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pubmed_497_16074 | Presently available literature reveals that a combination of approach has the potential to induce a body weight loss and favor weight maintenance in a reduced-obese state while also normalizing the metabolic profile of these individuals. Further weight loss is thus no longer justified and might be harmful to weight maintenance and health although these individuals could still be diagnosed as obese according to actual classifying criteria for defining obesity. | 10.1024/0040-5930.57.8.516 |
pubmed_504_9970 | BACKGROUND AND AIM
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common life-threatening and associated with inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between dietary intake, inflammatory factors, lipid profile, medication and clinical outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study were conducted in 72 patients with RA that referred to Rheumatology Clinic, Urmia, Iran. After describing the study and obtaining patient consent, fasting blood samples were collected from all participants in start stage, Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-KB), Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), lipid profile and clinical symptoms were record in participants. Also, Data on dietary intake and physical activity were collected with relevant questionnaires.
RESULTS
There was a positive significant relation between energy intakes and low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) (R = 0.855, P = 0.023), carbohydrate intake with total cholesterol (R = 0.297, P = 0.045), carbohydrate intake and NF-kB (R = 0.292, P = 0.017), fat intakes and Ox-LDL (R = 0.321, P = 0.027), prednisolone and Triglyceride (TG) (R = 0.378, P = 0.016), calcium supplement, folic acid and High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) (R = 0.259, R = 0.34, R = 0.355, P = 0.09 respectively). In addition, the correlation between carbohydrate and energy intakes with HDL-C were negative significant (R = -0.355, P = 0.09 and R = -0.259, P = 0.034). SJC, Tender Joint Count (TJC), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and VAS were related to DAS28 and other variables shown no relation with DAS28.
CONCLUSION
There are many factors affecting the clinical symptoms of patients with RA that attention to nutritional and medicinal factors can have a significant role in the clinical symptoms and complications of these patients. | 10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.09.215 |
pubmed_894_16692 | After a brief introduction on the nature of the fibers either naturally present in or artificially added to the diet and their physiological functions, the pathological conditions in which fiber is added to the diet for therapeutic purposes are reviewed. Unfortunately high fiber diets have only had a beneficial effect on cases of constipation and diabetes mellitus. The irrational addition of uncommon fibres to the diet as popularly recommended for a wide variety of diseases is therefore criticised. | pubmed_894_16692 |
pubmed_922_23381 | Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platforms, once primarily a research tool to produce difficult to express proteins, are increasingly being pursued by the synthetic biology community for applications including biomanufacturing, rapid screening systems, and field-ready sensors. While consistency within individual studies is apparent in the literature, challenges with reproducing results between laboratories, or even between individuals within a laboratory, are discussed openly by practitioners. As the field continues to grow and move toward applications, a quantitative understanding of expected variability for CFPS and the relative contribution of underlying sources will become increasingly important. Here we offer the first quantitative assessment of interlaboratory variability in CFPS. Three laboratories implemented a single CFPS protocol and performed a series of exchanges, both of material and personnel, designed to quantify relative contributions to variability associated with the site, operator, cell extract preparation, and supplemental reagent preparation. We found that materials prepared at each laboratory, exchanged pairwise, and tested at each site resulted in 40.3% coefficient of variation compared to 7.64% for a single operator across days using a single set of materials. Reagent preparations contributed significantly to observed variability; extract preparations, however, surprisingly did not explain any of the observed variability, even when prepared in different laboratories by different operators. Subsequent exchanges showed that both the site and the operator each contributed to observed interlaboratory variability. In addition to providing the first quantitative assessment of interlaboratory variability in CFPS, these results establish a baseline for individual operator variability across days that can be used as an initial benchmark for community-driven standardization efforts. We anticipate that our results will narrow future avenues of investigation to develop best practices that will ultimately drive down interlaboratory variability, accelerating research progress and informing the suitability of CFPS for real-world applications. | 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00178 |
pubmed_946_13556 | The early postnatal development of somesthetic inputs into the pericruciate cortex of kittens was studied by intra- and extracellular recording and cortical surface evoked potential monitoring. Equipotent bilateral influences from the forepaw and hindpaw skin to cortical neurons during the initial postnatal weeks in kittens were revealed. During the fourth week, the functional dominance of contralateral inputs into the motor area becomes evident. Considerable reduction of the latency of postsynaptic and evoked responses only to the contralateral stimulation and the enhancement of their stability and intensity occur. | 10.1002/jnr.490090103 |
pubmed_936_15867 | Detailed examination of tumor components is leading-edge to establish personalized cancer therapy. Accompanying research on cell-free DNA, the cell count of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patient blood is seen as a crucial prognostic factor. The potential of CTC analysis is further not limited to the determination of the overall survival rate but sheds light on understanding inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity. In this regard, commercial CTC isolation devices combining an efficient enrichment of rare cells with a droplet deposition of single cells for downstream analysis are highly appreciated. The Liquid biopsy platform CTCelect was developed to realize a fully-automated enrichment and single cell dispensing of CTCs from whole blood without pre-processing. We characterized each process step with two different carcinoma cell lines demonstrating up to 87 % enrichment (n = 10) with EpCAM coupled immunomagnetic beads, 73 % optical detection and dispensing efficiency (n = 5). 40 to 56.7 % of cells were recovered after complete isolation from 7.5 ml untreated whole blood (n = 6). In this study, CTCelect enabled automated dispensing of single circulating tumor cells from HNSCC patient samples, qPCR-based confirmation of tumor-related biomarkers and immunostaining. Finally, the platform was compared to commercial CTC isolation technologies to highlight advantages and limitations of CTCelect. This system offers new possibilities for single cell screening in cancer diagnostics, individual therapy approaches and real-time monitoring. | 10.1002/elsc.202100133 |
pubmed_644_20612 | A new grayanane diterpenoid, 2,3-epoxy-5beta,6beta,10alpha,13beta,16alpha-pentahydroxy-grayanane, named craiobiotoxin IX (1), together with the known grayanotoxins I and IV, was isolated from the aerial part of Rhododendron decorum. The structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis. | 10.1016/j.fitote.2008.04.009 |
pubmed_322_13739 | Huge efforts have recently been taken in the derivation of accurate compilations of rovibrational energies of water, one of the most important reference systems in spectroscopy. Such precision is desirable for all water isotopologues, although their investigation is challenged by hyperfine effects in their spectra. Frequency-comb locked noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical-heterodyne molecular spectroscopy (NICE-OHMS) allows for achieving high sensitivity, resolution, and accuracy. This technique has been employed to resolve the subtle hyperfine splittings of rovibrational transitions of H217O in the near-infrared region. Simulation and interpretation of the H217O saturation spectra have been supported by coupled-cluster calculations performed with large basis sets and accounting for high-level corrections. Experimental 17O hyperfine parameters are found in excellent agreement with the corresponding computed values. The need of including small hyperfine effects in the analysis of H217O spectra has been demonstrated together with the ability of the computational strategy employed for providing quantitative predictions of the corresponding parameters. | 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c05681 |
pubmed_159_1927 | Intensionality (or opacity) is a core property of mental representations and sometimes understanding opacity is claimed to be a part of children's theory of mind (evidenced with the false belief task). Children, however, pass the false belief task and the intensionality tasks at different ages (typically 4 vs. 5;1-6;11 years). According to two dominant interpretations, the two tests either require different conceptual resources or vary only in their executive or linguistic load. In two experiments, involving 120 children aged 3-6 (Experiment 1) and 75 children aged 4-6 (Experiment 2), we tested two variants of the executive load hypothesis: The differential linguistic complexity of the two tests, and the dual-name problem of the intensionality task. The former was addressed by standardizing and minimizing the linguistic demands of both tasks (contrasted with the typical narrative intensionality task), and the latter by introducing the dual-name problem into the false belief task as well, so that it was present in both tasks. We found that (1) two structurally different intensionality tasks shared more variance with each other than with the structurally similar false belief task, and that (2) introducing a dual label problem into the false belief task did not reduce the developmental gap. Our results speak against interpreting the difference between the time children pass the two tests entirely in terms of performative issues, and support the conceptual enrichment hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical relevance of these results, suggesting that they are best explained by fine-grained increments within the concept of belief, rather than a radical conceptual change. We conclude that understanding opacity of minds - which emerges between age 5 and 6 - is an important step toward a more advanced form of ToM. | 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00596 |
pubmed_964_16056 | A number of important signal-transduction molecules that regulate lymphocyte maturation and proliferation have been identified. These advances provide a platform for studies on how different signalling events are integrated to generate the required number of lymphocytes with an appropriate antigen receptor repertoire. | 10.1016/s0952-7915(96)80057-4 |
pubmed_817_11033 | Chiral mesostructures exhibit distinctive twisting and helical hierarchical stacking ranging from atomic to micrometre scales with fascinating structural-chiral anisotropy properties. However, the detailed determination of their multilevel chirality remains challenging due to the limited information from spectroscopy, diffraction techniques, scanning electron microscopy and the two-dimensional projections in transmission electron microscopy. Herein, we report a general approach to determine chiral hierarchical mesostructures based on three-dimensional electron diffraction tomography (3D EDT), by which the structure can be solved synchronously according to the quantitative measurement of diffraction spot deformations and their arrangement in reciprocal space. This method was verified on two samples-chiral mesostructured nickel molybdate and chiral mesostructured tin dioxide-revealing hierarchical chiral structures that cannot be determined by conventional techniques. This approach provides more precise and comprehensive identification of the hierarchical mesostructures, which is expected to advance our understanding of structural-chiral anisotropy at the fundamental level. | 10.1038/s41467-022-33443-1 |
pubmed_646_7487 | A clonal culture of Alexandrium andersoni, obtained from germination of a resting cyst, collected from the Gulf of Naples, was found positive for PSP toxicity by mouse bioassay. The toxicity profile of this dinoflagellate consists mainly of toxins belonging to the saxitoxin class, in particular of Saxitoxin (STX) and Neosaxitoxin (NEO), as determined by a wide MS and (1)H NMR analysis. This represents the first report of the presence of A. andersoni in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as of its toxicity. | 10.1016/s0041-0101(00)00099-4 |
pubmed_570_8928 | OBJECTIVES
The objectives for presenting these medico-legal forensic case reports are the following: 1) detail three cases where chronic opioid analgesic therapy (COAT) was alleged to cause iatrogenic addiction and/or re-addiction; 2) detail the plaintiff's and defendant's medical experts' opinions on these allegations; and 3) through analyzing these cases, develop some recommendations for future prevention of such allegations during COAT.
METHODS
Case Reports.
RESULTS
Medico-legal issues surrounding the allegation of iatrogenic addiction were identified in each case.
CONCLUSIONS
Before starting COAT, physicians should obtain and document patient informed consent for the risk of addiction/re-addiction with COAT treatment. Patients with a history of addictions pre-COAT should be placed on adherence monitoring immediately on beginning COAT. | 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00938.x |
pubmed_263_11359 | The respective role of Pax2 and Pax8 in early kidney development in vertebrates is poorly understood. In this report, we have studied the roles of Pax8 and Pax2 in Xenopus pronephros development using a loss-of-function approach. Our results highlight a differential requirement of these two transcription factors for proper pronephros formation. Pax8 is necessary for the earliest steps of pronephric development and its depletion leads to a complete absence of pronephric tubule. Pax2 is required after the establishment of the tubule pronephric anlage, for the expression of several terminal differentiation markers of the pronephric tubule. Neither Pax2 nor Pax8 is essential to glomus development. We further show that Pax8 controls hnf1b, but not lhx1 and Osr2, expression in the kidney field as soon as the mid-neurula stage. Pax8 is also required for cell proliferation of pronephric precursors in the kidney field. It may exert its action through the wnt/beta-catenin pathway since activation of this pathway can rescue MoPax8 induced proliferation defect and Pax8 regulates expression of the wnt pathway components, dvl1 and sfrp3. Finally, we observed that loss of pronephros in Pax8 morphants correlates with an expanded vascular/blood gene expression domain indicating that Pax8 function is important to delimit the blood/endothelial genes expression domain in the anterior part of the dorso-lateral plate. | pubmed_263_11359 |
pubmed_916_10556 | Visualizing and measuring the gas distribution in close proximity to a working catalyst is crucial for understanding how the catalytic activity depends on the structure of the catalyst. However, existing methods are not able to fully determine the gas distribution during a catalytic process. Here we report on how the distribution of a gas during a catalytic reaction can be imaged in situ with high spatial (400 μm) and temporal (15 μs) resolution using infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence. The technique is demonstrated by monitoring, in real-time, the distribution of carbon dioxide during catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide above powder catalysts. Furthermore, we demonstrate the versatility and potential of the technique in catalysis research by providing a proof-of-principle demonstration of how the activity of several catalysts can be measured simultaneously, either in the same reactor chamber, or in parallel, in different reactor tubes. | 10.1038/ncomms8076 |
pubmed_715_15897 | PURPOSE
To perform meta-analysis of literature about the role of helical computed tomography (CT) and ventilation-perfusion (V-P) scanning in detection of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) by using summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
V-P scanning articles published from January 1985 to March 2003 and helical CT articles published from January 1990 to March 2003 in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were included if (a) tests were performed for evaluation of acute PE, (b) conventional angiography was the reference standard, and (c) absolute numbers of true-positive, false-negative, true-negative, and false-positive results were available. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding articles published before 1995.
RESULTS
A total of 12 articles discussing helical CT and/or V-P scanning were included. With a random-effects model, pooled sensitivity for helical CT was 86.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80.2%, 92.1%), and specificity was 93.7% (95% CI: 91.1%, 96.3%). V-P scanning yielded low sensitivity of 39.0% (95% CI: 37.3%, 40.8%) but high specificity of 97.1% (95% CI: 96.0%, 98.3%) with high probability threshold. V-P scanning yielded high sensitivity of 98.3% (95% CI: 97.2%, 99.5%) and low specificity of 4.8% (95% CI: 4.7%, 4.9%) with normal threshold. Regression coefficients for helical CT angiography were 0.588 (95% CI: -1.55, 2.74) and 4.14 (95% CI: -0.002, 8.28) versus V-P scanning with high and normal thresholds, respectively. Regression coefficients for helical CT angiography were 0.588 (95% CI: -1.55, 2.74) and 4.14 (95% CI: -0.002, 8.28) versus V-P scanning with high and normal thresholds, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Helical CT has greater discriminatory power than V-P scanning with normal and/or near-normal threshold to exclude PE, while helical CT and V-P scanning with high probability threshold had similar discriminatory power in the diagnosis of PE. | 10.1148/radiol.2343031009 |
pubmed_1102_23858 | BACKGROUND
Inaccurate projection on standard pelvic radiographs leads to the underestimation of femoral offset-a critical determinant of postoperative hip function-during total hip arthroplasty (THA) templating. We noted that the posteromedial facet of the greater trochanter and piriformis fossa form a double contour on radiographs, which may be valuable in determining the risk of underestimating femoral offset. We evaluate whether projection errors can be predicted based on the double contour width.
METHODS
Plain anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs and magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 64 adult hips were evaluated retrospectively. Apparent femoral offset, apparent femoral head diameter and double contour widths were evaluated from the radiographs. X-ray projection errors were estimated by comparison to the true neck length measured on MRIs after calibration to the femoral heads. Multivariate analysis with backward elimination was used to detect associations between the double contour width and radiographic projection errors. Femoral offset underestimation below 10% was considered acceptable for templating.
RESULTS
The narrowest width of the double line between the femoral neck and piriformis fossa is significantly associated with projection error. When double line widths exceed 5 mm, the risk of projection error greater than 10% is significantly increased compared to narrower double lines, and the acceptability rate for templating drops below 80% (p = 0.02).
CONCLUSION
The double contour width is a potential landmark for excluding pelvic AP radiographs unsuitable for THA templating due to inaccurate femoral rotation. | 10.1186/s12891-021-04133-8 |
pubmed_803_14947 | Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) is a testicular product that causes the regression of the Mullerian duct in the developing male embryo. Antibody specific for MIS would facilitate the purification and study of this "hormone," but because of its impure status, traditional polyclonal antisera specific for MIS would be untenable. The requisite specificity, however, might be obtained by the technique of somatic fusion, regardless of the purity of the immunizing antigen. This paper describes the production of 2 monoclonal antibodies specific for MIS by the technique of somatic cell fusion. Spleen cells from mice immunized with an impure preparation of MIS were fused with myeloma cell line NS1. Culture media from the resulting hybridoma cell lines were screened for anti-MIS antibody by a sensitive RIA. Specificity for MIS was demonstrated by the adsorption of biologically active MIS on an affinity column prepared from monoclonal anti-MIS antibody. MIS activity as assessed by an organ culture assay was subsequently recovered from the affinity column in the fraction eluted with MH4SCN. Using the RIA, monoclonal anti-MIS antibody was also shown to compete favorably with a variety of potentially cross-reactive proteins. | pubmed_803_14947 |
pubmed_123_8888 | Capsaicin, the pungent ingredient of chilli, is gastroprotective against experimental gastric injury when given intragastrically. Epidemiological and clinical data suggest that chilli ingestion may have a beneficial effect on human peptic ulcer disease. This study showed a gastroprotective effect of intragastric capsaicin, in doses of 2 and 5 mg, on ethanol induced gastric mucosal injury using macroscopic, histological, scanning electron microscopic, and biochemical indices. Subcutaneous administration of 2 mg of capsaicin had the same gastroprotective effect as intragastric administration. Acute intragastric administration and chronic ingestion of chilli powder in doses comparable with that consumed in humans (up to 200 mg in single doses or 200 mg daily for four weeks) likewise protected the gastric mucosa. Both the mucosa and gastric juice had higher mucus contents when capsaicin or chilli rather than saline or solvent was used before ethanol challenge. In control animals capsaicin also increased gastric juice mucus content although the mucosal content was unaffected. Increased gastric mucus production may therefore be one mechanism by which capsaicin and chilli exert their gastroprotective effect although an alternative explanation is that the reduction in mucosal mucus depletion is secondary to the protective effect of capsaicin and chilli. | 10.1136/gut.36.5.664 |
pubmed_1132_22220 | Magnetic nanoparticles that can be transported in subsurface reservoirs at high salinities and temperatures are expected to have a major impact on enhanced oil recovery, carbon dioxide sequestration, and electromagnetic imaging. Herein we report a rare example of steric stabilization of iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles (NPs) grafted with poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate-co-acrylic acid) (poly(AMPS-co-AA)) that not only display colloidal stability in standard American Petroleum Institute (API) brine (8% NaCl + 2% CaCl2 by weight) at 90 °C for 1 month but also resist undesirable adsorption on silica surfaces (0.4% monolayer NPs). Because the AMPS groups interacted weakly with Ca(2+), they were sufficiently well solvated to provide steric stabilization. The PAA groups, in contrast, enabled covalent grafting of the poly(AMPS-co-AA) chains to amine-functionalized IO NPs via formation of amide bonds and prevented polymer desorption even after a 40,000-fold dilution. The aforementioned methodology may be readily adapted to stabilize a variety of other functional inorganic and organic NPs at high salinities and temperatures. | 10.1021/am4003974 |
pubmed_977_12661 | Adolescent pregnancy is the pregnancy of girls aged 10-19 years, leading to many maternal and neonatal adverse effects. These pregnancies have been a global concern for many decades and yet are still prevailing. This article has reviewed the significant determinants of adolescent pregnancy and various maternal adverse effects, including preeclampsia, preterm premature rupture of the membrane (PPROM), maternal anemia, sexually transmitted diseases, postpartum depression, and maternal deaths, and adverse neonatal outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), prematurity, stillbirths, early neonatal demise, and low Apgar score. Various pathophysiologic events that lead to such adverse consequences have been briefly discussed in the article and how such occurrences can be overcome. This article has also emphasized the need to implement various modalities such as sex education, availability of contraceptives, and bringing community-level awareness to lower the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy. | 10.7759/cureus.25921 |
pubmed_624_17425 | Myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy both commonly present as new unexplained heart failure. This similarity raises the question of the interrelation of these disorders. What proportion of dilated cardiomyopathy begins as myocarditis, what other cardiac insults commonly lead to myocarditis and how often endomyocardial biopsy yields the diagnosis of myocarditis when present, are unknown. Proof that immunosuppressive treatment of myocarditis is beneficial is also lacking. | 10.1159/000174516 |
pubmed_135_3504 | Nunes, JP, Marcori, AJ, Ribeiro, AS, Cunha, PM, Kassiano, W, Costa, BDV, Aguiar, AF, Nakamura, M, Mayhew, JL, and Cyrino, ES. Differential responsiveness for strength gain between limbs after resistance training in older women: Impact on interlimb asymmetry reduction. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3209-3216, 2022-The present study compared strength responses between preferred (PREF) and nonpreferred (N-PREF) legs in older women. Muscular strength was measured unilaterally using an isokinetic dynamometer and was analyzed for reproducibility scores, acute performance, and responsiveness to a resistance training (RT) program. One hundred eleven women (aged ≥60 years) performed 12 weeks of whole-body RT (3 times a week; 4 lower-body exercises). Reproducibility scores (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.920; following test-retests in part of the sample at pretraining; n = 19), average acute performances, and average strength gains (PREF = ∼6.9%; N-PREF = ∼7.2%) were similar between legs (p > 0.05). However, the individual analyses showed that some subjects were considered responders to strength gains in 1 leg, whereas nonresponders in the other. Nonetheless, when considering the responses in all strength tests, most subjects (91%) were considered responder to at least 1 measure. In addition, it was observed that the strength ratio between PREF/N-PREF legs was altered for those who presented some asymmetry at baseline, as the limbs became more symmetrical in all strength measures after the RT. In conclusion, we observed that some older women may have different levels of strength between legs; however, a traditional 12-week RT program with bilateral exercises can reduce such asymmetry by inducing greater strength gains in the weaker leg. | 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004240 |
pubmed_691_12611 | We wish to draw attention to a case of hypertension in a child with anaphylactoid purpura, but with minimal urinary findings. Early recognition and effective antihypertensive therapy for short periods of time prevent potential complications. The wide spectrum of presentations, the epidemiological features, the diagnostic work-up and the role of the primary care physician are also reviewed. | pubmed_691_12611 |
pubmed_337_25451 | Diabetes mellitus (DM) and aging are associated with bone fragility and increased fracture risk. Both (1-37) N- and (107-111) C-terminal parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) exhibit osteogenic properties. We here aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of either PTHrP (1-37) or PTHrP (107-111) loaded into gelatin-glutaraldehyde-coated hydroxyapatite (HA-Gel) foams to improve bone repair of a transcortical tibial defect in aging rats with or without DM, induced by streptozotocin injection at birth. Diabetic old rats showed bone structural deterioration compared to their age-matched controls. Histological and μ-computerized tomography studies showed incomplete bone repair at 4 weeks after implantation of unloaded Ha-Gel foams in the transcortical tibial defects, mainly in old rats with DM. However, enhanced defect healing, as shown by an increase of bone volume/tissue volume and trabecular and cortical thickness and decreased trabecular separation, occurred in the presence of either PTHrP peptide in the implants in old rats with or without DM. This was accompanied by newly formed bone tissue around the osteointegrated HA-Gel implant and increased gene expression of osteocalcin and vascular endothelial growth factor (bone formation and angiogenic markers, respectively), and decreased expression of Sost gene, a negative regulator of bone formation, in the healing bone area. Our findings suggest that local delivery of PTHrP (1-37) or PTHrP (107-111) from a degradable implant is an attractive strategy to improve bone regeneration in aged and diabetic subjects. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2060-2070, 2016. | 10.1002/jbm.a.35742 |
pubmed_43_796 | BACKGROUND
Hypotension and bradycardia are the most common complications associated with spinal anesthesia and more common in patients with a history of hypertension. Regular use of antihypertensive medications can prevent these complications. The occurrence of hypotension under spinal anesthesia among controlled hypertensive and normotensive patients with age 40 years and above is still debated. The objective of the study was to compare blood pressure and heart rate changes following spinal anesthesia between controlled hypertensive and normotensive patients undergoing surgery below the umbilicus at Black lion hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2020.
METHOD
A hospital-based prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 110 elective patients with controlled hypertension (55) and normotensive (55) patients who underwent surgery with spinal anesthesia at black lion hospital during the study period were included. The sample was selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Continuous data of independent and dependent variables were analyzed using an independent sample t-test for normally distributed and Mann-Whitney U-test for nonnormally distributed between the study groups. Categorical variables between the study groups were analyzed using the chi-square test. Descriptive data were displayed using tables and figures. For continuous and categorical variables, a p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
The incidence of hypotension in the controlled hypertension group (23.6%) was higher than the normotensive group (7.3%) with p value of 0.018. The occurrence of bradycardia was seen to be 12.7% in each group with a p value >0.05. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, mean heart rate, and vasopressor consumption at the measurement time interval between controlled hypertension and normotensive groups.
CONCLUSION
Under spinal anesthesia, patients with controlled hypertension are more likely to develop hypotension than normotensive patients, but on the occurrence of bradycardia, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. | 10.1155/2021/8891252 |
pubmed_1040_17628 | The oromandibular limb hypogenesis syndrome is a group of anomalies affecting the mandible, tongue, and maxilla with or without reductive limb anomalies. Their genetic origin is uncertain, and no drug-induced teratogen has been clearly identified. Although many similarities exist on both an embryologic and clinical level, distinction between these entities is appropriate. A new classification system with these principles in mind is presented. Two cases are presented of glossopalatine ankylosis with hypodactyly representing the thirteenth and fourteenth cited in the world literature. One patient presented with a fatal pulmonary hypoplasia not previously reported in association with this syndrome. Three of the 14 cases with reductive limb anomalies reported have had fatal outcomes. | 10.1097/00006534-198507000-00003 |
pubmed_574_5025 | Time-resolved frequency-domain fluorescence energy transfer measurements have been used to investigate the solution structure of a single-domain CCHH-type zinc finger peptide. These measurements reveal not only the range of accessible distances for a given donor-acceptor pair within the molecule but also the degree of conformational flexibility that occurs in solution. Two donor-acceptor (D-A)-pair zinc finger peptides have been synthesized. A single tryptophan residue located at the midpoint of the sequence was the energy donor for two different acceptors. One acceptor, attached at the amino terminus was a 5-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonyl (DNS) group; the second acceptor was a 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin-3-acetyl (AMCA) group, attached to the epsilon-amino function of a carboxy-terminal lysine residue. Distance distributions and the mutual site-to-site diffusion coefficients were determined for these two D-A-labeled peptides under zinc-bound, metal-free, and denatured conditions. The D-A distance distributions determined for these two peptides under metal-free and zinc-bound conditions indicated a shorter distance and a unique conformation (narrow distribution) when metal was bound and a longer distance with greater conformational flexibility when metal ion was absent. No site-to-site diffusion was detected for the zinc-bound peptide, whereas an appreciable amount of diffusion was measured for both metal-free and denatured peptide. Anisotropy measurements on the peptides indicated increased flexibility of all regions of the peptide chain in the absence of zinc and a more compact, less flexible structure when zinc was bound. It was concluded from these results that the metal-bound conformation represents a unique, well-defined structure. Comparison of distance distributions measured for metal-free and denatured peptide indicated that there is some residual structure present in the metal-free peptide. | 10.1021/bi00082a020 |
pubmed_927_9961 | Monolayers of rabbit synovial fibroblasts treated experimentally with phorbol myristate acetate produce large amounts of collagenase and prostaglandin E2 and have been a suitable experimental model for the proliferative/destructive lesion of rheumatoid arthritis. We used X-irradiation to prolong the in vitro lifespan of these cells so that cloned populations could be studied. By a number of criteria, X-irradiation did not alter the cells to make them unrepresentative of synovial fibroblasts. With limiting dilution techniques, we simultaneously isolated three clones. These clones were shown to have different growth rates and to produce different amounts of collagenase and prostaglandin E2. Rates of protein synthesis, measured by incorporation of 3H-leucine, were similar for all three clones. Our data support the concept that particular populations of synovial cells may contribute selectively to the joint destruction seen in rheumatoid disease. | 10.1016/s0174-173x(81)80027-1 |
pubmed_506_13039 | Pneumonia is one of the major causes of death in the world. Age-adjusted mortality from pneumonia in the United Kingdom was three times higher than it was in France in 2004. The purpose of this article is to find the underlying determinants of pneumonia mortality differences between these two countries. The main research question is "what are the determinants of pneumonia mortality in the UK and France?" Reviewing the underlying determinants of health inequalities, we expected that behavioral factors, environmental factors, and the health care system would account for the differences, but they do not actually account for much of the differences in Pneumonia mortality between the UK and France. The main difference is due to data quality problems particularly relating to diagnosis and certification in both countries. | pubmed_506_13039 |
pubmed_849_23626 | Variation among existing studies in labeling, defining, identifying, and subtyping cases of suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) poses challenges to integrating research findings for public health purposes. This descriptive study addressed methodological issues of nomenclature and DFSA operational definitions to improve case identification and was designed to distinguish assault subtypes. We studied a 2-year ethnically diverse cohort of 390 patients who presented acutely to an urban rape treatment center (RTC). We abstracted data from RTC medical and mental health records via chart review. Assault incidence rates; engagement into medical, forensic, and mental health services; injury sustained; and weapon use were calculated separately for assault subtypes and compared. DFSA accounted for over half of the total sexual assault (SA) cases. Involuntary DFSA (in which an incapacitating substance was administered to victims without their knowledge or against their will) increased from 25% to 33% of cases over the 2-year period. DFSA victims presented sooner, and more often attended medical follow-up and psychotherapy than non-DFSA victims. Incidence rates indicated increasing risk for young males. These findings indicate that DFSA continues to be a growing and complex phenomenon and suggest that DFSA victims have greater service needs. The field would benefit from innovations to address symptomatology arising from this novel type of trauma and the unique risks and needs of male victims, as well as underscoring the ongoing need for DFSA-specific prevention efforts for both victims and perpetrators. | 10.1177/0886260515589567 |
pubmed_230_844 | The present study was designed to investigate the renoprotective effect of 3,4-methylenedioxyphenol (sesamol) on ferric nitrilotriacetate-induced renal toxicity. Rats were pretreated with sesamol (2, 4 and 8 mg/kg, p.o.) 30 min. prior to administration of ferric nitrilotriacetate (8 mg iron/kg, i.p.) to determine the blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels along with renal oxidative stress. Challenge with ferric nitrilotriacetate markedly increased the blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels, which was coupled with a marked lipid peroxidation, reduced activity of glutathione and decreased total nitric oxide levels in rat kidneys. It also produced significant renal morphological alterations and increased serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels. Pretreatment with sesamol significantly reduced the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, lipid peroxidation, restored levels of reduced glutathione and increased total renal nitric oxide levels. It also attenuated the increased tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels and restored the normal morphology of the kidneys. Present findings strongly suggest the pivotal role of oxidative stress in the ferric nitrilotriacetate-induced renal dysfunction and points towards the renoprotective potential of sesamol in oxidative renal pathologies. | 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2009.00381.x |
pubmed_186_14710 | BACKGROUND
Neuroendocrine tumor originates from the diffuse neuroendocrine system. Intracranial originating is lower to 0.74 %.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present two cases of primary intracranial neuroendocrine tumor A 39-year-old woman was admitted with headache, fever, polydipsia and polyuria. Biochemical and endocrinological results showed hyponatremia, hypothyroidism and hypopituitarism. MRI scans demonstrated an obviouslyenhancing lesion in seller and superseller area. Then a gross removal of tumor was achieved during the single nostril transsphenoidal approach surgery. Pathological diagnosis was high-grade small-cell neuroendocrine tumor. A 40-year-old woman presented with multiple symptoms and neurological deficit. Neuroimaging results demonstrated a huge obviously-enhancing tumor in anterior cranial fossa. Biochemical and hormone findings revealed hypokalemia, high glucose and hypercortisolemia. The intracranial surgery achieved a gross removal through a right frontal craniotomy. Pathological diagnosis was low-grade small-cell neuroendocrine tumor with immuno-negativity for ACTH.
CONCLUSION
The mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of neuroendocrine tumor are still challenging. | 10.1186/s12957-016-0887-4 |
pubmed_796_7401 | Glomus jugulare tumors are difficult to manage therapeutically due to their localisation. Operation may be successful in small tumors but can be hazardous in larger lesions mainly because of bleeding and palsy of cranial nerves. In these cases there should be used radiation therapy under the condition that it is planned by use of computed tomography. Moreover reproducibility of radiation treatment set-up is vital. In this way tumor regression may be achieved. Four own illustrative cases are demonstrated. According to the stage of disease a modified treatment strategy is presented which integrates surgical procedures, angiographic embolization and radiotherapy. | pubmed_796_7401 |
pubmed_146_874 | Antigenically distinct tumor variants can emerge in response to selective pressures inherent to host-tumor interactions. The development of successful immunotherapeutic strategies can be limited by these disparate antigenic profiles. Using the immunomodulator B7-DC XAb to activate cytolytic T cells specific for tumor-associated antigens, we found that the specificity of immune responses elicited by live tumors are distinct from the specificity of the responses elicited by soluble proteins derived from the same tumors. Remarkably, whereas the induced antitumor immunity generated against live variants of the B16 melanoma and EL4 thymic lymphoma tumors were highly specific for the original tumor variant used in the challenge, immunity generated using soluble proteins derived from tumor lysates was broadly reactive, recognizing the challenge tumor, as well as antigenically distinct variants. The antigens detected using live tumor and tumor lysate vaccines could be distinguished biochemically, demonstrating that they are structurally distinct. We show that vaccines using antigens present in tumor cell lysates induce protective immunity with strong memory against distantly related tumor variants. The existence of a class of antigens shared among tumor variants provides an attractive target for vaccine development. | 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-5937 |
pubmed_302_11354 | Early re-surfacing of burn wounds remains the ideal but is limited by the availability of skin graft donor sites. Cultured grafts overcome these problems and autologous keratinocytes can be grown in culture and placed on a dermal substitute, but this results in delay and requires two operations. We developed an organotypic skin substitute, which achieves cover in one procedure, and have previously found allogeneic cell survival up to 2.5 years after grafting onto clean elective wounds (tattoo removal). Here, we report a short series using the same model applied to burns patients with less than 20% total body surface area affected. The skin substitutes consisted of allogeneic dermal fibroblasts embedded in a collagen gel overlain with allogeneic epidermal keratinocytes, and were grafted to patients with tangentially excised burns. A side-by-side comparison with meshed split-thickness autografts was performed. No grafts became infected. The allogeneic skin substitute showed little effective take at 1 week, and by 2 weeks only small islands of keratinocytes survived. These sites were subsequently covered with meshed split-thickness autograft, which took well. It is concluded that further development of this model is needed to overcome the hostile wound bed seen in burns patients. | 10.1016/s0305-4179(01)00107-3 |
pubmed_434_10211 | The confusion centered around appropriate use of the CPT billing code 88172 is addressed in the commentary from the Economic and Government Affairs Committee of the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC) who have written a timely commentary in this issue of Cytojournal, "Adequate Reimbursement is Crucial to Support Cost-Effective Rapid Onsite Cytopathology Evaluations". Currently, lack of standardized use within and between pathology departments is stirring unhealthy practices of denying reimbursements for this critical and legitimate cytopathology service. This editorial discusses the important concerns raised in this commentary and recommends immediate corrective action. (See also Al-Abbadi MA, et al. Adequate reimbursement is crucial to support cost-effective rapid on-site cytopathology evaluations. CytoJournal 2010;7:22). | 10.4103/1742-6413.71741 |
pubmed_644_2051 | The aim of the present study was to assess the outcome of orthopaedic surgery in ambulant children with cerebral palsy, when the orthopaedic surgeons followed the recommendations from preoperative three-dimensional gait analysis. 55 children, mean age 10 y 11 mo, were clinically evaluated by orthopaedic surgeons who proposed a surgical treatment plan. After gait analysis and subsequent surgery, three groups were defined. In group A, there was agreement between clinical proposals, gait-analysis recommendations, and subsequent surgery in 128 specific surgical procedures. In group B, 54 procedures were performed based on gait analysis, although these procedures had not been proposed at the clinical examination. In group C, 55 surgical procedures that had been proposed after clinical evaluation were not performed because of the gait-analysis recommendations. The children underwent follow-up gait analysis 1 to 2 years after the initial analysis. The kinematic results were satisfactory, with improvement in most of the gait parameters in children who had undergone surgery and no significant deterioration in those who were not operated. In group A, there were significant improvements in maximum hip extension in stance, minimum knee flexion in stance, timing of maximum knee flexion in swing and knee range of motion, maximum ankle dorsiflexion in stance, and mean femur rotation in stance. In group B, there were significant improvements in maximum hip extension in stance, minimum knee flexion in stance, and knee range of motion. We conclude that gait analysis was useful in confirming clinical indications for surgery, in defining indications for surgery that had not been clinically proposed, and for excluding or delaying surgery that was clinically proposed. | 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03018.x |
pubmed_456_749 | We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined airway and esophageal stents under fluoroscopy guidance and local anesthesia for patients with malignant tracheobronchial and esophageal disease. This retrospective analysis included 35 consecutive patients underwent combined stenting from March 2012 to August 2016. All patients underwent chest computed tomography scans before stenting and during follow-up. Thirty-nine airway stents and 43 esophageal covered stents were implanted. The indication of stenting, technical success and postinterventional complications were collected and analyzed. Thirty-nine airway stents and 43 esophageal covered stents were implanted. Stenting failed in 1 airway stent, and 2 esophageal stents, with technology success rates of 97.4% and 95.3%, respectively. No procedure-related death occurred, only 1 patient died from failure of respiration due to esophagotracheal fistula. The median interval between 2 stenting was 13.0 days. Both dyspnea and dysphasia were significantly relieved after stenting. Restenosis after stenting (7.7%) was the most common complication for airway stenting, all these cases required second stenting. Stent migration (7.0%) was the most common complication after esophageal stenting, 1 case had to receive airway stenting and 1 case received replacement of esophageal stent. During follow up, 23 patients were clinically cured, 2 patients were improved in symptoms, and 1 was invalid. Eight deaths were found in total. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 82.4%, 78.8%, and 78.8%, respectively. In conclusion, combined airway and esophageal stents implantation under fluoroscopy guidance and local anesthesia are safe and effective for malignant tracheobronchial and esophageal disease. | 10.1097/MD.0000000000014169 |
pubmed_28_5144 | Surface-bound reactions are commonly employed to develop nanoarchitectures through bottom-up assembly. Precursor molecules are carefully designed, and surfaces are chosen with the intention to fabricate low-dimensional extended networks, which can include one-dimensional and two-dimensional structures. The inclusion of functional groups can offer the opportunity to utilize unique chemistry to further tune the bottom-up method or form novel nanostructures. Specifically, carbonyl groups open up new avenues for on-surface coordination chemistry. Here, the self-assembly and formation of an organometallic species via the thermally induced reaction of 3,6-dibromo-9,10-phenanthrenequinone (DBPQ) molecules were studied on Ag(100) and Ag(110). Low-temperature ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy revealed the room temperature formation of self-assemblies defined by hydrogen and halogen bonds on Ag(100). Following a thermal anneal to 300 °C, DBPQ on Ag(100) was found to form metal-organic coordination networks composed of a combination of organometallic species characteristics of Ullmann-like coupling reactions and carbonyl complexes. On Ag(110), the C-Br bonds were found to readily dissociate at room temperature, resulting in the formation of disordered organometallic species. | 10.1063/5.0038559 |
pubmed_1108_3003 | UNLABELLED
4-Fluoro-11beta-methoxy-16alpha-18F-fluoroestradiol (4FMFES) is a newly developed radiolabeled estradiol analog for PET imaging of estrogen receptors (ERs) that shows improved target-to-background ratios, compared with 16alpha-18F-fluoroestradiol (FES), in small-animal models. The aim of this study was to assess the biodistribution, dosimetry, and safety of 4FMFES in healthy women.
METHODS
Ten healthy subjects (6 pre- and 4 postmenopausal women) who had fasted were injected with 66-201 MBq of 4FMFES at a high effective specific activity (median, 251 GBq/micromol). During a 2-h period, each subject underwent 4 serial rapid PET acquisitions and 2 low-dose CT acquisitions on a PET/CT camera. Volumes of interest were drawn over source organs for each PET acquisition, allowing the calculation of time-activity curves, residence times, and radiation dosimetry estimates. Serial blood samples were obtained to measure blood and plasma activity clearance. 4FMFES safety was assessed by blood and urine analyses and vital-sign monitoring.
RESULTS
A 4FMFES injection was well tolerated in all subjects. The liver showed high uptake, and the hepatobiliary excretion was massive. Little urinary excretion occurred. Uterus uptake was visualized in all subjects and remained relatively constant over time (maximum and mean standardized uptake values at 60 min were 5.34+/-3.32 and 2.68+/-1.89, respectively). Background activity was low and decreased over time, resulting in an increasing uterus-to-background ratio (12.1+/-2.2 at 60 min). The critical organ was the gallbladder (0.80+/-0.51 mGy/MBq), followed by the upper large intestine (0.13+/-0.04 mGy/MBq), small intestine (0.12+/-0.04 mGy/MBq), and liver (0095+/-0.019 mGy/MBq). For a typical 4FMFES dose of 185 MBq, the effective dose was calculated at 4.82+/-0.70 mSv.
CONCLUSION
4FMFES is considered safe for use in humans, and its effective dose remains well within acceptable limits. The absorbed dose to the gallbladder was relatively high and could potentially be reduced by injecting 4FMFES in patients who had not fasted. 4FMFES showed a significant, potentially estrogen receptor-mediated uterus uptake in both pre- and postmenopausal subjects. | 10.2967/jnumed.108.057000 |
pubmed_765_15024 | Increased circulating level of uraemic solute p-cresyl sulphate (PCS) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to increase myocardial burden relevant to mitochondrial abnormalities. This study aimed at investigating mitochondrial response to PCS in H9C2 cardiomyoblasts. H9C2 cardiomyoblasts were treated with four different concentrations of PCS (3.125, 6.25, 12.5 and 25.0 µg/mL) to study the changes in cell proliferation, cell size and mitochondrial parameters including morphology, respiration, biogenesis and membrane potential. The lowest effective dose of PCS (6.25 µg/mL) induced mitochondrial hyperfusion with enhanced mitochondrial connectivity, mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates, mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial DNA copy number and increased volume of cardiomyoblasts. After PCS treatment, phosphorylation of energy-sensing adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was increased without induction of apoptosis. In contrast, mitochondrial mass was recovered after AMPK silencing. Additionally, mitochondrial hyperfusion and cell volume were reversed after cessation of PCS treatment. The results of the present study showed that low-level PCS not only caused AMPK-dependent mitochondrial hyperfusion but also induced cell enlargement in H9C2 cardiomyoblasts in vitro. | 10.1111/jcmm.15303 |
pubmed_774_2022 | Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism to overcome various stresses and recycle cytoplasmic components and organelles. Ubiquitin-like (UBL) protein Atg12 is a key protein involved in autophagosome formation through stimulation of Atg8 conjugation to phosphatidylethanolamine. Here, we describe the identification of the autophagy-related gene Acatg12, encoding an Atg12 homologous protein in the cephalosporin C producing fungus Acremonium chrysogenum. Disruption of Acatg12 impaired the delivery and degradation of eGFP-Atg8, indicating that the autophagic process was blocked. Meanwhile, conidiation was dramatically reduced in the Acatg12 disruption mutant (∆Acatg12). In contrast, cephalosporin C production was increased twofold in ∆Acatg12, but fungal growth was reduced after 6 days fermentation. Consistent with these results, the transcriptional level of the cephalosporin biosynthetic genes was increased in ∆Acatg12. The results extend our understanding of autophagy in filamentous fungi. | 10.1007/s00284-019-01650-7 |
pubmed_410_10366 | Precise regulation of ion transport through nanoscale pores will profoundly impact diverse fields from separation to energy conversion but is still challenging to achieve in artificial ion channels. Herein, inspired by the exquisite ion selectivity of biological Na+ channels, we have successfully fabricated hierarchically grown metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on an asymmetrical substrate assisted by atomically thin nanoporous graphene. Efficient separation of monovalent metal ions is realized by encapsulating 18-crown-6 into MOF crystals. The resulting 18-crown-6@ZIF-67/ZIF-8 device, with subnanochannels and specific K+ binding sites, shows an ultrahigh Li+ conductivity of 1.46 × 10-2 S cm-1 and selectivities of 9.56 and 6.43 for Li+/K+ and Na+/K+, respectively. The Li+ conductivity is around 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than reported values for the other MOF materials. It is the first time that MOFs with subnanochannels realize selective transport of Na+ (ionic diameter of 1.9 Å) over K+ (2.6 Å) based on subangstrom differences in their ionic diameter. Our work opens new avenues to develop crown ether@MOF platforms toward efficient ion transistors, fluidic logic devices, and biosensors. | 10.1021/acsami.1c24573 |
pubmed_581_18036 | RATIONALE
Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) involves mainly the skin and bone and rarely the thyroid. Meanwhile, papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid cancer. Both LCH and PTC could make the thyroid enlarged and hypermetabolic. The coincidence of these 2 events in a patient is rare, and this paper aimed to report such case.
PATIENT CONCERNS
A 40-year-old man presented with polyuria and polydipsia for 5 years. The symptoms had been relieved well by drug therapy for >4 years, until the drugs could not control the symptoms anymore and an extensively enlarged thyroid gland was noticed.
DIAGNOSES
Thyroid ultrasound showed a nodule with microcalcification in the upper right lobe, positron emission tomography/computer tomography scan demonstrated thyroid hypermetabolism, and fine needle aspiration (FNA) revealed PTC. Right lobectomy of the thyroid and cervical lymph node biopsy verified the diagnosis "LCH of the thyroid complicated by PTC."
INTERVENTIONS
The ultrasound-guided FNA biopsy was performed prior to right lobectomy of the thyroid and cervical lymph node biopsy. Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis, after which the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy.
OUTCOMES
After 5 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, the patient had been followed up for 2 years. LCH was controlled satisfactorily and there was no significant sign of recurrence or metastasis of PTC.
LESSONS
LCH of the thyroid complicated by PTC is rare. Thyroid involvement should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of LCH patients. Surgery for PTC followed by chemotherapy for LCH may be the suitable treatment. | 10.1097/MD.0000000000007954 |
pubmed_1061_16363 | Microbot locomotion is challenging because of the reversible nature of microscale fluid flow, a limitation that can be overcome by breaking flowfield symmetry with a nearby surface. We have used this strategy with rotating wheel-shaped microbots, μwheels, that roll on surfaces leading to enhanced propulsion and fast translation speeds. Despite this, studies to date on flat surfaces show that μwheels roll inefficiently with significant slip. Taking inspiration from the mathematics of roads and wheels, here we demonstrate that μwheel velocities can be significantly enhanced by changing microroad topography. In this, we observe that periodic bumps in the road can be used to enhance the traction between μwheels and nearby walls. While continuous μwheel rotation with slip is observed on flat surfaces, a combination of rotation with slip and non-slip flip occurs when μwheels roll upon surfaces with periodic features, resulting in up to four-fold enhancement in translation velocity. The surprisingly fast rolling speed of μwheels on bumpy roads can be attributed to the hydrodynamic coupling between μwheels and road surface features, allowing non-slip rotation of entire wheels along one of their stationary edges. This road/wheel coupling can also be used to enhance μwheel sorting and separation where the gravitational potential energy barrier induced by topographic surfaces can lead to motion in only one direction and to different rolling speeds between isomeric wheels, allowing one to separate them not based on size but on symmetry. | 10.1126/scirobotics.aaw9525 |
pubmed_558_4529 | The progression from panel doctor's system towards family medicine in Hungary is reviewed, including professional, educational, financial and legal background. The main barriers for further development are insufficient human resources, inadequate financial foundation, administrative overload and the present legal regulation. Hungarian observations are compared to international experiences, as well. The author concludes that changing environment needs new structure of health care system with more focus on prevention, with services provided not only by physicians and also different attitudes from the citizens. Association of practices is suggested as a new model, involving other health specialists, as well. Based on the experiences of this model, new financial incentives can be introduced as tools for possible improvement in the future. | 10.1556/OH.2009.28680 |
pubmed_714_2183 | This article examines the relationship between the growing challenge of securing reimbursement for delivering traumatic brain injury rehabilitation in the US and the health providers' duty to advocate for the welfare of patients. Following a discussion of five impediments or barriers to reimbursement--namely, the erosion of private insurance, the insurer's refusal to pay, lack of empirical data to justify rehabilitation as 'medically necessary', financial incentives to abbreviate care, and the ERISA preemption--the article offers a series of recommendations aimed at enhancing patient advocacy. A prominent theme of this article is that health providers cannot forsake their advocacy role and so must be protected from potential penalties imposed by payers for doing so. The degree to which this protection occurs, however, may largely depend on a willingness to agitate for health reform on the state and federal levels. | 10.1080/026990599121142 |
pubmed_778_14146 | Macrophages play essential roles in infection and resolution of inflammation. This review summarizes recent findings that suggest a relevant role for the nuclear receptor liver X receptor (LXR) in the evolution of immune responses. By exerting both positive and negative regulation of specific macrophage gene expression networks, LXRs display anti-inflammatory activities and promote macrophage survival in bacterial infection settings. Agonists that activate the LXR pathway may be used to enhance innate immunity to highly virulent pathogens that otherwise induce macrophage apoptosis as a means to subvert host immune defense. | 10.1016/j.imbio.2005.05.007 |
pubmed_428_16496 | This study aims to determine the allelopathic potential of Amaranthus retroflexus (Ar) with different climatic zones on seed germination and growth of A. tricolor (At) treated with a gradient N addition. Ar leaf extracts only displayed significantly allelopathic potential on the underground growth of Ar but not the aboveground growth of At. The allelopathic potential of Ar leaf extracts on root length of At were enhanced under N addition and there may be a N-concentration-dependent relationship. The effects of the extracts of Ar leaves that collected from Zhenjiang on seed germination and growth of At may be higher than that collected from Jinan especially on root length of At under medium N addition. This reason may be the contained higher concentration of secondary metabolites for the leaves of plants that growths in high latitudes compare with that growth in low latitudes. This phenomenon may also partly be attributed to the fact that Ar originated in America and/or south-eastern Asia which have higher similarity climate conditions as Zhenjiang rather than Jinan. The allelopathic potential of Ar on seed germination and growth of acceptor species may play an important role in its successful invasion especially in the distribution region with low latitudes. | 10.1590/0001-3765201720160513 |
pubmed_652_1484 | UNLABELLED
The potential of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) is still undeveloped in gynaecology. In order to diagnose and localize squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) of the cervix, a new method improving the low specificity of colposcopy, would be useful.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to assess the feasability and safety of colposcopic FD of SIL after topicaly application of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Patients with histologic proved cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and planned for loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) under general anesthesia, were included in a prospective study. Before general anesthesia, a thick layer of MAL (Metvix(®)-160mg/mL cream) was applied on the cervix for 35-150min. Fluorescent colposcopic inspection of the cervix was performed using a rigid 10-mm laparoscope inserted in the vaginal cavity and connected to D-light AF system (Karl Storz Endoskope, Tuttlingen Germany). In order to confirm neoplasic status, fluorescent foci underwent directed punch biopsy(ies).
RESULTS
Fourteen patients were included in the study. Colposcopic fluorescence imaging revealed red fluorescent foci in 71.4% of cases (10/14) (neoplasic status of fluorescent foci was confirmed in 80%). Concerning ME-ALA, the mean of application time was 73min (35-150). Two cases presented a false-positive fluorescence and four cases of false-negative fluorescence. For all cases of false-negative fluorescence, application time of MAL was less than 60min. We observed no systemic or local toxicity of MAL application in any of the groups.
CONCLUSION
Using topical application of MAL to the cervix, we demonstrated that FD of SIL is feasible. This study justifies the further development of fluorescence imaging that combines classical white light colposcopy with the use of a photosensitizer. | 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2006.10.003 |
pubmed_503_9599 | OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of intraoperative transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) on patient and graft survival.
DESIGN
A retrospective study.
SETTING
A tertiary care referral center.
PATIENTS
Between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1994, medical records from 225 adult patients who underwent primary liver transplantations were analyzed.
RESULTS
Overall patient survival was 90% at 1 year and 86% at 3 years, while graft survival was 89% at 1 year and 85% at 3 years. The following factors were associated with patient and graft survival: age, sex, medical condition at the time of transplantation, and intraoperative transfusion of RBCs. When these factors were subjected to a multivariate analysis, all were independently associated with survival. Fifty-four recipients (24%) underwent transplantation without intraoperative transfusion of RBCs, while 171 recipients (76%) received at least 1 U of RBCs intraoperatively. Recipients who did not receive transfusion of RBCs had higher patient and graft survival rates than patients who did receive RBCs. By multivariate analysis, transplantation without intraoperative transfusion of RBCs no longer remained statistically significant, and only sex and the patient's medical condition were independently associated with patient and graft survival. Patient and graft survival decreased if 5 or more U were transfused, but transfusion of 5 or more U was not independently associated with survival by multivariate analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Increased transfusion requirement for RBCs was independently associated with patient and graft survival. While transplantation without transfusion of intraoperative RBCs was associated with superior patient and graft survival, these effects were overridden by patient sex and medical condition at the time of transplantation. | 10.1001/archsurg.134.1.25 |
pubmed_410_11188 | Low-dimensional organic-inorganic metal halides, especially lead-free perovskites, are attracting increasing attention because of their environmentally friendly processing, flexible structures, chemical stability, and promising nonlinear optical properties. Herein, we report a new stable polar 0D lead-free hybrid bismuth chloride to enable the second-harmonic generation (SHG) active material (BTA)3Bi2Cl9 (BTA = benzyltriethylammonium, C6H5CH2N(C2H5)3+) that was obtained by the antisolvent vapor diffusion method and crystallized in the polar Cc space group. Its structure features organic cations surrounded by face-sharing [Bi2Cl9]3- dimers. (BTA)3Bi2Cl9 exhibits a wide direct bandgap (3.21 eV) and a strong phase-matchable SHG conversion efficiency (1.39 × KDP). Theoretical calculation reveals that the SHG response is owing to the synergistic effect of distorted inorganic [Bi2Cl9]3- anions and polar organic BTA+ cations. This work not only enriches the family of organic-inorganic A3M2X9 (A = monovalent cations; M = trivalent metal ions; and X = halide ions) NLO crystals but also provides the possibilities for further designing novel lead-free semiconducting piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric materials. | 10.1039/d2dt00451h |
pubmed_448_13693 | Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play crucial roles nearly in all aspects of plant biology, including stress responses, development and growth, and regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The molecular functions of HDACs have been explored in depth in Arabidopsis thaliana, while little research has been reported in the medicinal plant Cannabis sativa L. Here, we excavated 14 CsHDAC genes of C. sativa L that were divided into three relatively conserved subfamilies, including RPD3/HDA1 (10 genes), SIR2 (2 genes), and HD2 (2 genes). Genes associated with the biosynthesis of bioactive constituents were identified by combining the distribution of cannabinoids with the expression pattern of HDAC genes in various organs. Using qRT-PCR and transcription group analysis, we verified the expression of candidate genes in different tissues. We found that the histone inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA) affected the expression of key genes in the cannabinoid metabolism pathway and the accumulation of synthetic precursors, which indirectly indicates that histone inhibitor may regulate the synthesis of active substances in C. sativa L. | 10.3389/fpls.2021.755494 |
pubmed_1071_18176 | While interest in photosynthetic thermal acclimation has been stimulated by climate warming, comparing results across studies requires consistent terminology. We identify five types of photosynthetic adjustments in warming experiments: photosynthesis as measured at the high growth temperature, the growth temperature, and the thermal optimum; the photosynthetic thermal optimum; and leaf-level photosynthetic capacity. Adjustments of any one of these variables need not mean a concurrent adjustment in others, which may resolve apparently contradictory results in papers using different indicators of photosynthetic acclimation. We argue that photosynthetic thermal acclimation (i.e., that benefits a plant in its new growth environment) should include adjustments of both the photosynthetic thermal optimum (T opt) and photosynthetic rates at the growth temperature (A growth), a combination termed constructive adjustment. However, many species show reduced photosynthesis when grown at elevated temperatures, despite adjustment of some photosynthetic variables, a phenomenon we term detractive adjustment. An analysis of 70 studies on 103 species shows that adjustment of T opt and A growth are more common than adjustment of other photosynthetic variables, but only half of the data demonstrate constructive adjustment. No systematic differences in these patterns were found between different plant functional groups. We also discuss the importance of thermal acclimation of respiration for net photosynthesis measurements, as respiratory temperature acclimation can generate apparent acclimation of photosynthetic processes, even if photosynthesis is unaltered. We show that while dark respiration is often used to estimate light respiration, the ratio of light to dark respiration shifts in a non-predictable manner with a change in leaf temperature. | 10.1007/s11120-013-9873-7 |
pubmed_720_2929 | Autophagy is a critical physiologic process contributing to the maintenance of cell homeostasis. Autophagy dysfunction has been directly linked to a growing number of neurodegenerative disorders, including prion diseases. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying autophagic failure and its connection with prion neuropathology. In a previous work we described alterations of this process in the central nervous system (CNS) of sheep naturally infected with classical scrapie, although specific neuronal populations such as Purkinje cells seemed to display an autophagy-related neuroprotective effect against prion toxicity. As atypical scrapie displays a lesion pattern different to the one observed in the classical form, using immunohistochemical analyses, we further investigated herein the role of autophagy in the CNS of sheep experimentally infected with atypical scrapie prions. While ATG5 protein showed a similar distribution in atypical scrapie to that observed in the classical form, expression of LC3-B and LC3-A did not change in any brain region. However, p62, a marker of impaired autophagy, was overexpressed in the most prion-affected areas, including Purkinje cells, which suggests that autophagic activity is deteriorated in the CNS of atypical scrapie and these cells are also susceptible to neurotoxicity and do not exhibit a general defensive mechanism based on autophagy. By comparing data from both clinical scrapie forms, we have demonstrated that autophagy impairment is highly dependent on the neuropathological lesion levels of the brain area analysed and may be implicated in prion neuropathology. | 10.1016/j.vetmic.2019.04.026 |
pubmed_463_3918 | This qualitative study examined preadolescent boys' and girls' body ideals, and peer and media factors that shape these ideals. Sixty-eight children aged 8-10 participated in semi-structured interviews: 19 boys and 17 girls in individual interviews and 16 boys and 16 girls in eight group interviews. Techniques from grounded theory were used to analyze the data. Findings demonstrated that fitness was an important element of boys' and girls' body ideals. For boys the emphasis was on sport, and this was promoted by their peer interactions and the sportsmen they admired. For girls the focus was on looking good, and this was reinforced by their peer conversations, and the actresses and singers they admired. Focus groups further highlighted how peers both reinforced media messages, yet also helped children critique media messages. Implications are discussed for prevention programs that need to be specifically tailored for boys and girls. | pubmed_463_3918 |
pubmed_295_23044 | This essay discusses the relationship between film and psychological trauma from the perspective of the history of science. It examines how the psychological sciences were influenced by image technology, primarily after the two world wars. Taking a closer look at the development of film production and mental imagery experiments as cultural and scientific institutions, this essay examines the challenges psychologists began to face when the paradigm of the trauma film was established in the pursuit of positivist evidence informed by mechanical objectivity. Over the past century, psychological trauma have been explained through the lens of psychiatric sciences and literary critics. However, they were not evenly emphasized and experimental psychology became the mainstream institution to manage trauma in clinical settings. This essay argues that explanations of trauma in the past century have been interdisciplinary. The limitations of trauma-related brain sciences could be ameliorated by re-emphasizing narratives explored in films produced for artistic or moral, rather than scientific, purposes. | 10.1080/15299732.2021.1925864 |
pubmed_311_12441 | Cocoa is a rich source bioactive compounds, i.e., flavan-3-ols, and its consumption has been associated with several beneficial effects, such as the positive modulation of the hemostasis targeted by the platelet function. However, these phenolic compounds have a very low bioavailability and extensively undergo phase I and II metabolism, with the appearing into the bloodstream of (epi)catechin conjugates and phenyl-γ-valerolactones and their conjugates, at different times.The aims of this study were to explore the effect of dark chocolate on platelet function and to investigate the relationship between this interplay and flavan-3-ol derived metabolites.Eighteen healthy male volunteers ingested 50 g of 90% cocoa chocolate within 5 minutes. Blood samples were collected immediately before chocolate ingestion (T0) and 4 hours afterwards (T1). Platelet function analyzer (PFA)-100 closure time was assessed using collagen/adenosine-5'-diphosphate (COL/ADP) and collagen/epinephrine (COL/EPI) cartridges. Plasma flavan-3-ol metabolites were identified and quantified by means of liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS).Results evidenced a significant increase of COL/ADP-induced PFA-100 closure time, but not COL/EPI, 4 hours after ingestion of dark chocolate. Total plasma structurally-related (epi)catechin metabolite (SREM) concentration significantly increased at T1, together with 4 out of the 6 detected metabolites. Total phenyl-γ-valerolactone concentrations remained unchanged. Spearman correlations evidenced a strong correlation between COL/ADP closure time and SREMs, mainly led by (epi)catechin-sulfate isomers.These data confirm that the potential beneficial effect of dark chocolate on primary hemostasis may be mediated by flavan-3-ol circulating metabolites. | 10.1097/MD.0000000000013432 |
pubmed_814_10814 | The formed Fe oxides (minerals) in the magnetic biochar production process can facilitate its recovery and carbon retention rate. However, the influence of Fe oxides on pyrolysis volatile-derived water-soluble organic matter (PVWSOM, also called wood vinegar) has been largely overlooked. Results demonstrated that in-situ formed Fe oxides (α-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) could obviously inhibit biomass cracking and accordingly reduce PVWSOM emissions, as indicated by decreased PVWSOM concentrations from 28.7 to 6.8 mg C/g biomass. FT-ICR MS results further indicated that Fe oxides suppressed the formation of large-molecular-weight PVWSOM compounds with high degree of unsaturation (DBE value > 5) and oxygen content (oxygen number > 5), leading to lower polarity and aromaticity. Therefore, the changes in PVWSOM molecular structures caused by Fe oxides relieved its toxicity on wheat seed growth, and reduced negative impact on soil microbial diversity and promoted soil bacterial Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. These results indicate that molecular structures of PVWSOM from biomass pyrolysis also can be changed by Fe oxides to affect its application. | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146142 |
pubmed_467_13620 | Globally, as populations age there will be challenges and opportunities to deliver optimal health care to senior citizens. Epilepsy, a condition characterised by spontaneous recurrent seizures, is common in older adults (aged >65 years) and yet has received comparatively little attention in this age group. In this Review, we evaluate the underlying causes of epilepsy in older people, explore difficulties in establishing a diagnosis of epilepsy in this population, discuss appropriate antiseizure medications, and evaluate potential surgical treatment options. We consider cognitive, psychological, and psychosocial comorbidities and the effect that epilepsy might have on an older person's broader social or care network in high-income versus middle-income and low-income countries. We emphasise the need for clinical trials to be more inclusive of older people with epilepsy to help inform therapeutic decision making and discuss whether measures to improve vascular risk factors might be an important strategy to reduce the probability of developing epilepsy. | 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)33064-8 |
pubmed_783_21843 | Recent research showed a correlation between cognitive decline and a decrease of EEG gamma activity. In the present double-blind randomized control study, we investigated whether gamma and beta neurofeedback protocols, that have been shown to modulate performance on cognitive control and memory in young adults, also leads to increased brain activity and cognitive performance in elderly. Twenty older adults either performed eight 30-min gamma neurofeedback session or beta neurofeedback session within a period of 21 days. Cognitive performance was determined before and after the training through an IQ and memory task and we added a subjective well-being questionnaire. Both neurofeedback training protocols resulted in a significant increase of the brain activity within each training session, suggesting that the aging brain is still trainable. However, we found no effects on cognitive performance or transfer of the feedback beyond the trainings. We discuss several possible reasons for the lack of training on rest measurements and cognition and ways to improve the feedback protocols for future studies. | pubmed_783_21843 |
pubmed_571_16709 | Concentration of some heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in muscle, liver, kidney and gill of two barb, Barbus xanthopterus and Barbus rajanorum mystaceus, which have great economic values, in the Atatürk Dam Lake (Turkey). Heavy metal levels in fish samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP/OES). Heavy metal concentrations vary significantly, depending on the type of the tissue in fish species. The metal accumulation in the liver, kidney and gill of Barbus xanthopterus and Barbus rajanorum mystaceus was found to be quite high in comparison with that in the muscle. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in muscle tissues of Barbus xanthopterus were as follows: Co, 0.09; Cr, 0.12; Cu, 0.27; Fe, 5.26; Mn, 0.20; Ni, 0.08; Pb, 0.68; Zn, 1.39, whereas in muscle tissues of Barbus rajanorum mystaceus were as follows: Co, 0.11; Cr, 0.10; Cu, 1.07; Fe, 3.97; Mn, 019; Ni, 0.04; Pb, 0.66; Zn, 1.70 microg/g wet weight. Cd levels in gill and muscle tissues were below detection limits. All metal levels detected in tissues were safe for human consumption and within the limits for fish proposed by FAO/ WHO, EU and Turkish Food Codes. | 10.1007/s10661-007-0134-0 |
pubmed_438_13491 | Multiple analysis has characterized a recently described tapeworm of people, Taenia asiatica, in mainland China. Six adult tapeworms collected from people of the Zhuang minority residing in the southern part of China (Luzhai isolate) were comparatively analyzed with other tapeworms from people: T. asiatica (n = 2, South Korea), T. saginata (n = 1, Poland; n = 1, Korea), and T. solium (n = 1, People's Republic of China). Experimental infections with eggs from the Luzhai isolate in pigs and cattle produced cysticerci, each with a hookletless scolex and with wartlike formations on the external surface of the bladder wall. There were rostellar protrusions in the scolices of adult worms. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using 3 arbitrary primers produced bands identical to those of the Korean T. asiatica. Conversely, T. saginata and T. solium exhibited different banding patterns. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from the complete nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 2 placed the Chinese tapeworms consistently within the T. asiatica clade by 96% bootstrapping value in the maximum likelihood analysis, 96% in maximum parsimony, and 100% in neighbor joining. These collective data demonstrate that T. asiatica is sympatrically distributed with the other 2 species of Taenia in the human host in mainland China. | 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0758:IOTAIC]2.0.CO;2 |
pubmed_909_3514 | The present study compared the anthropometry of sprinters and people belonging to the normal population. The height and body mass (BM) distribution of sprinters (42 men and 44 women) were statistically compared to the distributions of American and Danish normal populations. The main results showed that there was significantly less BM and height variability (measured as standard deviation) among male sprinters than among the normal male population (US and Danish), while female sprinters showed less BM variability than the US and Danish normal female populations. On average the American normal population was shorter than the sprinters. There was no height difference between the sprinters and the Danish normal population. All female groups had similar height variability. Both male and female sprinters had lower body mass index (BMI) than the normal populations. It is likely that there is no single optimal height for sprinters, but instead there is an optimum range that differs for males and females. This range in height appears to exclude people who are very tall or very short in stature. Sprinters are generally lighter in BM than normal populations. Also, the BM variation among sprinters is less than the variation among normal populations. These anthropometric characteristics typical of sprinters might be explained, in part, by the influence the anthropometric characteristics have on relative muscle strength and step length. Key PointsThe male sprinters were less variable in height, body mass and body mass index than the normal populationsThe sprinters were lighter than the normal populations.The sprinters were taller than the American normal population.The female sprinters were less variable in body mass and body mass index than the normal population. | pubmed_909_3514 |
pubmed_563_4031 | MOTIVATION
The gut microbiome changes rapidly under the influence of different factors such as age, dietary changes, or medications to name just a few. To analyze and understand such changes we present a microbiome analysis toolbox. We implemented several methods for analysis and exploration to provide interactive visualizations for easy comprehension and reporting of longitudinal microbiome data.
RESULTS
Based on the abundance of microbiome features such as taxa as well as functional capacity modules, and with the corresponding metadata per sample, the toolbox includes methods for 1) data analysis and exploration, 2) data preparation including dataset-specific preprocessing and transformation, 3) best feature selection for log-ratio denominators, 4) two-group analysis, 5) microbiome trajectory prediction with feature importance over time, 6) spline and linear regression statistical analysis for testing universality across different groups and differentiation of two trajectories, 7) longitudinal anomaly detection on the microbiome trajectory, and 8) simulated intervention to return anomaly back to a reference trajectory.
AVAILABILITY
The software tools are open source and implemented in Python. For developers interested in additional functionality of the toolbox, it is modular allowing for further extension with custom methods and analysis. The code, python package, and the link to the interactive dashboard are available on GitHub https://github.com/JelenaBanjac/microbiome-toolbox.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. | 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac781 |
pubmed_433_9536 | It is meaningful but challenging to develop a fluorescent probe for temperature sensing in living cells because it should possess the features of good cytocompatibility, easy read out, and high resolution. Herein, we successfully synthesized emissive star-like cage-based organic temperature-sensitive polymers that can assemble into nanoparticles in aqueous solution. The obtained nanoparticle can be easily tuned to full-color emission (including white light emission) with a temperature resolution of at least 0.5 °C by encapsulating different doses of guest dyes ((4-dimethylamino-2'-butoxychalcone (DMBC) and Nile Red (NR)) through a cascade Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect. Moreover, the white light emission polymeric hybrid nanoparticles exhibit reversible stimuli response toward temperature and can be used as probes for temperature sensing in live cells through their fluorescent color variation between white and orange emission with good cytocompatibility. | 10.1021/jacs.9b11544 |
pubmed_179_23297 | The short non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as reliable modulators of various pathological conditions including autoimmune diseases in mammals. The current study, aims to identify new potential differential expressed miRNAs and their downstream mRNA targets of the autoimmune disease, Multiple sclerosis (MS). The study identifies a new set of miRNA(s) that are probably implicated in MS using computational tools. The study further carried-out different in vivo and in vitro experiments to check these identified miRNAs could be role in as therapeutic and prognostic applications. Preliminary insilico screening revealed that miR-659-3p, miR-659-5p, miR-684, miR-3607-3p, miR-3607-5p, miR-3682-3p, miR-3682-5p miR-4647, miR-7188-3p, miR-7188-5p and miR-7235 are specifically elevated in the secondary lymphoid cells of EAE mice. In addition, expression of the downstream target mRNA of these miRNAs such as FXBO33, SGMS-1, ZDHHC-9, GABRA-3, NRXN-2 were reciprocal to miRNA expression in lymphoid cells. These confirmed by applying the mimic and silencing miRNA models, suggesting new inflammatory target genes of these promising miRNA markers. The in vivo adoptive transfer model revealed that the suppression of miRNA-7188-5p and miR-7235 changed the pattern of astrocytes and CNS pathophysiology. The current study opens a new miRNA and their mRNA targets in MS disease. The absence of miRNA-7188-5p and miR-7235 enhanced the disease alleviation, confirms the regulatory effect of these targets. These optimized results highlights new set of miRNA's with therapeutic potential in experimental MS. Further studies are required to confirm these miRNA as therapeutic biomarker. | 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.07.002 |
pubmed_2_3197 | In this study, theoretical and experimental investigations have been carried out to explore the suitability of graphene layers as an antireflection coating. Microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and chemically grown graphene layers deposited on polished and textured silicon surfaces show that graphene deposition results in a large decrease in reflectance in the wavelength range of 300-650 nm, especially in the case of polished silicon. A Si3N4/textured silicon reference antireflection coating and graphene deposited polished and textured silicon exhibit similar reflectance values, with the graphene/Si surface showing lower reflectance in the 300-400 nm range. Comparison of experimental results with the finite difference time domain calculations shows that the graphene along with a SiO2 surface layer results in a decrease in reflectance in the 300-650 nm range, with a reflectance value of <5% for the case of graphene deposited textured silicon surfaces. The monolayer and inert character along with the high transmittance of graphene make it an ideal surface layer. The results of the present study show its suitability as an antireflection coating in solar cell and UV detector applications. | 10.1088/0957-4484/24/16/165402 |
pubmed_354_23826 | We investigate dynamic director field variations in shells of the nematic liquid crystal (LC) compound, 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl, suspended in and containing immiscible aqueous phases. The outer and inner shell interfaces are stabilized by the cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and by the water soluble polymer, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), respectively. PVA and surfactant solutions normally promote tangential and orthogonal alignments, respectively, of the LC director. The rather high Krafft temperature of CTAB, TK ≈ 25 °C, means that its solubility in water is below the critical micelle concentration at room temperature in most labs. Here, we study the effect of cooling/heating past TK on the LC shell director configuration. Within a certain concentration range, CTAB in the outer aqueous phase (and PVA in the inner) switches the LC director field from hybrid to uniformly orthogonal upon cooling below TK. We argue that the effect is related to the migration of the surfactant through the fluid LC membrane into the initially surfactant-free aqueous PVA solution, triggered by the drastically reduced water solubility of CTAB at T < TK. The results suggest that LC shells can detect solutes in the continuous phase, provided there is sufficient probability that the solute migrates through the LC into the inner aqueous phase. | 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00989 |
pubmed_117_1382 | A trajectory-based representation for the quantum theory of the gravitational field is formulated. This is achieved in terms of a covariant Generalized Lagrangian-Path (GLP) approach which relies on a suitable statistical representation of Bohmian Lagrangian trajectories, referred to here as GLP-representation. The result is established in the framework of the manifestly-covariant quantum gravity theory (CQG-theory) proposed recently and the related CQG-wave equation advancing in proper-time the quantum state associated with massive gravitons. Generally non-stationary analytical solutions for the CQG-wave equation with non-vanishing cosmological constant are determined in such a framework, which exhibit Gaussian-like probability densities that are non-dispersive in proper-time. As a remarkable outcome of the theory achieved by implementing these analytical solutions, the existence of an emergent gravity phenomenon is proven to hold. Accordingly, it is shown that a mean-field background space-time metric tensor can be expressed in terms of a suitable statistical average of stochastic fluctuations of the quantum gravitational field whose quantum-wave dynamics is described by GLP trajectories. | 10.3390/e20030205 |
pubmed_804_8773 | Tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) inhibitors have shown high response rates in patients with tumors harboring NTRK fusions. We identified 4 NTRK fusion-positive uterine sarcomas that should be distinguished from leiomyosarcoma and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. NTRK rearrangements were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and/or targeted RNA or DNA sequencing in 4 undifferentiated uterine sarcomas with spindle cell morphology. Because of histologic overlap with leiomyosarcoma, TrkA and pan-Trk immunohistochemistry was performed in 97 uterine leiomyosarcomas. NTRK1 and NTRK3 FISH was performed on tumors with TrkA or pan-Trk staining. We also performed whole transcriptome RNA sequencing of a leiomyosarcoma with TrkA expression and targeted RNA sequencing of 2 additional undifferentiated uterine sarcomas. FISH and/or targeted RNA or DNA sequencing in the study group showed TPM3-NTRK1, LMNA-NTRK1, RBPMS-NTRK3, and TPR-NTRK1 fusions. All tumors were composed of fascicles of spindle cells. Mitotic index was 7 to 30 mitotic figures per 10 high power fields; tumor necrosis was seen in 2 tumors. Desmin, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor were negative in all tumors, while pan-Trk was expressed in all tumors with concurrent TrkA staining in 3 of them. TrkA and/or pan-Trk staining was also seen in 6 leiomyosarcomas, but these tumors lacked NTRK fusions or alternative isoforms by FISH or whole transcriptome sequencing. No fusions were detected in 2 undifferentiated uterine sarcomas. NTRK fusion-positive uterine spindle cell sarcomas constitute a novel tumor type with features of fibrosarcoma; patients with these tumors may benefit from Trk inhibition. TrkA and pan-Trk expression in leiomyosarcomas is rare and does not correlate with NTRK rearrangement. | 10.1097/PAS.0000000000001055 |
pubmed_392_10692 | People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at increased risk of developing low bone mineral density and fractures. Optimization of calcium intake is a key component of pediatric bone health care. Despite the known risk factors for impaired bone health in T1D and the known benefits of calcium on bone accrual, there are limited data describing calcium intake in youth with T1D. In this cross-sectional study, calcium intake was assessed in 238 youth with T1D. One third of study participants were found to have inadequate calcium intake. Female sex, especially during adolescence, and obesity were identified as specific risk factors for inadequate calcium intake. Given the known adverse effects of T1D on bone health, efforts to promote calcium intake in youth with T1D should be considered. | 10.3389/fcdhc.2021.723855 |
pubmed_988_6873 | Silicone tissue expanders were inserted subcutaneously in the buttocks of nine young pigs and gradually inflated to maximum capacity over 5 weeks. On the control side the expanders were left uninflated. Island buttock flaps were then raised, the expanders removed and the flaps spread into the same sites for 10 days. The tissue was harvested. Area measurements and full thickness skin biopsies were taken 10 days after flap inset in order to study the changes in collagen composition and isotypes in the skin layers. Ten days after inset of the flap the expanded skin had a mean 47% increase in surface area, was 9% thinner (from surface to implant), mostly due to thinning of the subcutaneous zone, but was not significantly different in water content, relative to the control skin. The expanded skin had a significant 9.3% increase (p less than 0.01, t test) in collagen content of the dermis. The relative proportions of Types I and III were not significantly changed by skin expansion in either the dermal/epidermal or subcutaneous/capsular zones. It is speculated that tensile factors during expansion stimulate the biosynthetic activity and/or mitotic activity of fibroblasts in the dermis to produce this gain in collagen in the expanded compared with unexpanded tissue. | 10.1016/0007-1226(90)90121-f |
pubmed_561_5397 | A new prenylated dibenzofuran, achyrofuran (2), was isolated from an extract of Achyrocline satureioides by bioassay-guided fractionation using the db/db mouse model for type 2 diabetes. Compound 2significantly lowered blood glucose levels in this model when administered orally at 20 mg/kg q.d. | 10.1021/np010374l |
pubmed_30_6595 | EEG was continuously recorded from Mongolian gerbils for 4 days after transient bilateral forebrain ischemia, to determine whether ischemic brain damage in this species is necessarily associated with seizures. Gerbils were chronically implanted with EEG recording electrodes in hippocampal area CA1, striatum and frontal neocortex and were subjected to a 5-10 min occlusion of both common carotid arteries. During the first few hours after the occlusion, the EEG was dominated by slow waves similar to those recorded from human brain after a damaging episode of cerebral ischemia. Amplitudes of the hippocampal and striatal EEG declined markedly with time, presumably as a result of neuronal degeneration. Ictal activity was never recorded, even from animals that suffered extreme damage to the hippocampal formation and striatum. Therefore ischemic brain damage in the gerbil does not result from seizure activity. | 10.1016/0006-8993(89)91554-0 |
pubmed_664_18498 | BACKGROUND
Bream is one of the main farmed freshwater fish species in China. This study aimed to examine the nucleotide degradation of bream during partial freezing and chilled storage and to assess the possible usefulness of nucleotide ratios (K, Ki, H, P, Fr and G values) as freshness indices in comparison with sensory assessment and total viable counts.
RESULTS
Total viable counts were 5.74 and 4.66 log(colony-forming units g(-1)) on the day of sensory rejection under chilled storage and partial freezing storage respectively. The inosine 5-monophosphate decrease and inosine increase were faster in chilled storage than in partial freezing storage. Hypoxanthine levels increased continuously with time under both storage regimes. Among the nucleotide ratios, the K, Ki, P, G and Fr values were superior to the H value and provided useful freshness indicators for both storage conditions.
CONCLUSION
Bream in chilled storage were sensorially acceptable only up to 10 days, compared with 33 days for bream in partial freezing storage. Partial freezing delayed the nucleotide degradation of bream. | 10.1002/jsfa.4572 |
pubmed_635_2090 | In the title compound, C13H13N3O, the phenyl ring makes a dihedral angle of 47.0 (1)° with the mean plane of the -NC(=O)N- unit, while the dihedral angle between the latter mean plane and the amino-phenyl ring is 84.43 (7)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked via N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the central -NHC(=O)NH- units, forming chains running parallel to the b axis. These chains associate with one another via N-H⋯O and N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, from the pendant amino groups to the -NHC(=O)NH- units of adjacent mol-ecules, forming columns propagating along [010]. The structure was refined as a two-component twin with a 0.933 (3):0.067 (3) domain ratio. | 10.1107/S2056989014028175 |
pubmed_887_7693 | Purpura refers to pigmented eruptions that are recognized dermatologically. Their clinical appearance is valuable in identifying an appropriate etiology. The author discusses this entity and reviews differential diagnoses. | pubmed_887_7693 |
pubmed_794_8220 | The division of amyloid fibril particles through fragmentation is implicated in the progression of human neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Fragmentation of amyloid fibrils plays a crucial role in the propagation of the amyloid state encoded in their three-dimensional structures and may have an important role in the spreading of potentially pathological properties and phenotypes in amyloid-associated diseases. However, despite the mechanistic importance of fibril fragmentation, the relative stabilities of different types or different polymorphs of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation remain to be quantified. We have previously developed an approach to compare the relative stabilities of different types of amyloid fibrils toward fragmentation. In this study, we show that controlled sonication, a widely used method of mechanical perturbation for amyloid seed generation, can be used as a form of mechanical perturbation for rapid comparative assessment of the relative fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril structures. This approach is applied to assess the relative fragmentation stabilities of amyloid formed in vitro from wild type (WT) α-synuclein and two familial mutant variants of α-synuclein (A30P and A53T) that generate morphologically different fibril structures. Our results demonstrate that the fibril fragmentation stabilities of these different α-synuclein fibril polymorphs are all highly length dependent but distinct, with both A30P and A53T α-synuclein fibrils displaying increased resistance towards sonication-induced fibril fragmentation compared with WT α-synuclein fibrils. These conclusions show that fragmentation stabilities of different amyloid fibril polymorph structures can be diverse and suggest that the approach we report here will be useful in comparing the relative stabilities of amyloid fibril types or fibril polymorphs toward fragmentation under different biological conditions. | 10.3390/biom12050630 |
pubmed_1110_24278 | Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) or Monge's disease is a disease in highlanders. These patients have a variety of neurologic symptoms such as migraine, mental fatigue, confusion, dizziness, loss of appetite, memory loss and neuronal degeneration. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying CMS neuropathology is not understood. In the previous study, we demonstrated that neurons derived from CMS patients' fibroblasts have a decreased expression and altered gating properties of voltage-gated sodium channel. In this study, we further characterize the electrophysiological properties of iPSC-derived astrocytes from CMS patients. We found that the current densities of the inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels in CMS astrocytes (-5.7 ± 2.2 pA/pF at -140 mV) were significantly decreased as compared to non-CMS (-28.4 ± 3.4 pA/pF at -140 mV) and sea level subjects (-28.3 ± 5.3 pA/pF at -140 mV). We further demonstrated that the reduced Kir current densities in CMS astrocytes were caused by their decreased protein expression of Kir4.1 and Kir2.3 channels, while single channel properties (i.e., Po, conductance) of Kir channel in CMS astrocytes were not altered. In addition, we found no significant differences of outward potassium currents between CMS and non-CMS astrocytes. As compared to non-CMS and sea level subjects, the K+ uptake ability in CMS astrocytes was significantly decreased. Taken together, our results suggest that down-regulation of Kir channels and the resulting decreased K+ uptake ability in astrocytes could be one of the major molecular mechanisms underlying the neurologic manifestations in CMS patients. | 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.01.016 |
pubmed_35_14407 | UNLABELLED
Liver steatosis is a common finding in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Host and viral factors have been associated with steatosis, but their relative contributions have not been clearly addressed. It has been suggested that steatosis plays a role in the progression of liver fibrosis.
AIMS
To assess: a) factors associated with steatosis in patients infected with hepatitis C virus; b) their impact on liver fibrosis.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Three hundred and fourteen untreated patients were included. Lifetime alcohol consumption was estimated. Liver fibrosis, inflammation and necrosis were assessed using the METAVIR score. Body mass index (BMI) was determined. The scoring system for steatosis was as follows: 0, no steatosis; 1, less than 10%; 2, 10% to 30%; 3, 30% to 70%; 4, more than 70% of hepatocytes affected.
RESULTS
In univariate analysis, steatosis was associated with elevated BMI (P=0.001), excessive alcohol intake (P=0.005), genotype 3 (P<0.001) and moderate to severe histological activity (P=0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that steatosis correlated with two independent factors: genotype 3a (OR=60.7; 95% CI: 7.6-483.4) (P<0.001) and BMI (OR=4.86; 95% CI: 1.8-13.15) (P=0.002). In univariate analysis, severe fibrosis (F2-F3-F4) was associated with older age (P<10(-5)), male gender (P=0.001), disease duration (P<0.006), BMI (P<10(-4)), alcohol intake (P<10(-6)), severity of histological activity (P<10(-5)) and steatosis (P<10(-6)). In multivariate analysis, three independent factors were associated with severe fibrosis: disease duration > 10 years (OR=3.17; 95% CI: 0.65-15.4) (P=0.015), presence of steatosis (OR=3.17; 95% CI: 1-9.99) (P<0.049) and genotype 3a (OR=5.56; 95% CI: 1.4-22.1) (P=0.015).
CONCLUSION
In patients with chronic hepatitis C, steatosis is significantly associated with genotype 3 infection and high BMI. Steatosis is an independent risk factor associated with severe fibrosis. These results have major implications for the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C. | 10.1016/s0399-8320(04)94918-4 |
pubmed_733_11952 | Few methods exist to study cartilage mechanics in small animal joints due to the difficulties associated with handling small tissue samples. In this study, we apply an osmotic loading method to quantify the intrinsic material properties of articular cartilage in small animal joints. Cartilage samples were studied from the femoral condyle and tibial plateau of two-month old guinea pigs. Swelling strains were measured using confocal fluorescence scanning microscopy in samples subjected to osmotic loading. A histochemical staining method was developed and calibrated for quantification of negative fixed charge density in guinea pig cartilage. Site-matched swelling strain data and fixed charge density values were then used with a triphasic theoretical model for cartilage swelling to determine the uniaxial modulus of the cartilage solid matrix. Moduli obtained in this study (7.2 MPa femoral condyle; 10.8 MPa, tibial plateau) compare well with previously reported values for the tensile moduli of human and other animal cartilages determined from uniaxial tension experiments. This study provides the first available data for material properties and fixed charge density in cartilage from the guinea pig knee and suggests a promising method for tracking changes in cartilage mechanics in small animal models of degeneration. | 10.1016/s0021-9290(02)00079-9 |
pubmed_496_23781 | The sodium salt of N,N'-hexane-bis (1-dodecen-1-ylsuccinamic acid) is an anionic dimeric (gemini) surfactant. A flooding penetration scan of this surfactant in water demonstrates a sequence of lyotropic phases at room temperature (20 degrees C). Preparation of surfactant-water mixtures has resulted in a phase diagram which shows that the same sequence of phases exists up to 100 degrees C. These phases are tentatively assigned to the sequence: micellar to normal hexagonal (H1) to cubic (V1) to lamellar (Lalpha). The interfacial tension at the n-heptane/water interface has been determined in the presence of this surfactant. The surfactant head group area at the interface is large (2.8+/-0.3 nm2 at 298 K) and the interfacial tension above the critical micelle concentration is low (7 mN m(-1)), but considerably higher than the ultra-low values that have been reported for cationic dimeric surfactants at various hydrocarbon-water interfaces. | 10.1016/j.jcis.2005.09.024 |
pubmed_43_23824 | α-glucosidase is a major enzyme that is involved in starch digestion and type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, the inhibition of hypericin by α-glucosidase and its mechanism were firstly investigated using enzyme kinetics analysis, real-time interaction analysis between hypericin and α-glucosidase by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and molecular docking simulation. The results showed that hypericin was a high potential reversible and competitive α-glucosidase inhibitor, with a maximum half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 4.66 ± 0.27 mg/L. The binding affinities of hypericin with α-glucosidase were assessed using an SPR detection system, which indicated that these were strong and fast, with balances dissociation constant (KD) values of 6.56 × 10-5 M and exhibited a slow dissociation reaction. Analysis by molecular docking further revealed that hydrophobic forces are generated by interactions between hypericin and amino acid residues Arg-315 and Tyr-316. In addition, hydrogen bonding occurred between hypericin and α-glucosidase amino acid residues Lys-156, Ser-157, Gly-160, Ser-240, His-280, Asp-242, and Asp-307. The structure and micro-environment of α-glucosidase enzymes were altered, which led to a decrease in α-glucosidase activity. This research identified that hypericin, an anthracene ketone compound, could be a novel α-glucosidase inhibitor and further applied to the development of potential anti-diabetic drugs. | 10.3390/molecules26154566 |
pubmed_113_23931 | The corpuscles of Stannius (CS) represent a unique endocrine organ of teleostean fish that secrets stanniocalcin-1 (Stc1) to maintain calcium homeostasis. Appearing at 20-25 somite stage in the distal zebrafish pronephros, stc1-expressing cells undergo apical constriction, and are subsequently extruded to form a distinct gland on top of the distal pronephric tubules at 50 h post fertilization (hpf). Several transcription factors (e.g. Hnf1b, Irx3b, Tbx2a/b) and signaling pathways (e.g. Notch) control CS development. We report now that Fgf signaling is required to commit tubular epithelial cells to differentiate into stc1-expressing CS cells. Inhibition of Fgf signaling by SU5402, dominant-negative Fgfr1, or depletion of fgf8a prevented CS formation and stc1 expression. Ablation experiments revealed that CS have the ability to partially regenerate via active cell migration involving extensive filopodia and lamellipodia formation. Activation of Wnt signaling curtailed stc1 expression, but had no effect on CS formation. Thus, our observations identify Fgf signaling as a crucial component of CS cell fate commitment. | 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.10.005 |
pubmed_658_10332 | BACKGROUND
About 80% of cervical cancers occur in less-developed countries. This disproportionate burden of cervical cancer in such countries is due mainly to the lack of well-organized screening programs. Several cervical cancer screening strategies have been proposed as more cost-effective than cytology screening. We compared the costs and benefits of different strategies and their effectiveness in saving lives in a less-developed country.
METHODS
We used a population-based simulation model to evaluate the incremental societal costs and benefits in Thailand of seven screening techniques, including visual inspection of the cervix after applying acetic acid (VIA), human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, Pap smear, and combinations of screening tests, and examined the discounted costs per year of life saved (LYS).
RESULTS
Compared with no (i.e., not well-organized) screening, all strategies saved lives, at costs ranging from 121 US dollars to 6720 US dollars per LYS, and reduced mortality, by up to 58%. Comparing each strategy with the next least expensive alternative, VIA performed at 5-year intervals in women of ages 35-55 with immediate treatment if abnormalities are found was the least expensive option and saved the greatest number of lives, with a cost of 517 US dollars per LYS. HPV screening resulted in similar costs and benefits, if the test cost is 5 US dollars and if 90% of women undergo follow-up after an abnormal screen. Cytology (Pap smear) was a reasonable alternative if sensitivity exceeds 80% and if 90% of women undergo follow-up. Compared with no screening, use of a combination of Pap smear and HPV testing at 5-year intervals in women of ages 20-70 could achieve greater than 90% reduction in cervical cancer mortality at a cost of 1683 US dollars per LYS, and VIA could achieve 83% reduction at 524 US dollars per LYS.
CONCLUSIONS
Well-organized screening programs can reduce cervical cancer mortality in less-developed countries at low costs. These cost-effectiveness data can enhance decision-making about optimal policies for a given setting. | 10.1093/jnci/94.19.1469 |
pubmed_704_16321 | BACKGROUND
Complications after anatomic (aTSA) and reverse (rTSA) total shoulder arthroplasty can be devastating to a patient's quality of life and require revisions that are costly to both the patient and the health care system. The purpose of this study is to determine the types, incidence, and timing of complications following aTSA and rTSA using an international database of patients who received a single-platform total shoulder arthroplasty system, in order to quantify the types of failure modes and the differences that occur between aTSA and rTSA.
METHODS
A total of 2224 aTSA (male-female, 1090:1134) and 4158 rTSA (male-female, 1478:2680) patients were enrolled in an international database of primary shoulder arthroplasty performed by 40 different surgeons in the United States and Europe. Adverse events and revisions reported for these 6382 patients were analyzed to identify the most common failure modes associated for both aTSA and rTSA.
RESULTS
For the 2224 aTSA patients, 239 adverse events were reported for a complication rate of 10.7% and 124 revisions for a revision rate of 5.6%. The top 3 complications for aTSA were rotator cuff tear/subscapularis failure (n = 69; complication rate = 3.1%, revision rate = 1.9%), aseptic glenoid loosening (n = 55; complication rate = 2.5%, revision rate = 1.9%), and infection (n = 28; complication rate = 1.3%, revision rate = 0.8%). For the 4158 rTSA patients, 372 adverse events were reported for a complication rate of 8.9% and 104 revisions for a revision rate of 2.5%. The top 3 complications for rTSA were acromial/scapular fracture/pain (n = 102; complication rate = 2.5%, revision rate = 0.0%), instability (n = 60; complication rate = 1.4%, revision rate = 1.0%), and pain (n = 49; complication rate = 1.2%, revision rate = 0.2%).
CONCLUSIONS
This large database analysis quantified complication and revision rates for aTSA and rTSA. We found aTSA and rTSA complication rates of 10.7% and 8.9%, respectively; with revision surgery rates of 5.6% and 2.5%, respectively. The 2 most common complications for each prosthesis type (aTSA: subscapularis/rotator cuff tears, aseptic glenoid loosening; rTSA: acromial/scapular fractures, instability) were unique to each device. The rate of infection was similar for both. Future prosthesis and technique development should work to mitigate these common complication types in order to reduce their rate of occurrence. | 10.1016/j.jse.2020.07.028 |
pubmed_529_13998 | INTRODUCTION
Interdisciplinary collaboration is a critical component of translation, dissemination, implementation, and improvement (TDII) science. Yet, little is known about effective frameworks and practices regarding interdisciplinary research in TDII.
METHODS
This study drew on data collected from an expert panel during a regional symposium.
RESULTS
Findings highlight facilitators and barriers to stimulating interdisciplinary TDII research in different domains: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, power and hierarchy, physical environment, and communication and language.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings have significant implications for TDII of clinical practices. | 10.1017/cts.2016.4 |
pubmed_798_12207 | Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute infectious gastroenteritis in children and is associated with substantial morbidity in the United States and morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Two orally administered vaccines, a live bovine reassortant vaccine (RV5; licensed in 2006) and a live attenuated human vaccine (RV1; licensed in 2008), are now being used in a universal infant vaccination program in the United States. There is already ecologic evidence and data from post-licensure effectiveness studies that this program will be an unequivocal success in reducing the impact of rotavirus disease. This overview presents the structure, pathogenesis, and mechanisms of natural immunity to rotavirus, key concepts in understanding the rationale behind vaccine-induced protection. The history of rotavirus vaccine development is also included, along with a discussion of the safety, efficacy, and recommended use of the approved vaccines. | 10.1097/INF.0b013e318199494a |
pubmed_262_10536 | BACKGROUND
Pulmonary hypertension carries significant maternal and fetal risk during pregnancy and the postpartum period. As maternal mortality is high, specific targeted therapy for pulmonary hypertension may be required during pregnancy.
CASES
We describe 2 pregnant patients who presented with severe secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension during their last trimester. They were electively treated in the late antepartum and early postpartum periods with sildenafil and intravenous epoprostenol and successfully delivered healthy infants via cesarean section without postpartum complications.
CONCLUSION
Although pulmonary hypertension is associated with a risk of maternal mortality and most women are advised against pregnancy, new therapies may improve the outcome of pregnancy in patients with pulmonary hypertension. | 10.1159/000287638 |
pubmed_266_24298 | BACKGROUND
Pectus Excavatum is the most common deformation of the skeletal chest wall, and the Nuss procedure is used to correct this deformation. Residual pneumothorax is a frequent postoperative complication after thoracoscopy. Primary aim of this prospective observational study was to compare the level of agreement among readers using lung ultrasound and chest X-ray.
METHODS
This was an inter-reader single-center prospective observational agreement study for lung ultrasound and chest X-ray. Three lung ultrasound evaluations were performed at the end of surgery in the operating room by two Consultant Anesthesiologist (A1 and A2) and by a medical student (A3). Chest X-ray was interpreted by a consultant Radiologist (R1) and a pool of 11 radiologists (collectively named R2). Cohen's kappa was used to evaluate the level of agreement between the two imaging techniques.
RESULTS
Sixty-eight pediatric patients were included in the study. The overall agreement among (A = Anesthesiologist) A1, A2, A3, (R = Radiologist) R1, and R2 in assessing pneumothorax was fair (k = 0.32; 95% CI 0.21-0.40). The stratified analysis showed moderate inter-reader agreement among lung ultrasound readers A1, A2, and A3 (k 0.58; 95% CI 0.44-0.71), as opposed to the fair agreement found among chest X-ray readers R1 and R2 (k = 0.39; 95% CI 0.18-0.60).
CONCLUSIONS
Our results support the use of lung ultrasound to diagnose pneumothorax after Nuss procedure. We found that the inter-reader accuracy was better with ultrasound compared to X-ray at our institution. | 10.1111/pan.14007 |
pubmed_680_8563 | BACKGROUND
Cadherins play a pivotal role in facilitating intercellular interactions between spermatogonial progenitor cells (SPCs) and their surrounding microenvironment. Specifically, E-cadherin serves as a cellular marker of SPCs in many species. Depletion of E-cadherin in mouse SPCs showed no obvious effect on SPCs homing and spermatogenesis.
RESULTS
Here, we investigated the regulatory role of E-cadherin in regulating SPCs fate. Specific deletion of E-cadherin in germ cells was shown to promote SPCs differentiation, evidencing by reduced PLZF+ population and increased c-Kit+ population in mouse testes. E-cadherin loss down-regulated the expression level of β-catenin, leading to the reduced β-catenin in nuclear localization for transcriptional activity. Remarkably, increasing expression level of Cadherin-22 (CDH22) appeared specifically after E-cadherin deletion, indicating CDH22 played a synergistic effect with E-cadherin in SPCs. By searching for the binding partners of β-catenin, Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1), T-cell factor (TCF3), histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) and signal transducer and activator 3 (STAT3) were identified as suppressors of SPCs differentiation by regulating acetylation of differentiation genes with PLZF.
CONCLUSIONS
Two surface markers of SPCs, E-cadherin and Cadherin-22, synergically maintain the undifferentiation of SPCs via the pivotal intermediate molecule β-catenin. LEF1, TCF3, STAT3 and HDAC4 were identified as co-regulatory factors of β-catenin in regulation of SPC fate. These observations revealed a novel regulatory pattern of cadherins on SPCs fate. | 10.1186/s13578-022-00880-w |
pubmed_181_11776 | The authors describe 45 cases of rupture of the extensor apparatus of the knee (excluding fracture of the patella).Some new ideas are put forward concerning the frequent cause by road accidents and the contribution of certain predisposing features which cause degenerative changes of the tendon.Operation was performed in all cases. The extensor apparatus was reconstructed by suture, cerclage or reinsertion, together with the use of procedures described by Mac Laughlin and Scuderi.The results are presented in detail. 90% are very good or good but complications during operation or in the post operative phase were frequent and occurred in 27% of the cases. | 10.1007/BF00266323 |
pubmed_345_156 | BACKGROUND
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) has become an increasingly investigated tool, especially with regards to monitoring of diabetic and critical care patients. The continuous glucose data allows the calculation of several glucose variability parameters, however, without specific application the interpretation of the results is time-consuming, utilizing extreme efforts. Our aim was to create an open access software [Glycemic Variability Analyzer Program (GVAP)], readily available to calculate the most common parameters of the glucose variability and to test its usability.
METHODS
The GVAP was developed in MATLAB® 2010b environment. The calculated parameters were the following: average area above/below the target range (Avg. AUC-H/L); Percentage Spent Above/Below the Target Range (PATR/PBTR); Continuous Overall Net Glycemic Action (CONGA); Mean of Daily Differences (MODD); Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions (MAGE). For verification purposes we selected 14 CGM curves of pediatric critical care patients. Medtronic® Guardian® Real-Time with Enlite® sensor was used. The reference values were obtained from Medtronic®(')s own software for Avg. AUC-H/L and PATR/PBTR, from GlyCulator for MODD and CONGA, and using manual calculation for MAGE.
RESULTS
The Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were above 0.99 for all parameters. The initial execution took 30 minutes, for further analysis with the Windows® Standalone Application approximately 1 minute was needed.
CONCLUSIONS
The GVAP is a reliable open access program for analyzing different glycemic variability parameters, hence it could be a useful tool for the study of glycemic control among critically ill patients. | 10.1186/s12938-015-0035-3 |
pubmed_160_3026 | In the crystal structure of the title complex, [Cd(C(8)H(8)O(5))(C(3)H(4)N(2)S)(3)]·2H(2)O, the Cd(II) atom exhibits a slightly distorted octa-hedral CdO(3)N(3) coordination, defined by the bridging O atom of the bicyclo-heptane unit, two O atoms from the carboxyl-ate groups and by three N atoms from three 2-amino-thia-zole ligands. Uncoordinated lattice water mol-ecules are also present in the crystal structure. N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions link the components into a three-dimensional structure. | 10.1107/S1600536810027170 |
pubmed_769_10171 | BACKGROUND
Tigecycline is regarded as one of the last-resort antimicrobials clinically. Emergence of plasmid-mediated tet(X) undermines such an important drug. However, the origins of tet(X) remain largely unexplored.
METHODS
Riemerella anatipestifer strains were characterized by PCR, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, WGS and bioinformatics analysis. Functional analysis of tet(X) was verified by cloning experiments. Genomic structures of chromosome- and plasmid-mediated tet(X) were analysed.
RESULTS
Thirty-eight R. anatipestifer strains were collected and found to be positive for tet(X). These strains were resistant to multiple antimicrobials; 55.3% (21/38) of the strains were resistant to tigecycline and all of the strains demonstrated resistance to tetracycline. The complete genome sequences of 18 representative strains were obtained. WGS analysis of 38 genomes identified 13 tet(X) variants located on chromosomes, which increased MICs of tigecycline (16-256-fold) for Escherichia coli, although most of them could not confer high-level resistance to tigecycline in the original R. anatipestifer hosts. Genomic environment analysis indicated that the occurrence of multiple tet(X) variants is common and other resistance genes, such as catB, tet(Q), floR, blaOXA, ereD and ermF, could be located in the same chromosomal regions. Two types of tet(X)-bearing segments were identified, one of which was floR-ISCR2-tet(X). This indicates that tet(X) variants were not conserved in chromosomal structures, but in regions with potential transferability. Furthermore, an MDR plasmid carrying tet(X18) was found in R. anatipestifer 20190305E2-2, different from the chromosomal tet(X21).
CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed that tet(X) is highly prevalent in R. anatipestifer. The transfer risk of tet(X) across R. anatipestifer to other clinical pathogens warrants further investigations. | 10.1093/jac/dkab409 |
pubmed_756_22527 | The coolest known brown dwarfs are our best analogs to extrasolar gas-giant planets. The prolific detections of such cold substellar objects in the past 2 years have spurred intensive follow-up, but the lack of accurate distances is a key gap in our understanding. We present a large sample of precise distances based on homogeneous mid-infrared astrometry that robustly establishes absolute fluxes, luminosities, and temperatures. The coolest brown dwarfs have temperatures of 400 to 450 kelvin and masses almost equal to 5 to 20 times that of Jupiter, showing they bridge the gap between hotter brown dwarfs and gas-giant planets. At these extremes, spectral energy distributions no longer follow a simple correspondence with temperature, suggesting an increasing role of other physical parameters, such as surface gravity, vertical mixing, clouds, and metallicity. | 10.1126/science.1241917 |
pubmed_1049_4065 | We report on two peculiar cases of intracranial hemorrhage due to the rupture of moyamoya disease-like vessels associated with unilateral internal carotid occlusion at its origin. The first case is 44-year-old male showing intraventricular hemorrhage associated with right internal carotid occlusion. The second case is 58-year-old female presenting sub-arachnoid hemorrhage associated with left internal carotid occlusion. Although both cases showed the unique appearance of collateral flow resembling moyamoya disease, they were not classified as moyamoya disease nor unilateral Moyamoya-like state. Vascular abnormality such as cerebral aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation were not at all detected. The etiology of hemorrhage for both cases is presumed as the rupture of moyamoya disease-like vessels, however, it is unable for us to determine why the one case showed IVH, yet the other showed SAH. The two cases showed hypoperfusion of ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere on SPECT that followed by the external-internal carotid revascularization surgery in the chronic stage. Post operative study proved the improvement of the CBF reserve. Nevertheless, whether the reconstructive vascularization prevent an occurrence of rebleeding needs the longer observation and the accumulation of the resembling cases. | pubmed_1049_4065 |
pubmed_1005_3550 | The most common modes of medical education for congenital heart disease (CHD) rely heavily on 2-dimensional imaging. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology allows for the creation of physical cardiac models that can be used for teaching trainees. 3D printed cardiac models were created for the following lesions: pulmonic stenosis, atrial septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, d-transposition of the great arteries, coarctation of the aorta, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Medical students participated in a workshop consisting of different teaching stations. At the 3D printed station, students completed a pre- and post-intervention survey assessing their knowledge of each cardiac lesion on a Likert scale. Students were asked to rank the educational benefit of each modality. Linear regression was utilized to assess the correlation of the mean increase in knowledge with increasing complexity of CHD based on the Aristotle Basic Complexity Level. 45 medical students attended the CHD workshop. Students' knowledge significantly improved for every lesion (p < 0.001). A strong positive correlation was found between mean increase in knowledge and increasing complexity of CHD (R2 = 0.73, p < 0.05). The 3D printed models, pathology specimens and spoken explanation were found to be the most helpful modalities. Students "strongly agreed" the 3D printed models made them more confident in explaining congenital cardiac anatomy to others (mean = 4.23, ± 0.69), and that they recommend the use of 3D models for future educational sessions (mean = 4.40, ± 0.69). 3D printed cardiac models should be included in medical student education particularly for lesions that require a complex understanding of spatial relationships. | 10.1007/s00246-019-02146-8 |
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