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pubmed_572_10576 | Following the birth of an infant, decreases in testosterone and increases in depressive symptoms have been observed in fathers. Paternal testosterone may reflect fathers' investment in pair-bonding and paternal caregiving and, as such, may be associated with maternal and familial well-being. This study tests associations between paternal testosterone, paternal and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms, and subsequent family functioning. Within 149 couples, fathers provided testosterone samples when infants were approximately nine months old and both parents reported on postpartum depressive symptoms at two, nine, and 15months postpartum. Fathers with lower aggregate testosterone reported more depressive symptoms at two and nine months postpartum. Mothers whose partners had higher evening testosterone reported more depressive symptoms at nine and 15months postpartum. Maternal relationship satisfaction mediated this effect, such that mothers with higher testosterone partners reported more relationship dissatisfaction, which in turn predicted more maternal depressive symptoms. Higher paternal testosterone and paternal depressive symptoms at nine months postpartum each independently predicted greater fathering stress at 15months postpartum. Higher paternal testosterone also predicted more mother-reported intimate partner aggression at 15months postpartum. In addition to linear relationships between testosterone and depression, curvilinear relationships emerged such that fathers with both low and high testosterone at nine months postpartum reported more subsequent (15-month) depressive symptoms and fathering stress. In conclusion, whereas higher paternal testosterone may protect against paternal depression, it contributed to maternal distress and suboptimal family outcomes in our sample. Interventions that supplement or alter men's testosterone may have unintended consequences for family well-being. | 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.07.014 |
pubmed_937_20176 | Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumour is a low-grade malignant mesenchymal neoplasm of myofibroblastic origin with the capacity for biphasic differentiation toward a fibroblastic or histiocyte-like morphology. We report a case of this rare tumour presenting as a tender subcutaneous nodule on the scalp of a 58-year-old man. Histopathological examination revealed multinodular biphasic proliferation of fibroblast-like and histiocyte-like cells with a few osteoclast-like giant cells. This case is notable for the rare myxoid changes, which may reflect a different behaviour of this tumour when occurring in older people. | 10.1046/j.1468-3083.2002.00499.x |
pubmed_171_16887 | To investigate the protective activity of soy isoflavones on neurons, the effects of isoflavones on cholinergic enzyme activity, immunoreactivities of cholinergic enzyme, and delayed matching-to-place (DMP) performance were measured in normal elderly rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 48; 10 mo old) were assigned to 3 groups: CD (control diet), ISO 0.3 (0.3 g/kg soy isoflavones diet), and ISO 1.2 (1.2 g/kg soy isoflavones diet). After 16 wk of consuming these diets, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in the ISO 0.3 group was greater in cortex and basal forebrain (BF; P < 0.05) than in controls. In BF, ChAT activity was also significantly greater in the ISO 1.2 group than in control rats. Acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity in the ISO 0.3 group was significantly inhibited in cortex, BF, and hippocampus and in the ISO 1.2 group in cortex and hippocampus. Choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity (ChAT-IR) in the ISO 1.2 group was significantly greater than in controls in the medial septum area. ChAT-IR in the ISO 0.3 and ISO 1.2 groups was significantly higher than in the CD group in the hippocampus CA1 area. Spatial DMP performance by the ISO 0.3 group showed significantly shorter swimming time than by the CD group. These findings show that soy isoflavones can influence the brain cholinergic system and reduce age-related neuron loss and cognition decline in male rats. | 10.1093/jn/134.7.1827 |
pubmed_250_9339 | The capacity of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes to contribute to their own maintenance has long been recognized. More recently, studies have indicated the presence of both intra-hepatic and extra-hepatic stem/progenitor cell populations. The intraorgan compartment probably derives primarily from the biliary tree, most particularly the most proximal branches, i.e. the canals of Hering and smallest ductules. The extra-organ compartment is at least in part derived from diverse populations of cells from the bone marrow. These three tiers of liver cell regeneration serve to maintain the normal organ and to regenerate damaged parenchyma in response to a variety of insults. The nature and extent of the insult determines the balance between these stem/progenitor compartments. | 10.1023/A:1024826823194 |
pubmed_661_2605 | Blood-letting to a haematocrit of 0.40 to 0.42 was performed over a period of six weeks on 30 randomized patients with peripheral vascular disease (intermittent claudication), stage IIb (after Fontaine), in addition to standardized gymnastics and physical exercise (walking). Subsequently, 15 randomly selected patients received after each blood-letting middle-molecular hydroxyethyl starch solution, another 15 randomized patients received isotonic sodium chloride solution, both groups under a double-blind protocol, gymnastics and walking exercise being continued. At the beginning of the study both groups were comparable with respect to clinical and vascular parameters and results of laboratory tests. Those of the former group had a significantly greater increase in pain-free walking distance than the latter. Blood pressure levels remained unchanged in the former, but significantly rose in the latter. Peak flow during reactive hyperaemia increased significantly in both legs in the first group, remaining unchanged in the second. An increase in spontaneous platelet aggregation occurred only in the second group; alpha 2-macroglobulin concentration rose only in patients of the first group, while fibrinogen decreased significantly in both. | 10.1055/s-2008-1068625 |
pubmed_530_11375 | Violent conflict disrupts livelihoods, healthcare systems, and food security, with dire public health consequences. My intention in this article is to conceptualise violent conflict as a public health hazard and delineate the strategies public health professionals might adopt to minimise that hazard. There is continued support among commentators for the role of the public health professional in addressing the underlying causes of conflict. Importantly, there has been a trend for foreign donors to design public health initiatives in ways that meet socio-political criteria deemed important to preventing conflict. The underlying causes of conflict can be mitigated by specific strategies employed by public health professionals and they should be key players in preventing the public health disaster that is violent conflict. | 10.1057/jphp.2012.65 |
pubmed_1012_15994 | Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a rapidly progressive, fulminant infection of the scrotum, perineum and the abdominal wall. FG is caused by synergic aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Modern surgical series report mortality of up to 67%. This originally rare disease has become more frequent. Aggressive treatment including antibiotics, antigangrenous serum, and treatment of all accompanied diseases and disorders can be successful. Treatment also includes debridement and plastic corrections. Authors describe management of 8 patients with FG. Treatment of FG and all accompanied diseases was in all cases successful. Treatment costs of this kind of patients were approximately 20 times higher than treatment of patients with other urologic diseases. | 10.1023/a:1019554327341 |
pubmed_667_1941 | The use of classic anti-psychotic drugs in the long-term treatment of schizophrenia is associated with risk for extrapyramidal side-effects, such as akathisia, parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesia (TD). Approximately 5-10% of European Caucasians lack the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP2D6 (so-called poor metabolizers; PM), which normally metabolizes several drugs including many neuroleptics. PM subjects may achieve high or toxic plasma levels upon standard drug therapy. In this study we have examined 100 subjects from the Nithsdale cohort of schizophrenic patients in South-west Scotland receiving long-term neuroleptic medication, which enabled us to perform both a cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation of extrapyramidal side-effects in relation to the genetically impaired CYP2D6 metabolism. We identified ten (10%) schizophrenic subjects with the PM genotype. In the cross-sectional study, the prevalence of TD, parkinsonism and akathisia was 51%, 38% and 15%, respectively. Patients with TD or parkinsonism were significantly older than patients without these side-effects. In contrast, patients with akathisia were significantly younger than patients without akathisia. There was a non-significant tendency for PM subjects to have more severe ratings for TD and parkinsonism. In the long-term evaluation based on repeated ratings since 1981, there was a non-significant 3-fold higher frequency of PM subjects among schizophrenic patients with longitudinal TD, as compared with the group of patients with fluctuating or no TD. These results indicate that genetically impaired CYP2D6 metabolism may be a contributing factor for the development of persistent TD. | 10.1007/s002130050281 |
pubmed_904_16555 | Many studies have evaluated transmission abilities of laboratory-reared aphids for potato virus Y (PVY), but few have focused on PVY-harboring species of field-collected aphids and the strains of PVY harbored by aphids. In the present study, we collected alate aphids in yellow pan traps in potato fields with Japanese commercial cultivars in Hokkaido, northern Japan in single 24-h periods during the tuber bulking stage and examined whether individual whole aphids harbored PVY by nested RT-PCR. PVY-positive individuals were identified to species using the gene sequence for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and, when needed, morphological data and distribution records. In addition, individual strains of PVY harbored were determined using partial sequences of coat protein. Among 1,857 aphids trapped, 195 aphids had PVY and comprised 19 species; 17 species were identified to species-group taxa. Most of the aphid species detected as PVY positive colonize weeds that are common around potato fields in Hokkaido. Five species-group taxa had not been reported previously as a vector aphid of PVY and might be new PVY-vector species. PVYNTN was most frequently detected from PVY-positive aphids as found recently in PVY-infected potatoes in commercial fields in Hokkaido. Two or three PVY strains were rarely detected from a single aphid, and no obvious difference was found in the proportion of the harbored PVY strains among positive aphid species. The first documentation of the species composition of PVY-harboring aphids and the strains of PVY harbored in East Asia should aid understanding of the epidemiology of PVY in Japan. | 10.1093/jee/toy309 |
pubmed_664_9344 | BACKGROUND
We evaluated mean QRS duration improvement immediately after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), with a left bundle branch block (LBBB) pattern on electrocardiogram (ECG), owing to obligatory right ventricular pacing or as a new finding; and to what extent.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We tabulated ECGs of 18 subjects, 24 hours before and after receiving CRT, for both groups. The percentage decreases of QRS duration in all groups were statistically similar (p<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation (p<0.05) between age and the percentage of the QRS decrease.
CONCLUSIONS
The study showed a greater reduction in QRS duration with CRT for younger subjects. | 10.15420/ahhj.2011.9.1.41 |
pubmed_573_18253 | In Iceland every third individual is diagnosed with malignant disease; cancer being the cause of death in one out of four individuals with only cardiovascular diseases being more common cause of death. Approximately one third of cancer patients are diagnosed with lung metastases making the lungs one of the most common metastatic site. In some of these patients a metastasectomy is a treatment option with the intention of improving survival. In this evidence-based review, the indications and outcome of pulmonary metastasectomy are discussed. This review is aimed at doctors within different specialties where Icelandic studies on pulmonary metastasectomy are referred to. | 10.17992/lbl.2013.03.488 |
pubmed_893_7645 | Cell-associated ARGs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been concerned, however, cell-free ARGs in WWTPs was rarely studied. In this study, the abundances of four representative ARGs, sulII, tetC, blaPSE-1, and ermB, in a large municipal WWTP were investigated in both cell-associated and cell-free fractions. Cell-associated ARGs was the dominant ARGs fraction in the raw wastewater. After biological treatment, sludge settling, membrane filtration, and disinfection, cell-associated ARGs were substantially reduced, though the ratios of ARG/16S rRNA gene were increased with disinfection. Cell-free ARGs persisted in the WWTP with a removal of 0.36 log to 2.68 logs, which was much lower than the removal of cell-associated ARGs (3.21 logs to 4.14 logs). Therefore, the abundance ratio of cell-free ARGs to cell-associated ARGs increased from 0.04-1.59% to 2.00-1895.08% along the treatment processes. After 25-day-storage, cell-free ARGs in both biological effluent and disinfection effluent increased by 0.14 log to 1.99 logs and 0.12 log to 1.77 logs respectively, reflecting the persistence and low decay rate of cell-free ARGs in the discharge water. Therefore, cell-free ARGs might be a kind of important but previously neglected pollutant from WWTPs, which added potential risks to the effluent receiving environments. | 10.1021/acs.est.7b04283 |
pubmed_983_16449 | A laboratory study was performed to measure quartz in coal dust using high-flow rate samplers (CIP10-R, GK2.69 cyclone, and FSP10 cyclone) and low-flow rate samplers [10-mm nylon and Higgins-Dewell type (BGI4L) cyclones] and to determine whether an increased mass collection from high-flow rate samplers would affect the subsequent quartz measurement by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analytical procedures. Two different sizes of coal dusts, mass median aerodynamic diameter 4.48 μm (Coal Dust A) and 2.33 μm (Coal Dust B), were aerosolized in a calm air chamber. The mass of coal dust collected by the samplers was measured gravimetrically, while the mass of quartz collected by the samplers was determined by FTIR (NIOSH Manual of Analytical Method 7603) and XRD (NIOSH Manual of Analytical Method 7500) after one of two different indirect preparations. Comparisons between high-flow rate samplers and low-flow rate samplers were made by calculating mass concentration ratios of coal dusts, net mass ratios of coal dusts, and quartz net mass. Mass concentrations of coal dust from the FSP10 cyclone were significantly higher than those from other samplers and mass concentrations of coal dust from 10-mm nylon cyclone were significantly lower than those from other samplers, while the CIP10-R, GK2.69, and BGI4L samplers did not show significant difference in the comparison of mass concentration of coal dusts. The BGI4L cyclone showed larger mass concentration of ∼9% compared to the 10-mm nylon cyclone. All cyclones provided dust mass concentrations that can be used in complying with the International Standard Organization standard for the determination of respirable dust concentration. The amount of coal dust collected from the high-flow rate samplers was found to be higher with a factor of 2-8 compared to the low-flow rate samplers but not in direct proportion of increased flow rates. The high-flow rate samplers collected more quartz compared to low-flow rate samplers in the range of 2-10. There was no significant difference between the per cent (%) quartz in coal dust between the FTIR and XRD analyses. The findings of this study indicated that the increased mass of quartz collected with high-flow rate samplers would provide precise analytical results (i.e. significantly above the limit of detection and/or limit of quantification) compared to the mass collected with low-flow rate samplers, especially in environments with low concentrations of quartz or where short sampling times are desired. | 10.1093/annhyg/mer111 |
pubmed_139_16962 | Non-confluent cell cultures were exposed to both guanidine and guanidine-EDTA extracts of cementum, dentine and alveolar bone, at concentrations from 2 to 50 micrograms/ml for 48 h. The cells were radioactively labelled during the last 24 h. Total protein production was measured via incorporation of radioactive proline; collagen production was estimated by digestion of the radioactive protein mixture with bacterial collagenase. All guanidine-EDTA extracts elicited statistically-significant increases in total protein production when compared to controls. At 50 micrograms/ml of extract, the increase in protein production was 340, 143 and 338 per cent for bone, cementum and dentine, respectively. Similar results were obtained for collagen production. Guanidine-EDTA extracts also stimulated an increase in the production of specific proteins, as ascertained by gel electrophoresis. In contrast, the guanidine extracts had no effect on either protein or collagen production. Thus the functions of gingival fibroblasts can be altered by proteins from associated mineralized tissues. Identification of such proteins and their biological functions would enhance knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate connective-tissue regeneration. | 10.1016/0003-9969(87)90101-4 |
pubmed_916_2910 | BACKGROUND
The UK Department of Health in 2008 established the Organ Donation Taskforce to improve organ donation within the UK. Knowing how nurses can best support families during this time is important to maintain best practice.
AIMS
The purpose of the literature review was to summarise evidence related to nursing support for a dying patient's family with the option of organ donation.
SEARCH STRATEGY
The (a) Allied Medical Education Database (AMED), (b) British Nursing Index (BNI), (c) Cochrane Library, (d) Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), (e) NHS Evidence, and (f) PubMed were searched during January to May 2013 using the key words: organ donation, nurse, support, organ donor, family. A total of 23 articles were critiqued to synthesise available evidence over 25 years.
INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA
Primary sources addressing deceased organ donors, their families and nurses, written in English, in peer reviewed journals over the last 25 years and conducted internationally were included. Articles related to consent, attitudes towards donation and physicians' views were excluded.
FINDINGS
Two major themes emerged: (a) clarity of communication and understanding of information and (b) the nurse's competency.
CONCLUSIONS
This study adds to the topic by addressing support needed by a family. Correct information given to a family clearly, sensitively and in a professional manner can accommodate relatives' understanding why their loved one is in a critical condition, which can help them accept death and therefore consider the option of organ donation. Nurses must acquire through regular training specific skills and knowledge in order to practice efficiently and adhere to the needs of a dying patient's family.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
By incorporating organ donation as a norm in end-of-life care, bereavement needs can be addressed in addition to improving organ donation rates. | 10.1111/nicc.12183 |
pubmed_324_7876 | BACKGROUND
1-{4-[Bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]phenyl}-3-[2-methyl-5-(4-methylacridin-9-ylamino)phenyl]urea (BO-1051) is an N-mustard DNA alkylating agent reported to exhibit antitumor activity. Here we further investigate the effects of this compound on radiation responses of human gliomas, which are notorious for the high resistance to radiotherapy.
METHODS
The clonogenic assay was used to determine the IC50 and radiosensitivity of human glioma cell lines (U87MG, U251MG and GBM-3) following BO-1051. DNA histogram and propidium iodide-Annexin V staining were used to determine the cell cycle distribution and the apoptosis, respectively. DNA damage and repair state were determined by γ-H2AX foci, and mitotic catastrophe was measure using nuclear fragmentation. Xenograft tumors were measured with a caliper, and the survival rate was determined using Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS
BO-1051 inhibited growth of human gliomas in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Using the dosage at IC50, BO-1051 significantly enhanced radiosensitivity to different extents [The sensitizer enhancement ratio was between 1.24 and 1.50 at 10% of survival fraction]. The radiosensitive G2/M population was raised by BO-1051, whereas apoptosis and mitotic catastrophe were not affected. γ-H2AX foci was greatly increased and sustained by combined BO-1051 and γ-rays, suggested that DNA damage or repair capacity was impaired during treatment. In vivo studies further demonstrated that BO-1051 enhanced the radiotherapeutic effects on GBM-3-beared xenograft tumors, by which the sensitizer enhancement ratio was 1.97. The survival rate of treated mice was also increased accordingly.
CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that BO-1051 can effectively enhance glioma cell radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. It suggests that BO-1051 is a potent radiosensitizer for treating human glioma cells. | 10.1186/1748-717X-6-7 |
pubmed_448_22742 | An excess proton in a hydrogen-bonded system enhances the strength of hydrogen bonds of the surrounding molecules. The extent of this influence can be a measure of the number of molecules effectively solvating the excess proton. Such extent in methanol has been discussed by the observation of the π-hydrogen-bonded OH stretch bands of the terminal sites of protonated methanol clusters, H+(methanol), in benzene solutions, and it has been concluded that ∼8 molecules effectively solvate the excess proton (Stoyanov et al., Chem. Eur. J. 2008, 14, 3596-3604). In the present study, we performed infrared spectroscopy of H+(methanol)-benzene clusters in the gas phase. The cluster size and hydrogen-bonded network structure are identified by the tandem mass spectrometric technique and the comparison of the observed infrared spectra with density functional theory calculations. Though changes of the preferred hydrogen bond network type occur with the increase of cluster size in the gas phase clusters, the observed size dependence of the π-hydrogen bonded OH frequency agrees well with that in the benzene solutions. This means that the observations in both the gas and condensed phases catch the same physical essence of the excess proton solvation by methanol. | 10.1039/d1cp04689f |
pubmed_1015_9889 | The technique of isoelectric focusing (IEF) in ultra-thin polyacrylamide gels as a method of phenotyping erythrocyte acid phosphatase (EAP) has been applied to a large number of red cell lysate and dried bloodstains. This paper presents the results of this study and discusses some features of the IEF patterns and problems with their interpretation. The IEF patterns of several rare EAP phenotypes are also described. These studies have confirmed that IEF is more sensitive than starch gel electrophoresis as a method of phenotyping EAP in dried bloodstains. | 10.1016/0379-0738(81)90141-9 |
pubmed_13_14382 | PURPOSE
Given that out-of-pocket (OOP) costs impact adherence to treatment and recent and proposed changes to the health insurance system that impact OOP costs, it is imperative to understand the OOP cost burden faced by individuals with anxiety disorders depending upon type of insurance coverage. The objective of this study was to determine the annual OOP cost burden faced by individuals with anxiety disorders and the variation of these costs by type of insurance coverage.
METHODS
Using weighted nationally representative data from the 2011-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, total OOP health care costs were assessed for all respondents who indicated that they had an anxiety disorder (N = 9985). Total OOP health care costs were also calculated separately by type of insurance.
RESULTS
Average annual OOP costs among individuals with anxiety was $1152. The highest OOP cost were incurred by individuals with private fee-for-service (FFS) insurance ($1356/year, 4.1% of annual income), while individuals enrolled in HMOs with dual Medicare/Medicaid had the lowest OOP cost ($129/year, 6.8% of annual income). Individuals without insurance had high OOP cost burden ($1309/year, 12.5% of annual income).
CONCLUSION
Individuals with anxiety disorders have a wide range of OOP cost depending upon their insurance coverage. Those with anxiety should carefully consider their choice of insurance coverage if interested in minimizing OOP costs. | 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.06.003 |
others_314_177152 | The recent Monkeypox outbreak showed the importance of studying the basic biology of orthopoxviruses. However, the transcriptome of its causative agent has not been investigated before neither with short-, nor with long-read sequencing approaches. This Oxford Nanopore long-read RNA-Sequencing dataset fills this gap. Our direct cDNA and native RNA sequencing data enable the in-depth characterization of the transcriptomic architecture and dynamics of the gene expressions of monkeypox virus; and also the deeper understanding of the changes it causes in the host cells on a transcriptome level | 10.1101/2022.11.28.518226 |
pubmed_263_2065 | Appropriate exercise is the effective way for the prevention and treatment of heart diseases. Its mechanism has not been completely elucidated, and the safe and effective exercise prescription needs to be studied systematically. Exercises give rise to secretion of various cell factors, effective stem cell mobilization, physiological hypertrophy and differentiation and proliferation of cardiomyocytes. The cell sources of adult cardiomyocyte proliferation included viable cardiomyocytes, cardiac stem/progenitor cells, bone marrow stem cells, peripheral stem cells. Stem cell mobilization, homing and differentiation are the cellular basis of myocardial repair after injury. From the potential of cardiomyocyte proliferation, stem cell therapy after myocardial infarction and cardiac myocyte proliferation induced by exercise, this review focused on the stem cells mobilization promoted by aerobic exercise, the possible mechanism of cardiac repair and functional amelioration induced by the differentiation of those stem cells after myocardial infarction, the problems remained to be further studied and correlative research progress. | pubmed_263_2065 |
pubmed_518_11366 | BACKGROUND
The ability to reliably detect heavy alcohol use is important in both clinical and research populations. The current study evaluates the utility of the newest method of measuring carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) in monitoring the abstinence during a treatment outcome study.
METHODS
Blood from 40 alcohol dependent individuals was obtained at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 of treatment. Differences in percent of baseline GGT and %CDT levels were analyzed in people who remained abstinent throughout treatment (abstainers) and in those who consumed alcohol during treatment (drinkers).
RESULTS
There was a significant decrease in the percent of baseline %CDT levels in the subjects who abstained at week 4 and a trend at weeks 8 and 12. Conversely, there were no significant differences in percent of baseline GGT levels between drinkers and abstainers at any time point.
CONCLUSIONS
Although small in nature, this study provides preliminary evidence for the use of the relatively new Biorad %CDT assay to monitor drinking status during treatment outcome studies. This study is also consistent with previously reported findings that GGT appears to be less sensitive than %CDT in detecting the consumption of alcohol. A larger trial focusing on sex differences in the utility of % CDT to monitor outcome would be of interest. | pubmed_518_11366 |
others_247_13639 | The relation between oxalic acid production in liquid broth and in infected apple tissue during virulence assays was determined for Michigan and Italian strains of Cryphonectria parasitica with or without cytoplasmic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). Two strains without dsRNA and considered virulent produced more oxalic acid in broth than did their dsRNA-containing near-isogenic counterparts. In contrast, five dsRNA-containing strains produced more oxalic acid per gram of infected apple fruit than did the dsRNA-free strains even though the lesion size produced by most of the dsRNA-containing strains was relatively small when compared to their dsRNA-free counterparts. One dsRNA-containing isolate (M14), judged virulent, produced a relatively large lesion in the apple fruit virulence assay, but oxalic acid production by this strain was similar to that of dsRNA-free virulent strains in both culture and apple fruit. Thus, the presence of dsRNA did not consistently confer avirulence, and the amount of oxalic acid production was positively associated with virulence only in broth, not in diseased plant tissue. © 1993 Academic Press, I | 10.1006/pmpp.1993.1072 |
pubmed_871_1800 | BACKGROUND
Recently, activation of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells have been thought to be associated with liver fibrosis. The present study investigated the kinetics of these cells and the numeric relationship in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced rat liver cirrhosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Macrophages and myofibroblasts were observed with immunohistochemistry and mast cells were detected by toluidine blue.
RESULTS
Mast cells increased in proportion to the development of fibrosis with a maximum number on week 14. The numbers of macrophages and myofibroblasts increased during weeks 0 to 10 but decreased from weeks 12 to 14.
CONCLUSION
The numbers of macrophages and myofibroblasts increased in the development of fibrosis but decreased when cirrhosis was induced. However, mast cells increased in both. Therefore, there was a numerical relationship among the numbers of macrophages, myofibroblasts and mast cells in liver fibrosis but none between the former two cells and the mast cells in liver cirrhosis. | pubmed_871_1800 |
pubmed_162_499 | We introduce a new concept for the solution-based fabrication of conductive gold nanowires using DNA templates. To this end, we employ DNA nanomolds, inside which electroless gold deposition is initiated by site-specific attached seeds. Using programmable interfaces, individual molds self-assemble into micrometer-long mold superstructures. During subsequent internal gold deposition, the mold walls constrain the metal growth, such that highly homogeneous nanowires with 20-30 nm diameters are obtained. Wire contacting using electron-beam lithography and electrical conductance characterization at temperatures between 4.2 K and room temperature demonstrate that metallic conducting wires were produced, although for part of the wires, the conductance is limited by boundaries between gold grains. Using different mold designs, our synthesis scheme will, in the future, allow the fabrication of complex metal structures with programmable shapes. | 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00344 |
pubmed_1142_13035 | Histamine is metabolized by several enzymes in vitro and in vivo. The relevance of this metabolism in the mammalian heart in vivo is unclear. However, histamine can exert positive inotropic effects (PIE) and positive chronotropic effects (PCE) in humans via H2-histamine receptors. In transgenic mice (H2-TG) that overexpress the human H2 receptor in cardiomyocytes but not in wild-type littermate mice (WT), histamine induced PIE and PCE in isolated left or right atrial preparations. These H2-TG were used to investigate the putative relevance of histamine degrading enzymes in the mammalian heart. Histidine, the precursor of histamine, increased force of contraction (FOC) in human atrial preparations. Moreover, histamine increased the phosphorylation state of phospholamban in human atrium. Here, we could detect histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and histamine itself in cardiomyocytes of mouse hearts. Moreover, our data indicate that histamine is subject to degradation in the mammalian heart. Inhibition of the histamine metabolizing enzymes diamine oxidase (DAO) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) shifted the concentration response curves for the PIE in H2-TG atria to the left. Moreover, activity of histamine metabolizing enzymes was present in mouse cardiac samples as well as in human atrial samples. Thus, drugs used for other indication (e.g. antidepressants) can alter histamine levels in the heart. Our results deepen our understanding of the physiological role of histamine in the mouse and human heart. Our findings might be clinically relevant because we show enzyme targets for drugs to modify the beating rate and force of the human heart. | 10.3389/fphar.2021.582916 |
pubmed_697_4285 | Biogas or biomethane is traditionally produced via anaerobic digestion, or recently by thermochemical or a combination of thermochemical and biological processes via syngas (CO and H2) fermentation. However, many of the feedstocks have recalcitrant structure and are difficult to digest (e.g., lignocelluloses or keratins), or they have toxic compounds (such as fruit flavors or high ammonia content), or not digestible at all (e.g., plastics). To overcome these challenges, innovative strategies for enhanced and economically favorable biogas production were proposed in this review. The strategies considered are commonly known physical pretreatment, rapid decompression, autohydrolysis, acid- or alkali pretreatments, solvents (e.g. for lignin or cellulose) pretreatments or leaching, supercritical, oxidative or biological pretreatments, as well as combined gasification and fermentation, integrated biogas production and pretreatment, innovative biogas digester design, co-digestion, and bio-augmentation. | 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.11.083 |
pubmed_613_20274 | The fossil record documents the morphological and anatomical changes that have occurred over more than 400 million years of land plant evolution. Many of these changes can be interpreted, and even predicted, on the basis of standard engineering principles pertaining to mechanical stability, hydraulics, and the rescaling of form to maintain a constant level of performance or function. Theoretically based hypotheses, constructed using modern computer technology, can be compared with the major trends seen in the evolution of land plants and so provide insights into the factors motivating morphological and anatomical changes during the Phanerozoic. | 10.1016/0169-5347(86)90020-0 |
pubmed_579_11472 | Ionizing radiation is recognized to be one of the main health concerns for humans in the space radiation environment. Estimation of space radiation effects on health requires the accurate knowledge of the accumulated absorbed dose, which depends on the global space radiation distribution, solar cycle and local shielding generated by the 3D mass distribution of the space vehicle. This paper presents an overview of the spectrometer-dosimeters of the Liulin type, which were developed in the late 1980s and have been in use since then. Two major measurement systems have been developed by our team. The first one is based on one silicon detector and is known as a Liulin-type deposited energy spectrometer (DES) (Dachev et al., 2002, 2003), while the second one is a dosimetric telescope (DT) with two or three silicon detectors. The Liulin-type instruments were calibrated using a number of radioactive sources and particle accelerators. The main results of the calibrations are presented in the paper. In the last section of the paper some of the most significant scientific results obtained in space and on aircraft, balloon and rocket flights since 1989 are presented. | pubmed_579_11472 |
pubmed_973_23578 | Patients with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke. There is indirect evidence that agonists of PPARgamma could reduce macrovascular complications. PROactive Study was conducted to ascertain whether pioglitazone reduces macrovascular morbidity and mortality in high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes. Subjects were 5,238 patients with type 2 diabetes who had evidence of macrovascular disease. Subjects were assigned patients to oral pioglitazone titrated from 15 mg to 45 mg (n=2,605) or matching placebo (n=2,633), to be taken in addition to their glucose-lowering drugs and other medications. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, acute coronary syndrome, endovascular or surgical intervention in the coronary or leg arteries, and amputation above the ankle. Analysis was by intention to treat. The average time of observation was 34.5 months. 514 of 2,605 patients in the pioglitazone group and 572 of 2,633 patients in the placebo group had at least one event in the primary composite endpoint (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.80-1.02, p=0.095). The main secondary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and stroke. 301 patients in the pioglitazone group and 358 in the placebo group reached this endpoint (0.84, 0.72-0.98, p=0.027). Thus, pioglitazone reduced the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes who have a high risk of macrovascular events. PERISCOPE Study, double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial in 543 patients with coronary disease and type 2 diabetes, was conducted to find out the reasons why pioglitazone demonstrated the anti-atherosclerotic action. A total of 543 patients underwent coronary intravascular ultrasonography and were randomized to receive glimepiride, 1 to 4 mg, or pioglitazone, 15 to 45 mg, for 18 months with titration to maximum dosage, if tolerated. Atherosclerosis progression was measured by repeat intravascular ultrasonography examination. As far as the change in percent atheroma volume (PAV) from baseline to study completion is concerned, mean PAV increased 0.73% (95% CI, 0.33-1.12%) with glimepiride and decreased 0.16% (95% CI, -0.57-0.25%) with pioglitazone (p=0.002). Thus, in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, treatment with pioglitazone resulted in a significantly lower rate of progression of coronary atherosclerosis compared with glimepiride. | pubmed_973_23578 |
pubmed_928_9655 | We retrospectively studied 42 men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma of the conjunctiva or eyelids who were treated with radiation. Forty-nine sites were treated, 35 (71%) of which involved the eyelids, 12 (24%) the conjunctiva, and two (4%) both the eyelids and conjunctiva. Group 1 consisted of 31 sites treated with a single dose of 800 cGy and group 2 consisted of 18 sites treated with a multiple-fraction regimen and total doses between 1500 and 3600 cGy. The response and recurrence rates in the two groups were similar. One patient from group 2 died within 1 month of treatment and was not included in the analysis. The lesions improved in all cases. A complete response was obtained in 10 (32%) of the 31 lesions in group 1, compared with four (22%) of 18 lesions in group 2. A partial response was obtained in 21 (68%) of 31 lesions in group 1, compared with 13 (72%) of 18 lesions in group 2. Expected minor reactions in the treatment field, primarily loss of cilia, were comparable in the two groups. No serious complications were noted. Recurrence occurred in seven (22%) of the 31 sites in group 1 (six patients) and seven (39%) of the 18 sites in group 2 (six patients). The results suggest that a single treatment of 800 cGy is a safe and effective palliative therapy for ophthalmic acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma. | 10.1001/archopht.1992.01080220085027 |
pubmed_69_10408 | New drugs for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis are urgently needed. A number of 2-aminopyrazines/2-aminopyridines were identified as promising leads following a focused screen of 5,500 compounds for Trypanosoma brucei subsp. brucei viability. Described compounds are trypanotoxic in the submicromolar range and show comparably low cytotoxicity on representative mammalian cell lines. Specifically, 6-([6-fluoro-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-4-yl)]oxy)-N-(piperidin-4-yl)pyrazin-2-amine (CBK201352) is trypanotoxic for T. brucei subsp. brucei, T. brucei subsp. gambiense, and T. brucei subsp. rhodesiense and is nontoxic to mammalian cell lines, and in vitro preclinical assays predict promising pharmacokinetic parameters. Mice inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 25 mg/kg CBK201352 twice daily for 10 days, starting on the day of infection with T. brucei subsp. brucei, show complete clearance of parasites for more than 90 days. Thus, CBK201352 and related analogs are promising leads for the development of novel treatments for human African trypanosomiasis. | 10.1128/AAC.01870-12 |
pubmed_944_14517 | CONTEXT
Major advances have been made in our understanding of the phenomenology and course of grief in adults. However, little is known about the course of grief in children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
We report on the course of children's and adolescents' grief reactions after sudden parental death and the effect of those reactions on subsequent psychiatric and functional status.
DESIGN
Longitudinal study (July 1, 2002, through January 16, 2007) of bereaved children, adolescents, and families, with yearly comprehensive assessments as long as 3 years after parental death.
SETTING
Bereaved children and adolescents and their surviving parents recruited through coroners' records and a newspaper advertisement.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 182 parentally bereaved children and adolescents aged 7 through 18 years whose parent died due to suicide, unintentional injury, or sudden natural causes.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Grief, functional impairment, and incident depression.
RESULTS
Three distinct trajectories of grief reactions were observed in the study participants. In 1 group, which consisted of 10.4% of the sample, grief reactions showed no change 33 months after death. Children and adolescents with prolonged grief reactions had higher rates of previous personal history of depression. Prolonged grief made unique contributions to increased levels of functional impairment, even after controlling for the clinical characteristics before and after the death. Conversely, prolonged grief in children, adolescents, and the surviving caregiver predisposed children and adolescents to an increased hazard of incident depression. Another group (30.8%) showed increased grief reactions 9 months after the death, which gradually decreased over time. Despite this finding, grief reactions in this group also were associated with functional impairment and increased risk of incident depression.
CONCLUSIONS
Grief reactions abate over time for most children and adolescents bereaved by sudden parental death; however, a subset shows increased or prolonged grief reactions, which in turn increases the risk of functional impairment and depression. Research regarding interventions designed to relieve the burden of grief in bereaved children and adolescents are needed. Such efforts also should assess and address grief reactions in the surviving parent. | 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.101 |
pubmed_362_5220 | The Comal Springs riffle beetle Heterelmis comalensis Bosse, Tuff, and Brown is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rearing this species in captivity is important to maintaining a refuge which is a goal of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan. Although captive larval production has been observed for years, the production of larvae per female has been relatively unknown. Production chambers were constructed from PVC to house one female and male and the production of larvae was monitored ca. monthly until the female died. Females were found to be iteroparous and produced 29.3 ± 37.1 larvae. The number of larvae produced was found to be a function of female longevity rather than size. Other aspects of captive production and observations from the study are discussed. | 10.1093/jisesa/ieac024 |
pubmed_826_14938 | This paper addresses the problem of modelling longitudinal data describing patients' responses in clinical trials. In particular, a systematic approach relying on a system theoretic paradigm is proposed to deal with contexts where limited physiopathological knowledge is available on disease, drug response, and patients' characteristics. The model relies on the notion of patient's health state which summarizes the patient's condition. In order to cope with the limited number of clinical data usually available, the paper considers a very parsimonious realization where the two state variables are the clinical endpoint and its derivative. Within a population framework, the individual response is modelled as the sum of an individual shift and the average response of subjects belonging to the same study, both described as Markovian processes and identified by empirical Bayes techniques. The proposed approach is validated with experimental data from a Phase II, flexible-dose, depression trial. The dose changes due to the flexible-dose scheme are handled as perturbations on the state. The connection between inter-individual variability and model stability is evaluated showing that the introduction of stable poles helps to describe populations whose range of individual responses does not diverge with time. In this way, good individual fittings and visual predictive checks were obtained for the clinical data. The proposed analysis provides a systematic approach to semi-mechanistic modelling when a precise knowledge of the physiological mechanisms of the disease is incomplete or missing. | pubmed_826_14938 |
pubmed_210_7507 | The paradox between idle homesteads in rural areas and the shortage of construction land in urban areas is concerning. Hence, local governments encourage farmers to reclaim their idle homesteads and farmlands to generate quota. However, the current quota price, which is based on the land reclamation cost, is often inadequate to motivate farmers. This study proposed that the construction land quota and construction land are complementary items, and hence, their pricing should be studied simultaneously instead of independently. Therefore, the classical sequential auction model with complementarity was improved using the core characteristics of quota transactions and those were applied to design optimal pricing mechanisms. Subsequently, the influence of relevant factors on the bidding price was analysed. The results indicated that the bidding price decreases with an increase in the number of bidders and that a bidder's revenue is at a loss when they acquire the quota but fail to obtain the land; hence, the revenue probability is lost. However, bidding prices increase when the fine of delaying construction increases. To raise the quota price and encourage relatively more farmers to reclaim their idle homesteads, local governments should appropriately increase the delaying construction fines or repurchase the quota at a premium from the bidder who acquires the quota but fails to obtain the land, which is beneficial for easing conflict between construction land demands and farmland protection and for promoting the sustainable development of China's social economy. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0241397 |
pubmed_526_9605 | The AD 16-17(th) century skeletal series from Bácsalmás-Óalmás (southern Hungary) has already been the subject of previous paleopathological studies concerning TB-related bone lesions. Due to recent development of macroscopic and molecular diagnostic methods in paleopathology and paleomicrobiology, a five-year international research program was recently started in order to re-evaluate the TB-related lesions in the complete series, comprising 481 skeletons. The skeletal material of these individuals was examined using macromorphological methods focusing on both classical/advanced stage skeletal TB alterations and atypical/early-stage TB lesions. Paleomicrobial analysis was used to study the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) DNA both in morphologically positive and negative cases. Samples were tested for the repetitive element IS6110 and further characterized by spoligotyping. In the whole series, 283 possible cases of TB infections were identified based on morphological alterations. Skeletal samples of eighteen individuals, morphologically positive as well as negative cases, were selected for further biomolecular examinations. Among them, seven individuals were PCR positive for the repetitive IS6110 sequence of the MTBC genome. Compared to the few cases of TB from the Bácsalmás-Óalmás series previously described, a much higher prevalence of MTBC infected skeletons was revealed in this study. The atypical/early stage skeletal lesions occurred significantly more frequently than the so-called classical alterations. Paleomicrobial analysis confirmed a prevalence of MTBC infection nearing 40% among the selected sample. Preliminary results also indicated better preservation of bacterial DNA in the compact layer of long bones and teeth, while spoligotyping suggested infection by different MTBC pathogens. | pubmed_526_9605 |
pubmed_579_12225 | Kidney transplant patients (KTPs) have a potential tendency to develop oral lesions due to the administration of immunosuppressive drugs, but their prevalence is still obscure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the oral clinical findings in a group of renal transplant patients in comparison with ageand sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Three hundred KTPs who underwent transplantation at least six months earlier and 296 HCs were examined clinically for the presence of any oral lesions. Demographic and additional details regarding medications, systemic diseases and duration after transplantation were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, with significance set at P <0.05. The prevalence of oral lesions in KTPs was 56.8% as compared with 29.7% in HCs. The most common lesion observed in KTPs was gingival overgrowth (21.8%), followed by candidiasis (17.1%). Coated tongue (15.9%), followed by leukoplakia (11.3%), were common in HCs. Both gingival hyperplasia and coated tongue were significantly related to poor oral hygiene (P <0.05), but were not significantly related to the immunosuppressive therapy (P >0.05). The findings of the present study indicate the need for a routine and regular oral health check-up, with emphasis on maintenance of oral hygiene for renal transplant patients. | 10.4103/1319-2442.160128 |
pubmed_443_18000 | The ability of interleukin (IL)-12 to prevent tumors when administered to individuals with a genetic risk of cancer was studied in two lines of transgenic mice expressing rat HER-2/neu oncogene in the mammary gland. Female BALB/c (H-2(d)) mice carrying the activated HER-2/ neu oncogene show no morphological abnormalities of the mammary gland until 3 wk of age. They then progress through atypical hyperplasia to in situ lobular carcinoma and at 33 wk of age all 10 mammary glands display invasive carcinomas. Adult FVB mice (H-2(q)) carrying the HER-2/neu protooncogene develop mammary carcinomas with a longer latency (38-49 wk) and a lower multiplicity (mean of 2.6 tumors/mice). Treatment with IL-12 (5 daily intraperitoneal injections, 1 wk on, 3 wk off; the first course with 50 ng IL-12/day, the second with 100 ng IL-12/day) begun at 2 wk of age in BALB/c mice and at 21 wk of age in FVB mice markedly delayed tumor onset and reduced tumor multiplicity. Analogous results were obtained in immunocompetent and permanently CD8(+) T lymphocyte-depleted mice. In both transgenic lines, tumor inhibition was associated with mammary infiltration of reactive cells, production of cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and reduction in microvessel number, in combination with a high degree of hemorrhagic necrosis. | 10.1084/jem.188.3.589 |
pubmed_271_23352 | The paper develops an easy to apply desk-based semi-quantitative approach for the assessment of residual receiving water quality risks associated with urban surface runoff following its conveyance through best practice sustainable drainage systems (SUDS). The innovative procedure utilises an integrated geographical information system (GIS)-based pollution index approach based on surface area impermeability, runoff concentrations/loadings and individual SUDS treatment performance potential to evaluate the level of risk mitigation achievable by SUDS drainage infrastructure. The residual impact is assessed through comparison of the determined pollution index with regulatory receiving water quality standards and objectives. The methodology provides an original theoretically based procedure which complements the current acute risk assessment approaches being widely applied within pluvial flood risk management. | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.12.003 |
pubmed_290_18005 | The lack of nymph-adult associations limits our knowledge of the ecology, history and sensitivity of aquatic insects. In this study, the new species, Anacroneuria suerre sp. nov is described from Costa Rica based on the male, female, and nymphal stages. We briefly discuss the use of Plecoptera in ecotoxicological studies. | 10.11646/zootaxa.4608.2.9 |
pubmed_538_18979 | OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to assess the exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides in children from peri-urban areas of the Province of Quebec, Canada, through measurements of semi-specific alkylphosphate (AP) metabolites.
METHODS
Eighty-nine children aged between 3 and 7 years were recruited via pamphlets sent to day-care centers. A first morning urine void was collected early in the spring of 2003 prior to summertime, which is the usual period of outdoor pesticide use. During summertime, up to five more first morning voids were repeatedly collected, at 72-h intervals, over a 13-day period. The potential determinants of exposure were assessed by a questionnaire at the time of urine collection.
RESULTS
Methylphosphate metabolites were detectable in 98.2% of the 442 samples analyzed while ethylphosphates were detected in 86.7% of the samples. The geometric mean concentration (GM) of the total AP metabolites was 61.7 mug/g creatinine (range: 2.7-1967.3 mug/g creatinine). The difference in urinary AP concentrations between samples collected during spring and summer was non-significant (P=0.08). There was also no significant difference in the mean AP concentrations between summer samples of individuals living in municipalities where outdoor pesticide use is or is not restricted (P=0.25). However, the presence of a pet in the house was associated with an increase in AP concentrations during spraying season (P=0.02). Pesticides were seldom used, as reported by the questionnaire. A significant correlation was also observed (P<0.001) between the urinary AP concentrations in samples provided by siblings at the same time period.
CONCLUSIONS
Mean concentrations of AP were generally higher than those reported in other studies. The observed exposure apparently occurred mainly through the dietary ingestion of OP residues. These data raise questions on the levels of OP residues in Quebec food and the possibility that our participants consumed more fruits and vegetables than those in other studies. | 10.1007/s00420-006-0085-8 |
others_30_249 | The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an allotetraploid (AABB) species derived from the A-genome (Arachis duranensis) and B-genome (Arachis ipaensis) progenitors. Presence of two versions of a DNA sequence based on the two progenitor genomes poses a serious technical and analytical problem during single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker identification and analysis. In this context, we have analyzed 200 amplicons derived from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and genome survey sequences (GSS) to identify SNPs in a panel of genotypes consisting of 12 cultivated peanut varieties and two diploid progenitors representing the ancestral genomes. A total of 18 EST-SNPs and 44 genomic-SNPs were identified in 12 peanut varieties by aligning the sequence of A. hypogaea with diploid progenitors. The average frequency of sequence polymorphism was higher for genomic-SNPs than the EST-SNPs with one genomic-SNP every 1011 bp as compared to one EST-SNP every 2557 bp. In order to estimate the potential and further applicability of these identified SNPs, 96 peanut varieties were genotyped using high resolution melting (HRM) method. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values for EST-SNPs ranged between 0.021 and 0.413 with a mean of 0.172 in the set of peanut varieties, while genomic-SNPs ranged between 0.080 and 0.478 with a mean of 0.249. Total 33 SNPs were used for polymorphism detection among the parents and 10 selected lines from mapping population Y13Zh (Zhenzhuhei × Yueyou13). Of the total 33 SNPs, nine SNPs showed polymorphism in the mapping population Y13Zh, and seven SNPs were successfully mapped into five linkage groups. Our results showed that SNPs can be identified in allotetraploid peanut with high accuracy through amplicon sequencing and HRM assay. The identified SNPs were very informative and can be used for different genetic and breeding applications in peanut. © 2015 Hong, Pandey, Liu, Chen, Liu, Varshney, Liang and H | 10.3389/fpls.2015.01068 |
pubmed_558_15142 | OBJECTIVE
To determine whether placebo responses can be explained by characteristics of the patient, the practitioner, or their interpersonal interaction.
METHODS
We performed an analysis of videotape and psychometric data from a clinical trial of patients with irritable bowel syndrome who were treated with placebo acupuncture in either a warm empathic interaction (Augmented, n = 96), a neutral interaction (Limited, n = 97), or a waitlist control (Waitlist, n = 96). We examined the relationships between the placebo response and a) patient personality and demographics; b) treating practitioner; and c) the patient-practitioner interaction as captured on videotape and rated by the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set.
RESULTS
Patient extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and female gender were associated with placebo response, but these effects held only in the augmented group. Regression analyses controlling for all other independent variables suggest that only extraversion is an independent predictor of placebo response. There were significant differences between practitioners in outcomes; this effect was twice as large as the effect attributable to treatment group assignment. Videotape analysis indicated that the augmented group fostered a treatment relationship similar to a prototype of an ideal healthcare interaction.
CONCLUSIONS
Personality and gender influenced the placebo response, but only in the warm, empathic, augmented group. This suggests that, to the degree a placebo effect is evoked by the patient-practitioner relationship, personality characteristics of the patient will be associated with the placebo response. In addition, practitioners differed markedly in effectiveness, despite standardized interactions. We propose that the quality of the patient-practitioner interaction accounts for the significant difference between the groups in placebo response. | 10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181acee12 |
pubmed_153_20404 | Mutations in the gene PSEN2 are a rare cause of early onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD). PSEN2 sequence variants are often only found in one patient and pathogenicity cannot be formally documented. Here we describe a previously unrecognized sequence change (c.376G>A) in PSEN2 in an EOAD patient and her likewise affected mother. This change results in the exchange of amino acid glutamic acid (E) by lysine (K) at position 126 of the protein (p.E126K). Pathogenicity of the mutation is shown by segregation with disease, evolutionary conservation of E126, and in silico analysis of the mutation. | 10.3233/JAD-140399 |
pubmed_680_23079 | China is recognized as the largest energy consumer and is also the country with the largest and fastest-aging population. Ongoing demographic changes may reshape China's household-based energy consumption patterns because of the large gap in consumption behavior between the elderly and the young as well as varying attitudes toward the environment among generations. However, when the impact of China's aging population on energy consumption is projected, the heterogeneous cognitive norms of generations in the process of demographic transition are not well understood. In this study, we assessed the future impact of China's demographic transition on energy consumption using a proposed theoretical framework to distinguish between age and generational effects. Specifically, we used age-period-cohort (APC) detrended analysis to estimate age and generational effects based on China's urban household survey data from 1992 to 2015. The results indicated large differences in energy use propensity across ages and generations. The elderly and younger generations tended to be energy-intensive consumers, resulting in higher energy consumption in this aging society. Our results consequently show that future changes in China's elderly population will result in a substantial increase in energy consumption. By 2050, the changing consumption share of the elderly population will account for ∼17 to 26% of total energy consumption in the residential sector, which is close to 115 million tons of standard coal (Mtce). These findings highlight the need to interlace environmental education policies and demographic transitions to promote energy conservation behavior in children and youth for low-carbon, sustainable development. | 10.1073/pnas.2210853119 |
pubmed_597_16697 | The relative importance of ecological selection and geographical isolation in promoting and constraining genetic and phenotypic differentiation among populations is not always obvious. Interacting with divergent selection, restricted opportunity for gene flow may in some cases be as much a cause as a consequence of adaptation, with the latter being a hallmark of ecological speciation. Ecological speciation is well studied in parts of the native range of the three-spined stickleback. Here, we study this process in a recently invaded part of its range. Switzerland was colonized within the past 140 years from at least three different colonization events involving different stickleback lineages. They now occupy diverse habitats, ranging from small streams to the pelagic zone of large lakes. We use replicated systems of parapatric lake and stream populations, some of which trace their origins to different invasive lineages, to ask (i) whether phenotypic divergence occurred among populations inhabiting distinct habitats, (ii) whether trajectories of phenotypic divergence follow predictable parallel patterns and (iii) whether gene flow constrains divergent adaptation or vice versa. We find consistent phenotypic divergence between populations occupying distinct habitats. This involves parallel evolution in several traits with known ecological relevance in independent evolutionary lineages. Adaptive divergence supersedes homogenizing gene flow even at a small spatial scale. We find evidence that adaptive phenotypic divergence places constraints on gene flow over and above that imposed by geographical distance, signalling the early onset of ecological speciation. | 10.1111/jeb.12267 |
pubmed_1053_19691 | A 4-yr-old girl with a ganglioglioma involving the cerebellum and pons presented with CO2 retention and arterial O2 desaturation during wakefulness and sleep. Despite the presence of a regular respiratory pattern during wakefulness, NREM sleep was associated with the appearance of a sustained periodic respiratory pattern characterized by clusters of usually two breaths separated by an 8 to 10-s expiratory pause. At sleep onset, this Biot's respiratory pattern appeared immediately after a sigh. Breathing frequency during NREM sleep became regular with administration of supplemental O2 and an attendant increase in end-tidal CO2. Shortly after withdrawal of supplemental O2 during NREM sleep, the periodic pattern resumed and was again immediately preceded by a sigh. The observations during NREM sleep in this patient with a central nervous system abnormality indicate that Biot's type respiratory pattern may be reversed by administration of supplemental oxygen. The results in this patient suggest: (1) the presence of a very elevated CO2 apnea threshold, and (2) that the pons may play a role in determining the effect of hypercapnic hypoxia on respiratory pattern during sleep. | 10.1164/ajrccm/142.4.880 |
pubmed_507_24209 | The plasmid vector pLIV11 is used commonly to achieve liver-specific expression of genes of interest in transgenic mice and rabbits. Expression is driven by the human apolipoprotein (apo)E 5' proximal promoter, which includes 5 kb of upstream sequence, exon 1, intron 1, and 5 bp of exon 2. A 3.8 kb 3' hepatic control region, derived from a region approximately 18 kb downstream of the apoE gene, enhances liver-specific expression. Here, we report that cDNA sequences inserted into the multiple cloning site (MCS) of pLIV11, which is positioned just downstream of truncated exon 2, can cause exon 2 skipping. Hence, splicing is displaced to downstream cryptic 3' splice acceptor sites causing deletion of cloned 5' untranslated mRNA sequences and, in some cases, deletion of the 5' end of an open reading frame. To prevent use of cryptic splice sites, the pLIV11 vector was modified with an engineered 3' splice acceptor site inserted immediately downstream of truncated apoE exon 2. Presence of this sequence fully shifted splicing of exon 1 from the native intron 1-exon 2 splice acceptor site to the engineered site. This finding confirmed that sequences inserted into the MCS of the vector pLIV11 can affect exon 2 recognition and provides a strategy to protect cloned sequences from alternative splicing and possible attenuation of transgenic expression. | 10.1194/jlr.D002709 |
pubmed_435_5149 | OBJECTIVE
To determine the lesion distribution patterns in different breeds of dogs affected by atopic dermatitis in South Australia.
METHODS
The presence or absence of erythematous skin lesions in 267 cases of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) was recorded across 36 anatomical sites. Breeds represented by ≥ 9 dogs were included in the analysis. The percentage of dogs showing lesions at each of the body sites was calculated and illustrated on colour-coded diagrams. Variations in affected body sites within and between breeds were compared using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and Dunn's multiple comparison tests.
RESULTS
The prevalence of skin lesions at different body sites differed significantly both in the population as a whole and within breeds. The sites affected in ≥ 75% dogs were the dorsal and ventral aspects of the front and hind paws. The sites affected in 50-74% were the medial pinnae, axillae, ventral chest, abdomen and perineum. Sites affected in 25-49% of dogs included the face, periocular region and forelimb. Remaining body sites were affected in < 25% of dogs. Analysis at the breed level revealed some differences from this standard distribution pattern.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study confirmed the typical lesion distributions seen in CAD and highlighted some subtle differences in breeds commonly seen in South Australia. This will be useful for clinical practitioners in prioritising differential diagnoses for pruritic skin conditions. | 10.1111/avj.12828 |
pubmed_1119_8874 | Twenty-six female adult New Zealand white rabbits underwent surgical denervation of a gracilis muscle to study the possibility of developing an autologous neosphincter innervated by the pudendal nerve. The study was conducted in 2 phases. In both Phase I and Phase II, the study group had the motor nerve to the gracilis, a branch of the obturator nerve and the pudendal nerve coapted in the perineum. The control group was left denervated. In Phase I, all muscle flaps were wrapped around the urogenital sinus. In Phase II, the muscle flaps were returned to their anatomic location. With bulbocavernosus reflex testing, 89% of the reinnervated group and 60% of the denervated group from Phase I and 86% of the reinnervated group and none of the denervated group from Phase II had a contractile response in the muscle flap. In Phase II, histologic examination of the gracilis muscle was suggestive of an early change in muscle myofiber physiology from fast twitch to slow twitch in the reinnervated group only. In the rabbit, a transplanted vascularized muscle flap, cross-innervated by the pudendal nerve has a reproducible response to bulbocavernosus reflex testing. This suggests that a transplanted muscle might be able to assume some of the characteristics of the voluntary urinary sphincter. The rabbit is a useful model in which to investigate the potential of the heterotopic neosphincter. | pubmed_1119_8874 |
pubmed_505_19868 | RATIONALE
Buspirone produces inconsistent effects in laboratory rodents. Individual housing increases the efficacy of buspirone in male rats, suggesting that the effects of this (and other) compounds become conspicuous in animals showing anxiety-like states. The effect of individual housing was, however, weak, and evident only when the locomotor suppressive effects of buspirone dissipated (i.e. 4 h after treatment).
OBJECTIVES
The effects of social instability, a recently developed model of social stress in female rats, was investigated on both anxiety and the anxiolytic efficacy of buspirone.
METHODS
Female rats were exposed to alternate days of isolation and moderate crowding for 2 weeks. Group composition was changed for each crowding phase. Basal anxiety and the anxiolytic efficacy of buspirone were assessed by the social interaction test of anxiety 24 h after the last crowding phase.
RESULTS
Crowding appeared stressful, as it increased plasma glucocorticoid levels in less than 1 h. Anxiety-like behaviours were increased by social instability compared with stable group housing. In group housed controls, buspirone markedly suppressed locomotion, without clear effects on anxiety-related behaviours. Social instability attenuated the locomotor suppressive effects of buspirone, but made the anxiolytic effects of the compound more conspicuous. The effects of individual housing (assessed earlier) and social instability (assessed here) on buspirone efficacy appear qualitatively different.
CONCLUSIONS
Buspirone abolishes stress-induced anxiety, but has no anxiolytic effects in controls. This is consistent with clinical findings, as the drug decreases anxiety in anxious patients but not in healthy humans. Laboratory models involving stress-induced anxiety-like states can improve our understanding of drug effects and efficacy. | 10.1007/s00213-003-1746-x |
pubmed_1015_7020 | Fifteen of 146 (10%) adult patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showed clinical and pathologic evidence of involvement of the central nervous system (CNS): in 6 patients, the CNS lymphoma was present at the onset of disease, in 3 of them it was the only sign detected. In the remaining 9 cases, CNS involvement appeared during the course of systemic disease. In all cases symptoms related to infiltration of the CNS were associated with advanced disease (stage IV); bone marrow or bone involvement was found in 9 patients (60%). The histologic subtypes were mostly of high-grade malignancy according to the Kiel classification: immunoblastic (3), centroblastic (3), Burkitt type (2), lymphoblastic (1), LP immunocytoma in polymorphic variant (3), unclassifiable (3). The prominent signs and symptoms of CNS lymphoma are listed: the cranial nerve palsies are the most common finding. The principal means of detecting CNS involvement are discussed: cerebrospinal fluid cytology, brain scan and CAT scan were the most useful diagnostic procedures. The reported data allow identification of patients at high risk of CNS lymphoma: this includes histologies of high-grade malignancy, advanced stage of disease, and bone marrow or bone infiltration. Therefore, either intensive systemic chemotherapy or CNS prophylaxis are recommended for patients with high risk of CNS disease. | 10.1177/030089168106700108 |
pubmed_328_20490 | OBJECTIVES
To describe a single centre experience using combination therapy with rituximab (RTX) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in a prospective series of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with pulmonary and cutaneous involvement, rapidly progressive or resistant to conventional therapy.
METHODS
RTX was administered in two different regimens (1000 mg fortnightly x 2 or 375 mg/m2/week for 4 consecutive weeks) at baseline and after 6 months, associated with MMF 2000 mg/day continuously. Cutaneous fibrosis was evaluated assessing modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) and pulmonary involvement was evaluated performing pulmonary function tests, diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). The radiological extension of the interstitial lung disease (ILD) at HRCT, was assessed with the conventional visual reader-based score (CoVR) and with a computerised-aided method (CaM) using a DICOM soft- ware.
RESULTS
Eighteen SSc patients underwent combination therapy (F/M: 10/8, median age 51 years, median duration of disease 27 months). Data from fifteen patients were available at 12-month follow-up. The mRSS showed a significant improvement; a significant increase in forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in the first second were also observed. In addition, a signi cant reduction of the extension of ILD was detected when evaluated with CaM. No serious adverse events were observed during the follow-up period.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite preliminary results and limited to a small number of patients, our data suggest that therapy with RTX and MMF is well tolerated, safe, and potentially effective for cutaneous and pulmonary involvement in SSc. | pubmed_328_20490 |
others_125_7738 | When human neutrophils become desensitized to formyl peptide chemoattractants, the receptors (FPR) for these peptides are converted to a high affinity, GTP-insensitive form that is associated with the Triton X- 100-insoluble membrane skeleton from surface membrane domains. These domains are actin and fodrin-rich, but G protein-depleted suggesting that FPR shuttling between G protein-enriched and depleted domains may control signal transduction. To determine the molecular basis for FPR interaction with the membrane skeleton, neutrophil subcellular fractions were screened for molecules that could bind photoaffinity-radioiodinated FPR solubilized in Triton X-100. These receptors showed a propensity to bind to a 41- to 43-kDa protein band on nitrocellulose overlays of SDS-PAGE-separated cytosol and plasma membrane fractions of neutrophils. This binding, as well as FPR binding to purified neutrophil actin, was inhibited 50% by 0.6 μM free neutrophil cytosolic actin. Addition of greater than 1 μM G-actin to crude or lectin-purified Triton X-100 extracts of FPR from neutrophil membranes increased the sedimentation rate of a significant fraction of FPR two to three fold as measured by velocity sedimentation in Triton X-100-containing linear sucrose density gradients. Addition of anti-actin antibodies to FPR extracts caused a concentration-dependent immunoprecipitation of at least 65% of the FPR. More than 40% of the immunoprecipitated FPR was specifically retained on protein A affinity matrices. Membrane actin was stabilized to alkaline washing when membranes were photoaffinity labeled. Conversely, when purified neutrophil cytosolic actin was added to membranes or their digitonin extracts, after prior depletion of actin by an alkaline membrane wash, photoaffinity labeling of FPR was increased two- to fourfold with an EC50 of approximately 0.1 μM actin. We conclude that FPR from human neutrophils may interact with actin in membranes to form Triton X-100-stable physical complexes. These complexes can accept additional G-actin monomers to form higher order molecular complexes. Formation of FPR-actin complexes in the neutrophil may play a role in the regulation of chemoattractant-induced activation or actin polymeriza | others_125_7738 |
pubmed_298_4023 | A method was developed for determining free fatty acids in edible plant oils by incorporation of running-buffer-mediated liquid-liquid extraction and polyamidoamine-dendrimer-assisted capillary electrophoresis-capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection. The recoveries for the extraction were in the range of 90.1% and 110.3%. Addition of dendrimer to the running buffer improved the separation of fatty acids. Under the optimized buffer conditions, i.e., 3 mM pelargonic acid, 39 mM tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 30 mM polyoxyethylene 23 lauryl ether, 35% acetonitrile, 15% 2-propanol, 2.5% 1-octanol, and 300 μM polyamidoamine generation 2 at apparent pH 8.53, the 10 model fatty acids were separated in 18 min with detection limits ranging from 0.46 to 3.28 μM. The successful determination of fatty acids in real samples suggests that the method is simple, cost-effective, and easy to operate and is suitable for scanning free fatty acid in edible plant oils. | 10.1021/jf4056105 |
pubmed_929_18231 | Ecotones mark zones of rapid change in ecological structure at various spatial scales. They are believed to be particularly susceptible to shifts caused by environmental transformation, making them key regions for studying the effects of global change. Here, we explored the variation in assemblage structure of aquatic primary producer and consumer communities across latitudinal transects in northeastern North America (Québec-Labrador) to identify spatial patterns in biodiversity that indicated the location of transition zones across the landscape. We analyzed species richness and the cumulative rate of compositional change (expressed as beta-diversity) of diatoms and chironomids to detect any abrupt shifts in the rate of spatial taxonomic turnover. We used principal coordinates analysis to estimate community turnover with latitude, then applied piecewise linear regression to assess the position of ecotones. Statistically significant changes in assemblage composition occurred at 52 and 55°N, corresponding to the transition between closed- and open-crown forest, and to the southern onset of the forest tundra (i.e., the forest limit), respectively. The spatial distribution of ecotones was most strongly related to air temperature for chironomids and to vegetation- and soil-related chemical attributes of lake water for diatoms, including dissolved organic carbon content and water color. Lakes at mid- to high-latitudes currently face pressures from rapidly rising temperatures, accompanied by large increases in organic carbon inputs from their catchments, often leading to browning and its associated effects. The biota at the base of food webs in lakes located in transition zones are disproportionately affected by the cascading effects of these multi-factorial changes, concurrent with pronounced terrestrial greening observed in these regions. Similar patterns of biotic shifts have been observed along alpine aquatic transects, indicating the potential for widespread restructuring of cold, high-altitude and high-latitude freshwater communities due to global change. | 10.1111/gcb.15016 |
pubmed_501_6168 | Human peripheral blood lymphocytes were cultured with unlabeled target cells or absorbed to K562 cells and then isolated by centrifugation on discontinuous Ficoll-Methrizoate gradient. In both cases, lymphocytes that reacted with these target cells at 37 degrees C were inactivated and were no longer able to kill freshly added 51Cr-labeled target cells that were susceptible to spontaneous killing. This inactivation was time and temperature dependent and did not alter the ability of lymphocytes to lyse antibody-sensitized target cells. The natural killer (NK) cell inactivation that followed the interaction with target cells was not observed when target cells were used that were able to induce interferon (IFN) production when cultured with lymphocytes. This NK inactivation was reversed by incubation of the inactivated effector cell preparations with IFN. | pubmed_501_6168 |
pubmed_796_3432 | Herpes simplex virus mutants with both Sp1-binding sites in the thymidine kinase (tk) promoter inactivated or an octamer motif deleted were at most modestly impaired for tk expression. Thus, no cellular transcription factor that binds upstream of the tk TATA box is solely required for trans induction of this gene. | 10.1128/JVI.63.9.4088-4092.1989 |
pubmed_866_16981 | BACKGROUND
The liver has a critical role in the metabolism of glucose and lipids. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to a spectrum of liver disease including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has a rising incidence owing to an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a liver manifestation of MetS and has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.
AIM
To summarise the interplay among hepatitis viruses, MetS and its components.
METHODS
We searched the literature about HBV, HCV infection, MetS, fatty liver and its components from PubMed.
RESULTS
With respect to the viral replication cycle, lipids are important mediators between viral entry and hepatocyte in HCV infection, but not in HBV infection. Thus, HCV infection is inversely associated with hyperlipidaemia and lipid rebound occurs following sustained viral response induced by interferon-based therapy or direct antiviral agents. In addition, HCV infection is positively associated with insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, MetS and the risk of T2DM and atherosclerosis. In contrast, HBV infection may protect infected subjects from the development of MetS and hepatic steatosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that HBV infection is inversely associated with lipid metabolism, and exhibits no conclusive association with insulin resistance or the risk of T2DM and arteriosclerosis.
CONCLUSIONS
In patients with viral hepatitis and concurrent metabolic diseases, a multidisciplinary approach should be given rather than simply antiviral treatment. | 10.1111/apt.15575 |
pubmed_703_20540 | Target of rapamycin (TOR) regulates the growth of cells and organisms. Numerous growth-promoting and growth-arresting pathways converge on TOR; TOR acts as an important hub, balancing the pro- and anti-growth signals within a cell. Since it regulates growth at the cellular level, cell size can be used as an indirect readout of TOR activity. Here, we describe methods used to analyze cell size in cell culture and in the Drosophila wing. | 10.1007/978-1-61779-430-8_13 |
others_73_14910 | The specificity of human natural killer (NK) cells recently has been evaluated by examining direct cytotoxic reactions against a variety of target cells and by cold target inhibition assays. Although these studies have provided evidence for the multiplicity of NK antigens, they did not indicate whether NK cells were heterogeneous, with subpopulations recognizing different specificities. We have examined this tissue by using a tumor cell-monolayer adsorption technique that allowed the removal of NK-reactive cells by adsorption to monolayers of various NK-sensitive target cells. After depletion of cells capable of binding to a particular monolayer, the remaining cells were tested for cytotoxicity against a panel of 5 target cells. With several donors, the monolayers were effective in depleting most or all reactivity against the same target cell but only removed a portion of reactivity against some other target cells. The patterns of reactivity after adsorption, although varying among the donors, were consistent upon repeat testing of the donor. To account for the reativities of the various donors that remained after adorption, it was necessary to postulate at least 7 antigenic specificities. These results indicate that human NK cells may be heterogeneous, with each subpopulation recognizing different antigenic specificities on target cells | others_73_14910 |
pubmed_975_7699 | Parasitic infection due to Giardia lamblia can produce severe, disabling gastrointestinal symptoms. Outbreaks have been linked to contaminated municipal water supplies and situations involving person-to-person contact. Immunocompromised patients are especially at risk. Because microscopic examination of stool detects the parasite in only about half of infected patients, use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect Giardia-specific antigen is becoming increasingly popular. In most patients, therapy with quinacrine (Atabrine) hydrochloride, metronidazole (Flagyl, Protostat), or a combination of the two is effective. | pubmed_975_7699 |
pubmed_5_10943 | OBJECTIVES
To examine the acute effects of estradiol-17beta (E(2)) and progesterone (P) on serum levels of insulin, lipids and lipoproteins in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, whereby, a direct cause-effect relationship could be established without the influence of lifestyle changes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Nine postmenopausal women were given oral E(2) (Estrace) 2 mg/day for 28 days and oral micronized P (Prometrium) 200 mg/day in the last 14 days of E(2) treatment. Fasting blood samples were obtained before starting E(2) (day 1) and P (day 15) and on day 29. Serum levels of insulin, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) at the three time points were compared by Friedman analysis of variance (ANOVA). Corresponding levels of glucose, the apolipoproteins (Apo) A1 and B and serum androgen levels were also evaluated.
RESULTS
E(2) decreased while P increased fasting levels of insulin (32.45+/-3.57, 26.36+/-2.90 and 37.36+/-3.67 pmol/l on day 1, 15 and 29 respectively; P<0.01). Fasting glucose to insulin ratios changed inversely (P<0.01). E(2) increased HDL from 1.07+/-0.05 mmol/l on day 1 to 1.17+/-0.07 mmol/l on day 29 but decreased corresponding levels of Lp(a) from 261+/-93 to 211+/-83 U/l (P=0.03 for both). TC and LDL levels fell significantly after 14 days of E(2) treatment with no further decrease when P was added. Androgen levels remained unchanged during hormone treatment.
CONCLUSION
The sequential, acute effects of E(2) and micronized P on insulin and lipids confirm a direct cause-effect relationship. The acute effects of P on insulin in particular, highlights the importance of standardizing the medication days according to estrogen and progestin in the clinical evaluation of their true metabolic impact in longer-term studies and may influence the choice of progestin type, dose and duration in hormone replacement. | 10.1016/s0378-5122(00)00091-8 |
pubmed_0_22274 | Ca(2+) is an essential and ubiquitous second messenger. Changes in cytosolic Ca(2+) trigger events critical for tumorigenesis, such as cellular motility, proliferation, and apoptosis. We show that an isoform of Secretory Pathway Ca(2+)-ATPase, SPCA2, is upregulated in breast cancer-derived cells and human breast tumors, and suppression of SPCA2 attenuates basal Ca(2+) levels and tumorigenicity. Contrary to its conventional role in Golgi Ca(2+) sequestration, expression of SPCA2 increased Ca(2+) influx by a mechanism dependent on the store-operated Ca(2+) channel Orai1. Unexpectedly, SPCA2-Orai1 signaling was independent of ER Ca(2+) stores or STIM1 and STIM2 sensors and uncoupled from Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of SPCA2. Binding of the SPCA2 amino terminus to Orai1 enabled access of its carboxyl terminus to Orai1 and activation of Ca(2+) influx. Our findings reveal a signaling pathway in which the Orai1-SPCA2 complex elicits constitutive store-independent Ca(2+) signaling that promotes tumorigenesis. | 10.1016/j.cell.2010.08.040 |
pubmed_206_17209 | In this study, the authors examined the interrelations among family-of-origin maltreatment variables, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, social information processing deficits, and male-to-female psychological and physical intimate relationship abuse perpetration in adulthood among a community sample of 164 men and their partners. In bivariate analyses, higher family-of-origin childhood parental rejection was associated with the perpetration of psychological and physical abuse in adulthood, and childhood exposure to interparental violence was also associated with adult psychological abuse perpetration. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that when childhood variables and other study variables were considered together, only childhood parental rejection was associated with the abuse perpetration outcomes, and these effects were indirect through PTSD symptoms and social information processing deficits. Results indicate a need for further investigation into the mechanisms accounting for the impact of early maltreatment on the development of abusive intimate relationship behavior. | 10.1037/0021-843X.117.3.637 |
pubmed_897_18593 | The new [Pt(13)(CO)(12){Cd(5)(μ-Br)(5)Br(2)(dmf)(3)}(2)](2-) and [Pt(19)(CO)(17){Cd(5)(μ-Br)(5)Br(3)(Me(2)CO)(2)}{Cd(5)(μ-Br)(5)Br(Me(2)CO)(4)}](2-) clusters have been obtained in good yields by reaction of [Pt(12)(CO)(24)](2-) with CdBr(2)·H(2)O in dmf at 90 °C and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. Their structures consist of a Pt-centered Pt(13)(CO)(12) icosahedron and a Pt(19)(CO)(17) interpenetrated double icosahedron, respectively, decorated by two Cd(5)(μ-Br)(5)Br(5-x)(solvent)(x) rings. Their surface decoration may be related to that of Au-Fe-CO clusters as well as to the staple motifs stabilizing gold-thiolates nanoclusters. An oversimplified and unifying approach to interpret their electron count is suggested. | 10.1021/ja111235v |
pubmed_199_10823 | Twenty-two patients with hairy cell leukemia were treated with biosynthetic (recombinant) alpha-2-interferon in an open-label, single-arm efficacy study. Patients received 2 X 10(6) U/m2 recombinant alpha-2-interferon three times weekly. Therapy was well tolerated subjectively with minimal short-term hematologic toxicity. Two patients had bacterial infections during the period of study, and one patient experienced a short-lived readily reversible rejection of a corneal transplant. Statistical comparison of the mean hematologic indices at study entry and after three to six months of therapy with recombinant alpha-2-interferon indicates a significant improvement in hemoglobin, granulocyte, and platelet counts. Bone marrow biopsies in six of 14 patients after six months of therapy showed a greater than 50% decrease in the infiltration of leukemia cells. We conclude that recombinant alpha-2-interferon is highly effective therapy for hairy cell leukemia. | pubmed_199_10823 |
pubmed_371_19985 | Four coordinate Ni(II) and Cu(II) chelates formed by reaction of two azopyrazolone derivatives with metal sulfate, acetate, or nitrate are described. It is concluded that the ligands possess tautomeric equilibria and can coordinate to the metal ion as neutral or monobasic bidentates. The so-obtained complexes are characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, IR and electronic spectra, as well as conductivity measurements. A pseudo-tetrahedral polymeric structure is proposed for all the complexes in which the acetate, nitrate, or sulfate is attached to the metal ion in the bridging bidentate mode. It is observed that the chelates formed are more potent as antimicrobial agents than the free ligands. | 10.1016/0162-0134(91)84063-f |
pubmed_699_3325 | Resilience and empowerment are both strengths-based processes, which, while sharing commonalities, describe different goals, actions, and outcomes-one aimed at status quo; the other at status quake. The Transconceptual Model of Empowerment and Resilience (TMER; Brodsky & Cattaneo, 2013) outlines these similarities and differences in order to uncover the circumstances that lead to one or the other process. This study utilized TMER to explore resilience and empowerment in qualitative interviews of 99 first- and second-generation Latinx, Moroccan, and Albanian immigrants in the U.S. and Italy. Setting-based, macrolevel political and social issues, along with generational and locale variations, provided contextual counterpoints in participants' reported risks, resources, goals, actions, and outcomes. Individually held resources were the most common and were found to support resilience and empowerment actions. All participants, regardless of generation, locale, or context, reported more individually focused resilient actions than empowering ones. This study illustrates the difference between goals and actions that are resilient, thus maintaining the status quo, and empowerment goals and actions, which disrupt the status quo and thus are "status quake." It also adds to the evidence of TMER's contribution to understanding the processes by which immigrants' experiences, resources, and goals lead to resilience and empowering actions. Findings suggest how stronger coalitions might be built across community membership, which could use shared resources to address common concerns to benefit all. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved). | 10.1037/ort0000634 |
pubmed_1076_5346 | Many traits evolve in parallel in widely separated populations. The evolutionary radiation of threespine sticklebacks provides a powerful model for testing the molecular basis of parallel evolution in vertebrates. Although marine sticklebacks are completely covered with bony armor plates, most freshwater populations have dramatic reductions in plates. Recent genetic studies have shown that major changes in armor patterning are likely due to regulatory alterations in the gene encoding the secreted signaling molecule ectodysplasin (EDA). In mammals, mutations in many different components of the EDA-signaling pathway produce similar changes in hair, teeth, sweat glands, and dermal bones. To test whether other genes in the EDA pathway also control natural variation in armor plates, we identified and mapped stickleback EDA Receptor (EDAR), the EDAR-Associated Death Domain adaptor, Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) SuperFamily member 19, its adaptor TNFR-Associated Factor 6, and the downstream regulator nuclear factor kappa B Essential Modulator (NEMO). In contrast to the diversity of genes underlying ectodermal dysplasia disease phenotypes in humans, none of these EDA pathway components map to chromosomes previously shown to modify armor plates in natural populations, though EDAR showed a small but significant effect on plate number. We further investigated whether these genes exhibit differences in copy number, target size, or genomic organization that might make them less suitable targets for evolutionary change. In comparison with EDA, all these genes have smaller surrounding noncoding (putative regulatory) regions, with fewer evolutionarily conserved regions. We suggest that the presence of highly modular cis-acting control sequences may be a key factor influencing the likelihood that particular genes will serve as the basis of major phenotypic changes in nature. | 10.1111/j.1525-142X.2007.00145.x |
pubmed_1082_11222 | At the preB stage, when only the IGH locus has rearranged, mu chains become expressed in association with the psi L chains, lambda-like and VpreB, thus forming the preB receptor. By the use of a monoclonal anti VpreB antibody, preB cells were isolated from two adult bone marrow samples, and the VH repertoire was analyzed and compared to fetal, XLA (X-linked agammaglobulinemia), and adult B repertoires. Most VH genes identified were also expressed in fetal liver, XLA bone marrow, and adult PBLs, with similar predominant usage of certain germline genes. Multiple D/D fusions, limited N diversity, and preferential use of JH4 with a low level of DQ52 usage were also identified. Few mutations could be observed, not specifically localized in CDR regions, that could be interpreted as not positively selected. Conversely, a shorter length of CDR3 appeared to be the hallmark of the preB step. Thus, the association of psi L chains with mu does not bring about a bias in the VH gene usage, but a first selection on the CDR3 region could be the result of recognition by given autoantigens or ligands different for preB cells and B cells. | 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1995.tb55833.x |
pubmed_992_13703 | BACKGROUND
Liner exchange for articular component wear in total hip joint replacements (THJRs) is a common procedure, often thought to be benign with reliable outcomes. Recent studies, however, suggest high failure rates of liner exchange revisions with significant complications. The primary aim of this study was, therefore, to analyze the survivorship of isolated liner exchange for articular component wear, and secondarily to assess the influence of patient demographics (gender, age, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists [ASA] ratings) on rerevisions following isolated liner exchange for wear.
METHODS
A retrospective review of the 15-year New Zealand Joint Registry (1999-2014) was performed, analyzing the outcomes of isolated liner exchange for articular component wear. The survivorship as defined as rerevision with component exchange was determined and 10-year Kaplan-Meier survivorship curves were constructed. These revision rates were compared to age, gender, and ASA rating groups using a log-rank test.
RESULTS
The 10-year survivorship of THJR following liner exchange revision for liner wear was 75.3%. If a rerevision was required, the median time to rerevision was 1.33 years with a rerevision rate of 3.33 per 100 component years (95% confidence interval 2.68-4.08/100 component years). The principle reasons for rerevision were dislocation (48.4%) and acetabular component loosening (20.9%). There was no statistically significant difference in rerevision rates based on gender, age categories, or ASA scores.
CONCLUSION
THJR isolated liner exchange for liner wear is not a benign procedure with a survivorship of 75.3% at 10 years. Surgeons contemplating liner exchange revisions should be cognisant of this risk and should adequately assess component position and stability preoperatively. | 10.1016/j.arth.2017.05.055 |
others_117_17196 | Anthropogenic activities are supposed to reduce global biodiversity and negatively influence the development of diverse groups in the tree of life. Yet how agricultural management shapes the diversity of microscopic organisms and their evolution in the soil, especially at large spatial scale, remains unknown. Here, we investigated how agricultural land-use affected the biodiversity and the underlying evolutionary events of soil nematodes by comparing their communities in natural and agricultural soils covering a latitudinal transect spanning 2500 km across China. In natural habitats, nematode phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity and species richness showed a hump-shaped relationship with latitudes and peaked at 30° N, while in agricultural habitats those community matrices did not change across the studied latitudinal spectrum. Meanwhile, agricultural management reduced both diversity and richness of nematodes with the effect being more pronounced in subtropical zones. However, evolutionary diversification rates were greater in agricultural than in natural habitats across the entire latitudinal range. This was associated with reductions of soil organic carbon and nitrogen as well as shifts of nematode community compositions towards rapidly evolving taxa (r–strategists) in agricultural habitats. Together, our results suggest that the relatively unfavorable environmental status induced by agricultural management could accelerate the community-level speciation rates of nematodes through enriching rapidly evolving taxon. These insights increase our understanding of the systematic impacts of agricultural activities on soil biodiversity that might facilitate conservation and restoration policies for the purpose of sustainable agriculture. © 2021 Elsevier L | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108183 |
pubmed_541_9907 | OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the basic structures and processes of asthma care 6 years after the launch of the Finnish Asthma Programme. The evaluation will serve as the baseline for the implementation of the evidence-based guidelines for asthma published in 2000.
DESIGN
A descriptive type-2 evaluation (managerial monitoring of a policy implementation), based on operationalised statements of the Asthma Programme.
RESULTS
A co-ordinating doctor for asthma, usually a general practitioner (GP), was interviewed in 248 (91%) health centres; 83% of the health centres have at least one GP nominated as the local asthma co-ordinator and 94% have a nurse. Asthma education for the professionals had been organised in 71% of the health centres in the previous 2 years. First-line treatment consists of an inhaled corticosteroid. Guided self-management is used in 98% of the health centres, but its components were not clear to the doctors.
CONCLUSION
The basic structure of equipment and organisation for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma has been set up in the primary health care services. | pubmed_541_9907 |
pubmed_238_24105 | Marine fungi produce various secondary metabolites with unique chemical structures and diverse biological activities. In the continuing search for new antifungal agents from fungi isolated from marine environments, the culture filtrate of a fungus Aspergillus tabacinus SFC20160407-M11 exhibited the potential to control plant diseases caused by fungi. From the culture filtrate of A. tabacinus SFC20160407-M11, a total of seven compounds were isolated and identified by activity-guided column chromatography and spectroscopic analysis: violaceol I (1), violaceol II (2), diorcinol (3), versinol (4), orcinol (5), orsellinic acid (6), and sydowiol C (7). Based on in vitro bioassays against 17 plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria, violaceols and diorcinol (1-3) showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration values in the range of 6.3-200 μg mL-1. These compounds also effectively reduced the development of rice blast, tomato late blight, and pepper anthracnose caused by plant pathogenic fungi in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that A. tabacinus SFC20160407-M11 and its phenyl ether compounds could be used for developing new antimicrobial agents to protect crops from plant pathogens. | 10.1021/acsomega.2c03859 |
pubmed_1140_15773 | Congenital malaria is increasingly reported among babies born to mothers continually residing in endemic areas. Given the high morbidity and mortality associated with malaria it is pertinent to determine its current status among newborns in Lagos, Nigeria. The aim was to determine the incidence of congenital malaria in newborn babies delivered at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and also to determine the frequency of parasitaemia in their mothers and placentae. A cross-sectional study of mothers attending the antenatal clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital was done. The Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of mothers were documented. Samples of maternal, placental, cord and neonatal blood were taken and stained with Giemsa and examined for malaria parasites. Neonatal samples were examined at birth, on days 3, 7, 14 and 28. One hundred mothers and their placentae, as well as 104 babies and their cord blood were studied. The incidence of congenital malaria was 16/104 (15.3%) and parasite counts ranged from 47 to 1019/mul. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species. There was a strong association between placental, maternal, cord and neonatal parasitaemia. All the babies with congenital malaria had infected mothers, placentae and cords (p < 0.0001). In conclusion congenital malaria is not uncommon in Lagos nowadays, and there are relatively high rates of maternal, placental and cord blood parasitaemia. It is, therefore, recommended that babies born to mothers with malaria should be screened for congenital malaria. | 10.1093/tropej/fmi044 |
pubmed_258_5151 | Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) offers significant health benefits; however, only the all-trans form is biologically active. MK-7 produced through fermentation can occur as all-trans and cis isomers, and the therapeutic value of the resulting MK-7 is exclusively determined by the quantity of the all-trans isomer. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the media composition on the isomer profile obtained from fermentation and determine the optimum media combination to increase the concentration of the all-trans isomer and diminish the production of cis MK-7. For this purpose, design of experiments (DOE) was used to screen the most effective nutrients, and a central composite face-centred design (CCF) was employed to optimise the media components. The optimum media consisted of 1% (w/v) glucose, 2% (w/v) yeast extract, 2% (w/v) soy peptone, 2% (w/v) tryptone, and 0.1% (w/v) CaCl2. This composition resulted in an average all-trans and cis isomer concentration of 36.366 mg/L and 1.225 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the optimised media enabled an all-trans isomer concentration 12.2-fold greater and a cis isomer concentration 2.9-fold less than the unoptimised media. This study was the first to consider the development of an optimised fermentation media to enhance the production of the bioactive isomer of MK-7 and minimise the concentration of the inactive isomer. Furthermore, this media is commercially promising, as it will improve the process productivity and reduce the costs associated with the industrial fermentation of the vitamin. | 10.1007/s00449-022-02752-6 |
pubmed_822_19391 | Reactive astrogliosis is an essential and ubiquitous response to CNS injury, but in some cases, aberrant activation of astrocytes and their release of inhibitory signaling molecules can impair endogenous neural repair processes. Our lab previously identified a secreted intercellular signaling molecule, called endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is expressed at high levels by reactive astrocytes in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions and limits repair by delaying oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) maturation. However, as ET receptors are widely expressed on neural cells, the cell- and receptor-specific mechanisms of OPC inhibition by ET-1 action remain undefined. Using pharmacological approaches and cell-specific endothelin receptor (EDNR) ablation, we show that ET-1 acts selectively through EDNRB on astrocytes--and not OPCs--to indirectly inhibit remyelination. These results demonstrate that targeting specific pathways in reactive astrocytes represents a promising therapeutic target in diseases with extensive reactive astrogliosis, including MS. | pubmed_822_19391 |
pubmed_74_16001 | The first total synthesis of the Euphorbia diterpenoid pepluanol B in both racemic and enantioenriched form involves 20 steps from a known bicyclic diol. This synthesis features an unprecedented bromo-epoxidation to control the eight-membered-ring conformation. In addition, salient reactions for the construction of the tetracyclic backbone include a sterically challenging aldol reaction to establish the quaternary center, a ring closing metathesis (RCM) to forge the eight-membered ring, and a diastereoselective cyclopropanation to assemble the embedded cyclopropane motif. | 10.1002/anie.201915876 |
pubmed_312_4118 | Yeast recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 25 nonresponders to the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine. After three 10-micrograms doses, nine subjects (36%) produced levels of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) of less than 2.1 sample ratio units (SRU) (nonresponders), and five (20%) developed anti-HBs of 2.1 to 9.9 SRU (hyporesponders); anti-HBs levels of 10 SRU or greater were detected at least once in 11 vaccinees (44%), but by the sixth and 12th months after the last vaccination, only three and one of these "responders," respectively, still maintained anti-HBs values of 10 SRU or greater. In these 25 subjects HLA subtyping showed a high prevalence of DR7, B8, and the combinations of DR3 and DR7 and DR4 and DR7. Our findings indicate that the yeast recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was not effective in eliciting a sustained anti-HBs response in nonresponders to the plasma hepatitis B vaccine. | pubmed_312_4118 |
pubmed_412_14724 | Studying cell division regulatory mechanisms in Escherichia coli an important role of cad operon was discovered. The cadA gene is part of the cad operon. The promotor of cad operon (pBA) regulates two genes, cadB (the first gene in the cad operon) and cadA (the second one). The cadB encodes the lysine-cadaverine antiporter. The cadA gene encodes enzyme lysine decarboxylase that turns lysine into cadaverine and carbon dioxide. The expression of cadA is activated by several different environmental parameters, such as low pH, low oxygen, and excess lysine. Regulation of any of these parameters depends on the presence of cadC gene, encoding the regulator of the operon. It is located upstream of cad operon. The aim of this study is to investigate if the effect upon the cell division rate was caused by the induction of cadA. Specific aims were to obtain structural gene of cadA and construct a plasmid (pAM1) that contains cadA under the control of the arabinose inducibile promoter pARA, and complement the cell division phenotype of a cadA mutant by providing cadA on the inducibile plasmid. Activation of the pAM1 with 0.05% arabinose reduced the cell division rate that confirms the inhibitory effect of the pAM1. | pubmed_412_14724 |
pubmed_200_2464 | BACKGROUND
Advances in immunomagnetic cell sorting have enabled isolation and purification of pleuripotent stem cells from marrow aspirates and have expanded stem cell therapies to include allogeneic sources.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of allogeneic mesenchymal precursor cells (MPCs) combined with an osteoconductive scaffold in lumbar interbody spinal fusion using an ovine model.
STUDY DESIGN
Thirty-two skeletally mature ewes underwent a single-level interbody fusion procedure using a Polyetheretherketone fusion cage supplemented with either iliac crest autograft (AG) or an osteconductive scaffold (Mastergraft Matrix, Medtronic, Memphis, TN, USA) with 2.5×10(6) MPCs, 6.25×10(6) MPCs, or 12.5×10(6) MPCs.
METHODS
Plain radiographs and computed tomography scans were scored for bridging bone at multiple points during healing and at necropsy. The biomechanical competency of fusion was scored by manual palpation and quantified using functional radiographs at necropsy. Postnecropsy histopathology and histomorphometric analysis assessed the local response to MPC treatment and quantified the volume and connectivity of newly formed bridging bone. Safety was assessed by serum biochemistry, hematology, and organ histopathology.
RESULTS
Mesenchymal precursor cell treatment caused no adverse systemic or local tissue responses. All analyses indicated MPCs combined with an osteoconductive scaffold achieved similar or better fusion success as AG treatment after 16 weeks, and increasing the MPC dose did not enhance fusion. Manual palpation of the fusion site indicated more than 75% of MPC-treated and 65% of AG-treated animals achieved rigid fusion, which was corroborated with functional radiography. Computed tomography fusion scores indicated all animals in the MPC- and AG-treatment groups were fused at 16 weeks, yet X-ray scores indicated only 67% of the AG-treated animals were fused. Histomorphometry analyses showed equivalent outcomes for fusion connectivity and bony fusion area for MPC- and AG-treated groups. Approximately 6% residual graft material remained in the MPC-treated fusion sites at 16 weeks.
CONCLUSIONS
Adult allogeneic MPCs delivered using an osteoconductive scaffold were both safe and efficacious in this ovine spine interbody fusion model. These results support the use ofallogeneic MPCs as an alternative to AG for lumbar interbody spinal fusion procedures. | pubmed_200_2464 |
pubmed_200_20404 | Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion (EAS) is responsible for approximately 10-15% cases of Cushing's syndrome. EAS is associated with various tumors such as small cell lung cancer and well-differentiated bronchial or gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors. Hormonal diagnostics include assessments in basic conditions as well as dynamic tests, such as the high-dose dexamethasone suppression test and corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation test. Treatment selection depends on the type of tumor and its extent. In the case of neuroendocrine tumors, the main treatments are surgery and administration of somatostatin analogs that may be additionally radiolabeled for targeted radiotherapy. The tumor histology and the presence and control of hypercortisolemia and metastases are of major importance in prognosis. In this article we presented the principles of modern hormonal and imaging diagnostics techniques as well as the key issues associated with treatment of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome due to EAS. | pubmed_200_20404 |
pubmed_813_23220 | AIM
To study the role of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors in processing nociceptive visceral information in the spinal cord.
METHODS
The firing of spinal dorsal horn neurons to colorectal distension (3-15 kPa, 20 s) by inflation with air of latex balloon was recorded in 25 anesthetized cats.
RESULTS
1) According to the patterns of responses to colorectal distension, the neurons with increase and decrease in firing were classified as excitatory and inhibitory, respectively. The former consisted of 17 short-latency abrupt (SLA) neurons, 11 short-latency sustained (SLS) neurons, 9 long-latency (LL) neurons. The 15 inhibited (Inh) neurons were recorded. 2) Microelectrophoretic administration of NMDA, quisqualic acid (QA), and kainic acid (KA) activated 67.6%, 78.4%, and 59.5% of the colorectal distension-excited neurons tested. Also, 60%, 86.7%, and 53.3% of Inh neurons were activated by these 3 amino acids. 3) Colorectal distension-induced excitatory responses were reduced by 35% +/- 10% and 65% +/- 14% by a selective NMDA receptor antagonist d,l-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV) and a selective non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), respectively. Such DNQX-induced inhibition was significantly more potent than that by APV (P < 0.05). Colorectal distension-induced inhibitory responses were partially relieved by 30%-50% in 3/7 Inh neurons by DNQX, but not APV.
CONCLUSION
Both NMDA and non-NMDA receptors are involved in transmission and/or modulation of spinal visceral nociceptive information and non-NMDA receptors may play more important role than NMDA receptors. | pubmed_813_23220 |
pubmed_954_4872 | The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of virtual tissue quantification (VTQ) of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs). Thus, a total of 134 FLLs in 134 patients were included. VTQ measurement was performed for each lesion in which the shear wave velocity (SWV) was measured. The difference in SWV and SWV ratio of FLL to surrounding liver between malignant and benign FLLs was evaluated, and the cutoff value was investigated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance. A total of 134 lesions including 55 (41.0%) malignant FLLs and 79 (59.0%) benign ones were analyzed. The SWV of malignant and benign FLLs was 2.95 ± 1.00 m/s and 1.69 ± 0.89 m/s, respectively. Significant difference in SWV was presented between malignant and benign FLLs (p < 0.001). The SWV ratio of each FLL to the surrounding liver parenchyma was 1.83 ± 1.32 for malignant and 1.26 ± 0.78 for benign FLLs (p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve in distinguishing malignant from benign lesions was 0.824 for SWV and 0.660 for SWV ratio. The cutoff value for differential diagnosis was 2.13 m/s for SWV and 1.37 for SWV ratio. The associated sensitivity and specificity were 83.3 and 77.9% for SWV and 59.6 and 77.3% for SWV ratio, respectively. In conclusion, VTQ provides quantitative stiffness information of FLLs and is helpful in the differential diagnosis between malignant and benign FLLs, particularly for the patients who are not candidates for contrast-enhanced imaging such as CT, MRI or contrast-enhanced ultrasound. | 10.1007/s12032-015-0543-9 |
pubmed_459_1588 | Using hyperimmune rabbit antiserums to 8 reference serovar strains, a total of 51 Australian isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were serotyped by either a rapid slide agglutination test or a gel diffusion test. The results were: serovar 1-24 isolates; serovar 2-6 isolates; serovar 3-5 isolates; serovar 7-15 isolates; nontypable-1 isolate. The rapid slide agglutination test was suitable for screening field isolates, as 73% of those tested reacted with only 1 of the 8 antiserums and were assigned to a particular serovar of the basis of this test alone. | 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1988.tb14277.x |
pubmed_580_17968 | The proteome of the ropy strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A1dOxR, compared to that of its nonropy isogenic strain, showed an overproduction of a protein involved in rhamnose biosynthesis. Results were confirmed by gene expression analysis, and this fact agreed with the high rhamnose content of the ropy exopolysaccharide. | 10.1128/AEM.00633-13 |
pubmed_126_12779 | The excitable gap of a reentrant circuit has both temporal (time during the cycle length that the circuit is excitable) and spatial (length of the circuit that is excitable at a given time) properties. We determined the temporal and spatial properties of the excitable gap in reentrant circuits caused by nonuniform anisotropy. Myocardial infarction was produced in canine hearts by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Four days later, reentrant circuits were mapped in the epicardial border zone of the infarcts with a multielectrode array during sustained ventricular tachycardia induced by programmed stimulation. During tachycardia, premature impulses were initiated by stimulation at sites around and in the reentrant circuits, and their conduction characteristics in the circuit were mapped. All circuits had a temporal excitable gap in at least part of the circuit, which allowed premature impulses to enter the circuit. Completely and partially excitable segments of the temporal gap were identified by measuring conduction velocity of the premature impulses; conduction was equal to the native reentrant wave front in completely excitable regions and slower than the reentrant wave front in partially excitable regions. In some circuits, a temporal gap existed throughout the circuit, permitting the entire circuit to be reset over a range of premature coupling intervals, although the size of the gap varied at different sites. In other circuits, the gap became so small at local sites that even though premature impulses could enter the circuit, the circuit could not be reset. Premature impulses could terminate reentry in circuits that could be reset or not. We also found a significant spatial gap, which was identified by determining the distance between the head of the circulating wave front, which could be located on the activation map, and its tail, which was the site most distal from the head as located by the site of entry of the premature wave front into the circuit. The spatial gap could also vary in different parts of the circuit. Therefore, nonuniform anisotropic reentrant circuits have both a temporal and spatial excitable gap with fully and partially excitable components that change in different parts of the circuit. | 10.1161/01.res.82.2.279 |
pubmed_257_22333 | In order to develop the transdermal formulations of morphine hydrochloride with high skin permeation rate and prolonged action, several gels and patches containing potent penetration enhancer, laurocapram (Azone), were prepared. Since there was a long lag time period for morphine permeation through the excised hairless rat skin in Azone treatment, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone was added to the Azone gel or patch as a co-enhancer to increase the skin permeation of morphine hydrochloride, especially in the early phase. The mixed solvent of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and water showed cosolvency of morphine hydrochloride, and the co-enhancer could shorten the lag time period of skin permeation of morphine hydrochloride. However, the co-enhancer alone had little effect on the skin permeation of morphine hydrochloride. It was effective only when using with Azone. Coadministration of Azone with the co-enhancer showed high in vitro skin permeation and in vivo blood level of the drug. A marked analgesic effect was found after application of morphine hydrochloride patch containing Azone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The pharmacological effect was much more prolonged than that after the conventional s.c. injection. From these results, it was predicted that the topical formulations of morphine hydrochloride containing Azone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone might be useful for the relief of severe chronic pain in patients. | 10.1089/sct.1989.5.119 |
pubmed_772_2223 | BACKGROUND
Autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) is characterized by autoantibody-induced platelet destruction. Although several studies have shown that pathogenic autoantibodies are mainly IgG directed platelet glycoproteins (GP), a platelet GP specific test is not available in clinical laboratories. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a Modified Antigen Capture Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (MACE) test in the diagnosis of AITP.
METHODS
We investigated fifty-seven patients who showed a platelet count lower than 100 x 10(9)/L and underwent a bone marrow examination. They were classified into primary AITP (P-AITP) (n=21), secondary AITP (S-AITP) (n=15), and non-immune thrombocytopenia (NITP) (n=21) by bone marrow findings and clinical diagnosis. Platelet GP (IIb/IIIa, Ia/IIa, Ib/IX, IV)-specific antibodies and anti-HLA class I antibody were detected by MACE test.
RESULTS
Among 57 samples, platelet GP specific antibodies were detected in 8 (22.2%) of 36 patients with AITP and 1 (4.8%) of 21 patients with NITP. The specificities were as follows: GP IIb/IIIa (n=4), GP Ia/IIa (n=5), GP Ib/IX (n=3) and GPIV (n=2). Of the nine patients with platelet GP specific antibodies, four (44.4%) had more than two platelet GP specific antibodies. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of the MACE test for AITP were 22.2%, 95.2%, 88.9%, 41.7%, respectively. A previous transfusion history was associated with a higher detection rate of anti-HLA class I antibodies (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The MACE test is a convenient method to detect platelet GP specific antibody and is very specific to diagnose AITP. In clinical practice, even though it is not sensitive, the MACE test would be useful in differentiating AITP from NITP. | 10.3343/kjlm.2006.26.3.192 |
pubmed_646_5592 | The successive killing of three siblings by their biological mother at two-year intervals is described. The children were 367 days, 75 days and 3 years old. Although sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or interstitial pneumonia could not be ruled out as the cause of death in the two younger children, who were killed first, the third child exhibited discrete signs of violence in the mouth and throat area which were interpreted as proof of infanticide. All three children had petechiae of the skin of the face and throat, the upper thorax, the shoulders and the mucous membranes of the mouth. None of the children exhibited signs of a disease-related hemorrhagic tendency. After the mother was convicted of murdering the three-year-old boy by smothering in combination with compression of the thorax, she confessed to having killed the other two children in a similar manner. In the absence of hemostatic disease, the presence of petechiae of the skin extending over the entire drainage area of the Vena cava superior can be regarded as evidence of an increase in pressure in the thoracic cavity secondary to obstruction of the airways with simultaneous chest compression. | pubmed_646_5592 |
pubmed_844_21652 | The vascular architecture of the brain of C57Black/6 and SV129 mice was studied following microvascular injection of carbon black stained latex. The dorsal brain surface was photographed to determine the number, diameter, and position of pial anastomotic vessels between the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. The mean number and diameter of anastomoses were not significantly different, but the line of anastomoses interconnecting the half way points of anastomotic vessels was located significantly closer to the midline in C57Black/6 mice, demonstrating that the middle cerebral artery had a larger vascular supplying territory than in SV129 mice. This explains the larger infarct volume previously reported in C57Black/6 mice, and raises concerns about the use of C57Black/6 and SV129 mice as parent strains for genetically modified animals in stroke research. | 10.1097/00001756-199805110-00012 |
pubmed_859_18621 | DISCLAIMER
In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.
PURPOSE
In hypertensive urgency, guidelines recommend oral antihypertensives, but with limited guidance on implementation. The objective of this study was to determine whether time to initiation of oral antihypertensives impacts blood pressure (BP) reduction in patients with hypertensive urgency.
METHODS
A descriptive study was conducted of adult hospitalized patients with hypertensive urgency from November 2018 through November 2021. Patients with a systolic BP (SBP) of 180 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic BP (DBP) of 120 mm Hg or higher and receipt of oral antihypertensives within 48 hours of presentation were included. The primary outcome was the percentage change in SBP from baseline at 12 to 24 hours and 24 to 48 hours. Secondary outcomes included the change in DBP and mean arterial pressure (MAP), time to 3 consecutive goal SBP readings, continuation of home oral antihypertensives, administration of intravenous (IV) antihypertensives, and length of stay (LOS). Patients were stratified by quartile (Q1 through Q4) based on time to first oral antihypertensive.
RESULTS
A total of 220 patients were included. A significant difference in SBP was observed among the quartiles, due to the greater sustained SBP reduction in Q1 at 12 to 24 hours and 24 to 48 hours (median [interquartile range, IQR], 22.9% [13.1%-30.5%] and 22.5% [IQR, 15.8%-32.9%] reduction, respectively). There were also reductions in DBP and MAP, with Q1 consistently having larger reductions than Q4. Patients in Q1 had 3 consecutive goal SBP readings earlier than those in the other quartiles (median [IQR], 13.1 [7.0-21.5] hours). Continuation of home medications, number of IV antihypertensives, and LOS did not differ among the quartiles.
CONCLUSION
In this analysis, earlier administration of oral antihypertensives was associated with a larger sustained reduction in SBP. | 10.1093/ajhp/zxac357 |
pubmed_126_21976 | Thalassemia is one of the most common single gene diseases worldwide. Populations in southern China and Taiwan have high prevalence rates of alpha- and beta-thalassemias. This review summarizes the current status of molecular studies, carrier screening, and prenatal diagnosis of thalassemia in Chinese. There are three genotypes of alpha-thalassemia 1 and at least six of alpha-thalassemia 2 in Chinese. For alpha-thalassemia 1, the South-East Asian deletion is the most common, followed by the Thai then Philippino deletions. For alpha-thalassemia 2, the rightward deletion is the most common, followed by the leftward deletion, and the nondeletional defects Hb Constant Spring and Hb Quong Sze. Twenty-eight different beta-thalassemia mutations have been reported. Four mutations, IVS-II-654 (C-->T), codons 41/42 frameshift (-TCTT), and nonsense codons 17 (A-->T) and -28 (A-->G), account for more than 90% of mutant alleles. For detection of alpha-thalassemia, polymerase chain reaction-related techniques are mainly used. Southern blot hybridization is still useful, especially for prenatal diagnosis. For detection of beta-thalassemia mutations, analysis of amplification-created restriction sites and reverse dot blot hybridization have been extensively used. In Taiwan, a national screening program incorporating hematological and molecular biological methods for thalassemia detection in pregnant women has been in progress for 5 years. Prenatal diagnosis has been performed in more than 1,800 pregnancies, including 1,500 cases at risk for homozygous alpha-thalassemia 1 and 300 for beta-thalassemia major, resulting in early prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancies affected with homozygous alpha-thalassemia 1 and an approximately 70% decrease in the number of newborns affected with beta-thalassemia major. In mainland China, only one large-scale screening program is in place. Characterization of undefined alleles, a higher awareness of the disease among physicians and the general public, and improvement of the service network will be important for early prenatal diagnosis and prevention of the disease in the future. | pubmed_126_21976 |
pubmed_612_18446 | Chemokine receptors are members of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, which together with chemokine ligands form chemokine networks to regulate various cellular functions, immune and physiological processes. These receptors are closely related to cell movement and thus play a vital role in several physiological and pathological processes that require regulation of cell migration. CXCR4, one of the most intensively studied chemokine receptors, is involved in many functions in addition to immune cells recruitment and plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of liver disease. Aberrant CXCR4 expression pattern is related to the migration and movement of liver specific cells in liver disease through its cross-talk with a variety of significant cell signaling pathways. An in-depth understanding of CXCR4-mediated signaling pathway and its role in liver disease is critical to identifying potential therapeutic strategies. Current therapeutic strategies for liver disease mainly focus on regulating the key functions of specific cells in the liver, in which the CXCR4 pathway plays a crucial role. Multiple challenges remain to be overcome in order to more effectively target CXCR4 pathway and identify novel combination therapies with existing strategies. This review emphasizes the role of CXCR4 and its important cell signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of liver disease and summarizes the targeted therapeutic studies conducted to date. | 10.3389/fcell.2021.716842 |
pubmed_993_10780 | The neuronal mechanism which gives rise to the synchronization of motor-unit discharges has been inferred from an analysis of the interspike intervals of individual motor-unit discharges recorded from the soleus muscle. The motor units were divided into two groups on the basis of characteristic changes in their spike trains. The first group maintained a stationary discharge pattern throughout the process of synchronization with a firing rate of approximately 10 spikes/s. Small unidentified units simultaneously recorded gradually grouped around the individual spikes of the first group motor unit and with this process, high-frequency force oscillation appeared phase-locked with each of grouped discharges. The mean period of force oscillation was almost identical to the mean discharge interval. Therefore, the first group motor unit was considered as a pacemaker of this force-oscillation. The second group motor unit underwent from its initially stationary process to a transitional process characterized by spike dropouts from an otherwise regular spike train. When both groups of motor units were recorded by the same electrode, it was found that the firing rate of the second group motor unit discharges gradually approached that of the first group, and the spikes of the first and the second group motor units occurred near or at the same time. The number of double intervals decreased in a highly predictable fashion with an increase in a firing rate. It was furthermore observed that the spikes of a given motor unit whose discharges interval-to-period ratio is smaller at the beginning of transitional process was entrained to the first group motor-unit discharges with a faster time course than the unit whose discharge interval-to-period ratio is larger. The synchronizing process was described from the relations between shorter discharge interval-to-period ratios and the longer-to-shorter interval ratios obtained at several stages from the beginning of transitional process to the final synchronization. Their relations were best drawn by the second-order regression lines. The faster time course of synchronization was reflected in the larger value of coefficient a in the equation. The results of this and previous study (23) further provided evidence to justify that interaction of motor-unit discharges is responsible for the synchronization. Although the neuronal limiting device of the firing-rate control to approximately 10 spikes/s still remains unsolved, the possibility was considered that a disinhibitory neuronal network first acts to synchronize independently firing motoneurons and leads to the oscillation of the stretch reflex loop. This closed-loop system was considered as a site for the stored motor program and the use of disinhibitory neuronal network was discussed in relation to the Harmon's model of neuromimes. | 10.1152/jn.1975.38.4.859 |
pubmed_744_781 | OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the results of hysteroscopic placement of an intratubal device for permanent birth control in 85 women in an outpatient setting.
DESIGN
Prospective, observational study.
SETTING
Private university hospital.
PATIENT(S)
Eighty-five premenopausal women who asked for tubal sterilization by hysteroscopy between July 2002 and July 2003.
INTERVENTION(S)
Hysteroscopic placement of titanium-dacron intratubal devices in an outpatient setting.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Procedure feasibility without anesthesia, success rate of device implantation, patient satisfaction, and confirmation of correct placement.
RESULT(S)
Successful placement was achieved in 81 patients (95%). Mean time elapsed between the start of hysteroscopy, placement of devices, and removal of optics was 9 minutes (range, 1-35 minutes). No intraoperative or postoperative complications were detected. Of 81 patients, 75 (93%) had abdominal x-ray performed at the third month; bilateral correct placement was confirmed in all of them.
CONCLUSION(S)
Essure is a safe, effective, and minimally aggressive procedure with satisfactory patient acceptance that does not require anesthesia or hospitalization. It seems to be a good alternative to laparoscopic tubal sterilization. | 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.12.032 |
pubmed_628_17654 | Evidence indicates that lipoxygenases (LO) may play a role in cancer cell survival. We show that human malignant pleural mesothelial (MM) cells, but not normal mesothelial (NM) cells, express a catalytically active 5-LO. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of MM cell 5-LO determined nucleosome formation and induced a DNA fragmentation pattern typical of apoptosis. This was completely reversed by exogenously added 5(S)-HETE but not by 12(S)-, 15(S)-HETE, or leukotriene (LT)B4. A 5-LO antisense oligonucleotide potently and time-dependently reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and constitutive VEGF accumulation in the conditioned media of MM cells. When NM cells were transfected with a 5-LO cDNA, basal and arachidonic acid-induced VEGF formation increased consistently by 6- and 12-fold, respectively. This was associated with a significant increase in DNA synthesis that was counteracted by a specific anti-VEGF antibody. Arachidonic acid and 5(S)-HETE also potently stimulated the activity of a VEGF promoter construct. Thus, 5-LO is a key regulator of MM cell proliferation and survival via a VEGF-related circuit. | 10.1096/fj.01-0150com |
pubmed_16_6148 | This study is a meta-analysis of 109 reports of the performance of children and adolescents on the 20-m shuttle run test (20-mSRT). The studies were performed in 37 countries and included data on 418,026 children, tested between 1981 and 2003. Results were expressed as running speed (km x h(-1)) at the final completed stage of the 20-mSRT. Raw data were combined with pseudodata using Monte Carlo simulation. The 20-mSRT performances were expressed as z-scores relative to all children of the same age and sex from all countries. An overall "performance index" was derived for each country as the average of the age- and sex-specific z-scores for all children from that country. Factorial analysis of variance was used to compare scores among countries and regions, and between boys and girls of the same age. There was wide and significant (P < 0.0001) global variability in the performance of children. The best performing children were from the Northern European countries Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, and Finland (0.6 - 0.9 standard deviations above the global average). The worst performing children were from Singapore, Brazil, USA, Italy, Portugal, and Greece (0.4 - 0.9 standard deviations below the global average). There is evidence that performance was negatively related to being overweight, as well as to a country's average temperature. | 10.1080/02640410500432193 |
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