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pubmed_980_13464
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The huge production and application of bisphenol A (BPA) and graphene oxide (GO) inevitably lead to their co-presence in aquatic ecosystems, which might cause joint toxic effects to aquatic organisms. Herein, zebrafish larvae at 3 d post fertilization (dpf) were exposed to BPA, GO, and their mixtures until 7 dpf. GO was ingested and localized in the gut. 5000 μg/L BPA alone induced distinct ultrastructure damage, which was alleviated by GO, indicating that GO reduced the developmental toxicity of BPA. The levels of endocrine-related genes and steroid hormones were all modulated to the greatest extent by 500 μg/L BPA, suggesting that BPA exhibited a remarkable endocrine disruption effect. However, the responses of some of these genes were recovered by GO, indicating that GO also alleviated the BPA-induced endocrine disruption. The mRNA levels of five genes in the extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway, two in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, 18 in the metabolic pathways, and five in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway were distinctly altered by 5000 μg/L BPA, but most of them were recovered in the presence of GO. GO might relieve the BPA-induced developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption by recovering the genes related to the corresponding pathways.
|
10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124867
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pubmed_681_2402
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The ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) small GTPase functions as a GDP/GTP-regulated switch in the pathways that stimulate actin reorganization and membrane ruffling. The formation of active ARF6GTP is stimulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) such as cytohesins, which translocate to the plasma membrane in agonist-stimulated cells by binding the lipid second messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate through the pleckstrin homology domain with subsequent ARF6 activation. Using cytohesin 2 as bait in yeast two-hybrid screening, we have isolated a cDNA encoding a protein termed interaction protein for cytohesin exchange factors 1 (IPCEF1). Using yeast two-hybrid and glutathione S-transferase pull-down assays coupled with deletion mutational analysis, the specific domains required for the cytohesin 2-IPCEF1 interaction were mapped to the coiled-coil domain of cytohesin 2 and the C-terminal 121 amino acids of IPCEF1. IPCEF1 also interacts with the other members of the cytohesin family of ARF GEFs, suggesting that the interaction with IPCEF1 is highly conserved among the cytohesin family of ARF GEFs. The interaction of cytohesin 2 and IPCEF1 in mammalian cells was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that IPCEF1 co-localizes with cytohesin 2 to the cytosol in unstimulated cells and translocates to the plasma membrane via binding to cytohesin 2 in epidermal growth factor-stimulated cells. However, a deletion mutant of IPCEF1 that lacks the cytohesin 2 binding site failed to co-migrate with cytohesin 2 to the membrane in stimulated cells. The functional significance of the IPCEF1-cytohesin 2 interaction is demonstrated by showing that IPCEF1 increases the in vitro and in vivo stimulation of ARFGTP formation by cytohesin 2.
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10.1074/jbc.M304078200
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pubmed_0_17626
|
The indications for ureteral stent placement have expanded significantly with the progress of surgical procedures and techniques. Although such stents are now an integral part of contemporary urological practice, their use is not free of complications and consequences. There are very rare descriptions of knot formation in a ureteral stent and the consequences of this occurrence, with only 12 cases previously reported. Here, we report an additional case and review all the literature concerning this urological complication with emphasis on its predisposing factors and conservative and surgical management.
|
10.4103/0974-7796.65108
|
pubmed_795_14909
|
Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) has potentially broad biomedical applications: it is biocompatible and has a hardness comparable to bone when bulk polymerized. Porous biomaterials allow bone integration to be increased, especially when the pores are interconnected. In this study, three types of porogens (sugar fibers, sucrose crystals, and urea beads) have been used to prepare macroporous pHEMA. The pore volume and interconnectivity parameters of the porosity were measured by X-ray microtomography and image analysis. Sucrose crystals, having a high volumetric mass, gave large pores that were located on the block sides. Urea beads and sugar fibers provided pores with the same star volume (2.65 +/- 0.46 mm3 and 2.48 +/- 0.52 mm3, respectively) but which differed in interconnectivity index, fractal dimension, and Euler-Poincarés number. Urea beads caused non-connected porosity, while sugar fibers created a dense labyrinth within the polymer. Interconnectivity was proved by carrying out surface treatment of the pHEMA (carboxymethylation in water), followed by von Kossà staining, which detected the carboxylic groups. Carboxymethylated surfaces were observed on the sides of the blocks and on the opened or interconnected pores. The disconnected pores were unstained. Macroporous polymers can be prepared with water-soluble porogens. X-ray microtomography appears a useful tool to measure porosity and interconnectedness.
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10.1163/156856202320813828
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pubmed_1004_23315
|
The interleukin (IL)-12p40 family of cytokines plays a critical role in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). However, the relative contributions of IL-12 and IL-23 to the pathogenic process remain to be elucidated. Here, we show that activation of uncommitted myelin-reactive T cells in the presence of either IL-12p70 or IL-23 confers encephalogenicity. Adoptive transfer of either IL-12p70- or IL-23-polarized T cells into naive syngeneic hosts resulted in an ascending paralysis that was clinically indistinguishable between the two groups. However, histological and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of central nervous system (CNS) tissues revealed distinct histopathological features and immune profiles. IL-12p70-driven disease was characterized by macrophage-rich infiltrates and prominent NOS2 up-regulation, whereas neutrophils and granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (CSF) were prominent in IL-23-driven lesions. The monocyte-attracting chemokines CXCL9, 10, and 11 were preferentially expressed in the CNS of mice injected with IL-12p70-modulated T cells, whereas the neutrophil-attracting chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 were up-regulated in the CNS of mice given IL-23-modulated T cells. Treatment with anti-IL-17 or anti-granulocyte/macrophage-CSF inhibited EAE induced by transfer of IL-23-polarized, but not IL-12p70-polarized, cells. These findings indicate that autoimmunity can be mediated by distinct effector populations that use disparate immunological pathways to achieve a similar clinical outcome.
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10.1084/jem.20080159
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pubmed_9_9671
|
The relation between blood pressure and cognitive performance was assessed in the spatial navigation task. Spatial learning by rats with spontaneous hypertension (SHR) and Goldblatt renal hypertension (RHR) was compared with that of normotensive Wistar rats (NR). The task required the rats to escape from water by finding a submerged and hidden platform. It was found that SHR rats showed improved learning capacity in the maze task in acquisition compared to the RHR and NR groups already on Day 1 and Day 2. The performances of all tested groups reached almost similar asymptotic level on Day 4 and in the probe trial on Day 5. After a reversal training the SHR rats did not show preference to swim in the new platform position quadrant. The present results confirm earlier reports on different behavioural characteristics associated with hypertension.
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10.1016/0166-4328(93)90077-4
|
pubmed_1048_21389
|
PURPOSE
To evaluate whether whole-tumor histogram-derived parameters for an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could aid in assessing Ki-67 labeling index (LI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In all, 57 patients with HCC who underwent pretreatment MRI with a 3T MR scanner were included retrospectively. Histogram parameters including mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, and percentiles (5th , 25th , 75th , 95th ) were derived from the ADC map and MR enhancement. Correlations between histogram parameters and Ki-67 LI were evaluated and differences between low Ki-67 (≤10%) and high Ki-67 (>10%) groups were assessed.
RESULTS
Mean, median, 5th , 25th , 75th percentiles of ADC, and mean, median, 25th , 75th , 95th percentiles of enhancement of arterial phase (AP) demonstrated significant inverse correlations with Ki-67 LI (rho up to -0.48 for ADC, -0.43 for AP) and showed significant differences between low and high Ki-67 groups (P < 0.001-0.04). Areas under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve for identification of high Ki-67 were 0.78, 0.77, 0.79, 0.82, and 0.76 for mean, median, 5th , 25th , 75th percentiles of ADC, respectively, and 0.74, 0.81, 0.76, 0.82, 0.69 for mean, median, 25th , 75th , 95th percentiles of AP, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Histogram-derived parameters of ADC and AP were potentially helpful for predicting Ki-67 LI of HCC.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:383-392.
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10.1002/jmri.25555
|
pubmed_611_19046
|
An Electronic Grain Probe Insect Counter system, which incorporates modified passive grain probes, allows offsite monitoring and detection of insect pests in stored grain. An electronic count is generated whenever an insect falls through an infrared beam in the sensor head located at the bottom of the electronic grain probe. We report descriptions and laboratory evaluations of prototype electronic grain probes that were custom-made in-house (n=8) and by small-scale manufacturing (n=54). Laboratory tests, in which dead insects were dropped through a probe, were conducted to determine if electronic probes accurately count the numbers of insects that are captured. Accuracy of the manufactured electronic probes increased as the size of the test insect increased from 93.6% for the smallest insect tested (Cryptolestes ferrugineus, the rusty grain beetle) to 99.5% for the largest (Tribolium castaneum, the red flour beetle). Custom-made probes were significantly more accurate for C. ferrugineus (96.5% versus 93.6%) but there was no difference in accuracies for the larger insects. Comparisons among all probes found that probe accuracy was correlated with variation in the magnitude of the output signal from the infrared phototransistor. Thus, use of diode/phototransistor pairs with a more consistent beam or with improved beam focus may further improve probe accuracy. Good performance was obtained with the manufactured electronic probes. Tests with live insects under field conditions are needed to further evaluate the system performance.
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10.1016/s0022-474x(00)00019-9
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pubmed_230_8141
|
Mouse (m) and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) are known to exhibit immature Ca(2+) dynamics such as small whole-cell peak amplitude and slower kinetics relative to those of adult. In this study, we examined the maturity and efficiency of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release in m and hESC-CMs, the presence of transverse (t) tubules and its effects on the regional Ca(2+) dynamics. In m and hESC-CMs, fluorescent staining and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to detect the presence of t-tubules, caveolin-3, amphiphysin-2 and colocalization of dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). To avoid ambiguities, regional electrically-stimulated Ca(2+) dynamics of single ESC-CMs, rather than spontaneously beating clusters, were measured using confocal microscopy. m and hESC-CMs showed absence of dyads, with neither t-tubules nor colocalization of DHPRs and RyRs. Caveolin-3 and amphiphysin-2, crucial for the biogenesis of t-tubules with robust expression in adult CMs, were also absent. Single m and hESC-CMs displayed non-uniform Ca(2+) dynamics across the cell that is typical of CMs deficient of t-tubules. Local Ca(2+) transients exhibited greater peak amplitude at the peripheral than at the central region for m (3.50 +/- 0.42 vs. 3.05 +/- 0.38) and hESC-CMs (2.96 +/- 0.25 vs. 2.72 +/- 0.25). Kinetically, both the rates of rise to peak amplitude and transient decay were faster for the peripheral relative to the central region. Immature m and hESC-CMs display unsynchronized Ca(2+) transients due to the absence of t-tubules and gene products crucial for their biogenesis. Our results provide insights for driving the maturation of ESC-CMs.
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10.1089/scd.2009.0052
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pubmed_873_3906
|
Autophagy is a catabolic process to maintain intracellular homeostasis via removal of cytoplasmic macromolecules and damaged cellular organelles through lysosome-mediated degradation. Trehalose is often regarded as an autophagy inducer, but we reported previously that it could prevent ischemic insults-induced autophagic death in neurons. Thus, we further investigated in this study whether trehalose could protect human dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells against H2O2-induced lethal autophagy. We found pretreatment with trehalose not only prevented H2O2-induced death in SH-SY5Y cells, but also reversed H2O2-induced upregulation of LC3II, Beclin1 and ATG5 and downregulation of p62. Then, we proved that either autophagy inhibitor 3MA or genetic knockdown of ATG5 prevented H2O2-triggered death in SH-SY5Y cells. These indicated that trehalose could inhibit H2O2-induced autophagic death in SH-SY5Y cells. Further, we found that trehalose inhibited H2O2-induced AMPK activation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Moreover, inhibition of AMPK activation with compound C or alleviation of ER stress with chemical chaperone 4-PBA obviously attenuated H2O2-induced changes in autophagy-related proteins. Notably, we found that trehalose inhibited H2O2-induced increase of intracellular ROS and reduction in the activities of CAT and SOD. Consistently, our data revealed as well that mitigation of intracellular ROS levels with antioxidant NAC markedly attenuated H2O2-induced AMPK activation and ER stress. Therefore, we demonstrated in this study that trehalose prevented H2O2-induced autophagic death in SH-SY5Y cells via mitigation of ROS-dependent endoplasmic reticulum stress and AMPK activation.
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10.7150/ijms.25656
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pubmed_1003_20380
|
Community children's nurse Debbie James has developed an innovative scheme to allow secondary school children to obtain health advice by texting her service using mobile phones. As well as general advice about spots and rubella immunization, Sister James is also receiving inquiries about children's legal rights that also have a health protection purpose, such how old a child has to be before owning a pet or have an alcoholic drink. This article looks at how the law seeks to protect children by incrementally giving them legal rights as they develop to mature adults and how legal awareness can help inform community health practitioners' advice to their child clients.
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10.12968/bjcn.2005.10.4.17961
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pubmed_876_13276
|
Preventive dental care for children and adolescents requires a good understanding of the dental caries process and the particular relationships that exist throughout childhood and young adulthood. Only when these relationships are understood can they be used to diagnose dental caries risk and apply appropriate preventive therapies and restorative care that is effective. The need to diagnose risk when applying preventive care is as important for individual patients as it is for population groups. At the individual level, the aim is to aid the development of a healthy functioning dentition for life. This applies in the population group level but the cost benefits also become important in justifying the funding to carry out preventive practices. Risk can be determined by general factors including the socioeconomic status, access to optimally fluoridated drinking water and age. Specific factors include the microbiology of the dental plaque, dietary practices, oral hygiene practices, individual fluoride use and previous dental caries history. Once the risk has been diagnosed and the related factors identified, the best preventive approach can be selected. This may include oral hygiene, dietary change, fluoride recommendations, restorative care using fluoride releasing materials or antibacterial mouthwashes. The dentist may play several roles in preventive dental care. The first is as the giver of advice and care for the individual child patient; the second is as an advocate to help the child get the care by getting the consent and support of the parents; and the third may be to lobby for the appropriate funding to obtain this care in publicly funded programs.
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pubmed_876_13276
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pubmed_554_14813
|
This review summarises available information about adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. Much of the published information on the pathogenesis of adverse food reactions in these species is transferred from what is known in mice and human beings. Clinical signs affect mostly the integument and gastrointestinal system. Pruritus of the distal limbs, face, ears and ventrum is the most common cutaneous presentation in dogs, although urticaria has also been reported. In cats, all so-called 'cutaneous reaction patterns' may be due to adverse food reactions. The most common gastrointestinal signs in both species are diarrhoea and vomiting. An elimination diet over several weeks using a protein source and a carbohydrate source previously not fed is still the diagnostic tool of choice. Improvement on such a diet, deterioration on re-challenge with the old food and improvement again on the elimination diet confirms the diagnosis of adverse food reaction, whereas alternative tests of blood, serum, saliva and hair have been found to be unsatisfactory. Patch testing with food antigens has been recommended as an aid to choose the elimination diet ingredients, since it has a reasonable negative predictability and likelihood ratio, but is laborious and costly.
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10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.04.014
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pubmed_623_13243
|
Bracken is a fern with worldwide distribution. Exposure to bracken toxins such as ptaquiloside is hypothesized to increase the risk of papillomavirus-related cancers of the upper digestive tract. Ptaquiloside is thought to be an immunosupressor, thus allowing for the development of viral lesions. We have used a human papillomavirus type 16-transgenic (K14-HPV16) mouse model to study the effects of ptaquiloside on tumour-infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes, which are critical players in anti-tumour immunity. HPV16+/- mice received ptaquiloside (0.5 mg/mouse/week) for 10 weeks. These were then euthanized at 30 weeks of age, along with age-matched untreated controls. Skin samples were enzymatically digested and CD8+ T cells analysed for CD107a and CD44 surface expression. Ptaquiloside-exposed HPV16+/- mice showed a significantly decreased percentage (P < 0.05) of CD8+CD107a+ and CD8+CD44 + T cells when compared with untreated HPV16+/- animals. Histologically, 100% of ptaquilosidetreated mice showed diffuse epidermal dysplasia, compared with 50% of the untreated mice. These findings suggest that ptaquiloside exerts an immunosuppressive role by decreasing CD8+ T cell activation and degranulation in HPV-induced lesions. Given the key role of CD8+ T lymphocytes against HPV-induced lesions, this effect is likely to contribute for viral persistence, tumour progression and increased aggressiveness in patients with HPV-related malignancies.
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10.1016/j.fct.2016.09.019
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pubmed_38_19356
|
Tests were carried out to determine whether variations in the hydraulic architecture of eight Populus deltoides×Populus nigra genotypes could be related to variations in leaf function and growth performance. Measurements were performed in a coppice plantation on 1-year-old shoots under optimal irrigation. Hydraulic architecture was characterized through estimates of hydraulic efficiency (the ratio of conducting sapwood area to leaf area, A(X):A(L); leaf- and xylem-specific hydraulic conductance of defoliated shoots, k(SL) and k(SS), respectively; apparent whole-plant leaf-specific hydraulic conductance, k(plant)) and xylem safety (water potential inducing 50% loss in hydraulic conductance). The eight genotypes spanned a significant range of k(SL) from 2.63 kg s(-1) m(-2) MPa(-1) to 4.18 kg s(-1) m(-2) MPa(-1), variations being mostly driven by k(SS) rather than A(X):A(L). There was a strong trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and xylem safety. Values of k(SL) correlated positively with k(plant), indicating that high-pressure flowmeter (HPFM) measurements of stem hydraulic efficiency accurately reflected whole-plant water transport efficiency of field-grown plants at maximum transpiration rate. No clear relationship could be found between hydraulic efficiency and either net CO(2) assimilation rates, water-use efficiency estimates (intrinsic water-use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination against (13)C), or stomatal characteristics (stomatal density and stomatal pore area index). Estimates of hydraulic efficiency were negatively associated with relative growth rate. This unusual pattern, combined with the trade-off observed between hydraulic efficiency and xylem safety, provides the rationale for the positive link already reported between relative growth rate and xylem safety among the same eight P. deltoides×P. nigra genotypes.
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10.1093/jxb/erq415
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pubmed_672_5612
|
The metabolism of salicylic acid was investigated in pregnant rats over the whole gestational period. The results obtained showed no significant difference between pregnant and control animals.
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pubmed_672_5612
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pubmed_358_10067
|
In 22 patients with stable myocardial ischemia, we prospectively studied the short- and long-term effects of isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN) on dipyridamole-induced myocardial ischemia, the ability of dipyridamole-stress echocardiography to evaluate nitrate tolerance, and the role of activation of the neurohumoral system in nitrate tolerance development, assessed by modifications of catecholamines plasma levels and heart rate variability. After brief treatment with 5-ISMN, dipyridamole-stress echocardiography was negative in 19 of 22 patients (p < 0.001 vs. placebo). During the sustained phase, dipyridamole-stress echocardiography was positive after both placebo and active drug (p = NS vs. placebo). Heart rate variability showed significantly higher values in power of the low frequency (LF) band and low- to high-frequency ratio (L/H), as well as significantly lower values of the power of the high-frequency (HF) band (all p < 0.001) during brief but not during sustained administration of 5-ISMN. Norepinephrine plasma levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) during short-term 5-ISMN administration but not during the sustained phase. Our results indicate that short-term administration of 5-ISMN antagonizes dipyridamole-induced myocardial ischemia and show the loss of antiischemic efficacy in 95% of patients during sustained treatment, demonstrating that dipyridamole-stress echocardiography is a useful tool to assess the presence of nitrate tolerance. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability and norepinephrine values confirm that brief nitrate administration increases sympathetic activity, a possible crucial trigger event in the development of nitrate tolerance, whereas prolonged nitrate treatment is not associated with prolonged neurohumoral activation.
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10.1097/00005344-200007000-00007
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pubmed_1019_22937
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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. Both its incidence and prevalence are expected to increase exponentially as populations' age worldwide. Despite impressive efforts of research worldwide, neither cure nor effective preventive strategy is available for this devastating disease. Currently there are several hypotheses on what causes AD, with the amyloid hypothesis being the most investigated and accepted hypothesis over the past 20 years. However the exact role of amyloid-β in the onset and progression of AD is not yet fully understood, and even the validity of the amyloid hypothesis itself is still being discussed. This debate is fuelled by the vascular hypothesis, as increasing epidemiological, neuroimaging, pathological, pharmacotherapeutic and clinical studies suggest that vascular pathology plays a key role in the onset and progression of AD. We here will discuss arguments in favor and limitations of both hypotheses within the framework of available literature, but also provide arguments for convergence of both hypotheses. Finally we propose approaches that may aid in unraveling the etiology and treatment of AD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Imaging Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative disease.
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10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.07.003
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pubmed_1134_14734
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Cell death linked to DNA damage has been implicated in various diseases caused by environmental stress and infection. Severe DNA damage, which is beyond the capacity of the DNA repair proteins, triggers apoptosis. Accumulation of DNA damage has been proposed to be a principal mechanism of infection, inflammation, cancer, and aging. The most deleterious form of DNA damage is double-strand breaks (DSBs), where ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) is the main transducer of the double-strand DNA break signal. Once the DNA is damaged, the DNA repair protein Ku70/80 translocates into the nucleus, a process which may be mediated by ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated, a member of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase-like family. The function and stability of Artemis may also be regulated by ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated through its phosphorylation upon the occurrence of DNA damage. Interestingly, both Artemis and Ku70/80 are substrates of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), another member of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase-like family. In this review, we show how Ku and Artemis function in the DNA damage response and the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated signaling pathway and discuss potential applications of agents targeting these DNA damage response molecules in the treatment of inflammation and cancer.
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10.1016/j.biocel.2007.12.007
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pubmed_311_6257
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Multiple drug classes have shown incremental benefits in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Most of these trials were designed to achieve specific doses of the investigational agent. Clinical practice guidelines recommend using the same target dosing of therapies, as tolerated. However, with the increasing number of available therapies, clinicians face the challenge of simultaneously using several drugs, achieving target doses, and managing side effects that are often overlapping. Blood pressure, renal function, hyperkalaemia, and other factors may impede achieving target doses of all medications, leaving clinicians with dilemmas as to how to sequence and dose these various classes of drugs. The guideline-directed eligibility for certain drugs and devices requires stability on maximally tolerated doses of background therapies. However, significant variability exists in dosing achieved in clinical practice. We discuss the existing background data regarding the doses of heart failure medications in clinical trials and in practice, and provide recommendations on how to navigate this complex therapeutic decision-making.
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10.1002/ejhf.1351
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pubmed_620_2326
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The objective of this study was to determine if HeLa cells irreversibly arrested in G2 phase of the cell cycle by a brief exposure to a nitrosourea compound were deficient in certain proteins when compared with G2-synchronized cells. Total cellular proteins of G2-synchronized, G2-arrested, and S phase-synchronized cells were compared by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The S phase cells differed from the G2-synchronized and G2-arrested cells by the absence of about 35 and 25 protein spots, respectively, of a total of nearly 150. At least nine protein spots in the molecular weight range of 4--5 X 10(4) that were present in the G2-synchronized cells were absent in both the G2-arrested and the S phase cells. Thus, these studies suggest that the missing proteins are probably necessary for the transition of cells from G2 phase to mitosis. Supplying the missing proteins to the G2-arrested cells by fusion with G2-synchronized cells facilitated the entry of the former into mitosis.
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10.1073/pnas.75.12.6064
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pubmed_232_17116
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This pilot study is the first known in-depth case study of the effectiveness of virtual reality therapy (VRT) as a treatment for Test Anxiety (TA). The subject of the study was a 28-year-old male, whose anxiety and avoidance behavior was interfering with his normal academic activities. For treatment, he was placed in a virtual classroom and later in a virtual auditorium. The subject was exposed to six moderately increasing in difficulty level virtual situations. The subject rated each situation for discomfort. As a simple measure of anxiety, a modified version of the Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) scale was used every five minutes during exposure. This case study showed VRT to be an effective treatment method for reducing self-reported TA. Symptoms experienced by the subject during VRT sessions were just as real to the subject as actual test taking and general TA situations. They included increased heart rate, mild dizziness, and headaches. This case study of TA indicates that VRT may be used as an effective treatment method for reducing self-reported anxiety and improving the performance of subject(s) who suffer from TA.
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pubmed_232_17116
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pubmed_652_17429
|
Separation and identification of nanoparticles of different composition, with similar particle diameter, coexisting in heterogeneous suspensions of polymer-coated CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) have been thoroughly assessed by asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled on-line to fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) detectors. Chemical characterization of any previously on-line separated nanosized species was achieved by the measurement of the elemental molar ratios of every element involved in the synthesis of the QDs, using inorganic standards and external calibration by flow injection analysis (FIA). Such elemental molar ratios, strongly limited so far to pure single nanoparticles suspensions, have been achieved with adequate accuracy by coupling for the first time an ICP-QQQ instrument to an AF4 system. This hyphenation turned out to be instrumental to assess the chemical composition of the different populations of nanoparticles coexisting in the relatively complex mixtures, due to its capabilities to detect the hardly detectable elements involved in the synthesis. Interestingly such information, complementary to that obtained by fluorescence, was very valuable to detect and identify unexpected nanosized species, present at significant level, produced during QDs synthesis and hardly detectable by standard approaches.
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pubmed_652_17429
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pubmed_698_519
|
A 2-year-old emaciated female South African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) was euthanized because of chronic weight loss. At necropsy, there was no evidence of bacterial, fungal or viral disease; however, the histopathologic findings indicated a proliferative gastritis and the presence of numerous cryptosporidial stages throughout the intestinal tract. Crytosporidial oocysts were present in the water taken from the aquarium housing the infected frog and were likely shed by the sick frog; however, the exact source of the oocysts could not be identified. Water samples from other frog aquaria in the facility did not contain cryptosporidial oocysts. Some Cryptosporidium species are important zoonotic pathogens and, to our knowledge, this is the first report of disease associated with Cryptosporidium infection in a laboratory Xenopus laevis.
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pubmed_698_519
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pubmed_1100_14366
|
Using a novel anti-natural killer (NK) cell monoclonal antibody (MoAb), we have recently identified an evolutionary conserved function-associated molecule (FAM) present on fish, rat and human NK cells. This molecule is involved in NK cell function as anti-FAM MoAbs inhibit cytotoxicity, stimulate lymphokine secretion and inhibit conjugate formation between effector cells and target cells. We now have examined murine NK cells for the presence of this structure. It was observed by two-colour flow cytometric analysis that the anti-FAM MoAb 5C6 specifically bound to a subpopulation of nylon wool non-adherent splenic lymphocytes (19-20%). The expression of the FAM molecule was restricted to NK cells that expressed the NK1.1 antigen. Neither T cells, B cells, nor macrophages reacted with the anti-FAM MoAb. Analysis of FAM expression in various lymphoid tissues revealed that splenocytes expressed the greatest numbers of MoAb(+) cells. Generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and adherent lymphokine-activated killer (ALAK) cells resulted in higher levels of FAM expression. The anti-FAM MoAb 5C6 also detected the presence of FAM on fresh SCID NK cells. It was demonstrated that the anti-FAM MoAb 5C6 inhibited the lysis of target cells by endogenous NK cells, activated NK cells, 5d LAK cells, ALAK cells and SCID NK cells. Moreover, conjugate assays demonstrated involvement of this molecule in recognition between NK cells and target cells.
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10.1111/j.1365-3083.1994.tb03432.x
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pubmed_71_18609
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Antibodies to myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) are vital in the diagnosis and management of ANCA-associated vasculitis. A chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA; Quanta Flash) provides MPO and PR3 antibody results in 30 minutes, which is much faster than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We compared the performance of ELISA (Orgentec) and CLIA (Quanta Flash) for MPO and PR3 antibody quantitation on 303 samples, comprising 196 consecutive samples received in a single diagnostic laboratory over a 3 month period, and 107 samples collected from 42 known vasculitis patients over a 40 month period. We observed a correlation between both methods using spearman correlation coefficients (MPO, rs = 0.63, p < 0.01; PR3, rs = 0.69, p < 0.01). There was agreement between both methods in determining a positive or negative result. In the vasculitis cohort, CLIA performed well at clinically important stages of disease; diagnosis (eight samples all positive by both assays) and disease relapse (correlation for both MPO and PR3 antibody quantitation rs = 0.84, p = 0.03 and rs = 0.78, p < 0.01, respectively). Three samples were discordant at clinical relapse, testing positive by CLIA, including one high positive associated with relapse requiring a change in treatment. In summary, CLIA appears to be at least as accurate as ELISA for measurement of MPO and PR3 antibodies.
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10.1016/j.pathol.2017.02.006
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pubmed_163_7713
|
BACKGROUND
Whether brief versions of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) can be used as graded severity measures is largely unknown. We examined the performance of eight such brief screeners in a prison population, and compared their effectiveness in detecting hazardous drinking, harmful drinking, and possible alcohol dependence as classified by the full ten-item AUDIT.
METHODS
The study sample included pre-prison drinkers who participated in the Norwegian Offender Mental Health and Addiction (NorMA) study (n = 758). We conducted receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses and estimated the area under the curve (AUROC) to assess the performance of AUDIT-C (three consumption items) and four-item versions that consisted of AUDIT-C and one additional item.
RESULTS
AUDIT-C performed very well in detecting unhealthy drinking of varying severity (AUROCs of 0.933 or 0.935). Four-item versions performed even better. Of these, the well-established AUDIT-4 was superior in identifying harmful drinking (AUROC=0.969) and possible alcohol dependence (AUROC=0.976). For AUDIT-C, the optimal cut-points in terms of the highest combined sensitivity and specificity were ≥ 6 (hazardous drinking), ≥ 8 (harmful drinking) and ≥ 8 or ≥ 9 (possible dependence). The corresponding cut-points on AUDIT-4 were ≥ 6, ≥ 9 and ≥ 10. The highest cut-point whereby all cases of possible dependence were identified was ≥ 6 on AUDIT-C and ≥ 8 on AUDIT-4. At these cut-points, almost all individuals with harmful drinking were also detected.
CONCLUSIONS
AUDIT-C and AUDIT-4 were both highly effective in detecting hazardous drinking, harmful drinking and possible alcohol dependence. AUDIT-4 was superior, notably as a graded severity measure.
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10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109153
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pubmed_542_4130
|
A phosphorylated nonstructural protein, NS2, was detected in bluetongue and African horsesickness virus (BTV and AHSV) infected-radiolabeled-cell lysates by electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels (SDS-PAGE). The NS2 proteins of both viruses have similar migration on one-dimensional (1D) 10% SDS-PAGE. Examination of infected cell lysates on two-dimensional (2D) gels (isoelectric focusing followed by SDS-PAGE) separated two phosphorylated isoelectric forms of BTV NS2 and four phosphorylated forms of AHSV NS2. The isoelectric points of both species of BTV NS2 were acidic relative to all forms of AHSV NS2. Nonphosphorylated NS2 polypeptides were not detected by 2D gels. A nonphosphorylated host protein, which comigrated with NS2 on 1D gels, could be distinguished from viral proteins by isoelectric focusing on 2D gels. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) elution profiles of NS2 tryptic peptides from the two orbiviruses were compared. Three 32P-labeled tryptic peptides were generated from both AHSV and BTV NS2 proteins, which had been isolated and eluted from SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The elution profile from reverse phase HPLC was very similar for the tryptic phosphopeptides; in contrast, 35S-labeled tryptic peptides displayed considerable differences in elution profiles for the two NS2 proteins. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed only phosphoserine in hydrolysates of BTV and AHSV NS2.
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10.1016/0168-1702(88)90040-8
|
pubmed_107_8099
|
During the past decade, an increasing spectrum of pathogenic Zygomycetes fungi have caused infections in humans. The preponderance of these deeply invasive infections have been caused by members of the order Mucorales. However, deeply invasive zygomycoses due to genera of the order Entomophthorales (Conidiobolus species and Basidiobolus species) have seldom been reported. We describe a granulocytopenic patient with pulmonary and pericardial zygomycosis due to Conidiobolus incongruus, describe this organism's susceptibility to antifungal agents, characterize its diagnostic microbiological characteristics, and review previously reported cases of deeply invasive zygomycosis due to Conidiobolus species. In immunocompromised patients, C. incongruus is an uncommon but highly invasive fungal pathogen that may be resistant to amphotericin B and can be distinguished from other Zygomycetes fungi by characteristic mycological features.
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10.1093/clinids/19.3.423
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pubmed_886_8790
|
Partial trisomy 13q is an uncommon chromosomal abnormality with variable phenotypic expression. We report prenatal diagnosis of partial trisomy 13q in a fetus with partial agenesis of the cerebellar vermis, partial agenesis of the corpus callosum, hydrops and polyhydramnios. G-banding karyotyping, spectral karyotyping and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis of fetal blood were performed. Cytogenetic analysis of fetal blood displayed 46,XX,add(4)(q28). The parental karyotypes were normal. A girl was delivered at 34 weeks gestation; she died within 2 h. Autopsy confirmed all the prenatal findings and also showed agenesis of the diaphragm. Spectral karyotyping identified the additional material's origin as chromosome 13. aCGH was carried out and showed amplification of distal regions of the long arm of chromosome 13 from region 13q14 to qter. This is the first report of a fetus with molecular characterization of a partial trisomy 13q (q14-->qter), present as a de novo unbalanced translocation at chromosome 4q. This case demonstrates the usefulness of molecular characterization of malformed fetuses for prenatal diagnosis and counseling.
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10.4238/vol9-1gmr716
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pubmed_1103_8149
|
In the past, the development of rate-adaptive (sensor-controlled) pacemaker systems seems to have been determined primarily by the availability, compatibility and other properties of the technical sensor. This paper, however, focuses on the system-physiological aspect in an attempt to answer the question to what extent physiological cardiovascular control is restored by the pacemaker system. This is a question which should be asked before attempting to design a sensor-controlled system and especially before designing multisensor systems with infinite combinations. Four categories are defined: direct bridging ("shunting"), open loop systems, closed systems using cardiorespiratory or metabolic coupling and those using cardiac signals. Further subdivisions are shown. From the bioengineering as well as from the physiological viewpoint a system should preferably not combine sensors from one and the same of these categories. At present direct bridging is available only for the atrioventricular (AV)-block, so that for sick-sinus-syndrome (SSS) patients feedback control via cardiac signals ("inotropic" pacemaker) comes nearest the goal without, however, ideally bridging the gap. Open-loop systems should no longer be developed as single-sensor systems. A well developed activity sensor, however, which quickly pinpoints the most prominent stressor of cardiovascular control is best suited to complement another sensory system achieving closed-loop control. New and promising concepts orientated toward direct bridging are the analysis of monophasic action potentials and the "dromotropic" concept, both of which seek direct correlation with the "chronotropic" information not available in SSS patients.
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10.1109/10.784136
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pubmed_760_3537
|
Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations were carried out for ππ*-excited 1,1'-dimethylstilbene (dmSB) at the spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory (SF-TDDFT) level with the TSF-index technique, to get insights into the substitution effects on the photoisomerization dynamics of stilbene (SB). It is found that the reaction path from the Franck-Condon structure of cis-dmSB is oriented toward the 4,4-dihydrophenanthrene (DHP) side from the beginning, which is in contrast to the case of SB where the pathway is oriented toward the twist side in the initial stage. The optimized geometries of minima and the minimum-energy conical intersection (MECI) suggested that molecules in the DHP region could easily decay to the ground state. On the other hand, S1/S0-MECI and S1-minimum in the twist region have a relatively different geometry from each other, which is consistent with the experimental observation of the long lifetime of the perpendicular structure. AIMD simulations showed that more trajectories enter the well of the DHP side than the well of the twist side and that all of the trajectories going to the DHP side reached the S1/S0-CI region within ∼0.2 ps on average, while very few trajectories reached S1/S0-CI even after 1 ps in the twist region. Decrease in the S1 population in the cis and twist regions qualitatively reproduced the temporal profiles of the transient absorption bands of dmSB observed in the visible and ultraviolet regions, respectively.
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10.1021/acs.jpca.6b07548
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pubmed_569_23069
|
INTRODUCTION
The study aimed to identify the presence of peritoneal penetration in management of anterior abdominal stab wound by using computed tomography (CT) tractography.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Hemodynamically stabile, CT tractography-performed patients who were admitted to our emergency clinic with anterior abdominal stab wounds between the years 2012 and 2014 were included in this study, and all images were evaluated in terms of peritoneal penetration and possible intra-abdominal injury.
RESULTS
In the study CT tractography identified necessity of laparotomy accurately in 90% of the patients, and none of the patients without peritoneal penetration needed surgical treatment in their follow-up.
CONCLUSION
The procedure may be used for some selected cases of hemodynamically stable patient with anterior abdominal stab wounds to abstain from local wound exploration.
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pubmed_569_23069
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pubmed_1047_15903
|
The kil-kor regulon was first identified on the broad-host-range IncP alpha plasmid RK2 by the presence of multiple kil loci (kilA, kilB, kilC, and recently kilE) that are lethal to Escherichia coli host cells in the absence of regulation by kor functions in various combinations. Whereas the kilB operon is required for mating-pair formation during conjugation, the functions encoded by the other kil loci are not known. They are not essential for replication or conjugal transfer, but their coregulation with replication and transfer genes indicates that they are likely to be important for RK2. In this report, we describe molecular and genetic studies on kilC. We determined the nucleotide sequence of the kilC region, which is located between the origin of vegetative replication (oriV) and transposon Tn1 on RK2. Primer extension analysis identified the transcriptional start site and showed that a sequence corresponding to a strong sigma 70 promoter is functional. The abundance of RNA initiated from the kilC promoter is reduced in the presence of korA and korC, as predicted from genetic analysis of kilC regulation. The first gene of the kilC operon (klcA) is sufficient to express the host-lethal phenotype of the kilC determinant in the absence of korA and korC. By comparing RK2 to the related IncP alpha plasmids pUZ8 and R995, we determined that the Tn1 transposon in RK2 interrupts a gene (klcB) immediately downstream of klcA. Thus, the kilC determinant is normally part of an autoregulated operon of three genes: klcA, klcB, and korC. klcA is predicted to encode a 15,856-Da polypeptide that is related to the ArdB antirestriction protein of the IncN plasmid pKM101, suggesting a role for klcA in the broad host ranges of IncP alpha plasmids. The predicted product of the uninterrupted klcB gene is a polypeptide of 51,133 Da that contains a segment with significant similarity to the RK2 regulatory proteins KorA and TrbA. Located 145 bp upstream of the kilC promoter is a 10th copy of the 17-bp oriV iteron sequence in inverted orientation relative to that of the other nine iterons of oriV. Iteron 10 is identical to the "orphan" iteron 1, and both have identical 6-bp flanking sequences that make them likely to be strong binding sites for the TrfA replication initiator protein. The locations and relative orientation of orphan iterons 10 and 1 raise the possibility that these iterons promote the formation of a DNA loop via protein-protein interactions by bound TrfA and lead us to propose that they demarcate the functional origin of replication. This analysis of the kilC region and our previous studies on the other kil loci of RK2 have revealed that the region between oriV and the korABF operon in wild-type IncP alpha plasmids is saturated by the kilC, kilE, and kilA loci arranged in four kor-regulated operons encoding a total of 12 genes.
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10.1128/jb.176.16.5022-5032.1994
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pubmed_281_12826
|
The pollution of aquatic systems by microplastics is a well-known environmental problem. However, limited studies have been conducted in freshwater systems, especially in the Philippines. Here, we determined for the first time the amount of microplastics in the Philippines' largest freshwater lake, the Laguna de Bay. Ten (10) sampling stations on the lake's surface water were sampled using a plankton net. Samples were extracted and analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A total of 100 microplastics were identified from 10 sites with a mean density of 14.29 items/m3. Most microplastics were fibers (57%), while blue-colored microplastics predominated in the sampling areas (53%). There were 11 microplastic polymers identified, predominantly polypropylene (PP), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which together account for 65% of the total microplastics in the areas. The results show that there is a higher microplastic density in areas with high relative population density, which necessitates implementing proper plastic waste management measures in the communities operating on the lake and in its vicinity to protect the lake's ecosystem services. Furthermore, future research should also focus on the environmental risks posed by these microplastics, especially on the fisheries and aquatic resources.
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10.1007/s11356-022-24261-5
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pubmed_294_22501
|
A cohort of children and adolescents (n = 801) aged 5 to 11 years living in Bogalusa, Louisiana was examined in three consecutive cross-sectional surveys over a 6 year period. The relationship between fasting insulin and glucose at baseline and longitudinal changes in blood pressure were examined. Significantly positive correlations were observed between fasting insulin and glucose at baseline and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at follow-up in white boys and girls (r = 0.19 to 0.38, P < .01), but not in blacks. After adjustment for several covariates, the association still existed in whites. In multiple regression analysis, fasting plasma insulin was observed to be a major contributor of subsequent systolic blood pressure levels independent of age, sex, height, obesity, and glucose levels in white children. These data suggest that insulin can be a determinant of blood pressure levels in children as suggested in adults. The relationship of insulin to blood pressure differs between black and white children and is likely modulated by the multiple mechanisms active in maintenance of blood pressure.
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10.1093/ajh/6.7.564
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pubmed_330_13852
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This investigation was designed to determine whether l-DOPA treatment improves the motor alterations observed after divalent and trivalent manganese (Mn) mixture inhalation on mice to ensure that the alterations are of dopaminergic origin. CD-1 male mice inhaled a mixture of 0.04 M manganese chloride (MnCl(2)) and manganese acetate (Mn(OAc)(3)), 1h twice a week for 5 months. Before Mn exposure, animals were trained to perform motor function tests and were evaluated each week after the exposure. Overall behavior was assessed by ratings and by videotaped analyses; by the end of Mn exposure period, 10 mice were orally treated with 7.5mg/kg L-DOPA. After 5 months of Mn-mixture inhalation striatal dopamine content decreased 71%, mice developed evident deficits in motor performance manifested as akinesia, postural instability and action tremor; these alterations were reverted with L-DOPA treatment. Our results suggest that the motor alterations induced by the inhalation of the combination of MnCl(2)/Mn(OAc)(3) are related to nigrostriatal dopaminergic function providing new light on the understanding of manganese neurotoxicity as a suitable Parkinson disease experimental model.
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10.1016/j.neulet.2010.01.015
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pubmed_1105_22464
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We present in this paper fifteen years' measurements, from March 1991 to September 2005, of stratospheric NO2 vertical columns measured by a SAOZ zenith-sky visible spectrometer. The instrument spent most of its time at Aberystwyth, Wales, with occasional excursions to other locations. The data have been analysed with the WinDOAS analysis program with low-temperature high-resolution NO2 cross-sections and fitting a slit function to each spectrum. Because of a change in detector in May 1998 there is some uncertainty about the relative changes before and after this date, which are partially constrained by the results of an intercomparison exercise. However, the effect of the Mt Pinatubo aerosol cloud is very evident in the data from 1991-94, with a decrease of 10% in NO2 in the summer of 1992 (the SAOZ was located in Lerwick, Scotland during the winter of 1991-92 and observed very low NO2 values but these cannot be directly compared to the Aberystwyth data). To focus more on interannual and long-term variations in NO2, a seasonal variation comprising an annual and semi-annual component was fitted to the morning and evening twilight separately from 1995 to the present. This fit yielded average NO2 columns of 4.08 x 10(15) cm(-2) and 2.68 x 10(15) cm(-2) for the evening and morning twilight, respectively, with a corresponding annual amplitude of +/-2.08 x 10(15) cm(-2) and +/-1.50 x 10(15) cm(-2). Departures from the fitted curve show a trend of 6% per decade, consistent with that reported elsewhere, for the period 1998-2003, but in the past two years a distinct interannual variation of amplitude of approximately 8% has emerged.
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10.1039/b511482a
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pubmed_402_18072
|
Much of our focus in understanding Th1/Th2 development has been on the signals delivered by IL-12 and IL-4 as final determinants of terminal T cell differentiation. Because extinction of IL-12 signaling in early Th2 development could potentially be important in imprinting a more permanent Th2 phenotype on a population of T cells, we have also examined various parameters regulating the IL-12 signaling pathway. Whereas IL-4 appears to repress functional IL-12 signaling through inhibition of IL-12R beta 2 expression, IFN-gamma in the mouse, and IFN-alpha in the human appear to induce IL-12R beta 2 expression and promote IL-12 responsiveness. We propose that Th1 development can be considered in two stages, capacitance and development. Capacitance would simply involve expression of IL-12R beta 1 and beta 2 subunits, regulated by TCR, IL-4 and IFNs. The second stage, development, we propose is the true IL-12 induced developmental stage, involving expression of Stat4 inducible proteins. In the human, this may also occur via IFN-alpha, which is able to activate Stat4. It is perhaps possible that all of Stat4 actions on Th1 development may be exert directly by Stat4 at the IFN-gamma gene, however we suggest that, more likely, Stat4 may act to induce Th1 development through the induction of other non-cytokine genes, whose stable expression maintains the transcriptional state of a Th1 cell.
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10.1007/978-3-662-09709-0_2
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pubmed_699_12425
|
Computer audition (CA) has experienced a fast development in the past decades by leveraging advanced signal processing and machine learning techniques. In particular, for its noninvasive and ubiquitous character by nature, CA-based applications in healthcare have increasingly attracted attention in recent years. During the tough time of the global crisis caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), scientists and engineers in data science have collaborated to think of novel ways in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, tracking, and management of this global pandemic. On the one hand, we have witnessed the power of 5G, Internet of Things, big data, computer vision, and artificial intelligence in applications of epidemiology modeling, drug and/or vaccine finding and designing, fast CT screening, and quarantine management. On the other hand, relevant studies in exploring the capacity of CA are extremely lacking and underestimated. To this end, we propose a novel multitask speech corpus for COVID-19 research usage. We collected 51 confirmed COVID-19 patients' in-the-wild speech data in Wuhan city, China. We define three main tasks in this corpus, i.e., three-category classification tasks for evaluating the physical and/or mental status of patients, i.e., sleep quality, fatigue, and anxiety. The benchmarks are given by using both classic machine learning methods and state-of-the-art deep learning techniques. We believe this study and corpus cannot only facilitate the ongoing research on using data science to fight against COVID-19, but also the monitoring of contagious diseases for general purpose.
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10.1109/JIOT.2021.3067605
|
pubmed_202_11463
|
Two unique antimicrobial peptides named brevinin-1 and -2 were isolated from the skin of the frog, Rana brevipoda porsa. Both of the peptides did not have any structural homology with bombinin nor magainin; the frog skin derived-antimicrobial peptides isolated from Bombina and Xenopus, nor even with other known antimicrobial peptides of non-amphibian origin. The minimum inhibitory concentration of brevinin-1 against the growth of St. aureus and E. coli was determined to be 8 micrograms/ml and 34 micrograms/ml while that of brevinin-2 was 8 micrograms/ml and 4 micrograms/ml, respectively, indicating the difference of the two peptides in the antimicrobial selectively on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
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10.1016/0006-291x(92)91542-x
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pubmed_560_24747
|
BACKGROUND
Thromboembolic risk in permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) is strongly associated with the underlying etiology, and inflammatory parameters may contribute. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of hs-CRP and BNP levels with left and right atrial appendage (LAA and RAA) function, presence of spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and thrombus.
MATERIAL/METHODS
Eighty-four permanent AF patients with different etiologies (20 mitral stenosis, 44 hypertension and 20 hyperthyroidism) and 23 patients with sinus rhythm were included. LAA and RAA flow velocities were measured by pulsed-wave Doppler and wall motion velocities with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in transesophageal echocardiography.
RESULTS
Hs-CRP and BNP levels significantly differed among the 3 AF groups: levels were highest in mitral stenosis patients (8.6 ± 5.3 mg/L and 98.0 ± 125.7 pg/mL, respectively), the lowest hs-CRP was in hyperthyroidism patients (4.3 ± 3.8 mg/L), and the lowest BNP was in hypertensive patients (64.8 ± 44.3 pg/mL). There were also significant differences between the AF group and controls regarding hs-CRP and BNP levels. In the correlation analysis, BNP level was not significantly correlated with LAA and RAA functions, whereas hs-CRP level was significantly correlated with some LAA and RAA functions. On the other hand, hs-CRP level was significantly related to the presence of mild-moderate SEC and thrombi, mainly in mitral stenosis patients. Moreover, hs-CRP was the most important determinant of RAA thrombus formation, followed by RAA ejection fraction. In contrast, no positive or negative correlation was found between BNP levels and RAA and LAA thrombi.
CONCLUSIONS
Higher hs-CRP levels in AF patients may be a predictor for the presence of SEC and thrombi in the atria.
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10.12659/msm.882461
|
pubmed_373_9243
|
While endodontic (dentoalveolar) abscesses can cause significant morbidity, in susceptible individuals they can pose life-threatening problems. This paper provides an overview of the more serious sequelae of endodontic abscesses, and provides examples of 'high risk' situations in practice in which these serious complications are more likely to occur.
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10.1111/j.1834-7819.1997.tb00113.x
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pubmed_698_6953
|
This study tested the hypothesis that the action potential properties of the diaphragm muscle are altered by endurance exercise treadmill training. Rats underwent treadmill running or sham training for 8 weeks, and intracellular electrophysiological recordings were subsequently performed in vitro. Diaphragm resting membrane potential was not altered by training. The maximal rate of action potential depolarization was reduced significantly by exercise training, from 551+/-16 to 445+/-15 mV/ms (P<0.00002). In contrast the rate of action potential repolarization was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.25). Action potential height was significantly higher in control compared with trained muscle (84.5+/-1.0 vs. 78.4+/-1.2 mV, P<0.0005). The combination of slowed action depolarization and decreased peak action potential height resulted in no net change in action potential area. Thus treadmill running endurance exercise training slows rat diaphragm action potential depolarization but not repolarization, suggestive of altered Na+ but not K+ channel function.
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10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00031-4
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pubmed_587_1573
|
An 8000-m peak bring challenges of extremes of hypoxia and weather as well as the normal hazards of climbing itself. These challenges have taken a severe toll: 604 mountaineers have died on those great peaks since 1950. Little is known about whether mountain height, use of supplemental oxygen, or team size might influence rates of death or of success. However, such information may provide insights not only to our understanding of the limits of human performance, but also to mountaineers in making decisions on these peaks. We present several examples from a research program that is attempting to analyze factors that potentially influence success or death rates on the 8K peaks. (1) Apparent risk of death in the notorious Khumbu Icefall on Mt. Everest has declined dramatically in recent years. This decline could reflect improved route finding and technique, but might also reflect climate warming, which has caused the Khumbu glacier to shrink and slow in recent decades. (2) Risk of death during descent from an 8000-m peak increases with the height of the peak. (3) Risk of death during descent from the summit of Everest or of K2 is elevated for climbers not using supplemental oxygen. (4) We outline some new studies that are exploring how convective heat loss, which influences wind chill, changes with altitude as well as the incidence of storms: both factors will impact the probability success and death of Himalayan mountaineers.
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pubmed_587_1573
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pubmed_346_16417
|
The pharmacologic treatment of cough can be divided into two main categories: therapy with controls, prevents or eliminates cough (i.e., antitussive) and therapy that makes cough more effective (i.e., pro-tussive). Definitive antitussive therapy depends on determining the aetiology or operant pathophysiologic mechanism and then initiating specific treatment; it can be almost uniformly successful. Non-specific antitussive therapy is directed at the symptom; it is indicated when definitive therapy cannot be given. For pathologic cough in man, predominantly studied in patients with chronic bronchitis, the following non-specific antitussive drugs have been shown to be effective: aerosolized ipratropium bromide, all narcotics of the phenanthrene alkaloid group (e.g., morphine and codeine), and the non-narcotics, dextromethorphan, glaucine, diphenhydramine, caramiphen, viminol and diviminol. Although studies have shown that hypertonic saline aerosol can improve cough clearance, there are no data, to date, that have convincingly demonstrated this agent or any other pro-tussive drug to be clinically useful.
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pubmed_346_16417
|
pubmed_664_2110
|
We derive new representations of the efficient score for coarse data problems based on Neumann series expansion. The representations can be applied to both ignorable and nonignorable coarse data. An approximation to the new representation may be used for computing locally efficient scores in such problems. We show that many of the successive approximation approaches to the computation of the locally efficient score proposed in the literature for coarse data problems can be derived as special cases of the representations. In addition, the representations lead to new algorithms for computing the locally efficient scores for the coarse data problems.
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10.1007/s10463-009-0231-7
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pubmed_1129_11781
|
During CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing, site-specific double strand breaks are introduced and repaired either unspecific by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or sequence dependent by homology directed repair (HDR). Whereas NHEJ-based generation of gene knock-out is widely performed, the HDR-based knock-in of specific mutations remains a bottleneck. Especially in primary cell lines that are essential for the generation of cell culture and animal models of inherited human diseases, knock-in efficacy is insufficient and needs significant improvement. Here, we tested two different approaches to increase the knock-in frequency of a specific point mutation into the MYH7-gene in porcine fetal fibroblasts. We added a small molecule inhibitor of NHEJ, SCR7 (5,6-bis((E)-benzylideneamino)-2-mercaptopyrimidin-4-ol), during genome editing and screened cell cultures for the point mutation. However, this approach did not yield increased knock-in rates. In an alternative approach, we fused humanized Cas9 (hCas9) to the N-terminal peptide of the Geminin gene (GMNN). The fusion protein is degraded in NHEJ-dominated cell cycle phases, which should increase HDR-rates. Using hCas9-GMNN and point mutation-specific real time PCR screening, we found a two-fold increase in genome edited cell cultures. This increase of HDR by hCas9-GMNN provides a promising way to enrich specific knock-in in porcine fibroblast cultures for somatic cloning approaches.
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10.3390/genes9060296
|
pubmed_195_18855
|
Here we explored a novel ZnO nanorod array template-assisted electrodeposition route to synthesize large-scale single-walled polypyrrole (PPy) nanotube arrays (NTAs) and multi-walled MnO(2)/PPy/MnO(2) NTAs. The structures of nanotubes, such as external and inner diameters, wall thicknesses, and lengths, can be well controlled by adjusting the diameters and lengths of ZnO nanorods and deposition time. The synthesized hybrid MnO(2)/PPy/MnO(2) triple-walled nanotube arrays (TNTAs) as electrodes showed high supercapacitive perporties, excellent long-term cycling stability, and high energy and power densities. The PPy layers in MnO(2)/PPy/MnO(2) TNTAs provide reliable electrical connections to MnO(2) shells and uniquely serve as highly conductive cores to support the redox reactions in the active two-double MnO(2) shells with highly electrolytic accessible surface area. The fabricated multi-walled NTAs allow high efficient utilization of electrode materials with facilitated transports of ions and electrons. The outstanding performance makes MnO(2)/PPy/MnO(2) TNTAs promising candidates for supercapacitor electrodes.
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10.1038/srep01204
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pubmed_1063_15700
|
The treatment of psychotic disorders and illnesses is a challenge for therapists and institutions due to the heterogeneity of the cause and course, refractory symptoms, lack of therapy adherence and high rates of relapse. These circumstances can be effectively counteracted by the flexibility of therapeutic approaches and settings. A useful but rarely used concept is the treatment of psychoses within the so-called track unit. A track unit is defined as a syndrome-oriented, decentralized, modular unit, adjusted to the patient's individual stage-specific needs across both inpatient and outpatient sectors. The track concept offers a fully integrated sector-spanning model of treatment at all stages of psychotic illnesses as well as a continuity of treatment. Another important goal is the early availability of timely treatment for as many psychotic patients as possible so that the symptoms can be alleviated as soon as possible and the quality of life can be sustainably improved or preserved. The track concept not only improves the current situation of treatment for acutely or chronically psychotic patients but also represents a necessary investment in the future. This treatment model aims to ensure that the good but complex and costly treatment options are available to patients even if inpatient treatment is not favored by the patient.
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10.1007/s00115-019-0711-9
|
pubmed_112_20444
|
Two closely linked, nonallelic genes, Gy and Hyp, result in X-linked hypophosphatemia in mice. The present studies in Gy mice were undertaken to determine whether renal brush-border membrane Na(+)-phosphate cotransport kinetics and adaptive responses of renal phosphate transport and vitamin D metabolism to phosphate deprivation are comparable in the two mutant strains. Transport studies in purified brush-border membrane vesicles over a phosphate concentration range of 10-500 microM demonstrated that the apparent maximum velocity of the high affinity transport system is significantly decreased in Gy mice (420 +/- 110 vs. 710 +/- 100 pmol/mg protein.6 sec, Gy vs. normal; mean +/- SE; P less than 0.05), whereas the affinity of the cotransporter for phosphate is unchanged (apparent Km, 25 +/- 3 vs. 27 +/- 2 microM; NS). Feeding a low phosphate diet results in a significant fall in plasma phosphate and an increase in brush-border membrane Na(+)-phosphate cotransport in both normal (568 +/- 40 to 1416 +/- 139 pmol/mg protein.6 sec; P less than 0.01) and Gy mice (407 +/- 27 to 1236 +/- 132 pmol/mg protein.6 sec; P less than 0.01). While the low phosphate diet elicited a rise in plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in normal mice (51 +/- 12 to 158 +/- 12 pM; P less than 0.01), a fall in plasma hormone levels was evident in phosphate-deprived Gy mice (90 +/- 22 to 23 +/- 11 pM; P less than 0.01). Phosphate deprivation decreased 25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase (24-hydroxylase), the first enzyme in the renal vitamin D catabolic pathway, in normal mice (117 +/- 21 to 69 +/- 8 fmol/mg protein.min), but increased enzyme activity in Gy mice (172 +/- 14 to 240 +/- 18 fmol/mg protein.min; P less than 0.05). Moreover, under both dietary conditions, 24-hydroxylase activity was significantly elevated in Gy mice. The present results demonstrate that hypophosphatemia in Gy mice can be attributed to a decrease in the maximum velocity of the high affinity Na(+)-phosphate cotransport process in renal brush-border membranes. Our results also show that while renal brush-border membrane phosphate transport is appropriately modulated by phosphate in Gy mice, phosphate regulation of vitamin D metabolism is apparently impaired in the mutant strain. The present findings provide evidence for phenotypic similarities between murine Gy and Hyp mutations.
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10.1210/endo.131.1.1612032
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pubmed_424_22796
|
Humans began to manifest parodontal symptoms due to aggravating oral hygienic conditions since beginning to eat processed food approximately 10,000 years ago. It is believed that tooth brushing in some from began at the same time. Periodontal disease was first described 1,000 years ago in a book, in which the concept of a scaler was introduced along with techniques for removing dental calculus. Currently, scaling remains one of the major preventive and therapeutic for periodontal disease. Recently, however surgical treatment has also been employed and preventive vaccines have received intense investigation.
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CliCa0103291295
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pubmed_186_7074
|
INTRODUCTION
Buruli ulcer (BU) is a severe necrotizing human skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Clinically, presentation is a sum of these diverse pathogenic hits subjected to critical immune-regulatory mechanisms. Among them, autophagy has been demonstrated as a cellular process of critical importance. Since microtubules and dynein are affected by mycolactone, the critical pathogenic exotoxin produced by M. ulcerans, cytoskeleton-related changes might potentially impair the autophagic process and impact the risk and progression of infection.
OBJECTIVE
Genetic variants in the autophagy-related genes NOD2, PARK2 and ATG16L1 has been associated with susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases. Here, we investigated their association with BU risk, its severe phenotypes and its progression to an ulcerative form.
METHODS
Genetic variants were genotyped using KASPar chemistry in 208 BU patients (70.2% with an ulcerative form and 28% in severe WHO category 3 phenotype) and 300 healthy endemic controls.
RESULTS
The rs1333955 SNP in PARK2 was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to BU [odds ratio (OR), 1.43; P = 0.05]. In addition, both the rs9302752 and rs2066842 SNPs in NOD2 gee significantly increased the predisposition of patients to develop category 3 (OR, 2.23; P = 0.02; and OR 12.7; P = 0.03, respectively, whereas the rs2241880 SNP in ATG16L1 was found to significantly protect patients from presenting the ulcer phenotype (OR, 0.35; P = 0.02).
CONCLUSION
Our findings indicate that specific genetic variants in autophagy-related genes influence susceptibility to the development of BU and its progression to severe phenotypes.
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10.1371/journal.pntd.0004671
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pubmed_587_14664
|
We report on a novel class of defects in a hexagonal pattern which we call pentalines. They are built up of two nonbound dislocations and are orientated parallel to the roll axis of the mode free of a dislocation. A pentaline has its origin in a transformation of the penta-hepta defect (PHD), taking place at higher supercriticality. The underlying mechanism consists in a combination of glide and climb motion of the original dislocations bound to the PHD. We demonstrate that the pentalines play an important role within the transition from hexagonal towards square convection cells, observed in surface-tension-driven Bénard convection.
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10.1103/physreve.60.4117
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pubmed_750_10895
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The objective of this work was to optimise different parameters (solvent concentration, time and temperature) for antioxidant extraction from kinema, demonstrated by total phenol content (TPC) and DPPH-scavenging activity (DSA), using response surface methodology. A central composite design was performed to determine the effect of solvent concentration (methanol, 30-100%), temperature (30-60°C) and time (30-150min) on the TPC and DSA of the extract. The solvent concentration and temperature had the most significant (p<0.05) effect. The optimum conditions for the TPC extraction and DSA were 100% methanol, 50°C and 30min, in which 140mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g-1 lyophilised extract and 52% DSA were predicted, while 135mg GAE g-1 lyophilised extract and 56% DSA were experimentally obtained. No significant difference (p<0.05) was found between the experimental and predicted values of the response variables.
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10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.04.108
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pubmed_878_4091
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Stress is known to correlate with the incidence of acute myocardial infarction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this correlation are not known. This study was designed to assess the effect of experimental stress on arterial thrombus formation, the key event in acute myocardial infarction. Mice exposed to 20 h of restraint stress displayed an increased arterial prothrombotic potential as assessed by photochemical injury-induced time to thrombotic occlusion. This increase was prevented by chemical sympathectomy performed through 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Blood-born tissue factor (TF) activity was enhanced by stress and this increase could be prevented by 6-OHDA treatment. Vessel wall TF, platelet count, platelet aggregation, coagulation times (PT, aPTT), fibrinolytic system (t-PA and PAI-1) and tail bleeding time remained unaltered. Telemetric analysis revealed only minor hemodynamic changes throughout the stress protocol. Plasma catecholamines remained unaffected after restraint stress. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plasma levels were unchanged and inhibition of TNF-α had no effect on stress-enhanced thrombosis. These results indicate that restraint stress enhances arterial thrombosis via the sympathetic nervous system. Blood-borne TF contributes, at least in part, to the observed effect whereas vessel wall TF, platelets, circulating coagulation factors, fibrinolysis and inflammation do not appear to play a role. These findings shed new light on the understanding of stress-induced cardiovascular events.
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10.3109/10253890.2013.862616
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pubmed_807_6551
|
Erythropoietin reportedly has beneficial effects on the heart after myocardial infarction, but the underlying mechanisms of these effects are unknown. We here demonstrate that sonic hedgehog is a critical mediator of erythropoietin-induced cardioprotection in mice. Treatment of mice with erythropoietin inhibited left ventricular remodeling and improved cardiac function after myocardial infarction, independent of erythropoiesis and the mobilization of bone marrow-derived cells. Erythropoietin prevented cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased the number of capillaries and mature vessels in infarcted hearts by upregulating the expression of angiogenic cytokines such as VEGF and angiopoietin-1 in cardiomyocytes. Erythropoietin also increased the expression of sonic hedgehog in cardiomyocytes, and inhibition of sonic hedgehog signaling suppressed the erythropoietin-induced increase in angiogenic cytokine expression. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of erythropoietin on infarcted hearts were abolished by cardiomyocyte-specific deletion of sonic hedgehog. These results suggest that erythropoietin protects the heart after myocardial infarction by inducing angiogenesis through sonic hedgehog signaling.
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pubmed_807_6551
|
pubmed_242_23285
|
The selective propane oxidation catalyst MoVTeNb oxide M1 was investigated by microwave conductivity, synchrotron X-ray photoelectron, soft X-ray absorption and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy under reaction conditions to identify the influence of steam on the electronic bulk and surface properties. Steam significantly increases both the conversion of propane and the selectivity to the target product acrylic acid. The increased catalytic performance comes along with a decreased conductivity, a modification of the surface chemical and electronic structure with an enrichment of covalently bonded V(5+) species to the extent of Mo(6+), a decreased work function and hence polarity of the surface and a modified valence band structure. The higher degree of covalency in metal oxide bonds affects the mobility of the free charge carriers, and hence explains the decrease of the conductivity with steam. Furthermore we could prove that a subsurface space charge region depleted in electrons and thus an upward bending of the electronic band structure are induced by the reaction mixture, which is however not dependent on the steam content.
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10.1039/c5cp00289c
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pubmed_44_16734
|
We find that the cell response spectra of lateral geniculate nucleus cells, as well as the reflectance spectra of Munsell color chips, may be modeled by using the cone sensitivity functions of the long and medium cones. We propose a simple model for how the neural signals from the photoreceptors might be combined in the retina to closely approximate the reflectance spectra of Munsell color chips without input from the short cone.
|
10.1073/pnas.0508172102
|
pubmed_1010_23512
|
BACKGROUND
Great heterogeneity in sexually transmitted infections (STI) risk exists, and investigating individual-level characteristics related to changes in STI risk over time might facilitate the development and implementation of effective evidence-based behavior change interventions. The aim of this study was to identify longitudinal patterns of STI risk based on psychological and behavioral characteristics.
METHODS
A longitudinal study was conducted among heterosexual STI clinic visitors aged 18 to 24 years. Latent classes based on behavioral and psychological characteristics at baseline, and transitions from 1 latent class to another at 3-week, 6-month, and 1-year follow-up, were identified using latent transition analysis.
RESULTS
Four latent classes were identified that could be differentiated by psychological and behavioral characteristics and STI risk: overall low-risk (10%), insecure high-risk (21%), condom-users (38%), and confident high-risk (31%). Although the majority of the total study population did not move to another latent class over time, the size of the overall low-risk group increased from 10% at baseline to 30% after 1 year. This was mainly due to transitions from the insecure high-risk, condom-users, and confident high-risk class at 3-week follow-up to the overall low-risk class at 6-month follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS
Distinct subgroups among heterosexual STI clinic visitors can be differentiated from each other by multiple psychological and behavioral characteristics, and these characteristics reflecting the risk of acquiring STI are consistent over the course of 1 year in most individuals. An integral approach, adapting behavioral interventions to match multiple psychological and behavioral characteristics of high-risk subgroups, might be more effective in controlling STI transmission.
|
10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001110
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pubmed_537_11028
|
Southern blot analysis has been the best method available for the screening and detection of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) rearrangements. Recent developments in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology allowed the amplification of the whole mitochondrial genome (16.6 kb), making PCR a potentially useful technique for the detection of mtDNA deletions. We tested the usefulness of whole mitochondrial genome PCR by studying skeletal muscle DNA from seven patients with single and multiple deletions and controls from ages 3 to 91 years old. Specific patterns for single and multiple deletions were obtained with whole genome PCR, which were confirmed by the Southern analysis with probes hybridizing to mtDNA sequences. Amplifications from young controls (3 to 23 years old) yielded only one band (16.5 kh) while amplification from older controls revealed one or more additional smaller bands. The amplification from the 91-year-old control showed a pattern similar to amplifications from patients with multiple mtDNA deletions. Although single and multiple mtDNA deletions could be readily detected from patient samples, the high sensitivity of this method can lead to false positive results due to the presence of age-related deletions in old control samples. Despite its limitations, whole mitochondrial genome PCR can be useful for the detection of single deletions in muscle samples obtained from young individuals since the levels of age-related deletions are too low to be amplified.
|
10.1006/bmme.1996.0040
|
pubmed_80_2932
|
OBJECTIVES
To explore parent attitudes toward discussing their child's health care costs in the inpatient setting and to identify strategies for health care providers to engage in cost discussions with parents.
METHODS
Using purposeful sampling, we conducted semistructured interviews between October 2017 and February 2018 with parents of children with and without chronic disease who received care at a tertiary academic children's hospital. Researchers coded the data using applied thematic analysis to identify salient themes and organized them into a conceptual model.
RESULTS
We interviewed 42 parents and identified 2 major domains. Categories in the first domain related to factors that influence the parent's desire to discuss health care costs in the inpatient setting, including responsibility for out-of-pocket expenses, understanding their child's insurance coverage, parent responses to financial stress, and their child's severity of illness on hospital presentation. Categories in the second domain related to parent preference regarding the execution of cost discussions. Parents felt these discussions should be optional and individualized to meet the unique values and preferences of families. They highlighted concerns regarding physician involvement in these discussions; their preference instead was to explore financial issues with a financial counselor or social worker.
CONCLUSIONS
Parents recommended that cost discussions in the inpatient setting should be optional and based on the needs of the family. Families expressed a desire for physicians to introduce rather than conduct cost discussions. Specific recommendations from parents for these discussions may be used to inform the initiation and improvement of cost discussions with families during inpatient encounters.
|
10.1542/peds.2018-4029
|
pubmed_1141_8465
|
BACKGROUND
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major cause of neonatal sepsis and nosocomial infections in Mexico. Antibiotic therapy is the first choice for treatment but the increase in multiple resistance strains has forced scientists to look for alternative treatments, such as immunotherapy. In this work, we propose that porins could be a common antigen among four different capsular serotypes of Klebsiella pneumoniae for the production of immune sera with opsonizing capacity.
METHODS
The 35 and 36 kDa porins from four different serotypes of the bacteria were isolated by the Nikaido method followed by purification in Sephacryl column chromatography. The 36 kDa of serotype K8 was further purified by electroelution. The 35 and 36 kDa porins were used to obtain rabbit polyclonal antibodies (PolyAb) to the four serotypes and the 36 kDa from K8 for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MoAb). Antigenic reactivity of PolyAb and MoAb were analyzed by ELISA and WB and their opsonizing capacity for human PMN was measured by chemiluminescence (CL) using capsulated and non-capsulated bacteria.
RESULTS
Porins from the four strains showe electrophoretic homology and cross reaction by ELISA and WB. CL assays indicated that PolyAb opsonized heterologous strains and that MoAb perform this in the absence of capsule.
CONCLUSIONS
K.pneumoniae 35 and 36 kDa porins are common antigens for the four serotypes studied and induce opsonizing antibodies.
|
10.1016/s0188-4409(99)00083-1
|
pubmed_322_6868
|
Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) occurs in 3-7% of all pregnancies and about 35% of women after preterm birth (PTB) meet the criteria for acute stress reaction. Known risk factors are trait anxiety and pain intensity, whereas planned delivery mode, medical support, and positive childbirth experience are protective factors. It has not yet been investigated whether the effects of anxiety and delivery mode are mediated by other factors, and whether a PTB-risk alters these relationships. 284 women were investigated antepartum and six weeks postpartum (risk-group with preterm birth (RG-PB) N = 95, risk-group with term birth (RG-TB) N = 99, and control group (CG) N = 90). CB-PTSD symptoms and anxiety were measured using standardized psychological questionnaires. Pain intensity, medical support, and childbirth experience were assessed by single items. Delivery modes were subdivided into planned vs. unplanned delivery modes. Group differences were examined using MANOVA. To examine direct and indirect effects on CB-PTSD symptoms, a multi-sample path analysis was performed. Rates of PTS were highest in the RG-PB = 11.58% (RG-TB = 7.01%, CG = 1.1%). MANOVA revealed higher values of CB-PTSD symptoms and pain intensity in RG-PB compared to RG-TB and CG. Women with planned delivery mode reported a more positive birth experience. Path modeling revealed a good model fit. Explained variance was highest in RG-PB (R2 = 44.7%). Direct enhancing effects of trait anxiety and indirect reducing effects of planned delivery mode on CB-PTSD symptoms were observed in all groups. In both risk groups, CB-PTSD symptoms were indirectly reduced via support by medical staff and positive childbirth experience, while trait anxiety indirectly enhanced CB-PTSD symptoms via pain intensity in the CG. Especially in the RG-PB, a positive birth experience serves as protective factor against CB-PTSD symptoms. Therefore, our data highlights the importance of involving patients in the decision process even under stressful birth conditions and the need for psychological support antepartum, mainly in patients with PTB-risk and anxious traits. Trial registration number: NCT01974531 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
|
10.1371/journal.pone.0256681
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pubmed_592_18495
|
Mutations involving the K-ras proto-oncogene are believed to play an important role in the mechanism of tumorigenesis for many human cancers and occur in 10-30% of endometrial carcinomas. In the present study 221 cases of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma obtained from Japanese patients with average follow-up of 41 months were examined for point mutations in codon 12 of K-ras through use of the polymerase chain reaction. In 103 cases lymph node dissection had been performed. K-ras mutations were significantly associated with the presence of lymph node metastases (P < 0.04). Since endometrial carcinoma in premenopausal women generally behaves less aggressively than tumors of similar histologic grade arising in postmenopausal patients, we evaluated the effect of K-ras mutation on outcome in patients stratified into three different age categories (<53 years, premenopausal; 54-59 years, perimenopausal; >60 years, postmenopausal). In the postmenopausal age group (>60 years), the presence of K-ras mutations was statistically significantly associated with patients who died or experienced recurrence (41.2% vs 13.0%; P < 0.03). This was related to a dramatic (greater than eightfold; P = 0.011) increase in the likelihood of adverse outcome between the premenopausal and postmenopausal states for patients whose tumors contained mutant K-ras. These findings point to a possible role for K-ras activation in the mechanism(s) responsible for more aggressive clinical behavior of endometrioid endometrial cancer that is observed in postmenopausal patients.
|
10.1006/gyno.1996.0313
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pubmed_908_12179
|
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) can deliver payloads into cells by forming complexes with bioactive molecules via covalent or non-covalent bonds. Various CPPs have been applied in CPP-modified liposomes, and their effectiveness is highly regarded in liposomal drug delivery systems (DDSs). Previously, we have reported on the polyhistidine peptide (H16 peptide: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-NH2) as a new CPP. The H16 peptide has a higher cell-penetrating capacity than well-known CPPs and delivers small molecules such as fluorescent dyes, bioactive peptides, and proteins into mammalian cells. However, it is not known whether the H16 peptide can deliver large cargos such as liposomes into cells. To assess the potential of the H16 peptide, in this study, we developed H16 peptide-modified liposomes (H16-Lipo) and evaluated their effectiveness in a liposomal DDS. The H16-Lipo was prepared by inserting a stearyl-H16 peptide into the hydrophobic region of a liposome. The H16-Lipo was internalized into human fibrosarcoma cells via multiple endocytosis pathways and localized to intracellular lysosomes. Based on this result, we used the H16-Lipo as a lysosome-targeting DDS. The H16-Lipo delivered alpha-galactosidase A (GLA), one of the lysosomal enzymes, to intracellular lysosomes and improved the proliferation of GLA-knockdown cells. These results suggest that the H16-Lipo is an effective drug carrier for lysosomal enzymes in a lysosome-targeting DDS. The loss of lysosomal enzymes has been known to induce metabolic disorders, called lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). Our findings indicate that this combination of the H16 peptide and a liposome is a promising candidate as a DDS for the treatment of LSDs.
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10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.05.037
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pubmed_617_6536
|
The author considers the problem of the nosological independence and diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the theoretical aspect from the position of multifactor character of the disease development. The corresponding issues are discussed on example of consequences of combat trauma (PTSD in combatants). The author presents original conceptions on the consequent development of pathos and nosos with regard to "combat" PTSD.
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pubmed_617_6536
|
pubmed_741_2986
|
The effects of pregnancy and lactation on the toxicity and distribution of parathion and paraoxon were examined. Signs of cholinergic stimulation were more intense in pregnant mice when compared to virgin controls after administration of parathion or its active metabolite, paraoxon. Cholinesterase activity and tissue levels of parathion and paraoxon were determined in mice at 19 days of gestation or Day 19 postpartum after administration of a single dose of 5 mg/kg parathion or 0.58 mg/kg paraoxon. Plasma (pseudo) cholinesterase activity was consistently lower in treated pregnant mice. Total brain cholinesterase was also suppressed to a greater degree in pregnant mice after treatment with parathion or paraoxon when compared with virgin animals treated similarly. In addition, when equal quantities of paraoxon (32 micrograms) were administered to both pregnant and virgin animals, total brain cholinesterase was significantly less in pregnant mice. Administration of parathion to lactating mice on Day 19 postpartum did not result in any significant differences in plasma or brain cholinesterase activity when compared to that in virgin animals. Pregnant mice treated with 5 mg/kg parathion demonstrated higher concentrations of both parathion and paraoxon in blood and brain than similarly treated virgin controls which correlated with the enhanced cholinesterase inhibition. Decreased ability to detoxify paraoxon was also demonstrated by a significant reduction in serum paraoxonase activity during pregnancy.
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10.1016/0041-008x(83)90338-1
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pubmed_1036_10620
|
The next 'golden age' in vaccinology will be ushered in by the new science of vaccinomics. In turn, this will inform and allow the development of personalized vaccines, based on our increasing understanding of immune response phenotype: genotype information. Rapid advances in developing such data are already occurring for hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, anthrax and smallpox vaccines. In addition, newly available data suggest that some vaccine-related adverse events may also be genetically determined and, therefore, predictable. This paper reviews the basis and logic of personalized vaccines, and describes recent advances in the field.
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10.1517/14712598.8.11.1659
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pubmed_291_580
|
A novel aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase that contains an iron-sulfur cluster in the tRNA anticodon-binding region and efficiently charges tRNA with tryptophan has been found in Thermotoga maritima. The crystal structure of TmTrpRS (tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase; TrpRS; EC 6.1.1.2) reveals an iron-sulfur [4Fe-4S] cluster bound to the tRNA anticodon-binding (TAB) domain and an L-tryptophan ligand in the active site. None of the other T. maritima aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARSs) contain this [4Fe-4S] cluster-binding motif (C-x₂₂-C-x₆-C-x₂-C). It is speculated that the iron-sulfur cluster contributes to the stability of TmTrpRS and could play a role in the recognition of the anticodon.
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10.1107/S1744309110037619
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pubmed_476_7611
|
BACKGROUND
Linkage disequilibrium (LD) is commonly measured based on the squared coefficient of correlation [Formula: see text] between the alleles at two loci that are carried by haplotypes. LD can also be estimated as the [Formula: see text] between unphased genotype dosage at two loci when the allele frequencies and inbreeding coefficients at both loci are identical for the parental lines. Here, we investigated whether [Formula: see text] for a crossbred population (F1) can be estimated using genotype data. The parental lines of the crossbred (F1) can be purebred or crossbred.
METHODS
We approached this by first showing that inbreeding coefficients for an F1 crossbred population are negative, and typically differ in size between loci. Then, we proved that the expected [Formula: see text] computed from unphased genotype data is expected to be identical to the [Formula: see text] computed from haplotype data for an F1 crossbred population, regardless of the inbreeding coefficients at the two loci. Finally, we investigated the bias and precision of the [Formula: see text] estimated using unphased genotype versus haplotype data in stochastic simulation.
RESULTS
Our findings show that estimates of [Formula: see text] based on haplotype and unphased genotype data are both unbiased for different combinations of allele frequencies, sample sizes (900, 1800, and 2700), and levels of LD. In general, for any allele frequency combination and [Formula: see text] value scenarios considered, and for both methods to estimate [Formula: see text], the precision of the estimates increased, and the bias of the estimates decreased as sample size increased, indicating that both estimators are consistent. For a given scenario, the [Formula: see text] estimates using haplotype data were more precise and less biased using haplotype data than using unphased genotype data. As sample size increased, the difference in precision and biasedness between the [Formula: see text] estimates using haplotype data and unphased genotype data decreased.
CONCLUSIONS
Our theoretical derivations showed that estimates of LD between loci based on unphased genotypes and haplotypes in F1 crossbreds have identical expectations. Based on our simulation results, we conclude that the LD for an F1 crossbred population can be accurately estimated from unphased genotype data. The results also apply for other crosses (F2, F3, Fn, BC1, BC2, and BCn), as long as (selected) individuals from the two parental lines mate randomly.
|
10.1186/s12711-022-00703-z
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pubmed_68_20685
|
Superoxide (O2.-) production by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) was assessed in 17 subjects with asymptomatic infection (AI), 16 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 12 healthy normal subjects. The effect of patients' serum on the oxidative activity of normal and patients' PMN was also investigated. The O2.- production, nonstimulated and stimulated with zymosan particles in the presence of normal serum, was similar to that of normal controls in both groups of patients. The serum from 11 out of the 17 AI subjects (65%) induced an increase in the stimulated O2.- production in normal and patients' PMN, while the serum from 8 out of the 16 AIDS patients (50%) induced a diminution. These effects did not appear to be related to complement C3 and circulating immune complex levels, but suggest that PMN of HIV-seropositive patients do not present an intrinsic dysfunction and that the impact of serum factor(s) affects the normal oxidative activity of these cells depending on the stage of infection.
|
10.1111/j.1699-0463.1994.tb04894.x
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pubmed_1060_7144
|
For a study of the life-time effects of irradiation during development, 1,680 beagles were given single, whole-body exposures to 60Co gamma-radiation at one of three prenatal (preimplantation, embryonic, and fetal) or at one of three postnatal (neonatal, juvenile, and young adult) ages. Mean doses were 0, 0.16, or 0.83 Gy. For comparison with data on childhood cancer after prenatal irradiation, examination was made of tumors occurring in young dogs in this life-span experiment. Up to 4 years of age, 18 dogs had neoplasms diagnosed, 2 of these being in controls. Four dogs that were irradiated in the perinatal (late fetal or neonatal) period died of cancers prior to 2 years of age. This risk was of significant increase compared to the risks for other experimental groups and for the canine population in general. Overall, 71% (5 of 7) of all cancers and 56% (10 of 18) of all benign and malignant neoplasms seen in the first 4 years of life occurred in 29% (480 of 1,680) of the dogs irradiated in the perinatal period. These data suggest an increased risk for neoplasia after perinatal irradiation in dogs.
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pubmed_1060_7144
|
pubmed_608_8065
|
AIMS
Prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may vary across a country like India. Risk factors and disease-pathogenesis were also not fully elucidated. This study aimed to examine prevalence of GDM among pregnant women visiting antenatal clinic of a tertiary-care hospital of Kolkata, India; possible mechanism of disease pathogenesis and potency of associated parameters as disease biomarkers were also explored.
METHODS
735 pregnant women were screened for GDM according to DIPSI (Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India) guideline and risk-factors were analyzed. Case-control study was conducted with 114 GDM and 114 matched non-GDM control. Blood sample was collected before glucose load for complete blood count, measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and assessment of DNA damage.
RESULTS
Prevalence of GDM was found to be 17.2%(127/735). Maternal age, diabetic family history and acanthosis nigricans seemed to be important risk factors. Total ROS, lymphocyte DNA damage (measured by comet-assay) and some inflammatory hematological parameters were significantly higher in GDM compared to control. ROS, comet-tail DNA%, WBC, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV) were established as independent determinants of disease condition after adjustment for pre-gestational body mass index. In receiver operating characteristic analysis, ROS>155.7 arbitrary fluorescent unit, NLR>2.12 and MPV>11.05 fL showed 82.5 & 98.2%, 71.9 & 84.2% and 71.9 & 82.5% sensitivity & specificity respectively in disease prediction.
CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of GDM seemed to be high in Kolkata on Indian scenario. Oxidative-stress, related DNA-damage and inflammation seemed to have important contribution in pathogenesis of GDM independent of obesity. ROS, NLR and MPV with respective cut-off scores might be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for better management of the disease.
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10.1055/a-0794-6057
|
pubmed_589_24766
|
OBJECTIVES
MRL/MpJ mice spontaneously develop an autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and are widely used as a model to study the genetic, molecular and immunological basis of the disease. Here, we have addressed the question whether distinctive features of their dendritic cells (DCs) may predispose MRL/MpJ mice to the chronic inflammation.
METHODS
Pancreatic lesions were analyzed employing histological methods. Cohorts of young (healthy) MRL/MpJ mice, adult (sick) individuals, and AIP-resistant CAST/EiJ mice were used to establish cultures of bone marrow (BM)-derived conventional DCs (cDCs). The cells were subsequently characterized regarding the expression profile of CD markers and selected genes, proliferative activity as well as cytokine secretion.
RESULTS
In pancreatic lesions, large numbers of cells expressing the murine DC marker CD11c were detected in close spatial proximity to CD3+ cells. A high percentage of BM-derived cDCs from adult MRL/MpJ mice expressed typical markers of DC maturation (such as CD83) already prior to a treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After LPS-stimulation, cDC cultures of both MRL/MpJ mouse cohorts contained more mature cells, proliferated at a higher rate and secreted less interleukin-10 (but also less pro-inflammatory cytokines) than cultures of CAST/EiJ mice. Compared with corresponding cultures of the control strain, LPS-free cultured cDCs from MRL/MpJ mice expressed less mRNA of the inhibitory receptor triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (trem2).
CONCLUSIONS
BM-derived cDCs from AIP-prone MRL/MpJ mice display functional features that are compatible with the hypothesis of an imbalanced DC activation in the context of murine AIP.
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10.18632/oncotarget.10265
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pubmed_1127_3383
|
RATIONALE
The concurrent use of cocaine and nicotine is associated with increases in their relative rates of intake. While this increase could be due to a high reinforcing effect of the drug combination, higher rates of intake could also be explained by a decrease in the drugs' relative reinforcing effects.
OBJECTIVES
To determine if nicotine could modulate cocaine's reinforcing effects, the current study compared the reinforcing potency and strength of cocaine to cocaine mixed with various concentrations of nicotine.
METHOD
Five rhesus monkeys were allowed to self-administer cocaine (25-400 microg/kg/inj), nicotine (12-50 microg/kg/inj), or combinations of the two under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement.
RESULTS
Nicotine alone did not function as a reinforcer. Cocaine injections increased in a dose-dependent manner when taken alone and when taken as a mixture with nicotine. Furthermore, adding nicotine to cocaine shifted the cocaine dose-response function to the left in four of the five monkeys. Analysis of the ED(50) values for cocaine and the mixtures indicated that some mixtures of cocaine and nicotine were more potent than cocaine alone. There were no differences in maximum injections between cocaine or any of the mixtures of cocaine and nicotine.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that nicotine, under certain conditions, can increase cocaine's potency as a reinforcer without affecting its maximum reinforcing strength.
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10.1007/s00213-009-1637-x
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pubmed_872_18646
|
OBJECTIVE
To follow up the well-being of children at risk after a decision on their removal was made.
METHOD
Social workers assessed the quality of life (QOL) of three groups of children (n = 92): children they had decided to keep at home, children whom they had removed to alternative care, and children who remained at home despite the decision to remove them. This is a prospective study, in which assessments were made at two points of time: first when the workers began to consider whether or not to remove the child, and again 6 months later.
RESULTS
The findings show that even though the QOL of the children in the three groups was similarly low at the first measure, it differed in the second. The QOL of the children who were removed from home had improved, that of the children who remained at home in accord with the workers' decisions remained roughly the same, and that of the children for whom the decision to remove was not implemented declined.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that children at risk may fare better in terms of QOL in alternative placement than at home, and highlight the high price paid by children for whom a decision to remove them from home is not implemented. Further research, however, is required, taking into consideration the interventions and services that the children and their families received in the different settings.
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10.1016/s0145-2134(03)00113-3
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pubmed_13_17905
|
A case of toxic shock syndrome associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus parotitis in a 13-year-old male is presented. He was initially diagnosed with left-sided parotitis by his primary care physician, was started on sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and became severely ill the following day. He was transported to the hospital after a syncopal episode at home and was found to have altered mental status, hypotension, and hypoxia. He was transferred to a larger care facility and died en route despite aggressive resuscitation. At autopsy, he was found to have a severe left-sided parotitis, severe pulmonary congestion, edema, and pneumonia, as well as bilateral lower limb hemorrhagic lesions. Blood cultures from the time of admission and at autopsy grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is rarely reported as the sole cause of parotitis. In addition, although S. aureus bacteremia is not necessarily a rare complication of a parotid gland infection, it is exceedingly rare in an immunocompetent adolescent.
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10.1097/PAF.0000000000000415
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pubmed_777_7284
|
As a simple, non-invasive method of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal calibration, the breath-hold task offers considerable potential for the quantification of neuronal activity from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements. With an aim to improve the precision of this calibration method, the impact of respiratory rate control on the BOLD signal achieved with the breath-hold task was investigated. In addition to self-paced breathing, three different computer-paced breathing rates were imposed during the periods between end-expiration breath-hold blocks. The resulting BOLD signal timecourses and statistical activation maps were compared in eleven healthy human subjects. Results indicate that computer-paced respiration produces a larger peak BOLD signal increase with breath-hold than self-paced breathing, in addition to lower variability between trials. This is due to the more significant post-breath-hold signal undershoot present in self-paced runs, a characteristic which confounds the definition of baseline and is difficult to accurately model. Interestingly, the specific respiratory rate imposed between breath-hold periods generally does not have a statistically significant impact on the BOLD signal change. This result can be explained by previous reports of humans adjusting their inhalation depth to compensate for changes in rate, with the end-goal of maintaining homeostatic ventilation. The advantage of using end-expiration relative to end-inspiration breath-hold is apparent in view of the high repeatability of the BOLD signal in the present study, which does not suffer from the previously reported high variability associated with uncontrolled inspiration depth when using the end-inspiration technique.
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10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.03.052
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pubmed_303_1625
|
The Authors studied lung mechanics, acid-base balance parameters, arterial blood pressure and pulse rate in five different groups of chronic obstructive lung disease patients, undergoing e.v. different bronchodilators. The drug were: 1. group: 500 gamma of orciprenalina; 2. group: 500 gamma of idrossi-fenil-orciprenalina; 3. group: 200 gamma of salbutamolo; 4. group: 100 gamma of trimetochinolo; 5. group: 500 gamma of terbutalina. The comparative analysis of bronchodilators, their cardiovascular effects and on acid-base balance indicate that mainly salbutamol and trimetochinol have negligeable adverse effects.
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pubmed_303_1625
|
pubmed_996_4042
|
The levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were determined in the serum of 61 children with hematological malignancy, including 20 patients with leukemia and 16 with lymphoma in active state of malignancy, and 20 patients with leukemia and 5 with lymphoma in complete remission. In addition, serum samples from 15 healthy children were used as controls. It was found that the mean serum levels of sIL-2R and TNF were significantly increased in active malignancy (207.0 +/- 17.1 pmol/L for sIL-2R; 209.7 +/- 35.0 pg/mL for TNF) compared to the remission status and normal controls (P < 0.001). No such difference was observed between leukemia and lymphoma groups. It was concluded that serum sIL-2R and TNF are of potential value in the diagnosis and follow up of patients with neoplastic diseases.
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10.1111/j.1442-200x.1994.tb03128.x
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pubmed_716_2417
|
T cell differentiation requires Notch1 signaling. In the present study, we show that an enhancer upstream of Notch1 active in double-negative (DN) mouse thymocytes is responsible for raising Notch1 signaling intrathymically. This enhancer is required to expand multipotent progenitors intrathymically while delaying early differentiation until lineage restrictions have been established. Early thymic progenitors lacking the enhancer show accelerated differentiation through the DN stages and increased frequency of B, innate lymphoid (IL) and natural killer (NK) cell differentiation. Transcription regulators for T cell lineage restriction and commitment are expressed normally, but IL and NK cell gene expression persists after T cell lineage commitment and T cell receptor β VDJ recombination, Cd3 expression and β-selection have been impaired. This Notch1 enhancer is inactive in double-positive (DP) thymocytes. Its aberrant reactivation at this stage in Ikaros mutants is required for leukemogenesis. Thus, the DN-specific Notch1 enhancer harnesses the regulatory architecture of DN and DP thymocytes to achieve carefully orchestrated changes in Notch1 signaling required for early lineage restrictions and normal T cell differentiation.
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10.1038/s41590-022-01322-y
|
pubmed_1040_12451
|
We studied red blood cell morphology in two marathon runners before, immediately after, and 1 day after a marathon race. A discocyte-stomatocyte transformation was found by light microscopy of wet preparations and also by scanning electron microscopy, with about one-half the erythrocytes becoming cup-shaped after the marathon. These changes were completely reversible within 18 hr after the race.
|
10.1002/ajh.2830190213
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pubmed_757_14156
|
While great strides have been made in science and medicine ensuring better living standards and health care for most human beings, many issues still remain, which are responsible for an increase in mortality and morbidity rates of millions of people worldwide, despite that in most cases the causes are preventable [...].
|
10.3390/medicines8090054
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pubmed_251_8575
|
In 1988, Brenner, Garcia and Anderson advanced the hypothesis that the nephron endowment at birth is inversely related to the risk of developing essential hypertension in later life. This novel perspective on the origins of essential hypertension was taken from the viewpoint that the development and maintenance of hypertension must involve a renal factor favoring sodium retention, thereby preventing pressure-induced natriuresis from restoring blood pressure toward normal levels. Since nephron numbers in the normal population range from 300,000 to 1,100,000 or more, it was reasoned that a congenital shortfall in nephron endowment itself could be the renal risk factor for hypertension: demographic groups in whom hypertension is unusually prevalent tend to have smaller kidneys, implying fewer nephrons, and some inbred hypertensive rat strains have, on average, fewer nephrons than their respective normotensive counterparts. Recent independent observations in humans, relating low birth weight to both increased risk of hypertension in later life and the formation of fewer nephrons at birth, lend support to this nephron number hypothesis. Moreover, independent experimental studies in rodents suggest that maternal protein intake during gestation is directly related to the numbers of nephrons formed, and when protein intake is restricted, the offspring develop hypertension in maturity. The concept that nephron numbers may be programmed during gestation, as these observations imply, is discussed in relation to the potential advantages and disadvantages of such a mechanism for the next generation. Parallels are drawn with the relationship of low birth weight to pancreatic beta cell development and maturity-onset diabetes. We suggest that the programming of fewer nephrons at birth may provide a fitting and overlooked explanation for the eventual development of hypertension in those of low birth weight.
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pubmed_251_8575
|
pubmed_995_13583
|
Blastomycosis was fatal to a wild wolf in Minnesota, and serologic evidence of blastomycosis was found in a Wisconsin wolf. No unusual movements were detected in the Minnesota animal from October 1983 through October 1985. However, by early December 1985, this wolf was weak and debilitated, and it perished on 14 December after approaching a human residence.
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10.7589/0090-3558-23.2.321
|
pubmed_314_14385
|
We report two complementary measurements of the WW + WZ cross section in the final state consisting of an electron or muon, missing transverse energy, and jets, performed using pp collision data at square root of s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector. The first method uses the dijet invariant mass distribution while the second more sensitive method uses matrix-element calculations. The result from the second method has a signal significance of 5.4sigma and is the first observation of WW + WZ production using this signature. Combining the results gives sigma(WW + WZ) = 16.0 +/- 3.3 pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction.
|
10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.101801
|
pubmed_244_5590
|
Quality report cards addressing information asymmetry in the health care market have become a popular strategy used by policymakers to improve the quality of care for older people. Using individual level data from the largest German sickness fund merged with institutional level data, we examine the relationship between reported nursing home quality, as measured by recently introduced report cards, nursing home prices, nursing home's location, and the individual choice of nursing homes. Report cards were stepwise introduced as of 2009, and we use a sample of 2010 that includes both homes that had been evaluated at that time and that had not yet been. Thus, we can distinguish between institutions with above and below average ratings as well as nonrated nursing homes. We find that the probability of choosing a nursing home decreases in distance and price. However, we find no economically significant effect of reported quality on individuals' choice of nursing homes.
|
10.1002/hec.4018
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pubmed_975_2729
|
The central distribution of sigma sites labelled by di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG), a compound which has specific affinity for sigma sites, and its ability to produce postural movements, are consistent with the hypothesis that sigma sites may play a functional role in the regulation of movement. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the specificity of the circling behaviour induced by unilateral intranigral injection of DTG in rats. As previously described, DTG produced dose-dependent unilateral rotations (2.5-20 nmol/rat). A similar dose-dependent circling behaviour was observed with DMTG and (+) NANM (3-40 nmol/rat), compounds which bind to both sigma and PCP sites, and with haloperidol (3-20 nmol/rat) whereas raclopride and D,L-sulpiride did not elicit any circling (10 nmol/rat). DTG-induced circling after intranigral injection (10 nmol/rat) was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by rimcazole (20-40 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective ligand for sigma sites, and by BMY 14802 (3, 10, 30 mg/kg, i.p.), ifenprodil and eliprodil (1, 3, 10 mg/kg, i.p.), non-selective sigma ligands. In contrast, naloxone (1 mg/kg, s.c.) and CGS 19755 (1, 3, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) did not change the DTG-induced circling. Eliprodil failed to inhibit circling produced by compounds devoid of any affinity for sigma sites such as APV, dizocilpine or muscimol, indicating the specificity of the inhibition observed with eliprodil on the DTG-induced circling.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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10.1016/0028-3908(94)00117-b
|
pubmed_426_4258
|
In this study of 28 immunocompromised patients, it was found that Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia could be easily and reliably diagnosed by examination of routinely prepared, Papanicolaou-stained cellular samples obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial brushing, and bronchial washing. The distinctive intra-alveolar exudate of pneumocystosis observed in lung biopsy specimens was readily discernible in all of the cellular samples that demonstrated P. carinii by special stains. The exudate was not present in any of the P. carinii-negative samples. Routinely prepared, Papanicolaou-stained cellular samples can be relied upon for the rapid diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia.
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10.1016/0002-9343(86)90397-9
|
pubmed_134_7459
|
In a cross-sectional analysis, the three top ranking dermatology journals ( Archives of Dermatology , British Journal of Dermatology , and the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology ) were evaluated for their scientific content, the characteristics of their authors, and funding aspects in 2002. A flood of scientific papers are published each year covering a broad variety of dermatologic topics. Aside from the actual content, a scientific article provides information about the number of authors, their nationality and affiliations, and, with some limitation, about previous presentations and funding. The present study analyzes this situation in dermatology by evaluating the content in the three top dermatologic journals.
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10.1016/j.jaad.2004.10.878
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pubmed_753_6976
|
A method based on simplified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) extraction followed by large-injection volume-fast gas chromatography and mass spectrometry detection has been developed for the determination of trihalomethanes (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) in soil samples. The simplified version of QuEChERS used meets the requirements of the "green chemistry" and provides reliable results with high sample throughput, low solvent consumption, little labour and the use of materials commonly employed in laboratories. The GC device used is equipped with a programmable temperature vaporizer (PTV), with a liner packed with Tenax-TA(®). Using the solvent-vent mode, the PTV allows the injection of large volumes of sample, affording an improvement in the sensitivity of the method. The chromatographic conditions used here allowed the separation of the compounds in less than 5.50 min. Good linearity was obtained for all the target compounds, with highly satisfactory repeatability and reproducibility values. The limits of detection were in the 0.2 to 15 μg kg(-1) range. The method was validated by the analysis of two certified reference materials.
|
10.1016/j.aca.2011.01.023
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pubmed_147_24466
|
Cranial sutures give a wide estimate of age and asymmetric closure of sutures is likely to further complicate the process of age estimation from the closure of cranial sutures. Literature on the estimation of age from squamous suture is limited. A rare case of asymmetric closure of squamous suture is reported along with a review of literature. The reported case highlights on the fact that asymmetric closure of the sutures may cause inaccuracies in age estimation when only one half of the skull is available for forensic examination. Asymmetric closure of sutures may also lead to erroneous opinion on the number of individuals in cases when fragments of skull are brought for medicolegal investigation.
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pubmed_147_24466
|
pubmed_389_18146
|
Polyphenolic compounds are abundant in mangrove plants, playing a pivotal role in the detoxification of pollutants extruded from surrounding environments into plant tissues. The present study aimed to examine the variations of phenolic compounds, namely total polyphenolics, soluble tannins, condensed tannins and lignin, in the mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum (L.) due to the presence of exogenous cadmium and phenanthrene and to explore the influence of phenolic metabolism on biological translocation of these pollutants from roots to leaves. After a 6-week exposure to cadmium and phenanthrene, significant accumulations of both pollutants were observed. All determined phenolic compounds in both leaves and roots at high dosage levels were enhanced compared to the uncontaminated plant. Elevations of polyphenols in both treatments are possibly a result of stimulation in the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and the enrichment of soluble sugar. Additionally, a significantly positive dosage relationship between polyphenolic metabolism intensity and phenanthrene contamination levels was found, while the trend observed in cadmium treatment was weak since cadmium at high levels inhibited phenolic production. The enrichment of polyphenols led to a decline in the biological translocation of these pollutants from roots to leaves. The immobilization of pollutants in the plant roots is possibly linked to the adsorption potential of polyphenols. These results will improve the understanding of the tolerance of mangrove plants to exogenous pollutants and will guide the selection of plants in phytoremediation because of the variability of polyphenol concentrations among species.
|
10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.03.041
|
pubmed_745_17610
|
The capacity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) to induce mammary carcinomas has been studied in three rat strains. Wistar/Furth (WF) rats are highly susceptible to DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis, Copenhagen (Cop) rats are completely resistant, and Fischer 344 (F344) rats have an intermediate susceptibility. We have previously shown that WF rats possess 'enhancer genes', which enhance susceptibility to induced mammary cancer. Cop rats, however, possess a single 'suppressor' gene which confers complete resistance to mammary cancer. Both gene types are apparently absent in F344 rats. In order to determine possible mechanisms of action of these enhancer and suppressor genes, we have examined DMBA metabolism and DNA binding in mammary epithelial cells isolated from each rat strain. Quantitative analyses of both metabolism and DNA binding indicate no significant differences among the strains. In addition, HPLC analyses of DMBA metabolites and DMBA-DNA adducts were essentially identical. These data suggest that the genes controlling susceptibility and resistance to mammary carcinogenesis in these rat strains are likely to be active at later stages of the carcinogenic process.
|
10.1093/carcin/9.11.2099
|
pubmed_464_2702
|
This study aims to clarify the correlation between air pollution of cities in Beijing Economic Belt from a time-varying perspective and estimate effects of joint prevention and control regulation of air pollution. The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity. Based on daily data of air quality, we used TVP-VAR model and utilize the pandemic as a quasi-experiment to assess the policies. The results show air pollution in surrounding cities does influence Beijing's air quality, but the relationship has been weakening year by year, mainly due to industrial adjustment which have achieved progress on alleviating the path of air pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to implement joint regulation in areas with serious pollution. Specifically, the relationship between the air quality of Beijing and Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Tianjin decreased as the pandemic became worse. In contrast, there was no significant decline in Langfang and Baoding. So unlike Baoding and Langfang, industrial production increased relationships between air quality of Beijing and the other three cities, which highlights the validity of restrictions. However, restrictions implemented on Baoding and Langfang affect economic development but have little effect on Beijing's air governance. Therefore, joint regulation contributes to realizing sustainable cities, but more targeted policies should be formulated.
|
10.1016/j.scs.2021.103365
|
pubmed_218_23973
|
Pathology archives harbor large amounts of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples, used mainly in clinical diagnostics but also for research purposes. Introduction of heat-induced antigen retrieval has enabled the use of tissue samples for extensive immunohistochemical analysis, despite the fact that antigen retrieval may not recover all epitopes, owing to alterations of the native protein structure induced by formalin. The aim of this study was to investigate how different fixatives influence protein recognition by immunodetection methods in tissues, cell preparations, and protein lysates, as compared with formalin. Seventy-two affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies were used to evaluate seven different fixatives. The aldehyde-based fixative Glyo-fixx proved to be excellent for preservation of proteins in tissue detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), similar to formalin. A non-aldehyde-based fixative, NEO-FIX was superior for fixation of cultured cells, in regard to morphology, and thereby also advantageous for IHC. Large variability in the amount of protein extracted from the differently fixed tissues was observed, and the HOPE fixative provided the overall highest yield of protein. In conclusion, morphological resolution and immunoreactivity were superior in tissues fixed with aldehyde-based fixatives, whereas the use of non-aldehyde-based fixatives can be advantageous in obtaining high protein yield for Western blot analysis. This manuscript contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org. Please visit this article online to view these materials.
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10.1369/jhc.2009.954321
|
pubmed_665_22909
|
[reaction: see text] A new triradical molecule, 2,6,10-tris(dianisylaminium)-3,7,11-tris(hexyloxy)triphenylene 1(3+), was synthesized by oxidative trimerization, palladium-catalyzed amination, and subsequent oxidation. It was chemically stable with a half-life > 1 month and displayed the magnetic parameter of S = 3/2 even at room temperature.
|
10.1021/ol060379f
|
pubmed_407_12295
|
BACKGROUND
Tube thoracostomy (TT) is central in the management of chest trauma sufficing in over 80% of cases. As a result the procedure is commonly performed in most emergency departments.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and complications of TT using Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) technique in chest trauma.
METHODS
This prospective study was done at the Trauma Unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. All patients with chest trauma who needed tube thoracostomy between February 2006 and February 2009 were studied. Data recorded for each patient included injury, mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma score, revised trauma score, and indications for tube thoracostomy. Chest radiographs were obtained preinsertion, post insertion and post extubation for all the cases. Patients were monitored for tube thoracostomy complications.
RESULTS
Of 9415 trauma patients seen during the period 105 patients had tube thoracostomy but only 70 (56 male, 14 female) had adequate data for analysis. Seventy-four tubes were passed in the 70 patients with unilateral tubes in 66 (94.3%) and bilateral tubes in 4 (5.7%). Blunt chest trauma occurred in 32 (45.7%) and penetrating chest trauma in 38 (54.3%) of the patients. Simple haemothorax and haemopneumothorax were the commonest indications for tube thoracostomy. Complications recorded include four cases of kinked tubes, four of superficial wound infection and 10 cases of residual haemothorax.
CONCLUSION
Tube thoracostomy in the emergency department using advanced trauma life support principles is effective in chest trauma and associated with few complications.
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pubmed_407_12295
|
pubmed_27_18890
|
Two endogenous brain peptides (Tyr-W-MIF-1 (Tyr-Pro-Trp-Gly-NH2) and Tyr-MIF-1 (Tyr-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2)), a cyclized analog and two fragments of Tyr-W-MIF-1, and hemorphin (Tyr-Pro-Trp-Thr) were tested for binding to mu 1 and mu 2 opiate receptor. All these peptides bound to both mu 1 and mu 2 sites in assays optimized to discriminate these subtypes of the mu opiate receptor in membranes from bovine thalamus. The cyclized analog of Tyr-W-MIF-1, previously shown to have potency near that of Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-N-MePhe-Gly-ol (DAMGO) and morphine in producing analgesia after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection, bound to mu 1 and mu 2 sites with affinities similar to those of DAMGO. Tyr-W-MIF-1, previously shown to induce analgesia after i.c.v. injection but with much higher potency after intrathecal (i.t.) injection, also bound to both mu 1 and mu 2 sites with an affinity between that of morphiceptin and hemorphin. Although the highest ratios of Ki's for mu 2/mu 1 were shown by hemorphin, Tyr-W-MIF-1, and Tyr-W-MIF-1, none of the compounds were significantly different in selectivity. The results indicate that the relatively lower potency of Tyr-W-MIF-1 after i.c.v., compared with i.t. injection, is not due to a lack of binding to mu 1 sites. They suggest that it has relatively high efficacy at mu 2, but low efficacy at mu 1 sites, a possibility that might explain some of the novel properties of these peptides.
|
10.1016/s0304-3940(96)12928-1
|
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