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pubmed_677_2798 | OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the diagnosis of the complications after breast augmentation with polyacrylamide hydrogel injection.
METHODS
MRI was performed in 16 patients who had breast augmentation with polyacrylamide hydrogel injection. The results of magnetic resonance imaging were compared with the clinical symptoms.
RESULTS
MRI examinations of the 16 patients showed that (1) 4 breasts in 2 patients were comparatively natural; (2) a large lacteal cyst was detected in one patients in lactation; (3) breast asymmetry occurred in 3 patients (6 sides); (4) in 10 patients (20 sides), the injected gel was in irregular form. The results of MRI were in accord with the clinical symptoms.
CONCLUSION
MRI is of great diagnostic value for the complications after breast augmentation with polyacrylamide hydrogel injection. | pubmed_677_2798 |
pubmed_200_21049 | A novel method using methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as extractant and 1,2-dibromopropane as internal standard for the determination of the disinfection by-producs 1,1-dichloroacetone (DCAce) by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was described. The formation process of DCAce and its influencing factors were discussed with L-leucine as the precursor during the chloramination process. The results indicated that the DCAce production increased with the increase of chloramine dosage when the chloramine addition was in the range of 5-30 mg · L(-1). The DCAce amount produced under alkaline condition was higher than those produced under the neutral and acidic conditions, and the DCAce amount reduced with the increase of pH value. Temperature was another important factor that affected the DCAce formation from methylamine especially in the range of 15-35°C , and the higher the temperature, the more the DCAce produced. The formation process of DCAce from L-leucine by chloramine consisted of a series of complicated reactions, including substitution, oxidation, bond breaking, amino diazotization, reduction and so on, and eventually DCAce was formed. | pubmed_200_21049 |
pubmed_326_6582 | This article is a review of the common benign soft-tissue lesions of the spine and extremities. Reviewed are the pathophysiology, natural history, appropriate work-up, and treatment options. A recommendation is given to consider the diagnosis as possible malignancy and approach such lesions with caution. | pubmed_326_6582 |
pubmed_914_16111 | EU Regulation 998/2003 requires the serological testing of rabies-vaccinated dogs and cats in approved laboratories using serum neutralization tests prior to movement of pet animals between certain EU member states and before pet animals are imported from unlisted third countries. Serum neutralisation tests are also used for measuring the efficacy of oral rabies vaccination programmes conducted in wild carnivore populations. In this study we evaluated an OIE-listed commercial ELISA as a potential replacement for serum neutralization assays under routine conditions as a diagnostic tool for both the serological testing of dog and cat sera as part of pet travel schemes and for follow-up investigations as part of oral vaccination campaigns. When dog and cat sera were analyzed by ELISA, a sensitivity compared to the standard serological test of 36.9-82.0% and 44.4-88.9%, respectively, was calculated depending on the method used. For fox field samples from oral vaccination areas the sensitivity compared to the Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT) was 32.4% (95% CI 24.8-40.0%). In its present format, the ELISA cannot replace standard serological assays neither in the pet travel scheme nor in follow-up investigations of oral vaccination campaigns. The results obtained resemble those of other rabies ELISAs recently evaluated for the same purpose and may therefore exemplify a general misconception (binding versus neutralization) in rabies serology rather than a failure of this ELISA test per se. Also, problems with technical and legislative issues associated with the serological testing of dog and cat sera for non-commercial movement and related to the outcome of this study are addressed. | pubmed_914_16111 |
pubmed_298_7683 | Piglet survival is a major problem, especially during the first 3 days after birth. Piglets are born deficient of energy, but at the same time they have a very high energy requirement because of high physical activity, high need for thermoregulation (because of their lean body with low insulation) and high heat production in muscle tissues. To be able to survive, newborn piglets may rely upon three different sources of energy, namely, glycogen, colostrum and transient milk, which orchestrate to cover their energy requirements. Piglets are born with limited amounts of energy in glycogen depots in the liver and muscle tissues and these depots are sufficient for normal activity for ∼16 h. Intake and oxidation of fat and lactose from colostrum must supply sufficient amount of energy to cover at least another 18 h until transient milk becomes available in the sow udder ∼34 h after the first piglet is born. Selection for large litters during the last two decades has challenged piglets even further during the critical neonatal phase because the selection programs indirectly decreased birth weight of piglets and because increased litter size has increased the competition between littermates. Different attempts have been made to increase the short-term survival of piglets, that is, survival until day 3 of lactation, by focusing on improving transfer of vital maternal energy to the offspring, either in utero or via mammary secretions. Thus, the present review addresses how sow nutrition in late gestation may favor survival of newborn piglets by increasing glycogen depots, improving colostrum yield or colostrum composition, or by increasing production of transient milk. | 10.1017/S1751731114000950 |
pubmed_10_14632 | The present study assessed the possibility for the linoleic acid derivative 8-[2-(2-pentyl-cyclopropylmethyl)-cyclopropyl]-octanoic acid (DCP-LA) as an antiaging compound for the skin by assaying senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal), a biomarker of senescence and cell viability. The nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increased in SA-β-Gal-positive cells in cultured human fibroblasts and mouse keratinocytes, and DCP-LA significantly inhibited the effect of SNP. Moreover, SNP induced cell death in cultured mouse keratinocytes, and DCP-LA significantly prevented NO stress-induced death of keratinocytes. Taken together, these results indicate that DCP-LA exerts an antiaging action on the skin. | 10.1159/000446216 |
pubmed_1021_8323 | We are encouraged by the favorable preliminary results of ligamentous reconstruction using the porous Dacron tendon. It provides a stable construct in cases where there is insufficient local autogenous tissue, and obviates the need for a tendon graft. Early active range of motion is permitted. Current investigation for additional applications for the use of the porous Dacron tendon include volar plate reconstruction following disruption, capsuloligamentous reconstruction of the trapezial metacarpal joint (with trapezium implant arthroplasty as well as for isolated disruption of the volar oblique ligament), intercarpal ligament repair or augmentation, and distal radioulnar joint stabilization. | pubmed_1021_8323 |
pubmed_995_14103 | Protoanemonin, a component of Ranunculus bulbosus, was tested as an antifungal agent on selected strains of dermatophytes and yeasts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 7.5 X 10(-4) M and the minimum lethal concentrations from 3.8 X 10(-4) M to greater than 1.0 X 10(-3) M. The most sensitive dermatophyte tested was Epidermophyton floccosum, and the most sensitive yeast Rhodotorula glutinis. The effects of different culture media and of light on the sensitivity of Rhodotorula glutinis to protoanemonin were also tested. Structural analogies between protoanemonin and other cytotoxic unsaturated lactones, and the reversal by the amino acid cysteine of the antifungal action suggest a possible mechanism of action. | 10.1007/BF00437648 |
pubmed_133_13858 | Polydisulfides of urea (PDSU), thiourea (PDSTU), biuret (PDSB), and gallic acid (PDSG) and their monomer analogues (urea, biuret, and gallic acid) inhibited (in a competitive manner) tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) peroxidation catalyzed by ferritin in 0.1 M acetate buffer, pH 4.2, containing 10% dimethylformamide. Their efficiency characterized in terms of inhibition constants, Ki, increased in the following order PDSU < PDSB approximately PDSTU << PDSG. This order is determined by the reactivity of monomers with respect to HO* radicals which are the main oxidizing agents in the system ferritin--H2O2. Polydisulfide antioxidants exhibit the intramolecular synergism of the inhibiting action (non-additivity of antiradical activity relative to their monomers) that was quantitatively characterized by alpha = (Ki)pol/(Ki)mon x n, where n is the number of monomers in the polymeric inhibitors. The alpha values increased from 1.5 up to 5.18 in the following order: PDSG < PDSU < PDSB. Significantly higher inhibiting efficiency of polydisulfide antioxidants as compared to monomer forms and synergism of the inhibitory action offer promising opportunities of their use as quenchers of free radical processes in biochemical systems. | pubmed_133_13858 |
pubmed_295_4415 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) is widely performed to evaluate the representation of manometric features in patients for diagnosing normal esophageal motility and motility disorders. Clinicians commonly assess esophageal motility function using a scheme termed the Chicago classification, which is difficult, time-consuming and inefficient with large amounts of data.
METHODS
Deep learning is a promising approach for diagnosing disorders and has various attractive advantages. In this study, we effectively trace esophageal motility function with HRM by using a deep learning computational model, namely, EMD-DL, which leverages three-dimensional convolution (Conv3D) and bidirectional convolutional long-short-term-memory (BiConvLSTM) models. More specifically, to fully exploit wet swallowing information, we establish an efficient swallowing representation method by localizing manometric features and swallowing box regressions from HRM. Then, EMD-DL learns how to identify major motility disorders, minor motility disorders and normal motility. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to use Conv3D and BiConvLSTM to predict esophageal motility function over esophageal HRM.
RESULTS
Test experiments on HRM datasets demonstrated that the overall accuracy of the proposed EMD-DL model is 91.32% with 90.5% sensitivity and 95.87% specificity. By leveraging information across swallowing motor cycles, our model can rapidly recognize esophageal motility function better than a gastroenterologist and lays the foundation for accurately diagnosing esophageal motility disorders in real time.
CONCLUSIONS
This approach opens new avenues for detecting and identifying esophageal motility function, thereby facilitating more efficient computer-aided diagnosis in clinical practice. | 10.1016/j.cmpb.2021.106212 |
pubmed_718_18052 | The uptake of meropenem by human macrophages and its consequences upon subsequent phagocytosis and killing of intracellular staphylococci has been studied. The cellular to extracellular concentration ratios (C/E) of meropenem were always high (range 3-12) at extracellular concentrations ranging from 0.125 to 1 mg/L. The uptake was not energy-dependent, being similar when viable and formalin-killed cells were used and was influenced neither by environmental temperature nor by the addition of a metabolic inhibitor. Meropenem at half the MIC caused a significant enhancement of phagocytosis and a reduction in the survival of intracellular Staphylococcus aureus. Pre-exposure of either staphylococci or macrophages to sub-MIC concentrations of meropenem led to an increase in uptake of bacteria and intracellular bactericidal activity by macrophages. | 10.1093/jac/32.5.695 |
pubmed_607_11992 | Hydrolysis of Escherichia coli membrane phospholipids by pancreatic phospholipase A2 was inhibited by lipocortin from human monocytes in a substrate dependent manner. Inhibition was completely overcome at substrate concentrations above 250 microM. Lipocortin also inhibited partially purified preparations of two intracellular phospholipases A2 isolated from rat liver mitochondria and rat platelets when these enzymes were assayed at low micromolar concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine. Inhibition gradually decreased with increasing substrate concentrations both for pancreatic and platelet phospholipase A2 and became completely abolished above 15 and 50 microM phosphatidylethanolamine, respectively. | 10.1016/0014-5793(87)81212-7 |
pubmed_387_8054 | In a series of 100 bone marrow harvests, the incidence of bacterial contamination of the bone marrow graft was 17 percent. Ex vivo manipulation of some of the grafts prior to infusion may have caused additional bacterial contamination. All isolated bacteria were common skin flora, and no serious sequelae were observed in the patients receiving the culture-positive bone marrow grafts. Samples of harvested bone marrows purposely contaminated with an isolate of Staphylococcus epidermidis demonstrated a bactericidal property that was maximal early after bone marrow collection. Bone marrow collection and ex vivo manipulation may result in considerable bacterial contamination. Procedures must be developed to assure that marrow collection and processing do not result in clinically significant contamination. | 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1988.28288179011.x |
pubmed_250_14022 | This study analyzes alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use by seventh-graders in municipal schools in the city of Gravataí, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and associated factors. A cross-sectional school survey was conducted in a representative random sample of 1,170 seventh-graders from municipal schools. The bivariate Cox regression model, modified for cross-sectional studies, was used to evaluate associations between specific factors and outcomes. Prevalence rates for lifetime consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs were 60.7%, 16.9%, and 2.4%, respectively. Consumption rates in the previous 30 days were: alcohol, 33%; tobacco, 4.4%; and other drugs, 0.6%. The study showed an association with substance use by family and friends. Prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use during the previous 30 days was associated with feelings of sadness, loneliness, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Use of other drugs was associated with loneliness and suicidal ideation. | pubmed_250_14022 |
pubmed_527_61 | BACKGROUND
Although research suggests that socio-sexual behavior changes in conjunction with the menstrual cycle, several potential factors are rarely taken into consideration. We investigated the role of changing hormone concentrations on self-reported physical discomfort, sleep, exercise and socio-sexual interest in young, healthy women.
METHODS
Salivary hormones (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate-DHEAS, progesterone, cortisol, testosterone, estradiol and estriol) and socio-sexual variables were measured in 20 women taking oral contraceptives (OC group) and 20 not using OCs (control group). Outcome measures were adapted from questionnaires of menstrual cycle-related symptoms, physical activity, and interpersonal relations. Testing occurred during menstruation (T1), mid-cycle (T2), and during the luteal phase (T3). Changes in behavior were assessed across time points and between groups. Additionally, correlations between hormones and socio-behavioral characteristics were determined.
RESULTS
Physical discomfort and sleep disturbances peaked at T1 for both groups. Exercise levels and overall socio-sexual interest did not change across the menstrual cycle for both groups combined. However, slight mid-cycle increases in general and physical attraction were noted among the control group, whereas the OC group experienced significantly greater socio-sexual interest across all phases compared to the control group. Associations with hormones differed by group and cycle phase. The estrogens were correlated with socio-sexual and physical variables at T1 and T3 in the control group; whereas progesterone, cortisol, and DHEAS were more closely associated with these variables in the OC group across test times. The direction of influence further varies by behavior, group, and time point. Among naturally cycling women, higher concentrations of estradiol and estriol are associated with lower attraction scores at T1 but higher scores at T3. Among OC users, DHEAS and progesterone exhibit opposing relationships with attraction scores at T1 and invert at T3.
CONCLUSIONS
Data from this study show no change across the cycle in socio-sexual interest among healthy, reproductive age women but higher social and physical attraction among OC users. Furthermore, a broader range of hormones may be associated with attraction than previously thought. Such relationships differ by use of oral contraceptives, and may either reflect endogenous hormone modulation by OCs and/or self-selection of sexually active women to practice contraceptive techniques. | 10.1186/1472-6874-10-19 |
pubmed_763_16059 | The reprogramming of cellular memory in specific cell types, and in visceral adipocytes in particular, appears to be a fundamental aspect of obesity and its related negative health outcomes. We explored the hypothesis that adipose tissue contains epigenetically distinct subpopulations of adipocytes that are differentially potentiated to record cellular memories of their environment. Adipocytes are large, fragile, and technically difficult to efficiently isolate and fractionate. We developed fluorescence nuclear cytometry (FNC) and fluorescence activated nuclear sorting (FANS) of cellular nuclei from visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using the levels of the pan-adipocyte protein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-2 (PPARg2), to distinguish classes of PPARg2-Positive (PPARg2-Pos) adipocyte nuclei from PPARg2-Negative (PPARg2-Neg) leukocyte and endothelial cell nuclei. PPARg2-Pos nuclei were 10-fold enriched for most adipocyte marker transcripts relative to PPARg2-Neg nuclei. PPARg2-Pos nuclei showed 2- to 50-fold higher levels of transcripts encoding most of the chromatin-remodeling factors assayed, which regulate the methylation of histones and DNA cytosine (e.g., DNMT1, TET1, TET2, KDM4A, KMT2C, SETDB1, PAXIP1, ARID1A, JMJD6, CARM1, and PRMT5). PPARg2-Pos nuclei were large with decondensed chromatin. TAB-seq demonstrated 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels were remarkably dynamic in gene bodies of various classes of VAT nuclei, dropping 3.8-fold from the highest quintile of expressed genes to the lowest. In short, VAT-derived adipocytes appear to be more actively remodeling their chromatin than non-adipocytes. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0154949 |
pubmed_915_5945 | The reactions of 2,3-bis(diisopropylsilyl)thiophene (1) with diphenylacetylene, phenylacetylene, trimethylsilylacetylene, and mesitylacetylene have been reported. The reactions of 1 with diphenylacetylene and phenylacetylene in the presence of a catalytic amount of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)platinum(0) at 80 °C gave [1,4]disilino[2,3-b]thiophene derivatives. With trimethylsilylacetylene, 1 afforded two types of products arising from sp-hybridized C-H bond activation of the acetylene, together with [1,3]disilolo[4,5-b]thiophene derivatives. A similar treatment of 1 with mesitylacetylene produced two regioisomers of products arising from the C-H bond activation of mesitylacetylene. Theoretical calculations for the intramolecular reactions of 10a and 10b are also discussed. | 10.1021/acsomega.7b01628 |
pubmed_103_21667 | BACKGROUND
The injection of amphetamine is becoming increasingly common. However, there has been a lack of research examining people who inject amphetamine as the primary drug of use, limiting the potential to ensure services address the unique needs of this group. The current study used latent class analysis to identify classes of polydrug use among people who report injecting amphetamine during the past 12months. It also examined differences between classes and drug use patterns, injecting practices, quality of life and psychological distress.
METHODS
Participants who were attending non-government specialist alcohol and other drug treatment across New South Wales, Australia and had identified amphetamine as their principle drug of concern and reported injecting amphetamine in the previous 12months were included in the current study (N=827). Latent class analysis was performed to identify polydrug profiles of participants.
RESULTS
The large majority of people in the current study (85%) demonstrated low probability of heroin or other opiate use. Three distinct classes of polydrug use were identified: (1) Low-polydrug (n=491), (2) Opiates-polydrug (n=123), and (3) Alcohol-polydrug (n=213). There was a trend for the Low-polydrug class to demonstrate better functioning and safer injecting practices than the Opiates-polydrug and Alcohol-polydrug classes.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that the majority of people accessing treatment who inject amphetamine as their primary drug of choice have a low probability of heroin or other opiate use. It is important that future research consider whether traditional harm minimisation strategies are appropriate for people who primarily inject amphetamine. | 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.006 |
pubmed_888_9983 | OBJECTIVE
To assess noise exposure during noninvasive ventilation (NIV) with different types of interface (helmet, nasal, and facial masks).
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Ten "naive" healthy volunteers underwent NIV at pressure support levels of 10 and 15 cmH2O with: (a) helmet, (b) helmet equipped with HME filters at the junctions between the helmet and the inspiratory and expiratory branches of the respiratory circuit, (c) nasal mask, and (d) facial mask. Noise intensity was assessed with a sound level meter by placing a microphone near the right ear. Noise intensity and degree of discomfort were also assessed subjectively with a visual analogue scale.
RESULTS
Inside the helmet noise exceeded 100 dB. Noise intensity was poorly affected by pressure support level and unaffected by the presence of HME filters. During NIV with nasal or facial masks the noise did not exceed 70 dB (i.e., noise was not louder than the usual noise background in ICU). Subjective evaluation of noise intensity mirrored objective measurements; however, the presence of HME filters was associated with the feeling of less noise inside the helmet. The discomfort associated with the helmet did not significantly differ from that associated with the masks.
CONCLUSIONS
NIV helmet is associated with significantly greater noise than nasal and facial masks, but is as comfortable as masks, at least in the short term. Medium- and long-term exposure to loud noise may potentially impair ear function and increase the patient's discomfort. | 10.1007/s00134-004-2347-9 |
pubmed_573_7003 | BACKGROUND
Choriocarcinoma is an aggressive malignant tumor. It commonly invades the uterus, causing necrosis and hemorrhage through vascular invasion. Metastasis is also common, with the main areas affected being the lung, brain, liver, pelvis, vagina, spleen, intestine, and kidney.
OBJECTIVES
To illustrate the presentation of a rare disease, metastatic choriocarcinoma to the eye, causing a retinal detachment, and to elucidate the characteristics and treatment of that rare disease.
CASE REPORT
A 23-year-old woman presented to our Emergency Department with a left painful red eye with decreased visual acuity and was subsequently diagnosed with choriocarcinoma with metastasis to the lungs, brain, and choroid, causing a left exudative retinal detachment.
CONCLUSION
Gestational choriocarcinoma with metastasis to the eye is a rare disease and a rare cause of exudative retinal detachment. In general, metastatic choriocarcinoma is highly curable with chemotherapy. However, metastasis to the eye, regardless of the type of tumor, portends a poor prognosis. | pubmed_573_7003 |
pubmed_917_6796 | During a three-year period, 30 patients had emergency Hartmann procedures for diverticular disease (N = 12), carcinoma (N = 6), trauma (N = 3), and miscellaneous causes (N = 9). Two patients died postoperatively (6.7 percent) and wound infection developed in 60 percent of the patients. Planned relaparotomies for severe intra-abdominal infection were performed in ten patients (an average of 2.5 procedures per patient) with no mortality. In five cases a mucous fistula was converted into a Hartmann pouch; a preference for the Hartmann pouch in patients undergoing repeated explorations is discussed. Colorectal continuity was subsequently restored in 23 patients (76.6 percent). | 10.1007/BF02562644 |
pubmed_374_23394 | The detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is clinically used to monitor myocardial infarctions (MI) and other heart diseases. The development of highly sensitive detection assays for cTnI is needed for the efficient diagnosis and monitoring of cTnI levels. Traditionally, enzyme-based immunoassays have been used for the detection of cTnI. However, the use of label-free sensing techniques have the advantage of potentially higher speed and lower cost for the assays. We previously reported a Photonic Crystal-Total Internal Reflection (PC-TIR) biosensor for label-free quantification of cTnI. To further improve on this, we present a comparative study between an antibody based PC-TIR sensor that relies on recombinant protein G (RPG) for the proper orientation of anti-cTnI antibodies, and an aptamer-based PC-TIR sensor for improved sensitivity and performance. Both assays relied on the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) linkers to facilitate the modification of the sensor surfaces with biorecognition elements and to provide fluidity of the sensing surface. The aptamer-based PC-TIR sensor was successfully able to detect 0.1 ng/mL of cTnI. For the antibody-based PC-TIR sensor, the combination of the fluidity of the PEG and the increased number of active antibodies allowed for an improvement in assay sensitivity with a low detection limit of 0.01 ng/mL. The developed assays showed good performance and potential to be applied for the detection of cTnI levels in clinical samples upon further development. | 10.1117/12.2546979 |
pubmed_326_18970 | The introduction of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in the early 1980s has revolutionised airway management. Clinicians have shown the ease of LMA insertion compared to endotracheal intubation by unskilled personnel. Despite the lack of protection against aspiration of gastric contents, the LMA's ability to maintain the airway and oxygenation warrants its incorporation into military life support protocols and into an integrated respiratory support concept for conventional and NBC operations. | 10.1136/jramc-142-01-03 |
pubmed_529_21994 | Inspired by the special asymmetric wettability and controllable permeation function of cell membranes, we report a Janus nanostructured copper mesh film with unidirectional water transportation ability. Water can permeate from the hydrophobic side to the hydrophilic side, but is retained in the opposite direction. Notably, based on this special unidirectional water permeation property, both heavy oil/water mixtures (ρoil >ρwater ) and light oil/water mixtures (ρoil <ρwater ) can be separated. Additionally, the film demonstrates high separation efficiency and good recyclability. This paper reports a new Janus film that achieved highly efficient oil/water separation based on smart control of the wettability of the film. It is believed to have the potential to be used in many practical applications, such as wastewater treatment and oil-spill cleanup. | 10.1002/asia.201700488 |
pubmed_738_5294 | Importance
Achromatopsia linked to variations in the CNGA3 gene is associated with day blindness, poor visual acuity, photophobia, and involuntary eye movements owing to lack of cone photoreceptor function. No treatment is currently available.
Objective
To assess safety and vision outcomes of supplemental gene therapy with adeno-associated virus (AAV) encoding CNGA3 (AAV8.CNGA3) in patients with CNGA3-linked achromatopsia.
Design, Setting, and Participants
This open-label, exploratory nonrandomized controlled trial tested safety and vision outcomes of gene therapy vector AAV8.CNGA3 administered by subretinal injection at a single center. Nine patients (3 per dose group) with a clinical diagnosis of achromatopsia and confirmed biallelic disease-linked variants in CNGA3 were enrolled between November 5, 2015, and September 22, 2016. Data analysis was performed from June 6, 2017, to March 12, 2018.
Intervention
Patients received a single unilateral injection of 1.0 × 1010, 5.0 × 1010, or 1.0 × 1011 total vector genomes of AAV8.CNGA3 and were followed up for a period of 12 months (November 11, 2015, to October 10, 2017).
Main Outcomes and Measures
Safety as the primary end point was assessed by clinical examination of ocular inflammation. Systemic safety was assessed by vital signs, routine clinical chemistry testing, and full and differential blood cell counts. Secondary outcomes were change in visual function from baseline in terms of spatial and temporal resolution and chromatic, luminance, and contrast sensitivity throughout a period of 12 months after treatment.
Results
Nine patients (mean [SD] age, 39.6 [11.9] years; age range, 24-59 years; 8 [89%] male) were included in the study. Baseline visual acuity letter score (approximate Snellen equivalent) ranged from 34 (20/200) to 49 (20/100), whereas baseline contrast sensitivity log scores ranged from 0.1 to 0.9. All 9 patients underwent surgery and subretinal injection of AAV8.CNGA3 without complications. No substantial safety problems were observed during the 12-month follow-up period. Despite the congenital deprivation of cone photoreceptor-mediated vision in achromatopsia, all 9 treated eyes demonstrated some level of improvement in secondary end points regarding cone function, including mean change in visual acuity of 2.9 letters (95% CI, 1.65-4.13; P = .006, 2-sided t test paired samples). Contrast sensitivity improved by a mean of 0.33 log (95% CI, 0.14-0.51 log; P = .003, 2-sided t test paired samples).
Conclusions and Relevance
Subretinal gene therapy with AAV8.CNGA3 was not associated with substantial safety problems and was associated with cone photoreceptor activation in adult patients, as reflected by visual acuity and contrast sensitivity gains.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02610582. | 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2020.1032 |
pubmed_34_21924 | An assay to measure avidity index (AI) was developed to diagnose incident hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The assay demonstrated an AI value statistically significantly lower in primary HCV infections than in chronic infections. When the assay was applied to past resolved infections, the difference in AI values was not as significant as the difference between incident and chronic infections. Lower AI values obtained in past resolved infections may be directly related to lower levels of immunoglobulin G anti-HCV in past resolved infections than in either new infections or chronic infections. | 10.1128/JCM.01012-07 |
pubmed_551_11527 | A 55-year-old man developed bilateral hip pain following admission with Guillain Barre syndrome. Hip radiographs showed minor degenerative changes. 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy showed bilateral abnormal activity extending from the acetabula to the trochanteric regions. SPECT/CT localized the abnormal activity to the soft tissues surrounding the hips. Heterotopic ossification is a rare complication of Guillain Barre syndrome. | 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3182485233 |
pubmed_262_13143 | BACKGROUND
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognized as a leading public health issue. However, there are limited data assessing secular trends in the prevalence of CKD in general Asian communities.
METHODS
We performed three repeated cross-sectional surveys of residents aged >or=40 years in 1974 [2118 subjects (participation rate, 81.2%)], 1988 [2741 subjects (80.9%)] and 2002 [3297 subjects (77.6%)] in a Japanese community. We compared the prevalence of CKD [one or both of proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)] and potential risk factors among the three surveys.
RESULTS
The prevalence of CKD increased significantly with time in men (13.8% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 11.4-16.2%] in 1974, 15.9% [95% CI, 13.6-18.2%] in 1988 and 22.1% [95% CI, 19.6-24.6%] in 2002; P for trend < 0.001), but not in women (14.3% [95% CI, 12.2-16.4%], 12.6% [95% CI, 10.9-14.3%] and 15.3% [95% CI, 13.4-17.2%]; P for trend = 0.97). The frequencies of individuals with CKD Stages 3-5 (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) increased over the three decades in both sexes. Despite the widespread use of antihypertensive agents, the proportions of individuals with CKD who reached blood pressure of <130/80 mmHg were only 27.0% in men and 47.5% in women. The frequency of metabolic disorders including diabetes, hypercholesterolaemia and obesity increased over the three decades in both sexes.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of CKD increased significantly in men, but not in women over the last three decades in a general Japanese population. Our findings support the requirement for a comprehensive treatment for hypertension and metabolic disorders to reduce the burden of CKD. | 10.1093/ndt/gfq062 |
pubmed_1017_5562 | Former Edinburgh University Professor of Nursing Penny Prophit, who resigned after allegations of academic fraud, has been praised in a Scottish Office report to MPs on the award of research grants totalling nearly £1 million. | 10.7748/ns.8.40.10.s19 |
pubmed_82_17353 | We report the results of a study of the ruby laser in normal mode for treatment of hirsutism in 43 patients with skin types I-IV. A pulse width of 950 microseconds, a 4 mm spot and a fluence sufficient to produce minimal whitening of the epidermis were used (mean 48 J/cm2). In each patient, one site was treated once only, and a second site received four treatments at monthly intervals. After a single treatment, hair counts had reduced to a mean of 46% (median 67, reduced to 26) of the pretreatment values at 1 month, but increased to 80% (median 42) at 3 months and were 66% (median 37) at 6 months. One month after three treatments, hair counts had reduced to a mean of 29% (median 60, reduced to 15) of pretreatment values, and 3 months after four treatments at the same site, counts had increased to 44% (median 21). Patient tolerance of the treatment was good and higher fluences tended to be tolerated at consecutive visits. The first treatment was followed by mild, short-lived erythema and swelling in 60% (25 of 42) patients. Fourteen per cent (six of 42) experienced mild blistering and 33% (14 of 42) crusting. More severe reactions were seen infrequently. These results indicate that normal mode ruby laser treatment is well tolerated. Sustained reduction in hair counts can be achieved for at least 6 months, and multiple treatments produce greater clinical effects. | 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1998.02268.x |
pubmed_290_7725 | We aimed to explore the coping strategies utilized by Latino caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD). We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with Latinos family caregivers. The interviews explored the caregivers' experiences utilizing coping strategies. Coping strategies were identified based on a direct content analysis of the interviews. Participants were 50 to 75 years old, majority female, and from Mexico. The most common coping strategies adopted were: rationalization, social interactions, physical activity, and leisure activities. Other strategies used included avoidance, keeping busy, self-care, and spirituality or faith. Strategies such as using social interactions and spirituality and faith may be rooted in Latino cultural values such as familismo and fatalismo. The possible origin from cultural values might make some of the coping strategies more prevalent or effective in Latinos. Effective interventions aiming to reduce stress in Latino caregivers should prioritize culturally relevant problem-focused coping strategies. | 10.1007/s10823-019-09390-8 |
pubmed_120_21651 | The biological cause of fibrosis is the accumulation of excessive amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) which leads to tissue dysfunction and organ failure. A strong correlation can be found between pancreatic diseases and fibrotic processes, in particular chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. There is growing evidence that pancreatic fibrosis represents a dysregulation of the normal repair processes after injury. This concept is based on the findings that fibrosis and tissue repair involve similar biological reactions regulated by the same group of molecules. The best characterized example for these regulatory molecules are the members of the transforming growth factor beta family (TGFbeta). TGFbeta1 represents the prototype of this family of highly similar growth factors, with the unique ability to stimulate the expression and deposition of extracellular matrix and to inhibit its degradation. Growth factor-induced fibrotic events are targeted by a myofibroblast-like cell called pancreatic stellate cell (PSC). These cells show enhanced expression of all-important ECM proteins after TGFbeta stimulation including collagen, fibronectin and proteoglycans. At the same time TGFbeta inhibits the degradation of ECM by blocking the secretion of proteases and stimulating the production of naturally occurring protease inhibitors. | 10.1385/IJGC:31:1-3:41 |
pubmed_689_24252 | The present manuscript proposes a novel method for the measurement of a trajectory of a falling impact hammer in the dynamic loading of conveyor belts and the determination of their impact resistance. The proposed method has been experimentally tested and the results of the measurements are presented in this manuscript. The proposed method is based on the long-exposure photography with a long-duration opened shutter of the Nikon D5000 DSLR camera. Results of the experimental research were compared with direct reference measurements performed using the L-GAGE LT3 laser distance sensor. Differences between values, obtained by the new method and by the reference measurements were up to ±3 mm. The standard deviation identified in all the experiments was 1 mm. | 10.3390/s21206818 |
pubmed_71_18727 | A Zika virus seroepidemiology study was performed in 1084 blood donors collected from August to October 2015 in six sites of Cameroon representing a large panel of eco-environments. Samples were tested using an anti-NS1 IgG ELISA detection kit and positives were further confirmed by seroneutralization. The observed global seroprevalence was low (around 5%, peaking at 10% and 7.7% in Douala and Bertoua, respectively) with risk factors associated with seropositivity pointing to the existence of a local (peri-)sylvatic cycle of transmission. These results call attention to the potential introduction and subsequent spread in African urban areas of Asian genotype Zika virus currently circulating in the Americas and adapted to transmission by peri-domestic mosquitoes. They should leverage reinforced surveillance efforts in Africa. | 10.1016/j.bjid.2017.03.018 |
pubmed_31_12228 | Extraintestinal Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is extremely uncommon. High mortality and poor outcomes have been observed among individuals with this rare medical condition. Empyema is one of the extraintestinal manifestations of CDI. Possible mechanisms to develop this parapneumonic effusion are aspiration and contamination of the chest tube. We present a 42-year-old Hispanic male with C. difficile empyema without any prior history of CDI. | 10.1159/000493184 |
pubmed_545_20865 | BACKGROUND
The benefit of repetitive PIPAC specifically in CPM patients has yet to be demonstrated in terms of oncological and functional outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with non-resectable colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) treated with pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC).
METHODS
We conducted an analysis of a prospective single-center database of all CPM patients who underwent PIPAC with oxaliplatin 92 mg/m2 body surface (PIPAC-Ox). The outcome criteria were adverse events (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0), Peritoneal Regression Grading Score (PRGS), and survival.
RESULTS
Overall, 102 patients with a median age of 64 years (33-88) were scheduled for PIPAC-Ox. Access to the abdominal cavity for the first application failed in 22/102 (21.6%) patients. A total of 185 PIPACs were performed, with 26/102 (25.5%), 20/102 (19.6%), 17/102 (16.7%), and 17/102 (16.7%) patients undergoing one, two, three, and four or more PIPACs, respectively. Perioperative overall morbidity/mortality Grade I-V occurred in 14 (7.6%), 29 (15.8%), 6 (3.2%), 1 (0.5%), and 1 (0.5%) patient without significant differences between each cycle. Of 27 patients who underwent three or more PIPACs, 20/102 (19.6%) had major/complete CPM regression (PRGS 1-2). In a multivariate analysis, independent predictive factors for > 12 months' survival following the first PIPAC-Ox administration were three or more PIPACs (odds ratio [OR] 4.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-15.2; p = 0.014) and younger patient age (OR 1.058, 95% CI 1.00-1.12; p = 0.039).
CONCLUSIONS
Repetitive PIPAC-Ox for CPM patients, alone or combined with perioperative systemic chemotherapy, is feasible. Our data suggest that three or more consecutive PIPAC-Ox cycles for advanced CPM can improve survival. | 10.1245/s10434-020-09508-0 |
pubmed_238_8168 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Medical microwave radiometry (MWR) is used to capture the thermal properties of internal tissues and has usages in breast cancer detection. Our goal in this paper is to improve classification performance and investigate automated neural architecture search methods.
METHODS
We investigated extending the weight agnostic neural network by optimizing the weights using the bi-population covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (BIPOP-CMA-ES) once the topology was found. We evaluated and compared the model based on the F1 score, accuracy, precision, recall, and the number of connections.
RESULTS
The experiments were conducted on a dataset of 4912 patients, classified as low or high risk for breast cancer. The weight agnostic BIPOP-CMA-ES model achieved the best average performance. It obtained an F1-score of 0.933, accuracy of 0.932, precision of 0.929, recall of 0.942, and 163 connections.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the model are an indication of the promising potential of MWR utilizing a neural network-based diagnostic tool for cancer detection. By separating the tasks of topology search and weight training, we can improve the overall performance. | 10.3390/diagnostics12092037 |
pubmed_1047_14316 | The endothelium represents a potentially critical target for gene therapy because of its anatomical location and its importance in the viability in both normal and malignant tissues. Protecting the endothelium of normal tissues, such as the lungs, from the toxic effects of current antineoplastic agents and the destruction of the tumor vasculature are reasonable goals. As a target, however, the endothelium continues to represent a significant challenge. While gene delivery to cultured endothelial cells is possible, improved delivery systems are required, as well as cell-specific promoters, before in vivo gene therapy to important endothelial populations can be accomplished. | 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1994.tb21717.x |
pubmed_597_7845 | AIM
Patients with moderate and severe aortic stenosis (AS) and without obstructive epicardial coronary disease have been shown to have an impairment of coronary flow reserve (CFR). We investigated the prognostic significance of CFR in predicting death during mid-to-long-term follow-up in asymptomatic patients with moderate/severe AS, preserved ejection fraction (EF), and with nonobstructed coronary arteries.
METHOD AND RESULT
A total of 127 patients with moderate or severe AS (effective orifice area of 1.5 cm(2) or less), mean age 66 ± 11 were enrolled in this prospective study. The median follow-up was 32 ± 7 months. All patients had standard Doppler echo study, coronary angiography, and adenosine-stress transthoracic Doppler echo for CFR measurement. Univariate analysis showed that diabetes mellitus, CFR, aortic valve area (AVA), maximal velocity (Vmax ), mean pressure gradient (Pmean ), energy loss index (ELI), aortic valve resistance (AVR), NT-proBNP, E/E', valvulo-arterial impedance (Zva ), and stroke work loss (SWL) were associated (P < 0.05) with death. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that only Zva and CFR were independent predictors of death, with the CFR being the single strongest predictor (Table 2). Using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, the CFR value of 1.85 had the highest accuracy in predicting the death during mid-to-long-term follow-up (area under the curve; AUC 0.890, P = 0.009, sensitivity 96.3%, specificity 75%; 95% CI 0.287-0.946; Fig. 1). The Zva value of 5.52 Hg/mL per m had a sensitivity 70.0% and specificity 72.0% (AUC 0.766, 95% CI 0.587-0.946; P = 0.005).
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that CFR has a prognostic value in patients with asymptomatic moderate or severe AS with preserved EF and nonobstructed coronary arteries. | 10.1111/echo.12404 |
pubmed_465_5450 | Amino acid concentrations in whole blood, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and brain were measured and arteriovenous differences calculated for head, hindlimb, kidney, gut, and liver in control and streptozotocin-diabetic rats. In the control rats, glutamine was released by muscle and utilized by intestine, intestine released citrulline and alanine, liver removed alanine, and the kidneys removed glycine and produced serine. In diabetic rats, the major changes from the pattern of fluxes seen in the normal rat were the release of many amino acids from muscle, with glutamine and alanine predominating, and the uptake of these amino acids by the liver. Glutamine removal by the intestine was suppressed in diabetes, but a large renal uptake of glutamine was evident. Branched-chain amino acids were removed by the diabetic brain, and consequently, brain levels of a number of large neutral amino acids were decreased in diabetes. | 10.1152/ajpendo.1983.244.2.E151 |
pubmed_1118_20313 | An unprecedented copper-catalyzed ipso-annulation reaction of N-(p-methoxyaryl)propiolamides with 1,3-diketones has been developed, which enables the assembly of diketoalkylated spiro[4.5]trienones involving oxidative dearomatization in the presence of ammonium persulfate [(NH4)2S2O8] as the oxidant. This protocol was extended to biaryl ynones, efficiently affording the diketoalkylated spiro[5.5]trienones in good yields. The significance of the diketoalkyl functionality has been illustrated by further transformation into 3-pyrazoyl spiro-trienone, a structurally unique motif. | 10.1039/d2ob01282k |
pubmed_410_4873 | Highlight In this report of a rare case of obstructive jaundice caused by dilatation of cancerous gland ducts associated with advanced pancreatic cancer, Ryozawa and colleagues describe their method of endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural drainage with a lumen-apposing metal stent as a novel treatment option for malignant biliary obstruction. | 10.1002/jhbp.1131 |
pubmed_452_22224 | In this study, we investigate an effect of spatial dispersion in anisotropic metamaterials of regular periodic geometry. We indicate conditions under which a local and nonlocal approach are convergent, as well as the areas of particularly strong nonlocality. Our analysis also reveals that new resonance transitions altering the topology of an iso-frequency surface arise in the presence of spatial dispersion. For the first time, we demonstrate that nonlocality can serve as a new mechanism for tailoring effective dispersion of an anisotropic metamaterial, which opens new venues for novel applications requiring strong direction discrimination of the incident radiation. | 10.1364/OE.392596 |
pubmed_760_6540 | Different phases of cobalt sulfides have been fabricated by one-pot hydrothermal method. Comparing all of the prepared materials, and the results revealed that CoS was the most conductive and could accelerate electron transfer. The CoS presented tremella-like and excellent catalytic activities towards hydrogen peroxide and glucose. The sensor based on CoS performed amperometric sensing of hydrogen peroxide in a linear range between 5.00μM and 14.82mM. Meanwhile, sensing of glucose with double-linear range, one is between 5.00μM and 1.10mM, the other is between 1.20mM and 10.20mM. These due to the fact that more and more intermediate species absorb onto electrode surface with increasing the concentration of glucose, which limit the following glucose oxidation. Furthermore, the hydrogen peroxide and glucose sensors based on tremella-like CoS also exhibited excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Thus, the sensor showed potential utilities in hydrogen peroxide and glucose detection. | 10.1016/j.msec.2016.08.084 |
pubmed_543_11500 | We report the clinical, biochemical, and molecular genetic findings in a family with an unusual mitochondrial disease phenotype harboring a novel mtDNA tRNA glutamic acid mutation at position 14709. The proband and his sister presented with congenital myopathy and mental retardation and subsequently developed cerebellar ataxia. Other family members had either adult-onset diabetes mellitus with muscle weakness or adult-onset diabetes mellitus alone. Ragged-red and cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative fibers were present in muscle biopsies. Biochemical studies of muscle mitochondria showed reduced complex I and IV activities. The mtDNA mutation was heteroplasmic in blood and muscle in all matrilineal relatives analyzed. Primary myoblast, but not fibroblast, cultures containing high proportions of mutant mtDNA exhibited impaired mitochondrial translation. These observations indicate that mtDNA tRNA point mutations should be considered in the differential diagnosis of congenital myopathy. In addition they illustrate the diversity of phenotypes associated with this mutation in the same family and further highlight the association between mtDNA mutations and diabetes mellitus. | pubmed_543_11500 |
pubmed_417_13130 | A human ovarian cancer cell line designated "KK" was established from ascites of a patient with ovarian clear cell carcinoma. This cell line was grown for more than 2 years and over 140 passages in medium RPMI1640 containing 10% FCS. Doubling time of this cell line at passage 70 was approximately 4 days and saturation density was 1.1 x 10(5)/cm2. Plating efficiency was approximately 23%. Chromosome analysis revealed aneuploidy with a model number of 67. PAS-positive substances were present in the cytoplasm. CA125 and SLX were detected in both the original tumor and the cultured cells. This cell line is less sensitive to cisplatin than KF cells and IC50 was 0.95 microM. | pubmed_417_13130 |
pubmed_827_5962 | It is well known that the development of water-saving agriculture is a strategic choice for getting rid of the crisis of water shortage. In this paper, the crop photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatic behavior, and their affecting factors were studied in view of increasing the crop water use efficiency. The experimental results showed that there was a parabola relationship between photosynthesis and transpiration. The transpiration at the maximum photosynthesis was a critical value, above which, transpiration was the luxurious part. The luxurious transpiration could be controlled without affecting photosynthetic production. It is possible that the measures for increasing stomatic resistance and preventing transpiration could save water, and improve photosynthesis and yield as well. The photosynthesis rate increased with photosynthetic active radiation, and the light saturation point for photosynthesis existed. The light saturation point of dry treatment was much lower than that of wet treatment, and the relationship between transpiration and radiation was linear. When the photosynthetic active radiation was bigger than 1,000 mumol.m-2.s-1, some treatments could be carried out for decreasing transpiration and improving photosynthesis. | pubmed_827_5962 |
pubmed_270_3743 | Free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA) testing was developed and approved for widespread use despite the lack of knowledge regarding the underlying biologic basis for its ability to discriminate between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer. We hypothesized that the relationship of total PSA to prostate volume was due primarily to the fPSA component of serum PSA, and we studied the molecular forms of PSA found in prostate tissue. Later, more sophisticated studies resulted in the discovery of BPSA (benign PSA), a novel form of fPSA associated with nodular hyperplasia of the transition zone (TZ). We found that the serum BPSA level is highly correlated with TZ and total prostate volume. In our most recent studies, we found that BPSA correlates better with TZ volume than does PSA and can predict clinically significant prostate enlargement better than PSA or fPSA. Furthermore, the relation of BPSA and fPSA to total prostate and TZ volumes is independent of age. | pubmed_270_3743 |
pubmed_1_12944 | BACKGROUND
Recognition of prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval is of particular importance, especially when using medications known to prolong QTc interval. Methadone can prolong the QTc interval and has the potential to induce torsades de pointes.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to investigate the accuracy of computerized ECG analysis in correctly identifying and reporting QTc interval in patients on methadone.
METHODS
We conducted a retrospective review of ECGs in the Muse electronic database of patients on methadone who are above 18 years old between January 2012 and December 2013 at an urban community hospital. ECGs were analyzed by the Marquette 12SL ECG Analysis Program (GE'Healthcare) reviewed by a cardiologist.
RESULTS
A total of 826 ECGs of patients on methadone were examined manually for the QTc interval, of which 625 (75.7%) had QTc less than 470 ms, 149 (18%) had QTc between 470-499 ms and 52 (6.3%) had QTc more than 499 ms. QTc between 470-499 ms was underestimated by machine in 19 (12.8%) ECGs and QTc more than 499 ms was underestimated in 10 (19.6%) when compared to manually calculated QTc. QTc prolongation was underreported in 63 ECGs (48.5%) of those whose QTc between 470-499 ms and in 1 ECG (2.4%) of those whose QTc was more than 499 ms.
CONCLUSIONS
QTc can be underestimated or unreported by the computer analysis. Physicians not only should calculate QTc manually but also examine the actual QTc value displayed on the report before concluding that this parameter is normal, especially in patients who are at risk of QTc prolongation. | 10.1080/ac.70.2.3073513 |
pubmed_579_16143 | BACKGROUND
Accumulated evidence suggests that dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play a critical role in tumorigenesis and prognosis of cancer, indicating the potential utility of lncRNAs as cancer prognostic or diagnostic markers. However, the power of lncRNA signatures in predicting the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not yet been investigated.
METHODS
We performed an array-based transcriptional analysis of lncRNAs in large patient cohorts with NSCLC by repurposing microarray probes from the gene expression omnibus database. A risk score model was constructed based on the expression data of these eight lncRNAs in the training dataset of NSCLC patients and was subsequently validated in other two independent NSCLC datasets. The biological implications of prognostic lncRNAs were also analyzed using the functional enrichment analysis.
RESULTS
An expression pattern of eight lncRNAs was found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients in the training dataset. With the eight-lncRNA signature, patients of the training dataset could be classified into high- and low-risk groups with significantly different OS (median survival 1.67 vs. 6.06 years, log-rank test p = 4.33E-09). The prognostic power of eight-lncRNA signature was further validated in other two non-overlapping independent NSCLC cohorts, demonstrating good reproducibility and robustness of this eight-lncRNA signature in predicting OS of NSCLC patients. Multivariate regression and stratified analysis suggested that the prognostic power of the eight-lncRNA signature was independent of clinical and pathological factors. Functional enrichment analyses revealed potential functional roles of the eight prognostic lncRNAs in tumorigenesis.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that the eight-lncRNA signature may be an effective independent prognostic molecular biomarker in the prediction of NSCLC patient survival. | 10.1186/s12967-015-0556-3 |
pubmed_377_24727 | The Scottish Diabetes Foot Action Group (SDG) has developed and introduced a national strategy plan for diabetic foot care across Scotland. This has involved the implementation of an evidence-based national foot screening and risk stratification programme that has already covered 61% of the population in just the first two years. Nationally agreed patient information foot leaflets and professional education material have been introduced, and a consensus for antibiotic use in the diabetic foot has been published. Information on multidisciplinary specialist foot services has been collected, indicating that 58% of Health Board areas have consultants with dedicated sessions in their job plan to a foot clinic, and 42% had integrated orthotic involvement. The SDG aims to increase these figures. Work has been undertaken to support local podiatry networks and improve communication between the specialist centre and the community. At a national level the SDG is working with Foot in Diabetes UK (FDUK) to recognize key podiatry skills by developing core competencies and a competency framework for the diabetes podiatrist and diabetes orthotist. The annual Scottish Diabetes Survey indicates some improvement in amputation rates with prevalence decreasing from 0.8% to 0.5%, and improved recording of foot ulceration at a national level. This national strategy has helped highlight the importance and difficulties facing diabetes foot care and should help to continue to improve the quality of care of people with diabetes who have foot-related problems. | 10.1258/smj.2011.011113 |
pubmed_992_15418 | OBJECTIVE
The author investigated the educational needs of nurses in an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet hospital to determine topics of interest, instruction time and delivery preferences, and interest in a research information skills certificate provided by the library.
METHODS
A 9-question survey was distributed to 1,500 nursing staff of the hospital through email.
RESULTS
Surveys were completed by 865 respondents, which represented a response rate of 58%. The majority of respondents were registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and paramedics (81%), and day-shift workers (65%). For education topics, nursing staff placed the highest priority on finding health-related mobile apps for professionals and developing evidence-based research skills. For mode of delivery, respondents expressed a preference for unit-based in-service, computer-based tutorials, and hands-on computer training. Most (70%) respondents expressed an interest in participating in a research information skills certificate program.
CONCLUSIONS
Our survey results reveal an avenue for reinvigorating and updating the library's educational program to match the needs of nursing staff and may offer valuable insight for other libraries seeking to do the same. | 10.5195/jmla.2017.85 |
pubmed_1057_23037 | Imaging of hypoxia in vivo helps with accurate cancer diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic outcomes. A PtII metallacage with oxygen-responsive red phosphorescence and steady fluorescence for in vivo hypoxia imaging and chemotherapy is reported. The therapeutic agent and diagnostic probe were integrated into the metallacage through heteroligation-directed self-assembly. Nanoformulation by encapsulating the metallacage into nanoparticles greatly enhanced its stability the in physiological environment, rendering biomedical applications feasible. Apart from enhanced red phosphorescence upon hypoxia, the ratio between red and blue emissions, which only varies with intracellular oxygen level, provides a more precise standard for hypoxia imaging and detection. Moreover, in vivo explorations demonstrate the promising potential applications of the metallacage-loaded nanoparticles as theranostic agents for tumor hypoxia imaging and chemotherapy. | 10.1002/anie.202009442 |
pubmed_809_12854 | Recent studies confirmed that the new cell survival signal pathway of Insulin-PI3K-Akt exerted cyto-protective actions involving anti-apoptosis. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of insulin in the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury (SCI) and evaluate its therapeutic effects in adult rats. SCI was produced by extradural compression using modified Allen's stall with damage energy of 40 g-cm force. One group of rats was subjected to SCI in combination with the administration of recombinant human insulin dissolved in 50% glucose solution at the dose of 1 IU/kg day, for 7 days. At the same time, another group of rats was subjected to SCI in combination with the administration of an equal volume of sterile saline solution. Functional recovery was evaluated using open-field walking, inclined plane tests, and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during the first 14 days post-trauma. Levels of protein for B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 gene (Bcl-2), Caspase-3, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were quantified in the injured spinal cord by Western blot analysis. Neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL, and spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) was measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Ultimately, the data established the effectiveness of insulin treatment in improving neurologic recovery, increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic bcl-2 proteins, inhibiting caspase-3 expression decreasing neuronal apoptosis, reducing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines iNOS and COX-2, and ameliorating microcirculation of injured spinal cord after moderate contusive SCI in rats. In sum, this study reported the beneficial effects of insulin in the treatment of SCI, with the suggestion that insulin should be considered as a potential therapeutic agent. | 10.1089/neu.2006.0228 |
pubmed_458_3133 | [Ethyl-(3)H][8aR,12aS,13aS]-5,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,13,13a-decahydro-3-methoxy-12-(ethylsulfonyl)-6H-isoquino[2,1-g][1,6]naphthyridine ([ethyl-(3)H]RS-79948-197) was evaluated for alpha(2)-adrenoceptor autoradiography in brain sections from wild-type mice and alpha(2A)- and alpha(2ABC)-adrenoceptor knockout mice. Receptor numbers were 83% lower in cortex and 28% lower in caudate putamen of alpha(2A)-knockout mice than in wild-type mice. No specific binding was seen in alpha(2ABC)-knockout mice. [Ethyl-(3)H]RS-79948-197 saturation binding parameters were compared to those of [(3)H]2-(2,3-dihydro-2-methoxy-1,4-benzodioxan-2-yl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazoline ([(3)H]RX821002) and [methyl-(3)H]17alpha-hydroxy-20alpha-yohimban-16beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester ([methyl-(3)H]rauwolscine). [Ethyl-(3)H-]RS-79948-197 detected a larger number of both alpha(2A)- and alpha(2B/C)-adrenoceptors than [(3)H]RX821002, while [methyl-(3)H]rauwolscine only underestimated the number of alpha(2A)-adrenoceptors. Oxymetazoline and prazosin competed for [ethyl-(3)H]RS-79948-197 binding with the expected rank order of affinities. Higher than necessary [ethyl-(3)H]RS-79948-197 concentrations resulted in a rapid increase in non-specific binding. Slow dissociation kinetics, high specific radioactivity and high alpha(2)-adrenoceptor affinity (slightly lower for the alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor than for the other subtypes) confer [ethyl-(3)H]RS-79948-197 distinct advantages compared to [(3)H]RX821002 for detection of alpha(2)-adrenoceptor subtypes in a mixed alpha(2)-adrenoceptor population. | 10.1016/j.ejphar.2004.06.065 |
pubmed_135_19877 | Objective
To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infections in children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
Methods
A retrospective analysis was performed on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-infected children with CHD who were admitted to Shanghai Children's Medical Center from April 1, 2022 to May 31, 2022. The clinical, laboratory and imaging data, and the nucleic acid conversion time of the children in this group were collected and analyzed.
Results
Thirteen patients were included in this study and had an average age of 1.1 (0.16-14) years. Among the patients, 3 patients were preoperatively treated, and 10 were postoperatively treated. According to the severity of the disease, 1 patient was diagnosed with the moderate type, and the remaining 12 patients were diagnosed with the mild type. The clinical symptoms were mostly associated with upper respiratory tract infections, including 13 with fever (100%), 8 with cough (61.8%), 5 with sputum production (38.5%), 1 of shortness of breath (7.7%), etc. All patients were successfully discharged from the hospital, with 16.4 ± 2.9 days needed to obtain cycle threshold (CT) values ≥35 in nucleic acid testing and 17.5 ± 3.6 days of hospitalization.
Conclusions
For vulnerable patients such as children with CHD, SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infections mostly present with mild upper respiratory tract symptoms with negative or mildly changed chest imaging. Through appropriate treatment of the underlying disease in the quarantine ward, patients might obtain good outcomes, even after long periods of hospitalization. | 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1001780 |
pubmed_1136_23915 | INTRODUCTION
Currently Canadians living in rural communities tend to have a poorer health status than those living in urban settings. This is contributed to by the shortage of health professionals choosing work in rural and remote areas. Over the past decade there has been much research into the recruitment and retention of rural health professionals. However little has been done to identify the actual nature of rural practice and whether graduates have been adequately prepared for the diversity of rural work. The present study sought to identify the rewards and challenges of rural occupational therapy practice in western Canada. Participants' were also asked about their preparedness for rural practice after graduation, and specifically about the usefulness of course work and practical skills taught as undergraduates.
METHODS
Participants were occupational therapists working in rural communities in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The quantitative approach employed a self-administered survey with closed- and open-ended questions. Data were entered into SPSS v14 (http://www.spss.com.au) for frequency data and percentages.
RESULTS
The participants (n = 59) worked mainly in full-time community healthcare positions with clients who had physical health issues. More than half worked in sole therapy positions. The average length of time in their current position was 5 years. Most participants reported that they were receiving informal professional support, with some receiving a formal support as well. Participants more frequently identified the rewards of rural practice (n = 214) than its challenges (n = 112). Perceived rewards included team work, autonomy, diversity and flexible work schedule, increased client contact, job satisfaction, experiences gained and the rural lifestyle. The most frequently mentioned challenges included staff shortages, the generalist nature of rural occupational therapy practice, excess time spent travelling, coping with inappropriate referrals and the need for more professional support. Regarding participants' perceptions about the course work and practical skills taught during their training that best prepared them for actual practice, some highlighted additional valuable resources such as actual hands-on experience during rural fieldwork placement, personal characteristics, working in an urban setting prior to embarking on a rural career, coming from a rural background and locating a mentor prior to working rurally. Some recommended increasing management and organisational skills content in the curriculum because these were considered essential skills for effective rural practice. The return of unanswered questionnaires by participants who did not consider themselves to be rural therapists because of access to online and telehealth resources suggests further research is warranted into the changing nature of rural practice.
CONCLUSION
Characteristics of current rural occupational therapy practice in western Canada were identified. Overall, rural occupational therapy practice appeared to be rewarding, and few had difficulty in accessing professional support. While on the whole the participants believed their training prepared them adequately for rural practice, the acquisition of increased management and organisational skills during training was seen as necessary to effectively manage their typically large and diverse caseloads. Participants' access to online and telehealth resources appears to have markedly changed the nature of rural practice and further research is recommended to determine the impact of such technologies. | pubmed_1136_23915 |
pubmed_467_17384 | The Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis comprising proline-glutamic acid (PE) subfamily proteins associate with virulence, pathogenesis, and host-immune modulations. While the functions of most of this family members are not yet explored. Here, we explore the functions of "PE only" subfamily member PE31 (Rv3477) in virulence and host-pathogen interactions. We have expressed the M. tuberculosis PE31 in non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis strain (Ms_PE31) and demonstrated that PE31 significantly altered the cell facet features including colony morphology and biofilm formation. PE31 expressing M. smegmatis showed more resistant to the low pH, diamide, H2O2 and surface stress. Moreover, Ms_PE31 showed higher intracellular survival in macrophage THP-1 cells. Ms_PE31 significantly down-regulated the production of IL-12p40 and IL-6, while up-regulates the production of IL-10 in macrophages. Ms_PE31 also induced the expression of guanylate-binding protein-1 (GBP-1) in macrophages. Further analysis demonstrates that Ms_PE31 inhibits the caspase-3 activation and reduces the macrophages apoptosis. Besides, the NF-κB signaling pathway involves the interplay between Ms_PE31 and macrophages. Collectively, our finding identified that PE31 act as a functionally relevant virulence factor of M. tuberculosis. | 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00040 |
pubmed_822_25474 | The induction of donor-specific transplant tolerance is one of the main goals of modern immunology. Establishment of a mixed chimerism state in the transplant recipient has proven to be a suitable strategy for the induction of long-term allograft tolerance; however, current experimental recipient preconditioning protocols have many side effects, and are not feasible for use in future therapies. In order to improve the current mixed chimerism induction protocols, we developed a non-myeloablative bone-marrow transplant (NM-BMT) protocol using retinoic acid (RA)-induced alloantigen-specific Tregs, clinically available immunosuppressive drugs, and lower doses of irradiation. We demonstrate that RA-induced alloantigen-specific Tregs in addition to a NM-BMT protocol generates stable mixed chimerism and induces tolerance to allogeneic secondary skin allografts in mice. Therefore, the establishment of mixed chimerism through the use of donor-specific Tregs rather than non-specific immunosuppression could have a potential use in organ transplantation. | 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00596 |
pubmed_568_13105 | Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH), acting via the GnRH receptor (GnRHR), and a member of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), plays an essential role in the control of reproduction while operating primarily at the hypothalamic level of the gonadotropic axis. GnRH and its receptor are co-expressed in certain specific cells, suggesting an autocrine regulation of such cells. In the male reproductive system, two forms of GnRH (I and II) and its receptors (GnRHR) are present in the human and non-human primate (NHP) testis, prostate, epididymis, seminal vesicle, and human spermatozoa. In humans, the GnRHR-II receptor gene is disrupted by a frameshift in exon 1 and a stop codon in exon 2, rendering the receptor non-functional, whereas a fully functional GnRHR-II receptor is present in New-World and Old-World monkeys. There is no evidence of the existence of a GnRH receptor in NHP sperm. Since the NHP has a phylogenetic relationship to man and is often used as models in reproductive physiology, this present study aimed to determine GnRHR-I and GnRHR-II in Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) spermatozoa. A total of 24 semen samples were obtained from four adult Vervet monkeys through electro-ejaculation and utilized for genotyping and gene expression analysis of GnRHR-I and II. Here we report that both receptors were successfully identified in the Vervet monkey sperm with the abundance of GnRHR-I gene expression compared to GnRHR-II. In comparison to the human, there is no evidence of such a stop codon at position 179 in exon 2 of the Vervet GnRHR-II. These findings suggest that both receptors are transcriptionally functional in Vervet spermatozoa. | 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113819 |
pubmed_508_3276 | Many cardiovascular events are clinical manifestations of underlying atherosclerotic disease. The progression of atherosclerosis, traditionally measured by angiography, is predictive of future clinical events and is a valid surrogate marker of cardiovascular (CV) disease. There is growing interest in using novel surrogate end points in clinical trials to expedite the development of new CV therapies. Innovative imaging technologies, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), may carry advantages for the evaluation of coronary atherosclerotic burden and disease progression. Unlike angiography, which displays only the opacified luminal "silhouette," IVUS provides transmural imaging of the entire arterial wall and permits both detection of early-stage atherosclerosis and accurate cross-sectional and even 3-dimensional quantification of plaques. Intravascular ultrasound is now used to guide therapeutic interventions and for diagnostic purposes, primarily for the evaluation of ambiguous lesions and left main coronary artery disease. In addition, clinical studies are using IVUS serially to measure plaque progression, which appears to be related to future CV events. Although the probative force of clinical end point studies still is stronger, IVUS is catching up. Currently, several trials of CV therapies use IVUS-determined plaque progression as the end point. The rationale for using IVUS-based surrogate end points in clinical trials is discussed in the present review. Key advantages of using IVUS-based surrogate end points versus clinical outcome include smaller patient numbers and substantially shorter trial durations; this reduces costs and may expedite the development and testing of new drugs. We expect in the near future a further increase of the use of IVUS-based surrogate end points in trials that evaluate novel CV therapies targeting on coronary atherosclerosis. | 10.1016/j.jacc.2006.08.067 |
pubmed_989_17121 | BACKGROUND
Despite noticeable improvement in anti-malarial treatment, rapid growth of resistant malaria strains points out the need for continuous development of novel anti-malarials to fight the disastrous infection. Haemozoin is considered as a novel inhibitory pathway for new anti-malarial drugs, therefore, this study aimed to systematically review all articles investigating the correlation between anti-malarial and anti-haemozoin activities of anti-malarial compounds.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted on 22 October 2017 in eight databases for relevant in vitro articles reporting the correlation between anti-malarial and anti-haemozoin of anti-malarial compounds, based on the constructed search terms and inclusion criteria. ToxRtool was used to assess quality of each study.
RESULTS
A total of ten articles were included in the review. In vitro anti-malarial and anti-haemozoin activity had a good correlation for quinolines for sensitive strains (R2 ranging from 0.66 to 0.95) and xanthones (Spearman ρ = 0.886). However, these correlations were reached after removing some compounds which had non-detectable anti-malarial or anti-haemozoin effects. Other structures (acridines, pyrolidines) showed negligible correlation with Spearman ρ ranging from 0.095 to 0.381 for acridines, and r varying from 0.54 to 0.62 for pyrolidines. Some good correlations were only shown in a logarithmic manner or when the anti-malarial activity was normalized.
CONCLUSION
The results raised a relative relationship between anti-haemozoin and in vitro anti-malarial activities. Some studies reported compounds that were effective in the inhibition of haemozoin formation, but failed to inhibit the parasite survival and vice versa. The correlation results in these studies were calculated after these compounds were removed from their analysis. The ability of anti-malarial compounds to accumulate inside the reaction site might strengthen their anti-malarial activity. | 10.1186/s12936-020-03370-x |
pubmed_164_8713 | Effects of data imbalance on bias, sampling variance and mean square error of heritability estimated with variance components were examined using a random two-way nested classification. Four designs, ranging from zero imbalance (balanced data) to "low", "medium" and "high" imbalance, were considered for each of four combinations of heritability (h(2)=0.2 and 0.4) and sample size (N=120 and 600). Observations were simulated for each design by drawing independent pseudo-random deviates from normal distributions with zero means, and variances determined by heritability. There were 100 replicates of each simulation; the same design matrix was used in all replications. Variance components were estimated by analysis of variance (Henderson's Method 1) and by maximum likelihood (ML). For the design and model used in this study, bias in heritability based on Method 1 and ML estimates of variance components was negligible. Effect of imbalance on variance of heritability was smaller for ML than for Method 1 estimation, and was smaller for heritability based on estimates of sire-plus-dam variance components than for heritability based on estimates of sire or dam variance components. Mean square error for heritability based on estimates of sire-plus-dam variance components appears to be less sensitive to data imbalance than heritability based on estimates of sire or dam variance components, especially when using Method 1 estimation. Estimation of heritability from sire-plus-dam components was insensitive to differences in data imbalance, especially for the larger sample size. | 10.1007/BF00251098 |
pubmed_334_17174 | The largest prospective cadaver study done over a 3-year period to investigate the arterial variations of the forehead is presented. The primary goal was to find anatomical support for various forehead flaps previously designed. Thirty cadaver foreheads (60 hemi-foreheads) were dissected from deep to superficial to identify arterial variations. The arteries were filled with a latex solution prior to dissection. The results show that the supratrochlear and dorsal nasal arteries have a relatively constant origin. Vertical (VB), oblique (OB), medial (MB) and lateral branches (LB) of the supraorbital artery were identified. The frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery (FBSTA) was found to continue in the direction of the scalp at the lateral orbital rim vertical line and gave off a transverse branch, the transverse frontal artery (TFA), to supply the forehead. The oblique branch of the supraorbital artery (OBSOA) most often anastomosed with either the transverse frontal artery or the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery at the lateral orbital rim vertical line. A central artery (CA) was consistently found originating from the dorsal nasal artery usually 5mm from its origin. The central artery had a constant anastomosis with the opposite central artery in the inferior transverse third of the forehead. The central artery was not easily identifiable in the superior third of the forehead. The angular artery (AA) was found to have a variable termination. The angular artery could communicate with the supratrochlear artery (STrA) at the supraorbital rim (SOR) or it could continue up into the forehead medial to the STrA. This artery was called the paracentral artery (PCA). The central artery, paracentral artery and supratrochlear artery have an important relationship with the most prominent central vein that is relevant to flap construction. The significance of the central artery and vein favours the median forehead flap as anatomically superior and the prominent central vein is a constant landmark on which to select the side of the pedicle. Clear landmarks for defining the pedicle base for the median forehead flap are provided. | 10.1016/j.bjps.2006.12.006 |
pubmed_44_8274 | An analysis of the semiclassical regime of the quantum-classical transition is given for open, bounded, one-dimensional chaotic dynamical systems. Environmental fluctuations-characteristic of all realistic dynamical systems-suppress the development of a fine structure in classical phase space and damp nonlocal contributions to the semiclassical Wigner function, which would otherwise invalidate the approximation. This dual regularization of the singular nature of the semiclassical limit is demonstrated by a numerical investigation of the chaotic Duffing oscillator. | 10.1063/1.1979227 |
pubmed_464_11698 | While fluorescence readout is a key detection modality for hydrogel-based immunoassays, background fluorescence due to autofluorescence or non-specific antibody interactions impairs the lower limit of detection of fluorescence immunoassays. Chemical modifications to the hydrogel structure impact autofluorescence and non-specific interactions. Benzophenone is a common photoactivatable molecule, and benzophenone methacrylamide (BPMA) has been used for cross-linking protein in polyacrylamide (PA) hydrogels. However, previous studies have suggested that the aromatic structure of benzophenone can contribute to increased autofluorescence and non-specific hydrophobic interactions with unbound fluorescent probes. Here, we synthesize diazirine methacrylamide (DZMA) as an alternative photoactivatable molecule to crosslink into PA hydrogels for in-gel protein capture for in-gel immunoassays. We hypothesize that the less hydrophobic structure of diazirine (based on previously reported predicted and experimental log P values) exhibits both reduced autofluorescence and non-specific hydrophobic interactions. We find that while equal concentrations of DZMA and BPMA result in lower protein target photocapture in the diazirine configuration, increasing the DZMA concentration up to 12 mM improves in-gel protein capture to be on par with previously reported and characterized 3 mM BPMA hydrogels. Furthermore, despite the higher concentration of diazirine, we observe negligible autofluorescence signal and a 50% reduction in immunoassay fluorescence background signal in diazirine gels compared to BPMA gels resulting in comparable signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of the probed protein target. Finally, we test the utility of DZMA for single-cell immunoblotting in an open microfluidic device and find that protein migrates ∼1.3× faster in DZMA hydrogels than in BPMA hydrogels. However, in DZMA hydrogels we detect only 15% of the protein signal compared to BPMA hydrogels suggesting that the diazirine chemistry results in greater protein losses following electrophoretic separations. We establish that while diazirine has lower background fluorescence signal, which may potentially improve immunoassay performance, the lower capture efficiency of diazirine reduces its utility in open microfluidic systems susceptible to sample losses. | 10.1039/d1an01309b |
pubmed_5_21275 | BACKGROUND
Incompetence of the saphenofemoral junction with reflux into the greater saphenous vein is one cause of chronic venous hypertension which may lead to the development of varicose and telangiectatic leg veins. Therefore treatment is necessary.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a novel method for closing the incompetent greater saphenous vein at its junction with the femoral vein through an endoluminal approach.
METHODS
Ten patients with reflux at the saphenofemoral junction into the greater saphenous vein were treated with radiofrequency heating of the vein wall through an endoluminal catheter. Patients were evaluated at 3 and 6 months to determine treatment efficacy as well as adverse sequelae.
RESULTS
All treated patients achieved complete closure of the saphenofemoral junction and greater saphenous vein. Complete treatment took an average of 20 minutes. Adverse sequelae were minimal, with 2 of 12 patients having mild erythema for 2-3 days.
CONCLUSION
Endoluminal radiofrequency thermal heating of an incompetent greater saphenous vein has been shown to be easily accomplished and efficacious throughout the 6-month follow-up period. | 10.1046/j.1524-4725.2000.99300.x |
pubmed_841_5229 | In 1950 the district medical officer of Qaqortoq/Julianehåb, Axel Laurent-Christensen retired after having served in this position since 1930. Afterwards, during the years 1950-55, he was a medical officer in Aklavik, NWT, Canada. Here he had the opportunity to compare the arctic Canadian health care with the Greenland health care system. In his diary, of which selected parts are given in the present paper, he has commented on the differences. In the 1950's the Canadian system was highly centralized with the well-equipped Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton as the center. The Greenland health service, on the other hand, was decentralized, based on small surgically staffed peripheral hospitals. The development of these two health care systems during the past 50 years has accentuated these differences. Estimated by the infant mortality, the efficiency of the Greenland health care system was superior to the Canadian during the 1950's, whereas in the 1990's, the Canadian health service is vastly superior. | pubmed_841_5229 |
pubmed_520_6030 | Depression represents a pervasive and devastating psychological difficulty. It affects over 21% of the population at some point in their lives and can have an unimaginable impact on both individuals and society. Behavioural activation represents a popular intervention for depression and is commonly used by psychologists internationally. Despite its popularity, the cognitive mechanisms underpinning the efficacy of behavioural activation remain elusive. This paper will review the literature on this intervention and propose an account of the cognitive mechanisms underlying its therapeutic efficacy. Specifically, it is argued that behavioural activation is effective because it increases both the density of outcomes in ones environment and the density of highly salient action-outcome contingencies, which may otherwise be absent due to reduced motivation. The clinical implications are subsequently discussed, with reference to future research. | 10.21500/20112084.5400 |
pubmed_383_24751 | PURPOSE
Little is known about emergency hospitalizations owing to adverse drug events (ADEs) in Chinese populations. The aim of this study was to identify the types and characteristics of ADEs as well as estimate the length of hospital stay and ADE-related costs in a hospital emergency setting in China.
METHODS
This prospective study was conducted in the emergency department of our hospital from April 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019. ADEs of patients admitted to the emergency department were collected by a clinical pharmacist during daily pharmacy rounds.
RESULTS
Of 4020 cases admitted to the emergency department, 198 emergency ADE-related hospitalizations (4.93%) were noted, which were classified into certain (n = 0, 0%), probable (n = 122, 61.6%), and possible (n = 76, 38.4%). The ADE was serious in 93.9% of the 198 cases. Ten cases were fatal, and two cases were life-threatening. More than 80% of the emergency ADE-related hospitalization cases were of patients over 60 years. The pharmacological agents implicated in the hospitalizations were oral antiplatelet agents (20.7%), oral hypoglycemic agents (16.7%), insulin (11.1%), and antihypertensive agents (9.1%). The average length of ADE-related hospital stay was 10 (7.0-14.0) days. ADE-related costs ranged from $1684.68 to $4531.35 for each hospitalization. The length of ADE-related hospital stay and associated costs were statistically significant. Most ADEs (n = 146, 73.7%) were preventable.
CONCLUSIONS
Most emergency ADE-related hospitalizations in older adults resulted from lack of medication monitoring or inappropriate medication. Improved management of medicines by clinical pharmacists has the potential to reduce ADE-related hospitalizations in older adults in China. | 10.1002/pds.5215 |
pubmed_1007_18376 | Alleles of IL1A-889(C>T) and IL1A+4845(G>T) are in linkage disequilibrium. Interleukin 1alpha (IL-1alpha) is produced as a precursor protein and cleaved at positions 117-118 by calpain, generating a mature protein for export. IL1A+4845 affects amino acids expressed at position 114 and hence may modulate calpain-mediated cleavage. We sought evidence for this mechanism in intact cells. Blood leukocytes from heterozygous donors released more IL-1alpha protein than cells from IL1A(1,1) donors, while release from IL1A(2,2) cells was variable. Genotype did not affect levels of IL-1alpha mRNA, so differential cleavage of the precursor is a feasible mechanism. However, genotype also had no effect on inhibition of IL-1alpha release by pretreatment with calpain inhibitors, and calpain inhibitors reduced IL-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA levels. Hence, calpain inhibitors probably affect inhibition of signal transduction pathway rather than cleavage of IL-1alpha protein. As ratios of mu-calpain/calpastatin were lowest in heterozygous donors, genetically determined IL-1alpha levels may modulate transcription of calpain and calpastatin. This could reduce the impact of IL1A genotype on IL-1alpha secretion and amplify individual variation in levels generated in culture. | 10.1111/j.1399-0039.2008.01052.x |
pubmed_1119_11460 | The antihypertensive efficacy of six drugs and placebo was compared in 1292 men with untreated diastolic blood pressure of 95 to 109 mm Hg. The primary end point "success" was defined as the patient having achieved a diastolic blood pressure of < 90 mm Hg at the end of the drug titration period and having maintained a diastolic blood pressure of < 95 mm Hg for 1 year without drug intolerance. The original published success rate data (N Engl J Med 1993;328:914-921) were discovered to be in error due to a computer programming code omission (N Engl J Med 1994;330:1689). This paper presents corrected graphic figures. The corrected success rates were generally higher than originally published. Overall, diltiazem (72%) was significantly higher than hydrochlorothiazide (55%), prazosin (54%), captopril (50%), and placebo (31%); clonidine (62%) and atenolol (60%) were intermediate. There were some changes in the hierarchy of drug response, but important differences in success rates according to age by race subgroups remained. Whites responded well to all drug classes, except for lower efficacy of hydrochlorothiazide in younger whites. Blacks responded better to diltiazem than other agents. In addition, we have analyzed the data using a definition of success based on < 90 mm Hg for 1 year. Use of the <90 mm Hg criterion reduced the rate of success, but had only a minor effect on the drug success rate hierarchy. We conclude that single-drug antihypertensive therapy is effective in a majority of stage 1 to 2 diastolic hypertensive patients, although there are important age-by-race differences in success rates among various drug classes. | 10.1016/0895-7061(94)00196-i |
pubmed_825_15899 | The air quality is the primary concern of the environmental control program in aseptic operations of pharmaceutical industry. The article reports on the development of the air particulate monitoring in the sterile manufacturing areas. In this respect, it presents a new approach which provides more assurance of acceptable air quality in the immediate environment of the manufacturing process and puts the emphasis on the preventive aspect. This approach is now possible by using available advanced systems which permit a continuous and simultaneous airborne particulate monitoring of critical manufacturing areas. | pubmed_825_15899 |
pubmed_634_13225 | Amorphous solids show surprisingly universal behaviour at low temperatures. The prevailing wisdom is that this can be explained by the existence of two-state defects within the material. The so-called standard tunneling model has become the established framework to explain these results, yet it still leaves the central question essentially unanswered-what are these two-level defects (TLS)? This question has recently taken on a new urgency with the rise of superconducting circuits in quantum computing, circuit quantum electrodynamics, magnetometry, electrometry and metrology. Superconducting circuits made from aluminium or niobium are fundamentally limited by losses due to TLS within the amorphous oxide layers encasing them. On the other hand, these circuits also provide a novel and effective method for studying the very defects which limit their operation. We can now go beyond ensemble measurements and probe individual defects-observing the quantum nature of their dynamics and studying their formation, their behaviour as a function of applied field, strain, temperature and other properties. This article reviews the plethora of recent experimental results in this area and discusses the various theoretical models which have been used to describe the observations. In doing so, it summarises the current approaches to solving this fundamentally important problem in solid-state physics. | 10.1088/1361-6633/ab3a7e |
pubmed_612_23226 | Aromatic amines are widely used in personal care products and human exposure to this class of chemicals is widespread. Bioanalytical methods to determine trace levels of aromatic amines in human urine are scarce. In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed to determine 39 primary aromatic amines (AAs) along with nicotine and cotinine in human urine. Chromatographic separation of the 41 analytes was achieved on an Ultra Biphenyl (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 5 µm) column. Mass spectrometry was operated in electrospray ionization positive ion multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method exhibited excellent linear dynamic range (0.1-50 ng/mL) with correlation coefficients (r) > 0.999 for all analytes. Urine samples (2 mL) were hydrolyzed using 10 M NaOH at 95 °C for 15 h and target analytes were extracted using methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Addition of 15 µL of 0.25 M HCl to the sample extracts improved the recoveries of several target analytes. The method was validated through the analysis of fortified quality control (QC) samples and a certified standard reference material (SRM). Relative recoveries (%) of target analytes fortified in QC samples were in the range of 75-114% for 37 of the 41 analytes while the other analytes exhibited lower recoveries (16-74%). The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) of target analytes were in the range of 0.025-0.20 ng/mL and 0.1-1.0 ng/mL, respectively. Intra-day and inter-day precision of the method assessed through the analysis of fortified urine QC samples at three different concentrations were < 11.7% and < 15.9% (measured as RSD), respectively. The method was applied in the analysis of urine samples from the general population and known smokers; aniline, para-anisidine, para-toluidine, ortho/meta-toluidine, 3-chloroaniline, 4-chloroaniline, 3,4-dichloroaniline, and 4,4'-methylenedianiline were found in all smoker's urine at sum concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 9.16 ng/mL. | 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122888 |
pubmed_588_745 | In this report, we describe the pharmacological profile of alkylpiperidine derivatives at human histamine H(3) receptors and their ability to access central histamine H(3) receptors in rodents. The three most attractive compounds exhibit high affinity and antagonistic potency (pK(i) ranging from 8.56 to 8.35) towards human histamine H(3) receptors stably expressed in SK-N-MC cells and, in contrast to thioperamide, they show slightly greater affinity for human than for rodent H(3) receptors. In ex vivo binding tests, they displayed a limited brain penetration since they displace [(3)H](R)-alpha-methylhistamine from rat cerebral cortex after intraperitoneal administration at doses four times higher than thioperamide. Among these compounds, derivative 5 tends to counteract partially scopolamine-induced amnesia in passive avoidance task. On the whole, these findings contribute to the identification of the requirements of increasingly drug-like non-imidazole H(3) antagonists. | 10.1016/j.phrs.2006.10.011 |
pubmed_186_21998 | ♦ BACKGROUND: Although technique failure is a key outcome in peritoneal dialysis (PD), there is currently no agreement on a uniform definition. We explored different definitions of PD technique failure using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry. ♦ METHODS: We included 16,612 incident PD patients in Australia and New Zealand from January 1998 to December 2012. Different definitions of technique failure were applied according to the minimum number of days (30, 60, 90, 180, or 365) the patient received hemodialysis after cessation of PD. ♦ RESULTS: Median technique survival varied from 2.0 years with the 30-day definition to 2.4 years with the 365-day definition. For all definitions, the most common causes of technique failure were death, followed by infectious complications. The likelihood of a patient returning to PD within 12 months of technique failure was highest in the 30-day definition (24%), and was very small when using the 180- and 365-day definitions (3% and 0.8%, respectively). Patients whose technique failed due to mechanical reasons were the most likely to return to PD (46% within 12 months using the 30-day definition). ♦ CONCLUSIONS: Both 30- and 180-day definitions have clinical relevance but offer different perspectives with very different prognostic implications for further PD. Therefore, we propose that PD technique failure be defined by a composite endpoint of death or transfer to hemodialysis using both 30-day and 180-day definitions. | 10.3747/pdi.2015.00218 |
pubmed_440_4474 | The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment (niche) plays important roles in supporting normal/abnormal haematopoiesis. We investigated the interaction between leukaemic mesenchymal niche and haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) using the model of Fanconi anaemia (FA), a genetic disorder characterized by BM failure and leukaemia. Healthy donor HSPCs co-cultured on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from FA patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) exhibited higher human engraftment and myeloid expansion in Non-obese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency IL-2γ-/- /SGM3 recipients. Untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed the progressively elevated prostaglandins (PGs) in the MSCs of FA patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and AML. Reduced secretion of PGs subsequent to inflammatory cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) inhibition ameliorated HSPC/myeloid expansion. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated dysregulation of genes involved in the NR4A family of transcription factors (TFs) and WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway in FA-AML-MSC-co-cultured-CD34+ cells. COX2 inhibition led to significantly decreased NR4A TFs and WNT signalling genes expression. Mechanistically, NR4A1 and NR4A2 synergistically activate the CTNNB1 gene promoter . Knocking down CTNNB1 or NR4A1 in AML-MSC-co-cultured-CD34+ cells increased leukaemia-reactive T-effector cells production and rescued anti-leukaemia immunity. Together, these findings suggest that specific interactions between leukaemic mesenchymal niche and HSPCs orchestrate a novel COX2/PG-NR4A/WNT signalling axis, connecting inflammation, cellular metabolism and cancer immunity. | 10.1111/bjh.15548 |
pubmed_805_2345 | Coronary artery disease remains a significant long-term problem for survival after heart transplantation. Hyperlipidemia is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease in the general population, but the role of hyperlipidemia in cardiac allograft recipients has not been elucidated. To study this problem, we retrospectively reviewed 38 heart transplant recipients who survived more than 3 years after surgery and looked at age, development of diabetes, drug protocol, and development of hypercholesterolemia for a possible correlative or predictive value to the development of early coronary artery disease after heart transplantation. Eleven patients were identified as having coronary disease by the third year after transplantation. High-risk cholesterol values (in milligrams per deciliter) at 6 months after heart transplantation were defined as follows: for ages 10 to 20, 190; 20 to 30, 220; 30 to 40, 240; 40+, 260. We found a strong predictive value with high-risk lipid profiles (p less than 0.01) for the development of coronary artery disease by the third year. No significance was found for a low-risk value, the development of diabetes, or hypertension. All patients below the age of 20 years had coronary artery disease by the third year after transplantation. We conclude that a high-risk cholesterol value at 6 months after transplantation is a strong predictor for development of accelerated coronary artery disease and early graft failure. This has major implications for management of hyperlipidemia in the cardiac allograft recipient. | pubmed_805_2345 |
pubmed_207_2751 | Irreversible hyposalivation is a common sequela of Sjögren's syndrome and may lead to a decreased quality of the patient's life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and therapeutic value of mucin-containing lozenges in reducing patients' complaints of hyposalivation. In a double-blind crossover trial in 42 patients with Sjögren's syndrome, the efficacy and therapeutic value of both a mucin-containing and placebo lozenge were assessed by means of self-administered questionnaires, which had to be completed before and after the use of each type of lozenge for a period of 2 weeks. Seventy-six percent of the patients preferred the mucin lozenge, 10% preferred the placebo, and 14% had no preference. In reducing patients' complaints, sucking the mucin lozenge resulted in a larger improvement of the total pattern of complaints and the sensation of oral dryness, and in a longer moistening of the oral cavity than the placebo. Oral functioning was improved after the use of the placebo, and the patients reported the taste of the placebo to be better than the mucin lozenge. From the responses it was concluded that the use of the mucin lozenges can be recommended in the treatment of oral symptoms of xerostomia. | 10.1016/0030-4220(93)90172-z |
pubmed_968_19736 | INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE
The shift of surgical training from apprenticeship model towards competency-based training requires objective assessments of microsurgical skills to achieve mastery. Our objective was to create a novel platform to provide feedback to surgical trainees relative to competency expected at their level of exposure.
METHODS
A 5-day simulated microsurgery course was run between 2013 and 2016 with 118 participants. Video recordings of end-to-end micro-anastomoses were collected on days 1, 3, and 5, along with analysis of hand motion . Videos were assessed to calculate the QMUL Global Rating Scale (QMUL GRS). Two charts were created to track the acquisition of microsurgical skills. One to plot the number of hand movements and the other for QMUL GRS, against the participants' cumulative number of micro-anastomoses performed. Participant data were used to calculate a skills acquisition line for each quartile, analogous to percentiles on a growth chart.
RESULTS
For a cumulative number of 0 prior micro-anastomoses, the GRS score at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile was 45.5, 55, and 62, respectively. As the number of cumulative anastomoses increased, there was a distinct increase in the GRS score to 89.5, 93, and 92 for the group with 55-100 previous micro-anastomoses. This was in keeping with a decreased number of hand movements with increasing experience.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, our tool allows trainees to track where they lie in the skill spectrum relative to prior experience which permits the provision of focused training to trainees at lower percentiles, which has potential to translate to improved clinical outcomes. | 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.09.010 |
pubmed_872_10650 | An acute increase in the Vmax for glucose uptake occurs in many mammalian cell types after exposure to osmotic or metabolic stress. In the rat epithelial Clone 9 cell line, the glucose transporter isoform GLUT1 is responsible for this enhanced uptake. Although stimulation of transport in these cells is known to result from the unmasking of 'cryptic' exofacial permeant-binding sites in GLUT1 molecules resident in the plasma membrane, the mechanism of such unmasking remains unclear. One possibility involves changes in the lipid environment of the transporter: reconstitution experiments have shown that transport activity in vitro is acutely sensitive to the phospholipid and cholesterol composition of the membrane. In the current study we found that treatment of Clone 9 cells with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, which removed >80% of the cell cholesterol, led to a 3.5-fold increase in the Vmax for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport while having little effect on the Km. In contrast to the metabolic stress induced by inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, cholesterol depletion led neither to depletion of cellular ATP nor stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase. Similarly, it did not result in stimulation of members of the stress- and mitogen-activated protein kinase families. In unstressed, cholesterol-replete cells, a substantial proportion of GLUT1 in detergent lysates co-fractionated with the lipid-raft proteins caveolin and stomatin on density-gradient centrifugation. Immunocytochemistry also revealed the presence of GLUT1-enriched domains, some of which co-localized with stomatin, in the plasma membrane. Both techniques revealed that the abundance of such putative GLUT1-containing domains was decreased not only by cholesterol depletion but also in cells subjected to metabolic stress. Taken together, these data suggest that a change in the lipid environment of GLUT1, possibly associated with its re-distribution between different microdomains of the plasma membrane, could play a role in its activation in response to stress. | 10.1042/BJ20031186 |
pubmed_408_4450 | We have carried out a case-control study to examine the relationship between mammographic signs and breast cancer. The mammographic signs assessed were prominent ducts and dysplasia. The cases were a group of 183 women with histologically verified unilateral breast cancer. The controls were a group of women attending a screening centre. Cases and controls were individually age-matched. Mammograms from the non-cancerous breast of the cases were randomly assembled with those of the controls and classified by 3 radiologists without knowledge of which films were from cases and which from controls. Mammographic dysplasia was found to be strongly associated with breast cancer, particularly in women aged less than 50. Prominent ducts were only weakly associated with breast cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that the association between dysplasia and breast cancer could not be explained on the basis of other risk factors for breast cancer, and that classification of dysplasia discriminated more strongly between cases and controls than did classification of Wolfe's mammographic patterns. These results show that mammograms contain information about risk of breast cancer. Mammographic dysplasia is strongly associated with breast cancer, is present in a substantial proportion of patients with the disease, and may offer opportunities for prevention. | 10.1038/bjc.1982.32 |
pubmed_414_2050 | PURPOSE
To retrospectively determine the usefulness of segmental enhancement inversion during the corticomedullary phase (CMP) and early excretory phase (EEP) of biphasic multidetector computed tomography (CT) in differentiating small renal oncocytoma from renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective study was institutional review board approved; informed consent was waived. Between January 2004 and December 2006, 98 patients with pathologically confirmed renal masses smaller than 4 cm (10 renal oncocytomas and 88 RCCs) were included in this study. Segmental enhancement inversion was defined as follows: In a mass with two segments showing different degrees of enhancement during CMP, the relatively highly enhanced segment became less enhanced during EEP, whereas the less-enhanced segment during CMP became highly enhanced during EEP. Two experienced radiologists retrospectively assessed the presence of segmental inversion in all masses and measured attenuation with consensus. The Fisher exact test was used to determine the significance of segmental enhancement inversion in differentiating small renal oncocytoma from RCC.
RESULTS
Eight of 10 renal oncocytomas and only one of 88 RCCs showed segmental inversion during CMP and EEP, which significantly differentiated small renal oncocytomas and RCCs (P < .0001). For differentiating oncocytoma from RCC, segmental inversion was found to have a sensitivity of 80% (eight of 10), a specificity of 99% (87 of 88), a positive predictive value of 89% (eight of nine), and a negative predictive value of 98% (87 of 89). The mean values of the attenuation differences shown by two segments during CMP and EEP were 62.75 HU +/- 36.96 (standard deviation) and -36.88 HU +/- 20.02, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Segmental enhancement inversion during CMP and EEP was found to be a characteristic enhancement pattern of small renal oncocytoma at biphasic multidetector CT and it may help in differentiating small oncocytoma from RCC.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/2522081180/DC1. | 10.1148/radiol.2522081180 |
pubmed_524_8698 | BACKGROUND
The majority of patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors who undergo immune tolerance induction (ITI) achieve successful tolerance and transition to factor VIII (FVIII) prophylaxis. A portion of these patients have switched to emicizumab for bleeding prevention. However, the risk of inhibitor relapse on emicizumab is unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the inhibitor status of patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors who achieved successful/partial tolerance after ITI and transitioned from FVIII prophylaxis to emicizumab.
METHODS
This is a single-institution, retrospective review of pediatric patients with severe hemophilia A who have completed ITI with FVIII and switched to emicizumab.
RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS
Seven successfully tolerized and five partially tolerized patients were identified. Three patients continued intermittent FVIII infusions on emicizumab at 50-70 IU/kg twice weekly, once weekly, or every other week due to concerns for inhibitor relapse or loss of recent FVIII tolerance by the treating provider. Eleven of 12 patients (92%) maintained negative inhibitor titers at a mean follow-up of 14.2 ± 6.1 months. One individual had an inhibitor relapse with a peak titer of 2.5 BU/mL. Five of the 11 patients (45%) with negative inhibitor titers had detectable nonneutralizing anti-FVIII IgG4 antibodies, but none of the patients had detectable IgG1 antibodies. There were no inhibitor recurrences in a subset of six patients after FVIII re-exposure for bleeding events or surgery. Given that the presence of an inhibitor significantly impacts factor product choice for bleeding management, ongoing inhibitor monitoring in tolerized patients with hemophilia A who transition to emicizumab is strongly recommended. | 10.1002/rth2.12475 |
pubmed_269_5111 | OBJECTIVE
Iliac branch devices (IBDs) have been used in the treatment of aortoiliac and isolated iliac artery aneurysms. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of IBDs.
METHODS
A systematic review of the literature was conducted by identifying studies in the Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases regarding the outcomes of IBDs in aortoiliac or isolated iliac artery aneurysms between May 2006 and December 2020. Individual studies were evaluated for the following major outcomes: technical success, 30-day mortality, primary patency, endoleak, reintervention, and rates of pelvic ischemia. Furthermore, subgroup meta-analyses were performed to compare the pelvic ischemic events in patients with bilateral IBDs, unilateral IBDs, and bilateral internal iliac artery (IIA) embolization/coverage.
RESULTS
Forty-five studies with a total of 2736 patients undergoing unilateral or bilateral IBDs met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The pooled technical success rate of IBDs was 98.0% (confidence interval [CI]: 97.3%-98.7%). After IBD treatment, the 30-day mortality rate was 0.4% (CI: 0.07%-0.70%); 30-day patency was 98.4% (CI: 97.7%-99.0%); buttock claudication developed in 1.84% (CI: 1.26%-2.41%); and endoleak occurred in 11.9% (CI: 9.2%-14.7%) and reintervention in 7.6% (CI: 5.65%-9.58%). Furthermore, in patients with bilateral iliac artery involvement, the pooled estimate rates of buttock claudication were 0.7% in the bilateral IBD group, 7.9% in unilateral IBD with contralateral IIA embolization patients, and 33.8% in bilateral IIA embolization/coverage patients, which were statistically significant among the three groups. Sexual dysfunction was 5.0% in the bilateral IIA occlusion group, which was significantly higher than that in IBD groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The utilization of IBDs in the treatment of aortoiliac or isolated iliac artery aneurysms is associated with high technical success rates as well as low incidences of pelvic ischemia. The risk of postoperative buttock claudication can be further decreased with both IIA preservation if patients are anatomically suitable for bilateral IBDs. | 10.1016/j.jvs.2022.03.005 |
pubmed_1097_7741 | An electronic tongue (ET) based on potentiometric chemical sensors was assessed as a rapid tool for the quantification of bitterness in red wines. A set of 39 single cultivar Pinotage wines comprising 13 samples with medium to high bitterness was obtained from the producers in West Cape, South Africa. Samples were analysed with respect to a set of routine wine parameters and major phenolic compounds using Fourier transform infrared-multiple internal reflection spectroscopy (WineScan) and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. A trained sensory panel assessed the bitterness intensity of 15 wines, 13 of which had a bitter taste of medium to high intensity. Thirty-one wine samples including seven bitter-tasting ones were measured by the ET. Influence of the chemical composition of wine on the occurrence of the bitter taste was evaluated using one-way analysis of variance. It was found that bitter-tasting wines had higher concentrations of phenolic compounds (catechin, epicatechin, gallic and caffeic acids and quercetin) than non-bitter wines. Sensitivity of the sensors of the array to the phenolic compounds related to the bitterness was studied at different pH levels. Sensors displayed sensitivity to all studied compounds at pH 7, but only to quercetin at pH 3.5. Based on these findings, the pH of wine was adjusted to 7 prior to measurements. Calibration models for classification of wine samples according to the presence of the bitter taste and quantification of the bitterness intensity were calculated by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) regression. Statistical significance of the classification results was confirmed by the permutation test. Both ET and chemical analysis data could discriminate between bitter and control wines with the correct classification rates of 94% and 91%, respectively. Prediction of the bitterness intensity with good accuracy (root mean square error of 2 and mean relative error of 6% in validation) was possible only using ET data. | 10.1007/s00216-010-3885-3 |
pubmed_304_20369 | PURPOSE
To review the visual outcome and complications of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK), using Melles technique.
METHODS
All patients undergoing DALK between December 1999 and March 2005 were routinely entered into a longitudinal study. DALK was attempted in 80 eyes of 68 consecutive patients. Descemet membrane perforation occurred in 11 eyes, of which 7 required conversion to penetrating keratoplasty. The visual and refractive outcome of these eyes is presented separately. The mean follow-up was 21.2 months. Best-corrected visual acuities (BCVAs), refraction, graft clarity, and complications were recorded at each visit and analyzed.
RESULTS
The mean patient age was 34.2 years. Keratoconus was the main indication for surgery (58 eyes), followed by herpes simplex keratitis (6 eyes), corneal stromal dystrophy (5 eyes), stem cell failure with scarring (2 eyes), corneal dermoid (1 eye), and corneal opacity (1 eye). The mean central corneal thickness changed from 0.42 +/- 0.07 mm preoperatively to 0.62 +/- 0.06 mm postoperatively. At latest follow-up, BCVA of 6/6 or better was present in 24.7%, 6/9 or better in 69.9%, and 6/12 or better in 84.9% of the eyes. The mean postoperative refractive cylinder was 3.31 +/- 2.59 D, and the mean spherical equivalent was -2.54 +/- 3.61 D; 52.2% of the eyes had a refractive cylinder less than +/-3 D and 49.3% of the eyes had a spherical equivalent less than +/-3 D. Rejection episodes occurred in 9.6% of the eyes but were successfully reversed in all eyes. Graft failure occurred in 1 eye with severe stem cell deficiency.
CONCLUSION
This is the largest series of DALK cases using the Melles technique in a variety of corneal lesions. Our results confirm the usefulness and safety of this procedure in conditions with no endothelial involvement. Graft rejection remains a significant complication but is associated with good recovery because the endothelium is spared. | 10.1097/01.ico.0000240080.99832.f3 |
pubmed_31_888 | Differential phase contrast (DPC) microscopy is a popular methodology to recover quantitative phase information of thin transparent samples under multi-axis asymmetric illumination patterns. Based on spatially partially coherent illuminations, DPC provides high-quality, speckle-free 3D reconstructions with lateral resolution up to twice the coherent diffraction limit, under the precondition that the pixel size of the imaging sensor is small enough to prevent spatial aliasing/undersampling. However, microscope cameras are in general designed to have a large pixel size so that the intensity information transmitted by the optical system cannot be adequately sampled or digitized. On the other hand, using an image sensor with a smaller pixel size or adding a magnification camera adapter to the camera can resolve the undersampling at the expense of a reduced field of view (FOV). To solve this tradeoff, we introduce a new variation of quantitative DPC approach, termed anti-aliased DPC (AADPC), which uses several aliased intensity images under asymmetric illuminations to recover wide-field aliasing-free phase images. Besides, phase transfer functions under different illumination patterns in DPC are analyzed to design an illumination scheme with better phase transfer characteristics. AADPC starts from an initial phase estimate obtained by a DPC-like deconvolution based on the system's weak phase transfer function under discrete half-annular illumination. Then the obtained initial phase map is further refined by the iterative de-multiplexing algorithm to overcome pixel-aliasing and improve the imaging resolution. The data redundancy requirement as well as the optimal illumination scheme of AADPC are analyzed and discussed based on several simulations, suggesting that the spatial undersampling can be mitigated through the iterative algorithm that uses only 4 images, yielding a nearly 4-fold increase in the space-bandwidth product (SBP) compared to the conventional DPC approach. We experimentally verify that AADPC can achieve a half-pitch imaging resolution of 345 nm, corresponding to 1.88× of the theoretical Nyquist-Shannon sampling resolution limit imposed by the sensor pixel size. The high-speed, high-throughput quantitative phase imaging capabilities of AADPC are also demonstrated by imaging HeLa cells mitosis in vitro, achieving a full-pitch lateral resolution of 665 nm across a wide FOV of 1.77mm2 at 25 fps. | 10.1364/OE.26.025129 |
pubmed_815_19468 | New modification of suture--free biliodigestive anastomosis was proposed. The suture--free anastomosis in our modification is performed by the help of Foley catheter. This technique was verified in dog experiments and than used for operation of four patients. Of these patients none died due to surgical intervention. | pubmed_815_19468 |
pubmed_932_4767 | Osteoporotic bone, structurally altered because of reduction of bone mineral density and quality deterioration, can easily head for fracture after minimum mechanical stress.THE MOST COMMON SITES OF FRACTURE, OTHER THAN SPINE AND HIP, ARE, IN DECREASING ORDER: distal radius, forearm, proximal humerus, other femoral sites, ribs, pelvis, tibia and fibula, metatarsal bone and calcaneum. The role of diagnostic imaging is essential in detecting fractures for their immediate and correct assessment, which is necessary to the planning of treatment, whether conservative or surgical. Imaging is also important in fracture monitoring, evaluation of healing and relief of any complications.Conventional radiology is the most widely used technique in the diagnosis of fracture, although its low sensitivity, mainly in anatomically complex sites; the role of radiology is undisputed in monitoring the healing bone callus formation. Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) is of great help in doubtful cases, especially in locations as "critical"; its diagnostic accuracy is very elevated with 3D and multi-planar reconstructions, allowing the surgeon to implement an appropriate therapeutic strategy. Magnetic Resonance (MR) is the most sensitive technique in the relief of minimal structural alteration of the cancellous bone, as it reveals both fracture line and surrounding bone marrow oedema. Its specificity is higher compared to MDCT and conventional radiology in the differential diagnosis between osteoporotic and malignancy pathological fracture.Bone scintigraphy is complementary to MRI in detecting occult fractures, crucial in finding metastatic disease in other locations. Ultrasound is used in limited districts, and its role is confined to the relief of cortical interruption in the fractured bone segment. In the future, technological advances with three-dimensional techniques (hr-CT, hr-MRI) may improve in vivo the diagnostic potential with an earlier detection of the ultrastructural alterations that predispose to the risk of bone fracture. | pubmed_932_4767 |
pubmed_694_6061 | The RD114/simian type D retroviruses, which include the feline endogenous retrovirus RD114, all strains of simian immunosuppressive type D retroviruses, the avian reticuloendotheliosis group including spleen necrosis virus, and baboon endogenous virus, use a common cell-surface receptor for cell entry. We have used a retroviral cDNA library approach, involving transfer and expression of cDNAs from highly infectable HeLa cells to nonpermissive NIH 3T3 mouse cells, to clone and identify this receptor. The cloned cDNA, denoted RDR, is an allele of the previously cloned neutral amino acid transporter ATB0 (SLC1A5). Both RDR and ATB0 serve as retrovirus receptors and both show specific transport of neutral amino acids. We have localized the receptor by radiation hybrid mapping to a region of about 500-kb pairs on the long arm of human chromosome 19 at q13.3. Infection of cells with RD114/type D retroviruses results in impaired amino acid transport, suggesting a mechanism for virus toxicity and immunosuppression. The identification and functional characterization of this retrovirus receptor provide insight into the retrovirus life cycle and pathogenesis and will be an important tool for optimization of gene therapy using vectors derived from RD114/type D retroviruses. | 10.1073/pnas.96.5.2129 |
pubmed_698_10431 | Connective tissue dysplasia (CTD) markers (anthropometric parameters, joint hypermobility, state of the skin, osteomuscular system, etc.) as well as external respiration function, echocardiography, occlusive plethysmography data were assessed in 402 healthy subjects (142 males and 260 females, mean age 28.4 +/- 0.5 years). Four basic CTD symptom complexes were identified: ligamentous-articular, cutaneous, osteomuscular and cardial. Control group consisted of subjects free of CTD markers (n = 61). Combination of the above four symptom complexes occurred in 8.5% examinees. These show psychoemotional disorders, impaired function of external respiration, decreased size of the heart, low arterial pressure, affection of capillary and venous circulation. | pubmed_698_10431 |
pubmed_570_14243 | The crystal structure of trisodium octafluoridotantalate, Na(3)TaF(8), has been redetermined using diffractometer data collected at 153 K, resulting in more accurate bond distances and angles than obtained from a previous structure determination based on film data. The structure is built from layers running along [101], which are formed by distorted [TaF(8)] antiprisms and [NaF(6)] rectangular bipyramids sharing edges and corners. The individual layers are separated by eight-coordinated Na ions. Two atoms in the asymmetric unit are in special positions: the Ta atom is on a twofold axis in Wyckoff position 4e and one of the Na ions lies on an inversion centre in Wyckoff site 4d. | 10.1107/S0108270110030556 |
pubmed_910_2560 | BACKGROUND
Central information processing, visible in evoked potentials like the contingent negative variation (CNV) is altered in migraine patients who exhibit higher CNV amplitudes and a reduced habituation. Both characteristics were shown to be normalized under different prophylactic migraine treatment options whereas Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) has not yet been examined. We investigated the effect of PMR on clinical course and CNV in migraineurs in a quasi-randomized, controlled trial.
METHODS
Thirty-five migraine patients and 46 healthy controls were examined. Sixteen migraineurs and 21 healthy participants conducted a 6-week PMR-training with CNV-measures before and after as well as three months after PMR-training completion. The remaining participants served as controls. The clinical course was analyzed with two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Pre-treatment CNV differences between migraine patients and healthy controls were examined with t-tests for independent measures. The course of the CNV-parameters was examined with three-way ANOVAs with repeated measures.
RESULTS
After PMR-training, migraine patients showed a significant reduction of migraine frequency. Preliminary to the PMR-training, migraine patients exhibited higher amplitudes in the early component of the CNV (iCNV) and the overall CNV (oCNV) than healthy controls, but no differences regarding habituation. After completion of the PMR-training, migraineurs showed a normalization of the iCNV amplitude, but neither of the oCNV nor of the habituation coefficient.
CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm clinical efficacy of PMR for migraine prophylaxis. The pre-treatment measure confirms altered cortical information processing in migraine patients. Regarding the changes in the iCNV after PMR-training, central nervous mechanisms of the PMR-effect are supposed which may be mediated by the serotonin metabolism. | 10.1186/s10194-016-0630-0 |
pubmed_318_3358 | The mode of action of the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on ovarian follicle growth was studied in hypophysectomized rats using the histologic, autoradiographic and histochemical techniques. The follicle growth was stimulated by the administration of both FSH and estrogen. The histologic finding of the follicle growth induced by the two hormones was different. Namely, after the administration of FSH, the theca layer was thick, but after the administration of estrogen, it was thin. 3H-thymidine and 3H-leucine were used to investigate cell division in a growing follicle. The uptake of 3H-thymidine and 3H-leucine by the theca layer was enhanced remarkably by FSH. On the other hand, the uptake of 3H-thymidine by the granulosa layer was enhanced by FSH or estrogen, while the grain count of granulosa cells was increased only by the administration of estrogen. Moreover, the administration of FSH resulted in an increase of the enzyme activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD), DELTA5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) in the theca layer. Furthermore, the administration of FSH caused an increase in the serum estradiol and estriol of rats, whereas the administration of estrogen did not. It seems possible, therefore, that FSH stimulated proliferation of theca cells and produced estrogen. The results suggest that the estrogen produced by the theca cells might stimulate proliferation of granulosa cells; consequently, follicle growth might be induced. | 10.1507/endocrine1927.53.10_1169 |
pubmed_1122_1424 | The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of touch to discriminate fine-surface textures and to suggest possible mechanisms of the discriminations. Two experiments were performed. In experiment 1, aluminum-oxide abrasive papers were adopted as stimuli, and psychometric functions and difference thresholds were determined in fine-surface-texture discrimination tasks. The grit values of abrasive papers were 400, 600, 1200, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 8000; corresponding average particle sizes were 40, 30, 12, 9, 5, 3, and 1 micron, respectively. Ten subjects participated in experiment 1. The difference thresholds obtained in experiment 1 were between 2.4 and 3.3 microns. In experiment 2, the tasks were discriminations of ridge height. The cross sections of the etched ridges were rectangular and the ridge heights were 6.3, 7.0, 8.6, 10.8, 12.3, 18.5, and 25.0 microns. Six subjects participated in experiment 2. The difference thresholds in experiment 2 were between 0.95 and 2.0 microns. It was reasoned, based on the Weber fraction values calculated from the difference thresholds and on the limit of neural information-processing ability of humans, that the subjects discriminate fine roughness only from the amplitude information presented in surface unevenness. | 10.1121/1.426852 |
pubmed_723_7832 | INTRODUCTION
Patients with liver disease are at risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE); however, little is understood regarding the safety and efficacy of VTE prophylaxis in patients with cirrhosis. We examined the application of a VTE risk assessment model in VTE prophylaxis decision-making in a closed cohort of hospitalized patients with liver disease.
METHODS
Sequential patients admitted to an inpatient hepatology service at a tertiary care center were evaluated for need for VTE prophylaxis. Risk assessment by IMPROVE was compared with current practice patterns of VTE prophylaxis. Rates of bleeding and clotting events were noted.
RESULTS
98 patient encounters were included in our analysis. 76% of patients received VTE prophylaxis in practice. IMPROVE recommended use of VTE prophylaxis in 19% of patients. Patients who received VTE prophylaxis that was not warranted had significantly lower risk of clotting compared with patients in whom VTE prophylaxis was warranted per IMPROVE.
CONCLUSIONS
Application of IMPROVE risk assessment would significantly reduce VTE prophylaxis use among hospitalized patients with liver disease. Our findings challenge the "one-size-fits-all" current practice pattern of VTE prophylaxis. Future studies are needed in large cohorts of hospitalized patients with liver disease that include clinical outcomes of bleeding and clotting risk. | 10.1111/ejh.13363 |
pubmed_634_4062 | OBJECTIVE
Kitāb al-Dhakhīra fī 'Ilm al-Ṭibb is one of Thābit b. Qurra's most noteworthy books on medicine in Arabic in the ninth century. This study aims to present and discuss the section subtitled "wounds in the head" in the 24th chapter of Kitāb al-Dhakhīra considering the information in the literature.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study is primarily based on a copy of Kitāb al-Dhakhīra edited by Dr. G. Sobhy and printed in al-Maṭba'at al-Āmīriyya, Cairo in 1928. It is compared with the manuscript, which is in the Şehit Ali Paşa Collection, nr. 2028, in the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library in İstanbul, Turkey. The 24th chapter was first translated into English and then examined. The acquired knowledge from the chapter is discussed in this study by comparing it with that on this subject from the literature regarding the history of medicine.
RESULTS
The 24th chapter, entitled "On Wounds and Wounds in the Head and Hemorrhage from Them and from Other Wounds and on Gently Drawing Arrowhead/Spearhead and Thorn," includes a section subtitled "wounds in the head." This section provides information regarding steps to be taken if the head is simply wounded or if there is an accompanying swelling, how to control hemorrhage, which medicines should be used for treatment, and how to bandage wounds in the head, but unfortunately, it specifies no details regarding surgical interventions for such wounds.
CONCLUSIONS
Kitāb al-Dhakhīra presents interesting knowledge regarding wounds in the head, reflecting the medical paradigm of that era. | 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.07.214 |
pubmed_770_16036 | Microtransducers sensitive to changes in internal diameter were chronically implanted in the oviducts of 5 dairy cows. Motility patterns were recorded throughout 9 oestrous cycles. Cyclic variations in patterns of motility were observed and compared with circulating concentrations of plasma progesterone. Luteal-phase motility patterns were of low amplitude and frequency. The frequency and amplitude of motility increased 3-5 days before behavioural oestrus. This activity consisted primarily of longitudinal muscle contractions, with an interspacing of circular muscle activity occurring during oestrus. Patterns of activity after oestrus were similar to those before oestrus, with activity decreasing 3-5 days after oestrus. Transducers implanted bilaterally in 2 animals permitted observation of asynchronous patterns between right and left oviducts. Preliminary data suggested a higher level of activity in the oviduct ipsilateral to the active ovary. These variations may be due to a local effect, possibly mediated by the functional ovary or the ovum. | 10.1530/jrf.0.0830537 |
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