic animals, our study shows the therapeutic benefits of this well-tolerated substance, which is already in clinical use for other indications. | 10.3389/fphar.2017.00017 |
pubmed_319_4608 | The aim of this study is to evaluate the simultaneous recording of the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve (MDCN) and the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve (IDCN) in the investigation of peripheral neuropathy. We obtained MDCN and IDCN recordings in 35 patients with peripheral neuropathy and in 41 healthy subjects to determine the specificity of the sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude of each branch separately and of both simultaneously by using the maximal amplitude of either branch. The patients with peripheral neuropathy had low MDCN and IDCN SNAP amplitude in 60% and 14.3% respectively. Though, when recording both MDCN and IDCN simultaneously, the maximum peroneal SNAP amplitude was abnormally low in 68.6%. All the healthy individuals had normal IDCN SNAP amplitude; whereas in 9.7% the MDCN SNAP amplitude was lower than normal. In case of simultaneous recording of both branches the maximum SNAP amplitude was normal in all healthy subjects. Conclusively, the simultaneous amplitude recording of the terminal sensory peroneal branches can better detect abnormal responses in patients with peripheral neuropathy. | pubmed_319_4608 |
pubmed_975_20446 | The signal-to-noise ratio achieved in a nuclear magnetic-resonance microscopy experiment is directly related to the performance of the radiofrequency coil. An accurate determination of coil performance requires that the resistance of the coil be well characterized. Traditional high-frequency electric-circuit models used to describe larger NMR coils are inadequate when the diameter of the conductor is reduced to the dimensions of the electrical skin depth (delta) at the frequency of operation. A more extensive model based on a scaling parameter that includes delta is presented. This model complements other existing circuit models that represent sample losses, ground-loop and parasitic losses, and the signal induced in the RF coil. Experimental verification is accomplished using a series of solenoidal microcoils in 1H NMR microspectroscopy experiments at 4.7 T (200 MHz). This study demonstrates for the first time that a predictable performance enhancement is achieved using microcoils as small as 50 microns in diameter. | 10.1006/jmrb.1995.1112 |
pubmed_605_23629 | The growth of disseminated tumor cells into metastatic lesions depends on the establishment of a favorable microenvironment in the stroma of the target organs. Here we show that mice treated with anakinra, an antagonist of the interleukin (IL)-1β receptor (IL-1R), or harboring a targeted deletion of IL-1R are significantly less prone to develop bone tumors when inoculated in the arterial circulation with human prostate cancer (PCa) cells expressing IL-1β. Interestingly, human mesenchymal stem cells exposed in vitro to medium conditioned by IL-1β-expressing cancer cells responded by upregulating S100A4, a marker of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and this effect was blocked by anakinra. Analogously, the stroma adjacent to skeletal metastases generated in mice by IL-1β-expressing cancer cells showed a dramatic increase in S100A4, COX-2 and the alteration of 30 tumor-related genes as measured by Nanostring analysis. These effects were not observed in the stroma associated with the rare and much smaller metastases generated by the same cells in IL-1R knockout animals, confirming that tumor-secreted IL-1β generates skeletal CAFs and conditions the surrounding bone microenvironment. In skeletal lesions from patients with metastatic PCa, histological and molecular analyses revealed that IL-1β is highly expressed in cancer cells in which the androgen receptor (AR) is not detected (AR-), whereas this cytokine is uniformly absent in the AR-positive (AR+) metastatic cells. The stroma conditioned by IL-1β-expressing cancer cells served as a supportive niche also for coexisting IL-1β-lacking cancer cells, which are otherwise unable to generate tumors after independently seeding the skeleton of mice. This niche is established very early following tumor seeding and hints to a role of IL-1β in promoting early colonization of PCa at the skeletal level. | 10.1038/onc.2016.436 |
pubmed_254_14342 | Objectives: In this study, we aimed to find the influential factors in determining individuals' use and non-use of fitness and diet apps on smartphones. To this end, we focused on diverse groups of predictors that would significantly affect people's use and non-use of these apps. Methods: Overall, we considered 105 factors as potential predictors and included them in further analyses using a machine learning algorithm, XGBoost. The main reason for selecting this particular algorithm was that it had been known as one of the most accurate and popular algorithms for predicting consumer behaviors. Results: We found the accuracy score of those factors for predicting people's use and non-use of fitness and diet apps was approximately 71.3%. In particular, the most influential predictors were mainly related to social influence, media use, overeating, social support, health management, and attitudes toward exercise. Conclusion: These findings contribute to helping scholars and practitioners to develop more practical strategies of the implementation of fitness and diet apps. | 10.5993/AJHB.45.1.9 |
pubmed_561_4866 | Ten Japanese radiological reports consisting of 1381 characters (681 words) were created by two board-certified radiologists who used conventional typing and a continuous speech-recognition system called AmiVoice (Advanced Media, Inc., Tokyo, Japan). The two radiologists had not had any special training prior to their use of the continuous speech-recognition system. The model of speech-to-text analysis was generated from 22,589 radiological reports (5.7 MB). Dedicated pronunciations for loan words (i.e., English words) were registered by a board-certified radiologist in consideration of variations in Japanese pronunciation. Misrecognition occurred in 40 of 1362 words, corresponding to a 97.1% rate of accuracy of recognition. The average speech recognition time per report was 31.3 sec, and the additional time required for corrections was 25.0 sec. The total speech input time of 56.2 sec was much less than the conventional input time of 142.8 sec for typing. Continuous speech recognition is faster than typing, even considering the additional time required for corrections, and is acceptable in view of the overall reduction in report turn-around time. | pubmed_561_4866 |
pubmed_960_17326 | OBJECTIVE
Among detractors of elective neck (N0) treatments, most suggest that lymphadenectomy removes a barrier to the spread of disease with deleterious immunologic consequences. To test this hypothesis we performed a retrospective comparison of the survival results of N0 laryngeal cancer patients who received unnecessary elective neck treatments (N0-) and those of N0 patients subjected to close and regular follow-up.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A retrospective chart review of 749 N0 laryngeal cancer patients treated at the Institute of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Florence between January 1980 and January 1993 was performed. Of these, 245 (33%) received elective neck dissection (ED), while the remaining 504 (67%) N0 patients were subjected to close and regular follow-up (wait-and-see policy; WS).
RESULTS
Of the 245 ED patients, 43 (17.5%) showed an occult neck disease, while of the 504 WS subjects, 83 (17%) developed neck metastases during follow-up. Moreover, 15 ED patients subsequently experienced a contralateral occult failure despite a unilateral negative neck specimen (N0-). Thus, ultimately 187 ED (164 of whom were treated unilaterally and 23 bilaterally) and 421 WS patients were used for survival analysis. No differences in terms of postoperative complications, local or distant failure or disease-free or overall actuarial survival were found between the two groups analyzed.
CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that unilateral or bilateral removal of cervical lymphatics in the absence of histologically proven lymph node metastases does not negatively affect the prognosis of N0 laryngeal cancer patients who were overtreated to the neck. | 10.1080/00016480410017341 |
pubmed_624_17614 | In 20 normal subjects, sounds or vibrational signals were recorded from the biceps brachii muscle during voluntary isometric contraction. Fourier analysis showed presence of predominantly low frequency components with little contributions beyond 60 or 70 Hz. Relatively high amplitude peaks occurring below 20 Hz were seen in the frequency spectrum with the most prominent of these peaks occurring at a mean frequency of 11.3 Hz. A majority of subjects had one or two additional peaks, each appearing on either side of the major peak with mean frequencies of 7.3 and 16.2 Hz. In general, subjects who could not sustain a very steady contraction had more peaks compared to those who were able to maintain a smoother contraction. Between 20 and 50 Hz, several well-defined but much smaller peaks were also seen. The frequencies of some of these small peaks can be expressed as exact harmonics of the previously described larger peaks in 85% of subjects. | pubmed_624_17614 |
pubmed_301_7013 | Cisplatin is one of the most potent antitumor agents known, displaying clinical activity against a wide variety of solid tumors. Its cytotoxic mode of action is mediated by its interaction with DNA to form DNA adducts, primarily intrastrand crosslink adducts, which activate several signal transduction pathways, including those involving ATR, p53, p73, and MAPK, and culminate in the activation of apoptosis. DNA damage-mediated apoptotic signals, however, can be attenuated, and the resistance that ensues is a major limitation of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The mechanisms responsible for cisplatin resistance are several, and contribute to the multifactorial nature of the problem. Resistance mechanisms that limit the extent of DNA damage include reduced drug uptake, increased drug inactivation, and increased DNA adduct repair. Origins of these pharmacologic-based mechanisms, however, are at the molecular level. Mechanisms that inhibit propagation of the DNA damage signal to the apoptotic machinery include loss of damage recognition, overexpression of HER-2/neu, activation of the PI3-K/Akt (also known as PI3-K/PKB) pathway, loss of p53 function, overexpression of antiapoptotic bcl-2, and interference in caspase activation. The molecular signature defining the resistant phenotype varies between tumors, and the number of resistance mechanisms activated in response to selection pressures dictates the overall extent of cisplatin resistance. | 10.1038/sj.onc.1206933 |
pubmed_1084_23204 | A unique method that applied a multilayer-immobilization strategy was developed to prepare nanofibrous enzymes for biosynthesis. LiCl co-electrospun with polyurethane nanofibers enabled strong physical adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA), forming the first layer of protein on the nanofibers; lipase AK was subsequently crosslinked to BSA as an outer layer of enzyme. The content of LiCl in nanofibers was found to be a sensitive factor affecting the activity and stability of the immobilized lipase. For biodiesel synthesis from soybean oil and methanol in isooctane, the reaction rate catalyzed by nanofibrious lipase carrying 5 wt% LiCl was 6.6-fold higher than fibers without LiCl, with a conversion of 91% was achieved within 2 h. LiCl also induced much improved enzyme stability. The nanofibrous lipase with 5% LiCl could be repeatedly used for 42 cycles without apparent activity loss, while the immobilized lipase without LiCl lost over 90% activity within 13 reuse cycles. | 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.09.089 |
pubmed_1113_14055 | Only limited information on nonsuicidal deliberate self-harm behavior among nonclinical populations is available, and it is unclear whether coping and emotional difficulties remain among those with a past history of self-harm behavior. The purpose of this study is to examine emotions and coping strategies among three nonclinical groups with a recent, past, and no history of nonsuicidal deliberate self-harm behavior. College students completed self-report measures of self-harm behavior, suicidal thoughts, emotional dispositions, and coping strategies. Contrary to expectations, there were few differences in coping strategies among the three groups ( p > .0033). Those with a recent history (n = 23; in the last 12 months) and past history (n = 32; more than 12 months ago) of self-harm behavior reported greater levels of negative emotion (e.g., hostility, guilt, sadness) than those who have never self-harmed (n = 161; p < .0045). This indicates that although self-harm behavior had discontinued (>12 months ago), negative emotion differences were present, and both recent and past self-harmers merit concern in managing their negative emotions to lower their risk for future difficulties. | 10.1002/jclp.20380 |
pubmed_781_4881 | Efinaconazole 10% topical solution is a new antifungal therapy for the topical treatment of mild to moderate toenail onychomycosis. In vitro and in vivo data have shown significant antifungal activity against dermatophytes, Candida spp. and nondermatophyte molds, and its mechanism of action is through inhibition of fungal lanosterol 14α-demethylase. In two parallel, double-blind, randomized, controlled, Phase III trials, complete cure rates were 17.8 and 15.2%, respectively, and mycological cure rates were 55.2 and 53.4%, respectively, for efinaconazole 10% topical solution, which were superior to vehicle, with minimal adverse events. This drug profile reviews the most recent basic science and clinical data for efinaconazole in the treatment of toenail onychomycosis. | 10.1586/17512433.2015.1083418 |
pubmed_528_6563 | OBJECTIVES
To describe non-meningococcal bacterial meningitis (nMM) and to evaluate the Epidemiological Surveillance System (ESS) in the province of Saragossa (Spain) between 1999 and 2004.
METHODS
Information was obtained from the register of diseases subject to mandatory reporting and the Minimum Basic Data Set (MBDS). The ESS was evaluated by using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria and by estimating the completeness of the system through the capture-recapture technique.
RESULTS
111 cases of nMM were notified (62.2% in males) and the mean age was 40.7 years. The largest proportion of cases (16.5%) occurred in children under 2 years of age. The clinical presentation was meningitis in 81.1%. Diagnosis was through bacterial culture in 70.3%. Streptococcus sp. was found in 54% (82% due to S. pneumoniae), enterobacteria in 5.4%, Listeria and Staphylococcus in 4.5%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 1.8%, and Haemophilus influenzae in 0.9%. The incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants was 1.6 in 2004 and 2.6 in 2001. The case fatality was 7.3%. The completeness of the mandatory reporting system reached a peak in 2004 at 84.4%. The combined completeness of the MBDS and the mandatory reporting system was above 85% and timeliness of reporting was 2 days. The acceptability of the system was high since 75% of all variables were complete in 97% of the questionnaires.
CONCLUSION
We highlight the importance of evaluation of the ESS, based on its results. nMM due to S. pneumoniae represent an important group of diseases and their case fatality is high. The completeness of the ESS in Saragossa was over 80% when the mandatory reporting system and the MBDS were combined. Incorporating the MBDS into surveillance would facilitate the estimation of the real incidence of various diseases subject to mandatory reporting. | 10.1157/13110443 |
others_34_5281 | An increasing number of studies are focusing on the role of animal temperament in the ecology of wild populations. One important step in these studies is to estimate the repeatability of temperament traits, by replicating measures of an animal's behavioural or physiological reactions to a novel or stressful situation. When studies are performed in the field, several factors can affect repeatability estimates: (1) microenvironmental conditions prior to or during a test may affect the measured behaviour, and spatial heterogeneity in predation risk within the habitat of a population may affect repeatability; (2) a decrease over time in the strength of behavioural reactions as a result of habituation may bias repeatability; and (3) individuals may differ in their habituation. In this study we used a linear mixed-model approach to test for the occurrence of interindividual variation in behavioural reaction and habituation of eastern chipmunks, Tamias striatus, to a hole-board test and a handling bag test. We found high intraindividual consistency for the behaviours recorded both in the hole-board and handling bag tests; four temperament traits could be considered (i.e. activity/exploration, reaction to stress, emotionality and docility). Given that we found no phenotypic variation in habituation, chipmunks seem to show a behavioural carryover in activity/exploration and docility, which could have consequences for the evolutionary potential of habituation to novelty. © 2007 The Association for the Study of Animal Beha | 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.05.026 |
pubmed_6_20896 | Digital devices are the essential building blocks of any modern electronic system. Fibres containing digital devices could enable fabrics with digital system capabilities for applications in physiological monitoring, human-computer interfaces, and on-body machine-learning. Here, a scalable preform-to-fibre approach is used to produce tens of metres of flexible fibre containing hundreds of interspersed, digital temperature sensors and memory devices with a memory density of ~7.6 × 105 bits per metre. The entire ensemble of devices are individually addressable and independently operated through a single connection at the fibre edge, overcoming the perennial single-fibre single-device limitation and increasing system reliability. The digital fibre, when incorporated within a shirt, collects and stores body temperature data over multiple days, and enables real-time inference of wearer activity with an accuracy of 96% through a trained neural network with 1650 neuronal connections stored within the fibre. The ability to realise digital devices within a fibre strand which can not only measure and store physiological parameters, but also harbour the neural networks required to infer sensory data, presents intriguing opportunities for worn fabrics that sense, memorise, learn, and infer situational context. | 10.1038/s41467-021-23628-5 |
pubmed_552_11356 | In this paper we have attempted to determine if there are any aspects of the academic history of a student, prior to admission to the University of Leicester medical course, that correlate with his or her subsequent performance in that course. The analyses presented suggest that a student's overall performance in GCE O- and A-level examinations correlates with subsequent performance at various stages of the medical course. In addition, there is a correlation between performance in the medical course and performance in A-level chemistry and biology but not mathematics, physics or general studies. Students who resat two or more A-level subjects performed at a lower level throughout the course than those with only one or no resits. These results emphasize the importance of academic criteria in the medical student selection process. | 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1990.tb02514.x |
pubmed_596_16983 | OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to search for an association between a desintegrin-like and metalloprotease thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) levels and the occurrence of preeclampsia, its characteristics (time-onset and severity), and its consequences (occurrence of fetal growth restriction or preterm delivery).
METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied 140 pairs of women in a case-control study with 3 matching criteria: maternal age, gestational age, and ethnic origin. We measured ADAMTS13 activity using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay with the fluorescence resonance energy transfer-VWF73 peptide. ELISA was used to assess protein antigen levels: ADAMTS13, von Willebrand Factor (VWF), interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, P-selectin, and thrombospondin-1. The lowest levels of ADAMTS13 (activity ≤ 70% or antigen ≤ 592 ng/mL) were significantly associated with preeclampsia (odds ratios [OR] [95% confidence interval] of 4.2 [1.1 to 15] and 14.3 [1.7 to 123], respectively). This association was independent of VWF levels and preeclampsia risk factors but dependent on interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels for ADAMTS13 activity. Levels of ADAMTS13 activity (≤ 57%) were significantly associated with early-onset preeclampsia (OR = 2.5 [1.1 to 5.8]). Severe preeclampsia was associated with the highest levels of P-selectin (>57 ng/mL) (OR = 3.4 [1.2 to 9.7]).
CONCLUSIONS
Preeclampsia is associated with decreased levels of ADAMTS13, independently of VWF. This decrease is quantitative, occurs early, and seems to be dependent on inflammation. Our results suggest that ADAMTS13 could participate in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. | 10.1161/ATVBAHA.111.223610 |
pubmed_1054_11274 | The metabolism of endogenous adenosine and 2-deoxy-adenosine was studied in cultures of fetal mouse calvaria. Adenosine deamination was the most important pathway of metabolism. This was blocked by erythro-2-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (1 microM). Albumin in the medium could not account for the deaminase activity. The disappearance of adenosine from the medium was not influenced by two inhibitors of adenosine transport, dipyridamole and dilazep, but was competitively inhibited by 2-deoxy-adenosine. During culture there was a net increase in adenosine and inosine, possibly originating from damaged cells. | pubmed_1054_11274 |
pubmed_226_9384 | In order to establish natural social synchrony between two humans, two requirements need to be fulfilled. First, the coupling must be bi-directional. The two humans react to each other's actions. Second, natural social bodily synchronization has to be intentional or unintentional. Assuming that these essential aspects of human-human interactions are present, the present paper investigates whether similar bodily synchrony emerges between an interacting human and an artificial agent such as a robot. More precisely, we investigate whether the same human unintentional rhythmic entrainment and synchronization is present in Human Robot Interaction (HRI). We also evaluate which model (e.g., an adaptive vs non adaptive robot) better reproduces such unintentional entrainment. And finally, we compare interagent coordination stability of the HRI under 1) unidirectional (robot with fixed frequency) versus bidirectional (robot with adaptive frequency) rhythmic entrainment and 2) human intentional versus unintentional coupling. Fifteen young adults made vertical arm movements in front of the NAO robot under five different conditions of intentional/unintentional and unidirectional/bidirectional interactions. Consistent with prior research investigating human-human interpersonal coordination, when humans interact with our robot, (i) unintentional entrainment was present, (ii) bi-directional coupling produced more stable in-phase un-intentional and intentional coordination, (iii) and intentional coordination was more stable than unintentional coordination. To conclude, this study provides a foundation for modeling future social robots involving unintentional and bidirectional synchronization-aspects which seem to enhance humans' willingness to interact with robots. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0261174 |
pubmed_607_11561 | Addition of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) in vitro (10(-5) -5 X 10(-9) M) to murine pituitary membranes resulted in a dose-related decrease in Ca2+-ATPase activity within 15 min. Inhibitory effects of LHRH (10(-7) M) occurred after 90 sec, and appeared maximal by 120 sec. Eadie-Hofstee analysis at 10(-7) M LHRH, at varying [Ca2+]free, resulted in a Km = 0.89 +/- 0.06 microM and a Vmax = 18.8 +/- 0.71 nmol/mg per 2 min, compared to a Km = 0.69 +/- 0.06 microM and a Vmax = 32.8 +/- 1.21 nmol/mg per 2 min for controls. Pre-incubation for 5 min with LHRH antagonist (10(-8) M) significantly attenuated (50%) the inhibitory effects of 10(-7) M LHRH on pituitary Ca2+ ATPase activity with a Km = 0.97 +/- 0.24 microM and a Vmax = 28.1 +/- 2.8 nmol/mg per 2 min. The addition of LHRH (10(-7) M) to pituitary homogenates significantly increased luteinizing hormone (LH) release already at 10 and up to 40 sec compared to basal LH release. Systemic administration of 50 ng LHRH (i.p.), significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced pituitary Ca2+-ATPase after 30, 60 and 90 min, with a return to control levels by 120 min. Pituitary LH content was reduced slightly at 15 min, but was increased significantly at 90 and 120 min post-treatment. Plasma LH levels were elevated by 5 min, reached a peak by 15 min and returned to control within 60 min. The present findings indicate that LHRH receptor activation may influence cytosolic Ca2+ transport through effects on membrane Ca2+-ATPase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | 10.1007/BF00972292 |
pubmed_896_9418 | BACKGROUND
There are limited data on the effect of glenoid retroversion in clinical outcomes following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate if surgical correction of retroversion affects outcomes following RTSA.
METHODS
An institutional database was utilized to identify 177 patients (mean age: 68.2 ± 10.1 years) with minimum 2-year follow-up after primary RTSA. Glenoid version was measured on preoperative and postoperative radiographs. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores and range of motion were collected before and after RTSA. Change in retroversion was determined by comparing preoperative and postoperative glenoid retroversion on radiographs using paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Spearman's rank correlation was used to investigate relationships between ASES scores and glenoid retroversion.
RESULTS
The mean postoperative ASES composite score (75.5 ± 22.7) was significantly higher than preoperative (36.8 ± 19.2; P < .0001). The mean preoperative glenoid retroversion was 9.1 ± 6.7° compared to 6.5 ± 5.1° postoperatively (P < .0001). There was no correlation between postoperative ASES scores and preoperative retroversion (r = .014, P = .85) or postoperative retroversion (r = -.043, P = .57). There was no statistical relationship between postoperative retroversion and range of motion, though there is a risk of inadequate power given the sample size.
CONCLUSIONS
Patient-reported outcomes and range of motion measurements following RTSA at short-term follow-up appear to be independent of either preoperative or postoperative glenoid retroversion. | 10.1177/2471549220912552 |
pubmed_222_22476 | The management of patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia of warm type (AIHA) is often problematic. Recently, pulsed high-dose dexamethasone (HDD) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP). In this study we treated seven patients with AIHA with HDD. The regimen recommended for treatment of refractory AITP (40 mg dexamethasone for 4 d at the beginning of each 28 d cycle) was employed in almost all cases. Prior to dexamethasone administration, haemolysis was decompensated in all seven patients. HDD was well tolerated and led to an improvement of haemolysis in all cases. | 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1997.3203137.x |
pubmed_847_5676 | BACKGROUND
Diazinon is a widely used organophosphorus neurotoxic insecticide. It is a common environmental contaminant and a hazardous agri-waste. Its detection is critical to control entry into food systems and protect the environment.
METHODS
In this study, three single-stranded DNA aptamers specific for diazinon were discovered using the systematic evolution of ligands by the exponential enrichment (SELEX) process. Since aptamer-based sensors are quick and straightforward to analyze, they could potentially replace the time-consuming and labor-intensive traditional methods used for diazinon detection.
RESULTS
Here, we show the engineering of novel sensors for diazinon detection with a high affinity (Kd), specificity, and high sensitivity at the ppb level. Moreover, the aptamers were helpful in the simultaneous detection of two other structurally relevant insecticides, fenthion, and fenitrothion. Furthermore, the real vegetable and fruit samples confirmed the specific detection of diazinon using DIAZ-02.
CONCLUSIONS
We developed novel biosensors and optimized the assay conditions for the detection of diazinon from food samples, such as vegetables and fruit. The biosensor could be adopted to analyze toxicants and contaminants in food, water, and nature as point-of-care technology. | 10.31083/j.fbl2703092 |
pubmed_168_1818 | The epididymal sperm transit time seems to have an important role in the process of sperm maturation, and it seems that alterations to the transit can harm the process. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of altered sperm transit time through the epididymis on sperm parameters and fertility of rats, as well as the role of testosterone in the alterations. Sprague-Dawley adult male rats were randomly assigned to four different groups and were treated for 12 days: (i) 10 microg/rat/day DES, to accelerate the transit; (ii) 6.25 mg/kg/day guanethidine sulphate, to delay the transit; (iii) same treatment as group 1, plus androgen supplementation; (iv) control animals received the vehicles. Guanethidine treatment delayed the sperm transit time through the epididymal cauda, provoking increased sperm reserves in this region. Animals exposed to DES showed an acceleration of sperm transit time in the epididymis, and consequently decreased sperm density in both epididymal regions, the caput-corpus and cauda, and diminished sperm motility. In both cases sperm production was not altered. Testosterone supplementation was able to restore the transit time to values close to normality, as they were higher than in the control rats. The same occurred in relation to sperm motility. Rats exposed to DES presented lower fertility after in utero artificial insemination using sperm collected from the proximal cauda epididymis. Therefore, it was concluded that the acceleration of rat sperm transit time appeared to harm normal sperm maturation, thus decreasing sperm quality and fertility capacity, in an androgen-dependent way. | 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2007.00788.x |
others_171_14562 | Expression sequences of human Lactoferrin (LF) and Internal Ribozyme Entry Site (IRES) were successfully connected by double enzyme digestion and directed cloning and recombination plasmid pIL was constructed. Mammary gland specific expression plasmid pEBHIL of human lysozyme and human LF was constructed by BamFJI restrictive enzyme digestion. Plasmid pEBFUL was introduced to cow mammary gland epithelial cells after hposome transfection. Positive cells were determined by G418 and PCR after EGFP expression observed by fluorescent microscope and proliferated and induced by hormone. The results of Western Blotting analysis on cell supernatant showed that transfected cells had expressed and secreted human lysozyme (MW 14.7 ku) and human LTF (MW 40 ku). © Medwell Journals, 2012 | 10.3923/javaa.2012.2692.2699 |
pubmed_422_12270 | Every year, 540,000 patients enter a hospital for myocardial infarction. Of these, 4% to 13% will be misdiagnosed and 11%-25% of them may die as a result. Missed diagnoses are the most expensive claims against emergency department physicians and account for 20% of all losses paid by them. A sound risk management program can save lives and dollars by supporting the effective and safe treatment of patients requiring acute coronary care. | 10.1002/jhrm.5600190406 |
pubmed_977_11098 | Currently, the most crucial economic and ecological issues are related to environmental degradation and sustainability. On this backdrop, this paper examines the impact of financial globalization and natural resource rent on load capacity factor, using the novel dual adjustment approach and time-frequency domain causality approaches, in the case of India. This study contributes to the extant body of knowledge in the area of environmental economics. First, it is the first attempt to analyze the factors responsible for load capacity factor, specifically for India. As such, studies on environmental concerns on both the supply and demand sides are put into consideration. Empirical results show that only renewable energy consumption lessens the load capacity factor, while economic growth and financial globalization are positively correlated with the load capacity factor, and natural resource rent is insignificant in the short run. In the long run, only economic growth is negatively correlated with load capacity factor, while the other series positively influence load capacity factor. To reap greater ecological merits, policymakers should focus on transitioning from conventional non-renewable energy sources that contribute to rising carbon emissions to more cost-effective and dependable renewable sources of energy that support sustainable growth and a healthy environment. | 10.1007/s11356-022-22012-0 |
pubmed_659_20226 | Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obstructive sleep apnea are frequently associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) but remain underrecognized. Women with PCOS have a 2-4 times higher risk of NAFLD independent of body mass index than healthy weight-matched controls. Insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia together play a central role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Timely diagnosis of NAFLD is important because its progression can lead to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and/or advanced liver fibrosis that can eventually result in liver-related mortality. The presence of NAFLD has also been associated with increased risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular events, overall mortality, and extrahepatic cancers. The treatment of NAFLD in PCOS should include lifestyle interventions. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists have shown promising results in patients with PCOS and NAFLD, but future randomized trails are needed to confirm this benefit. Likewise, the use of combined oral estrogen-progestin contraceptives may provide a benefit by decreasing hyperandrogenemia. Sleep disordered breathing is common among women with PCOS and is responsible for a number of cardiometabolic derangements. Obstructive sleep apnea is most often found in overweight and obese women with PCOS, but as is the case with NAFLD, its prevalence exceeds that of women who are of similar weight without PCOS. Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can precipitate or exacerbate insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and hypertension. | 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2022.03.020 |
pubmed_196_15218 | With the aid of extrusion-based biofabrication strategies, neural stem/progenitor cell-laden hydrogel structures can be fabricated for use in neural research. Extrusion-based strategies can be altered in order to fulfill various requirements. In this study, mouse neural progenitor cell (NE-4C) behaviors in multiple extrusion-based fabricated microenvironments were investigated. Extrusion-based bioprinted cell-laden structures and coaxially extruded core-shell cell fibers were successfully fabricated. Cell distribution and morphology were observed in different structures with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Genes and proteins related to cell differentiation were examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot (WB). The results show that compared with NE-4Cs cultured in petri dishes, the abundance of nestin was 6.28 ± 1.38 times higher in bioprinted structures and the abundances of Tuj-1 and GFAP were 3.14 ± 1.38 and 2.11 ± 0.21 times higher in cell fibers, respectively, indicating that NE-4Cs showed stronger differentiation tendency in cell fibers and weaker tendency in printed structures. This study may provide guidance in selecting fabrication strategies for use in neural research. | 10.1088/1748-605X/ab3b4b |
pubmed_1060_4574 | Linkage with records of the Connecticut Tumor Registry was used to determine cancer incidence in a cohort of workers (n = 984) at a benzidine manufacturing facility. Compared to the findings for the Connecticut population, there was a statistically significant excess of bladder tumor among male cohort members [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 343; 95% confidence limits (CL) = 148, 676; n = 830], which was confined to those with the highest estimated level of benzidine exposure (SIR = 1,303; CL = 479, 2,839; n = 105). No significantly elevated risks were found for cancers at other anatomic sites in men or at any anatomic sites in women; nor was there any pattern of increasing risk with increasing benzidine exposure for sites other than bladder. In addition, the elevated bladder cancer risk was greater for men first employed during the earliest years of the plant, namely, 1945-49 (SIR = 976; CL = 262, 2,498) as compared to those first employed in 1950-54 (SIR = 213; CL = 3, 1,184) after equalization of duration of follow-up. These results suggest that the major preventive measures instituted around 1950 may have reduced bladder cancer risk in this plant. | pubmed_1060_4574 |
others_157_2221 | Introduction: Nephron-sparing surgery is the recommended surgical management of T1 renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, non-clear cell RCC (nccRCC) is heterogeneous and included many histological types. Therefore, the present study was performed to compare radical nephrectomy (RN) versus partial nephrectomy (PN) in nccRCC. Materials and methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (2000–2019), the patients with nccRCC were identified. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and the log-rank test were conducted. Univariate analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to explore the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 7575 patients with nccRCC were included, of which papillary RCC (n = 5219) is the major histology. Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests showed that nccRCC patients who underwent RN had significantly worse overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) than those who received PN (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis also revealed that RN was significantly associated with poor OS and CSS in nccRCC patients. Stratified by histological types, the multivariate analysis also revealed that RN was significantly associated with poor OS in papillary and chromophobe (all P < 0.05). Besides, the multivariable analysis indicated that RN was associated with poor CSS in papillary RCC (P < 0.05). For other histology, the patients who received RN had a comparable survival to those who received PN. Conclusion: For patients with T1 nccRCC, our findings revealed that PN was not inferior to RN in OS and CSS. PN may be also the preferred option for T1 nccRCC, but more prospective studies are required to validate this finding. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology | 10.1016/j.ejso.2023.03.212 |
pubmed_188_14449 | This paper provides a determination of the equivalent level of protection of the international standards relative to similar criteria used by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to approve two-fault intrinsically safe (IS) stand-alone equipment. U.S. mining law requires such a determination for MSHA to use alternatives to existing standards. The primary issue is to demonstrate that the international standards for equipment evaluation will provide at least the same level of protection for miners as the document currently used by MSHA. | 10.19150/trans.8107 |
pubmed_1077_22496 | OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS
To better understand the reason for the low success rate of posterior cricoarytenoid (PCA) muscle reinnervation, we attempted to identify the communicating branches that may exist between the nerve branch to the PCA muscle and the other laryngeal adductors in addition to the interarytenoid (IA) muscle.
STUDY DESIGN
Quantitative histological assessment.
METHODS
Twenty human hemilarynges from patients with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer were obtained after surgery and stained with Sihler's stain, which rendered the muscle translucent while counterstaining the neuroanatomy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) inside the larynges.
RESULTS
The nerve supply to the PCA muscle was separated into two main branches. One upper branch supplied the horizontal compartment, and the lower branch supplied the vertical/oblique compartment. In 14 specimens, two nerve branches to the PCA muscle arose separately from the RLN. In six specimens, one single main branch arose from the RLN and immediately ramified into two secondary branches. In all specimens except one, the nerve branch to the horizontal compartment was connected to the IA muscle. However, no communicating branches were observed between the nerve to the PCA muscle and the other laryngeal adductors. No anastomosis between nerve branches to the horizontal and vertical/oblique compartments or other variations of nerve distribution were observed.
CONCLUSIONS
The communicating branches between the nerve branches to the PCA muscle and the IA muscle may be the only branch, complicating the reinnervation procedure. More investigations are needed to identify variations in the terminal branch distribution from the RLN.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
NA. | 10.1002/lary.24944 |
pubmed_426_10906 | Bacteroides ovatus utilizes guar gum, a high-molecular-weight branched galactomannanan, as a sole source of carbohydrate. No extracellular activity was detectable. Approximately 30% of the total cell-associated mannanase activity partitioned with cell membranes. When inner and outer membranes of B. ovatus were separated on sucrose gradients, the mannanase activity was associated mainly with fractions containing outer membranes. Enzyme activity was solubilized by 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) or by Triton X-100 at a detergent-to-protein ratio of 1:1. The enzyme was stable for only 4 h at 37 degrees C and for 50 to 60 h at 4 degrees C. Analysis of the products of the CHAPS-solubilized mannanase on Bio-Gel A-5M and Bio-Gel P-10 gel filtration columns indicated that the enzyme breaks guar gum into high-molecular-weight fragments. The CHAPS-solubilized mannanase was partially purified by chromatography on a FPLC Mono Q column. The partially purified mannanase preparation contained three major polypeptides (Mr 94,500, 61,000, and 43,000) and several minor ones. High mannanase activity was seen only when B. ovatus was grown on guar gum. Cross-absorbed antiserum detected two other guar gum-associated outer membrane proteins: a CHAPS-extractable 49,000-dalton polypeptide and a 120,000-dalton polypeptide that was not solubilized by CHAPS. Neither of these polypeptides was detectable in the partially purified mannanase preparation. These results indicate that there are at least two guar gum-associated outer membrane polypeptides other than the mannanase. | 10.1128/jb.169.5.2031-2037.1987 |
others_328_5770 | Gene-inactivation techniques were employed to construct a eubacterial organism harbouring a single functional rRNA operon. This mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis permits replacement of the single remaining rRNA operon with a homologous fragment from a vector-borne gene. By homologous recombination with the chromosome a plasmid-borne rDNA segment with resistance markers substitutes for the corresponding region of the chromosomal rRNA operon, resulting in an homogeneous population of mutated ribosomes in the cell. As a first result we demonstrate that the single allelic knock-out strain allows for isolation of rRNA mutants with a drug-resistant phenotype, circumventing the problem of recessivity which prohibits the isolation of such mutants in organisms with multiple rRNA operons. Subsequently, by allelic exchange experiments, it was demonstrated that the rRNA mutation found indeed confers drug resistance in vivo. This system provides intriguing potential for the study of the structure and function of ribosomal RNAs | 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1996.01532.x |
pubmed_409_16979 | The sulfur-containing compound ajoene (4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide) which arises from alliin, a cysteine derivative stored in garlic bulbs, was produced synthetically by decomposition of allicin. Its cytotoxic effect was tested using human primary fibroblasts (FS4), a permanent, non-tumorgenic cell line derived from baby hamster kidney cells (BHK21) and a tumorgenic lymphoid cell line derived from a Burkitt lymphoma (BJA-B). The cytotoxic action was in the range 2-50 micrograms/ml depending on the cell density. ED50 values, estimated on the basis of fmol ajoene/cell, revealed slightly higher doses for the primary cell (FS4) than the permanent line (BHK), whereas the tumorgenic BJA-B cells were most sensitive. | 10.1016/0304-3835(90)90201-8 |
pubmed_817_20063 | Preterm newborn infants are characterized by low body weight and lower fat mass at birth compared with full-term newborn neonates. Conversely, at term corrected age, body fat mass is more represented in preterm newborn infants, causing a predisposition to developing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in later life with a different risk profile in men as compared with women. Postnatal growth is a complex change in anthropometric parameters and body composition. Both quantity and quality of growth are regulated by several factors such as fetal programming, early nutrition, and gut microbiota. Weight gain alone is not an optimal indicator of nutritional status as it does not accurately describe weight quality. The analysis of body composition represents a potentially useful tool to predict later metabolic and cardiovascular risk as it detects the quality of growth by differentiating between fat and lean mass. Longitudinal follow-up of preterm newborn infants could take advantage of body composition analysis in order to identify high-risk patients who apply early preventive strategies. This narrative review aimed to examine the state-of-the-art body composition among born preterm children, with a focus on those in the pre-school age group. | 10.3389/fnut.2022.978271 |
pubmed_940_1263 | PURPOSE
To evaluate the possible role of cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-1alpha and IL-6 in patients with urolithiasis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fifty-six patients currently with stone disease, 63 patients with bacterial cystitis, and 66 normal individuals were evaluated for urinary IL-1alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6. Clean catch urine samples were obtained and evaluated for cytokine levels using enzyme immunoassays for the respective cytokines. Statistical analysis of the results was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Newman-Keuls test and the chi-squared test.
RESULTS
The patients with stone disease had significant elevations in IL-6 (p value< 10(-7)) relative to normal subjects. The levels of IL-6 in stone patients were lower than those of patients with bacterial cystitis. Neither IL-1beta nor IL-1alpha was elevated in stone patients relative to normals. By contrast, bacterial cystitis patients showed significant elevations in all three cytokines relative to normal subjects. Chi-squared analysis confirmed that stone patients had elevated IL-6 without elevation in either IL-1alpha or IL-1beta relative to normal subjects.
CONCLUSIONS
Stone patients show significant elevations in IL-6 without marked increases in either IL-1beta or alpha relative to normal subjects. This elevation in IL-6 is not from infection as is seen in bacterial cystitis subjects. The elevation in IL-6 may be useful in the understanding of the pathogenesis of urolithiasis or as a potential marker for stone disease and we are currently investigating these possibilities. | 10.1097/00005392-199812010-00101 |
pubmed_1045_9722 | Mast cell-deficient mice (W/W(v)) exhibit significantly reduced severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis. In this study, the contribution of FcR-mediated mast cell activation to disease was examined. W/W(v) mice were reconstituted i.v. with bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) from wild-type mice or those lacking functional FcRs. Eight weeks later, EAE was induced by immunization with the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 peptide. Disease scores were analyzed in reconstituted mice and compared with age-matched W/W(v) mice and wild-type littermates. Mice reconstituted with FcRgamma(-/-) BMMCs or FcgammaRIII(-/-) BMMCs exhibited less severe clinical symptoms similar to W/W(v) controls, while reconstitution with FcRIIB(-/-) BMMCs resulted in disease significantly more severe than wild-type controls. Notably, mice reconstituted with FcgammaRIII(-/-) BMMC exhibit a relapsing-remitting course of disease. These data demonstrate that both activating and inhibitory FcRs expressed on mast cells influence the course of EAE. | 10.4049/jimmunol.170.4.1630 |
pubmed_501_1055 | Auditory-adaptation, or tone-decay, measurements are reported for a patient with an 8th-nerve tumor in the left ear and a sensorineural hearing loss of cochlear origin in the right ear. Data for the patient suggested that the temporal features of auditory adaptation were more effective in differentiating adaptation processes for the two ears and associated lesions than was the magnitude classification of auditory adaptation in dB for the two ears. It is recommended that tests of auditory adaptation include an analysis of the temporal characteristics of the adaptation process. | 10.1044/jshd.4502.209 |
pubmed_778_21563 | The dLNGFR is a cytoplasmically deleted form of the low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR, also known as p75NTR). Recently, we observed a myeloid leukaemia in mice transplanted with dLNGFR-modified bone marrow cells. Retroviral-mediated expression of dLNGFR was suspected to contribute to the murine leukaemia. This led us to investigate the expression of p75NTR in human leukaemia. Expression of p75NTR was observed in nine of 119 (8%) adult patients with acute leukaemia by flow cytometry analysis, particularly in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (26%). These results support further detailed analyses of neurotrophin receptors and downstream signalling pathways in haematological malignancies. | 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2005.05717.x |
others_115_9280 | Leaf blight disease (LBD) caused by Pantoea agglomerans is a newly emerged oat disease in China that causes great economic and yield losses of oat production. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 13 antimicrobial agents against P. agglomerans and recommend agents with better control efficacy for use. The antibacterial potential of four concentrations of each agent was evaluated under in vitro conditions. Zhongshengmycin and ethylicin were the most effective in inhibiting the growth of P. agglomerans; their bacteriostatic rates (85.0% and 84.8%, respectively) were higher while EC50 lower (0.31 and 0.90, respectively) than other agents. The greenhouse and field experiment suggested that the greatest fresh weight per plant (57.26 g and 57.93 g), forage yield (22.53 t/ha and 22.21 t/ha) and control efficacy (>75%) were obtained after spraying twice with zhongshengmycin or ethylicin in the LBD occurrence phase, with lower yields and control by kasugamycin + dicopper chloride trihydroxide, kasugamycin + oxine copper, benziothiazolinone, copper hydroxide, phenanthrenecarboxylicacid, copper, picoxystrobin, chloroisobromine cyanuric acid, oxathiapiprolin or azoxystrobin. Foliar application of zhongshengmycin or ethylicin can therefore be used for the effective management of LBD of oat. © 2023 British Society for Plant Pathology | 10.1111/ppa.13778 |
pubmed_520_12345 | The RAlX (R = Light rare earth; X = Ge, Si) compounds, as a family of magnetic Weyl semimetal, have recently attracted growing attention due to the tunability of Weyl nodes and its interactions with diverse magnetism by rare-earth atoms. Here, we report the magnetotransport evidence and electronic structure calculations on nontrivial band topology of SmAlSi, a new member of this family. At low temperatures, SmAlSi exhibits large non-saturated magnetoresistance (MR) (as large as ∼5500% at 2 K and 48 T) and distinct Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations. The field dependent MRs at 2 K deviate from the semiclassical (μ0H)2variation but follow the power-law relation MR∝(μ0H)with a crossover fromm∼ 1.52 at low fields (μ0H< 15 T) tom∼ 1 under high fields (μ0H> 18 T), which is attributed to the existence of Weyl points and electron-hole compensated characteristics with high mobility. From the analysis of SdH oscillations, two fundamental frequencies originating from the Fermi surface pockets with non-trivialπBerry phases and small cyclotron mass can be identified, this feature is supported by the calculated electronic band structures with two Weyl pockets near the Fermi level. Our study establishes SmAlSi as a paradigm for researching the novel topological states of RAlX family. | 10.1088/1361-648X/ac987a |
pubmed_663_18885 | OBJECTIVE
To determine factors that influence 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in patients with scleroderma (systemic sclerosis, SSc)-interstitial lung disease (ILD), SSc-pulmonary hypertension (PH), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated all patients with SSc or IPF who performed a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) at a university hospital between 1999 and 2003. Chi-square, ANOVA, simple linear regression, and backwards elimination multivariable regressions were performed.
RESULTS
Forty-eight consecutive IPF patients with 6MWT were compared to 33 patients with SSc-ILD, 13 with SSc-PH, 19 with both SSc-ILD and SSc-PH (SSc-Both), and 15 with SSc without ILD or PH (SSc-Neither). Mean 6MWD did not differ between groups. Limitations to 6MWT trended toward dyspnea in IPF and lower extremity pain in SSc. SSc-Both had dyspnea limitation more than other SSc subgroups (p = 0.017). Percentage predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) and percentage predicted carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO%) were more strongly predictive of 6MWD in IPF than in SSc; however, exclusion of SSc subjects with pain limitation improved the predictive value. Significant correlates of 6MWD in multivariable analysis differed between subgroups.
CONCLUSION
Pain limitations confound the utility of the 6MWT, particularly in SSc. Pain may cause failure to reach a dyspnea limitation during 6MWT, especially in SSc patients without both ILD and PH. Correlates of 6MWD differ between SSc subgroups and IPF; therefore, the 6MWT distance is not always reflective of the same physiological process. 6MWT interpretation should include consideration of vascular, pulmonary, and musculoskeletal exercise limitations. | 10.3899/jrheum.080447 |
pubmed_1017_12214 | The change in the therapeutic targets from neuron to glia has proved beneficial in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders. The anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) have been widely prescribed for the treatment of partial and complete seizures, bipolar disorder among others. The current study was carried out to explore the efficacy of some conventional and novel AEDs for the treatment of tumor-associated epilepsy which develops in 29-49% of the patients diagnosed with brain tumors. We used C6 glioma cell line as model system to study the effect of selected AEDs, viz., gabapentin (GBP), valproic acid (VPA) and topiramate (TPM). Morphometry, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis, expression of different protein markers, viz., GFAP, HSP70 and nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) were studied in AED-treated cultures. The study was further extended to rat hypothalamic primary explant cultures, and cell migration and expression of plasticity markers - neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and polysialylation of NCAM (PSA-NCAM) - were studied in the explants. TPM was observed to show more pronounced increase in apoptosis of glioblastoma cells accompanied by significant downregulation in the expression of HSP70 and NFκB. TPM-treated explants also showed highest process ramification and cellular migration accompanied by intense expression of the plasticity markers as compared to those treated with GBP and VPA. Among the 3 AEDs tested, TPM was observed to show more promising effects on cytoprotection and plasticity of C6 glioma cells. | 10.1159/000443554 |
pubmed_229_13187 | Protein S (PS), a co-factor of activated protein C, is a vitamin K-dependent anticoagulant protein and is known to be produced extrahepatically. In the present study, the concentration of PS mRNA was determined tissue by tissue in the mouse, and it was high in lung, adrenal and heart as well as in liver. We further investigated the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-1 (IL-1) on the PS mRNA expression in murine tissues in vivo. Although LPS and TNF-alpha significantly decreased the expression level of PS mRNA in all tissues examined (e. g., lung, liver, heart, and kidney) and the PS antigen level in plasma, the suppressive effect of IL-1 on PS gene expression was limited to heart. More specifically, considerable amounts of PS mRNA and antigen were expressed in a cultured mouse cardiomyocyte cell line, and again, treatment with IL-1 decreased the PS expression in these cells. These observations raise a possibility that the expression of cardiac PS may contribute to the regional anticoagulant potential in heart, and suggest that the decreased PS expression by cytokines may result in an increase in the systemic and/or regional prothrombotic potential under inflammatory conditions. | pubmed_229_13187 |
pubmed_829_6074 | To study forest dynamics without relying on the space-for-time substitution, one must be able to follow a population or stand of trees back or forward in time. The method of stand reconstruction looks back in time by aging all the live trees and aging and dating the time of death of dead standing and fallen trees. However, dead trees are lost by decomposition so the record becomes increasingly incomplete with passage of time. Here we present a model of the passage of trees from dead standing to dead decomposed but still datable to completely decomposed and thus undatable or lost. We then generalize a method for calculating the falling rate of dead trees originally proposed in 1985 by A. P. Gore, E. A. Johnson, and H. P. Lo. We do this by removing the assumption that no trees are lost by decomposition, i.e., by using the decomposition rate. Finally, in the most important result, the model allows estimation of how far back a good estimate of the numbers in the population can be made if the decomposition rates are known. | 10.1890/06-0660 |
pubmed_327_9159 | The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be mediated by Th1-type T cells. Since chemokine receptors CXCR3 and CCR5 are preferentially expressed on Th1 cells, we tested the expression and regulation of several chemokines, including those that signal through CXCR3 (interferon-gamma-inducible protein of 10 kDa, IP-10, CXCL10; and monokine induced by interferon-gamma, Mig, CXCL9) and CCR5 (macrophage inflammatory protein (Mip)-1 alpha, CCL3; and Mip-1 beta, CCL4) in RA synovial fluids, synovial tissues, and blood. Synovial fluid (SF) protein levels of IP-10 (32.1 +/- 10.5 ng/ml), Mig (15.0 +/- 6.4 ng/ml), Mip-1 beta (0.7 +/- 0.3 ng/ml), and Mip-1 alpha (0.8 +/- 0.1 ng/ml) were 100-, 50-, 25-, and 2-fold elevated in RASF compared to control SF (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0. 001, and P < 0.02, respectively). Tissue levels of IP-10, Mig, and Mip-1 beta were significantly higher in RA than in OA (P < 0.01). Serum levels of IP-10 (3.1 +/- 1.2 ng/ml) were higher in patients with seropositive RA compared to controls (1.2 +/- 0.2 ng/ml) (P < 0.02). There was a gradient of IP-10, Mig, Mip-1 alpha, and Mip-1 beta from the blood into the synovial fluid in RA. Infiltrating T cells around high endothelial venules in RA synovium and 90 +/- 3% of SF CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells expressed CXCR3, and 85 +/- 2% of SF CD3(+)CD4(+) T cells expressed CCR5. Chemokines, including IP-10, Mig, Mip-1 alpha, and Mip-1 beta, may participate in the selective recruitment of CCR5(+)CXCR3(+) T cells to the inflamed synovium. | 10.1006/clim.2000.4957 |
pubmed_783_20505 | We report on the characterization of 2 mm thick CdTe diode detector with Schottky contacts to be employed in a novel conceptual design of PET scanner. Results at -8°C with an applied bias voltage of -1000 V/mm show a 1.2% FWHM energy resolution at 511 keV. Coincidence time resolution has been measured by triggering on the preamplifier output signal to improve the timing resolution of the detector. Results at the same bias and temperature conditions show a FWHM of 6 ns with a minimum acceptance energy of 500 keV. These results show that pixelated CdTe Schottky diode is an excellent candidate for the development of next generation nuclear medical imaging devices such as PET, Compton gamma cameras, and especially PET-MRI hybrid systems when used in a magnetic field immune configuration. | pubmed_783_20505 |
pubmed_868_9742 | OBJECTIVES
To characterise long-term outcomes after discrete subaortic stenosis (DSS) resection and to identify risk factors for reoperation and aortic regurgitation (AR) requiring repair or replacement.
METHODS
All patients who underwent DSS resection between 1984 and 2009 at our institution with at least 36 months' follow-up were included. Demographic, surgical and echocardiographic data were reviewed. Outcomes were reoperation for recurrent DSS, surgery for AR, death and morbidities, including heart transplant, endocarditis and complete heart block.
RESULTS
Median length of postoperative follow-up was 10.9 years (3-27.2 years). Reoperation occurred in 32 patients (21%) and plateaued 10 years after initial resection. Survival at 10 years and 20 years was 98.6% and 86.3%, respectively. Aortic valve (AoV) repair or replacement for predominant AR occurred in 31 patients (20%) during or after DSS resection. By multivariable analysis, prior aortic stenosis (AS) intervention (HR 22.4, p<0.001) was strongly associated with AoV repair or replacement. Risk factors for reoperation by multivariable analysis included younger age at resection (HR 1.24, p=0.003), preoperative gradient ≥60 mm Hg (HR 2.23, p=0.04), peeling of membrane off AoV or mitral valve (HR 2.52, p=0.01), distance of membrane to AoV <7.0 mm (HR 4.03, p=0.03) and AS (HR 2.58, p=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort, the incidence of reoperations after initial DSS resection plateaued after 10 years. Despite a significant rate of reoperation, overall survival was good. Concomitant congenital AS and its associated interventions significantly increased the risk of AR requiring surgical intervention. | 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-307460 |
pubmed_299_23270 | BACKGROUND
Kidney dysfunction is associated with adverse outcome in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Renal tubulointerstitial damage (RTD) is another type of kidney dysfunction from glomerular damage. RTD is reported to be a risk for future cardiac event in patients with heart disease. However, it remains to be determined whether RTD is predictive of poor clinical outcome in patients with PAD.
METHODS AND RESULTS
RTD markers (urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamidase; NAG and urinary β-2 microglobulin to creatinine ratio) and Glomerular damage markers (cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate, proteinuria, and microalbuminuria) were measured in 265 consecutive PAD patients who underwent endovascular therapy. Patients were prospectively followed for a median length of 804days, with end points of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Overall, 73% of patients exhibited excess urinary NAG excretion, and values were higher in patients with critical limb ischemia. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that NAG was an independent predictor of MACCE. When patients were divided according to NAG level, Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the third tertile was associated with the greatest risk for MACCE. The C index in NAG was the greatest among kidney dysfunction markers. Moreover, the net reclassification index was improved by the addition of NAG to basic predictors including glomerular damage markers.
CONCLUSION
RTD is common and associated with disease severity and clinical outcome in patients with PAD, indicating that it could be the additional clinical information to glomerular damage in patients with PAD. | pubmed_299_23270 |
pubmed_361_2316 | The care given to 26 dying patients, and their families, being nursed in a hospital where there was no specific terminal care facility was studied. These patients were dying from both malignant and non-malignant disease. Anorexia, sleeplessness, coated or infected mouths, pain, and pressure sores were seen in half of the patients. Fear about caring for the patient at home and lack of information were the problems most frequently identified by the relatives. As a result of this study a multidisciplinary team specialising in symptom control and supportive care has been established. On average half of the total number of patients dying from cancer in the hospital are supported by the team. The number of complaints from relatives of dying patients has been drastically reduced since the team was formed. | 10.1136/bmj.296.6638.1715 |
pubmed_196_2729 | In this work, two new flavonoids, oblongifolioside A (1) and oblongifolioside B (2), along with eight known compounds (3-10), are isolated from the leaves of Baccharis oblongifolia (Asteraceae). The new structures are established through spectroscopic data and the known compounds are identified by comparison with data reported in the literature. The compounds (1-10) are evaluated in relation to their antiradical properties. Compounds 1 and 2 are found to exhibit high antiradical activity compared to their respective non-acylated flavonoids. | 10.3390/molecules24173198 |
pubmed_784_9513 | Several options are outlined for caring for the slow-gaining breastfed infant when the goal is to continue breastfeeding. A review of pertinent causative factors and simple management solutions are included. Infants with organic causes of slow weight gain can safely be breastfed by using a feeding tube device at the breast. Other feeding options can be explored with the parents, but safety, comfort of the infant, energy conservation, the parents' emotional and time capabilities, and long-term ability to maintain lactation must be considered. A careful follow-up plan is outlined, mostly for encouragement until the problem is corrected and the infant weans himself from the feeding tube if supplementation was required. | pubmed_784_9513 |
pubmed_139_11577 | Measurement of intracellular ATP using luminescence offers an alternative method for the routine determination of viable animal cells in a large number of cultures. Optimal conditions of the new technology are described as is its application in various test systems. | pubmed_139_11577 |
pubmed_681_1334 | Despite advancements in the field of surgical oncology, the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer still carries a grave and dismal prognosis. Surgery alone for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head or uncinate process has a median survival time of 12 months. These grim statistics have led many to study the effects of combined multimodality therapy in the fight against pancreatic cancer. The long recovery time associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy has resulted in as many as 25% of patients unable to proceed with planned adjuvant therapy. For these reasons preoperative or neoadjuvantc hemoradiation therapy (CRT) has been evaluated. Pre-operative CRT ensures that all eligible patients receive the benefits of multimodality therapy, and patients who manifest metastatic disease on restaging evaluations are spared the morbidity of an unnecessary laparotomy. Multimodality therapy appears to lengthen the survival duration in patients with pancreatic cancer. It also affords a selection advantage, in that patients with aggressive disease biology with advanced metastatic disease following CRT are spared the morbidity of surgery. Conversely, a limited subset of patients may even be downstaged, allowing for a potentially curative resection. In this article we review the current status of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. We discuss its rationale in light of the reported strengths and weaknesses of postoperative adjuvant CRT. | 10.1007/s10534-002-0736-5 |
pubmed_895_6287 | OBJECTIVE
To estimate the wound-care related costs in two hospitals in Denmark.
METHOD
A point-prevalence survey with a focus on resource consumption was carried out during a representative 1-week period in March 20 I 0, in two hospitals in Denmark: Regional Hospital Viborg, in the Viborg Municipality and Hillerod Hospital, in the Horsholm Municipality. Data were collected during a 2-day period for inpatients and outpatients in the hospitals and over a full week in the municipalities. The survey included information on the numbers, types and locations of the wounds, as well as resource consumption related to dressing changes. The estimation of costs was based on representative cost levels, including the salaries of health professionals or nurses and the cost of dressings and hospitalisation provided.
RESULTS
In total, 33% (n=830) of inpatients had a wound. The majority of these were surgical/trauma wounds (25%), while pressure ulcers, leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers accounted for 3.3%, 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively. In the municipalities, there was a wound patient prevalence of 2.8 per I 000 population(I I I 000 acute wounds, 0.7/ I 000 pressure ulcers, 0.5/ I 000 leg ulcers and 0.3/ I 000 diabetic foot ulcers).The extrapolated figures for nurse time related to wound care per year was equivalent to I 0 full-time nurse positions in Hillerod Hospital, three in Viborg Hospital, 17 in Viborg Municipality and three in Horsholm Municipality. The total annual costs related to wound care was estimated as €3.6 million for Viborg Hospital, €4.1 million for Hillemd Hospital, € 1.2 million for Viborg Municipality and €232 548 for Horsholm Municipality, accounting for approximately 1.8% (Viborg), 1.6% (Hillerod), 2.4% (Viborg) and1.5% (Horsholm) of the total annual budgets.
CONCLUSION
In the survey, 33% of the patients treated in the hospitals had a wound. Primary costs were defined as hospitalisation costs and nurse time related to dressing changes. Total annual costs of treatment, including hospitalisation, were estimated as approximately 1.6-1.8% for the hospitals and 1.5-2.4% for the municipalities. The level of costs support the relevance of increased efforts to secure better wound prevention and treatment to reduce the staff-time consumption and hospitalisation costs. | 10.12968/jowc.2013.22.8.413 |
pubmed_249_6419 | PURPOSE
So far there are no published data on optimal duration of chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC); six or more courses are usually recommended. We have carried out a multicenter randomized trial comparing three versus six courses of chemotherapy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with stage IIIb or IV NSCLC were randomized at start of treatment to receive either three or six courses of mitomycin 8 mg/m(2) (courses 1, 2, 4, and 6), vinblastine 6 mg/m(2), and cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) (MVP) every 21 days. Treatment was stopped early in both arms for progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity. Key end points were overall survival, duration of symptom relief, and quality-of-life assessment using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire QLQ-C30 with lung cancer-specific module QLQ-LC13.
RESULTS
Three hundred eight patients were randomized. Seventy-two percent of the 155 patients randomized to three courses completed treatment. In the 153 patients randomized to six courses, 73% completed three courses and 31% six courses. Median survival was 6 versus 7 months, respectively, and 1-year survival 22% versus 25% (P =.2). Median duration of symptom relief was 4.5 months (both arms), and 8% versus 18% had continuing symptom relief (P =.4). Quality-of-life parameters were the same or improved for patients randomized to only three courses, including significantly decreased fatigue (P =.03) and a trend toward decreased nausea and vomiting (P =.06).
CONCLUSION
Our findings show no evidence for additional clinical benefit by continuing MVP chemotherapy beyond three courses. This challenges current orthodoxy of six courses or more. Further trials addressing duration of chemotherapy are now warranted, particularly with newer chemotherapy schedules. | 10.1200/JCO.2001.19.5.1336 |
pubmed_305_14420 | Translocation of sterols between cellular membrane leaflets is of key importance in membrane organization, dynamics, and signaling. We present a novel translocation mechanism that differs in a unique manner from the established ones. The bobbing mechanism identified here is demonstrated for tail-oxidized sterols, but is expected to be viable for any molecule containing two polar centers at the opposite sides of the molecule. The mechanism renders translocation across a lipid membrane possible without a change in molecular orientation. For tail-oxidized sterols, the bobbing mechanism provides an exceptionally facile means to translocate these signaling molecules across membrane structures and may thus represent an important pathway in the course of their biological action. | 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00211 |
pubmed_828_22515 | PURPOSE
In this study, we explored the association between cognitive impairment and depression in the very elderly using a sample aged 90-108 years.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study.
RESULTS
The sample included 682 unrelated Chinese nonagenarians/centenarians (67.25% women, mean age of 93.49 years). The mean depression score (measured with the brief 23-item Geriatrics Depression Scale-Chinese Edition was 8.45 (standard deviation [SD] = 3.30). The mean of cognitive function scores (measured with the 30-item Mini-Mental State Examination) was 15.54 (SD = 5.38). There was no significant difference in cognitive function scores between subjects with and without depression, and there was also no significant difference in depression scores between subjects with and without cognitive impairment. There was also no significant difference in the frequency of depression between subjects with and without cognitive impairment or in the frequency of cognitive impairment between subjects with and without depression. Both the odds ratio (OR) of depression (as a function of increased cognitive impairment) and the OR of cognitive impairment (as a function of increased depression) were found to be insignificant. Pearson Correlation also showed no significant correlation between depression scores and cognitive function scores.
CONCLUSIONS
In summary, we found that depression was not directly correlated with cognitive impairment in Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians. | 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181d143bc |
others_157_1273 | : Studies on the clinical performance of p16/Ki-67 dual-staining in detecting cervical lesions by menopausal status were limited. Methods: 4364 eligible women were enrolled with valid p16/Ki-67, HR-HPV, and LBC test results, including 542 cancer and 217 CIN2/3 cases. The positivity rates of p16 and Ki-67 single staining and p16/ Ki-67 dual-staining were analyzed by different pathological grades and age groups. The sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of each test in different subgroups were calculated and compared. Results: P16/Ki-67 dual-staining positivity increased with histopathological severity in premenopausal and postmenopausal women (P < 0.05), while no increasing trends of individual expression of p16 single staining and Ki-67 single staining were observed in postmenopausal women. P16/Ki-67 showed higher SPE (88.09% vs. 81.91%, P < 0.001) and PPV (33.8% vs. 13.18%, P < 0.001) in detecting CIN2/3, and higher SEN (89.97% vs. 82.61%, P = 0.012) and SPE (83.22% vs. 79.89%, P = 0.011) in detecting cancer in premenopausal women than postmenopausal women. For triaging the HR-HPV+ population to identify CIN2/3, p16/Ki-67 performed comparably to LBC in the premenopausal women, and showed higher PPV (51.14% vs. 23.08%, P < 0.001) in premenopausal than postmenopausal women. For triaging ASC-US/LSIL population, p16/Ki-67 demonstrated higher SPE and lower colposcopy referral rate than HR-HPV in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Conclusions: Expressions of p16/Ki-67 dual-staining between premenopausal and postmenopausal women are varied. P16/Ki-67 performs better in detecting cervical lesions in premenopausal women. For triaging, p16/Ki-67 is suitable for HR-HPV+ women, especially premenopausal women, to identify CIN2/3 and women with ASC-US/LSIL. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Natur | 10.1007/s00432-023-04938-1 |
pubmed_184_1377 | Determination of mutagenic activity in bacterial systems has become accepted as an initial step in the evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of new chemicals. In this paper, a bacterial mutagen screening technique is described in which chemicals can be tested in 10 tester strains over a 10,000-fold concentration gradient both with and without metabolic activation. Using this assay, 855 chemicals were tested, and 182 were found to be mutagenic in one or more of the tester strains. Included were 299 chemicals used in chemical manufacturing or laboratory synthesis. Of these, 20% gave a positive response in one or more strains. The high rate of positives undoubtedly reflects the high chemical reactivity of compounds in this group. In contrast, when 261 organic chemicals which were synthesized for evaluation as potential pharmaceutical or agricultural products were tested, only 8% were identified as mutagenic. The Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA98 and TA1538 proved to be very reliable and efficient in detecting and identifying frame-shift mutagens. TA100 was the most sensitive tester strain, detecting 142 of the 182 mutagens encountered in the study. However, since TA100 detected both base substitution mutagens and frame-shift mutagens, this tester strain was not suitable for the specific identification of base substitution mutagens. Base substitution mutagens were more reliably detected by Escherichia coli tester strains WP2 and WP2 uvrA- than they were by S. typhimurium strains G46 and TA1535. The data obtained when mutagens are tested by the concentration gradient procedures can include (a) the activity spectrum in tester strains, (b) identification as either frame-shift or base substitution mutagens, (c) the minimal concentration at which auxotroph growth is inhibited, and (d) mutagenic potency in terms of minimal concentration at which mutagenicity is observed. The data obtained have been found to be of immediate use. For example, with manufacturing intermediates the data have been combined with other toxicity data and used as a basis for setting safety standards for handling such compounds in the workplace. In addition, positive bacterial mutagenicity data on selected members of new series of organic compounds can serve to alert the chemist early to the possibility that the compounds may possess undesirable toxic properties, particularly carcinogenicity. Also, this type of data should be of great value both in the planning and in the interpretation of other in vitro tests designed to evaluate the potential carcinogenicity in mammals of chemicals found to be positive in bacterial tests. | pubmed_184_1377 |
pubmed_273_20632 | Corn continues to be considered an attractive transgenic host for producing recombinant therapeutic and industrial proteins because of its potential for producing recombinant proteins at large volume and low cost as coproducts of corn seed-based biorefining. Efforts to reduce production costs have been primarily devoted to increasing accumulation level, optimizing protein extraction conditions, and simplifying the purification. In the present work, we evaluated two grain fractionation methods, dry milling and wet milling, to enrich two recombinant collagen-related proteins; thereby, reducing the amount and type of corn-derived impurities in subsequent protein extraction and purification steps. The two proteins were a full-length human recombinant collagen type I alpha 1(rCIalpha1) chain with telopeptides and peptide foldon to effect triple helix formation and a 44-kDa rCIalpha1 fragment. For each, approximately 60% of the rCIalpha1s in the seed was recovered in the dry-milled germ-rich fractions making up ca. 25% of the total kernel mass. For wet milling, approximately 60% of each was recovered in three fractions accounting for 20-25% of the total kernel mass. The rCIalpha1s in the dry-milled germ-rich fractions were enriched three to six times compared with the whole corn kernel, whereas the rCIalpha1s were enriched 4-10 times in selected wet-milled fractions. The recovered starch from wet milling was almost free of rCIalpha1. Therefore, it was possible to generate rCIalpha1-enriched fractions by both dry and wet milling along with rCIalpha1-free starch using wet milling. Because of its simplicity, the dry milling procedure could be accomplished on-farm thus minimizing the risk of inadvertent release of viable transgenic seeds. | 10.1002/btpr.220 |
pubmed_842_4890 | BACKGROUND
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a technique that has gained such rapid acceptance for such a diversity of wound management problems that the evidence for optimal use has struggled to keep up. While clinical studies have sought to evaluate its effectiveness for a variety of acute and chronic wounds, preclinical studies have suggested that features such as the magnitude and periodicity of negative pressure, the wound filler and interface materials and the drainage conduit might introduce key pathophysiological variations at the wound bed influencing healing. Optimising the methodological approach is the key to achieving the best outcomes with NPWT. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and summarise the clinical and experimental evidence for how these methodological variations influence wound healing when using NPWT.
METHODS
A literature review was conducted to evaluate each component of NPWT inciting methodological variation with reference to clinical and preclinical variables including wound volume reduction, blood flow, granulation and growth factor stimulation.
RESULTS
Fourteen commercially available NPWT systems are currently available. Both foam and gauze transmit NP efficiently. While some preclinical evidence suggests foam may preferentially promote cell proliferation, there is no clear evidence to favour one wound filler. Most wound contraction occurs within the first -50 mmHg and physiological optimisation may be achieved within -80 mmHg. Cyclical NP-mediated cell mechanotransduction may alter the healing characteristics of the wound bed but no definitive clinical protocol has been established. There is insufficient evidence to credit NPWT with reduced bacterial wound colonisation.
CONCLUSION
There is an urgent need to develop evidence-based NPWT regimes, tailoring the methodological aspects of therapy to the clinical need. An individualised strategy may yield improved outcomes and realise the potential of this powerful therapeutic intervention. | 10.1016/j.bjps.2011.12.012 |
pubmed_959_16238 | Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is an infectious chronic disease responsible for economic losses in sheep and goat breeding worldwide. CLA has no effective treatment, evidencing the vaccination schedule as the best control strategy. Although some commercial vaccines have been available, none of them provides total protection, which is sometimes insufficient and does not reach the same efficiency when compared in sheep and goats. They also have questionable safety levels and side effects. In light of this, several experimental vaccines are in development in order to improve safety, reproducibility, and protective immune response against the etiologic agent of CLA, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. In this review, we discussed aspects as antigen, adjuvant, routes of administration, protection level, and animal models used in CLA vaccine development, as well the challenges and future perspectives. KEY POINTS: Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) does not have an appropriate commercial vaccine. Different experimental vaccines are in development aiming to protect against Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. An ideal vaccine for CLA is necessary for the disease control. | 10.1007/s00253-021-11191-4 |
pubmed_637_21115 | Variations in the origin of the vertebral artery (VA) is a congenital anomaly that occurs during embryological development. Multiple variations related to VA origin have been reported in the literature. Abnormal VA origin is usually determined as incidental findings during angiographic or postmortem anatomical studies. Although most of the cases are asymptomatic, in patients with VA anomaly symptoms such as dizziness have been described. The anomalous variation in the origin of the right VA is rare and separated into three categories: (1) originating from the aorta, (2) originating from the carotid arteries, (3) duplicated origin. In this case, we aimed to present the right VA originating from the right occipital artery and concomitant anomalies of the transverse foramen that have not been reported previously according to our knowledge in literature. In a 32-year-old female patient referred to our hospital because of dizziness, the right VA was not observed on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography angiography (CTA) examination was performed. CTA showed hypoplasia of the right transverse foramen at the levels of the C1, C5 and C6 vertebrae and aplasia of the right transverse foramen at the levels of the C2, C3 and C4 vertebrae. The right VA originating from the right occipital artery continues to its normal course by entering the cranium through the foramen magnum at the level of the atlantooccipital junction. | 10.1007/s00276-017-1882-3 |
pubmed_446_1728 | A new approach is presented to determine π-delocalization and the degree of aromaticity utilizing measured vibrational frequencies. For this purpose, a perturbation approach is used to derive vibrational force constants from experimental frequencies and calculated normal mode vectors. The latter are used to determine the local counterparts of the vibrational modes. Next, relative bond strength orders (RBSO) are obtained from the local stretching force constants, which provide reliable descriptors of CC and CH bond strengths. Finally, the RBSO values for CC bonds are used to establish a modified harmonic oscillator model and an aromatic delocalization index AI, which is split into a bond weakening (strengthening) and bond alternation part. In this way, benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and phenanthrene are described with the help of vibrational spectroscopy as aromatic systems with a slight tendency of peripheral π-delocalization. The 6.8 kcal/mol larger stability of phenanthrene relative to anthracene predominantly (84%) results from its higher resonance energy, which is a direct consequence of the topology of ring annelation. Previous attempts to explain the higher stability of phenanthrene via a maximum electron density path between the bay H atoms are misleading in view of the properties of the electron density distribution in the bay region. | 10.1021/jp4092514 |
pubmed_336_237 | Injuries are a growing public health concern in China, accounting for more than 30% of all Person Years of Life Lost (PYLL) due to premature mortality. This study analyzes the trend and disease burden of injury deaths in Chinese population from 2004 to 2010, using data from the National Disease Surveillance Points (DSPs) system, as injury deaths are classified based on the International Classification of Disease-10(th) Revision (ICD-10). We observed that injury death accounted for nearly 10% of all deaths in China throughout the period 2004-2010, and the injury mortality rates were higher in males than those in females, and higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Traffic crashes (33.79-38.47% of all injury deaths) and suicides (16.20-22.01%) were the two leading causes of injury deaths. Alarmingly, suicide surpassed traffic crashes as the leading cause of injury mortality in rural females, yet adults aged 65 and older suffered the greatest number of fatal falls (20,701 deaths, 2004-2010). The burden of injury among men (72.11%) was about three times more than that of women's (28.89%). This study provides indispensible evidence that China Authority needs to improve the surveillance and deterrence of three major types of injuries: Traffic-related injury deaths should be targeted for injury prevention activities in all population, people aged 65+ should be encouraged to take individual fall precautions, and prevention of suicidal behavior in rural females should be another key priority for the government of China. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0085319 |
pubmed_398_11806 | Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has been shown to have effects on bone and cartilage cells in vitro, but its role in vivo in bone repair is not clear. We studied biopsy material from 16 normally healing fractures at a variety of times after injury, using immunohistochemistry for PDGF and in situ hybridization for PDGF A and B chains. PDGF A-chain gene was found to be expressed by many cell types over a prolonged period during fracture healing. These cells included endothelial and mesenchymal cells in granulation tissue and osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and osteoclasts later during fracture healing. PDGF B-chain gene expression was more restricted, being detected principally in osteoblasts at the stage of bone formation. PDGF was detected using immunohistochemistry in the cell types expressing PDGF A. These findings indicate that PDGF is expressed during normal human fracture repair, and the in vitro data also suggest that PDGF is likely to be an important local regulator in this process. | 10.1016/8756-3282(95)90191-4 |
pubmed_799_18406 | The calculation of the ionization chamber response is one of key factors to develop a primary standard of air kerma. Using Monte Carlo code PENELOPE, we simulated the cavity response of the plane parallel ionization chamber to the monoenergetic 60Co beam incident normally on a flat surface of the chamber. Two simulation techniques, namely, the uniform interaction technique and the reentrance technique, were introduced. The effect of the input parameters such as C1 (average angular deflection in a single step between hard elastic events), C2 (maximum average fractional energy loss in a step), S(max) (maximum step length) and W(cc) (the lower energy of secondary electrons created as a result of a hard collision) on the simulated cavity dose was evaluated. We found that the simulated cavity response of the graphite and solid air chambers obtained by PENELOPE to the monoenergetic 60Co beam could be consistent with the value expected from the cross-sections of PENELOPE to within 0.2% (one standard deviation) when W(cc) and S(max) were selected carefully. | 10.1118/1.2188822 |
pubmed_1038_14171 | The respective roles of conventional radiography, ultrasound scanning, and radionuclide scintigraphy in the investigation of 62 children with the irritable hip syndrome are compared. It is recommended that conventional radiography and ultrasound scanning be routinely performed, but scintigraphy should be reserved for those with positive findings on ultrasound, as an abnormal scintigram is unusual in the presence of a normal ultrasound scan. | 10.1097/01241398-199205000-00021 |
pubmed_203_11395 | This paper models access to and utilisation of primary care using data from the British Household Panel Survey for the period 1991-2001. A latent class panel data framework is adopted to model individual unobserved heterogeneity in a flexible way. Accounting for the panel structure of the data leads to a substantial improvement in fit, and permits the identification of latent classes of users of health care. Analysis by gender shows that men and women respond differently to some factors, in particular, to age and income. There is evidence of a positive impact of income on the probability of seeking primary care. This effect is especially significant in the case of women. For both genders, the marginal effect of income on the propensity to visit a GP is greater for individuals who are less likely to seek primary care. A latent class aggregated count data model for the number of GP visits classifies individuals in three latent classes and shows a positive income effect particularly amongst those with lower levels of utilisation. | 10.1002/hec.1047 |
pubmed_663_18125 | BACKGROUND
Assessments of child psychopathology commonly rely on multiple informants, e.g., parents, teachers and children. Informants often disagree about the presence or absence of symptoms, reflecting reporter bias, situation-specific behaviour, or random variation in measurement. However, few studies have systematically tested how far correlates of child psychopathology differ between informants.
METHODS
Parents, teachers and children in the 1999 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (n = 4,525, ages 11-15 years) completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple source regression models tested the extent to which child, family, school and neighbourhood characteristics were differentially associated with the three informants' reports. The 2004 British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey (n = 3,438, ages 11-15 years) was used for replication.
RESULTS
Almost all significant correlates of child mental health were differentially related to parent, teacher and child ratings of adjustment. Parental distress, parent-rated family functioning, and child physical health problems were most strongly associated with parent ratings. Child ability and attainment, socio-economic factors, and school and neighbourhood disadvantage were more strongly associated with teacher and parent rated mental health than with children's own ratings. Gender differences in externalising problems were most pronounced for teacher ratings, and least so for child ratings; the opposite held true for emotional problems. Effect sizes for combined latent scores fell near the upper end of the range of effect sizes estimated for the three individual informants. Results showed good replication across the two samples.
CONCLUSIONS
The study highlights that there is substantial variation across informants in the links between associated factors and child psychopathology. | 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02026.x |
pubmed_281_24750 | Dehydrocostus lactone (DL) is among the representative ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with excellent anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, an advanced strategy based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was integrated to comprehensively explore the metabolic fate of DL in rats. First, prior to data collection, all biological samples (plasma, urine, and feces) were concentrated and purified using solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment technology. Then, during data collection, in the full-scan (FS) data-dependent acquisition mode, FS-ddMS2 was intelligently combined with FS-parent ion list (PIL)-dynamic exclusion (DE) means for targeted monitoring and deeper capture of more low-abundance ions of interest. After data acquisition, data-mining techniques such as high-resolution extracted ion chromatograms (HREICs), multiple mass defect filters (MMDFs), diagnostic product ions (DPIs), and neutral loss fragments (NLFs) were incorporated to extensively screen and profile all the metabolites in multiple dimensions. As a result, a total of 71 metabolites of DL (parent drug included) were positively or tentatively identified. The results suggested that DL in vivo mainly underwent hydration, hydroxylation, dihydrodiolation, sulfonation, methylation, dehydrogenation, dehydration, N-acetylcysteine conjugation, cysteine conjugation, glutathione conjugation, glycine conjugation, taurine conjugation, etc. With these inferences, we successfully mapped the "stepwise radiation" metabolic network of DL in rats, where several drug metabolism clusters (DMCs) were discovered. In conclusion, not only did we provide a refined strategy for inhibiting matrix effects and fully screening major-to-trace metabolites, but also give substantial data reference for mechanism investigation, in vivo distribution visualization, and safety evaluation of DL. | 10.3390/molecules27227688 |
pubmed_744_4573 | In Kenya in 1999, an estimated 6.9% of women nationally said they had exchanged sex for money, gifts or favours in the previous year. In 2000 and 2001, in collaboration with sex workers who had formed a network of self-help groups, we conducted an exploratory survey among 475 sex workers in four rural towns and three Nairobi townships, regarding where they worked, the number of clients they had and the risks they were exposed to. Participants were identified by a network of social contacts in the seven centres. Most of the women (88%) worked from bars, hotels, bus stages and discos; 57% lived with a stable partner and almost 90% had dependent children. In the previous month, 17% had been assaulted and 35% raped by clients. Unwanted pregnancy was common; 86% had had at least one abortion. Compared with women in rural towns, township sex workers were younger (median age 22 vs. 26), saw more clients (median 9 vs. 4 per week) and earned more from sex work (up to 63-90 euros vs. 12 euros per week). Issues of alternative sources of income, safety for sex workers and the conditions which create the necessity for sex work are vital to address. The question of number of clients and the nature of sex work have obvious implications for HIV/STI prevention policy. | 10.1016/s0968-8080(04)23125-1 |
pubmed_225_3023 | Laboratory research during the past decade has begun to provide insights into the neurobiologic basis of functional recovery after brain injury. It is clear that drugs influencing specific neurotransmitters also can influence the recovery process. Some of these drugs may be beneficial, but others may be detrimental. Some of the difficulties in interpreting the results of these behavioral studies are reviewed, and potential mechanisms of drug effects are discussed. These types of studies are leading to an increased awareness of the potentially harmful effects of some drugs often given to stroke patients. Pharmacotherapy designed to enhance functional recovery after stroke may be possible in the future. | pubmed_225_3023 |
pubmed_67_25737 | The article substantiates the tasks of introducing a conflict management system into the work of a private sector medical organization, reducing the number of ethical and legal conflicts that arise during the provision of medical care. The analysis of the conceptual foundations, regulatory framework and specifics of the use of conflict management tools in the context of solving organizational and managerial tasks in a private multidisciplinary clinic is presented. | 10.32687/0869-866X-2022-30-5-865-869 |
pubmed_1071_14473 | Recent studies have used flow cytometry (FCM) as an important alternative method to determine the antifungal susceptibility of yeasts compared to the broth microdilution Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference procedure. We present a comparative study of the broth microdilution method and flow cytometry to assess the in vitro antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans (n = 16) and C. gattii (n = 24) to fluconazole. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays by flow cytometry were defined as the lowest drug concentration that showed ∼50% of the count of acridine orange negative cells compared to that of the growth control. Categorical classification showed all C. neoformans isolates were susceptible to fluconazole. Three isolates of C. gattii were susceptible dose-dependent and the remaining 21 isolates were classified as susceptible. MICs comparison of both methodologies demonstrated 100% categorical agreement of the results obtained for C. neoformans and C. gattii. The MICs obtained with the CLSI-approved method and flow cytometry were compared by the Spearman correlation test and a significant Pv = 0.001. The flow cytometric method has the advantage of analyzing a large and constant number of cells in less time, i.e., 9 h incubation for fluconazole using acridine orange versus 72 h for broth microdilution method. In conclusion, the two methods were comparable and flow cytometry method can expedite and improve the results of in vitro susceptibility tests of C. neoformans and C. gattii against fluconazole and also allows comparative studies in vitro/in vivo more rapidly, which along with clinical data, could assist in selecting the most appropriate treatment choice. | 10.3109/13693786.2013.806827 |
pubmed_1039_14858 | The presentation of a 56-year-old woman with coexisting hyperthyroid Graves' disease and motor neurone disease is described. Circulating immune complexes were detected in the serum of seven patients with motor neurone disease (five cases) or primary lateral sclerosis (two cases), including a man with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. | 10.1136/jnnp.43.1.46 |
pubmed_618_11586 | We report adherence to United Kingdom national guidelines on surveillance for Fingolimod associated macular oedema (FAME) and the impact on clinical services at our unit. We conducted a 9-month study, measuring referral interval, visual function and performing OCT scans for all patients referred for FAME surveillance. 38 patients in total were seen, representing 9% of all new ophthalmic referrals during the study period. 26% were seen between 2 and 4 months after starting Fingolimod treatment, 74% between 3 and 4 months after starting Fingolimod treatment. The impact on clinical services is discussed. | 10.2174/1874364101408010073 |
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