index
stringlengths 10
17
| text
stringlengths 101
18k
| doi
stringlengths 2
72
|
|---|---|---|
pubmed_298_24541 | OBJECTIVE
There are few prior studies on patient satisfaction with medication related services and the potential value of measurements of patient satisfaction to the development of pharmaceutical care service (PCS) strategies in China. The objectives of the current study were to assess patient satisfaction with medication-related services in Chinese tertiary hospitals, examine the possible impact of PCS on patient satisfaction, and form a development strategy to establish PCS strategy prioritization.
METHODS
Self administered questionnaires were distributed to 540 patients before discharge from units in 18 tertiary general hospitals in six cities. The participants assessed their satisfaction with the hospital's medication-related services based on a 7-point Likert-type scale. A comparative analysis between PCS and non-PCS pilot hospitals was conducted to evaluate the impact of PCS on patient satisfaction.
RESULTS
501 valid questionnaires were collected: 247 samples from PCS pilot hospitals (PCS group) and 254 from non-PCS pilot hospitals (non-PCS group). Factor analysis resulted in three factors (dimensions): "consideration and explanation", "discharge instruction", and "efficacy and finance". The "efficacy and finance" scores indicated relative satisfaction with this dimension (mean = 5.63 ± 1.36). However, the items "medication costs" and "other medical costs" were the lowest scored attributes (means = 4.98 ± 1.62 and 4.95 ± 1.63), indicating that most of the participants were dissatisfied with these financial attributes. The median score in the "consideration and explanation" dimension in the PCS group was 6.27, in comparison with 5.81 in the non-PCS group. This statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) demonstrates that the major impact of PCS on patient satisfaction is observed in the "consideration and explanation" dimension.
CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed low patient satisfaction with the financial aspects of medication-related services, which must be improved to provide better inpatient hospital service. The clinical effectiveness of medication therapy at these 18 tertiary hospitals could meet patients' expectations, but PCS did not increase the level of patient satisfaction in the "efficacy and finance" dimension. Future PCS strategy in China should focus on improving the clinical and economic outcomes of medication-related services. | 10.5414/CP202016 |
pubmed_881_3579 | The product of the bcl-2 oncogene has been shown to play an important role in apoptosis and programmed cell death. In this study, a herpes simplex virus type-1 vector was constructed to carry the human bcl-2 gene. The possible role of bcl-2 in protecting neurons from excitoxicity was investigated by using the viral vector to deliver the gene into neuronal cultures before or after the cells were exposed to glutamate under conditions in which 50-80% of neurons died. Infection with the bcl-2 expressing vector 24 h prior to glutamate treatment effectively prevented the cell death that normally follows this treatment. Moreover, infection with the vector as late as 8 h after the glutamate insult still resulted in substantial neuroprotective effects. These results have potential implications for new therapies in stroke or ischemic neuropathies. | 10.1016/s0169-328x(96)00223-9 |
pubmed_607_17679 | Transcutaneous Doppler ultrasound was used to measure superior mesenteric artery blood flow in 12 healthy volunteers in the fasting state and serially for 1 h after the ingestion of isocaloric and isovolaemic carbohydrate, fat, and protein liquid meals. The superior mesenteric artery blood flow increased significantly within 5 min of the end of each meal. The maximal responses were not significantly different but were reached at different times: carbohydrate, 64% at 15 min; fat, 60% at 30 min; and protein, 57% at 45 min. The response to the fat meal was significantly slower than the response to the carbohydrate, and the response to protein was slowest of all. In a further group of 20 fasted normal subjects no significant change in superior mesenteric artery blood flow occurred after drinking 400 ml of distilled water at room temperature. In seven of these subjects, drinking 400 ml of distilled water at 4 degrees C also did not affect mesenteric blood flow. These results indicate that the chemical nature of the meal and not the volume per se is a significant factor determining postprandial mesenteric hyperaemia. | 10.3109/00365528809093842 |
pubmed_68_11602 | To determine the usefulness of spiral CT in the detection of hypervascular hepatic lesions, we compared conventional contrast enhanced CT (CECT) with whole liver dynamic scanning during the artery-dominant phase by spiral CT (SDCT), using hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a model. Twenty-nine patients with 56 hypervascular nodular type HCCs detected by hepatic digital subtraction angiography were examined by both CT techniques. These nodular type HCCs were divided into three groups according to diameter: < 10 mm (n = 7), 10-20 mm (n = 17), and over 20 mm (n = 32). None of seven lesions less than 10 mm in diameter was seen by either technique. Of 17 lesions 10-20 mm in diameter, four (24%) were detected by precontrast CT plus CECT, whereas 14 (82%) were detected by precontrast CT plus SDCT. There were no lesions detected by CECT only, whereas 10 lesions were detected by SDCT only (P < 0.01 by signed test). For 32 lesions over 20 mm in diameter, there was no significant difference in detection rates between the CT techniques. Our results indicate that spiral CT is useful for the detection of relatively small hypervascular hepatic lesions such as hypervascular HCCs. | 10.1016/0720-048x(94)90281-x |
pubmed_298_11599 | Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound with no external source, affects an estimated 10-15% of the adult population. Current treatments for this oftentimes distressing condition are of limited effectiveness. The "central gain" model proposes that tinnitus arises from an increase in the responsiveness, or gain, of neurons in central auditory pathways, triggered by damage to the auditory periphery. It has been suggested that tinnitus might be treated by compensating for the peripheral damage, thereby restoring normal levels of input to the central pathways, and hence reducing central gain. Unfortunately, when tinnitus originates with permanent damage to the auditory periphery, it may be impossible to compensate for this damage directly. However, we hypothesize that tinnitus may be treated by tricking the brain into believing that it temporarily receives normal levels of input at frequencies where peripheral damage has occurred. We identify an auditory illusion that seems capable, in principle, of achieving this objective. If effective, this approach would offer a safe, accessible, and non-invasive treatment for tinnitus. | pubmed_298_11599 |
pubmed_585_8226 | Brain functional and psychophysical studies have clearly demonstrated that visual motion perception relies on the activity of the middle temporal complex (hMT+). However, recent studies have shown that hMT+ seems to be also activated during tactile motion perception, suggesting that this visual extrastriate area is involved in the processing and integration of motion, irrespective of the sensorial modality. In the present study, we used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to assess whether hMT+ plays a causal role in tactile motion processing. Blindfolded participants detected changes in the speed of a grid of tactile moving points with their finger (i.e. tactile modality). The experiment included three different conditions: a control condition with no TMS and two TMS conditions, i.e. hMT+-rTMS and posterior parietal cortex (PPC)-rTMS. Accuracies were significantly impaired during hMT+-rTMS but not in the other two conditions (No-rTMS or PPC-rTMS), moreover, thresholds for detecting speed changes were significantly higher in the hMT+-rTMS with respect to the control TMS conditions. These findings provide stronger evidence that the activity of the hMT+ area is involved in tactile speed processing, which may be consistent with the hypothesis of a supramodal role for that cortical region in motion processing. | 10.1007/s10548-012-0223-4 |
pubmed_800_9421 | In addition to its common activating action, the DA system is involved in the functional specialization of the brain areas which participate in the expression of discrete behavioral components. The evidence for different levels of activity of the mesocortical DA system in aggressive and submissive mice were obtained. In C57BL/6J mice, confrontations produced simultaneous increase in the extracellular DA content and its release from the nerve terminals in the nucleus accumbens and frontal cortex, while an elevation of the HVA concentration in these structures was found only in submissive mice. After 20 encounters, the habituation of animals to the repeated stress exposures and conditioning developed. Activation of the DA metabolism (increase in the DOPAC level and DOPAC/DA ratio) in the hippocampus was observed only in aggressive mice after 20 days of confrontation, when the extinction of the information novelty leading to aggression had been already accomplished. Our findings suggest the predominance of the role of the mesolimbic DA system, in particular, of its mesoaccumbens link, in the extinction of the information novelty in aggressors. A role of the mesocortical DA system in realization of the submissive behavior patterns, stress reactions, conditioned defensive behavior, anxiety-related behavior, and in modulation of the anxiety response to social stimuli is considered. | pubmed_800_9421 |
pubmed_1094_3137 | We present IR spectra and quantum chemical calculations for anionic iron-CO2 clusters of the form [Fe(CO2)n]- (n = 3-7). All observed clusters have at least two CO2 units strongly bound to the metal atom. These strongly bound iron-CO2 complexes form the core ions of the clusters and are solvated by additional, weakly bound CO2 molecules. Larger clusters show clear infrared signatures of core ion isomers with three CO2 moieties as well. Dominant structural motifs are based on bidentate CO2 ligands with Fe-O/Fe-C bonds, oxalate ligands, and metal insertion into a CO bond. | 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b02742 |
pubmed_602_19783 | We examined the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and antihypertensive effect of the hot water extract of wakame, Undaria pinnatifida. Ten dipeptides were isolated from the extract by several steps of chromatography, and their amino acid sequences were Tyr-His, Lys-Trp, Lys-Tyr, Lys-Phe, Phe-Tyr, Val-Trp, Val-Phe, Ile-Tyr, Ile-Trp, and Val-Tyr. Both single administration and repeated oral administration of synthetic Tyr-His, Lys-Tyr, Phe-Tyr, and Ile-Tyr significantly decreased blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. | 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2003.11.004 |
pubmed_320_5326 | Prior research has established associations between pregnancy outcomes and specific neighborhood characteristics, including economic disadvantage, violent crime, and racial/ethnic segregation. Recently, associations have also been found between various health outcomes and group density, the degree to which an individual is a racial or ethnic majority in his or her local community. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which census tract economic disadvantage, violent crime rate, and group density are associated with pregnancy outcomes among White, Black, and Hispanic infants in a large metropolitan setting. This cross-sectional study utilized 1990 census data, 1991 crime data, and 1991 birth certificate information for singleton live births in Chicago, Illinois. Results show substantial racial segregation in Chicago, with 35% of census tracts having more than 90% Black residents and 45% of census tracts having fewer than 10% Black residents. After stratifying by maternal race/ethnicity, we used multilevel analyses to model pregnancy outcomes as a function of individual and census tract characteristics. Among all racial/ethnic groups, violent crime rate accounted for most of the negative association between tract economic disadvantage and birth weight. Group density was also associated with birth weight but this association was stronger among Whites and Hispanics than among Blacks. Further analysis revealed that group density was more strongly associated with preterm birth while violent crime rate was more strongly associated with small for gestational age. These results suggest that group density and violent crime may impact birth weight via different mechanisms. | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.07.014 |
pubmed_877_10957 | Cervical cancer is a malignant transformation of keratinocytes initiated by the E7 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus (HPV). These tumors are characterized by keratinocyte hyperproliferation and are often infiltrated with activated CD8 T cells. HPV infection confers changes to gain immunological advantage to promote chronic infection, and these persist with malignant transformation. We investigated the relative importance of the many redundant mechanisms of cytotoxicity used by CD8 T cells to kill keratinocytes expressing HPV E7 oncoprotein using extended-duration time-lapse microscopy that allows examination of cell-to-cell interactions during killing. E7 expression by keratinocytes increased susceptibility to cell-mediated killing. However, while killing of non-transgenic keratinocytes was traditional, perforin-mediated, and caspase-dependent, E7-expression favored killing by perforin-independent, caspase-independent mechanisms. The roles of perforin, TNFα, IFNγ, Fas/FasL and PD1/PD-L1 were graded according to target cell survival to produce a hierarchy of killing mechanisms utilized in killing E7-expressing cells. TNFα was essential for perforin-mediated killing of E7-expressing cells, but not perforin-independent killing. IFNγ facilitated killing by Fas/FasL interaction, especially in the absence of perforin. Additionally, expression of E7 offered protection from killing by up regulation of PD-L1, Fas and FasL expression on keratinocytes promoting fight-back by target cells, resulting in effector cell death. This study shows that keratinocytes expressing E7 are highly susceptible to killing by CD8 T cells, but utilizing different armamentarium. Down-regulation of CD8 T cell cytotoxicity in HPV-related tumors may be due to suppression by E7-expressing keratinocytes. Immunotherapy for HPV-related cancers may be improved by suppression of PD-L1, or by suppression of FasL. | 10.18632/oncotarget.23210 |
pubmed_826_18924 | Synaptogenesis plays a central role in associative learning and memory. The biochemical pathways that underlie synaptogenesis are complex and incompletely understood. Nevertheless, research has so far identified three conceptually distinct routes to synaptogenesis: cell-cell contact mediated by adhesion proteins, cell-cell biochemical signaling from astrocytes and other cells, and neuronal signaling through classical ion channels and cell surface receptors. The cell adhesion pathways provide the physical substrate to the new synaptic connection, while cell-cell signaling may provide a global or regional signal, and the activity-dependent pathways provide the neuronal specificity that is required for the new synapses to produce functional neuronal networks capable of storing associative memories. These three aspects of synaptogenesis require activation of a variety of interacting biochemical pathways that converge on the actin cytoskeleton and strengthen the synapse in an information-dependent manner. This article is part of a Special Issue titled SI: Brain and Memory. | pubmed_826_18924 |
pubmed_374_21345 | New York City Health + Hospitals is the largest safety-net health care delivery system in the United States. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, NYC Health + Hospitals served more than one million patients annually, including the most vulnerable New Yorkers, while billing fewer than five hundred telehealth visits monthly. Once the pandemic struck, we established a strategy to allow us to continue to serve our existing patients while treating the surge of new patients. Starting in March 2020, we were able to transform the system using virtual care platforms through which we conducted almost eighty-three thousand billable televisits in one month, as well as more than thirty thousand behavioral health encounters via telephone and video. Telehealth also enabled us to support patient-family communication, postdischarge follow-up, and palliative care for patients with COVID-19. Expanded Medicaid coverage and insurance reimbursement for telehealth played a pivotal role in this transformation. As we move to a new blend of virtual and in-person care, it is vital that the major regulatory and insurance changes undergirding our COVID-19 telehealth response be sustained to protect access for our most vulnerable patients. | 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00903 |
pubmed_563_1353 | Salinity is one of the major plant abiotic stresses increasing over time worldwide. The most important biological role of nitric oxide (NO) in plants is related to their development and growth under abiotic conditions. The present experiment was conducted to study the effect of salt stress (0 and 100 mM) and NO (0 and 80 μM) on two different ecotypes of Brassica rapa (L.): PTWG-HL and PTWG-PK. The different growth attributes, biochemical and physiological parameters, and the mineral contents were examined. The results indicated increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), relative membrane permeability, malondialdehyde (MDA), and Na+ content and decreased plant biomass in both ecotypes (PTWG-PK and PTWG-HL) under salt stress. In contrast, NO treatment resulted in increased plant biomass, chlorophyll content, and total soluble proteins and decreased H2O2, relative membrane permeability, MDA, total phenolic content, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and Na+. The combined effect of salt stress and NO application increased the chlorophyll a content, total phenolic content, and total soluble proteins, but decreased H2O2, relative membrane permeability, MDA, and Na+. The response of carotenoids, anthocyanins, and K+, Ca2+, and Cl- ions varied in both ecotypes under all treatment conditions. The PTWG-PK ecotype showed maximum overall growth response with the application of NO. Henceforth, it is proposed that the molecular mechanisms associated with NO-induced stress tolerance in plants may be exploited to attain sustainability in agriculture under changing climate scenarios. | 10.3389/fpls.2022.995837 |
pubmed_1102_14650 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
A fetal phonocardiography signal can be hard to interpret and classify due to various sources of additive noise in the womb, spanning from fetal movement to maternal heart sounds. Nevertheless, the non-invasive nature of the method makes it potentially suitable for long-term monitoring of fetal health, especially since it can be implemented on ubiquitous devices such as smartphones. We have employed empirical mode decomposition for the extraction of intrinsic mode functions that would enable the utilization of additional characteristics from the signal.
METHODS
Fetal heart recordings from 7 pregnant women in the 3rd trimester or pregnancy were taken in parallel with a measurement microphone and a portable Doppler device. Signal peaks positions from the Doppler were taken as the locations of S1 heart sounds and subsequently used as classification labels for the microphone signal. After employing a moving window approach for segmentation, more than 7600 observations were stored in the final dataset. The 135 extracted features consisted of typical audio temporal and spectral characteristics, each taken from separate sets of audio signals and intrinsic mode functions. We have used a number of metrics and methods to validate the usability of features, including univariate analysis of feature ranking and importance. Furthermore, we have used machine learning to train a number of classifiers to validate the usability of features based on intrinsic mode functions, taking prediction accuracy as the comparison metric.
RESULTS
Features extracted from intrinsic mode functions combined with audio features significantly improve accuracy in comparison to using only audio features. The improvements of detection accuracy obtained with a selected set of combined features spanned from 3.8% to even 10.3% based on the employed classifier.
CONCLUSIONS
We have utilized empirical mode decomposition as a method of extracting features relevant for fetal heartbeat classification. The results show consistent improvements in detection accuracy when these characteristics are added to a set of conventional audio features. This implies substantial benefits of applying empirical mode decomposition and lays the groundwork for future research on fetal heartbeat detection. | 10.1016/j.cmpb.2021.106038 |
pubmed_581_8227 | A goal of our study was to find an alternative to nano-silver-based antimicrobial materials which would contain active silver immobilized in a solid matrix that prevents its migration into the surrounding environment. In this study, we investigated whether silver cations dispersed in an atomic form and trapped in an ion-exchanged zeolite show comparable antimicrobial activity to silver nanoparticles (NPs). The biocidal active material was prepared from the sodium form of faujasite type zeolite in two steps: (1) exchange with silver cations, (2) removal of the external silver oxide NPs by elution with Na₂EDTA solution. The modified biocidal zeolite was then added to paper pulp to obtain sheets. The zeolite paper samples and reference samples containing silver NPs were tested in terms of biocidal activity against an array of fungi and bacteria strains, including Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Trichoderma viride, Chaetomium globosum, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Mortierella alpina. The paper with the modified faujasite additive showed higher or similar antibacterial and antifungal activities towards the majority of tested microbes in comparison with the silver NP-filled paper. A reverse effect was observed for the Mortierella alpina strain. | 10.3390/nano7090240 |
pubmed_528_23700 | In an university hospital of about 900 beds, a clinical surveillance was activated to detect cases of Legionnaires' disease in patients affected by community and/or nosocomial-acquired pneumonia. In the hospital Legionella spp was detected in the hot water distribution system and various disinfecting and control procedures were adopted to reduce contamination. Contemporary, the clinical surveillance began with the systematic detection of Legionella urinary antigen among recovered pneumonia, seroconversion as confirmation test and the collection of respiratory secretions or other biological materials to isolate the microorganism in patients positive to the urinary antigen. From September 2003 to May 2005, 486 pneumonia were followed, 98 of which considered of nosocomial origin. In total, 15 cases of community-acquired Legionnaires' disease were detected by the urinary test, whereas no cases of nosocomial origin were found. The characteristics of the detected cases are described in comparison with the other pneumonia and the surveillance cost was evaluated. The systematic clinical surveillance for Legionella infections is feasible with limit costs, allows to detect community-acquired cases otherwise unknown and to ascertain the absence/presence of nosocomial-acquired pneumonia, irrespective of the environment contamination. | pubmed_528_23700 |
pubmed_130_6006 | The Covid-19 pandemic has decimated public transit service across the United States and caused significant decreases in ridership. Little is known about the reasons for unevenness in pandemic-era mode shifts and the impacts of pandemic-related transit reductions on riders' day-to-day lives. Using a national survey of U.S. transit riders (n = 500) conducted in fall 2020, this study examines changes in transit use since the pandemic began, the reasons for transit reductions, and the effects of reduced transit use and transit service on transit riders' ability to meet their travel needs. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing transportation burdens for those who have limited mobility options, those facing socioeconomic challenges, Hispanic or Latinx riders, and female, non-binary or genderqueer people. We close with recommendations for strengthening transit service for these groups in the long term as we recover from the pandemic. | 10.1016/j.trd.2022.103217 |
pubmed_550_10008 | In the absence of water-quality data, a biological indicator is the only way to estimate the pollution level. Samples of macrophytes from exposed shallow rocky substrata of the region of Algiers (Algeria, Mediterranean Sea) were collected in supposedly (in the absence of available pollution data) polluted and pristine waters. These samples were compared to a set of samples spanning a known pollution gradient found near Marseilles (France) and to some samples from a variety of other Mediterranean localities. All samples were collected in similar conditions. The diversity point (i.e., the number of species per sample) was not greater at Cherchell (control site) than at the three sites in the Bay of Algiers. Analysis of the dataset was successful in ranking the Algerian sites, but failed to calibrate the pollution level of the Algerian sites by inserting Algerian samples within the pollution gradient of Marseilles. In contrast, regional characteristics of the macrophyte communities appear to be largely prevalent. This means that water-quality biological indicators and indices based upon marine macrophytes, at least for the open waters and exposed shallow Mediterranean habitats studied here, could be reliable within a given region, but may require validation and/or adjustment, perhaps considerable, for other regions. | 10.1016/j.crvi.2007.05.001 |
pubmed_1132_23479 | The tonsil carcinoma with squamous cells seems to be one of the neoplastic lesions with a growing incidence worldwide, even in those geographical areas where the smoking incidence has been reduced. In the disease etiopathogenesis, more factors are incriminated. Among these, the most frequently mentioned are smoking, alcohol consumption and the infection with the Human Papilloma Virus. Among the morphological modifications incriminated for the tumoral appearance and development, there is also included the angiogenesis process that involves the apparition of new blood vessels out from the pre-existent ones, vessels that bring a plus of oxygen and nutritive substances for the tumoral cells. Taking into consideration the fact that the tumoral process is most often accompanied by an inflammatory reaction, in our study we also determined the microvascular density in the carcinoma with squamous cells in the palatine tonsil and in chronic tonsillitis, compared to the vascular density in normal tonsil stroma. We quantified the reaction of the mast cells in the stroma of the two types of lesions, too. The microvascular density in the carcinoma with squamous cells in the palatine tonsil was a lot greater than the microvascular density in chronic tonsillitis. The maximum number of blood vessels in tumoral lesions as well as their area, quantified through the "hot spot" technique on the surface unit, was around two times greater than in chronic tonsillitis. The number of mast cells was significantly larger in chronic tonsillitis and in tonsil carcinoma, too, but the reaction of these cells in the inflammatory affections was more intense than in the neoplastic lesions. | pubmed_1132_23479 |
pubmed_389_12006 | During saccadic eye movements, the job of the nervous system is not to perceive a change in stimulation from the receptors, but to prevent a change from reaching consciousness. These movements occupy an intermediate range between actions that are almost always conscious, such as finger movements, and those that are never conscious, such as the smooth-muscle actions of the digestive system. Consciousness in this context requires attention to the consequences of an action. | 10.1017/S0140525X15002022 |
pubmed_512_12988 | OBJECTIVES
Previous studies reveal that the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), which assesses eating behaviour, performs differently across population groups and cultures. We aimed to identify the factor structure that is most appropriate to capture eating behaviour in an overweight and obese Chinese population in Singapore.
METHODS
TFEQ-51 was administered to 444 Chinese subjects pooled from four separate studies and scored according to various alternative versions of the TFEQ. Confirmatory factor analyses and goodness of fit indices were used to determine the most appropriate factor structure. Known-group validity analyses were conducted.
RESULTS
Niemeier's Disinhibition Factors and the TFEQ-R18 factor structures were found to be the most applicable in our population based on goodness of fit indices, with a x(2)/df ratio of <3, RMSEA of ≤ 0.6 and a CFI value of >0.9 for both. Only two of three factors (Emotional Eating and Uncontrolled Eating) of the TFEQ-R18 showed good internal consistency, while none of Niemeier's Disinhibition Factors showed good internal consistency. Known-group validity showed that Emotional Eating and Internal Disinhibition were significantly associated with higher BMI.
CONCLUSION
We found that the TFEQ-R18 factor structure is the most appropriate and practical for use in measuring eating behaviour in an overweight and obese Chinese population in Singapore. | pubmed_512_12988 |
pubmed_938_11039 | Upon starvation the cellular slime mold, Dictyostelium purpureum, develops a form of cell-cell adhesion aiding in the formation of large multicellular aggregates, which are capable of further differentiation. The molecule that mediates this adhesion is a glycoprotein of Mr approximately 40,000. The protein shares a common carbohydrate epitope with another well-characterized cell adhesion molecule from Dictyostelium discoideum, contact sites A, but the polypeptides to which it is attached differ for each species. Although mediating a developmental form of adhesiveness, the protein is synthesized in vegetative cells at a time when they do not adhere. Most of the vegetative protein is associated with cell membranes and appears to be on the surface of these cells. The protein is compared to other cell adhesion molecules from other species of cellular slime molds, and possible explanations for its inability to function in vegetative cells are discussed. | 10.1016/0012-1606(89)90048-1 |
pubmed_177_16444 | Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 was cultured on media containing long odd-chain fatty acids. Heptadecanoic, nonadecanoic, and heneicosanoic acids sustained cell growth and resulted in polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) accumulation when culturing was conducted under nitrogen starvation conditions. No PHA was produced using a complete or magnesium-deprived medium. The isolated polyesters were characterized by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) of methanolyzed samples, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, ESI MS of partially pyrolyzed samples, and differential scanning calorimetry. These PHAs are composed of seven different odd-chain repeating units starting from 3-hydroxyvalerate, with the highest species being the, to date, unreported constituent 3-hydroxyheptadecanoate, and minor amounts of 2 or 3 even-chain comonomers. The PHAs are soft, sticky, rubber-like materials having glass transition temperatures between -45 and -39°C, melting temperatures between 48 and 52°C, enthalpies of melting around 11J/g, and molar masses ranging from 77 to 188kg/mol. Statistical analysis of the ESI mass spectra of the products of their partial pyrolysis showed that they are pure copolymers and not a blend of copolymers or homopolymers. | 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.12.037 |
pubmed_1100_19648 | For evaluation of mutagenic and genotoxic properties of Tołpa Peat Preparation (TPP) four selected short-term tests were employed. TPP has been found to be neither mutagenic nor genotoxic. | pubmed_1100_19648 |
pubmed_520_19717 | In this study, we construct a green and high-performance platform using Pickering emulsions for biphasic catalysis. The oil-in-water Pickering emulsions stabilized by the lignin/chitosan nanoparticles (Lig/Chi NPs) have great stability and alkali resistance, showing pH-responsive reversible emulsification and demulsification which can be recycled at least three times. The Pickering emulsion also has fluorescence and wide availability to different oil-to-water volume ratios, types of oil, storage times, temperatures, and ion concentrations. When this system is applied to the lipase-catalyzed reaction for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenol palmitate, it will provide stable and large oil-water reaction interface areas, and the negatively charged lipase will enrich at the emulsion interface by electrostatic adsorption of the positively charged Lig/Chi NPs to achieve immobilization (lipase-Lig/Chi NPs). The reaction conversion rate can reach nearly 100% in 30 min, which is nearly three times higher than that of the conventional two-phase system. Moreover, the lipases in Pickering emulsion stabilized by Lig/Chi NPs exhibit great recyclability because of the protection of Lig/Chi NPs. | 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01819 |
pubmed_444_18227 | Organic synthesis is a vital process that is a mainstay of drug discovery. However, traditional manual-based approaches to organic synthesis might not be economical, especially in a research environment where budgets are increasingly restricted and the effective use of manpower and materials is crucial. Hence, there is a strong interest in automating the synthesis process, resulting in a growth in synthesis automation, especially of systems and configuration. Here, we systematically summarize recently developed automated systems for organic synthesis. This review will be useful for computational scientists aiming to develop novel tools and also for non-specialists and students to understand the frontier of automated synthesis. | 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.09.009 |
pubmed_261_13059 | This report describes the successful management of peristomal tissue necrosis following prepubic urethrostomy in a cat. The novel technique of temporary urethral ligation was used in combination with temporary tube cystostomy and vacuum assisted closure to allow for wound management prior to performing wound closure by utilization of a flank fold skin flap then definitive prepubic urethrostomy. Eleven month follow-up indicated excellent outcome with the cat having returned to normal behaviour apart from having adapted its posture to urinate. | 10.3415/VCOT-11-11-0168 |
pubmed_92_2250 | Plants respond to pathogen attack by transcriptionally regulating defense-related genes via various types of transcription factors. We identified a transcription factor in rice, OsNAC111, belonging to the TERN subgroup of the NAC family that was transcriptionally upregulated after rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) inoculation. OsNAC111 was localized in the nucleus of rice cells and had transcriptional activation activity in yeast and rice cells. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsNAC111 showed increased resistance to the rice blast fungus. In OsNAC111-overexpressing plants, the expression of several defense-related genes, including pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, was constitutively high compared with the control. These genes all showed blast disease-responsive expression in leaves. Among them, two chitinase genes and one β-1,3-glucanase gene showed reduced expression in transgenic rice plants in which OsNAC111 function was suppressed by a chimeric repressor (OsNAC111-SRDX). OsNAC111 activated transcription from the promoters of the chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase genes in rice cells. In addition, brown pigmentation at the infection sites, a defense response of rice cells to the blast fungus, was lowered in OsNAC111-SRDX plants at the early infection stage. These results indicate that OsNAC111 positively regulates the expression of a specific set of PR genes in the disease response and contributes to disease resistance. | 10.1094/MPMI-03-14-0065-R |
pubmed_1003_8004 | OBJECTIVES
To review our experience with the diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) in gynecologic oncology patients.
METHODS
Spiral CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) studies on gynecologic oncology patients were collected from our radiology database from 6/2001 to 6/2003. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed. Data were abstracted relative to presenting symptoms, demographics and laboratory and diagnostic evaluations. Patient data were compared using chi-square contingency tables and logistic regression analysis. Survival was studied using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test. The effect of PE on survival was adjusted using a proportional hazards regression model.
RESULTS
One-hundred and eleven CTPA studies were performed over 2 years and 25 patients were diagnosed with PE. Both PE (n = 25) and non-PE (n = 86) groups were similar for age, race, BMI and cancer diagnosis. Tachycardia (P = 0.02, OR = 3.03 [95% CI 1.16-7.94]) and leukocytosis (P = 0.04, OR = 2.93[95% CI 1.05-8.18]) were more frequent among PE patients and confirmed as independently prognostic of PE. All other clinical and laboratory findings were similar between patients with and without PE. Overall survival for patients with and without PE was 63% versus 94%, respectively, at 2 years (P = 0.02).
CONCLUSION
In a gynecologic oncology patient with high clinical suspicion for PE, our clinical pre-test probability was 23.0%. Two-year mortality rates were 6-fold higher for patients diagnosed with PE. The significant overlap in clinical presentations, multiple risk factors and higher mortality rates encourage the aggressive diagnosis and treatment of PE among this population. Further work is needed to reduce the incidence and mortality rate of PE. | 10.1016/j.ygyno.2005.04.020 |
pubmed_589_10121 | The main purpose of this study was to optimize the preparation of lysozyme nanoliposomes using response surface methodology and measure their stability. The stabilities of lysozyme nanoliposomes in simulated gastrointestinal fluid (SGF), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), as well as pH, temperature and sonication treatment time were evaluated. Reverse-phase evaporation method is an easy, speedy, and beneficial approach for nanoliposomes' preparation and optimization. The optimal preparative conditions were as follows: phosphatidylcholine-to-cholesterol ratio of 3.86, lysozyme concentration of 1.96 mg/mL, magnetic stirring time of 40.61 min, and ultrasound time of 14.15 min. At the optimal point, encapsulation efficiency and particle size were found to be 75.36% ± 3.20% and 245.6 nm ± 5.2 nm, respectively. The lysozyme nanoliposomes demonstrated certain stability in SGF and SIF at a temperature of 37 °C for 4 h, and short sonication handling times were required to attain nano-scaled liposomes. Under conditions of high temperature, acidity and alkalinity, lysozyme nanoliposomes are unstable. | pubmed_589_10121 |
pubmed_594_11761 | OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics and trends of diabetes mortality among the Puerto Rican population from 1980 through 1997.
METHODS
Death certificates for Puerto Rican residents whose underlying cause of death was diabetes mellitus (ICD-9-250.0) were reviewed, and sociodemographic information was abstracted. The proportion mortality ratio (PMR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by gender, age group, educational level and period of time. Trend analysis in mortality was performed using a Poisson regression model.
RESULTS
A total of 26,193 deaths (5.8%) were primarily attributed to diabetes mellitus in the study period. Females accounted for 55.8% of all diabetes related deaths. Diabetes accounted for a higher proportion of deaths among persons aged 60-64 years (8.14%), persons aged 65-74 (8.12%), females (7.73%) and those with 1-6 years of education (7.08%). The PMR steadily increased from 4.55% in the 1980-85 period to 6.91% in the 1992-97 period. There was a higher mortality in male diabetic subjects aged < or = 64 than in females during the 18 year period. Between 1980 and 1991, females aged 65-74 had a higher mortality than males, however, mortality increased in males of the same age group during 1992-97. When the oldest age group (> or = 75) was examined, males had a higher mortality between 1986 and 1997, whereas females had a slightly higher rate between 1980 and 1985.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that diabetes mortality has been markedly increasing in the Puerto Rican population, primarily in persons aged 65 years or more. Further analysis is needed to evaluate the determinants of mortality in diabetes. | pubmed_594_11761 |
pubmed_311_804 | INTRODUCTION
Intense military operations during deployment or training are associated with elevations in inflammatory cytokine markers. However, the influence of an inflammatory response on military-specific skills is unclear. This study examined the association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial fibrillar acidic protein, markers of inflammation, marksmanship and cognitive function following a week of intense military field training.
METHODS
Twenty male soldiers (20.1±0.6 years; 1.78±0.05m; 74.1±7.9kg) from the same elite combat unit of the Israel Defense Forces volunteered to participate in this study. Soldiers completed a five-day period of intense field training including navigation of 27.8km/day with load carriages of ~50% of their body mass. Soldiers slept approximately fivehours per day and were provided with military field rations. Following the final navigational exercise, soldiers returned to their base and provided a blood sample. In addition, cognitive function assessment and both dynamic and static shooting (15 shots each) were performed following a 200 m gauntlet, in which soldiers had to use hand-to-hand combat skills to reach the shooting range.
RESULTS
Results revealed that tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations were inversely correlated with dynamic shooting (r=-0.646, p=0.005). In addition, a trend (r=0.415, p=0.098) was noted between TNF-α concentrations and target engagement speed (ie, time to complete the shooting protocol). BDNF concentrations were significantly correlated with the Serial Sevens Test performance (r=0.672, p=0.012).
CONCLUSION
The results of this investigation indicate that elevated TNF-α concentrations and lower BDNF concentrations in soldiers following intense military training were associated with decreases in marksmanship and cognitive function, respectively. | 10.1136/jramc-2018-001084 |
pubmed_923_4522 | A method combining the advantages of electrophoretic DNA fractionation and autoradiography is described for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation that occurs during apoptosis, or "programmed cell death." This procedure utilizes terminal transferase enzyme to uniformly add one molecule of [alpha 32P]-dideoxynucleotide to the 3'-end of DNA fragments. Following gel electrophoresis and autoradiographic analysis, the total amount of radiolabel incorporated into the low molecular weight DNA fraction can be quantitated and used to estimate the degree of apoptotic DNA fragmentation in any given sample. This method requires as little as 15 ng of total cellular DNA and increases the sensitivity of apoptotic DNA detection by at least 100-fold over the widely used ethidium bromide staining method. The procedure should prove valuable for the analysis of apoptosis in minute quantities of tissues and cultured cells. | 10.1002/jcp.1041540310 |
pubmed_983_13699 | OBJECTIVE
To examine the ethanol, aqueous, chloroform, benzene, acetone and petroleum ether extracts of, Hemigraphis colorata (H. colorata) leaves and stem and Elephantopus scaber (E. scaber) leaves, root and flower for the presence of phyto-constituents and screened the anti-bacterial activity against the selected pathogens.
METHODS
The fresh materials were shade dried and powdered using the tissue blender. The dried and powered materials (50 g) were extracted successively with 200 mL of aqueous, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, and petroleum ether by using Soxhlet extractor for 8 h at a temperature not exceeding the boiling point of the solvent. Aqueous, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, and petroleum ether extracts were prepared from powdered materials were used for preliminary phytochemical and antimicrobial studies using standard methods.
RESULTS
The crude aqueous, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, and petroleum ether extracts E. scaber leaves, flower and root and H. colorata leaves and stem demonstrated that out of (5×6×12 = 360) tests for the presence or absence of the above compounds, 188 tests gave positive results and the remaining 172 gave negative results. The results of the phytochemical screening revealed that phenol (12/12), carbohydrates (9/12), steroids (8/12), saponins and coumarins (7/12), tannins (6/12), proteins (5/12), carboxylic acid and flavonoids (4/12), xanthoproteins (3/12) and alkaloids (2/12) presence in the crude aqueous, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, and petroleum ether extracts of H. colorata leaves and stem. The crude aqueous, acetone, benzene, chloroform, ethanol, and petroleum ether extracts E. scaber leaves, flower and root displayed the presence of phenol (18/18), tannin (17/18), carbohydrates (16/18), steroids (14/18), carboxylic acid and coumarins (12/18), saponins (10/18), xanthoprotein (9/18), flavonoids (7/18), protein (4/18) and alkaloids (2/18). The root ethanolic extracts of E. scaber illustrated the highest zone of inhibition against three pathogens viz., Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (24 mm), Escherichia coli (E. coli) (16 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) (13 mm). The chlorofrom extracts of E. scaber showed the highest zone of inhibition against Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) (12 mm), The leaves ethanolic extracts of E. scaber demonstrated the highest zone of inhibition against three pathogens viz., Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) (18 mm), Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) (17 mm), Salmonella Typhi (S. typhi) (14 mm) and Enterobacter sp. (11 mm) While the benzene extracts of H. colorata demonstrated maximum zone of inhibition against the pathogen Acinetobacter sp. (14 mm) and S. aureus (12 mm).
CONCLUSIONS
It is hoped that this study would direct to the establishment of some compounds that could be used to invent new and more potent antimicrobial drugs of natural origin. | 10.1016/S1995-7645(11)60245-9 |
pubmed_289_524 | INTRODUCTION
The posterior epidural migration of a fragment of lumbar disc herniation is a rare clinical presentation.
CASE REPORT
We report the case of a 76-year-old with back pain and progressive paraparesis in the lower limbs, with the emergence of a cauda equina syndrome 4 days after admission. MRI showed lumbar spondylosis and a well-defined intra-spinal mass in the posterior epidural space. Surgical resection of the epidural mass was performed. The pathological study revealed an intervertebral disc fragment; thus it was a complete migration of a herniated lumbar disc. The patient was healed after surgery and specific rehabilitation treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with posterior migration of disc fragment may present with severe neurological deficits, such as cauda equina syndrome. Because the radiological images of disc fragments are similar to those of other lesions, such as metastasis, synovial cyst, dural abscess or haematoma, definitive diagnosis is made by excision and pathological study. Emergency surgery is required to prevent severe neurological deficits. | 10.1016/j.recot.2011.12.004 |
pubmed_254_19736 | The brainstem is a key centre in the control of body movements. Although the precise nature of brainstem cell types and circuits that are central to full-body locomotion are becoming known1-5, efforts to understand the neuronal underpinnings of skilled forelimb movements have focused predominantly on supra-brainstem centres and the spinal cord6-12. Here we define the logic of a functional map for skilled forelimb movements within the lateral rostral medulla (latRM) of the brainstem. Using in vivo electrophysiology in freely moving mice, we reveal a neuronal code with tuning of latRM populations to distinct forelimb actions. These include reaching and food handling, both of which are impaired by perturbation of excitatory latRM neurons. Through the combinatorial use of genetics and viral tracing, we demonstrate that excitatory latRM neurons segregate into distinct populations by axonal target, and act through the differential recruitment of intra-brainstem and spinal circuits. Investigating the behavioural potential of projection-stratified latRM populations, we find that the optogenetic stimulation of these populations can elicit diverse forelimb movements, with each behaviour stably expressed by individual mice. In summary, projection-stratified brainstem populations encode action phases and together serve as putative building blocks for regulating key features of complex forelimb movements, identifying substrates of the brainstem for skilled forelimb behaviours. | 10.1038/s41586-020-03080-z |
pubmed_632_17923 | AIM OF THE STUDY
Thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients during hospitalization reduces the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
To assess the underuse and the overuse of thromboprophylaxis in cancer patients at a tertiary oncology department, we retrospectively analyzed 1983 consecutive hospitalizations of 498 cancer patients who received chemotherapy from October 2016 to May 2017. The Padua prediction score (≥ 4 points) and Caprini risk assessment (≥ 5 points) were used to identify patients at high risk of VTE.
RESULTS
The majority of individuals (n = 363, 72.9%) suffered from advanced lung cancer. We found that 419 (84.14%) patients received thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin 40 mg qd,including 181 (43.2%) individuals using concomitant mechanical thromboprophylaxis. As few as 44 (8.8%) and 11 (2.2%) patients did not receive thromboprophylaxis despite high VTE risk based on the Caprini risk assessment and Padua prediction score, respectively (p < 0.001). The number of patients without high risk of VTE, who received pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, was higher when the Padua prediction score was used compared with the Caprini risk assessment (n = 391 [78.5%] vs. n = 210 [42.2%], respectively; p < 0.001). Three patients (0.6%) experienced vascular events during hospital stay, including one symptomatic deep vein thrombosis. No major bleeding was observed. Predictors of thromboprophylaxis overuse were as follows: previous VTE and abnormal pulmonary function for both scales.
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that thromboprophylaxis in cancer in patients undergoing chemotherapy is suboptimal in Poland in part due to the use of various VTE risk scores yielding discrepant results in everyday practice. | 10.5114/wo.2018.74391 |
pubmed_189_3458 | Dried vegetables are widely used in food production. Kale leaves, due to their high health-promoting properties, can be a valuable raw material for drying. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of blanching, drying methods (air-drying, freeze-drying), the time and temperature of storage on the content of ash, minerals, vitamins B1, B2, and tocopherols in dried kale products. The dried products were evaluated directly after processing and after 12 months of storage at ambient temperature, 18-20 °C and cold temperature, 8-10 °C. In 100 g dry matter from fresh raw material the dominant minerals were potassium (2613 mg), calcium (1346 mg), phosphorus (432 mg), magnesium (129 mg). Kale leaves had 0.828 mg vitamin B1, 1.533 mg vitamin B2 and 16.55 mg total tocopherols per 100 g of dry matter. Blanching, applied prior to drying, significantly reduced the levels of minerals (3-38%) and vitamins (8-45%), except for calcium, zinc and manganese. This pre-treatment had, however, a beneficial effect, especially on vitamin retention during the storage of dried products. After 12 month storage, the losses of vitamin B1, B2 and total tocopherols in dried, previously blanched, raw materials ranged from 3 to 10%, 1 to 4%, and 1 to 16%, respectively, depending on the type of sample. In the dried products obtained from unblanched raw material, the losses were larger and amounted to 10-17%, 8-16% and 4-17%, respectively. Throughout drying and storage, the minerals examined were fairly stable. Dried kale is generally a good source of minerals and vitamins. However, blanching before drying is recommended. In addition, freeze-drying and storage in cold temperature allows for higher vitamin preservation in dried kale. | 10.1007/s13197-021-05012-9 |
pubmed_1117_16616 | The gene for Huntington disease (HD) has been localized to the distal portion of the short arm of human chromosome 4 by linkage analysis. Currently, the two closest DNA markers are D4S10 (G8), located approximately equal to 3 centimorgans centromeric to HD, and D4S43 (C4H), positioned 0-1.5 centimorgans from HD. In an effort to move closer to the HD gene, with the eventual goal of identifying the gene itself, we have applied the technique of chromosome jumping to this region. A 200-kilobase jumping library has been constructed, and a jump from D4S10 has been obtained and its approximate distance verified by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Two restriction fragment length polymorphisms have been identified at the jump locus, which is denoted D4S81. Linkage analysis of previously identified recombinants between D4S10 and HD or D4S10 and D4S43 shows that in two of five events the jump has crossed the recombination points. This unequivocally orients D4S10 and D4S81 on the chromosome, provides additional markers for HD, and suggests that recombination frequency in this region of chromosome 4 may be increased, so that the physical distance from D4S10 to HD may not be as large as originally suspected. | 10.1073/pnas.85.17.6437 |
pubmed_921_15545 | Watt developed a classification of tooth contact sounds that distinguished between the short sharp, reproducible sounds heard when the teeth meet simultaneously and the dull prolonged, poorly reproducible sounds heard when tooth contacts are sequential. However, when a large occlusal prematurity, for instance a high restoration, is introduced, tooth contact sounds are also short sharp and highly reproducible. In this study, a method of distinguishing single from multiple tooth contact sounds is described, based on an analysis of the phase and amplitude of sounds detected by headphones placed over the ears. | 10.1046/j.1365-2842.2000.00551.x |
pubmed_324_21101 | OBJECTIVES
To describe the severity of the 2009 influenza A/H1N1v illness among pregnant women admitted to Spanish intensive care units.
DESIGN AND PATIENTS
Prospective, observational, multicenter study conducted in 148 Spanish intensive care units. We reviewed demographic and clinical data from the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine database reported from April 23, 2009, to February 15, 2010. We included women of reproductive age (15-44 yrs) with confirmed A/H1N1v infection admitted to intensive care units.
MAIN RESULTS
Two hundred thirty-four women of reproductive age were admitted to intensive care units, 50 (21.4%) of them pregnant. Seven deaths were recorded in pregnant and 22 in nonpregnant women. Among intensive care unit admissions, there were no statistically significant differences between pregnant women and nonpregnant in Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, chest x-rays, inotrope requirement, or need for mechanical ventilation or steroid therapy. Mortality risk was significantly associated with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, and obesity. Viral pneumonia was more frequent in pregnant women than in nonpregnant women, with an odds ratio (adjusted for asthma, time from onset influenza symptoms to hospital admission and obesity) of 4.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.4-17.2). The development of primary viral pneumonia in women of reproductive age appeared to be related to the time of commencement of antiviral treatment, the lowest rates being reported with initiation of antiviral therapy within 48 hrs of symptom onset (63.6% vs. 82.6%, p = .03). However, antiviral therapy was started within this time span in only 14% of pregnant women.
CONCLUSIONS
More than 20% of women of reproductive age admitted to intensive care unit for pH1N1 infection were pregnant. Pregnancy was significantly associated with primary viral pneumonia. Pregnant women should receive prompt treatment with oseltamivir within 48 hrs of the onset of influenza symptoms. | 10.1097/CCM.0b013e318208ee12 |
pubmed_977_22502 | STUDY OBJECTIVES
Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is commonly observed among Andean and other highland populations. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent at high altitude, and SDB and nocturnal hypoxemia have been observed in CMS. Phlebotomy is commonly performed to treat CMS, but it is unknown whether reducing hematocrit improves SDB. We hypothesized that isovolemic hemodilution (IVHD) in CMS would reduce SBD severity and improve sleep efficiency.
METHODS
Six participants with CMS and 8 without CMS, all residents of Cerro de Pasco, Peru (altitude 4340 m), completed baseline nocturnal sleep studies. CMS participants then underwent IVHD, and nocturnal sleep studies were repeated 24-48 hours after IVHD. We analyzed sleep apnea severity, nocturnal oxygenation, and sleep quality in those with CMS relative to those without CMS, and the effects of IVHD in CMS participants.
RESULTS
Participants with CMS did not have altered sleep architecture, sleep apnea severity, or nocturnal oxygenation relative to non-CMS participants. However, IVHD in CMS increased apnea-hypopnea index (40.9 ± 6.9 events/h to 61.5 ± 7.7 events/h, P = .009). IVHD increased oxyhemoglobin desaturation index (P = .008) and the percentage of sleep time spent with oxyhemoglobin saturation at or below 80% (P = .012). There was no effect of IVHD on sleep efficiency, arousal index, or sleep staging.
CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort, CMS was not associated with worsened SDB or changes in sleep architecture. IVHD, a putative therapeutic option for participants with CMS, appears to worsen nocturnal oxygenation and SDB within 48 hours post-IVHD.
CITATION
Sanchez-Azofra A, Villafuerte FC, DeYoung PN, et al. Isovolemic hemodilution in chronic mountain sickness acutely worsens nocturnal oxygenation and sleep apnea severity. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(10):2423-2432. | 10.5664/jcsm.10136 |
pubmed_428_7152 | Insulin-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles have been proposed as a potential drug delivery system for the oral treatment of diabetes and to stimulate bone cell proliferation and bone mineralization. The kinetics of insulin incorporation onto hydroxyapatite (HA) and Sr (SrHA)- and Zn (ZnHA)-substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The increase in insulin concentration on HA, SrHA and ZnHA was a typical physical adsorption process controlled by electrostatic forces and followed a Freundlich isotherm model. Zn substitution enhanced the capacity of the apatite surface to adsorb insulin, whereas Sr substitution inhibited insulin uptake. The surface stoichiometry and mesopore specific area induced by Zn and Sr substitution are proposed as the main causes of the difference in insulin adsorption. Despite the weak interaction between insulin and the apatite surface, the CD spectra revealed a decrease in the insulin ellipticity when the protein was adsorbed on the HA, SrHA and ZnHA nanoparticles. A reduction in alpha-helical structures and an increase in beta sheets were observed when insulin interacted with the HA surface. A less pronounced effect was found for ZnHA, for which a subtle decrease in alpha-helical structures was followed by an increase in turn structures. Interaction with the SrHA surface did not change the native insulin conformation. In vitro cell culture experiments lasting 24h using F-OST stromal cells showed that the insulin loaded on HA and ZnHA did not affect cell proliferation but the insulin loaded on SrHA improved cell proliferation. These results suggest that the stability of the native protein conformation is an important factor to consider when cells interact with insulin adsorbed on metal-substituted HA surfaces. | 10.1016/j.msec.2017.05.061 |
pubmed_90_11387 | For many years knee arthrodesis has been recommended for patients with severe degenerative disease complicated by obesity, venous insufficiency or old sepsis. Recently, failed total knee arthroplasties are being treated by arthrodesis, but these new indications entail new and difficult circumstances. A biplane fixation frame, more rigid than the Charnley clamp, and the instrumentation for producing absolutely flat opposing surfaces are important. The frame provides the advantages of good access to the wound and permits early ambulation. Pin tract loosening and infection are potential disadvantages, but in this small series were not significant. | pubmed_90_11387 |
pubmed_103_25075 | A higher age is usually associated with multimorbidity due to chronic illnesses intermittently aggravated by acute disease and exarcerbation of pre-existing chronic illnesses. Physical and psychological diseases often coexist. Cure in the classical sense should not be the priority of diagnostic and therapeutic decision making, but more a prioritization of patient-oriented care. This includes polypharmacy which most often accompanies multimorbidity. Therapeutic actions and designated endpoints are therefore different from those in younger persons because preservation of functionality and independence is priority, not survival. Rehabilitative treatments are important in all settings that care for old and very old persons. Older adults and their care-givers also often express different time and treatment goals. | 10.1007/s00108-017-0202-7 |
pubmed_1055_16321 | This research introduces an improvement plan for the reliability of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning solutions. It should be considered the most suitable methodology in terms of the adjustment and positioning of GNSS in order to maximize the utilization of GNSS applications. Though various studies have been conducted with regards to Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) based on GNSS, the outliers which depend on the signal reception environment could not be considered until now. Since these outliers may be connected to GNSS data collected from major bridge members, which can reduce the reliability of a whole monitoring system through the delivery of false information, they should be detected and eliminated in the previous adjustment stage. In this investigation, the Detection, Identification, Adaptation (DIA) technique was applied and implemented through an algorithm. Moreover, it can be directly applied to GNSS data collected from long span cable stayed bridges and most of outliers were efficiently detected and eliminated simultaneously. By these effects, the reliability of GNSS should be enormously improved. Improvement on GNSS positioning accuracy is directly linked to the safety of bridges itself, and at the same time, the reliability of monitoring systems in terms of the system operation can also be increased. | pubmed_1055_16321 |
pubmed_1_2038 | PURPOSE
To evaluate a prototype densitometer traceable to primary optical standards and compare its performance to an EPSON Expression(®) 10000XL flatbed scanner (the Epson) for quantitative radiochromic film (RCF) dosimetry.
METHODS
A prototype traceable laser densitometry system (LDS) was developed to mitigate common film scanning artifacts, such as positional scan dependence and high noise in low-dose regions, by performing point-based measurements of RCF suspended in free-space using coherent light. The LDS and the Epson optical absorbance scales were calibrated up to 3 AU, using reference materials calibrated at a primary standards laboratory and a scanner calibration factor (SCF). Calibrated optical density (OD) was determined for 96 Gafchromic(®) EBT3 film segments before and after irradiation to one of 16 dose levels between 0 and 10 Gy, exposed to (60)Co in a polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) phantom. The sensitivity was determined at each dose level and at two rotationally orthogonal readout orientations to obtain the sensitometric response of each RCF dosimetry system. LDS rotational scanning dependence was measured at nine angles between 0°and 180°, due to the expected interference between coherent light and polarizing EBT3 material. The response curves were fit to the analytic functions predicted by two physical response models: the two-parameter single-hit model and the four-parameter percolation model.
RESULTS
The LDS and the Epson absorbance measurements were linear to primary optical standards to within 0.2% and 0.3% up to 2 and 1 AU, respectively. At higher densities, the LDS had an over-response (2.5% at 3 AU) and the Epson an under-response (3.1% and 9.8% at 2 and 3 AU, respectively). The LDS and the Epson SCF over the applicable range were 0.968% ± 0.2% and 1.561% ± 0.3%, respectively. The positional scan dependence was evaluated on each digitizer and shown to be mitigated on the LDS, as compared to the Epson. Maximum EBT3 rotational dependence was found to have a strong dependence on dose (0.1% and 34% at 30 mGy and 5 Gy, respectively). The preferred EBT3 polymerization axis angle was constant within experimental uncertainties. In its most sensitive orientation, the LDS-measured EBT3 sensitivity was 7.13 × 10(-4) ± 9.2 × 10(-6) AU/mGy, which represented a 4.5 fold increase over the Epson of 1.58 × 10(-4) ± 9.8 × 10(-6) AU/mGy. To first order approximations, EBT3 response was linear up to 500 mGy to within 0.80% and to within 7.5% for the most sensitive LDS and the Epson orientations, respectively. The corresponding single-hit and percolation model relative residual norms were 0.082 and 0.074 for LDS as compared to 0.29 and 0.18 for the Epson, which represented a significant increase in LDS-measured agreement with the simple physical model. Less sensitive LDS and the Epson orientations showed a marked decrease in the physical model agreement, which suggested that suboptimal readout device characteristics may be the origin of the complex sensitometric functional forms currently required for accurate RCF dosimetry.
CONCLUSIONS
The prototype densitometer was shown to be superior to a conventional scanner for quantitative RCF dosimetry based on physical models of film response. The Epson was shown to be a reliable tool for routine RCF dosimetry in a clinical setting, yet calibration to primary optical standards did not mitigate the necessity for complex, empirical functional form fitting. | 10.1118/1.4922134 |
pubmed_294_4513 | Measles virus-specific antibodies with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and neutralizing functions were compared in 25 healthy women. ADCC antibody was measured in a 12-h 51Cr release assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells as effectors and Raji cells persistently infected with measles as targets. Neutralizing antibody was determined by the plaque neutralization test (PNT). ADCC and PNT titers correlated well (r = .80, P < .001). ADCC titers ranged from < 10 to > 10(6) and averaged 1.3 logs higher than PNT titers. Three sera with PNT titers of < 120, including 1 with a titer of < 8 (< 10(0.9)), had ADCC titers of > or = 10(2.5). Among subjects born in the United States, ADCC titers, but not PNT titers, correlated inversely with the year of birth, suggesting that ADCC antibody may be more indicative than neutralizing antibody of differences between naturally and vaccine-acquired immunity. These data suggest a possible role for ADCC in protection or recovery from measles. | 10.1093/infdis/168.4.1020 |
pubmed_191_11092 | UNLABELLED
Midazolam is widely used as a preanesthetic medication for children. Prior studies have used extemporaneous formulations to disguise the bitter taste of IV midazolam and to improve patient acceptance, but with unknown bioavailability. In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study we examined the efficacy, safety, and taste acceptability of three doses (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg, up to a maximum of 20 mg) of commercially prepared Versed((R)) syrup (midazolam HCl) in children stratified by age (6 mo to <2 yr, 2 to <6 yr, and 6 to <16 yr). All children were ASA class I-III scheduled for elective surgery. Subjects were continuously observed and monitored with pulse oximetry. Ninety-five percent of patients accepted the syrup, and 97% demonstrated satisfactory sedation before induction. There was an apparent relationship between dose and onset of sedation and anxiolysis (P < 0.01). Eight-eight percent had satisfactory anxiety ratings at the time of attempted separation from parents, and 86% had satisfactory anxiety ratings at face mask application. The youngest age group recovered earlier than the two older age groups (P < 0.001). There was no relationship between midazolam dose and duration of postanesthesia care unit stay. Before induction, there were no episodes of desaturation, but there were two episodes of nausea and three episodes of emesis. At the time of induction, during anesthesia, and in the postanesthesia care unit, there were several adverse respiratory events. Oral midazolam syrup is effective for producing sedation and anxiolysis at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg, with minimal effects on respiration and oxygen saturation even when administered at doses as large as 1.0 mg/kg (maximum, 20 mg) as the sole sedating medication to healthy children in a supervised clinical setting.
IMPLICATIONS
Commercially prepared oral midazolam syrup is effective in producing sedation and anxiolysis in doses as small as 0.25 mg/kg; there is a slightly faster onset with increasing the dose to 1.0 mg/kg. At all doses, 97% of patients demonstrated satisfactory sedation, whereas 86% demonstrated satisfactory anxiolysis when the face mask was applied. | 10.1097/00000539-200201000-00007 |
pubmed_906_5255 | BACKGROUND
Whereas multiple basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes are expressed in the developing nervous system, they account for the differentiation of only subsets of neurones, suggesting that there may be as-yet unidentified bHLH genes.
RESULTS
We have isolated a novel bHLH gene, designated Math6, a distant mammalian homologue of the Drosophila proneural gene atonal. Structural analysis of the Math6 gene demonstrated that the coding region is divided into three exons, whereas that of other atonal homologues is present in a single exon, indicating that the genomic structure of Math6 is unique among the atonal homologues. Math6 is initially expressed by neural precursor cells in the ventricular zone, but later by subsets of differentiating and mature neurones such as hippocampal neurones and cerebellar Purkinje cells. Mis-expression of Math6 with retrovirus in the developing retina induced neurogenesis, while inhibiting gliogenesis, without affecting cell proliferation and death.
CONCLUSIONS
These results show that cells which would normally differentiate into glia adopted the neuronal fate by mis-expression of Math6, indicating that Math6 promotes neuronal vs. glial fate determination in the nervous system. | 10.1046/j.1365-2443.2001.00476.x |
pubmed_972_24363 | Nonadentate ligands based on triazacyclononane incorporating pyridyl-2-phosphinate groups form an isostructural series of complexes with Ln ions in the solid state and in solution. The Ln ion is effectively shielded from the solvent environment. Crystal structures reveal a rigid C(3)-symmetric tricapped trigonal-prismatic coordination geometry that is maintained in solution for the methyl and phenylphosphinate series, as shown by multinuclear NMR analysis. Variable-temperature measurements of the field dependence of the water proton relaxivity in gadolinium complexes indicate that these systems exclude solvent from the primary coordination environment and minimize the second sphere of solvation. The electronic relaxation time for the gadolinium methylphosphinate complex has been estimated to be 550 (±150) ps by EPR and NMR methods, compared to values of around 0.30-0.05 ps for the terbium-ytterbium series, deduced by analyzing the field dependence (4.7-16.5 T) of the (31)P NMR longitudinal relaxation times. Values are compared with analogous azacarboxylate ligand complexes, supporting a key role for donor atom polarizability in determining the electronic relaxation. Spectral emission behavior in solution of samarium, europium, terbium, and dysprosium complexes is compared, and the resolved RRR-Λ and SSS-Δ complexes show strong circularly polarized luminescence. The molecular quadratic hyperpolarizability 〈β(HLS)〉 has been measured in solution using hyper-Raleigh light-scattering methods, for the whole series of lanthanide complexes of one ligand. The values of 〈β(HLS)〉 reach a maximum around the center of the series and are not simply dependent on the number of f electrons, suggesting a dominant contribution from the octupolar rather than the dipolar term. | 10.1021/ic300147p |
pubmed_505_17844 | Amplification of the copy number of oncogenes is frequently associated with tumor progression. Often, the amplified DNA consists of large (tens to hundreds of kilobases) 'head-to-head' inverted repeat palindromes (amplicons). Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain palindrome formation but their relative contributions in nature have been difficult to assess without precise knowledge of the sequences involved at the junction of natural amplicons. Here, we have sequenced one such junction and compared this sequence to the un-rearranged structure, allowing us to pinpoint the site of sister chromatid fusion. Our results support a novel model, consistent with all described sister chromatid fusions, in which sister chromatid fusion is initiated by microhomology-mediated end joining of double strand breaks. | 10.1093/nar/gkh244 |
pubmed_1026_19554 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the leading cause of human death worldwide. Currently available therapies for COPD mainly relieve symptoms and preserve lung function, suggesting the need to develop novel therapeutic or preventive regimens. Because chronic inflammation is a mechanism of emphysematous lesion formation and because adenosine A3 receptor signaling and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) regulate inflammation, we investigated the effect of LJ-529, a selective adenosine A3 receptor agonist and partial PPARγ agonist, on inflammation in vitro and elastase-induced pulmonary emphysema in vivo. LJ-529 markedly ameliorated elastase-induced emphysematous lesion formation in the lungs in vivo, as indicated by the restoration of pulmonary function, suppression of airspace enlargement, and downregulation of elastase-induced matrix metalloproteinase activity and apoptotic cell death in the lungs. LJ-529 induced the expression of PPARγ target genes, the activity of PPARγ and several cytokines involved in inhibiting inflammation and inducing anti-inflammatory M2-like phenotypes. Moreover, LJ-529 did not exhibit significant cytotoxicity in normal cell lines derived from various organs in vitro and induced minimal changes in body weight in vivo, suggesting no overt toxicity of LJ-529 in vitro or in vivo. These results indicate the potential of LJ-529 as a novel therapeutic/preventive agent for emphysema with limited toxicity. | 10.1007/s12272-020-01235-0 |
pubmed_373_17642 | Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) is well-known for its capabilities in structural characterization of molecules. Recent developments in radio frequency excitation, linearized trapping, and accumulation of ions generated from external sources have improved the potential of FTMS for quantitative analysis. Here, a commercial external electrospray ionization FTMS, employing a linearized ion trap (the Infinity Cell) and an ion accumulation procedure in which ions are deflected off-axis and injected into the trap, is evaluated as an analytical method for quantifying amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Linear response over approximately 2-3 orders of magnitude is observed for singly-charged ions with low coefficients of variation (generally < 10%), and the calibration curves generated can be used to quantify structurally similar analytes with < 4% relative error, as shown here for quantification of leucine enkephalin from curves generated by methionine enkephalin. Similar precision is obtained for multiply-charged lysozyme, but over only 1.5 orders of magnitude. Some m/z discrimination is observed as a function of trap accumulation potential for a two-component cytochrome c/lysozyme mixture. The results are promising because they suggest that quantification using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray FTMS is possible. | 10.1021/ac9700235 |
pubmed_599_5078 | Limbal dermoids are benign peripheral corneal neoplasms, which cause cosmetic problems and visual impairment. Deep dermoids may require corneal and scleral dissections such as a lamellar or even a penetrating keratoscleroplasty. In these 2 cases, the authors used an autologous limbal stem cell transplantation and achieved good results. | 10.3928/15428877-20100215-58 |
pubmed_704_12955 | Colonoscopy is a routine diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Along with the increase in the complexity of the procedures performed, the risk of complications increases. In 2017, WSES (World Society of Emergency Surgery) published the principles of safe colonoscopy. Intestinal perforation is one of the most common complications. The risk of perforation in treatment procedures such as mucosectomy or endoscopic dissection is significantly greater than the risk of diagnostic colonoscopy. The basic rule of the procedure in case of suspected perforation is close supervision over the patient's condition and the soonest possible repair of damage. The role of the endoscopist is not only early recognition, but also early treatment of damage. Immediate endoscopic treatment of lesions is an effective, final and acceptable management strategy. In patients who have undergone imaging diagnostics for another reason, free gas in the peritoneal cavity can be recognized. It does not have to mean the need for urgent surgical intervention. Patients with asymptomatic pneumoperitoneum after colonoscopy should, however, be treated as patients with suspected perforation of the large intestine and undergo careful clinical observation in accordance with WSES recommendations. Colonoscopy is a procedure with a risk of complications, which should be reported to patients qualified for endoscopy, but appropriate management reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality associated with this procedure. | 10.5604/01.3001.0014.1026 |
pubmed_1017_24836 | Glioblastoma multiforme is a highly malignant, heterogenic, and drug resistant tumor. The blood-brain barrier (BBB), systemic cytotoxicity, and limited specificity are the main obstacles in designing brain tumor drugs. In this study a computational approach was used to design brain tumor drugs that could downregulate VEGF and IL17A in glioblastoma multiforme type four. Computational screening tools were used to evaluate potential candidates for antiangiogenic activity, target binding, BBB permeability, and ADME physicochemical properties. Additionally, in vitro cytotoxicity, migration, invasion, tube formation, apoptosis, ROS and ELISA assays were conducted for molecule 6 that was deemed most likely to succeed. The efflux ratio of membrane permeability and calculated docking scores of permeability to glycoproteins (P-gps) were used to determine the BBB permeability of the molecules. The results showed BBB permeation for molecule 6, with the predicted efficiency of 0.55kcal/mol and binding affinity of -37kj/mol corresponding to an experimental efflux ratio of 0.625 and predicted -15kj/mol of binding affinity for P-gps. Molecule 6 significantly affected the angiogenesis pathways by 2-fold downregulation of IL17A and VEGF through inactivation of active sites of HSP90 (predicted binding: -37kj/mol, predicted efficiency: 0.55kcal/mol) and p23 (predicted binding: 12kj/mol, predicted efficiency: 0.17kcal/mol) chaperon proteins. Additionally, molecule 6 activated the 17.38% relative fold of ROS level at 18.3μg/mL and upregulated the caspase which lead the potential synergistic apoptosis through the antiangiogenic activity of molecule 6 and thereby the highly efficacious anticancer upshot. The results indicate that the binding of the molecules to the therapeutic target is not essential to produce a lethal effect on cancer cells of the brain and that antiangiogenic efficiency is much more important. | pubmed_1017_24836 |
pubmed_1073_10086 | BACKGROUND
Hereditary angioedema with normal C1 inhibitor levels (HAE-N) is associated with a Factor XII mutation in 30% of subjects; however, the role of this mutation in the pathogenesis of angioedema is unclear.
OBJECTIVE
We sought evidence of abnormalities in the pathways of bradykinin formation and bradykinin degradation in the plasma of patients with HAE-N both with and without the mutation.
METHODS
Bradykinin was added to plasma, and its rate of degradation was measured by using ELISA. Plasma autoactivation was assessed by using a chromogenic assay of kallikrein formation. Plasminogen activator inhibitors (PAIs) 1 and 2 were also measured by means of ELISA.
RESULTS
PAI-1 levels varied from 0.1 to 4.5 ng/mL (mean, 2.4 ng/mL) in 23 control subjects, from 0.0 to 2 ng/mL (mean, 0.54 ng/mL) in patients with HAE-N with a Factor XII mutation (12 samples), and from 0.0 to 3.7 ng/mL (mean, 1.03 ng/mL) in patients with HAE-N without a Factor XII mutation (11 samples). PAI-2 levels varied from 25 to 87 ng/mL (mean, 53.8 ng/mL) in control subjects and were 0 to 25 ng/mL (mean, 4.3 ng/mL) in patients with HAE-N with or without the Factor XII mutation. Autoactivation at a 1:2 dilution was abnormally high in 8 of 17 patients with HAE-N (4 in each subcategory) and could be corrected by supplemental C1 inhibitor in 4 of them. Bradykinin degradation was markedly abnormal in 1 of 23 patients with HAE-N and normal in the remaining 22 patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Bradykinin degradation was normal in all but 1 of 23 patients with HAE-N studied. By contrast, there was a marked abnormality in PAI-2 levels in patients with HAE-N that is not seen in patients with C1 inhibitor deficiency. PAI-1 levels varied considerably, but a statistically significant difference was not seen. A link between excessive fibrinolysis and bradykinin generation that is estrogen dependent is suggested. | 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.07.041 |
pubmed_876_13989 | This article deals with the choice of the appropriate protocols for the early economic evaluation of information and communication technologies, equivalence trial versus pragmatic trial. The reasoning put forward here is based on a concrete interrogation relative to polysomnography (PSG), a key diagnostic test for sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS). Is PSG under tele-surveillance more efficient than ambulatory PSG to diagnose SAS? After analyzing and discussing both advantages and limits of these two kinds of trial, we showed that one or the other can be used to obtain appropriate results. But in this particular example, we concluded that a pragmatic trial should be preferred, knowing that it requires a smaller sample of patients along with a narrower range of uncertainty concerning the evaluation of costs. | 10.1016/s0168-8510(01)00141-5 |
pubmed_189_8565 | Biomaterials are considered a substantial building block for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery. Despite using both organic and inorganic biomaterials in these fields, polymeric biomaterials are the most promising candidates because of their versatility in their characteristics (i.e., physical, chemical, and biological). Mainly, naturally-derived polymers are of great interest due to their inherent bioactivity. Derived from red seaweeds, carrageenan (CG) is a naturally-occurring polysaccharide that has shown promise as a biopolymer for various biomedical applications. CG possesses unique characteristics, including antiviral, immunomodulatory, anticoagulant, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, making it an appealing candidate for tissue engineering and drug delivery research. This review summarizes the versatile properties of CG and the chemical modifications applied to it. In addition, it highlights some of the most promising research that takes advantage of CG to formulate and fabricate scaffolds and/or drug delivery systems with high potential for tissue repair and disease curing. | 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.119045 |
pubmed_408_465 | Rats were fasted and refed and concentrations of plasma glucose, glycerol, triglyceride, insulin, and glucagon as well as glucose kinetics after injection of labeled glucose and glycerol were determined. In addition, concentrations and synthesis in vivo (from tritiated water) and in vitro of glycogen, triglycerides, and protein were followed in liver, muscle, and adipose tissues. The refeeding state after fasting was characterized by a decrease in glucose and triglyceride concentrations in plasma. Glucose turnover rate was increased. Protein losses were repleted, first in the liver then in muscle tissue. Synthesis of glycogen and lipid increased above control in liver and adipose tissue. These results are compatible with an increased outflux during refeeding of different energy substrates from plasma into the depleted protein and energy stores to an extent causing lower concentration of these substrates. Such phenomena might be of importance for energy intake regulation during the phase. | 10.1093/ajcn/36.3.450 |
pubmed_386_6383 | Hypertrophic scars are characterized by excessive fibrosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and can be functionally and cosmetically problematic; however, there are few satisfactory treatments for controlling hypertrophic scars. The inflammatory cells and cytokines involved in excessive inflammation during wound healing facilitate fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition, leading to pathologic scar formation. TSG-6 exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. This study examined the effect of recombinant TSG-6 on inflammation in hypertrophic scars using a rabbit ear model. Six 7-mm, full-thickness, circular wounds were made on the ears of 12 rabbits. TSG-6 and PBS were intradermally injected into the right and left ear wounds, respectively. The methods of TEM and TUNEL were used to detect fibroblast apoptosis. The expressions of inflammatory factors: IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, were detected by immunohistochemistry and real time polymerase chain reaction. Collagen I and III expression detected by immunohistochemistry and Masson׳s trichrome staining and SEI (scar elevation index) was used to evaluate the extent of scarring. TSG-6 injection mitigated the formation of a hypertrophic scar in the rabbit ear. TSG-6-treated wounds exhibited decreased inflammation compared with the control group, as evidenced by the lower levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and MPO. The SEI and the synthesis of collagens I and III were significantly decreased in the TSG-6-treated scars compared with control scars. The apoptosis rate was higher in the TSG-6-treated scars. TSG-6 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects during the wound healing process and cicatrization and significantly diminished hypertrophic scar formation in a rabbit ear model. | pubmed_386_6383 |
pubmed_436_6919 | OBJECTIVE
Arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy (APMM) is a common procedure to treat a medial meniscal tear. Individuals who undergo APMM have a heightened risk of developing tibio-femoral osteoarthritis (OA). Cartilage defects scored from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans predict cartilage loss over time. It is not known whether cartilage defects in the early years following APMM are more common or of greater severity than in age-matched controls. This study compared the prevalence and severity of tibio-femoral cartilage defects in patients 3-5 years post-APMM with that of age-matched controls.
METHODS
Twenty-five individuals who had undergone APMM in the previous 46.9+/-5.0 months and 24 age-matched controls participated in this study. Sagittal plane knee MRI scans were acquired from the operated knees of patients and from randomly assigned knees of the controls and graded (0-4) for tibio-femoral cartilage defects. Defect prevalence (score of >or=2 for any compartment) and severity of the cartilage from both tibio-femoral compartments were compared between the groups.
RESULTS
The APMM group had greater prevalence (77 vs 42%, P=0.012) and severity (4.1+/-1.9 vs 2.8+/-1.1, P=0.005) of tibio-femoral cartilage defects than controls. Age was positively associated with tibio-femoral cartilage defect severity for APMM, r=0.523, P=0.007, but not for controls, r=0.045, P=0.834.
CONCLUSION
Tibio-femoral joint cartilage defects are more prevalent and of greater severity in individuals who had undergone APMM approximately 44 months earlier than in age-matched controls. | 10.1016/j.joca.2008.04.014 |
pubmed_1111_5571 | OBJECTIVES
Despite a similar prevalence of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) in Norway compared to other European countries, less than 10% of the families are explained by the CAG trinucleotide expansions. We wanted to find the occurence of SCA14 in the dominant ataxia population and describe the phenotype.
METHODS
We screened a large dominant cerebellar ataxia cohort for mutations in the PRKCG gene. Patients were evaluated according to a standard clinical protocol for ataxia patients.
RESULTS
A novel mutation was found in two families, a C to A transversion altering Histidine to a Glutamine at codon 139, located in a highly concerved region in the gene. It completely co-segregated with the affected family members and was not seen in 576 control chromosomes. Genetic analysis revealed common alleles at three microsatellite markers between these two families suggesting a shared ancestral chromosome. Affected subjects displayed a mild, slowly progressive cerebellar syndrome that included gait and limb ataxia and saccadic pursuit and head tremor in one. Age at onset ranged from 10 to 45 years.
CONCLUSIONS
These are the first families with SCA14 reported from Scandinavia and a new mutation in the PRKCG gene. The occurrence in the Norwegian dominant ataxia cohort is 3.5%. | 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2011.01504.x |
pubmed_447_7922 | Adhesive bond strength studies for the tray adhesive of an addition vinyl polysiloxane (President) impression material were conducted with an acrylic resin, chromium-plated brass, and plastic trays. Tensile and shear stress studies were performed on the Instron Universal testing machine. Acrylic resin specimens roughened with 80-grit silicon carbide paper exhibited appreciably higher bond strengths compared with different types of tray material and methods of surface preparation. | 10.1016/0022-3913(91)90407-n |
pubmed_543_2737 | Human oocytes that failed to display signs of fertilization by 44 h after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were processed for electron microscopic analysis. All oocytes were arrested at metaphase II. The first polar body contained intact cortical granules and chromosome clumps, which were not surrounded by a nuclear envelope but still associated with microtubules. When a second globular body was present, it always showed the same ultrastructure, indicating that it had originated from fragmentation of the first polar body and not from the resumption of the second meiotic division. The most prominent organelles of the oocyte cytoplasm were the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. In the oocyte cortex, cortical granules were intact, with no signs of incipient or incomplete cortical reaction. Oocyte chromosomes were found in the oocyte periphery near the locality of the first polar body extrusion. They consisted of dense aggregates of chromatin associated with microtubules. The chromatin of the injected spermatozoon was demembranated and partially decondensed. In some cases, vesicular and tubular structures, apparently of oocyte origin, were associated with the periphery of the sperm chromatin mass but they never formed a continuous layer. These data suggest that fertilization failure after ICSI is basically a failure of oocyte activation. | 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a138455 |
pubmed_346_3536 | We performed a detailed investigation of the kinetics of ketoconazole activity in the setting of broth dilution testing of Candida albicans susceptibility. Turbidimetric readings reflected parallel quantitative colony counts. The method of endpoint determination markedly affected the results. Determinations of 50% inhibitory concentrations clearly separated the ketoconazole-resistant strains from the susceptible strains. | 10.1128/AAC.31.4.643 |
pubmed_494_4475 | Na-coupled HCO(3) transporters (NCBTs) play important roles in brain pH regulation. One NCBT, the Na-driven Cl-HCO(3) exchanger (SLC4A8 or NDCBE), appears to be the major regulator of intracellular pH (pH(i)), at least in some hippocampal pyramidal neurons. NDCBE is widely expressed throughout the central nervous system in rodent brain. In a previous study, it has been demonstrated that CCH decreases the abundance of NBCn1 and NBCn2 proteins in four regions of the mouse brain: cerebral cortex (CX), subcortex (SCX), cerebellum (CB), and hippocampus (HC). Here we report the effect of CCH (11% O(2)) on the expression of NDCBE protein in mouse brain. Neonates (beginning at age P2) or adult mice (beginning at P90) were subjected to either normoxia or CCH for durations of 14 or 28 days. Membrane-protein levels were assessed by western blotting using our polyclonal antibody directed against NDCBE. In neonates, CCH significantly decreased NDCBE expression in HC after 14 days and SCX after 28 days, but had no significant effect for other combinations of region/duration. In adults, however, CCH significantly decreased (by 20-50%) the expression of NDCBE in all four brain regions, both with 14 and 28 day duration. Thus, the mouse brain exhibits marked developmental differences in the response of NDCBE protein expression to CCH. We hypothesize that decreases in adult NDCBE protein levels, which are probably out of proportion to the decreases in other proteins, may be part of an adaptive response that reduces energy consumption and/or stabilizes brain pH(i). The smaller or absent responses in the young animals could be related to neonatal hypoxia tolerance. | 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.08.033 |
pubmed_442_11699 | BACKGROUND
Adequate analgesia and early rehabilitation is necessary for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (A CLR) surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To compare analgesia and quadriceps strength after femoral nerve block (FNB) with intra-articular infiltration (IA) using 0.25% bupivacaine for ACLR with patella tendon graft.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
Forty patients were randomized to receive FNB under ultrasound guidance with 20 mL of bupivacaine or IA with 15 mL of bupivacaine into the knee joint and 5 mL infiltrated along the incision sites including portal sites at the end of surgery. All patients received intravenous ketorolac at wound closure. Data regarding demographic, time to first pain, time to first morphine requirement, morphine usage, pain scores and quadriceps strength were recorded.
RESULTS
Significant difference in quadriceps strength was shown. Ninety percent of patients in Group IA and fifty-five percent of patients in Group FNB had good ability to extend knee at 24 hours after surgery (p = 0.013). No differences were found in demographic data, time to first pain, time to first morphine requirement, post operative pain scores and morphine consumption,
CONCLUSION
The preliminary results demonstrated that IA has an effect on quadriceps strength less than FNB while provide comparable postoperative analgesia after patellar tendon graft ACLR. | pubmed_442_11699 |
pubmed_181_13400 | Kay Simpson might be the boss at Woodlands Nursing Home, but even she is not allowed to go into the dining room at mealtimes. | 10.7748/nop.21.2.18.s15 |
pubmed_504_7710 | The Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver (Asociación Latinoamericana para el Estudio del Hígado; ALEH) represents liver professionals in Latin America with the mission of promoting liver health and quality patient care by advancing the science and practice of hepatology and contributing to the development of a regional health policy framework. Fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction is of specific concern in the ALEH region, where its prevalence is one of the highest globally, second only to the Middle East. A recent consensus from an international panel recommended a new definition of fatty liver disease associated with metabolic dysfunction, including a shift in name from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and adoption of a set of positive criteria to diagnose the disease, independent of alcohol intake or other liver diseases. Given, the importance of this proposal, ALEH invited leading members of regional nations to come to a consensus on it from a local perspective. We reached a consensus to endorse the proposal that the disease should be renamed as MAFLD and that the disease should be diagnosed by the proposed simple and easily applicable criteria. We expect that this change in nosology will result in improvements in disease awareness and in advances in scientific, economic, public health, political, and regulatory aspects of the disease. | 10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30340-X |
pubmed_263_4539 | In eukaryotes, the genome is packed into chromosomes, each consisting of large polymeric fibers made of DNA bound with proteins (mainly histones) and RNA molecules. The nature and precise 3D organization of this fiber has been a matter of intense speculations and debates. In the emerging picture, the local chromatin state plays a critical role in all fundamental DNA transactions, such as transcriptional control, DNA replication or repair. However, the molecular and structural mechanisms involved remain elusive. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of the tremendous efforts that have been made for almost 40 years to build physiologically relevant models of chromatin structure. The motivation behind building such models was to shift our representation and understanding of DNA transactions from a too simplistic 'naked DNA' view to a more realistic 'coated DNA' view, as a step towards a better framework in which to interpret mechanistically the control of genetic expression and other DNA metabolic processes. The field has evolved from a speculative point of view towards in vitro biochemistry and in silico modeling, but is still longing for experimental in vivo validations of the proposed structures or even proof of concept experiments demonstrating a clear role of a given structure in a metabolic transaction. The mere existence of a chromatin fiber as a relevant biological entity in vivo has been put into serious questioning. Current research is suggesting a possible reconciliation between theoretical studies and experiments, pointing towards a view where the polymorphic and dynamic nature of the chromatin fiber is essential to support its function in genome metabolism. | 10.1088/0953-8984/27/3/033101 |
pubmed_248_1867 | Treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major public health issue, with the potential for significant impact on MCOs. As the number of people affected with AD continues to rise, the importance of this problem will grow as well. This article reviews patient and caregiver outcomes associated with reduced health care costs and their implications for MCOs. Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are effective in treating cognitive, functional, and behavioral symptoms for patients with mild to moderate and moderate to severe AD. Treatment with memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, has been shown to benefit patients with moderate to severe AD. Pharmacoeconomic studies indicate that donepezil and memantine treatment may reduce total costs of care for AD patients and their caregivers, with potential economic benefits to MCOs. | pubmed_248_1867 |
pubmed_760_5379 | Energy produced by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is essential for mammalian sperm motility. Mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded proteins are subunits of the OXPHOS system. Paradoxically, there are less mitochondrial and mtDNA contents in motile sperm than less motile sperm. Here, mature boar sperm was used as a model to investigate the relationships between mtDNA content, mitochondrial activity, and sperm motility. Motile and less motile sperm were separated by centrifugation on a discontinuous percoll density gradient. The contents and expression of mtDNA as well as mitochondrial activity and biosynthesis were determined to reveal possible mechanisms. Motile sperm showed less mitochondrial (P < 0.01) and mtDNA (P < 0.05) contents as compared to less motile sperm. Higher mitochondrial activity in motile sperm indicated by mitochondrial ultrastructure, higher mitochondrial transmembrane potential (P < 0.01), as well as higher mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I activity (P < 0.05). Moreover, more mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (P < 0.01) suggested higher mitochondrial biosynthesis in motile sperm. Although less mtDNA contents in motile sperm, accompanied by the higher expression of transcription factors, the level of mtDNA-encoded protein (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) which play pivotal role in OXPHOS was higher in motile sperm. The results are helpful to interpret why mtDNA-less sperm have higher mitochondrial activity and better motility. | 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.09.005 |
pubmed_813_1187 | We deduced the amino acid sequence of Escherichia coli lysophospholipase L(1) by determining the nucleotide sequence of the pldC gene encoding this enzyme. The translated protein was found to contain 208 amino acid residues with a hydrophobic leader sequence of 26 amino acid residues. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme (20,500) was in good agreement with the predicted size (20,399) of the processed protein. A search involving a data bank showed that the nucleotide sequence of the pldC gene was identical to those of the apeA and tesA genes encoding protease I and thioesterase I, respectively. Consistent with the identity of the pldC gene with these two genes, the enzyme purified from E. coli overexpressing the pldC gene showed both protease I and thioesterase I activities. | 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a022470 |
pubmed_324_22783 | During the 1960s through 1980s the United States and several other nations developed, and even considered deploying, enhanced-radiation warheads (ERWs). The main effect of ERWs (sometimes called "neutron bombs"), as compared to other types of nuclear weapons, is to enhance radiation casualties while reducing blast and thermal damage to the infrastructure. Five nations were reported to have developed and tested ERWs during this period, but since the termination of the "Cold War" there have been no threats of development, deployment, or use of such weapons. However, if the technology of a quarter of a century ago has been developed, maintained, or even advanced since then, it is conceivable that the grim possibility of future ERW use exists. The type of destruction, initial triage of casualties, distribution of patterns of injury, and medical management of ERWs will be shown to significantly differ from that of fission weapons. Emergency response planners and medical personnel, civilian or military, must be aware of these differences to reduce the horrible consequences of ERW usage and appropriately treat casualties. | 10.7205/milmed-d-10-00115 |
pubmed_421_25616 | INTRODUCTION
Neutropenia and diarrhoea are common and potentially serious adverse events associated with abemaciclib in advanced breast cancer (ABC), and the risk factors have been minimally explored. The study aimed to develop clinical prediction tools that allow personalized predictions of neutropenia and diarrhoea following abemaciclib initiation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data was pooled from MONARCH 1, 2 and 3 trials investigating abemaciclib. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to assess the association between pre-treatment clinicopathological data and grade ≥3 diarrhoea and neutropenia occurring within the first 365 days of abemaciclib use.
RESULTS
Older age was associated with increased risk of grade ≥3 diarrhoea [HR [95%CI] for age > 70: 1.72 [1.14-2.58]; P = 0.009]. A clinical prediction tool for abemaciclib induced grade ≥3 neutropenia was optimally defined by race, ECOGPS and white blood cell count. Large discrimination between subgroups was observed; the highest risk subgroup had a 64% probability of grade ≥3 neutropenia within the first 365 days of abemaciclib (150 mg twice daily) + fulvestrant/NSAI, compared to 5% for the lowest risk subgroup.
CONCLUSION
The study identified advanced age as significantly associated with an increased risk of abemaciclib induced grade ≥ 3 diarrhoea. A clinical prediction tool, defined by race, ECOGPS and pre-treatment white blood cell count, was able to discriminate subgroups with significantly different risks of grade ≥3 neutropenia following abemaciclib initiation. The tool may enable improved interpretation of personalized risks and the risk-benefit ratio of abemaciclib. | 10.1016/j.breast.2021.04.003 |
pubmed_476_20096 | As infants interact with the object world, they generate rich information about object properties and functions. Much of infant learning unfolds in the presence of caregivers, who talk about and act on the objects of infant play. Does mother joint engagement correspond to real-time changes in the complexity and duration of infant object interactions? We observed 38 mothers and their first-born infants (cross-sectional, 13, 18, and 23 months) during 2 h of everyday activity as infants freely navigated their home environments. Behavioral coding explored thousands of infant object interactions within and outside mother joint engagement. Object interactions involving exclusively simple play were shorter than complex play bouts. Critically, mothers' multimodal input (i.e., touching/gesturing toward and talking about the focal object) corresponded with more complex and longer play bouts than when mothers provided no input. Bouts involving complex play and multimodal input lasted 7.5 times longer than simple play bouts absent mother input. Moreover, "action-orienting talk" (e.g., "Twist it", "Feed dolly"), rather than talk per se, corresponded with longer bout duration and complexity. Notably, the association between joint engagement and play duration was not a function of mothers having more time to join. Analyses that eliminated short infant bouts and considered the timing of mothers' behaviors confirmed that mother input "extended" the duration of play bouts. As infants actively explore their environments, their object interactions change moment to moment in the presence of mothers' multimodal engagement. | 10.1111/desc.13239 |
pubmed_414_22407 | We characterize and compare the reaction of alkanethiol with Ag continuous planar thin films and Ag islands on inert substrates. Ag islands generate a significantly larger (3-fold) amount of alkanethiolate than continuous Ag films at comparable conditions. The reaction with planar Ag thin films produces alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), whereas the reaction with Ag islands yields two dissimilar products depending on the size of the islands. Small Ag islands are more likely to be converted into multilayer silver-alkanethiolate (AgSR) crystals, while larger Ag islands form monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs). The AgSR lamellar crystals are initially small having only a few layers. However, during thermal annealing, ripening occurs that generates large AgSR lamellae having diameters of 1 microm and thickness up to 30 layers. Atomic force microscopy shows the single-layer step-heights of individual crystals which match the layer thickness obtained via X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystals have facets and flat terraces with extended area, and have a strong preferred orientation (010) normal to the substrate surface. The MPCs move laterally upon annealing and reorganize into a single-layer network with their separation distance approximately equal to the length of an extended alkyl chain. | 10.1021/la900898r |
pubmed_909_7754 | Reduced expression of TP53 by promoter methylation has been reported in several neoplasms. It remains unclear whether TP53 promoter methylation is associated with reduced transcriptional and protein expression in glioblastoma (GB). The aim of our work was to study the impact of TP53 methylation and mutations on TP53 mRNA level and protein expression in 42 molecularly characterized primary GB tumors. We also evaluate the impact of all molecular alterations on the overall patient survival. The frequency of TP53 promoter methylation was found in 21.4%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing such high frequency of TP53 promoter methylation in primary GB. There was no relation between TP53 promoter methylation and TP53 mRNA level (p=0.5722) and between TP53 promoter methylation and TP53 protein expression (p=0.2045). No significant associations were found between TP53 mRNA expression and mutation of TP53 gene (p=0.9076). However, significant association between TP53 mutation and TP53 protein expression was found (p=0.0016). Our data suggest that in primary GB TP53 promoter methylation does not play a role in silencing of TP53 transcriptional and protein expression and is probably regulated by other genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with genes involved in the TP53 pathway. | 10.1089/dna.2013.2201 |
pubmed_226_13222 | BACKGROUND
We have developed the bispectral electroencephalography (BSEEG) method for detection of delirium and prediction of poor outcomes.
AIMS
To improve the BSEEG method by introducing a new EEG device.
METHOD
In a prospective cohort study, EEG data were obtained and BSEEG scores were calculated. BSEEG scores were filtered on the basis of standard deviation (s.d.) values to exclude signals with high noise. Both non-filtered and s.d.-filtered BSEEG scores were analysed. BSEEG scores were compared with the results of three delirium screening scales: the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU), the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS) and the Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOSS). Additionally, the 365-day mortalities and the length of stay (LOS) in the hospital were analysed.
RESULTS
We enrolled 279 elderly participants and obtained 620 BSEEG recordings; 142 participants were categorised as BSEEG-positive, reflecting slower EEG activity. BSEEG scores were higher in the CAM-ICU-positive group than in the CAM-ICU-negative group. There were significant correlations between BSEEG scores and scores on the DRS and the DOSS. The mortality rate of the BSEEG-positive group was significantly higher than that of the BSEEG-negative group. The LOS of the BSEEG-positive group was longer compared with that of the BSEEG-negative group. BSEEG scores after s.d. filtering showed stronger correlations with delirium screening scores and more significant prediction of mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed the usefulness of the BSEEG method for detection of delirium and of delirium severity, and prediction of patient outcomes with a new EEG device. | 10.1192/bjp.2021.101 |
pubmed_177_17017 | Preview Although systemic lupus erythematosus affects primarily young and middle-aged women, a percentage of cases occur in all age-groups and both sexes. That fact, coupled with the diversity of clinical presentations, can make diagnosis a challenge. This article discusses epidemiologic and pathogenetic factors and describes the many manifestations of the disease. A brief overview of current treatment is presented. | 10.1080/00325481.1995.11945982 |
pubmed_788_5265 | Bed rest is a commonly prescribed activity restriction among patients in the ICU. Although bed rest may promote rest, recovery and safety, inactivity related to bed rest also may lead to complications and adverse outcomes. The biological mechanisms that lead to immediate and long-term sequelae from bed rest have not been elucidated. It may be the inflammatory factors common to critical illness combined with bed rest lead to a positive feedback loop, contributing to inflammatory disequilibrium. This disequilibrium has a profound affect on muscles. Muscle decay has serious and long-term adverse outcomes on survivors of critical illness. Mobility therapy may improve inflammatory disequilibrium and preserve muscles, leading to improved functional outcome. Investigations in the laboratory, in healthy people and among patients with systemic inflammatory disease, suggest that activity does not exacerbate inflammation. Clinically, exercise is beneficial to patients with various chronic inflammatory diseases. Further study is needed to best understand the role, duration, and frequency of activity in promoting recovery for critically ill patients. | 10.1016/j.ccc.2006.11.002 |
pubmed_932_10073 | Several studies suggest that an increase in adult neurogenesis has beneficial effects on emotional behavior and cognitive performance including learning and memory. The observation that aging has a negative effect on the proliferation of neural stem cells has prompted several laboratories to investigate new systems to artificially increase neurogenesis in senescent animals as a means to compensate for age-related cognitive decline. In this review we will discuss the systemic, cellular, and molecular changes induced by aging and affecting the neurogenic niche at the level of neural stem cell proliferation, their fate change, neuronal survival, and subsequent integration in the neuronal circuitry. Particular attention will be given to those manipulations that increase neurogenesis in the aged brain as a potential avenue towards therapy. | 10.18632/aging.100446 |
pubmed_239_12126 | BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to explore the correlation between clinical signs and confirmatory tests for cow's milk allergy (CMA) in the neonatal period and their relation to family history and the occurrence of food allergies in the postneonatal period.
METHODS
The medical documentation of 361 newborns with suspected CMA and exclusion of other comorbidities was analyzed. The correlations between clinical signs and methods to confirm CMA [elevated levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and/or specific IgE for cow's milk, improvement after the introduction of a cow's milk-free diet and positive challenge procedure] were studied. In 90 children, the data were additionally analyzed in relation to outcome (at the age of 1-11 years), evaluated by questionnaires, which inquired about signs and symptoms of food allergy, methods of CMA confirmation, and the presence of other food allergies.
RESULTS
There was a positive correlation between exanthema and confirmed CMA in the neonatal period (R = 0.184; p = <0.001; n = 361), and hematochezia and confirmed CMA in the neonatal (R = 0.203; p < 0.001; n = 361) and postneonatal period (R = 0.215; p = 0.042; n = 90). Additional food allergies in the postneonatal period were positively correlated with neonatal CMA (R = 0.275; p = 0.009; n = 90). No correlation was found between a positive family history of food allergies and CMA in the neonatal (R = -0.66; p = 0.398; n = 165) and postneonatal periods (R = 0.00; p = 1.000; n = 116).
CONCLUSION
Neonatal exanthema and hematochezia were the predominant clinical signs in neonates with CMA. Allergies to other food allergens appeared more frequently in children with CMA in the neonatal period. Neonatal CMA did not occur more frequently in families with food allergies. | 10.1016/j.pedneo.2016.09.009 |
pubmed_71_4500 | The 2nd--4th finger ratio (2D:4D) has been proposed as a potential indicator of greater androgen exposure during fetal development. Maternal periconceptional smoking may alter the homeostasis of fetal androgens, which could in turn result in differential development of 2D:4Ds in utero. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of maternal periconceptional smoking (i.e. 1 year before through the first trimester of pregnancy) on the 2D:4D of children within The Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study. Maternal smoking history was obtained through questionnaires during the first trimester of pregnancy in 2001 women from 10 cities across Canada. The periconceptional smoking prevalence was 12%. A follow-up study was conducted to measure growth and development up to 5 years of age in a subsample of some 800 MIREC children (MIREC-CD Plus), and digital pictures of the ventral surface of both hands were obtained in mothers and children (2-5 years). The 2D:4D was calculated as the ratio of the 2nd and 4th fingers of each hand. Boys had lower mean 2D:4Ds compared with girls in both hands. Age and maternal 2D:4D were strong determinants of the children's 2D:4D, however, the mean 2D:4D did not differ among children whose mothers had smoked during the periconceptional period compared with those who had not, irrespective of sex. In conclusion, we did not find an association between maternal periconceptional smoking and children's 2D:4D, although the smoking prevalence was low. | 10.1017/S2040174417000320 |
pubmed_1082_7095 | Using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry with the oxygen-sensitive paramagnetic material, fusinite, we have measured the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in the mouse mammary adenocarcinoma MTG-B. The average pO2 in untreated tumors was low (about 5 mm Hg) and decreased with tumor growth. Magnetic resonance imaging and histological examination were used to localize the position of the fusinite with respect to tumor margins and vascularization. The pO2 was generally higher in the periphery than in the center of the tumors, but there was considerable variation among tumors both during normal growth and after radiation treatment. After a single 20-Gy dose, a characteristic pattern of change in tumor pO2 was observed. In irradiated tumors, there was an initial reduction in pO2 (minimum occurred 6 h postirradiation) which was followed by a transient increase in pO2 to levels higher than the preirradiation pO2 (maximum occurred 48 h postirradiation). This work demonstrates postirradiation changes in pO2 of potential radiobiological significance. Compared to other oxygen assessment techniques, EPR oximetry is very useful because it can assess pO2 in the same region of the tumor over the course of tumor growth and during response to treatment. Thus EPR could be used to identify potentially radioresistant tumors as well as to identify tumors with slow reoxygenation. | pubmed_1082_7095 |
pubmed_197_10485 | Histamine and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma; they enhance inflammation, vascular permeability, and mucus secretion. Histamine was suggested to alter the level of VEGF via the H2 receptors. Here the authors have applied histidine decarboxylase gene-targeted (HDC(-/-)) mice, lacking histamine, to investigate the effect of histamine deficiency on VEGF expression in an animal model of asthma. HDC(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). VEGF mRNA expression and protein level were determined in the lung. Number of VEGF-positive immune cells of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and their intracellular VEGF content were measured by flow cytometry. VEGF protein level in the lung and in the BAL cells was increased in OVA treated (HDC(-/-)(ova) as well as in WT(ova)) animals compared to their controls. However, there was no difference in the VEGF levels between HDC(-/-) or WT animals, either in the lung or in the BAL cells. In conclusion, increased VEGF production of the lung or BAL immune cells can be induced by allergen provocation independently from the genetic background of the animals. These data suggest that VEGF-mediated allergic processes can persist in the absence of histamine. | 10.3109/01902141003767955 |
pubmed_204_5461 | Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is subclassified into hydatidiform mole (HM), gestational trophoblastic tumours (GTT) and non-neoplastic trophoblastic lesions. HM, partial and complete, originate from villous trophoblast and are considered as preneoplastic conditions. The risk for the development of persistent GTD, mostly as invasive HM, ranges from 0.5% to 20%, which depends on the type of molar pregnancy. The risk of development of trophoblastic tumour after PHM is <0.5% and 2%-3% after CHM. GTT represent a spectrum of neoplasms that originates from the intermediate, largely extravillous, trophoblast and these include choriocarcinoma (CC), placental site trophoblastic tumour (PSTT), epithelioid trophoblastic tumour (ETT) and mixed trophoblastic tumour. Among tumour like conditions, exaggerated placental site reaction (EPSR) and placental site nodule (PSN) (s)/plaque (s) are included. The morphological appearances of HM can be mimicked by abnormal (non-molar) villous lesions, and similarly, GTT can be mimicked both by non-malignant tumour-like conditions and non-gestational tumours with trophoblastic differentiation, which add to the diagnostic dilemma of these rare conditions. GTT have a favourable prognosis and better response to specific chemotherapeutic regimens when compared with non-gestational malignant genital tract neoplasms. The correct diagnosis and classification of these rare conditions are therefore important. This article focusses on the morphological appearances, immunocytochemistry as an aid in the diagnosis and the changes in current WHO classification of GTDs (WHO 2020). | 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2021.02.005 |
pubmed_141_6344 | A prospective study of all cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) has been ongoing at our institution since April 1983. Data collected as of December 1984 reveal that of 79 episodes of SAB identified, 28 (35%) were caused by infected intravenous catheters; 14 of these were peripheral catheters and 14 were subclavian catheters. Endocarditis or metastatic infection was not recognized; two patients, one with a prosthetic heart valve and the other with recurrent SAB, did not meet the criteria for these complications but the clinical circumstances were strongly suggestive. Six of the 28 patients (21%) died of their infection, and local complications (inflammation or purulent drainage at the insertion site) were common. Only four of 22 patients who recovered were administered antibiotics for greater than 14 days. We conclude that patients with SAB caused by an infected intravenous catheter have a low risk of endocarditis or metastatic infection when the infected catheter is promptly removed and no risk factors (valvular heart disease or a prosthetic valve) are present that favor development of endocarditis. The duration of antimicrobial therapy need not exceed 2 weeks in this situation. The mortality related to SAB, however, was high and emphasizes the need to develop methods to prevent this infection. | 10.1016/0196-6553(87)90069-1 |
pubmed_1026_4207 | Background: Use of ionizing radiation (IR) is a common therapeutic modality for patients with colon carcinoma, although resistance of cancer cells and unintended toxicity reduce clinical outcomes.Purpose: To enhance radioresponse of colon cancer cells, we designed a novel approach using auraptene (AUR) in combination with ionizing radiation (IR).Methods: For in vitro studies, CT26 cells were pretreated with AUR and irradiated at different doses. Then, cell viability was evaluated by alamarBlue assay, and the mechanism of cell death was elucidated using annexin V-PI. To determine efficacy of our combined therapeutic modality in vivo, AUR was injected intraperitoneally to murine models of colon carcinoma followed by IR, and then quantitative measurements and histopathological examinations were performed. For molecular analyses, real time PCR and Western blot were carried out.Results: Assessment of cell viability indicated significant enhancement of IR effects by AUR that was also confirmed by increased number of apoptotic cells. In vivo studies further demonstrated improved outcome in IR, since significant regression in tumor size was observed after administration of AUR + IR. Molecular analyses revealed down regulation of Cyclin D1 and CD44, along with involvement of PI3K-AKT-mTORC signaling pathway and Caspase-3 in observed combinatorial effects.Conclusion: Taken together, current findings support our previous reports on sensitizing effects of AUR and that AUR could be used as a promising adjunct to IR in cancer treatment. | 10.1080/09553002.2020.1770359 |
pubmed_1081_3127 | The DPP (diethyl 1-propylphosphonate) and ODPA (octadecylphosphonic acid) molecules are studied as precursors for the monolayer doping (MLD) of germanium. Their adsorption behaviour is investigated, revealing different physicochemical interactions between the phosphorus-containing molecules and the Ge surfaces. It is discovered that DPP adsorption occurs after the oxidation of Ge surface, while the ODPA undergoes chemisorption on -H terminated surfaces. Quantitative phosphorus analysis demonstrates that in the first case more than one monolayer is formed (from 2 to 4), while in the second a single monolayer is formed. Moreover, the analysis of phosphorus diffusion from the surface layers into the Ge matrix reveals that conventional thermal annealing processes are not suitable for Ge injection due to a higher activation energy of the process in comparison with silicon. On the contrary, pulsed laser melting is effective in forming a doped layer, owing to the precursor's decomposition under UV light. | 10.1088/1361-6528/aade30 |
pubmed_965_22765 | OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the interrater and intrarater reliability of spinal extension and flexion measurements using a skin-surface (Spinal Mouse; Idiag, Voletswil, Switzerland) instrument.
METHODS
Spinal curvature was measured during standing, full flexion, and full extension in 81 healthy children (10.6 +/- 1.7 years) by 3 raters on 2 separate occasions. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and standard errors of measurement were used to examine between-day and interrater reliability for thoracic, lumbar, and hip range of motion.
RESULTS
The intrarater ICCs ranged from 0.61 to 0.96, and the interrater ICCs ranged from 0.70 to 0.93. The standard error of measurement ranged from 0.61 degrees to 13.18 degrees .
CONCLUSION
Evaluation of spinal range of motion measures in children using the Spinal Mouse demonstrates fair to high reliability. | 10.1016/j.jmpt.2008.09.001 |
pubmed_681_2472 | Basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) activates its high-affinity receptors (FGFRs) but also acts through interaction with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG). Exogenous polysaccharides also modulate the angiogenic activity of FGF-2. We investigated the effect and mechanism of action of a low molecular weight fucoidan derivative (LMWF) on tube formation by human endothelial cells. LMWF has a better arterial antithrombotic potential in animals than low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). After stimulation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) by FGF-2 and LMWF (or LMWH), we observed 1) using flow cytometry, an increase in the amount of the alpha6 integrin subunit; 2) using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, an increase in alpha6 mRNA (higher with LMWF than with LMWH); and 3) using a Matrigel model, an increase in vascular tube formation (also higher with LMWF than with LMWH). A direct link between alpha6 overexpression and vascular tube formation was confirmed by use of an anti-alpha6 antibody: in its presence, there was no capillary network formation on Matrigel. Unexpectedly, an anti-FGFR blocking antibody had no effect on alpha6 over-expression, whereas stripping off the heparan sulfate with heparitinases abolished overexpression. Overall, our data suggest that FGF-2 stimulates alpha6 over-expression in HUVEC, through HSPG but independently from FGFR, and that LMWF (or LMWH) modulates this interaction. Expression of heparan sulfate proteoglycan increases after ischemic injury. Given its antithrombotic properties and its ability to potentiate tube formation of endothelial cells, LMWF may have to be considered for revascularization of ischemic areas. | 10.1124/mol.64.3.696 |
pubmed_288_13335 | BACKGROUND
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays important roles in human and animal development as well as in carcinogenesis. Hh molecules have been found in both protostomes and deuterostomes, but curiously the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans lacks a bona-fide Hh. Instead a series of Hh-related proteins are found, which share the Hint/Hog domain with Hh, but have distinct N-termini.
RESULTS
We performed extensive genome searches such as the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis and several nematodes to gain further insights into Hh evolution. We found six genes in N. vectensis with a relationship to Hh: two Hh genes, one gene with a Hh N-terminal domain fused to a Willebrand factor type A domain (VWA), and three genes containing Hint/Hog domains with distinct novel N-termini. In the nematode Brugia malayi we find the same types of hh-related genes as in C. elegans. In the more distantly related Enoplea nematodes Xiphinema and Trichinella spiralis we find a bona-fide Hh. In addition, T. spiralis also has a quahog gene like C. elegans, and there are several additional hh-related genes, some of which have secreted N-terminal domains of only 15 to 25 residues. Examination of other Hh pathway components revealed that T. spiralis - like C. elegans - lacks some of these components. Extending our search to all eukaryotes, we recovered genes containing a Hog domain similar to Hh from many different groups of protists. In addition, we identified a novel Hint gene family present in many eukaryote groups that encodes a VWA domain fused to a distinct Hint domain we call Vint. Further members of a poorly characterized Hint family were also retrieved from bacteria.
CONCLUSION
In Cnidaria and nematodes the evolution of hh genes occurred in parallel to the evolution of other genes that contain a Hog domain but have different N-termini. The fact that Hog genes comprising a secreted N-terminus and a Hog domain are found in many protists indicates that this gene family must have arisen in very early eukaryotic evolution, and gave rise eventually to hh and hh-related genes in animals. The results indicate a hitherto unsuspected ability of Hog domain encoding genes to evolve new N-termini. In one instance in Cnidaria, the Hh N-terminal signaling domain is associated with a VWA domain and lacks a Hog domain, suggesting a modular mode of evolution also for the N-terminal domain. The Hog domain proteins, the inteins and VWA-Vint proteins are three families of Hint domain proteins that evolved in parallel in eukaryotes. | 10.1186/1471-2164-9-127 |
pubmed_99_4508 | We describe the association between transient osteoporosis of the hip (TOH) and liver cirrhosis in a female patient. The clinical course, radiographic and scintigraphic features were similar to cases of TOH described previously. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is unknown and we suggest there may be a relationship between the hemodynamic changes common in cirrhotic patients and in pregnant women and the development of TOH. | pubmed_99_4508 |
pubmed_322_7077 | Nuclear-import receptors (NIRs) engage nuclear-localization signals (NLSs) of polypeptides in the cytoplasm and transport these cargo across the size-selective barrier of the nuclear-pore complex into the nucleoplasm. Beyond this canonical role in nuclear transport, NIRs operate in the cytoplasm to chaperone and disaggregate NLS-bearing clients. Indeed, NIRs can inhibit and reverse functional and deleterious phase transitions of their cargo, including several prominent neurodegenerative disease-linked RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with prion-like domains (PrLDs), such as TDP-43, FUS, EWSR1, TAF15, hnRNPA1, and hnRNPA2. Importantly, elevated NIR expression can mitigate degenerative phenotypes connected to aberrant cytoplasmic aggregation of RBPs with PrLDs. Here, we review recent discoveries that NIRs can also antagonize aberrant interactions and toxicity of arginine-rich, dipeptide-repeat proteins that are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) caused by G4C2 hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the first intron of C9ORF72. We also highlight recent findings that multiple NIR family members can prevent and reverse liquid-liquid phase separation of specific clients bearing RGG motifs in an NLS-independent manner. Finally, we discuss strategies to enhance NIR activity or expression, which could have therapeutic utility for several neurodegenerative disorders, including ALS, FTD, multisystem proteinopathy, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, tauopathies, and related diseases. | 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167220 |
pubmed_955_5183 | This article presents original research findings to illustrate the influence of surveillance definitions on infection rate. Several definitions for urinary tract infection were applied to clinical and laboratory data from rehabilitation hospital patients, and the effect on sensitivity and specificity examined. We demonstrate that it is essential to take into account the influence of the surveillance definition when interpreting surveillance data, and the importance of ensuring that the surveillance definition is compatible with the surveillance objectives when selecting a definition. Surveillance definitions that serve well in one surveillance program may not serve well in another. | 10.1086/647002 |
pubmed_995_8604 | In a patient with typical features of Bartter's syndrome, intrarenal reabsorption of sodium and water at different sites of the nephron, during maximal water diuresis, was studied twice in the course of the disease. During the first study, chloride reabsorption at the loop of Henle and renal diluting ability were not impaired. Chloride reabsorption at the loop of Henle was 0.72 (normal values 0.66-0.90), minimal urine osmolality 71 mosm/kg (normal values less than 75 mosm/kg) and chloride fractional clearance 0.44 (normal values 0.3-6.8). An impaired chloride reabsorption at the loop of Henle was found 6 months later. Chloride reabsorption at the loop of Henle was 0.28, minimal urine osmolality 197 mosm/kg and chloride fractional clearance 8.23. These data suggest that the defect in chloride reabsorption at the loop of Henle is not a pathophysiological abnormality of the syndrome because it appeared at a later time than the other symptoms. | 10.1159/000167433 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.