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pubmed_392_627 | Microbially driven iron and sulfur geochemical cycles co-exist ubiquitously in subsurface environments and are of environmental relevance. Shewanella species (dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria) are capable of reducing Fe(III)-(oxyhydr)oxide minerals and diverse sulfur sources using corresponding metabolic pathways and producing FeS secondary minerals. In spite of the ability in promoting bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET), the specific role of FeS in mediating EET between microbe/mineral interface is still unclear. In this work, the electron-mediating function of biogenic FeS on promoting the reduction of ferrihydrite by S. oneidensis MR-1 using thiosulfate as sulfur source was investigated in terms of Fe(III) reduction percentage, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the microbial ferrihydrite reduction was pH-dependent and positively correlated with the addition of thiosulfate. In the presence of thiosulfate, biogenic FeS in nano-scale were formed and deposited on the surfaces of S. oneidensis MR-1 and ferrihydrite to build an interfacial electron transfer bridge between them. The addition of either thiosulfate and in-vitro FeS could rescue the entirely inactivated ability of the mutant (△omcA/mtrC) in ferrihydrite reduction to some extent, but which was obviously inferior to the wild-type strain. Meanwhile, the effect of the biogenic FeS in-situ coating on the surfaces of S. oneidensis MR-1 cells on promoting microbial ferrihydrite reduction was significantly superior to the in-vitro ones. Thus, the in-situ formed biogenic FeS secondary minerals were demonstrated to mediate and accelerate interfacial electron transfer from S. oneidensis MR-1 cells to ferrihydrite through interfacing with the bacterial EET routes, especially Mtr pathway. This work provides an insight into the secondary minerals-mediating interfacial electron transfer between microbes and minerals in the presence of biological S (-II), which has important biogeochemical and environmental implications. | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132661 |
pubmed_1007_10692 | Cigarette smoking remains the largest preventable cause of premature death in developed countries. Until recently nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been the only recognised form of treatment for smoking cessation. Bupropion, the first non-nicotine based drug for smoking cessation was licensed in the United States of America (US) in 1997 and in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2000 for smoking cessation in people aged 18 years and over. Bupropion exerts its effect primarily through the inhibition of dopamine reuptake into neuronal synaptic vesicles. It is also a weak noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor and has no effect on the serotonin system. Bupropion has proven efficacy for smoking cessation in a number of clinical trials, helping approximately one in five smokers to stop smoking. Up to a half of patients taking bupropion experience side effects, mainly insomnia and a dry mouth, which are closely linked to the nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Bupropion is rarely associated with seizures however care must be taken when co-prescribing with drugs that can lower seizure threshold. Also, bupropion is a potent enzyme inhibitor and can raise plasma levels of some drugs including antidepressants, antiarrhythmics and antipsychotics. Bupropion has been shown to be a safe and cost effective smoking cessation agent. Despite this, NRT remains the dominant pharmacotherapy to aid smoking cessation. | 10.2147/copd.s1121 |
pubmed_746_6699 | The anterior cingulate cortex (AC) is consistently implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. While suicide has been shown in previous reports to be closely related to depression, it is still a distinct phenomenon. The aim to differentiate between depression and suicide was approached by the karyometric analysis of AC pyramidal neurons. The study was performed on paraffin-embedded brains from 20 depressive patients (10 of whom had committed suicide) and 24 matched controls. The karyometric parameters of the layer III and V pyramidal neurons of the dorsal and ventral AC were evaluated bilaterally by Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organiser (AgNOR) silver staining method. Control-specific was the increased nuclear area in ontogenetically younger pyramidal neurons layer III in the left dorsal compared with ventral AC (Wilcoxon test, P<0.01). The decreased AgNOR number per nucleus in these cells in the right ventral AC was depression-specific compared with controls (t-test, P=0.047). On the other hand, the diffuse decrease in AgNOR ratio throughout pyramidal neurons on the left side was specific for suicidal depressive patients compared with non-suicidal patients and controls (ANOVA, P=0.028). The results suggest that regionally differentiated depression- and suicide-specific disturbed function of the most important AC output cells exists in depressive patients. | 10.1080/15622970601169758 |
pubmed_1031_14530 | High-frequency and -field electron paramagnetic resonance (HFEPR) spectroscopy of a classical coordination complex, Mn(acac)(3) (Hacac = 2,4-pentanedione), has been performed on both solid powder and frozen solution (in CH(2)Cl(2)/toluene, 3:2 v/v) samples. Parallel mode detection X-band EPR spectra exhibiting resolved (55)Mn hyperfine coupling were additionally obtained for frozen solutions. Magnetic susceptibility and field-dependent magnetization measurements were also made on powder samples. Analysis of the entire EPR data set for the frozen solution allowed extraction of the relevant spin Hamiltonian parameters: D = -4.52(2); |E| = 0.25(2) cm(-1); g(iso) = 1.99(1). The somewhat lower quality solid-state HFEPR data and the magnetic measurements confirmed these parameters. These parameters are compared to those for other complexes of Mn(III) and to previous studies on Mn(acac)(3) using X-ray crystallography, solution electronic absorption spectroscopy, and powder magnetic susceptibility. Crystal structures have been reported for Mn(acac)(3) and show tetragonal distortion, as expected for this Jahn-Teller ion (Mn(3+), 3d(4)). However, in one case, the molecule exhibits axial compression and, in another, axial elongation. The current HFEPR studies clearly show the negative sign of D, which corresponds to an axial (tetragonal) elongation in frozen solution. The correspondence among solution and solid-state HFEPR data, solid-state magnetic measurements, and an HFEPR study by others on a related complex indicates that the form of Mn(acac)(3) studied here exhibits axial elongation in all cases. Such tetragonal elongation has been found for Mn(3+) and Cr(2+) complexes with homoleptic pseudooctahedral geometry as well as for Mn(3+) in square pyramidal geometry. This taken together with the results obtained here for Mn(acac)(3) in frozen solution indicates that axial elongation could be considered the "natural" form of Jahn-Teller distortion for octahedral high-spin 3d(4) ions. The previous electronic absorption data together with current HFEPR and magnetic data allow estimation of ligand-field parameters for Mn(acac)(3). | 10.1021/ic020712l |
pubmed_612_22908 | BACKGROUND
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) guidelines recommend elective high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not performed in sites greater than 1 hour from cardiac surgery.
METHODS
In hospital outcomes for all patients from Orange Health Service (OHS) from January 2017 to January 2020 who were transferred electively to tertiary centres in Sydney for high risk PCI were examined.
RESULTS
One hundred and fourteen (114) patients were identified, with 1,259 PCIs performed at OHS over the same period without transfer. The mean age of these 114 patients was 71 years, with 74.6% male. Receiving hospitals were Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW (66.7%), Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, NSW (19.3%) and Strathfield Private Hospital, Strathfield, NSW (14%). The definition of high risk and indication for transfer included at least one of: moderate or greater calcification of the target lesion or proximal segment (34%), single or multiple target lesions that in aggregate jeopardised over 50% of remaining viable myocardium (27%), degenerated saphenous vein grafts (14.8%), chronic total occlusions (7.0%) and severe left ventricular (LV) impairment (3.9%). American Heart Society/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) lesion types were A (1%), B1 (4.2%), B2 (40.2%), and C (54.6%). PCI was performed via the femoral route in 96.2%. The mean procedure duration was 72 minutes, mean combined fluoroscopy time was 19 minutes and mean radiation dose as defined by Reference Air Kerma was 1,630 mGy. Complications occurred in 13 patients and were: acute vessel dissection requiring stenting (4), perforation (2), acute vessel closure (4), puncture site related (1), and life-threatening arrhythmia (2). There were no cases of emergent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or death.
CONCLUSION
This contemporary cohort of high-risk patients transferred electively from a regional PCI centre to a tertiary cardiac unit underwent lengthy PCI procedures, with high radiation doses, and a modest rate of peri-procedural complications, but had otherwise excellent procedural and clinical outcomes. | 10.1016/j.hlc.2021.07.015 |
pubmed_251_696 | Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to detect cortical activation in the right and left perisylvian cortex of seven young adult right-handed volunteers in response to a letter fluency task and to a visual naming task using standardized line drawings. Both letter fluency and visual naming activated left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann's areas 6, 9, 44 and 45). Only visual naming activated area 37 (a cortical region with strong connections to visual association areas), visual association area 19, and areas 39 and 21 previously shown to activate with auditory semantic tasks. This study supports a role for area 37 as participant in a visual lexicosemantic processing network which may otherwise overlap the auditorysemantic network. | 10.1097/00001756-199602290-00024 |
pubmed_822_17410 | BACKGROUND
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are being applied in regenerative medicine and for the in vitro modeling of human intractable disorders. In particular, neural cells derived from disease-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) established from patients with neurological disorders have been used as in vitro disease models to recapitulate in vivo pathogenesis because neural cells cannot be usually obtained from patients themselves.
RESULTS
In this study, we established a rapid, efficient, and simple method for efficiently deriving motor neurons from hPSCs that is useful for pathophysiological analysis and the development of drugs to treat motor neuron diseases. Treatment with GSK3β inhibitors during the initial phase of differentiation in combination with dual SMAD inhibition was sufficient to induce PAX6 (+) and SOX1 (+) neural progenitors within 1 week, and subsequent treatment with retinoic acid (RA) and purmorphamine, which activates sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling, resulted in the highly efficient induction of HB9(+) and ISL-1(+) motor neurons within 2 weeks. After 4 weeks of monolayer differentiation in motor neuron maturation medium, hPSC-derived motor neurons were shown to mature, displaying larger somas and clearer staining for the mature motor neuron marker choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Moreover, hPSC-derived motor neurons were able to form neuromuscular junctions with human myotubes in vitro and induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering, as detected by Alexa 555-conjugated α-Bungarotoxin (α-BTX), suggesting that these hPSC-derived motor neurons formed functional contacts with skeletal muscles. This differentiation system is simple and is reproducible in several hiPSC clones, thereby minimizing clonal variation among hPSC clones. We also established a system for visualizing motor neurons with a lentiviral reporter for HB9 (HB9 (e438) ::Venus). The specificity of this reporter was confirmed through immunocytochemistry and quantitative RT-PCR analysis of high-positive fractions obtained via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), suggesting its applicability for motor neuron-specific analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
Our motor neuron differentiation system and lentivirus-based reporter system for motor neurons facilitate the analysis of disease-specific hiPSCs for motor neuron diseases. | 10.1186/s13041-015-0172-4 |
pubmed_475_18056 | The complexes [{(tmpa)Co(II) }2 (μ-L(1) )(2-) ](2+) (1(2+) ) and [{(tmpa)Co(II) }2 (μ-L(2) )(2-) ](2+) (2(2+) ), with tmpa=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, H2 L(1) =2,5-di-[2-(methoxy)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone, and H2 L(2) =2,5-di-[2-(trifluoromethyl)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone, were synthesized and characterized. Structural analysis of 2(2+) revealed a distorted octahedral coordination around the cobalt centers, and cobalt-ligand bond lengths that match with high-spin Co(II) centers. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometric studies on 1(2+) and 2(2+) are consistent with the presence of two weakly exchange-coupled high-spin cobalt(II) ions, for which the nature of the coupling appears to depend on the substituents on the bridging ligand, being antiferromagnetic for 1(2+) and ferromagnetic for 2(2+) . Both complexes exhibit several one-electron redox steps, and these were investigated with cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis/near-IR spectroelectrochemistry. For 1(2+) , it was possible to chemically isolate the pure forms of both the one-electron oxidized mixed-valent 1(3+) and the two-electron oxidized isovalent 1(4+) forms, and characterize them structurally as well as magnetically. This series thus provided an opportunity to investigate the effect of reversible electron transfers on the total spin-state of the molecule. In contrast to 2(2+) , for 1(4+) the metal-ligand distances and the distances within the quinonoid ligand point to the existence of two low-spin Co(III) centers, thus showing the innocence of the quintessential non-innocent ligands L. Magnetic data corroborate these observations by showing the decrease of the magnetic moment by roughly half (neglecting spin exchange effects) on oxidizing the molecules with one electron, and the disappearance of a paramagnetic response upon two-electron oxidation, which confirms the change in spin state associated with the electron-transfer steps. | 10.1002/chem.201302858 |
pubmed_710_21513 | OBJECTIVE
We implemented a stepwise antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). This study evaluated the effect of each intervention and the overall economic impact on carbapenem (CAR) use.
METHOD
Carbapenem days of therapy (CAR-DOT) were calculated to assess the effect of each intervention, and antipseudomonal DOT were calculated to assess changes in use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. We carried out segmented regression analysis of studies with interrupted time series for 3 periods: Phase 1 (infectious disease [ID] consultation service only), Phase 2 (adding monitoring and e-mail feedback), and Phase 3 (adding postprescription review and feedback [PPRF] led by ID specialist doctors and pharmacists). We also estimated cost savings over the study period due to decreased CAR use.
RESULTS
The median monthly CAR-DOT, per month per 100 patient-days, during Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 was 5.46, 3.69, and 2.78, respectively. The CAR-DOT decreased significantly immediately after the start of Phase 2, but a major decrease was not observed during this period. Although the immediate change was not apparent after Phase 3 started, CAR-DOT decreased significantly over this period. Furthermore, the monthly DOT of 3 alternative antipseudomonal agents also decreased significantly over the study period, but the incidence of antimicrobial resistance did not decrease. Cost savings over the study period, due to decreased CAR use, was estimated to be US $150 000.
CONCLUSIONS
Adding PPRF on the conventional ASP may accelerate antimicrobial stewardship. Our CAR stewardship program has had positive results, and implementation is ongoing. | 10.1093/ofid/ofz389 |
pubmed_753_1436 | Two essential functional requirements for electroactive artificial muscles, which can be used for biomedical active devices, are biocompatibility and sufficient range of motion. Fullerenol nanoparticles and their derivatives have been validated as potential candidates to be used for nanobiomaterials and biomedical applications because of their excellent proton conductivity, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility. We developed fullerenol-based electroactive artificial muscles utilizing biocompatible polyetherimide. By using a solvent recasting method, present ionic networking membranes have been successfully synthesized with homogeneous dispersion of polyhydroxylated fullerene (PHF) nanoparticles into a sulfonated polyetherimide (SPEI) matrix. In comparison with pure SPEI membranes, the PHF-SPEI nanocomposite membranes show much higher water uptake and proton conductivity, which are both essential characteristics for high-performance ionic polymer actuators. The developed PHF-SPEI actuator shows over three times larger motion ranges and two times higher blocking forces than the pure SPEI actuator. The excellent biocompatibility of PHF and SPEI makes these actuators promising candidate materials for biomedical devices such as active stents and catheters. | 10.1021/nn103521g |
pubmed_1096_8795 | Superhydrophobic surfaces are normally fixed on the chosen materials. Here, we report transferrable superhydrophobicity which was enabled by fabricating TiO2 nanorods on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) film. Superhydrophobic TiO2 nanorods were first synthesized from a nanoporous template of block copolymers (BCPs). The controllability over the dimension and shape of nanopores of the BCP template allowed for the adjustment of TiO2 nanostructures for superhydrophobicity. Since the rGO film provided effective transferring, TiO2 nanorods were conveyed onto a flexible polymer film and a metal substrate. Thus, the surface of the designated substrate was successfully changed to a superhydrophobic surface without alteration of its inherent characteristics. | 10.1088/0957-4484/26/16/165302 |
pubmed_565_10897 | BACKGROUND
Despite early detection having been identified as a key factor in long-term survival of patients with breast cancer, women with locally advanced breast cancer continued to present at many medical centers.
METHODS
Women with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) (N = 11) and matched controls (N = 11) with Stage I or II breast cancer completed semi-structured interviews and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Life Orientation Test, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, Body Investment Scale, Monitor-Blunter Style Scale, and Religious Coping Scale. Five spouses of the LABC group and eight control partners were similarly assessed.
RESULTS
On psychological tests, no significant differences were found between patient groups; however, LABC spouses reported significantly greater active religious surrender (t = 2.37, P = 0.037) and depression (t = 3.54, P = 0.047) than control spouses. The women's semi-structured interviews identified that LABC was associated with inattention to routine breast cancer screening, denial, fatalism and reliance on alternative therapies. Spouses of the LABC group tended to be more passive in their wives' medical care, and also utilized fatalistic thinking and denial.
CONCLUSIONS
It is important for health care providers to identify patients who will require extra encouragement to seek timely medical care and to follow through with treatment recommendations. | 10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.12.012 |
pubmed_385_18610 | Malarial infection during pregnancy increases the risks of severe sequelae for the pregnant woman and the risk of delivering a low birthweight baby. The aim of this intervention study was to reduce significantly the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in adolescent parturients in Matola and Boane in Mozambique. The study was focused upon the most malaria-vulnerable group, adolescent nulliparous and primiparous women. After completing the usual antenatal clinic and giving informed consent, 600 pregnant women were randomly chosen in a double blind manner to one of two regimens comparing the prevailing routine (placebo) for malaria prevention with a two dose regimen of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP). The first dose was given at enrollment with a second dose at the beginning of the third trimester. At delivery maternal and placental malaria parasitaemia as well as birthweight and gestational duration were analysed. At booking the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was 35.3% in the placebo group and 30.6% in the SP group. At the second dose, the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in the placebo group and SP group was 19.7% and 8.7%, respectively. This implies a relative risk (RR) of 2.24 with 95% CI (1.34, 3.75). The corresponding figures at delivery were 13.6% and 6.3% with an RR of 2.22 (1.07, 4.60) and in placenta 13.3% and 2.4% with an RR of 4.87 (1.58, 15.0). Newborns with malaria within 7 days were significantly more frequent in the placebo group, 6.4% and 0.7% respectively, with an RR of 6.55 (1.20, 35.7). Almost all (approximately 98%) of the women studied had Plasmodium falciparum, the remainder had P. malariae and P. ovale. The mean birthweight in the SP group was 3077 g and in the placebo group 2926 g. The estimated mean difference between the two groups was 151 g with 95% CI (51, 252). The mean placental weight in the placebo group was 596 and 645 g in the SP group, implying a difference of 49 g with a 95% CI (11, 88). The mean gestational duration was 6.1 days longer in the SP group, 95% CI (1.5, 10.6). In the placebo group there were two cases of urticaria and one case of nausea; in the SP group there was one case of vomiting. No newborn showed any sign of serious SP side-effect. Two doses of SP were enough to significantly reduce the prevalence of peripheral and placental malaria parasitaemia among young nulliparous and primiparous pregnant women in Matola and Boane. | 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2004.01307.x |
pubmed_1097_17350 | Shrinking lung syndrome is an extremely rare feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report on a 49-year-old woman with SLE who presented with dyspnoea in type 2 respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Medical imaging investigations revealed markedly reduced lung volumes and the absence of pulmonary emboli, pulmonary fibrosis or any significant parenchymal infiltrate consistent with shrinking lung syndrome. We observed significantly reduced chest compliance during positive pressure ventilation and noted that this contrasts with a widely held view that diaphragmatic weakness is the major pathophysiological mechanism for ventilatory failure in these patients. She was treated with high-dose steroids and cyclophosphamide and weaned slowly off full mechanical ventilation. This report highlights an unusual cause of respiratory failure in a patient with SLE and provides support for reduced chest compliance rather than the diaphragmatic weakness as being the significant pathophysiological mechanism for ventilatory failure in these patients. | 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2009.02082.x |
pubmed_256_15619 | Based on recent studies in single-celled organisms, it has been argued that a fitness benefit associated with a mutation will increase the probability of that mutation occurring. This increase is independent of mutation rates at other loci and is called adaptive mutagenesis. We modeled the effect of adaptive mutagenesis on populations of haploid organisms with adaptive mutation rates ranging from 0 to 1 x 10(-5). Allele frequencies at the selected locus and a neutral linked locus were tracked. We also observed the amount of linkage disequilibrium during the selective sweep and the final heterozygosity after the sweep. The presence of adaptive mutagenesis increases the number of genetic backgrounds carrying the new fitter allele, making the outcomes more representative of the population before the selection. Therefore, more neutral genetic variation is preserved in simulations with adaptive mutagenesis than in those without it due to hitchhiking. Since adaptive mutagenesis is time-dependent, it can generate mutants when other mechanisms of mutation cannot. In addition, adaptive mutagenesis has the potential to confound both phylogeny construction and the detection of natural selection from patterns of nucleotide variation. | 10.1093/genetics/140.3.1129 |
pubmed_840_24254 | This is a retrospective study of 500 patients with spinal cord injury who underwent abdominal ultrasonography as a routine screening test from 2000 to 2003. We analyzed the results according to the different abdominal organ systems. Among the 500 cases, 226 (45.2%) showed abnormal findings. 98 cases of abnormal findings in the liver included 75 of fatty liver and 13 of mass. The 88 cases of abnormal findings in the bladder included 56 of bladder wall thickening, 14 of cystitis and 10 of urinary stone. The 35 cases of abnormal findings in the kidney included 19 of renal cyst and 6 of pelvic dilatation. The 35 cases with gallbladder abnormalities included 19 with gallstones and 11 with biliary sludge. Excluding the cases with bladder wall thickening, there were still 170 cases with abnormal ultrasonographic findings. Abdominal sonography seems to be a useful tool in detecting hidden intraabdominal pathologies in patients with spinal cord injury. | 10.3346/jkms.2006.21.5.927 |
pubmed_720_22339 | The aims of the present study were to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in breast cancer (BC) and investigate NDC80 kinetochore complex component (NUF2) as a prognostic marker of BC in detail. A total of four BC microarray datasets, downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, were used to screen DEGs. A total of 190 DEGs with the same expression trends were identified in the 4 datasets, including 65 upregulated and 125 downregulated DEGs. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The upregulated DEGs were enriched for 10 Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 7 pathways, and the downregulated DEGs were enriched for 10 GO terms and 10 pathways. A protein‑protein interaction network containing 149 nodes and 930 edges was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes, and 2 functional modules were identified using the MCODE plugin of Cytoscape. Based on an in‑depth analysis of module 1 and literature mining, NUF2 was selected for further research. Oncomine database analysis and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR showed that NUF2 is significantly upregulated in BC tissues. In analyses of correlations between NUF2 and clinical pathological characteristics, NUF2 was significantly associated with the malignant features of BC. Using 5 additional datasets from GEO, it was demonstrated that NUF2 has a significant prognostic role in both ER‑positive and ER‑negative BC. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis indicated that NUF2 may regulate breast carcinogenesis and progression via cell cycle‑related pathways. The results of the present study demonstrated that NUF2 is overexpressed in BC and is significantly associated with its multiple pathological features and prognosis. | 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4239 |
pubmed_516_16318 | A large investment is required to develop, license and deploy a new antimalarial drug. Too often, that investment has been rapidly devalued by the selection of parasite populations resistant to the drug action. To understand the mechanisms of selection, detailed information on the patterns of drug use in a variety of environments, and the geographic and temporal patterns of resistance is needed. Currently, there is no publically-accessible central database that contains information on the levels of resistance to antimalaria drugs. This paper outlines the resources that are available and the steps that might be taken to create a dynamic, open access database that would include current and historical data on clinical efficacy, in vitro responses and molecular markers related to drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The goal is to include historical and current data on resistance to commonly used drugs, like chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, and on the many combinations that are now being tested in different settings. The database will be accessible to all on the Web. The information in such a database will inform optimal utilization of current drugs and sustain the longest possible therapeutic life of newly introduced drugs and combinations. The database will protect the valuable investment represented by the development and deployment of novel therapies for malaria. | 10.1186/1475-2875-5-48 |
pubmed_847_19493 | BACKGROUND
Buttabean Motivation (BBM) is a Pacific-led organisation which aims to reduce obesity amongst Pacific and Māori people in New Zealand enabling them to choose a healthy and active life-style for the duration of their lives, their children, their wider family and the community. BBM offers a holistic approach to weight loss, recognising that mental health, family and cultural factors all play essential and critical role in nutrition and physical activity patterns. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of BBM for sustained health and wellbeing outcomes among its predominantly Pacific and Māori participants for both general BBM members and those with morbid obesity attending the 'From the Couch' programme.
METHODS
Quasi-experimental pre-post quantitative cohort study design with measured or self-reported weight at various time intervals for both cohorts. Weight will be analysed with general linear mixed model for repeated measures, and compared with a prediction model generated from the literature using a mixed method meta-analysis. The secondary outcome is change in pre- and post scores of Māori scale of health and well-being, Hua Oranga.
DISCUSSION
Multiple studies have shown that many diet and physical activity programmes can create short-term weight loss. The fundamental question is whether BBM members maintain weight loss over time. In New Zealand, Pacific and Māori engagement in health enhancing programmes remains an important strategy for achieving better health and wellbeing outcomes, and quality of life. Internationally, the collectivist cultures of indigenous and migrant and minority populations, living within dominant individualist western ideologies, have much greater burdens of obesity. If BBM members demonstrate sustained weight loss, this culturally informed community-based approach could benefit to other indigenous and migrant populations.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12621000931875 (BBM general members) First submitted 10 May 2021, registration completed 15 July 2021. ACTRN12621001676808 7 (From the Couch) First submitted 28 October 2021, registration completed 7 December 2021. | 10.1186/s12889-022-12979-3 |
pubmed_456_23163 | Platelets are natural delivery vehicles within the blood, carrying and releasing their contents at sites of vasculature damage. Investigating the biology of platelets, and modifying them for new therapeutic uses, is limited by a lack of methods for efficiently transfecting these cells. The ability of four different classes of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA to platelets was compared using confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and quantitative PCR. The amount of mRNA delivered, mechanism of uptake, and extent of platelet activation depended on the LNP formulation and platelet storage conditions. Cationic LNPs (cLNPs) delivered mRNA to the largest percentage of platelets but induced platelet activation. Ionizable cationic LNPs (icLNPs) delivered mRNA to fewer platelets and did not induce activation. Furthermore, mRNA delivered using icLNPs and cLNPs was stable in resting platelets and was released in platelet microparticles under specific conditions. The results demonstrate that mRNA can be delivered to platelets using cLNPs and icLNPs without impairing platelet aggregation or spreading. Optimizing the LNP formulations used here may lead to a transfection agent for platelets that allows for de novo synthesis of exogenous proteins in the future. | 10.1038/s41598-018-36910-2 |
pubmed_536_17741 | Involvement of the large arteries in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been only rarely reported. We describe the case of a 56-year-old woman with early diffuse cutaneous SSc who presented with acute unilateral digital ischemia. Evaluation identified thrombosis at the site of a previous subclavian-to-common carotid artery bypass, rather than Raynaud's phenomenon, as the cause of ischemia. Areview of the literature indicates that large artery involvement, although a relatively uncommon clinical manifestation, can be frequently detected in the lower limbs as well as the ulnar arteries in patients with SSc. | 10.1097/00124743-200008000-00006 |
pubmed_315_15617 | The effect of epicuticular waxes extracted from fruits (apple, nectarine, pear, and plum) and vegetables (tomato and eggplant) on the photodegradation of rotenone was studied. The waxes affected the decay rate and the degradation pathway of this botanical insecticide. Tomato, nectarine, and plum waxes decreased the photodegradation rate compared to controls, whereas apple and pear waxes increased it. Rotenone irradiated under sunlight without waxes gave seven photoproducts; in contrast, in the presence of waxes it changed its behavior, leading to different pathways according to the wax employed. The main photoproduct formed was 12abeta-rotenolone. | 10.1021/jf035344y |
pubmed_302_15713 | A three-dimensional video-assisted stereoendoscopic system (3D video system) developed by the Shinko Optical Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), and referred to as the binocular vision by horizontal image shifting display method (BVHIS display method), has been developed to digitally process ordinary video signals obtained with a video camera connected to a direct videolaryngoscope. The three-dimensional video system provides the surgeon with stereoendoscopic video images and enhances the ability of the surgeon to perform delicate endoscopic procedures. The three-dimensional video-assisted stereoendoscopic laryngosurgical procedure and its underlying principles are described in this paper. A total of 12 patients with laryngeal lesions causing dysphonia underwent three-dimensional video-assisted stereoendoscopic laryngosurgery. Although the video image obtained with the BVHIS display method is only pseudo-three-dimensional, this method enables the surgeon to perceive both depth perception and realism. We describe a surgical procedure using this new visualizing technique and the underlying principles of the technique. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations of the patients' vocal functions are also described. This system is a useful tool for the treatment of laryngeal lesions causing dysphonia. | 10.1016/s0892-1997(02)00079-6 |
pubmed_17_5034 | OBJECTIVES
To study the characteristics of verbal and sign language aphasia in a patient fluent in both languages, who had had a recent left hemisphere stroke as well as to localise the site responsible for Spanish sign language aphasia.
PATIENT AND METHODS
56 years old male, with risk factors for stroke, who presented an episode of sudden onset aphasia and right hemiplegia that partially recovered in a few hours. The residual deficit of language was explored with a detailed protocol that included comprehension, denomination, oral and phonetic praxis, propositional and automatic spontaneous language, reading and writing tasks. The examination of verbal and sign language was video-recorded. The lesion was localised by magnetic resonance imaging 24 days after the stroke.
RESULTS
The patient, whose infarction involved the superior temporal gyrus and sylvian operculum, presented similar abnormalities for comprehension of complex sentences, many phonemic paraphasias and no trouble to repeat single words. Oral language was not fluent, but sign language was quite fluent with a rich vocabulary, but with semantic paraphasias, agrammatism and without self-criticism for his own mistakes.
CONCLUSIONS
The pattern of oral and sign language alterations is partially different, more for expressive than perceptive discourse, although both types of aphasias are caused by lesions of the left hemisphere. The regions responsible for these abnormalities of both symbolic languages are localised close to each other, but not in the same place. | pubmed_17_5034 |
pubmed_1091_12088 | BACKGROUND
Prior research has established that anxiety and depression, as measured by the Hospital Anxiety Depression Score (HADS), are strongly correlated with disease-specific quality of life (Rhinosinusitis Disability Index - RSDI) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). We hypothesized that anxiety and depression would decrease after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), and furthermore that HADS would predict improvement in RSDI following surgery.
METHODOLOGY
The study cohort from 2014 consisted of 99 CRS patients who underwent nasal endoscopy, RSDI, and HADS evaluation. The cohort was segregated by whether or not they underwent FESS and an updated HADS was administered. For 44 surgical patients, pre- and post-operative RSDI (n=38), Lund-Kennedy (LK) (n=34) and HADS (n=18) scores were compared. Delta RSDI was compared between patients with varying levels of anxiety and depression.
RESULTS
Lund-Kennedy scores improved from 5.8 ± 4.1 to 3.2 ± 2.6 following surgery, as did total RSDI (39.3 ± 26.8 to 24.6 ± 29.2). Total HADS (9.8 ± 6.4 to 11.3 ± 7.4) and depression and anxiety subscores were unchanged. Linear regression did not reveal a correlation between HADS and change in RSDI following FESS. Delta RSDI was not significantly different between patients with varying levels of anxiety and depression.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite improvements in objective evidence of sinonasal inflammation (LK) and disease-specific quality of life (RSDI), neither depression nor anxiety improved after FESS, nor did the magnitude of psychological comorbidity predict post-operative improvement in quality of life. Improvement in RSDI was not different among patients with varying levels of anxiety and depression. Levels of depression and anxiety may be hard-wired, and therefore not influenced by changes in objective or perceived sinonasal disease burden. | 10.4193/Rhin17.238 |
pubmed_716_12320 | Petroleum leakages can seriously damage the soil environment and cause a persistent harm to human health, due to the release of heavy oil pollutants with a high viscosity and high molecular weight. In this paper, biochar aerogel materials were successfully prepared under 600, 700 and 800 ℃ (accordingly labeled as 600-aerogel, 700-aerogel and 800-aerogel) with green, sustainable and abundant sisal leaves as raw materials for the remediation of heavy oil-contaminated soil. The remediation performances of biochar aerogel supplement for heavy oil-contaminated soil were investigated, while microbial abundance and community structure were characterized. The degradation efficiency of 600-aerogel, 700-aerogel and 800-aerogel treatments was accordingly 80.69%, 86.04% and 86.62% after 60 days. Apart from adsorption behavior, biostimulation strengthened the degradation efficiency, according to findings from first-order degradation kinetics. Biochar aerogel supplement basically increased genera microbial abundance for Sinomonas, Streptomyces, Sphingomonas and Massilia with petroleum degradation abilities through microorganisms' biostimulation. Sinomonas as the dominant genus with the highest abundance probably contributed much higher capacities to heavy oil degradation. This study can provide an inspiring reference for the development of green carbon-based materials to be applied in heavy oil-contaminated soils through biostimulation mechanisms. | 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130209 |
pubmed_471_13585 | PURPOSE
Partner violence (PV) is prevalent among US adolescents, though little is known about its prevalence and correlates across gender identities and sexual orientations. Existing research has frequently placed lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB), questioning, and transgender adolescents in the same category, obscuring potential differences in risk of PV.
METHODS
This study (N = 9,352) uses the 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado Study, a statewide representative survey, to explore how sexual orientation and gender identity are associated with PV victimization among high-school youth, and whether there is a relationship between mental health and bullying victimization and PV.
RESULTS
Out of all youth who dated in the past year, 9.4% reported experiencing past-year PV. Compared to their cisgender heterosexual peers, cisgender LGB youth (AOR = 1.48 [1.17, 1.86]) and cisgender questioning youth (AOR = 1.68 [1.13, 2.48]) had elevated risk of experiencing PV. Transgender youth, particularly those who are both transgender and LGB (AOR = 3.25 [2.02, 5.22]) or transgender and questioning their sexual orientation (AOR = 8.57 [4.28, 17.16]), had the highest risk of PV. Depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.99 [1.67, 2.37]), suicidality (AOR = 1.83 [1.62, 2.06]), bullying victimization (AOR = 1.58 [1.31, 1.91]), and online bullying victimization (AOR = 1.98 [1.62, 2.06]) were associated with PV.
CONCLUSIONS
LGB, questioning and transgender high school students are at elevated risk of PV, with the highest risk among those who are both LGB and transgender. Adolescents who report PV are also more likely to be struggling with bullying, depression, and suicidality. PV prevention and response interventions should use intersectional approaches responsive to the unique needs of LGBT youth. | 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.08.011 |
pubmed_39_2331 | The essential oil obtained from leaves of Melissa officinalis L. (Family of Lamiaceae) growing in Algeria, was investigated for its chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial activity. The chemical composition was determined by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS and GC-FID. Sixty-three compounds were identified in the essential oil, representing 94.10 % of the total oil and the yields were 0.34 %. The major component was geranial (44.20 %). Other predominant components were neral (30.20 %) and citronellal (6.30 %). The in vitro antimicrobial activity was determined by paper disk agar diffusion testing and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using 7 bacteria (3 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative), 2 yeasts and 3 fungi. The results showed that the essential oil presented high antimicrobial activity against all microorganisms targeted mainly against five human pathogenic bacteria, one yeast Candida albicans and two phytopathogenic fungi tested. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranged from 1.00 to 5.00 µL/mL. | pubmed_39_2331 |
pubmed_552_11918 | This article describes some of the results of a study of services to families and children in a suburban district, Sweden. Services included in the study were: maternal and child health care, child psychiatry, services for handicapped children, school health care, day care services, community social services and family counselling services. The baseline studies comprised analyses of official goals expressed in legislation and recommendations, interviews with local politicians and administrators, record studies, studies of working time distribution and questionnaires to field professionals and families. The results indicate that services with traditional goals and well-defined tasks (e.g. health supervision) were more satisfied with their goal attainment, less inclined to collaborate with other services, and more occupied with direct client work than services with non-traditional goals and vaguely defined tasks (e.g. strengthening democracy). | 10.1177/140349489001800105 |
pubmed_876_9284 | Thirty-seven infants with severe central nervous system injury or extreme prematurity were randomly assigned to a multisensory (auditory-tactile-visual-vestibular) intervention or control group. Intervention began in the hospital at 33 weeks' postconceptional age and continued twice daily in the home until 2 months' corrected age. Mother-infant interactions during feedings were videotaped, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered. Control mothers stimulated their infants more during feeding, but these significant differences dissipated by 4 months. The presence of periventricular leukomalacia was associated with significantly poorer mental development, regardless of group assignment. Experimental infants tended to exhibit better motor and mental performance and had 23% fewer cerebral palsy diagnoses at 1 year, but these trends were not statistically significant. The type of brain injury was more important in determining 1-year developmental outcome than type of postnatal experience, suggesting that periventricular leukomalacia presents a major challenge for infant development. | 10.1177/088307380101600706 |
pubmed_807_13772 | Poloxamines (X-shaped poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) diblocks connected to a central ethylenediamine group) were N-methylated and N-allylated with the aim of widening their versatility as drug nanocarriers. The self-aggregation properties of various derivatives, covering a wide range of molecular weights and EO/PO ratios, were thoroughly investigated. The cytocompatibility of different modified poloxamines was compared to that of the pristine counterparts by MTT and LDH assays. The most hydrophilic varieties were highly cytocompatible even at concentrations of 5%. Toward the optimization of the oral pharmacotherapy of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in pediatric patients, the encapsulation and in vitro delivery of efavirenz (EFV), a lipophilic first-line antiretroviral drug, were evaluated. Pristine and N-alkylated poloxamines behaved as highly efficient EFV solubilizers enhancing the aqueous solubility of the drug between 166 and 7426-times. EFV promotes self-micellization of poloxamines; their tiny structural modification (i.e., just one methyl- or allyl-group) being able to regulate drug/micellar core interaction. Despite the physical stability of the micelles against dilution in physiological mimicking fluids, the N-alkylated derivatives were slightly more prone to disassembly promoting EFV release from the micellar reservoir. For all the derivatives evaluated, the in vitro release fitted zero-order kinetics and was sustained for at least 24 h. These findings point out N-alkylated poloxamines as promising nanocarriers for oral or parenteral drug delivery. | 10.1016/j.ejpb.2010.05.007 |
pubmed_875_2262 | BACKGROUND
Failure to detect non-ABO blood group alloantibodies places patients at risk for hemolytic reactions. Suboptimal alloantibody detection could result from posttransfusion testing performed too early, too late, or not at all. Testing performed too early may precede antibody induction, while testing performed too late could miss antibodies that have evanesced. Taking these factors into account, our goal was to determine the percentage of alloantibodies detected with real-world testing practices.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
The alloantibody detection rate in a general hospital setting was determined based on the frequency and timing of antibody testing after red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and rates of antibody induction and evanescence. Intervals to follow up testing after RBC transfusions (n = 561 RBC units in 100 random patients) were determined retrospectively. Best-fit lines and equations for antibody induction and evanescence were computed on previously published data.
RESULTS
Nearly half (271/561; 48.3%) of RBC infusions had either no follow-up antibody screen or testing too soon (<30 days) after transfusion to detect alloimmunization. Of the remaining RBC units, 10.3% (58/561) had follow-up testing 30 to 112 days posttransfusion, 28.7% (161/561) were followed up at more than 112 days, and 12.7% (71/561) were tested at both 30 to 112 days and more than 112 days. By inputting these timing data into best-fit line equations for antibody induction and evanescence, we calculated an alloantibody detection rate of 31.6%.
CONCLUSION
Posttransfusion antibody testing was inadequately timed for optimal alloantibody detection. Real-world compatibility testing was predicted to detect less than one-third of non-ABO antibodies, thereby exposing patients to risks of mismatched transfusion. | 10.1111/trf.13704 |
pubmed_944_5655 | OBJECTIVE
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is characterized by lung cysts, whose development is associated with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) hyperactivity, principally that of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Our objective was to compare LAM patients and controls in terms of the levels of these MMPs, as well as to determine the safety and efficacy of treatment with doxycycline, a potent MMP inhibitor.
METHODS
Prospective clinical study involving female LAM patients who received doxycycline (100 mg/day) for six months. Urine and blood samples were collected for the quantification of MMP-2 and MMP-9 before and after the treatment period. Samples from 10 healthy women were also collected.
RESULTS
Of the 41 LAM patients who started the treatment, 34 completed the protocol. Serum and urinary MMP-9 levels were significantly lower in the controls than in the LAM patients (p < 0.0001). Comparing pre- and post-treatment values, we found that the median level of MMP-9 in serum decreased from 919 ng/mL to 871 ng/mL (p = 0.05), whereas that of MMP-9 in urine decreased from 11,558 pg/mL to 7,315 pg/mL (p = 0.10). After treatment, the median level of MMP-2 in serum was significantly lower (p = 0.04) and urinary MMP-2 levels were undetectable. Nausea, diarrhea, and epigastric pain were the most prevalent adverse affects and were often self-limiting. There was only one case in which the patient discontinued the treatment because of side effects.
CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated, for the first time, a decrease in serum and urine levels of MMPs in LAM patients treated with doxycycline, which proved to be a safe medication, with mild and well-tolerated side effects. | pubmed_944_5655 |
pubmed_742_6314 | Published in 1981, "The Maximin Strategy in Modern Obstetrics" offered two claims: first, that obstetrical interventions ought to be assessed not singly, but rather as packages of interconnected measures that could cumulatively increase risks of harm; and second, that many of these interventions, considered either singly or as a package, lacked a sound evidence base. The first claim has been well supported by later literature, although the term "cascade effect" has proven a more felicitous descriptor for the phenomenon of interventions that trigger the use of other interventions to monitor, prevent, or treat possible side-effects. The second claim was initially supported in a very inadequate way, since the "Maximin" article appeared before an understanding of the methods of systematic reviews of medical evidence had been widely promulgated. Despite these defects, subsequent, rigorously conducted systematic reviews have tended to confirm the impression first offered in 1981, that practices that support physiologic childbearing and the innate, hormonally driven capacities of childbearing women and their fetuses/newborns are much more in keeping with the available evidence than practices involving common or routine high-technology interference with physiologic processes. Harm may occur either directly, through high-technology interventions, or when such procedures distract attention and resources from safe, effective biological processes and lower-technology measures. Surveys indicate a lack of knowledge of this evidence among childbearing women, signaling a serious ethical deficiency in shared decision-making processes and perhaps the skills and knowledge of maternity care clinicians. | pubmed_742_6314 |
pubmed_935_13512 | The amino acid sequence has been determined for leghemoglobin component I from root nodules of pea, Pisum sativum. Pea leghemoglobin is one polypeptide chain composed of 147 amino acids, it contains one methionine residue at position 144, and three histidines, which are at positions 60, 92 and 101. The sequence has at least seven polymorphic residues, but it was not possible to separate the polymorphic protein forms which had identical electric charge. The approximate molecular weight of pea leghemoglobin component I is 16,350. The other major leghemoglobin component (II) from pea has an amino acid composition very similar to that of leghemoglobin component I, suggesting that the gene has duplicated relatively recently. P. sativum leghemoglobin differs from that of Vicia faba by 22--23%, depending on the polymorphic form. The leghemoglobins from Phaseolus vulgaris and Glycine max differ from pea leghemoglobin by 35--44%, and Lupinus luteus leghemoglobins differ from it by 45--48%. The seven leghemoglobins so far sequenced have 50 residues (33%) which are common to all. | 10.1016/0005-2795(80)90012-4 |
pubmed_44_6696 | Studies of coping in applied settings often confront the need to minimize time demands on participants. The problem of participant response burden is exacerbated further by the fact that these studies typically are designed to test multiple hypotheses with the same sample, a strategy that entails the use of many time-consuming measures. Such research would benefit from a brief measure of coping assessing several responses known to be relevant to effective and ineffective coping. This article presents such a brief form of a previously published measure called the COPE inventory (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989), which has proven to be useful in health-related research. The Brief COPE omits two scales of the full COPE, reduces others to two items per scale, and adds one scale. Psychometric properties of the Brief COPE are reported, derived from a sample of adults participating in a study of the process of recovery after Hurricane Andrew. | 10.1207/s15327558ijbm0401_6 |
pubmed_885_20527 | Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is recognized as the most common and emerging chronic liver disease in western countries. The disease has been traditionally interpreted as a possibly progressing condition to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, recently, a large number of publications have demonstrated that people with non-alcoholic fatty liver have an increased chance of developing cardiovascular diseases, which represent the major causes of death in this setting. This association is mainly explained by the atherogenic profile of the metabolic syndrome a condition frequently associated with fatty liver, which may represent its hepatic component. Some studies have also shown an association independent of traditional risk factors or of the clinical features of the metabolic syndrome. In this setting, cardiovascular disease seems to be the consequence of low-grade chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress. Most studies did not differentiate cardiovascular risk between simple steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, although the latter seems to be at higher cardiovascular risk. Few studies have investigated the direct correlation between hepatic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Genetic studies will probably improve the interpretation of the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with fatty liver and no metabolic syndrome. | 10.1007/s11739-012-0819-4 |
pubmed_542_5163 | A report is given of four intracranial tumours which contained ribosome-lamella complexes (RLCs). Three of the tumours were of neuroectodermal origin (two gangliogliomas and an astrocytoma), in which these structures have not previously been documented, and one was a haemangioblastoma. This study supports the view that RLCs may be related to abnormal protein synthesis. | 10.1007/BF00687773 |
pubmed_355_13246 | OBJECTIVE
To examine the impact on patient care of a New York State regulation that restricted house staff working hours.
DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.
SETTING
General medical service of an urban teaching hospital.
PATIENTS
A total of 263 (94%) of 281 patients discharged from the study service during October 1988 and 263 (93%) of 283 patients discharged from the same service during October 1989.
INTERVENTIONS
On July 1, 1989, New York State enacted a new regulation, Code 405, which limited residents' working hours and specified levels of supervision and ancillary support.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
In-hospital mortality, transfers to intensive care units, cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts, discharge disposition, length of stay, medical complications, and house staff delays in ordering tests and procedures.
RESULTS
Although the cohorts were comparable in severity of illness measures, more patients in 1989 suffered at least one medical complication (91 [35%] vs 59 [22%]; P = .002) and experienced at least one diagnostic test delay because of house staff (44 [17%] vs 4 [2%]; P < .001). These significant differences persisted after controlling for potential confounders in multivariate analyses. However, we found no significant differences in more serious outcomes: in-hospital mortality, transfer to intensive care unit, discharge disposition, or length of stay.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that restricted house staff working hours were associated with delayed test ordering by house staff and increased in-hospital complications. While these potentially deleterious effects on the quality of care did not result in statistically significant differences in more serious outcomes, further study at other hospitals is warranted to determine staffing strategies that optimize quality of care for patients, as well as medical education and quality of life for house officers. | pubmed_355_13246 |
pubmed_371_15197 | The management of premature physeal arrest requires accurate assessment of not only the location but also the extent of the bar. Numerous imaging techniques are available to evaluate the physis. Multiplanar tomography has proven to be the most precise method. The utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of physeal bars has not been demonstrated. This article presents MRI results in two cases of physeal bars. MRI provides a means of assessing physeal bar formation with an accuracy approaching that of multiplanar tomography. In certain instances, its efficacy may exceed that of tomography, specifically when the physis cannot be properly oriented for tomographic evaluation, when more planes are desired, and when radiation exposure is thought to be excessive. With improvement of its capabilities and availability (which may also reduce cost), it may become the diagnostic imaging technique of choice. | pubmed_371_15197 |
pubmed_126_17086 | BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Rising from the floor to a standing position is an important milestone in the development of children. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe the movement patterns (MPs) toddlers use when rising to a standing position, (2) to determine whether toddlers' MPs differ with age, and (3) to investigate whether MPs that are proposed to occur earliest in the development of this task predominate in toddlers.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Sixty children aged 15 to 47 months were videotaped performing at least six trials of rising. Data were reduced by classifying movements of the upper extremity (UE), axial region (AX), and lower extremity (LE) into categorical descriptions of the action of these body regions. The incidence of each UE, AX, and LE movement pattern was determined for each 10-month age interval and compared across age groups.
RESULTS
Two previously unidentified MPs were described for LE action. The youngest children demonstrated the highest incidence of MPs that have been predicted by other researchers to occur early in development.
CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
In general, toddlers' UE and AX movements were described using previously developed MP categories. Age differences were found among toddlers in the performance of the rising task. Movement patterns of the UE and AX that have been thought to occur earliest in the developmental sequence for this task predominated in this young group. | 10.1093/ptj/78.2.149 |
pubmed_470_14356 | Narratives were elicited in two story tasks, retelling and generation, from two groups of adults, 55 with closed head injury (CHI) and 47 non-brain-injured (NBI), recruited from rehabilitation facilities in three northeastern states. Participants were classified, on the basis of their socioeconomic status (SES), as professional, skilled worker, or unskilled worker. Narratives were analyzed using five discourse measures at the levels of sentence production, intersentential cohesion, and story grammar. Discourse performance was then compared across groups, tasks, and SES levels. Discourse performance of the CHI group was also compared with their scores from the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a measure of executive functioning. Results indicated that two discourse measures distinguished the groups. The CHI participants produced significantly fewer words per T-unit and fewer T-units within episode structure than did the NBI group, which was attributed to difficulties with content organization. Performance on all five discourse measures differed for the story retelling versus the story generation tasks for both CHI and NBI groups. All participants produced longer and more grammatically complex T-units in the story generation task than in story retelling. However, cohesive adequacy and story grammar were better in the story retelling task than in the story generation task. It was therefore concluded that story generation was a more challenging task than story retelling for both groups. The only significant difference noted for SES involved the measure of intersentential cohesion. The unskilled workers demonstrated poorer cohesive adequacy than either the skilled workers or professionals, regardless of group or story task. Finally, modest correlations were noted between the discourse performance of the CHI group and scores from the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in both story tasks. | 10.1044/1092-4388(2002/099) |
pubmed_512_6740 | Current measures of health and disease are often insensitive, episodic, and subjective. Further, these measures generally are not designed to provide meaningful feedback to individuals. The impact of high-resolution activity data collected from mobile phones is only beginning to be explored. Here we present data from mPower, a clinical observational study about Parkinson disease conducted purely through an iPhone app interface. The study interrogated aspects of this movement disorder through surveys and frequent sensor-based recordings from participants with and without Parkinson disease. Benefitting from large enrollment and repeated measurements on many individuals, these data may help establish baseline variability of real-world activity measurement collected via mobile phones, and ultimately may lead to quantification of the ebbs-and-flows of Parkinson symptoms. App source code for these data collection modules are available through an open source license for use in studies of other conditions. We hope that releasing data contributed by engaged research participants will seed a new community of analysts working collaboratively on understanding mobile health data to advance human health. | 10.1038/sdata.2016.11 |
pubmed_611_22269 | We describe a case of axillary vein thrombosis secondary to unusual venous anatomy. A patient with a strictured left-sided superior vena cava and axillary vein thrombosis was successfully treated with thrombolysis. The underlying stricture was treated with angioplasty and stenting. | 10.1007/s100169910115 |
pubmed_173_10739 | The drivers of precision medicine are clear: for patients (and physicians)--more options, durable clinical benefit, reduced exposure to non-effective drugs and potential to leverage current scientific and technological advances; for the pharmaceutical industry--the potential to tackle core challenges in discovering and developing better and more efficacious medicines, to reduce rates of attrition in drug development and to reduce development costs; for healthcare systems and payers--improved efficiency through the provision of effective care and avoiding ineffective treatments. Oncology has been at the vanguard, the improvements gained in patient survival notable. However, the increasing number of molecular subgroups requires an equally increasing number (and new generation) of highly selective agents targeting inevitably lower incidence molecular segments. Innovative trial designs (umbrella/basket studies) are emerging as a patient-centric approach to drug development, and the rise in public-private partnerships, cross-industry, government and non-profit sector collaborations is enabling implementation of complex clinical trial designs. This poses significant challenges for healthcare systems and regulatory approval. Further substantial evolution of policy and processes, particularly regulatory requirements for approval for new therapeutics, are required. | 10.1159/000441557 |
pubmed_1104_17527 | The overall aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a measurement system for computed radiography (CR) and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), permitting measurements of long distances and angles in and between related images. The developed measurement system, which was based on the QUESTOR Precision Radiography (QPR) system, was applied to the weight-bearing knee with special reference to the dislocating patella. The QPR system modified for CR fulfilled the criteria for measuring the weight-bearing knee. The special measuring assistance tools that were developed were important for the implementation of CR and PACS, particularly in workstations programmed for musculoskeletal radiology. The energy imparted to the patient was reduced by 98% at the lowest exposure of the CR-system, compared with our conventional analogue method, without loss of diagnostic accuracy. The CR technique creates a possibility, to an extent not previously feasible, to differentiate the exposure parametres (and thus minimise the radiation dose to the patient) by carefully considering the purpose of the examination. A radiographic method for measuring the rotation of the femur and the tibia, the Q-angle, and the patellar translation was developed and applied to healthy volunteers. The introduced patellar variables have yielded new insights into the complex sequence of motions between the femur, tibia, and patella. The patients with a dislocating patella were subdivided into one "clean" group of spontaneous dislocations and one group with various traumas in the history, which thus resulted in two groups with distinct radiographic differences. The Q-angle was decreased in knees that had suffered dislocations, and the traditional surgical treatment with a further reduction of the Q-angle must be challenged. The use of clinical measurements of the Q-angle was not an optimal way to evaluate the mechanical alignment in the patellofemoral joint under physiological conditions. In this study, we have proved that the developed method for CR and PACS is a useful technique for measurements in and between related images, and is superior to the conventional analogue technique. | pubmed_1104_17527 |
pubmed_371_19218 | In a national survey of 515 apparently healthy Dutch elderly people aged 65 through 79 years, interrelationships among weight, height, weight-for-height indexes (especially the Quetelet index), body fatness (assessed by skinfold measurements), and 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion were investigated in various age groups. Body weight, body height, and 24-hour urinary creatinine excretion (absolute and per kilogram body weight) were lower in older age groups. In men the correlation coefficient between weight and body fatness was .54 for the group aged 65 through 69 years and .33 for the group aged 75 through 79 years. In women the correlation between weight and percentage of body fat varied from .52 to .70 among the age groups. In comparison with results reported for younger adults, a lower correlation between the Quetelet index and body fatness was observed (r = .49 in men, r = .64 in women). The correlation of the Quetelet index with both height and urinary creatinine excretion tended to be higher in the older age groups. We concluded that some of the associations found were inconsistent and that there may be some doubt about the adequacy of the Quetelet index as a measure of body fatness among the elderly. However, no convenient alternative weight-for-height index is presently available. Perhaps circumferences are a better option to choose for elderly people. | pubmed_371_19218 |
pubmed_474_2608 | Four cases of absent pulmonary valve in combination with ventricular septal defect are reported. In this syndrome hypo- and dysplasia of the pulmonary valve is constantly associated with a big ventricular septal defect, formation of a huge pulmonary artery aneurysm and absence of the ductus arteriosus. Presence or absence of a right ventricular outflow tract obstruction is the criteria for classification into two forms. Absence of the pulmonary valve, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and a malalignment-type ventricular septal defect produced by a conotruncal malseptation process represent the primary complex of malformations. Consecutive intrauterine cardiac failure is most probably prevented by prenatal closure of the ductus arteriosus. Pulmonary artery aneurysm and also dilatation of the right ventricular outflow tract as well as a whole lot of other coexisting deformities can be explained by a cascade of hemodynamical sequelae started by this ductus closure in utero. An embryological scheme explaining the genesis of this syndrome is derived from a morphological analysis of the constituting incoherent-appearing anatomical features. | 10.1007/BF01907685 |
pubmed_43_20042 | AIM
To assess the efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy on liver steatosis measured by fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) at 26 weeks in outpatients with diabetes and obesity.
METHODS
Observational, prospective, multicenter study. Patients with steatosis determined by FLI (values <30 rule out and >60 indicate steatosis) and HIS (values <30 rule out and >36 indicate steatosis) who received combination therapy were included. Patients were stratified into three groups according to the sequential order of treatment. We used robust statistical methods.
RESULTS
In our final report we included 174 patients (58.6% males), mean age 61.9 (10) years. Baseline body mass index, waist circumference and weight were 36.5 (6.8) kg/m2, 117.5 (15.1) cm and 99.4 (20.5) kg, respectively. One hundred percent of patients had altered biomarkers of fatty liver scores (FLI 96 [13] and HSI 49.2 [8.5]). At 26 weeks, significant reductions in FLI (-4.5 [95% CI 3.5-5.9] p < .001) and HSI (-2.4 [95% CI 1.6-3.2] p < .001) were found in the total sample and pre-specified treatment and FLI cut-off point subgroups.
CONCLUSION
Our results show a beneficial effect of the combination of GLP-1RAs plus SGLT2is on liver steatosis that goes beyond glucose control, and it is related mainly to weight loss, a decline in biomarkers and reductions in abdominal circumference. For many patients, early detection is essential to improving outcomes in NAFLD and could allow us to select the most efficient treatment options. | 10.1080/03007995.2021.1965563 |
pubmed_175_21508 | The collaborative cross (CC) is a large panel of mouse-inbred lines derived from eight founder strains (NOD/ShiLtJ, NZO/HILtJ, A/J, C57BL/6J, 129S1/SvImJ, CAST/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and WSB/EiJ). Here, we performed a comprehensive and comparative phenotyping screening to identify phenotypic differences and similarities between the eight founder strains. In total, more than 300 parameters including allergy, behavior, cardiovascular, clinical blood chemistry, dysmorphology, bone and cartilage, energy metabolism, eye and vision, immunology, lung function, neurology, nociception, and pathology were analyzed; in most traits from sixteen females and sixteen males. We identified over 270 parameters that were significantly different between strains. This study highlights the value of the founder and CC strains for phenotype-genotype associations of many genetic traits that are highly relevant to human diseases. All data described here are publicly available from the mouse phenome database for analyses and downloads. | 10.1007/s00335-020-09827-3 |
pubmed_36_25612 | UNLABELLED
Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and implementation of the therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) could be considered as a prototype of successful fight against cancer. However, for an optimally responding patient it is recommended to follow the TKI therapy indefinitely. The question about the possibility of safe TKI treatment discontinuation in certain clinical situations was raised and is currently under close investigation worldwide. Currently, imatinib discontinuation trails have shown that about 60% of eligible patients experienced molecular recurrence within 6 months of treatment discontinuation, while the remaining 40% remained in defined deep molecular response throughout the duration of mostly two years follow-up. Interestingly, retreatment with the same TKI or another TKI was successful in the vast majority of patients demonstrating molecular recurrence of the disease. These findings support the concept of safe TKI treatment discontinuation and its usefulness for a specific subset of CML patients. However, recent data are not sufficient for TKI discontinuation attempts outside clinical trials yet. Because of the high risk of potentially problematic molecular recurrences of the pathological clones, the key question is to find the right predictive marker of TKI discontinuation success, however it stays unsolved yet. This minireview brings a concise summary of this hot topic with a realistic view from clinical routine.
KEYWORDS
tyrosine kinase inhibitors, imatinib, discontinuation, chronic myeloid leukemia. | 10.4149/neo_2015_021 |
pubmed_789_23623 | A constrained adaptive beamforming in a deterministic sense is considered for side lobe reduction, leading to an adaptive weighting of the uniform delay-and-sum beamformer; based upon this, the coherence factor and other similar methods are interpreted as beamforming methods. A generalized form of the weighting factor for the side lobe reduction is also established. It is shown through simulations that restricting the apodization vector to a parametric representation through a discrete Fourier transform or discrete cosine transform can result in higher quality images with fewer artifacts and enhanced contrast properties compared with images obtained through the coherence factor-like methods. | 10.1109/TUFFC.2012.2257 |
pubmed_1020_12329 | Outcomes for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can be improved by bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Dispatcher-assisted CPR increases both the likelihood of CPR being performed, and the chance of survival for the arrested patient. Due to the urgency of the situation, CPR may be advised in patients who are subsequently found not to be in cardiac arrest. Ng and colleagues look at whether bystander CPR causes harm in this group of patients. | 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2021.12.001 |
pubmed_1097_25465 | As an essential component of the viral envelope, M2 proton channel plays a central role in the virus replications and has been a key target for drug design against the influenza A viruses. The adamantadine-based drugs, such as amantadine and rimantadine, were developed for blocking the channel so as to suppress the replication of viruses. However, patients, especially those infected by the H1N1 influenza A viruses, are increasingly suffering from the drug-resistance problem. According to the findings revealed recently by the high-resolution NMR studies, the drug-resistance problem is due to the structural allostery caused by some mutations, such as L26F, V27A and S31N, in the four-helix bundle of the channel. In this study, we are to address this problem from a dynamic point of view by conducting molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on both the open and the closed states of the wild-type (WT) and S31N mutant M2 channels in the presence of rimantadine. It was observed from the MD simulated structures that the mutant channel could still keep open even if binding with rimantadine, but the WT channel could not. This was because the mutation would destabilize the helix bundle and trigger it from a compact packing state to a loose one. It is anticipated that the findings may provide useful insights for in-depth understanding the action mechanism of the M2 channel and developing more-effective drugs against influenza A viruses. | 10.1093/protein/gzq040 |
pubmed_732_16627 | Paper mill bamboo sludge (PMBS) and Paper mill lime waste (PMLW) are extensively produced as solid wastes in paper mills. Untreated PMBS and PMLW contain substantial amount of heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr) in soluble forms. Efficiency of vermiconversion and aerobic composting with these wastes is reported here. Adopted bioconversion systems enhanced the availability of some essential nutrients (N, P, K and Zn) in various combinations of cow dung (CD) with PMBS and PMLW. Colonization of nitrogen fixing bacteria and phosphate solubilizing bacteria considerably intensified under the vermiconversion system. Moreover, significant metal detoxification occurred due to vermiconversion. Various combinations of bioconverted PMBS and PMLW were applied to tissue cultured bamboo (Bambusa tulda) and chilli (Capsicum annum). Accelerated nutrient uptake coupled with improved soil quality resulted in significant production of chilli. Furthermore, vermiconverted PMBS+CD (1:1) and PMLW+CD (1:3) confirmed as potential enriching substrate for tissue cultured bamboo. | pubmed_732_16627 |
pubmed_476_19697 | Immune evasion is a significant contributor to tumor evolution, and the immunoinhibitory axis PD-1/PD-L1 is a frequent mechanism employed to escape tumor immune surveillance. To identify cancer drivers involved in immune evasion, we performed a CRISPR-Cas9 screen of tumor suppressor genes regulating the basal and interferon (IFN)-inducible cell surface levels of PD-L1. Multiple regulators of PD-L1 were identified, including IRF2, ARID2, KMT2D, and AAMP. We also identified CTCF and the cohesin complex proteins, known regulators of chromatin architecture and transcription, among the most potent negative regulators of PD-L1 cell surface expression. Additionally, loss of the cohesin subunit RAD21 was shown to up-regulate PD-L2 and MHC-I surface expression. PD-L1 and MHC-I suppression by cohesin were shown to be conserved in mammary epithelial and myeloid cells. Comprehensive examination of the transcriptional effect of STAG2 deficiency in epithelial and myeloid cells revealed an activation of strong IFN and NF-κB expression signatures. Inhibition of JAK-STAT or NF-κB pathways did not result in rescue of PD-L1 up-regulation in RAD21-deficient cells, suggesting more complex or combinatorial mechanisms at play. Discovery of the PD-L1 and IFN up-regulation in cohesin-mutant cells expands our understanding of the biology of cohesin-deficient cells as well as molecular regulation of the PD-L1 molecule. | 10.1073/pnas.2120540119 |
pubmed_712_873 | A comparative study is reported of endoscopy and the barium meal in the investigation of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum, based on 281 endoscopies. There was total agreement between the two methods in 239 instances, including 101 normals, 80 peptic ulcers and nine cancers. In nine instances with unequivocal follow-up information there was definite disagreement, radiology being wrong in two (incorrect confident diagnoses of carcinoma) and endoscopy being wrong in seven (three carcinomas and four ulcers not diagnosed). Of 116 normal barium meals, 15 definite abnormalities were demonstrated by endoscopy, including six peptic ulcers. 'Probable' radiological diagnoses were confirmed by endoscopy in 44 instances. In those where endoscopy disagreed, radiology was definitely shown to be wrong in five, and endoscopy in five. A high degree of accuracy can be achieved by the selected use of both techniques, the information obtained from each considered of equal importance, and neither being regarded as the final arbiter. | 10.1016/s0009-9260(75)80050-x |
pubmed_784_15579 | The AIDS incubation distribution is changing in calendar time because of treatment and changes in the surveillance definition of AIDS. To obtain reliable estimates of HIV prevalence and projections of AIDS incidence in the 1990s using the method of backcalculation, we constructed an appropriate incubation distribution for each calendar date of infection. We parameterized the impact of treatment on the incubation distribution by specifying the relative hazard for AIDS in treated versus untreated people as a function of duration of HIV infection. To account for trends in the incubation distribution, we modelled the prevalence of treatment, the distribution of treatment onset times, and the impact of the revision of the AIDS surveillance definition in 1987. We selected and evaluated backcalculation models based on consistency with external information. We defined a 'plausible range' of estimates that took into account uncertainty about the natural incubation distribution and treatment efficacy, as well as bootstrap assessment of stochastic error. Using these methods, we projected that national United States AIDS incidence will plateau during 1991-1994 at over 50,000 cases per year. Projections exhibited substantial systematic uncertainty, and we calculated a plausible range for AIDS incidence in 1994 of 42,300 to 70,700 cases. An estimated 628,000 to 988,000 cumulative HIV infections occurred as of 1 January 1991. After accounting for AIDS mortality, we estimated that 484,000 to 844,000 people were living with HIV infection on 1 January 1991. Favourable trends in HIV incidence appeared in gay men and intravenous drug users. Plausible ranges for our estimates overlapped with those from a 'stage model' approach to incorporating treatment effects in backcalculations. Our approach, however, tended to yield smaller estimates of epidemic size, mainly because the parameters used with the stage model implied that more treatment was in use and that treatment was more effective than in our model. | 10.1002/sim.4780111302 |
pubmed_868_20563 | Acute aortic pathologies include traumatic and non-traumatic life-threatening emergencies of the aorta. Since the clinical manifestation of these entities can be non-specific and may overlap with other conditions presenting with chest pain, non-invasive imaging plays a crucial role in their rapid and accurate evaluation. The early diagnosis and accurate radiological assessment of acute aortic diseases is essential for improved clinical outcomes. Multidetector CT is the imaging modality of choice for evaluation of acute aortic diseases with MRI playing more of a problem-solving role. The management can be medical, endovascular or surgical depending upon pathology, and imaging remains an indispensable management-guiding tool. It is important to understand the pathogenesis, natural history, and imaging principles of acute aortic diseases for appropriate use of advanced imaging modalities. This understanding helps to formulate a more appropriate management and follow-up plan for optimised care of these patients. Imaging reporting pearls for day-to-day radiology as well as treatment options based on latest multidisciplinary guidelines are discussed. With newer techniques of image acquisition and processing, we are hopeful that imaging would further help in predicting aortic disease progression and assessing the haemodynamic parameters based on which decisions on management can be made. | 10.1136/postgradmedj-2014-133178 |
pubmed_1066_2483 | Plasmonic nanostructures with sharp tips are widely used for optical signal enhancement because of their strong light-confining abilities. These structures have a wide range of potential applications, for example, in sensing, bioimaging, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. Au nanoparticles, which are important plasmonic materials with high photothermal conversion efficiencies in the visible to near-infrared region, have contributed greatly to the development of photothermal catalysis. However, the existing methods for synthesizing nanostructures with tips need the assistance of poly(vinylpyrrolidone), thiols, or biomolecules. This greatly hinders signal detection because of stubborn residues. Here, we propose an efficient binary surfactant-mediated method for controlling nanotip growth on Au nanoparticle surfaces. This avoids the effects of surfactants and can be used with other Au nanostructures. The Au architecture tip growth process can be controlled well by adjusting the ratio of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide to hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride. This is due to the different levels of attraction between Br-/Cl- and Au3+ ions. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering and catalytic abilities of the synthesized nanoparticles with tips were evaluated by electromagnetic simulation and photothermal catalysis experiments (with 4-nitrothiophenol). The results show good potential for use in surface-enhanced Raman scattering applications. This method provides a new strategy for designing plasmonic photothermal nanostructures for chemical and biological applications. | 10.3389/fchem.2021.699548 |
pubmed_487_18501 | (1,3)-beta-D-Glucans form a group of biologically active biopolymers that exist in different structural organizations depending on the environmental conditions. The biological effect of (1,3)-beta-D-glucans is a core issue stimulating large research efforts of the molecular properties and their consequences for action as biological response modifiers. The fascination for these molecules increased further following the finding of their ability to form complexes of defined geometry with a number of structures, ranging from linear architectures as polymers or carbon nanotubes, to globular structures as gold particles or dye molecules. The fascinating information concerning the relationship between sample treatment history and molecular organization has not yet reached out to all the contributors within the field, resulting in unnecessary apparent inconsistencies in the literature. In addition to environmental conditions, the sample history is known to influence on the precise structural organization of these molecules. The present knowledge related to the structure of native as well as denatured, renatured and annealed (1,3)-beta-D-glucans is reviewed. The influence of their structural organization on the biological activity and complexation abilities is discussed, and some factors hindering progress in the understanding of their biological effects or complexation abilities are pointed out. | 10.1002/bip.20920 |
pubmed_120_1412 | BACKGROUND
Pneumonia is one of the most common nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients. The risk of nosocomial pneumonia increases with age, severity of acute illness and preexisting co-morbid conditions. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) significantly increases morbidity, length of stay, resource utilization and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adherence to a ventilator weaning protocol (WP) and the use of chlorhexidine gluconate (CH) oral rinse for oral hygiene would decrease the incidence of VAP in surgical ICU patients.
METHODS
A prospective study was conducted over a period of 10 months (October 1998-July 1999) in surgical ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation (n = 95). During the first 5 months, a WP was applied to all patients requiring mechanical ventilation. During the following 5 months, a CH 0.12% oral rinse administered twice daily was added to the protocol, initiated on ICU admission in all intubated patients. The data collection included age, gender, race, risk factors, co-morbid conditions, severity of the acute illness (APACHE II) at admission, duration of ventilation, ICU and total-hospital length of stay, and incidence of VAP and in-hospital mortality rates. Both WP and WP+CH groups were compared using the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) and hospital databases as historic controls.
RESULTS
The institution of the WP alone led only to a slight decrease in the incidence of VAP but a significant reduction in the median duration of mechanical ventilation by 40% (4.5 days, p < 0.008). The addition of CH to the WP led to a significant reduction and delay in the occurrence of VAP (37% overall, 75% for late VAP, p < 0.05). The median duration of mechanical ventilation in this group was similar to that of the WP group. There was no significant difference in the overall hospital or ICU length of stay between the groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Improved oral hygiene via topical CH application in conjunction with the use of a WP is effective in reducing the incidence of VAP and the duration of mechanical ventilation in surgical ICU patients. | 10.1089/109629601750185316 |
pubmed_733_14177 | A 58-year-old man, a carpenter, had been suffering from cough, rhinorrhea, wheezing, dyspnea and ocular itching a few minutes after each exposure to the sawdust of "Ayous" wood (Obeche, Triplochiton scleroxylon) since starting to work on this imported wood in 1998. Although his symptoms improved soon after exposure, he had a secondary response several hours later. He had no symptoms when working with any other woods. In January, 2001, he came to our hospital, and occupational asthma was suspected. Peak flow monitoring revealed immediate- and late-type responses when he was exposed to Ayous wood dust. Non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine was positive. An immediate skin test with Ayous wood extract was positive. In the RAST inhibition test, his serum revealed specific IgE antibody to Ayous extract. Bronchoprovocation with Ayous wood extract demonstrated immediate and later type responses (dual response). Occupational asthma caused by Ayous wood dust was confirmed. This is the first case report of occupational asthma caused by Ayous wood in Japan. | pubmed_733_14177 |
pubmed_580_17790 | Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) has emerged as a hybrid, nonionizing imaging modality because of its satisfactory spatial resolution and high soft tissue contrast. Here, we demonstrate the application of a novel organic PAT contrast agent based on polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs). Monodisperse PPy NPs are ∼46 nm in diameter with strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) range, which allowed visualization of PPy NP-containing agar gel embedded in chicken breast muscle at a depth of ∼4.3 cm. Compared with PAT images based on the intrinsic optical contrast in mice, the PAT images acquired within 1 h after intravenous administration of PPy NPs showed the brain vasculature with greater clarity than hemoglobin in blood. Preliminary results showed no acute toxicity to the vital organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys) in mice following a single imaging dose of PPy NPs. Our results indicate that PPy NPs are promising contrast agents for PAT with good biocompatibility, high spatial resolution and enhanced sensitivity. | 10.1039/c3nr00627a |
pubmed_157_15045 | Protein trans-splicing (PTS) by split inteins has found widespread use in chemical biology and biotechnology. Herein, we describe the use of a consensus design approach to engineer a split intein with enhanced stability and activity that make it more robust than any known PTS system. Using batch mutagenesis, we first conduct a detailed analysis of the difference in splicing rates between the Npu (fast) and Ssp (slow) split inteins of the DnaE family and find that most impactful residues lie on the second shell of the protein, directly adjacent to the active site. These residues are then used to generate an alignment of 73 naturally occurring DnaE inteins that are predicted to be fast. The consensus sequence from this alignment (Cfa) demonstrates both rapid protein splicing and unprecedented thermal and chaotropic stability. Moreover, when fused to various proteins including antibody heavy chains, the N-terminal fragment of Cfa exhibits increased expression levels relative to other N-intein fusions. The durability and efficiency of Cfa should improve current intein based technologies and may provide a platform for the development of new protein chemistry techniques. | 10.1021/jacs.5b13528 |
pubmed_1077_17449 | In the past decade several Phytophthora strains were isolated from diseased Pachysandra terminalis plants suffering stem base and root rot, originating from the Netherlands and Belgium. All isolates were homothallic and had a felt-like colony pattern, produced semi-papillate sporangia, globose oogonia and had a maximum growth at ~ 27 C. Several additional Phytophthora strains were isolated from diseased Buxus sempervirens plants, originating from the Netherlands and Belgium, which had sustained stem base and root rot; similar strains also were isolated from Acer palmatum, Choisya ternata and Taxus in the United Kingdom. All isolates were homothallic and had a stellate colony pattern, produced larger semi-papillate sporangia and smaller globose oogonia than the isolates from Pa. terminalis and had a maximum growth temperature of ~ 30 C. Phylogenetic analyses of both species using the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuc rDNA (ITS), mt cytochrome oxidases subunit I gene (CoxI) and nuc translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1α) revealed that all sequences of each species were identical at each locus and unique to that species, forming two distinct clusters in subclade 2a. Sequence analysis of partial β-tubulin genes showed that both taxa share an identical sequence that is identical to that of Ph. himalsilva, a species originating from Asia, suggesting a common Asian origin. Pathogenicity trials demonstrated disease symptoms on their respective hosts, and re-isolation and re-identification of the inoculated pathogens confirmed Koch's postulates. | 10.3852/12-371 |
pubmed_805_12060 | In an effort to assess the contributions of a period of increased training volume on swimming performance, two matched groups of collegiate male swimmers were studied before and during 25 wk of training. For the first 4 wk of this study, the two groups trained together in one session per day for approximately 1.5 h.d-1. During the following 6 wk (weeks 5-11), one group (LONG) trained two sessions per day, 1.5 h in the morning and 1.5 h in the afternoon. The other group (SHORT) continued to train once each day, in the afternoon with the LONG group. Over the final 14 wk of the study, both groups trained together in one session per day (1.5 h.d-1). Although the swimmers experienced significant improvements in swimming power, endurance, and performance throughout the 25 wk study, there were no differences between the groups. However, during the 6 wk period of increased training, the LONG group experienced a decline in sprinting velocity, whereas the SHORT group showed a significant increase in sprinting performance. The test results suggest that a 6 wk period of two 1.5 h training sessions per day does not enhance performance above that experienced with a single training session of 1.5 h each day. It was also noted that both groups showed little change in swimming endurance and power after the first 8 wk of training, though their performances improved significantly after each taper period. | pubmed_805_12060 |
pubmed_1010_8309 | A series of heterocyclic C5-curcuminoids (bis(arylmethylidene)acetones) (PJ1-PJ6) having a large Stokes shift (Δλ = 104-173 nm) have been synthesized for the selective detection of cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) in living cells. The compounds were synthesized using a new methodology via deacetylation under microwave conditions. The photophysical properties of these compounds have been studied. Prominent colour changes from bright yellow to colourless in the presence of thiols were observed for PJ1. Live cell imaging has been employed with PJ1 for the utilization of the probe to detect homocysteine in A375 cells and apoptosis in AGS cells. | 10.1039/c9an02190f |
pubmed_410_17273 | Polystyrene is a common thermoplastic and is produced in different shapes and forms. The scale of manufacture of polystyrene has grown over the years because of its numerous applications and low cost of production. However, it is flammable, brittle, has low resistance to chemicals, and is susceptible to photodegradation on exposure to ultraviolet radiation. There is therefore scope to improve the properties of polystyrene and to extend its useful lifetime. The current work reports the synthesis of organometallic complexes and investigates their use as photostabilizers for polystyrene. The reaction of excess ibuprofen sodium salt and appropriate metal chlorides in boiling methanol gave the corresponding complexes excellent yields. The organometallic complexes (0.5% by weight) were added to polystyrene and homogenous thin films were made. The polystyrene films blended with metal complexes were irradiated with ultraviolet light for extended periods of time and the stabilizing effects of the additives were assessed. The infrared spectroscopy, weight loss, depression in molecular weight, and surface morphology of the irradiated blends containing organometallic complexes were investigated. All the synthesized organometallic complexes acted as photostabilizers for polystyrene. The damage (e.g., formation of small polymeric fragments, decrease in weight and molecular weight, and irregularities in the surface) that took place in the polystyrene blends was much lower in comparison to the pure polystyrene film. The manganese-containing complex was very effective in stabilizing polystyrene and was superior to cobalt and nickel complexes. | 10.3390/polym14051024 |
pubmed_622_6261 | OBJECTIVE
A key event in the pathways leading to preterm labor may be the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in the fetal membranes and the cervix. Anti-inflammatory agents, such as the corticosteroids, inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB. We proposed to investigate the effects of progesterone pretreatment on cytokine-stimulated activation of NF-kappaB in HeLa cells, a human cervical epithelial cell line.
METHODS
HeLa cells were pretreated with 10(-7) M progesterone for 24 hours and exposed to 1 ng/mL interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) for 1 hour. Nuclear and cytosolic extracts were subjected to Western blot analysis using anti-p65 and anti-inhibitory protein-kappaBalpha (anti-IkappaBalpha) antibodies. Densitometric data (n=5) were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test.
RESULTS
Pretreatment with progesterone interfered with IL-1beta-induced IkappaBalpha degradation. However, progesterone pretreatment resulted in a significant decrease in NF-kappaB protein subunit p65 in the cytoplasm. Pretreatment with progesterone did not reduce the amount of nuclear p65 and did not interfere with nuclear translocation of p65.
CONCLUSION
Our observations suggest that any possible role played by progesterone in preterm labor prevention is not exerted through anti-inflammatory mechanisms of NF-kappaB down-regulation. | 10.1080/14767050601128019 |
pubmed_710_6879 | BACKGROUND
Meta-analyses on the comparison between fusion and prosthesis in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy mainly analyse studies including mixed patient populations: patients with radiculopathy with and without myelopathy. The outcome for patients with myelopathy is different compared to those without. Furthermore, apart from decompression of the spinal cord, restriction of motion is one of the cornerstones of the surgical treatment of spondylotic myelopathy. From this point of view, the results for arthroplasty might be suboptimal for this category of patients. Comparing clinical outcome in patients exclusively suffering from radiculopathy is therefore a more valid method to compare the true clinical effect of the prosthesis to that of fusion surgery.
AIM
The objective of this study was to compare clinical outcome of cervical arthroplasty (ACDA) to the clinical outcome of fusion (ACDF) after anterior cervical discectomy in patients exclusively suffering from radiculopathy, and to evaluate differences with mixed patient populations.
METHODS
A literature search was completed in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, COCHRANE, CENTRAL and CINAHL using a sensitive search strategy. Studies were selected by predefined selection criteria (i.a.) patients exclusively suffering from cervical radiculopathy), and risk of bias was assessed using a validated Cochrane Checklist adjusted for this purpose. An additional overview of results was added from articles considering a mix of patients suffering from myelopathy with or without radiculopathy.
RESULTS
Eight studies were included that exclusively compared intervertebral devices in radiculopathy patients. Additionally, 29 articles concerning patients with myelopathy with or without radiculopathy were studied in a separate results table. All articles showed intermediate to high risk of bias. There was neither a difference in decrease in mean NDI score between the prosthesis (20.6 points) and the fusion (20.3 points) group, nor was there a clinically important difference in neck pain (VAS). Comparing these data to the mixed population data demonstrated comparable mean values, except for the 2-year follow-up NDI values in the prosthesis group: mixed group patients that received a prosthesis reported a mean NDI score of 15.6, indicating better clinical outcome than the radiculopathy patients that received a prosthesis though not reaching clinical importance.
CONCLUSIONS
ACDF and ACDA are comparably effective in treating cervical radiculopathy due to a herniated disc in radiculopathy patients. Comparing the 8 radiculopathy with the 29 mixed population studies demonstrated that no clinically relevant differences were present in clinical outcome between the two types of patients. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material. | 10.1007/s00586-019-06175-y |
pubmed_396_21039 | Urban safety net providers are under pressure to improve primary care productivity. In a survey of ambulatory care facilities in New York City, productivity (measured as the number of primary care visits per provider hour) increases with exam rooms per physician but has no association with computerized information systems or tightly controlled reimbursement. Also, sample facilities rely heavily on residents, which makes these facilities sensitive to medical education policies and raises questions about quality of care for the poor. We conclude that urban safety net providers will have difficulty making the productivity improvements demanded by a more competitive health system. | 10.1097/00004479-200101000-00002 |
pubmed_516_2599 | Nucleotide excision repair is the principal mechanism for the removal of bulky DNA adducts caused by a range of chemotherapeutic drugs, and contributes to cisplatin resistance. In this study, we used synthetic siRNAs targeted to XPA and ERCC1 and compared their effectiveness in sensitising mismatch repair deficient prostate cancer cell lines to cisplatin and mitomycin C. Downregulation of ERCC1 sensitised DU145 and PC3 cells to cisplatin and mitomycin C. In contrast, XPA downregulation did not sensitise either cell line to mitomycin C, and only sensitised DU145 cells to cisplatin. The effects of ERCC1 downregulation may be due to its role in homologous recombination repair. Excision repair of cisplatin adducts in PC3 cells was attenuated to a similar extent by XPA and ERCC1 downregulation. Downregulation of XPA but not ERCC1 caused an increase in the number of cisplatin-induced RAD51 foci in PC3 cells, suggesting that HRR is able to substitute for NER in these cells. We observed co-localisation of ERCC1 and RAD51 in cisplatin treated PC3 cells by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation, which may represent recruitment of ERCC1/XPF to sites of recombination repair. These results indicate that ERCC1 is a broader therapeutic target than XPA with which to sensitise cancer cells to chemotherapy because of its additional role in recombination repair. | 10.1016/j.bcp.2006.04.025 |
pubmed_826_7346 | Intravenous lipid emulsions (LEs) are relevant for patients receiving parenteral nutrition because they prevent the depletion of essential fatty acids (FAs) and, as a highly dense energy source, enable the reduction of glucose provision, thereby decreasing the risks of hyperglycemia and hepatic impairment. The prescription of LEs is complex, due mainly to their distinct FA components, which may alter the immune response in different ways and distinctly influence inflammation, oxidative stress and blood coagulation according to their biochemical properties. In addition, an excess of other LE components, such as phospholipids and phytosterols, may be associated with hepatic steatosis and dysfunction. These associations do not represent direct risks or obstacles to LE use in metabolically stable patients but can render the choice of the best LE for hypermetabolic patients difficult. The infusion of LEs according to the available guidelines provides more benefit than harm and should be part of exclusive parenteral nutrition regimens or complement enteral nutrition when appropriate. The patient's metabolic profile should guide the type of FA and amount of lipids that are provided. For critically ill hypermetabolic patients, growing evidence indicates that standard LEs based solely on soybean oil should be avoided in favor of new LEs containing medium-chain triglycerides, olive oil, or fish oil to decrease the provision of potentially oxidative, inflammatory/immunosuppressive, and prothrombotic n-6 FAs. In addition, as sources of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, LEs containing fish oil may be important for critically ill patients because they allow better modulation of the immune response and likely reduce the length of intensive care unity stay. However, current evidence precludes the recommendation of a specific LE for clinical use in this patient population. | 10.1159/000365609 |
pubmed_779_19738 | Sclerophylly proves an advantageous strategy in a variety of stressful environments. However, it is less clear how multiple phenotypic traits in sclerophyllous plants are integrated to accomplish proper functions under specific stressors. This study measured 10 leaf traits in a sclerophyllous species, Eurya japonica Thunb., in the Zhoushan Archipelago, eastern China, to examine how the structures of trait correlation (i.e. phenotypic integration) vary between two habitats with contrasting moisture and phosphorus (P) availability. Overall, the trait correlation matrices were similar between the two habitats under study (Mantel r > 0.5), reflecting a consistent trade-off between leaf outspreading (i.e. leaf area/mass ratio) and water-use efficiency (measured by δ13C). Stomatal conductance was correlated with leaf area, thickness and area/mass ratio only in the dry, P-rich habitat, whereas it was robustly correlated with leaf P per unit area in the wet, P-poor habitat. Moreover, leaf water-use efficiency was robustly correlated with leaf P and N per unit area in the dry habitat, but not so in the low-P one. These differences in trait correlation structures illustrate that the pathways of strategic compromise under contrasting stressors were locally specialised. This study highlights the importance of phenotypic integration as an emergent 'trait' in sustaining viable strategies. | 10.1071/FP21119 |
pubmed_332_1315 | OBJECTIVE
To compare the root development and the growth rate of the mandibular third molar (M3 inf) in individuals where the M3 inf erupted vs individuals exhibiting M3 inf impaction.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Serial standardized intraoral radiographs (Eggen technique) were taken annually of the mandibular third molar region from 132 subjects (71 male and 61 female) from 15 to 20 years of age. Based on the films, 264 lower third molars were classified into an eruption and an impaction group. Root development was recorded according to a quantitative method described by Haavikko (1970), and the eruption status was analyzed using logistic regression.
RESULTS
In total, 155 (59%) of the M3 inf erupted, and 109 (41%) were impacted at age 20. In 44 (33%) patients both M3 inf were impacted, in 21 (16%) patients one tooth was erupted and the contralateral tooth impacted, and in 67 (51%) patients both M3 inf were erupted. The more mature a tooth was at age 15, the higher was the probability of eruption (odds ratio: 3.89, P < .001). The growth rate of the root development stage was statistically significantly associated with the probability of eruption (odds ratio: 10.50, P = .041).
CONCLUSIONS
Delayed mandibular third molar root development is associated with impaction. Radiographs taken at age 15 may predict the risk of impaction and thereby guide decision making for the orthodontist or the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. | 10.2319/102911-667.1 |
pubmed_448_12082 | The present study examines the impact of change processes on outcomes in a solution-based thinking and goal-setting intervention for grandparents raising their grandchildren. We found that across the 6 program sessions there was stability and/or increases in the salience of hypothesized change processes, i.e., hopefulness about the future, solution-based thinking, positive thoughts about one's grandchild, multiple indicators of decisional personal goal-setting regarding one's own well-being and grandchild relationship quality. Indicators of change processes were for the most part, related to both post-program outcomes as well as to pre-post program outcome difference scores. Regression analyses suggested that change processes in many cases partially mediated pre-post primary program outcome scores. These data suggest that how grandmother caregivers think about themselves and their grandchildren and their approach to setting personal goals are key change processes explaining the impact of a solution-based, goal-setting intervention on them. | 10.1177/00914150211050878 |
pubmed_893_8236 | BACKGROUND
Non-infectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis and panuveitis are a heterogeneous group of inflammatory eye disorders. Management includes local and systemic corticosteroids, immunosuppressants and biological drugs.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of subcutaneous adalimumab (Humira®; AbbVie Ltd, Maidenhead, UK) and a dexamethasone intravitreal implant (Ozurdex®; Allergan Ltd, Marlow, UK) in adults with non-infectious intermediate uveitis, posterior uveitis or panuveitis.
DATA SOURCES
Electronic databases and clinical trials registries including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched to June 2016, with an update search carried out in October 2016.
REVIEW METHODS
Review methods followed published guidelines. A Markov model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone and adalimumab, each compared with current practice, from a NHS and Personal Social Services (PSS) perspective over a lifetime horizon, parameterised with published evidence. Costs and benefits were discounted at 3.5%. Substantial sensitivity analyses were undertaken.
RESULTS
Of the 134 full-text articles screened, three studies (four articles) were included in the clinical effectiveness review. Two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) [VISUAL I (active uveitis) and VISUAL II (inactive uveitis)] compared adalimumab with placebo, with limited standard care also provided in both arms. Time to treatment failure (reduced visual acuity, intraocular inflammation, new vascular lesions) was longer in the adalimumab group than in the placebo group, with a hazard ratio of 0.50 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36 to 0.70; p < 0.001] in the VISUAL I trial and 0.57 (95% CI 0.39 to 0.84; p = 0.004) in the VISUAL II trial. The adalimumab group showed a significantly greater improvement than the placebo group in the 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) composite score in the VISUAL I trial (mean difference 4.20; p = 0.010) but not the VISUAL II trial (mean difference 2.12; p = 0.16). Some systemic adverse effects occurred more frequently with adalimumab than with placebo. One RCT [HURON (active uveitis)] compared a single 0.7-mg dexamethasone implant against a sham procedure, with limited standard care also provided in both arms. Dexamethasone provided significant benefits over the sham procedure at 8 and 26 weeks in the percentage of patients with a vitreous haze score of zero (p < 0.014), the mean best corrected visual acuity improvement (p ≤ 0.002) and the percentage of patients with a ≥ 5-point improvement in VFQ-25 score (p < 0.05). Raised intraocular pressure and cataracts occurred more frequently with dexamethasone than with the sham procedure. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for one dexamethasone implant in one eye for a combination of patients with unilateral and bilateral uveitis compared with limited current practice, as per the HURON trial, was estimated to be £19,509 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. The ICER of adalimumab for patients with mainly bilateral uveitis compared with limited current practice, as per the VISUAL trials, was estimated to be £94,523 and £317,547 per QALY gained in active and inactive uveitis respectively. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the rate of blindness has the biggest impact on the model results. The interventions may be more cost-effective in populations in which there is a greater risk of blindness.
LIMITATIONS
The clinical trials did not fully reflect clinical practice. Thirteen additional studies of clinically relevant comparator treatments were identified; however, network meta-analysis was not feasible. The model results are highly uncertain because of the limited evidence base.
CONCLUSIONS
Two RCTs of systemic adalimumab and one RCT of a unilateral, single dexamethasone implant showed significant benefits over placebo or a sham procedure. The ICERs for adalimumab were estimated to be above generally accepted thresholds for cost-effectiveness. The cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone was estimated to fall below standard thresholds. However, there is substantial uncertainty around the model assumptions. In future work, primary research should compare dexamethasone and adalimumab with current treatments over the long term and in important subgroups and consider how short-term improvements relate to long-term effects on vision.
STUDY REGISTRATION
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016041799.
FUNDING
The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme. | 10.3310/hta21680 |
pubmed_742_14083 | A new facility for neutron tomography has been installed at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor of IPEN-CNEN/SP. A tomography can be obtained in 400 s and the spatial resolution in the image is 263 μm. The neutron dose per tomography, in the video camera used for image capture, is only 21 μSv, assures very few damages in its CCD sensor. Some selected objects were investigated and the obtained 3D images demonstrate the capability of the facility to investigate hydrogenous substances. | pubmed_742_14083 |
pubmed_445_2295 | Autopsy records of 600 profoundly retarded and 405 less retarded were examined for a thirty-one-year period at Pacific State Hospital. The profoundly retarded were found to have more respiratory infections at autopsy, and more deaths of such infections. Profound retardation was a particularly outstanding risk when in combination with epilepsy, inability to ambulate, and developmental cranial anomalies. Non-infectious respiratory morbidity and mortality are more common in the less retarded, apparently because of their living longer to develop these complications. | 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1979.tb00847.x |
pubmed_999_19475 | AIM
Historically methoxyflurane was used for anaesthesia. Evidence of nephrotoxicity led to abandonment of this application. Subsequently, methoxyflurane, in lower doses, has re-emerged as an analgesic agent, typically used via the Penthrox inhaler in the ambulance setting. We review the literature to consider patient and occupational risks for methoxyflurane.
METHOD
Articles were located via PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Anesthesiology journal and the Cochrane Library.
RESULTS
Early studies investigated pharmacokinetics and considered the resulting effects to pose minimal risk. Pre-clinical rodent studies utilised a species not vulnerable to the nephrotoxic fluoride metabolite of methoxyflurane, so nephrotoxicity was not identified until almost a decade after its introduction, and was initially met with scepticism. Further evidence of nephrotoxicity led to abandonment of methoxyflurane use for anaesthesia. Subsequent research suggested there are additional risks potentially relevant to recurrent patient or occupational exposure. Specifically, greater than expected fluoride production after repeated low-dose exposure, increased fluoride production due to medication-caused hepatic enzyme induction, fluoride deposition in bone potentially acting as a slow-release fluoride compartment, which suggests a risk of skeletal fluorosis, and hepatotoxicity. Gestational risk is unclear.
CONCLUSIONS
Methoxyflurane poses a potentially substantial health risk in high (anaesthetic) doses, and there are a number of pathways whereby repeated exposure to methoxyflurane in lower doses may pose a risk. Single analgesic doses in modern use generally appear safe for patients. However, the safety of recurrent patient or occupational healthcare-worker exposure has not been confirmed, and merits further investigation. | pubmed_999_19475 |
pubmed_412_4642 | The distribution of agmatine (decarboxylated arginine) was mapped in the central nervous system (CNS) in the rat. Agmatine-like immunoreactivity was identified by light microscopy, exclusively in the cytoplasm of neuronal perikarya. Immunoreactive neurons were present in the cerebral cortex, predominantly within laminae VI and V and, to a lesser extent, III and mainly in retrosplenial, cingulate, primary somatosensory and auditory cortices, and the subiculum. In the lower brainstem, immunoreactivity was selectively localized to visceral relay nuclei: the nucleus tractus solitarii and pontine parabrachial complex, and periventricular areas including the laterodorsal nucleus, locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe. In the midbrain, immunolabeled cells were concentrated in the ventral tegmental area and periaqueductal gray. In the forebrain, subcortical neurons were labeled predominantly in the preoptic area, amygdala, septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, midline thalamus, and the hypothalamus. Ultrastructural analysis of layer V of the somatosensory cortex demonstrated agmatine-immunoreactivity in neurons, primarily in large dense-core vesicles located in the cytoplasm. Agmatine immunoreactivity was also affiliated with endoplasmic reticulum and the plasmalemma. Cortical neurons and the subiculum were labeled in animals not administered the axonal transport inhibitor, colchicine; thus, may normally contain higher concentrations of the amine than other brain regions. The central distribution of agmatine is consistent with the hypothesis that the amine may be a novel neurotransmitter of neurons involved in behavioral and visceral control. | 10.1016/s0006-8993(97)01200-6 |
pubmed_868_14169 | Individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience impairments in a number of functional domains. Although current evidence-based treatments for ADHD reduce symptoms and improve academic and behavioral functioning, they have minimal impact on social functioning or on risky behaviors (see Evans et al. in J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol, 43:527-551, 2014 for review). Preliminary evidence indicates that emotion dysregulation (ED) is associated with impairments across the developmental spectrum, such as social impairment and risky behaviors, and that its relative absence/presence is differentially associated with treatment response. It thus stands to reason that by incorporating a focus on ED in interventions targeting social impairment and risky behaviors, we may be able to increase the number of youth who respond to such interventions and decrease the prevalence or degree of these impairments and behaviors among youth and adults with ADHD. However, a number of questions remain unaddressed about the association between ADHD and ED, such as the portion of individuals with ADHD who experience ED, the extent to which ED is associated with the above impairments and behaviors, and whether or not ED is malleable. To begin addressing these questions, we summarize and critically evaluate the literature on the association between ADHD and ED and make recommendations for future basic, translational, and treatment outcome research. | 10.1007/s10567-015-0187-5 |
pubmed_93_23563 | Histone variant H3.3 and heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ) are two functional components of chromatin with role in gene transcription. However, the regulations of their dynamics during transcriptional activation and the molecular mechanisms underlying their actions remain poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence that heat shock-induced transcription of the human HSP70 gene is regulated via the coordinated and interdependent action of H3.3 and HP1γ. H3.3 and HP1γ are rapidly co-enriched at the human HSP70 promoters upon heat shock in a manner that closely parallels the initiation of transcription. Knockdown of H3.3 prevents the stable recruitment of HP1γ, inhibits active histone modifications, and attenuates HSP70 promoter activity. Likewise, knockdown of HP1γ leads to the decreased levels of H3.3 in the promoter regions and the repression of HSP70 genes. HP1γ selectively recognizes particular modification states of H3.3 in the nucleosome for its action. Moreover, HP1γ is overexpressed in three representative cancer cell lines, and its knockdown leads to reduction in HSP70 gene transcription and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. We conclude that the physical and functional interactions between H3.3 and HP1γ make a unique contribution to acute HSP70 transcription and cancer development related to the misregulation of this transcription event. | 10.1093/nar/gkr529 |
pubmed_920_21887 | Evidence on the prognostic relevance of BRCA1/2 mutations on breast cancer survival is still debatable. To address this ambiguity, we sought to elucidate the impact of BRCA1/2 mutation carriership on long-term clinical outcomes for the first time in Egyptian female breast cancer patients. This study comprised 103 Egyptian female breast cancer patients previously tested for BRCA1/2 mutations. Clinicopathological characteristics and long-term follow-up data were retrieved from clinical records until death or loss to follow-up. Overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS) were compared in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers. Pathogenic variants (Class 5 according to ACMG/AMP guidelines) were observed in 29 cases. The profile of the detected variants was previously reported. After median follow-up time of 6.9 years (range, 4.2-24.4 years), BRCA1/2 carriers exhibited significantly worse RFS compared to non-carriers (p = 0.01; HR = 3.00 (95%CI 1.35-6.68)). However, we couldn't demonstrate statistically significant difference between carriers of pathogenic mutations and non-carriers regarding MFS (p = 0.24; HR = 1.38 (95%CI 0.8-2.4)), DFS (p = 0.11; HR = 1.23 (95%CI 0.74-2.06)), or OS (p = 0.36; HR = 1.23 (95%CI 0.58-2.61)). Though no significant impact was observed in OS, yet BRCA1/2 mutation carriers were at high risk of recurrence, highlighting the importance of adopting BRCA screening strategies and prophylactic measures. | 10.3390/biology10070566 |
pubmed_690_6558 | Using two-dimensional electrophoresis on total extracts of adipose tissue from young lean (Fa/fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats, we have investigated the existence of early events at the protein level, before obvious obesity. Our results indicate that the two genotypes do not differ at 3 days of age in terms of polypeptide pattern. By 7 days of age, two polypeptides are transiently repressed in the fatty genotype, leading us to suggest their potential involvement in the onset of obesity. However, most of the differences between the lean and obese rats are detected at 30 days of age, characterized by an increase in the accumulation of several peptides in the adipose tissue of obese rats, in good agreement with the multiple biochemical changes previously identified at this stage of the disease. These results present evidence of new peptides that may be of interest in the study of the obesity syndrome. | 10.1042/bj2840813 |
pubmed_69_15725 | Bayesian approaches to evaluation of crop composition data allow simpler interpretations than traditional statistical significance tests. An important advantage of Bayesian approaches is that they allow formal incorporation of previously generated data through prior distributions in the analysis steps. This manuscript describes key steps to ensure meaningful and transparent selection and application of informative prior distributions. These include (i) review of previous data in the scientific literature to form the prior distributions, (ii) proper statistical model specification and documentation, (iii) graphical analyses to evaluate the fit of the statistical model to new study data, and (iv) sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of results to the choice of prior distribution. The validity of the prior distribution for any crop component is critical to acceptance of Bayesian approaches to compositional analyses and would be essential for studies conducted in a regulatory setting. Selection and validation of prior distributions for three soybean isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, and glycitein) and two oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose) are illustrated in a comparative assessment of data obtained on GM and non-GM soybean seed harvested from replicated field sites at multiple locations in the US during the 2009 growing season. | pubmed_69_15725 |
pubmed_137_18542 | The longitudinal association between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and different courses of depressive symptoms is understudied. This study aimed to identify different trajectories of depressive symptoms and investigate the relation of HbA1c with the risk of increasing and high-stable depressive symptoms. In the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, depressive symptoms were measured using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale in three visits (years: 2011, 2013 and 2015) among 9804 participants (mean age 60.0 ± 9.0 years). Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms. HbA1c was measured at baseline and categorized five groups according to the respective quintile. Multinomial logistic regression was fitted to examine this relationship. Four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: low symptoms (n=6401, 65.29%); decreasing symptoms (n=1362, 13.89%); increasing symptoms (n=1452, 14.81%); and high symptoms (n=1452, 14.81%). Adjusting for demographic, health-related, and cognitive factors, the risk ratio (95% confidence interval) pertaining to the highest HbA1c (Quintile 5) for decreasing, increasing, and high symptoms of depression versus low symptoms was 1.01 (0.82-1.25), 1.12 (0.92-1.36), and 1.39 (1.04-1.86) compared with the lowest HbA1c (Quintile 1), respectively. We observed a J-shaped relationship between HbA1c and high depressive symptoms, with the lowest risk at a HbA1c concentration of 5.0%. In summary, in this large population-based cohort, high levels of glycated hemoglobin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of increasing and high-stable symptoms of depression. | 10.14336/AD.2018.0410 |
pubmed_582_21265 | The NKG2D is an activating immunoreceptor expressed by NK cells and CD8(+) T cells. Engagement of NKG2D by its ligands is critical for both innate and adoptive immunity. While the overexpression of NKG2D ligands on certain tumour cells has previously been demonstrated, little is known about NKG2D ligand expression on human laryngeal tumour cells. In this study, we first verified that the interaction between NKG2D and its ligands was critical for NK cell-based immune response to human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells Hep-2. This NKG2D-mediated effect was observed by transfecting the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-N1/NKG2D as well as the NKG2D blockade. The mRNA and protein expression of NKG2D ligands, MHC class I-related chain molecules A (MICA) and UL16-binding proteins (ULBPs), in human laryngeal carcinoma cell line Hep-2 and fresh tumour tissues were evaluated. Compared with non-tumour tissues of vocal cords polyps, MICA and ULBP-3 were strongly overexpressed on both the human laryngeal carcinoma cell line Hep-2 and fresh human laryngeal carcinoma tissues. The mechanism and impact of NKG2D ligands overexpression on NK cell-mediated anti-laryngeal cancer immune response would require further investigation. | 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2008.02086.x |
pubmed_827_23176 | Little is known about how eosinophils accumulate in bullous pemphigoid (BP) and why these cells rapidly disappear during immunosuppressive therapy. Eosinophils can produce cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 and IL13, which can induce endothelial cells to express cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs) such as E-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) necessary for the recruitment of eosinophils from the bloodstream to the skin. The present aim was to investigate the cellular expression of these three CAMs in serial biopsies before and during oral low-dose methotrexate therapy. Seventy-four biopsy specimens, 37 from active lesions and 37 from normal skin, were taken at different intervals from eight patients with bullous pemphigoid and stained immunohistochemically with specific monoclonal antibodies for these three CAMs. The expression and distribution of CAMs in the biopsies was evaluated and scored with light-microscopic examination. The basal keratinocytes in active lesions expressed ICAM-1. A strong VCAM-1 expression of endothelial cells and pericytes was correlated to a perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrate that also showed intense immunoreactivity to ICAM-1. Endothelial cell/pericytes also expressed E-selectin strongly in the BP patients before therapy. The expression of CAMs faded during therapy and, to the best of our knowledge, this has not been previously reported. Thus we suggest that the rapid reduction of tissue eosinophils may reflect the altered pattern of cell adhesion molecules during immunosuppressive therapy, which could explain the prompt clinical improvement seen in BP patients treated with methotrexate. | 10.1111/j.0906-6705.2004.00113.x |
pubmed_646_16536 | In spite of the numerous surgical techniques described, management of urethral stenosis continues to be an unresolved problem. Free graft urethroplasty is indicated in selected cases and several organic and synthetic materials have been described for this use. Our group reviews the synthetic alloplasts used for partial or total replacement of the male urethra. The search for an appropriate alloplast for urethral replacement has been rather frustrating. Complication rates are still too high to allow routine usage. The most encouraging results are those with new absorbable materials which cause minimal inflammatory reactions of a foreign body type. These are readily available and allow urethral replacement using tissues regenerated from removed ends. | pubmed_646_16536 |
pubmed_298_22505 | Renal infarction is an uncommon and underdiagnosed cause of acute flank pain. We describe a 48-year-old male patient, previously diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve, who presented with multiple renal infarctions, secondary to multiple dissections of the aberrant renal vascular anatomy. | 10.1080/ac.69.2.3017305 |
pubmed_13_23113 | Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (H-JEB) is an incurable, devastating, and mostly fatal inherited skin disease for which there is only supportive care. H-JEB is caused by loss-of-function mutations in LAMA3, LAMB3, or LAMC2, leading to complete loss of laminin 332, the major component of anchoring filaments, which mediate epidermal-dermal adherence. LAMB3 (laminin β3) mutations account for 80% of patients with H-JEB, and ∼95% of H-JEB-associated LAMB3 mutations are nonsense mutations leading to premature termination codons (PTCs). In this study, we evaluated the ability of gentamicin to induce PTC readthrough in H-JEB laminin β3-null keratinocytes transfected with expression vectors encoding eight different LAMB3 nonsense mutations. We found that gentamicin induced PTC readthrough in all eight nonsense mutations tested. We next used lentiviral vectors to generate stably transduced H-JEB cells with the R635X and C290X nonsense mutations. Incubation of these cell lines with various concentrations of gentamicin resulted in the synthesis and secretion of full-length laminin β3 in a dose-dependent and sustained manner. Importantly, the gentamicin-induced laminin β3 led to the restoration of laminin 332 assembly, secretion, and deposition within the dermal/epidermal junction, as well as proper polarization of α6β4 integrin in basal keratinocytes, as assessed by immunoblot analysis, immunofluorescent microscopy, and an in vitro 3D skin equivalent model. Finally, newly restored laminin 332 corrected the abnormal cellular phenotype of H-JEB cells by reversing abnormal cell morphology, poor growth potential, poor cell-substratum adhesion, and hypermotility. Therefore, gentamicin may offer a therapy for H-JEB and other inherited skin diseases caused by PTC mutations. | 10.1073/pnas.1803154115 |
pubmed_1121_13969 | PURPOSE
To investigate gender diversity in editorial boards among a wide range of radiology-related journals, the trend in time, and its association with the journal's impact factor (IF).
METHOD
The Journal Citation Reports website was searched for radiology-related journals journals with IF>2.0. Gender of the editor-in-chief and all editorial board members as listed on each journal's official website were determined. Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's rho test were used for statistical analyses. Current data were compared to historical data.
RESULTS
Fifty-seven radiology-related journals were included. The names of 4176 persons were extracted. A woman was in charge as the only editor-in-chief in 5 of 57 journals (8.8%). Median percentage of female editorial board members was 21.5% (range 3.2%-52.0%). Female editorial board members were in the majority in only two journals, with proportions of 51.4% and 52.0%. IFs between journals with female and male editors-in-chief were not significantly different (median 3.00, range 2.21-7.82 vs. median 3.31, range 2.02-10.98; P = 0.951). There was no significant association between percentage of female editorial board members and a journal's IF (Spearman's rho = -0.019, P = 0.889). The proportion of women has increased compared to historical data.
CONCLUSION
Women are underrepresented in a wide range of radiology-related journals. Comparison with historical data shows that the proportion of women on editorial boards has increased. Nevertheless, gender composition of the editorial board shows no association with IF. This suggests similar gender bias exists across a broad spectrum of high impact factor journals, with no added bias in journals with higher IF. | 10.1016/j.clinimag.2021.01.007 |
pubmed_63_23167 | As a rule, mentally ill patients are held to be responsible for their acts just like everyone else. Notwithstanding, the law in Israel contains special rules which distinguish individuals with mental illness from other people. The instructions laid out in article 34h of the Israeli Penal Law empower the court to release a defendant from criminal responsibility. To do this the following criteria must be met: (a) the defendant was mentally ill, (b) he/she was in a psychotic state at the time he/she performed the felony, (c) his/her mental illness deprived him/her of his/her abilities in at least one of the two following areas: 1] he/she could not understand what he/she was doing, or the forbidden nature of the act; 2] he/she was incapable of preventing him/herself from carrying it out. In the case presented, a mentally ill individual was charged with the murder of his child and with an attempt to murder another child. The court ruled him to be legally insane and therefore non-punishable. He was later sued by the other child's parents for damages on the grounds of the assault tort. The issue in question was how does the fact that the defendant was ruled legally insane while committing the wrong doing affect the legal ruling of the defendant's liability especially regarding the tort of assault? The Magistrate's Court ruled that the Israeli Tort Law did not determine exemption from responsibility for the mentally ill. Liability for damages will be imposed upon an individual whenever the prerequisites to define a tort are met, even if the mental requisite is an outcome of one's mentally ill state. The District Court determined that an individual who intended to inflict harm is guilty of assault, even though the intent was an outcome of his mental state. Lack of volition due to one's inability to refrain from action does not constitute a defense for assault. In this case liability for damages was imposed on the defendant. The Court related to the issue of justice according to which an innocent person's damages should not remain uncompensated, and the assailant was required to pay damages to the victim. | pubmed_63_23167 |
pubmed_769_872 | Given the rapid development of genome mining in this decade, the substrate channel of paclitaxel might be identified in the near future. A robust microbial cell factory with gene dbat, encoding a key rate-limiting enzyme 10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-transferase (DBAT) in paclitaxel biosynthesis to synthesize the precursor baccatin III, will lay out a promising foundation for paclitaxel de novo synthesis. Here, we integrated gene dbat into the wild-type Escherichia coli BW25113 to construct strain BWD01. Yet, it was relatively unstable in baccatin III synthesis. Mutant gene dbat S189V with improved thermostability was screened out from a semi-rational mutation library of DBAT. When it was over-expressed in an engineered strain N05 with improved acetyl-CoA generation, combined with carbon source optimization of fermentation engineering, the production level of baccatin III was significantly increased. Using this combination, integrated strain N05S01 with mutant dbat S189V achieved a 10.50-fold increase in baccatin III production compared with original strain BWD01. Our findings suggest that the combination of protein engineering and metabolic engineering will become a promising strategy for paclitaxel production. | 10.3389/fmicb.2021.803490 |
pubmed_665_21827 | Candida guilliermondii is a haploid opportunistic pathogen accounting for about 2 % of human blood yeast infections. Recent analyses using multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and karyotyping suggest that strains from human sources traditionally designated C. guilliermondii in fact include at least two species, C. guilliermondii and Candida fermentati. However, the patterns of molecular variation within and between these two species remain largely unknown. In this study, DNA fragments were sequenced from five genes for each of 37 strains collected from Canada, China, the Philippines and Tanzania. The analyses identified significant sequence differences between C. guilliermondii and C. fermentati. The five gene genealogies showed no apparent incongruence, suggesting a predominantly clonal reproductive structure for both species in nature. Indeed, two large clones of C. guilliermondii were identified, with one from Ontario, Canada, and the other from China. Interestingly, the results indicate that strains currently designated C. guilliermondii may contain additional divergent lineages. On the practical side, the results revealed several diagnostic molecular markers that can be used in clinical microbiology laboratories to distinguish C. guilliermondii and C. fermentati. The multiple gene genealogical analyses conducted here revealed significant divergence and clonal dispersal in this important pathogenic yeast complex. | 10.1099/mic.0.28626-0 |
pubmed_167_8815 | BACKGROUND
The intermediate cleft tip rhinoplasty is performed in childhood to address residual tip asymmetries during the most critical period of psychosocial development. The authors describe and evaluate long-term outcomes of that approach for the unilateral cleft lip and palate patient based on the concept of individual restoration of each abnormal anatomical component.
METHODS
Photomorphometric analyses of unilateral cleft lip and palate patients (n = 50) who underwent intermediate cleft tip rhinoplasty using the component restoration technique were evaluated preoperatively (time 0) and postoperatively at less than 1 year (time 1), 1 to 3 years (time 2), and more than 3 years (time 3) and compared to age-matched unilateral cleft lip and palate control patients. Nasal relationships (alar symmetry, nasal tip protrusion-to-alar base width ratio, and height-to-width dimensions for the cleft and noncleft nostrils) were compared over time using a linear mixed-effect model.
RESULTS
At time 0, both groups demonstrated similar nasal relationships, with the exception of a wider cleft-side nostril in relationship to height in the rhinoplasty group. The component restoration technique improved all four nasal relationships at all postoperative time points compared with time 0 in a statistically significant manner, whereas control patients did not demonstrate significant changes at the corresponding ages. Long-term differences at time 3 revealed a trend toward improved alar symmetry and cleft-side and non-cleft-side nostril dimensions, and a significant improvement in the nasal tip protrusion-to-alar base width ratio in intermediate cleft tip rhinoplasty-treated versus control patients (p = 0.002).
CONCLUSION
The component restoration technique for the unilateral intermediate cleft tip rhinoplasty improves nasal relationships toward normal immediately and in a sustained manner for at least 3 years.
CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Therapeutic, III. | 10.1097/PRS.0000000000005367 |
pubmed_211_21712 | We analyzed the clinical results of 195 Harris Design-2 total hip replacements performed with so-called second-generation cementing techniques in 166 consecutive patients who had osteoarthrosis. The mean age of the patients at the time of the replacement was sixty-seven years and nine months (range, thirty-one to eighty-nine years). Forty-eight patients (fifty-four hips) died before the time of the latest follow-up, but the implants were apparently functioning well at the time of death. Three patients (four hips) were lost to follow-up. Five patients (five hips; 3 percent) had a revision because of aseptic loosening of the acetabular or femoral component, or both, that was related to wear-induced osteolysis. The mean Harris hip score for the 131 hips that were available at the latest follow-up examination at a mean of twelve years (range, ten to fifteen years) after the operation was 89 +/- 10 points. On the basis of the Harris hip score, seventy-six hips had an excellent result, thirty-four had a good result, fifteen had a fair result, and six had a poor result at the latest follow-up examination. Radiographically, twelve (9 percent) of the 131 acetabular components and three (2 percent) of the 131 femoral components were probably or definitely loose. At a mean of twelve years, 186 (97 percent) of 191 Harris Design-2 implants were in situ or had been in situ at the time of the patient's death. | 10.2106/00004623-199812000-00007 |
pubmed_340_17420 | A neutral {Fe(NO)2}9 dinitrosyliron complex (DNIC) [(SC6H4-o-NHCOPh)(Im)Fe(NO)2] (Im = imidazole; 2) was prepared by the reaction of [Fe(mu-SC6H4-o-NHCOPh)(NO)2]2 (1) and 2 equiv of imidazole. In the synthesis of the anionic {Fe(NO)2}9 DNIC [(SC6H4-o-NHCOPh)2Fe(NO)2]- (3), thiolate [SC6H4-o-NHCOPh]- triggers ligand substitution of DNIC 2 to yield DNIC 3. At 298 K, complexes 2 and 3 exhibit well-resolved nine- and five-line electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals at g = 2.031 and 2.029, respectively, the characteristic g value of DNICs. The facile interconversions among the neutral {Fe(NO)2}9 complex 2, the anionic {Fe(NO)2}9 complex 3, and Roussin's red ester 1 were demonstrated. The EPR spectrum (the pattern of hyperfine splitting) in combination with the IR nu(NO) (the relative position of the nu(NO) stretching frequencies) spectrum may serve as an efficient tool for the discrimination of the anionic {Fe(NO)2}9 DNICs, the neutral {Fe(NO)2}9 DNICs, and Roussin's red ester. | 10.1021/ic0608849 |
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