index
stringlengths 10
17
| text
stringlengths 101
18k
| doi
stringlengths 2
72
|
|---|---|---|
pubmed_37_3686 | Extensive ex vivo T cell-depleted or unmanipulated haploidentical transplantation provides benefits of rapid and near universal donor availability for patients without HLA-identical sibling donors or those who urgently need transplant. However, CD34 selected haplotype mismatched transplantation was limited by delayed immune reconstitution (IR), although this protocol has now been an acceptable approach. Recently, Peking University researchers developed a novel approach to HLA-mismatched/haploidentical blood and marrow transplantation without in vitro T cell depletion (GIAC protocol). This review summarizes transplant outcomes, and factors correlating with transplant outcomes following the GIAC protocol. Moreover, future challenges in improving posttransplant IR and finding the best approach reducing the incidence and severity of GVHD, whereas preserving graft-versus-leukemia effect to prevent the recurrence of underlying malignancy, are also discussed. | 10.1016/j.bbmt.2010.03.006 |
pubmed_65_8371 | OBJECTIVES
The study of incidence and prognostic significance of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Prospective study on 1,239 patients consecutively admitted because of a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Clinical characteristics, indexes of myocardial infarction and complications were analysed.
RESULTS
Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were observed in 116 (9.3%) cases: atrial fibrillation in 96 (7.7%); atrial tachycardia in 15 (1.2%); and atrial flutter in the remaining five cases (0.4%). Patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were older, and presented higher heart rate, lower blood pressure, a higher number of affected leads in ECG, and higher Killip class. A higher creatine kinase peak and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction were associated with the presence of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. Predictors of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were: age, systolic blood pressure, number of affected leads in ECG, and congestive heart failure at admission. The following complications were found more frequently in patients with supraventricular tachyarrhythmias: bundle-branch block, complete A-V block, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation; heart failure; stroke; and mortality, in-hospital 18.1% vs 11.1% (p < 0.05) and one-year, 38.7% vs 18.4% (p < 0.001). The logistic regression model showed that supraventricular tachyarrhythmias had no independent prognostic value on mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
The appearance of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias during the acute phase of myocardial infarction is a relatively frequent finding, often associated with older age and larger infarctions. Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias are accompanied by higher short and long-term mortalities, although there is no independent prognostic significance. | 10.1016/s0300-8932(99)74984-5 |
pubmed_1111_8212 | A growing number of studies suggest that early visual processing is not only affected by low-level perceptual attributes but also by higher order cognitive factors such as attention or emotion. Using high-density electroencephalography, we recently demonstrated that attentional load of a task at fixation reduces the response of primary visual cortex to irrelevant peripheral stimuli, as indexed by the C1 component. In the latter study, peripheral stimuli were always presented during intervals without task-relevant stimuli. Here, we use a similar paradigm but present central task stimuli and irrelevant peripheral stimuli simultaneously while keeping all other stimulus characteristics constant. Results show that rather than to suppress responses to peripheral stimulation, high attentional load elicits higher C1 amplitudes under these conditions. These findings suggest that stimulus timing can profoundly alter the effects of attentional load on the earliest stages of processing in human visual cortex. | 10.1002/hbm.21193 |
pubmed_382_10406 | CONTEXT
The Medicare program has promoted capitation as a way to contain costs. About 15% of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide are currently under capitation, but tremendous regional variation exists.
PRACTICE PATTERN EXAMINED
The proportion of Medicare beneficiaries who have enrolled in risk-contract plans in individual states and in the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
DATA SOURCE
Health Care Financing Administration data files.
RESULTS
Medicare beneficiaries are most likely to be under capitation in Arizona (38%) and California (37%). Eight other states have capitation rates greater than 20%: Colorado, Florida, Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Thirty states, largely in the Great Plains area and the southern United States, have capitation rates less than 10%. Four major metropolitan areas have market penetration rates greater than 40%: San Bernardino, California; San Diego, California; Phoenix, Arizona; and Miami, Florida. Little penetration exists outside of metropolitan areas.
CONCLUSION
Capitation in Medicare is a regional and predominantly an urban phenomenon. | pubmed_382_10406 |
pubmed_1134_4192 | The synthesis of 1H-indazoles is achieved from o-aminobenzoximes by the selective activation of the oxime in the presence of the amino group. The reaction occurs with a variety of substituted o-aminobenzoximes using a slight excess of methanesulfonyl chloride and triethylamine at 0-23 degrees C and is amenable to scale-up. The synthesis of 1H-indazoles under these conditions is extremely mild compared with previous synthetic approaches and affords the desired compounds in good to excellent yields. | 10.1021/ol800053f |
pubmed_461_10519 | Previously it was shown that the tryptic digestion of human IgM at 65 C yield Fc'mu fragments in addition to Fabmu and (Fc)5mu fragments. This Fc'mu was found to be derived from the Cmu4 domain of the mu-chain. Additional studies were done on the effects of tryptic digestion time and temperature on the proteolytic process of IgM, IgM digestion by 2% trypsin at 65 C produced (Fc)8mu and Fc'mu in approximately a 3:2 ratio. While an appreciable amount of intact (Fc)5mu was present along with Fc'mu in the IgM digest, no residual "(Fc)5mu fragment" with its C-terminal segment missing was found. If the temperature of digestion is held constant at either 56 C or 60 C and the digestion time is varied from 20 to 90 min, there is also progressive cleavage of IgM with a concomitant increase in the yield of Fc'mu. It appears that the tryptic digestion of IgM is a stepwise process and that the primary cleavage of IgM occurs at Arg-325(2) of all ten mu-chains and the (Fc)5mu is subsequently degraded to Fc'mu fragments by secondary cleavage. | pubmed_461_10519 |
pubmed_650_6211 | 1. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that in the pithed rat preparation two subtypes of the alpha 1-adrenoceptor are linked to two different signal transduction mechanisms, both of which contribute to vasoconstriction, one facilitating Ca(2+)-entry from the extracellular fluid (alpha 1A) and one promoting the release of Ca2+ from intracellular sources (alpha 1B). 2. The selective alpha 1A-adrenoceptor antagonist, 5-methyl-urapidil, and the selective alpha 1B-adrenoceptor antagonist, chloroethylclonidine, were unable to discriminate between alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated pressor responses, which relied on an entry of extracellular Ca2+ sensitive to nifedipine and an intracellular release of Ca2+ insensitive to nifedipine, respectively. 3. Chloroethylclonidine, 12.5 and 25 mg kg-1 i.v., were equieffective, and had only minor effects on alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated increases in diastolic blood pressure. This could be associated with a small decrease in the receptor-reserve of the pithed rat preparation due to irreversible receptor blockade by this antagonist. These data indicate that chloroethylclonidine-sensitive alpha 1-adrenoceptors constitute only a minor fraction of the total alpha 1-adrenoceptor population on rat arterial resistance vessels. 4. Chloroethylclonidine behaved as a partial agonist eliciting a small increase in baseline diastolic blood pressure which could be inhibited by Ca(2+)-entry blockade with nifedipine. 5. Chloroethylclonidine potentiated the pressor responses elicited by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists UK-14,304 and azepexole (B-HT 933). 6. No evidence was found in the pithed rat that alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated Ca(2+)-entry from the extracellular fluid and Ca(2+)-release from intracellular stores are mediated by alpha 1A and alpha 1B-adrenoceptors, respectively. | 10.1111/j.1474-8673.1992.tb00370.x |
pubmed_674_17659 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to examine the factors contributing to the social isolation of older residents of a high-crime neighborhood through the in-depth examination of their lived experiences. A deeper understanding of factors contributing to social isolation can allow policymakers and health care providers to create policies and programs to alleviate the social isolation of these vulnerable and understudied individuals.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Participants were recruited through the support of the Housing Authority and Police and Fire Departments of Richmond, California, a town with a high-crime rate. Fifty-nine ethnographic interviews were conducted with 20 individuals of 58-95 years of age. Transcripts and fieldnotes were analyzed with a focus on the specific factors contributing the social isolation of participants.
RESULTS
An overarching theme of tension between personal and structural factors of social isolation and desire for social integration emerged from qualitative content analysis. A tension emerged between a longing to participate in society and the immersion in a reality so dense with obstacles that made participation in society difficult to attain. Four specific themes also emerged. Three themes demonstrated underlying factors of social isolation stemming from the personal sphere and the physical and social environment. The fourth theme illustrated participants' desire for social integration.
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Findings demonstrate the salience of interventions and programs to make neighborhoods safe and accessible to older residents. Findings also suggest a need to reframe the conceptual framework for social isolation to better measure and alleviate this public health problem. | 10.1093/geront/gnw268 |
pubmed_756_20545 | There is little research and literature exploring same-sex partner bereavement in later life or end-of-life experiences of lesbian and gay elders in the United Kingdom. This article considers this often overlooked area of social work practice and explores a range of factors emerging from a small explorative study that considers the experience of loss and bereavement for lesbian and gay elders. Discussion of issues emerging include consideration of the wider psycho-social nature of bereavement and end-of-life experiences for lesbian and gay elders, and the implications this has for social work education and practice. | 10.1080/01634372.2013.825360 |
pubmed_50_22645 | In this review we present current evidence on the possibility of umbilical cord tissue cryopreservation for subsequent clinical use. Protocols for obtaining umbilical cord-derived vessels, Wharton's jelly-based grafts, multipotent stromal cells, and other biomedical products from cryopreserved umbilical cords are highlighted, and their prospective clinical applications are discussed. Examination of recent literature indicates we should expect high demand for cryopreservation of umbilical cord tissues in the near future. | 10.1186/s13287-018-0992-0 |
pubmed_618_6238 | BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
In mechanical ventilation, invasive and noninvasive, the knowledge of respiratory mechanic physiology is indispensable to take decisions and into the efficient management of modern ventilators. Monitoring of pulmonary mechanic parameters is been recommended from all the review works and clinical research. The objective of this study was review concepts of pulmonary mechanic and the methods used to obtain measures in the bed side, preparing a rational sequence to obtain this data.
METHODS
It was obtained bibliographic review through data bank LILACS, MedLine and PubMed, from the last ten years.
RESULTS
This review approaches parameters of resistance, pulmonary compliance and intrinsic PEEP as primordial into comprehension of acute respiratory failure and mechanic ventilatory support, mainly in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
CONCLUSIONS
Monitoring pulmonary mechanics in patients under mechanical ventilation in intensive care units gives relevant informations and should be implemented in a rational and systematic way. | pubmed_618_6238 |
pubmed_926_23753 | The water quantity and quality of Laspias River, located in Xanthi Prefecture, Thrace, North Greece, are studied. A data collection program was designed at five stations along the main river course and its main tributary. Sampling frequency was about once every 10 days. Temperature (T), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and dissolved oxygen were measured in situ simultaneously with discharge measurements. Moreover, water samples were collected and analyzed for the determination of nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, total phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids and alkalinity, according to standard methods. Anions (i.e., SO4-2 and Cl-) and cations (i.e., Li+, Na+, Mg+2, and Ca+2) were determined using ion chromatography (Dionex ICS-3000 ion chromatograph). The results showed that there is an impact of point (e.g., wastewater treatment plant effluent and farms) and non-point (e.g., agricultural activities) sources of pollution on the EC values, and chloride, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the river water. The trophic state of Laspias River, based on nutrient concentrations, was found eutrophic. Based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment Water Quality Index, the river water quality ranged from "poor" to "marginal" category, indicating the need for management measures in order to improve it. | 10.1080/10934529.2017.1357408 |
pubmed_539_1914 | To test the hypothesis that differential addition of new cells occurs in the two functionally distinct divisions of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), the addition of bromodeoxyuridine-labeled cells was analyzed in the anterior and posterior subdivisions of the AOB as a function of post-injection survival time (0-11 days). One week postinjection, an increase of cells was detected in the granule layer but not in the glomerular or mitral/tufted cell layers. No evidence for differential addition of cells to the anterior and posterior divisions was observed. | 10.1016/s0165-3806(01)00106-7 |
pubmed_835_17280 | The growth and rapid proliferation of tumor cells depend on both glycolysis and glutamine metabolism, leading to metabolic compensation. Here, dual inhibition on the metabolic plasticity by Glucose oxidase and Telaglenastat loaded liposome (Lip@GOx&Tel) were studied for intervening metabolic pathway on energy and material against breast cancer. Lip@GOx&Tel targeting inhibited the two nutrient supply mechanisms employed by tumor cells, reducing the supply of ATP production and biosynthesis precursors essential necessary for tumor, thereby eliciting anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effect. Meanwhile, Lip@GOx&Tel ingeniously amplify the therapeutic effect by up-regulating ROS and down-regulating GSH to disrupt redox homeostasis, thus resulting in inspiring 82% tumor suppression rate on 4 T1 tumor model. Moreover, our study solved the limitation of combination between protein drugs and small molecule drugs in vivo by using liposome nanoparticles with clinical translation value. In short, this work provides a unique perspective of nanomedicine for treating diseases from metabolic intervention. | 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.07.034 |
pubmed_189_24923 | One of the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of the autoimmune demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) is bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (hBM-MSCs) transplantation. However, given their capacity to enhance myelination in vitro, we hypothesised that human olfactory mucosa-derived MSCs (hOM-MSCs) may possess additional properties suitable for CNS repair. Herein, we have examined the efficacy of hOM-MSCs versus hBM-MSCs using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. Both MSC types ameliorated disease, if delivered during the initial onset of symptomatic disease. Yet, only hOM-MSCs improved disease outcome if administered during established disease when animals had severe neurological deficits. Histological analysis of spinal cord lesions revealed hOM-MSC transplantation reduced blood-brain barrier disruption and inflammatory cell recruitment and enhanced axonal survival. At early time points post-hOM-MSC treatment, animals had reduced levels of circulating IL-16, which was reflected in both the ability of immune cells to secrete IL-16 and the level of IL-16 in spinal cord inflammatory lesions. Further in vitro investigation revealed an inhibitory role for IL-16 on oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. Moreover, the availability of bioactive IL-16 after demyelination was reduced in the presence of hOM-MSCs. Combined, our data suggests that human hOM-MSCs may have therapeutic benefit in the treatment of MS via an IL-16-mediated pathway, especially if administered during active demyelination and inflammation. | 10.1186/s40478-022-01316-9 |
pubmed_446_23309 | We herein report the case of a 26-year-old woman with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis presenting with ophthalmoplegia and flaccid paraplegia. She developed disorientation and hallucination after fever and vomiting. Hypothermia, hypoventilation, hypertension, paralytic ileus and hyponatremia were present. Neurological examination showed mild consciousness disturbance and bilateral ophthalmoplegia on admission, flaccid paraplegia with leg areflexia on Day 4. Anti-NMDAR antibodies were detected in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples. Motor nerve conduction velocity was decreased in the tibial and peroneal nerves. F-wave amplitudes were reduced in the tibial nerve. MRI disclosed lesions in the callosal splenium, hippocampus and cerebral subarachnoid regions. In addition to various encephalitic symptoms, physicians should pay more attention to peripheral nerve damage in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. | 10.2169/internalmedicine.52.1065 |
pubmed_777_3271 | In this work we present a novel concept of active microwells based on cylindrical wells able to vertically trap and control single particles by means of negative dielectrophoresis. The device is fabricated by drilling through holes on a polyimide substrate with copper-gold or aluminum metals, forming three annular electrodes within the well. A channel under the device provides a fluid flow filling the microwell by capillarity. Particles are delivered from the top by a microdispenser and applying sinusoidal signals to the electrodes at frequencies ranging from 100kHz to 1.5MHz and amplitudes between 2V and 7V they are successfully trapped and levitated at the level of the central electrode in the middle of microwells with a diameter of 125mum. By changing signal phases, other configurations are also enabled to load particles in the well or eject them from the bottom. The extension to an array of microwells is presented and design rules are described for routing electrode connections and setting signal parameters. K562 cells cultured with Ara-C 1000nM were successfully trapped and controlled in physiological media. Polystyrene beads were also levitated in water and were used for experimental measurements on minimum amplitudes and phase differences in the signals required to levitate beads, confirming the results obtained by simulation. | 10.1016/j.bios.2008.07.014 |
pubmed_920_16522 | (1) Background: Comorbidity between Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD), mood, and anxiety disorders represents a significant health burden, yet its neurobiological underpinnings are elusive. The current paper reviews all genome-wide association studies conducted in the past ten years, sampling patients with AUD and co-occurring mood or anxiety disorder(s). (2) Methods: In keeping with PRISMA guidelines, we searched EMBASE, Medline/PUBMED, and PsycINFO databases (January 2010 to December 2020), including references of enrolled studies. Study selection was based on predefined criteria and data underwent a multistep revision process. (3) Results: 15 studies were included. Some of them explored dual diagnoses phenotypes directly while others employed correlational analysis based on polygenic risk score approach. Their results support the significant overlap of genetic factors involved in AUDs and mood and anxiety disorders. Comorbidity risk seems to be conveyed by genes engaged in neuronal development, connectivity, and signaling although the precise neuronal pathways and mechanisms remain unclear. (4) Conclusion: given that genes associated with complex traits including comorbid clinical presentations are of small effect, and individually responsible for a very low proportion of the total variance, larger samples consisting of multiple refined comorbid combinations and confirmed by re-sequencing approaches will be necessary to disentangle the genetic architecture of dual diagnosis. | 10.3390/diagnostics11061055 |
pubmed_669_6951 | BACKGROUND
Therapeutic developments have contributed to markedly improved clinical outcomes in peritoneal dialysis (PD) during the 1990s and 2000s. We investigated whether recent advances in PD treatment are implemented in routine Swedish care and whether their implementation parallels improved patient outcomes.
METHODS
We conducted an observational study of 3122 patients initiating PD in Sweden from 2006 to 2015. We evaluated trends of treatment practices (medications, PD-related procedures) and outcomes [patient survival, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), peritonitis, transfer to haemodialysis (HD) and kidney transplantation] and analysed associations of changes of treatment practices with changes in outcomes.
RESULTS
Over the 10-year period, demographics (mean age 63 years, 33% women) and comorbidities remained essentially stable. There were changes in clinical characteristics (body mass index and diastolic blood pressure increased), prescribed drugs (calcium channel blockers, non-calcium phosphate binders and cinacalcet increased and the use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, erythropoietin and iron decreased) and dialysis treatment (increased use of automated PD, icodextrin and assisted PD). The standardized 1- and 2-year mortality and MACE risk did not change over the period. Compared with the general population, the risk of 1-year mortality was 4.1 times higher in 2006-2007 and remained stable throughout follow-up. However, the standardized 1- and 2-year peritonitis rate decreased and the incidence of kidney transplantation increased while transfers to HD did not change.
CONCLUSIONS
Over the last decade, treatment advances in PD patients were accompanied by a substantial decline in peritonitis frequency and an increased rate of kidney transplantations, while 1- and 2-year survival and MACE risk did not change. | 10.1093/ckj/sfab130 |
pubmed_672_8938 | Ten student surgery ponies were subjected to exploratory laparotomy. Abdominal paracentesis was performed preoperatively and daily postoperatively for 6 days, then the ponies were euthanatized and necropsied. Initial baseline peritoneal fluid parameters were within established reference limits. Postoperatively, the total leukocyte count and total protein in the peritoneal fluid rose and remained elevated for the 6 days of the study. Complete blood counts (CBCs) were performed preoperatively and on days 1 and 4 postoperatively. On day 1, a stress leukogram with a mild inflammatory component developed, but by day 4, the CBCs were within normal limits. The mean plasma fibrinogen levels, which were determined daily, peaked on day 4. | 10.1111/j.1532-950x.1988.tb00268.x |
pubmed_437_1267 | The diagnosis of carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is made after exclusion of the presence of a mucosal primary. There are two mains options for the primary treatment of CUP, either a neck node dissection followed by postoperative radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy, or a primary radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy depending on the nodal stage followed in case of residual neck disease by a selective neck dissection. There is no data to suggest the superiority of one over the other. For radiotherapy, unilateral neck or bilateral neck, including the upper aerodigestive tract mucosa are possible options. There is no definite data to demonstrate the superiority of one over the other, but owing the reduced toxicity of unilateral irradiation, and the possibility of salvage treatment in case of emergence of a mucosal primary and/or a contralateral neck node development, the former may be the preferred option. Advances in radiotherapy such as intensity modulated radiation therapy have the potential to spare organs at risk and reduce late toxicity rates. A selective irradiation approach customized on "major" criteria, such as nodal stage and level, HPV and EBV status and accessory criteria, such as histological variants, is under investigation. | 10.1684/bdc.2014.1965 |
pubmed_586_6110 | Streptozotocin has been shown to induce the production of a variety of tumors in rats. The present report demonstrates that streptozotocin and 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea, a component of the streptozotocin molecule and a known carcinogen, stimulate the enzyme guanylate cyclase which catalyzes the production of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate. At a maximal concentration of 3 mg/ml, these agents activated guanylate cyclase approximately 30-fold in liver, 20-fold in kidney, 15-fold in cerebellum. 15- to 30-fold in cerebrum, 4- to 20-fold inheart, 12-fold in brain stem, 10-fold in lung, and 2-fold in pancreas. Since recent evidence suggests a role for guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in malignant transformation, the data may help explain the tumor-inducing capacity of these agents. | pubmed_586_6110 |
pubmed_347_9690 | Lipopeptides are compounds that are formed by cyclic or short linear peptides linked with a lipid tail or other lipophilic molecules. Recently, several lipopeptides were characterized, showing surfactant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The properties of lipopeptides may lead to applications in diverse industrial fields including the pharmaceutical industry as conventional antibiotics; the cosmetic industry for dermatological product development due to surfactant and anti-wrinkle properties; in food production acting as emulsifiers in various foodstuffs; and also in the field of biotechnology as biosurfactants. Some lipopeptides have reached a commercial antibiotic status, such as daptomycin, caspofungin, micafungin, and anidulafungin. This will be the focus of this review. Moreover, the review presented here will focus on the biotechnological utilization of lipopeptides in different fields as well as the functional-structure relation, connecting recent aspects of synthesis and structure diversity. | pubmed_347_9690 |
pubmed_1081_13777 | Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary care, and commonly for respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Narrow-spectrum phenoxymethylpenicillin is the antibiotic of choice for RTIs in the Scandinavian countries, while broader spectrum amoxicillin is used in most other European countries. This review summarizes the knowledge of the effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin versus amoxicillin for infections treated in ambulatory care. We searched PubMed/Medline and Embase for trials comparing the clinical effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin and amoxicillin. The Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services' checklist was used to assess risk of bias. In total, 1687 studies were identified, and 18 of these fulfilled the inclusion criteria. One additional study was found as a reference. The randomized controlled trials revealed no significant differences in clinical effect in acute sinusitis (three RCTs), GAS tonsillitis (11 RCTs) and Lyme borreliosis (two RCTs). One RCT on community-acquired pneumonia found amoxicillin to be superior, while the results were conflicting in the two RCTs on acute otitis. The results suggest that non-Scandinavian countries should consider phenoxymethylpenicillin as the treatment of choice for RTIs because of its narrower spectrum. More studies should be conducted on the clinical effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin versus amoxicillin for acute otitis and lower RTIs. | 10.3390/antibiotics7030081 |
pubmed_931_10071 | PURPOSE
To determine the spatial and temporal progression of opsin appearance during retinal development of salmonid fishes (genus Oncorhynchus and Salmo).
METHODS
Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization with riboprobes against the five classes of opsins present in salmonids (UV, blue, green, red, and rhodopsin) were used to establish the sequence of opsin appearance and the localization of opsins to specific morphologic photoreceptor types.
RESULTS
Both detection methods revealed that UV opsin mRNA was expressed first and was followed closely by red opsin mRNA. In situ hybridization results indicated the following opsin sequence: UV, red, rhodopsin, green, and blue. The UV opsin riboprobe labeled single cones, whereas the red and green riboprobes labeled opposite members of double cones. The blue riboprobe started labeling single center cones approximately 1 month after initial UV riboprobe labeling, confirming a switch in opsin expression of these cones from UV to blue. All probes first labeled a small patch of cells in the centrotemporal retina, and expression then expanded primarily toward the temporal and dorsal retina, with the exception of the blue opsin which expanded ventrally at first.
CONCLUSIONS
The sequence of cone opsin appearance in salmonid fishes is similar to that in mammals, in which a violet-blue (SWS1) opsin is expressed first followed by a red (M/LWS) opsin. This sequence is different from that in zebrafish, goldfish, and chick, in which red and green opsins are expressed first. As in mammals, rhodopsin expression in salmonid fishes arises after the first cone opsin. The findings show similarity in the sequence of opsin expression between a group of lower vertebrates, the salmonid fishes, and mammals. | 10.1167/iovs.06-0442 |
pubmed_165_9083 | The objective of this study was to describe the light microscopic pathology of labyrinthine fistulae in chronic otitis media (COM) in seven temporal bones and to discuss clinical and surgical implications. In COM, labyrinthine fistulae are usually caused by cholesteatoma, with the lateral semicircular canal being the most commonly affected site. Some fistulae are asymptomatic, whereas, others affect the auditory and vestibular systems to varying degrees. Surgical removal of cholesteatoma matrix over a fistula carries a risk of sensorineural hearing loss. Knowledge of the pathology of fistulae may provide a better understanding of their clinical manifestations and may allow a more rational approach to surgical management. The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary temporal bone collection contains 115 specimens with COM, of which seven specimens show pathologic fistulization of the bony labyrinth. Histologic sections from these seven bones were evaluated with respect to type of COM, location and size of fistula, changes in the inner ear adjacent to the fistula, middle ear and mastoid disease, and pathology in the vestibular and cochlear sense organs. The following conclusions are presented (a) Labyrinthine fistulae can be caused not only by cholesteatoma, but also by granulomatous COM without cholesteatoma and even by localized infection within a canal-down mastoid cavity. (b) Cholesteatoma matrix or inflammatory tissue usually becomes apposed to the endosteum or membranous labyrinth within the fistula. In most cases, reactive inner ear changes do not occur at the fistula site. Occasionally, there is thickening of the endosteum or chronic localized labyrinthitis. (c) Most bones do not show any alterations of the vestibular and cochlear sense organs. Occasionally, there is serous labyrinthitis, which might lead to partial sensorineural hearing loss. (d) A protective "walling-off" phenomenon in the labyrinth is not common. Therefore, if overwhelming infection or surgical trauma breaches the natural barriers of the endosteum/membranous labyrinth, then the fistula may allow rapid dissemination of infection throughout the inner ear. | pubmed_165_9083 |
pubmed_461_12051 | Infections with fungi of the class Phycomycetes result in distinctive tissue changes characterized by growth of hyphae in and around blood vessels, causing necrosis and hemorrhagic infarction of tissue. A brain scan on a patient with a phycomycotic intracranial aneurysm demonstrated ventricular visualization at a time when there was clinical and autopsy evidence of rupture of the aneurysm. | 10.1097/00003072-197811000-00005 |
pubmed_864_21320 | OBJECTIVES
to characterise breast feeding practices among Brazilian adolescents and identify their breast feeding needs.
METHODS
the study was undertaken in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil in two stages. The first stage analysed data from the Second National Survey of Breast-feeding Prevalence, held in August 2008, which included 229 adolescent mothers. The second stage was a qualitative approach, and involved interviews with 10 adolescent mothers in a primary care unit. The data from the first stage were analysed in June 2010 based on descriptive statistics. The data obtained from the interviews were transcribed and organised using thematic content analysis.
FINDINGS
breast feeding was reported by 75% of the adolescent mothers. Of the 144 mothers with infants aged <180 days, 84% reported that they were breast feeding: 19% were breast feeding exclusively, 17% were breast feeding predominantly, 49% were providing complementary feeding, and 16% had weaned their infants. Analysis of the interviews led to the identification of three thematic units: concern for the child's health; breast feeding difficulties; and health team and family support.
CONCLUSIONS
the majority of the adolescent mothers presented conditions that were favourable to breast feeding (e.g. did not work outside the home, only had one child, breast fed in the first hour post partum). However, the practice of breast feeding still failed to meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization. The interviews led to identification of the breast feeding needs and demands of adolescent mothers, many of which were related to the needs of their infants. It is important to know what adolescent mothers think about breast feeding, in order to encourage the establishment of practices to keep breastfeeding as longer as possible in a satisfactory way for both mothers and infants. | pubmed_864_21320 |
pubmed_482_1292 | The prevalence of osteoporotic fracture is high due to global aging problem. Delayed and impaired healing in osteoporotic fractures increase the socioeconomic burden significantly. Through intensive animal and clinical research in recent years, the pathogenesis of osteoporotic fracture healing is unveiled, including decreased inflammatory response, reduced mesenchymal stem cells and deteriorated angiogenesis, etc. The enhancement of osteoporotic fracture healing is important in shortening hospitalization, thus reducing related complications. Mechanical stimulation is currently the most well-accepted approach for rehabilitation of osteoporotic fracture patients. Some new interventions providing mechanical signals were explored extensively in recent years, including vibration treatment, and osteoporotic fracture healing was found to respond very well to these signals. Vibration treatment could accelerate osteoporotic fracture healing with improved callus formation, mineralization and remodeling. However, the mechanism of how osteoporotic fracture bones sense mechanical signals and relay to bone formation remains unanswered. Osteocytes are the most abundant cells in bone tissues. Cumulative evidence confirm that osteocyte is a type of mechanosensory cell and shows altered morphology and reduced cell density during aging. Meanwhile, osteocytes serve as endocrine cells to regulate bone and mineral homeostasis. However, the contribution of osteocytes in osteoporotic fracture healing is largely unknown. A recent in vivo study was conducted to examine the morphological and functional changes of osteocytes after vibration treatment in an osteoporotic metaphyseal fracture rat model. The findings demonstrated that vibration treatment induced significant outgrowth of canaliculi and altered expression of various proteins (E11, DMP1, FGF23 and sclerostin), particularly osteocyte-specific dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) which was greatly increased. DMP1 may play a major role in relaying mechanical signals to bone formation, which may require further experiments to consolidate. Most importantly, vibration treatment significantly increased the mineralization and accelerated the osteoporotic fracture healing in metaphyseal fracture model. In summary, osteocyte is the major cell type to sense mechanical signals and facilitate downstream healing in osteoporotic fracture bone. Vibration treatment has good potential to be translated for clinical application to benefit osteoporotic fracture patients, while randomized controlled trials are required to validate its efficacy. | 10.1016/j.injury.2020.05.020 |
pubmed_653_21476 | Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease often associated with obesity. The anti-inflammatory adipokine vaspin, a suggested serine proteinase inhibitor of the serpin family, is discussed as a new link between inflammation and obesity. Here, we demonstrate that - different from healthy controls - vaspin serum levels in patients with psoriasis were body mass index independent. Moreover, we could identify keratinocytes as the major source of vaspin in skin. Vaspin expression in lesional psoriatic skin was reduced compared with uninvolved skin as shown by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. In aggregate, we report on the cellular source of vaspin in skin and its expression in psoriasis. | 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2012.01460.x |
pubmed_830_23159 | Various 9-mm ammunitions (A1, A4, A5, ST, GS, GSb, P.E.P., SeCa, HP, PTP/s, VM, McVG, DM41, PTP, SX2, PT, and MEN frangible) were tested regarding their velocity, energy, angle of impact, and potential wound channel after penetrating a car window at 30° and 90°. Test materials were gelatine, soap, and pig cadavers. The velocities of the projectiles were between c. 288 and 430 m/ses, the energy spread between 394 and 564 J. Handgun bullets fired through vehicular side window glass lose substantial energy reducing the effectiveness of the ammunition. This effect is greater when fired at an angle of 30° compared to 90°. At a shooting angle of 90°, none of the different projectiles showed remarkable differences considering its wound ballistic features. Accuracy is maintained at a 90° angle but seriously impaired at 30°. None of the examined ammunition complied with the demanded wound channel effectiveness of 30-60 J/cm. | 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02240.x |
pubmed_694_642 | In the family of acyl-coenzyme A binding proteins, a subset of 26 sequence sites are identical in all eukaryotes and conserved throughout evolution of the eukaryotic kingdoms. In the context of the bovine protein, the importance of these 26 sequence positions for structure, function, stability, and folding has been analyzed using single-site mutations. A total of 28 mutant proteins were analyzed which covered 17 conserved sequence positions and three nonconserved positions. As a first step, the influence of the mutations on the protein folding reaction has been probed, revealing a folding nucleus of eight hydrophobic residues formed between the N- and C-terminal helices [Kragelund, B. B., et al. (1999) Nat. Struct. Biol. (In press)]. To fully analyze the role of the conserved residues, the function and the stability have been measured for the same set of mutant proteins. Effects on function were measured by the extent of binding of the ligand dodecanoyl-CoA using isothermal titration calorimetry, and effects on protein stability were measured with chemical denaturation followed by intrinsic tryptophan and tyrosine fluorescence. The sequence sites that have been conserved for direct functional purposes have been identified. These are Phe5, Tyr28, Tyr31, Lys32, Lys54, and Tyr73. Binding site residues are mainly polar or charged residues, and together, four of these contribute approximately 8 kcal mol-1 of the total free energy of binding of 11 kcal mol-1. The sequence sites conserved for stability of the structure have likewise been identified and are Phe5, Ala9, Val12, Leu15, Leu25, Tyr28, Lys32, Gln33, Tyr73, Val77, and Leu80. Essentially, all of the conserved residues that maintain the stability are hydrophobic residues at the interface of the helices. Only one conserved polar residue, Gln33, is involved in stability. The results indicate that conservation of residues in homologous proteins may result from a summed optimization of an effective folding reaction, a stable native protein, and a fully active binding site. This is important in protein design strategies, where optimization of one of these parameters, typically function or stability, may influence any of the others markedly. | 10.1021/bi982427c |
pubmed_642_3824 | Carina resection and reconstruction is required when a tracheal tumor invades the tracheal carina. It is a relatively complicated surgical procedure that requires complex reconstruction to maintain airway continuity. The technical difficulty lies in minimizing the influence of anesthetic endotracheal intubation and maintaining good ventilation function during surgery by establishing appropriate ventilation channels, which are contradictory in many cases. Therefore, in order to achieve the optimal surgical outcome, we performed intratracheal tumor resection and carina reconstruction with the help of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. | 10.1111/1759-7714.13007 |
pubmed_224_4592 | We found that liposomes associated with trinitrophenylaminocaproyldipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (TNP-Cap-DDPE) activate the alternative complement pathway (ACP) of guinea-pig. The complement-activating capacity (CAC) of liposomes with TNP-Cap-DPPE (TNP-Cap-liposomes) was found to be inhibited by the insertion of sialoglycolipids such as GM3 onto the membrane. However, neutral glycolipids tested had no inhibitory effect on the CAC of the TNP-Cap-liposomes. The minimum amount of sialoglycolipids required for the inhibition of the ACP-activating capacity of TNP-Cap-liposomes was 0.01 or less in molar ratio to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine in the liposomes. Since the insertion of charged amphiphiles did not affect the status of TNP-Cap-liposomes containing glycolipids with respect to their ACP-activating capacity, the surface potential caused by sialoglycolipids was disregarded as being the factor responsible for restriction of the complement-activating effect. For the inhibitory effect to be manifested, it was demonstrated that the presence of GM3 was required on the same liposome membrane as where the TNP-Cap-triggered ACP activation is taking place. Therefore, sialoglycolipids may inhibit ACP activation by reacting directly on certain nascently activated complement proteins. However, insertion of GM3 could not inhibit liposome lysis via the classical complement pathway. Furthermore, the presence of antibody reaction significantly reduced the inhibitory capacity of GM3 indicating that natural antibody may be responsible for discriminating between self and heterologous surfaces, thus cancelling the glycolipid-mediated restriction of ACP activation in the case of heterologous cell surface, bringing about lysis by the cancellation of the glycolipid-mediated restriction of ACP activation on heterologous cell surfaces. | pubmed_224_4592 |
pubmed_0_107 | Assessment of structural birth defects (SBDs) in animal models usually entails conducting detailed necropsy for anatomical defects followed by histological analysis for tissue defects. Recent advances in new imaging technologies have provided the means for rapid phenotyping of SBDs, such as using ultra-high frequency ultrasound biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography, micro-CT, and micro-MRI. These imaging modalities allow the detailed assessment of organ/tissue structure, and with ultrasound biomicroscopy, structure and function of the cardiovascular system also can be assessed noninvasively, allowing the longitudinal tracking of the fetus in utero. In this review, we briefly discuss the application of these state-of-the-art imaging technologies for phenotyping of SBDs in rodent embryos and fetuses, showing how these imaging modalities may be used for the detection of a wide variety of SBDs. | 10.1002/bdrc.20187 |
pubmed_666_24904 | The genomes of three Golubevia isolates (BC0812, BC0850, and BC0902) that have been shown to reduce conidiation of Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici were sequenced using a dual-platform approach. The assembled genomes will help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the biocontrol effect of this understudied group. | 10.1128/MRA.00473-20 |
pubmed_731_6691 | Genetic testing strategies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels and whole genome sequencing (WGS) can be applied to the hereditary cerebellar ataxias (HCAs), but their exact role in the diagnostic pathway is unclear. We aim to determine the yield from genetic testing strategies and the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of HCA in Australia by analysing real-world data. We performed a retrospective review on 87 HCA cases referred to the Neurogenetics Clinic at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Probands underwent triplet repeat expansion testing; those that tested negative had NGS-targeted panels and WGS testing when available. In our sample, 58.6% were male (51/87), with an average age at onset of 37.1 years. Individuals with sequencing variants had a prolonged duration of illness compared to those with a triplet repeat expansion. The detection rate in probands for routine repeat expansion panels was 13.8% (11/80). NGS-targeted panels yielded a further 11 individuals (11/32, 34.4%), with WGS yielding 1 more diagnosis (1/3, 33.3%). NGS panels and WGS improved the overall diagnostic rate to 28.8% (23/80) in 14 known HCA loci. The genetic findings included novel variants in ANO10, CACNA1A, PRKCG and SPG7. Our findings highlight the genetic heterogeneity of HCAs and support the use of NGS approaches for individuals who were negative on repeat expansion testing. In comparison to repeat disorders, individuals with sequencing variants may have a prolonged duration of illness, consistent with slower progression of disease. | 10.1007/s12311-018-0969-7 |
pubmed_885_5649 | The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) is a valid instrument to determine the presence of chronic ankle instability (CAI) and to assess its severity. Self-report test is very useful for researchers and clinical practice, and CAI is a widespread tool. Nevertheless, there is lack of measurement instruments validated into Spanish, which represents a major difficulty for research dealing with a Spanish-speaking population. The questionnaire was cross-culturally adapted into Spanish. The psychometric properties tested in the Spanish version of the CAIT were measured for internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, criterion validity, and responsiveness in 108 participants who were recruited from several fitness centers. The Spanish version of the CAIT had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.766) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.979, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.958-0.990). Correlation with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) physical component summary score (rho = 0.241, p = 0.012) was greater than the SF-36 mental component summary score (rho = -0.162, p = 0.094). The construct validity shows three different factors in the questionnaire and good responsiveness with a mean change of -2.43 (95 % CI = -3.12 to 1.73, p < 0.0001) and a size effect of Cohen's d = 1.07. The Spanish version of the CAIT has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring chronic ankle instability and constitutes a useful instrument for the measurement of CAI in the clinical setting in Spain. | 10.1007/s10067-012-2095-0 |
pubmed_335_18052 | INTRODUCTION
In sub-Saharan Africa foodborne disease and foodborne disease outbreaks are frequently ascribed to poor personal hygiene of street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments. Evidence on the level of food hygiene practices and food safety measures among food handlers is required for proper planning and implementation of targeted interventions. In this study, we aimed to determine the level of food hygiene and safety measures among street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments of Dessie Town, Ethiopia.
METHOD
A community-based cross-sectional study was performed in Dessie town, Ethiopia from December 2013 to June 2014. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and an observational checklist by a trained data collector among 116 food handlers from 116 food establishments and 19 food handlers from 19 street food vendors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify the factors significantly associated with good level of food hygiene and safety practices.
RESULT
Almost three-quarter (72%; 84/116) of food handlers in food establishments had a good level of food hygiene and safety practices compared to nearly half (53%; 10/19) of street food vendors. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Average monthly income of >$21 US (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.2; 95%CI: 1.3-7.7), availability of service training (AOR = 6.7; 95%CI: 1.8-25), wearing a gown during food handling (AOR = 19; 95%CI: 6.8-51) and medical checkup (AOR = 5.2; 95%CI: 2.1-13) were significantly associated with good levels of food hygiene and safety measures.
CONCLUSION
Comprehensive health education and promotion programs through continuous training on food hygiene and safety, with promotion of wearing gown during food handling, regular medical checkups of food handlers and programs that enhance the monthly income of food handlers are promising strategies for promoting proper food handling practices in Dessie town, Ethiopia. | 10.1371/journal.pone.0196919 |
pubmed_836_11663 | STUDY DESIGN
A new cage made from a forged composite of unsintered hydroxyapatite particles and poly-L-lactide (F-u-HA/PLLA) is compared biomechanically with the Ray threaded fusion cage.
OBJECTIVES
To compare the stability imparted to the human cadaveric spine by two different threaded cervical cages and the effect of cyclic loading on construct stability.
SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Threaded cages have been developed for use in anterior cervical interbody fusions to provide initial stability during the fusion process. However, metallic instrumentation has several limitations. Recently, totally bioresorbable bone fixation devices made of F-u-HA/PLLA have been developed, including a cage for spinal interbody fusion. However, no biomechanical study has compared the F-u-HA/poly-L-lactide (PLLA) cage with metallic cages.
METHODS
For this study, 12 fresh ligamentous human cervical spines (C4-C7) were used. After anterior discectomy across C5-C6, stabilization was achieved with the F-u-HA/PLLA cage in six spines and with the Ray threaded fusion cage in the remaining six spines. Biomechanical testing of the spines was performed with six degrees of freedom before and after stabilization, and after cyclic loading of the stabilized spines (5000 cycles of flexion-extension at 0.5 Nm).
RESULTS
The specimens stabilized with either the F-u-HA/PLLA cage or the Ray cage were significantly more stable than the discectomy case in all directions except in extension. In extension, both groups were stiffer, although not at a significant level (P > 0.05). After fatigue, the stiffness, as compared with that in the prefatigue case, decreased in both groups, although not at a significant level. The Ray cage group exhibited better stability than the F-u-HA/PLLA cage group in all directions, although a significant difference was found only in right axial rotation.
CONCLUSIONS
The F-u-HA/PLLA cage has the possibility to supplant the use of metallic devices in interbody fusions of the cervical spine. | 10.1097/01.BRS.0000061993.27807.B1 |
pubmed_179_22161 | School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs can be effective in producing positive outcomes for students. However, when the implementation quality is poor, these programs often lose their effectiveness and fail to produce the expected positive outcomes. The current study evaluates a school-based SEL program for 15-18-year-olds in Ireland by determining the impact of implementation quality on program outcomes. The study also examines the effects on outcomes of different implementation dimensions including Dosage, Adherence, Quality of Delivery, and Participant Responsiveness. Employing a cluster randomized controlled trial design, this study collected student outcome data (n = 675) from 32 disadvantaged schools across three time points (pre-, post-, 12-month follow-up) and compared these data across three treatment groups (high-implementation, low-implementation, and control). Linear mixed models (LMM) were used to determine the relationships between the implementation data and student outcome data longitudinally. The findings revealed that the positive effects of the program were only observed with the high-, but not the low-implementation group (reduced suppression of emotions (p = 0.049); reduced avoidance coping (p = 0.006); increased social support coping (p = 0.009); reduced levels of stress (p = 0.035) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.025). The comparison of implementation dimensions revealed that only Quality of Delivery had a significant effect on all of the tested outcomes. This study highlights the importance of high-quality implementation in producing positive outcomes and supports the need to evaluate implementation using multiple dimensions. | 10.3390/ejihpe10020044 |
pubmed_1112_14157 | A comprehensive analytical method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 8 polybrominated biphenyl congeners (PBBs: BB-15, 18, 52, 101, 153, 180, 194 and 206) in human serum. After the protein was removed, the sample was cleaned-up by an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, then purified further by a two-layer cartridge containing activated silica gel and a mixture of silica gel and sulfuric acid, in which elution solvent was optimized. The eluent was evaporated to about 100 microL by a gentle nitrogen stream for GC-MS analysis. The separation was performed on a DB-5ms column (15 m x 0.25 mm x 0.1 microm) and the qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out in electron impact (EI) selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, in which isotope was used as internal standard. The limits of detection (LODs, 3.14 times of standard deviation) and the limits of quantification (LOQs, 10 times of standard deviation) were 0.002-0.029 ng/mL and 0.008-0.092 ng/mL respectively for the 8 PBBs. The average recoveries for all PBBs at three spiked levels were 74.24%-119.49% with the relative standard deviations in the range of 1.23%-12.02%. The method was verified by accurate analysis of BB-153 in organic contaminant standard reference materials (SRM) 1957 and 1958. This method is simple, rapid, accurate, precise and fit for the determination of PBBs in human serum. | 10.3724/sp.j.1123.2011.11055 |
pubmed_1132_346 | Although aseptic non-union of humeral shaft fractures is generally considered to be an exceptional complication, rates in the literature have varied from 1 to 10%. The aim of this retrospective study was to study the results of treatment by plating and bone grafting for aseptic non-union of humeral shaft fractures. The retrospective study gathered 20 patients, the mean age was 41 years. The most common fracture site was the middle third. For the follow-up evaluation, we used the Steward and Hundley score. According to this score, we noted: 13 very good results, five good results and two poor results. Management of non-union of the humerus should be optimal at immediate surgery. The best treatment of non-union of the humerus is its prevention by correct management of the initial fracture. | pubmed_1132_346 |
pubmed_74_16244 | OBJECTIVES
The objective of the study is to understand the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and prognostic factors for patients diagnosed with uterine carcinosarcoma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The records of 31 patients receiving adjuvant RT between the dates of September 2003-January 2013 in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively. Surgery was performed in 27 (87%) patients as staging laparotomy, for 4 patients as total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Pelvic external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) was 4500-5040 cGy in 25-28 fractions. In addition, 23 patients received brachytherapy following EBRT, 12 patients received adjuvant, and 1 patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT).
RESULTS
The median age was 63 (between 30 and 78). The stage distribution of the patients was as follows: Stage I, 20 (64%); Stage II, 7 (23%), and Stage III, 4 (13%) patients. Five-year locoregional control (LRC) rate was 100%, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 65.5% and 66.2%, respectively. Stage I or II patients have a tendency for better 5-year OS and DFS rates than Stage III patients (73.1% vs. 42.9% and 72.7% vs. 42.9%; P = 0.065 and 0.051). Regarding lymph node dissection was performed or not, 5-year OS (64.7% vs. 75.0%) was not statistically different between groups (P = 0.77). Five-year OS and DFS rates were 69.2% and 61.5% for patients receiving CT (adjuvant or neoadjuvant) versus 63.7% and 68.8% for patients not receiving CT; P = 0.63 and P = 0.89, respectively. Based on the analysis of peritoneal washings, 5-year OS was 0% for patients with malignant or suspicious cytology whereas 89% for patients with benign cytology (P = 0.000). A negative correlation was observed between mitotic count of sarcomatous component and DFS time (rs = -0.812 and P = 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Surgery and adjuvant RT seem beneficial for excellent LRC rate. However, survival rates are low due to distant metastases. Thus, there is a great need for better systemic therapies. | 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_531_18 |
pubmed_480_12636 | Methionine is an essential proteinogenic amino acid that is obtained from the diet. In addition to its requirement for protein biosynthesis, methionine is metabolized to generate metabolites that play key roles in a number of cellular functions. Metabolism of methionine via the transmethylation pathway generates S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) that serves as the principal methyl (-CH3) donor for DNA and histone methyltransferases (MTs) to regulate epigenetic changes in gene expression. SAM is also required for methylation of other cellular proteins that serve various functions and phosphatidylcholine synthesis that participate in cellular signaling. Under conditions of oxidative stress, homocysteine (which is derived from SAM) enters the transsulfuration pathway to generate glutathione, an important cytoprotective molecule against oxidative damage. As both experimental and clinical studies have shown that traumatic brain injury (TBI) alters DNA and histone methylation and causes oxidative stress, we examined if TBI alters the plasma levels of methionine and its metabolites in human patients. Blood samples were collected from healthy volunteers (HV; n = 20) and patients with mild TBI (mTBI; GCS > 12; n = 20) or severe TBI (sTBI; GCS < 8; n = 20) within the first 24 h of injury. The levels of methionine and its metabolites in the plasma samples were analyzed by either liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS or GC-MS). sTBI decreased the levels of methionine, SAM, betaine and 2-methylglycine as compared to HV, indicating a decrease in metabolism through the transmethylation cycle. In addition, precursors for the generation of glutathione, cysteine and glycine were also found to be decreased as were intermediate metabolites of the gamma-glutamyl cycle (gamma-glutamyl amino acids and 5-oxoproline). mTBI also decreased the levels of methionine, α-ketobutyrate, 2 hydroxybutyrate and glycine, albeit to lesser degrees than detected in the sTBI group. Taken together, these results suggest that decreased levels of methionine and its metabolic products are likely to alter cellular function in multiple organs at a systems level. | 10.3389/fnsys.2016.00036 |
pubmed_655_12109 | Ultrasound-guided automated Tru-cut needle biopsy may be used as an alternative to fine needle aspiration cytology for the assessment of discrete mass lesions of the breast. This is a retrospective study of 187 biopsies, comparing the results with a final diagnosis obtained from subsequent excision or outpatient follow-up. Biopsies were performed using a spring-loaded gun under ultrasound guidance. Invasive malignancy was demonstrated in 114 biopsies, 98 of which were subjected to surgery, with no false-positives. Twelve biopsies contained 'atypical cells', pre-invasive malignancy or risk factors for invasive carcinoma, ten of which proved to be invasive malignancy on excision. Normal or benign tissue was found in 61 biopsies, but of those that proceeded to excision biopsy, 16 were invasive or in situ carcinoma. The sensitivity of the procedure for detecting significant pathology was 88.7%, and the specificity 100%. When used as part of triple assessment, the sensitivity increases to 97.9%. Ultrasound-guided Tru-cut needle biopsy is a well-tolerated and reliable procedure for providing a tissue diagnosis of malignancy before definitive treatment, and obviating the need for formal excision biopsy of lesions for which there is a low index of suspicion. | pubmed_655_12109 |
pubmed_1045_1575 | Commercial grade propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), which is composed of > 99.5% alpha-isomer and < 0.5% beta-isomer, has been shown in several studies to have a low potential for developmental toxicity. Nonetheless, questions have been raised about potential human developmental toxicity due to beta-PGME, because it can be metabolized to 2-methoxypropionic acid (MPA), a compound bearing structural similarity to the teratogen, methoxyacetic acid (MAA). Accordingly, a series of in vivo developmental toxicity, whole embryo culture, and in vivo pharmacokinetic experiments were conducted in New Zealand White rabbits (highly sensitive to these compounds) to better understand the developmental toxicity potential of MPA and the kinetics of its formation from beta-PGME. For the in vivo developmental toxicity studies, groups of 20 inseminated rabbits were gavaged with 0, 10, 26, or 78 mg/kg/day of MPA on gestation day (GD) 7-19, followed by fetal evaluation on GD 28. Results with MPA were compared with those of rabbits similarly dosed with 0, 2.5, 7.5, or 15 mg/kg/day of MAA. Developmental toxicity no-observable-effect levels (NOEL) were approximately 10-fold higher for MPA (26 mg/kg/day) than for MAA (2.5 mg/kg/day). Also, the severity of effects caused by MPA was less than that of MAA, and unlike MAA, MPA was not selectively toxic to the fetus. This differential toxicity was also seen in whole embryo cultures of GD 9 rabbit embryos, in which there were no adverse effects of MPA (1.0, 5.0 mM) or its parent compound, beta-PGME (0.5, 2.0 mM), but severe dysmorphogenesis in 100% of embryos cultured in 5.0 mM MAA. The pharmacokinetics study showed rapid and complete conversion of beta-PGME to MPA, with a relatively long elimination half-life (33-44 h) for MPA. However, peak and AUC concentrations of MPA in blood associated with the MPA LOEL dose of 78 mg/kg/day were 1.3 mM and 52.9 mM-h/l, respectively, suggesting a relatively high threshold based on internal dosimetry. Taken together, these data indicate a negligible risk of developmental toxicity due to MPA formation from the small amounts of beta-isomer present in commercial PGME. | 10.1093/toxsci/71.2.217 |
pubmed_783_22947 | Neisseria meningitidis is the causative agent of meningitis and meningococcal septicemia is a major cause of disease worldwide, resulting in brain damage and hearing loss, and can be fatal in a large proportion of cases. The enzyme 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DAH7PS) catalyzes the first reaction in the shikimate pathway leading to the biosynthesis of aromatic metabolites including the aromatic acids l-Trp, l-Phe, and l-Tyr. This pathway is absent in humans, meaning that enzymes of the pathway are considered as potential candidates for therapeutic intervention. As the entry point, feedback inhibition of DAH7PS by pathway end products is a key mechanism for the control of pathway flux. The structure of the single DAH7PS expressed by N. meningitidis was determined at 2.0 Å resolution. In contrast to the other DAH7PS enzymes, which are inhibited only by a single aromatic amino acid, the N. meningitidis DAH7PS was inhibited by all three aromatic amino acids, showing greatest sensitivity to l-Phe. An N. meningitidis enzyme variant, in which a single Ser residue at the bottom of the inhibitor-binding cavity was substituted to Gly, altered inhibitor specificity from l-Phe to l-Tyr. Comparison of the crystal structures of both unbound and Tyr-bound forms and the small angle X-ray scattering profiles reveal that N. meningtidis DAH7PS undergoes no significant conformational change on inhibitor binding. These observations are consistent with an allosteric response arising from changes in protein motion rather than conformation, and suggest ligands that modulate protein dynamics may be effective inhibitors of this enzyme. | 10.1002/pro.2293 |
pubmed_690_18212 | The efficacy and safety of lovastatin, a drug for lowering hypercholesterolemia, have been evaluated in ten adult patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and nephrotic syndrome due to diabetic nephropathy stage IV or V of Mogensen. For the first 8 weeks the patients received only a sugar-free isocaloric diet of which fats supplied approximately 30% of the total caloric intake and with not more than 300 mg cholesterol daily. After this run-in period patients were treated with 20 mg lovastatin once daily for 12 weeks while receiving the same isocaloric diet as previously. Body weights and glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations (HbAlc) did not change significantly during this period. The baseline plasma cholesterol concentrations (mean +/- SD) decreased only by 2% (from 310 +/- 54 to 303 +/- 46 mg/dl) during the 8 weeks with low cholesterol diet and by 25% (from 303 +/- 46 to 228 +/- 38 mg/dl) during the 12-week period on lovastatin therapy (p less than 0.005). The mean concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL-)-cholesterol decreased by 3% (from 218 +/- 53 to 211 +/- 52 mg/dl) during the diet period and by 35% (from 211 +/- 52 to 137 +/- 38 mg/dl) during the period with lovastatin therapy (p less than 0.001). Concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased slightly (11%) during the therapy with lovastatin (NS). Baseline plasma triglycerides fell by 22% (from 188 +/- 97 to 146 +/- 59 mg/dl) during the period with fat-restriction (p less than 0.05) and by 13% (from 146 +/- 59 to 127 +/- 54 mg/dl) during the period of lovastatin therapy (NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | pubmed_690_18212 |
pubmed_442_15100 | Recent progress in the design and realization of optical antennas enclosing fluorescent materials has demonstrated large spontaneous-emission enhancements and, simultaneously, high radiation efficiencies. We discuss here that an important objective of such work is to increase spontaneous-emission rates to such a degree that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can possess modulation speeds exceeding those of typical semiconductor lasers, which are usually in the range ~20-50 GHz. We outline the underlying physics that enable large spontaneous-emission enhancements in metallic nanostructures, and we then discuss recent theoretical and experimentally promising results, where enhancements larger than a factor of ~300 have been reported, with radiation efficiencies exceeding 50%. We provide key comparative advantages of these structures in comparison to conventional dielectric microcavity designs, namely the fact that the enhancement of spontaneous emission can be relatively nonresonant (i.e., broadband) and that the antenna nanostructures can be spectrally and structurally compatible for integration with a wide class of emitters, including organic dyes, diamond nanocrystals and colloidal quantum dots. Finally, we point out that physical insight into the underlying effects can be gained by analyzing these metallic nanostructures in their equivalent-circuit (or nano-antenna) model, showing that all main effects (including the Purcell factor) can adequately be described in that approach. | 10.1364/OE.24.017916 |
pubmed_587_19697 | Supramolecular bimetallic Ru(II)/Pt(II) complexes [(tpy)Ru(PEt(2)Ph)(BL)PtCl(2)](2+) and their synthons [(tpy)Ru(L)(BL)](n)()(+) (where L = Cl(-), CH(3)CN, or PEt(2)Ph; tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine; and BL = 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpm) or 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (dpp)) have been synthesized and studied by cyclic voltammetry, electronic absorption spectroscopy, mass spectral analysis, and (31)P NMR. The mixed-metal bimetallic complexes couple phosphine-containing Ru chromophores to a reactive Pt site. These complexes show how substitution of the monodentate ligand on the [(tpy)RuCl(BL)](+) synthons can tune the properties of these light absorbers (LA) and incorporate a (31)P NMR tag by addition of the PEt(2)Ph ligand. The redox potentials for the Ru(III/II) couples occur at values greater than 1.00 V versus the Ag/AgCl reference electrode and can be tuned to more positive potentials on going from Cl(-) to CH(3)CN or PEt(2)Ph (E(1/2) = 1.01, 1.55, and 1.56 V, respectively, for BL = bpm). The BL(0/-) couple at -1.03 (bpm) and -1.05 V (dpp) for [(tpy)Ru(PEt(2)Ph)(BL)](2+) shifts dramatically to more positive potentials upon the addition of the PtCl(2) moiety to -0.34 (bpm) and -0.50 V (dpp) for the [(tpy)Ru(PEt(2)Ph)(BL)PtCl(2)](2+) bridged complex. The lowest energy electronic absorption for these complexes is assigned as the Ru(d pi) --> BL(pi*) metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition. These MLCT transitions are tuned to higher energy in the monometallic synthons when Cl(-) is replaced by CH(3)CN or PEt(2)Ph (516, 452, and 450 nm, for BL = bpm, respectively) and to lower energy when Pt(II)Cl(2) is coordinated to the bridging ligand (560 and 506 nm for BL = bpm or dpp). This MLCT state displays a broad emission at room temperature for all the dpp systems with the [(tpy)Ru(PEt(2)Ph)(dpp)PtCl(2)](2+) system exhibiting an emission centered at 750 nm with a lifetime of 56 ns. These supramolecular complexes [(tpy)Ru(PEt(2)Ph)(BL)PtCl(2)](2+) represent the covalent linkage of TAG-LA-BL-RM assembly (TAG = NMR active tag, RM = Pt(II) reactive metal). | 10.1021/ic010806f |
pubmed_120_58 | A 17-year-old female patient presented with sequelae to ankylosis of the temporomandibular joint, which included vertical maxillary protrusion, anterior open bite, labial incompetence, micrognathia, undefined neck angle, facial asymmetry, Class II molar relationship, and Class III canine relationship. She presented with the following cephalometric and soft tissue data: SNA angle = 78 degrees, SNB angle = 70 degrees, incisor-nasion-point A = 11 degrees, incisor-nasion-point B = 33 degrees, Frankfort-mandibular plane angle = 43 degrees, occlusal plane = 25 degrees, subnasale-stomion = 20 mm, stomion superius-stomion inferius = 9 mm, stomion inferius-soft tissue menton = 30 mm, neck angle = 144 degrees, and chin projection = 10 mm. Orthognathic surgery and mandibular osteogenic distraction were employed, specifically Le Fort I osteotomy to decrease a vertical excess of 12 mm, augmentation genioplasty of 17 mm, and bilateral extraoral distractors of bidirectional vector for a 14-mm augmentation of the mandible. The result was satisfactory with minimal adverse complications. | pubmed_120_58 |
pubmed_1040_5218 | Bronchography was performed together with a fibre-optic bronchoscopic study in 98 patients with persistent cough, 33 of whom also had haemoptysis. Finally there were chronic bronchitis in 62 patients, bronchiectasis in 21, subacute bronchitis in 9, inflammatory residuals in 3, pulmonary tuberculosis in 2 patients and metastases in one. In chronic bronchitis, the value of plain chest radiography was low. It was normal in 34 of 62 cases (55%), bronchography in 12 cases (19%). Mild cases of bronchitis were more numerous in bronchography than seen by scopist. Bronchiectasis was found in 21 patients, four of these unexpectedly (two in a tbc scar). Additionally, three cases were overdiagnosed by the radiologist on chest films and eight cases by the scopist with bronchoscopy. In patients with persistent cough and haemoptysis, bronchography mainly revealed alterations of bronchitis. | pubmed_1040_5218 |
pubmed_150_11182 | Rice straw (RS) may serve as a low-cost biomass for the production of biofuels and biochemicals, but its native structure is resistant to enzymatic and microbial deconstruction. Therefore, an efficient pre-treatment method is required to modify crystalline cellulose to a more reactive amorphous form. This work investigated pre-treatments of rice straw involving size reduction (S) followed by either sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or diluted sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and liquid hot water (LHW). The shrinkage of the vascular bundles in the rice straw structure pre-treated with NaOH-LHW-S was higher than that with LHW-S and H2SO4-LHW-S pre-treatments. The highest levels of total fermentative products and residual sugars were obtained at the concentrations of 7.8 ± 0.2 and 2.1 ± 0.3 g/L, respectively, after fermentation by Clostridium cellulolyticum for NaOH-LHW-S pre-treated rice straw at 121 °C for 120 min. Overall, the combined physicochemical pre-treatment of RS led to improved microbial hydrolysis during cellulose degradation at the percentage of 85.5 ± 0.5. | 10.1007/s00449-016-1652-3 |
pubmed_995_3877 | To evaluate the effect of hepatitis delta virus on the level of replication of hepatitis B virus and to assess the clinical significance that such an effect might have on the final outcome of the infection, the serological profile of hepatitis B virus DNA was investigated in 153 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B virus infection with or without associated delta infection. Serum hepatitis B virus DNA was detected in 57% of patients with acute hepatitis B, 67% of those with acute hepatitis B virus-hepatitis delta virus coinfection and 25% of HBsAg carriers with hepatitis delta virus superinfection during the first week after the onset of symptoms. Patients with acute hepatitis B and those with acute hepatitis B virus-hepatitis delta virus coinfection did not differ significantly with respect to the serological profile of hepatitis B virus DNA and final clinical outcome. Within the group of HBsAg carriers with hepatitis delta virus superinfection, all patients who were initially negative for hepatitis B virus DNA developed chronic hepatitis delta virus infection, whereas 3 of the 4 patients with active hepatitis B virus infection at the time of superinfection showed transient inhibition of hepatitis B virus replication followed by termination of hepatitis delta virus infection in two patients. Therefore, although delta virus may inhibit the replication of hepatitis B virus among chronic HBsAg carriers, this effect is not readily apparent among patients with hepatitis B virus-hepatitis delta virus coinfection. | 10.1002/hep.1840070325 |
pubmed_294_23920 | Evidence related to the association of Ureaplasma urealyticum with premature birth is reviewed. U. urealyticum is a common inhabitant in the vagina of pregnant women. It is recovered from the vaginas of approximately 70% of pregnant women. The presence of U. urealyticum in the vagina is not associated with premature birth. Therapy to eradicate U. urealyticum from the vagina during pregnancy does not reduce the incidence of premature birth. Recovery of U. urealyticum from the amniotic fluid has not been associated with prematurity. However, in three of six reports, the recovery of U. urealyticum from the chorioamnion has been associated with prematurity, and U. urealyticum is rather consistently associated with histological chorioamnionitis. This review suggests that U. urealyticum in the lower genital tract is not associated with premature birth but that its presence in the chorioamnion is weakly associated with prematurity and strongly associated with histological chorioamnionitis. | 10.1093/clinids/17.supplement_1.s100 |
pubmed_239_22757 | This study aimed to provide information that bedaquilline is significantly effective for treatment of totally drug resistant (TDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis that shows resistant to all first- and second-line drugs-using an innovative disc agarose channel (DAC) system. Time-lapse images of single bacterial cells under culture conditions with different concentrations of bedaquiline were analysed by image processing software to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Bedaquiline inhibited the growth of TDR M. tuberculosis strains, with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to 0.5 mg/L. The results of the present study demonstrate that bedaquiline, newly approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may offer therapeutic solutions for TDR-TB. | 10.1007/s12275-017-6630-1 |
pubmed_569_22256 | We recently showed that Rab11 is involved not only in formation of recycling vesicles containing the transferrin (Tfn)-transferrin receptor (TfnR) complex at perinuclear recycling endosomes but also in tethering of recycling vesicles to the plasma membrane (PM) in concert with the exocyst tethering complex. We here aimed at identifying SNARE proteins responsible for fusion of Tfn-TfnR-containing recycling vesicles with the PM, downstream of the exocyst. We showed that exocyst subunits, Sec6 and Sec8, can interact with SNAP23 and SNAP25, both of which are PM-localizing Qbc-SNAREs, and that depletion of SNAP23 and/or SNAP25 in HeLa cells suppresses fusion of Tfn-TfnR-containing vesicles with the PM, leading to accumulation of the vesicles at the cell periphery. We also found that VAMP2, an R-SNARE, is colocalized with endocytosed Tfn on punctate endosomal structures, and that its depletion in HeLa cells suppresses recycling vesicle exocytosis. These observations indicate that fusion of recycling vesicles with the PM downstream of the exocyst is mediated by SNAP23/25 and VAMP2, and provide novel insight into non-neuronal roles of VAMP2 and SNAP25. | 10.1242/bio.012146 |
pubmed_77_13424 | Resting B lymphocytes are activated, proliferate, and differentiate into antibody-secreting cells when cultured with long-term lines of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted, antigen-specific T cell in the presence of the antigen for which the T cells are specific. Under optimal conditions, essentially all B cells are activated and approximately 35% enter S phase in the absence of antigens for which the B cells are specific. Activation and proliferation are observed in cells from both normal mice and mice with the xid-determined immune defect. Highly purified B cells bearing Ia molecules for which the T cells are "cospecific" can present antigen to T cells with the resulting T cell stimulation leading to the activation and proliferation of the antigen-presenting B cells. However, B cells that do not bear Ia molecules for which the T cells are cospecific are also activated and proliferate if antigen and a source of antigen-presenting B cells or macrophage-rich cells of proper histocompatibility type are present. Thus, resting B cells, both normal and "xid", can be activated by non-MHC restricted factors without receptor cross-linkage. Experiments are presented that support the concept that local production and action of such unrestricted activating factors may be responsible for the MHC-restriction of T cell-B cell interaction seen in many circumstances. | 10.1084/jem.159.3.861 |
pubmed_716_4960 | This study sought to identify the effect of Chinese fitness dancing on lower limb strength and fall risk in middle-aged and older women. The MicroFET3 portable muscle strength tester, the FreeStep test system, and tests to evaluate fall risk were used to measure the maximum muscle strength, fall risk index, and static balance ability of extensor muscle groups in the lower limbs. Compared with the irregular exercise group, the maximum muscle strength of extensor muscle groups in the lower limb, five sit-to-stand test timings, fall risk index, static balance ability, and lower limb flexibility did not improve significantly in the 1-year regular exercise group (p > 0.01). However, these indicators were significantly improved in the 10-year regular exercise group compared with the 1-year regular exercise group (p < 0.01). Long-term regular participation in Chinese fitness dancing significantly increased muscle strength in the lower limbs and effectively lowered the fall risk index in middle-aged and older women. Thus, long-term regular participation in Chinese fitness dancing can be used as a preventive measure to increase muscle strength in the lower limbs and reduce the risk of falls in middle-aged and older women. | 10.1111/nhs.12992 |
pubmed_33_19865 | Axon outgrowth requires plasma membrane expansion, which results from post-Golgi vesicular transport and fusion. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating post-Golgi vesicular trafficking for membrane expansion and axon outgrowth remain unclear. Here, we show that Rab33a expression became upregulated during axon outgrowth of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Rab33a was preferentially localized to the Golgi apparatus and to synaptophysin-positive vesicles that are transported along the growing axon. Previous studies showed that synaptophysin is localized to post-Golgi vesicles transported by fast axonal transport in developing neurons. Reduction of Rab33a expression by RNAi (RNA interference) inhibited the anterograde transport of synaptophysin-positive vesicles, leading to their decrease in axonal tips. Furthermore, this treatment reduced membrane fusion of synaptophysin-positive vesicles at the growth cones and inhibited axon outgrowth. Overexpression of Rab33a, on the other hand, induced excessive accumulation of synaptophysin-positive vesicles and concurrent formation of surplus axons. These data suggest that Rab33a participates in axon outgrowth by mediating anterograde axonal transport of synaptophysin-positive vesicles and their concomitant fusion at the growth cones. | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0989-12.2012 |
pubmed_928_21688 | The prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in 750 subjects was assessed by questionnaire, clinical interview, and use of a chart of color photographs taken of hands during attacks of RP. Eighty-three of 600 women (13.8%) and 7 of 150 men (4.7%) reported cold induced digital color changes on the questionnaire, 76 women (12.7%) and 6 men (4%) were diagnosed as having RP at an independent clinical interview, and 3 women could not be assessed using the color chart because of defective color perception. Fifty-four of the remaining 597 women (9%) and 6 of 150 men (4%) were diagnosed as having RP when a positive response to both chart and questionnaire was required. The color chart should be useful in lessening the frequency of false-positive responses and in standardizing the diagnosis for epidemiological surveys. | pubmed_928_21688 |
pubmed_100_12548 | The androgen signaling pathway, mediated through the androgen receptor (AR), is critical in prostate tumorigenesis. However, the precise role of AR in prostate cancer development and progression still remains largely unknown. Specifically, it is unclear whether overexpression of AR is sufficient to induce prostate tumor formation in vivo. Here, we inserted the human AR transgene with a LoxP-stop-loxP (LSL) cassette into the mouse ROSA26 locus, permitting "conditionally" activated AR transgene expression through Cre recombinase-mediated removal of the LSL cassette. By crossing this AR floxed strain with Osr1-Cre (odd skipped related) mice, in which the Osr1 promoter activates at embryonic day 11.5 in urogenital sinus epithelium, we generated a conditional transgenic line, R26hAR(loxP):Osr1-Cre+. Expression of transgenic AR was detected in both prostatic luminal and basal epithelial cells and is resistant to castration. Approximately one-half of the transgenic mice displayed mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN) lesions. Intriguingly, four mice (10%) developed prostatic adenocarcinomas, with two demonstrating invasive diseases. Positive immunostaining of transgenic AR protein was observed in the majority of atypical and tumor cells in the mPIN and prostatic adenocarcinomas, providing a link between transgenic AR expression and oncogenic transformation. An increase in Ki67-positive cells appeared in all mPIN and prostatic adenocarcinoma lesions of the mice. Thus, we demonstrated for the first time that conditional activation of transgenic AR expression by Osr1 promoter induces prostate tumor formation in mice. This new AR transgenic mouse line mimics the human disease and can be used for study of prostate tumorigenesis and drug development. | 10.1074/jbc.M111.269894 |
pubmed_477_4378 | Fractures of the frontal sinus are frequently seen in patients with cranio-facial injuries. Trauma to the posterior wall and more deeply located tissues: anterior fossa, dura and brain, give an indication of the seriousness of such injuries. We point out some particular aspects of our experience; in the neurosurgical approach to such lesions; we use a classification based on treatment: -when the posterior wall of the sinus is not, or only slightly damaged, we drain it using a thin suction catheter pulled through the fronto-nasal duct, kept in place for six to ten days. -when a comminuted fracture of the frontal arch occurs in the sinus area, a large cortico-cancellous onlay bone graft is used to rebuild a harmonious frontal contour and avoid the risk of secondary deformity. | 10.1016/s0301-0503(81)80019-7 |
pubmed_975_4734 | Murine interleukin-3 (IL-3)-associated expression of gangliosides has been investigated using a gene transfection technique. A murine IL-3 cDNA was introduced into the parental NFS60-17 cells that was exclusively dependent on IL-3. We analyzed the glycosphingolipids from the parental cells and the transfected cells by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry analyses and/or immunostaining techniques using specific antibodies. Two major gangliosides, IV3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer (GM1b) and IV3-NeuAc,III6NeuAc-GgOse4Cer (GD1 alpha), were expressed, in the parental cells. By contrast, in the IL-3 gene-transfected cells, a ganglioside IV3NeuAc,II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer (GD1a) was strikingly expressed, in addition to GM1b and GD1 alpha that were already present in the parental cells. In spite of various IL-3-secreting capabilities, all transfectants investigated have exhibited the same ganglioside patterns and expressed GD1a. Furthermore, the appearance of GD1a was a consequence of the up-regulation of a single glycosyltransferase, CMP-NeuAc:lactosylceramide alpha 2-->3-sialytransferase (GM3 synthase). Activities of the other downstream glycosyltransferases that were involved in GD1a synthesis were not significantly different between the parental and the transfected cells. According to these data, the progression of tumor stage by the acquisition of autonomous cell growth ability after IL-3 gene transfection resulted in dramatic changes in cell surface gangliosides and their biosynthetic pathways. GD1a could be considered as an IL-3-associated ganglioside and was expressed in a tight connection with a single glycosyltransferase (GM3 synthase) up-regulation and with IL-3 expression in murine myelogenous leukemia cells. | 10.1021/bi00029a011 |
pubmed_483_19996 | Non-medical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) and related overdoses are disproportionately elevated among young adults. Efforts to understand the underlying reasons for NMUPO are critical for developing more effective prevention and intervention strategies for this group. Given the robust literature on the association between educational status and substance abuse risk, we examined the reasons for NMUPO through the lens of educational attainment among young adults. Data from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health came from an unweighted sample of 941 young adults aged 18-25 years who reported past-year NMUPO. Self-reported reasons for most recent NMUPO were compared by educational status. The most commonly-endorsed reasons for past-year NMUPO was physical pain relief (47.6%), followed by feel good/get high (19.8%), relax/relieve tension (13.2%) and experiment/see what it feels like (6.8%). Reasons for NMUPO did not differ as a function educational status (p = 0.17). These findings suggest that efforts to prevent and address opioid misuse among young adults should focus on understanding and improving pain management in this vulnerable population. | 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.047 |
pubmed_1017_9390 | We examined whether increasing retrieval difficulty in a spatial memory task would promote the recruitment of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) similar to what is typically observed during remote memory retrieval. Rats were trained on the hidden platform version of the Morris Water Task and tested three or 30 d later. Retrieval difficulty was manipulated by removing several prominent extra-pool cues from the testing room. Immediate early gene expression (c-Fos) in the ACC was greater following the cue removal and comparable to remote memory retrieval (30-d retention interval) levels, supporting the view of increased ACC contribution during high cognitive-demand memory processes. | 10.1101/lm.042366.116 |
pubmed_152_12247 | In the ocular lens, cataract formation is associated with an elevated intracellular Ca(2+) concentration (Ca(2+)(i)) resulting from the loss of lens cell Ca(2+) regulation. The mechanisms regulating Ca(2+)(i) have been characterized previously in lens epithelial cells, but have not been well characterized in the more differentiated lens fiber cells. The mechanisms regulating Ca(2+)(i) in clusters of fiber-like cells (lentoids) in a sheep lens primary cell culture system in which the epithelial cells differentiate into enlarged fiber-like cells were investigated. Only approximately 50% of the lentoids responded to thapsigargin and/or agonists (ATP and epinephrine), compared to>95% of the epithelial cells. Remarkably, most (90%) lentoids exhibited a resting cytosolic Ca(2+)(i) that was approximately three-fold greater than that in epithelial cells (approximately 100n M). This elevated resting cytosolic Ca(2+)(i) was not affected by thapsigargin treatment, but decreased upon removal of extracellular Ca(2+) or addition of the Ca(2+) channel blocker Gd(3+) (5mM ). These results suggest that a plasma membrane Ca(2+) channel is more active in lentoids than in epithelial cells. Indeed, when plasma membrane cation channel activity was monitored by Mn(2+) influx and quenching of fura-2 fluorescence, quenching was faster in lentoids than epithelial cells. Following thapsigargin treatment, capacitative Ca(2+) entry was activated in epithelial cells but not lentoids. In conclusion, during differentiation in primary cell culture, lens cells lose their ability to respond to agonists and exhibit an elevated resting Ca(2+)(i) that was dependent on the activation of a Ca(2+) influx pathway. The results of this study support the possibility that a sustained elevation in resting Ca(2+)(i) is one of the factors controlling lens cell differentiation, possibly by triggering events such as calpain activation. | 10.1006/exer.2002.1184 |
pubmed_960_7327 | Organosulphur compounds from garlic, especially diallyl disulphide (DADS) at non-toxic concentrations, affected production and secretion of some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), one of their inhibitors, by human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Addition of DADS to the culture medium resulted in a concentration-dependent reduction of secreted MMP-2 protein and activity as well as TIMP-1 protein. In the presence of inducers (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, forskolin and tumor necrosis factor alpha) addition of DADS caused a distinct concentration-dependent decrease of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 secretion, while not affecting MMP-9 mRNA levels. Intracellular protein levels remained low and were not affected. Other organosulphur compounds like allyl mercaptan and S-allylcysteine showed no or less clear effects on MMP-secretion or TIMP-1-secretion. These results suggest that DADS may mediate some of the biological effects ascribed to garlic preparations through affecting MMP-TIMP balance. | 10.1023/b:cbto.0000038463.55930.79 |
pubmed_524_14927 | Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors that result in the uncontrolled release of catecholamines and secondary hypertension. They usually manifest with episodic blood pressure fluctuations, headaches and palpitations. In some cases PPGLs may be asymptomatic until they are detected as a diagnostic approach to other diseases. There have been reports that have associated PPGLs with arterial thrombosis, some with the additional finding of intracardiac thrombi. We present the case of a 21-year-old male Hispanic patient with a recurrent para-aortic paraganglioma detected by persistent hypertension, bilateral lower limb artery thrombosis and an intracardiac thrombus. | pubmed_524_14927 |
pubmed_1135_25192 | OBJECTIVES
Fractures of distal bar extensions, supporting a mandibular overdenture, do occur with significant functional and economic consequences for the patient. This study therefore aims to evaluate the effect of different bar cross-sectional shapes and surfaces, bar extension lengths and the placement of a support rib under the distal bar extension on fracture resistance.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The 2nd moment area and static strength were calculated for 11 frequently used bar designs using finite element analysis (FEA). For two specific designs (Ackermann round Ø 1.8mm and Dolder-Y macro, the former with and without a support rib) additional physical static and fatigue strength tests were included.
RESULTS
The FEA static strength data corresponded well to the 2nd moment area (a similar ranking when maximum allowed force was considered). The application of a rib support (Ackermann Ø 1.8mm) and limitations of the bar extension length (6mm for the Ackermann Ø 1.8mm, 8mm for the Dolder-Y macro) allowed the bars to exceed 5 × 10(6) cycles of 120 and 250N, respectively, before fracture. The region of highest stresses in FEA corresponded well with the locations of the fractures observed in static- and fatigue-testing.
CONCLUSIONS
With some simple guidelines/modifications, the number of bar extension fractures can be reduced significantly.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
This study focusses on distal bar extensions which improve the positioning of an implant supported overdenture. By combining laboratory testing and finite element simulations we aim to: (1) explain why fractures occur (dependent on physical characteristics of the bar), and (2) give clinical guidelines on how to prevent such fractures. | 10.1016/j.jdent.2015.06.007 |
pubmed_1075_2995 | Brownmillerite SrCoO(2.5) (010) thin films synthesized by pulsed laser deposition became amorphous when reduced at low temperatures by CaH(2), indicating that the infinite-layer structure with the square planar Co(2+)O(4) configuration is unstable. Ferromagnetic and conducting perovskite SrCoO(3) epitaxial thin films, on the other hand, were obtained topotactically at room temperature by oxidation with NaClO. | 10.1039/c2dt30317e |
pubmed_578_10581 | An original HPLC method coupled to spectrofluorimetric detection is presented for the simultaneous analysis in dried blood spots (DBS) of cocaine and two important metabolites, namely benzoylecgonine (its main metabolite) and cocaethylene (the active metabolite formed in the presence of ethanol). The chromatographic analysis was carried out on a C8 column, using a mobile phase containing phosphate buffer (pH 3.0)-acetonitrile (85:15, v/v). Native analyte fluorescence was monitored at 315 nm while exciting at 230 nm. A fast and feasible sample pre-treatment was implemented by solvent extraction, obtaining good extraction yields (>91%) and satisfactory precision values (RSD<4.8%). The method was successfully applied to DBS samples collected from some cocaine users, both with and without concomitant ethanol intake. The results were in good agreement with those obtained from plasma samples subjected to an original solid-phase extraction procedure on C8 cartridges. The method has demonstrated to be suitable for the monitoring of cocaine/ethanol use by means of DBS or plasma testing. Assays are in progress to apply this method on the street, for the control of subjects suspected of driving under the influence of psychotropic substances. | 10.1016/j.chroma.2010.09.037 |
pubmed_236_19851 | A comprehensive investigation in Lorraine from 1975 to 1990 identified 127 children (73 boys, 54 girls) under 16 years with chronic renal failure (CRF). From 1975-1980 to 1985-1990 the mean annual incidence of pre-terminal CRF decreased from 12.7 to 7.5 per million children under 16 years of age. The incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children increased from 5.6 to 7.5 per million with a peak of 9.1. The prevalence of preterminal CRF was variable (29.4-54) and the prevalence of ESRD increased from 15.5 to 37.0 per million children. Acquired nephropathies were observed in 30.7% and congenital nephropathies in 68.5%. Although patients with acquired nephropathies had only slightly higher serum creatinine levels, they progressed more rapidly to ESRD than those with congenital disease: mean 1.8 years versus 3.85 years after diagnosis of pre-terminal of CRF (P < 0.02). Ten years after onset of pre-terminal CRF, 94% with acquired and 69% of those with congenital nephropathies had started renal replacement therapy (P < 0.001). It is unclear whether the decrease in preterminal CRF reflects a reduced number of children with kidney disease reaching CRF or is the result of a real delay in the progression due to better therapeutic management. | 10.1007/BF00856534 |
pubmed_987_7138 | Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, is a severe disease of cotton (Gossypium spp.). Strains of the wilt pathogen in the United States, such as race 1, require the presence of nematodes such as southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) to cause appreciable disease. The exception is the race 4 strain of the wilt pathogen, which can attack cotton without concomitant infection by plant-parasitic nematodes and was first identified in California in 2001 and in Texas and New Mexico since 2017. The effects of the interaction between M. incognita and race 1 or race 4 on wilt severity and nematode reproduction on two Gossypium hirsutum cultivars, Acala 44 and FM 966, and a G. barbadense cultivar, Pima S-4, were directly compared in growth chamber assays. All three cultivars were susceptible to M. incognita. Suppression of nematode reproduction by the wilt pathogen was detected only for race 4 on all three cultivars on a per plant basis but not on a per gram root tissue basis. The control, M. incognita alone, and race 1 alone treatments caused no symptoms. Inoculation with race 1 and M. incognita caused moderate wilt symptoms in 'Acala 44' and 'FM 966' and mild symptoms in 'Pima S-4'. However, race 4 treatment caused severe wilt in 'Pima S-4' and moderate wilt severity in 'Acala 44' and 'FM 966'. The symptom severity of 'Acala 44' and 'FM 966' further increased in the presence of M. incognita. Thus, race 4 is not only capable of causing wilt in the absence of M. incognita but can also interact with the nematode to further increase disease severity. Though control of wilt caused by race 1 can be achieved mainly through breeding for nematode resistance, it will be imperative to incorporate both southern root-knot nematode and race 4 resistance to effectively control the disease should race 4 expand into southern root-knot nematode-infested fields. | 10.1094/PDIS-12-21-2725-SC |
pubmed_554_4605 | Clinical research and practice in the 21st century is poised to be transformed by analysis of computable electronic medical records and population-level genome-scale patient profiles. Genomic data capture genetic and environmental state, providing information on heterogeneity in disease and treatment outcome, but genomic-based clinical risk scores are limited. Achieving the goal of routine precision medicine that takes advantage of these rich genomics data will require computational methods that support heterogeneous data, have excellent predictive performance, and ideally, provide biologically interpretable results. Traditional machine-learning approaches excel at performance, but often have limited interpretability. Patient similarity networks are an emerging paradigm for precision medicine, in which patients are clustered or classified based on their similarities in various features, including genomic profiles. This strategy is analogous to standard medical diagnosis, has excellent performance, is interpretable, and can preserve patient privacy. We review new methods based on patient similarity networks, including Similarity Network Fusion for patient clustering and netDx for patient classification. While these methods are already useful, much work is required to improve their scalability for contemporary genetic cohorts, optimize parameters, and incorporate a wide range of genomics and clinical data. The coming 5 years will provide an opportunity to assess the utility of network-based algorithms for precision medicine. | 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.05.037 |
pubmed_351_17343 | Adriamycin and the other anthracyclines are amongst the most effective cytotoxic agents at the clinician's disposal. At least one of the reasons for their efficacy is the large number of mechanisms by which they can induce potentially lethal damage in a dividing malignant cell. Adriamycin and epirubicin are amongst the more effective agents in advanced hormone-independent prostate cancer. When given in full doses, they produce a reasonable number of objective as well as subjective responses, but the resultant toxicity precludes their use at high dose in many patients. In a number of well-documented studies, lower doses of these agents have yielded useful subjective responses with minimal toxicity. | 10.1007/BF00686951 |
pubmed_1033_12583 | AIMS
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between changes in the diameter of the urogenital hiatus and force developed in pelvic floor musculature. In addition, we wanted to examine the reliability of the method that measures force development in the pelvic floor in the transverse direction of the urogenital hiatus.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Passive and total force in the pelvic floor was measured with an intra-vaginal device in 20 healthy parous volunteers. The measurements were done with a consecutively increasing diameter in the transverse plane of the urogenital hiatus. The procedure was repeated with a few days interval.
RESULTS
The measurements show an increase in force with an increasing device-diameter. The results are reliable at all the diameters tested, estimated by the within-subject day-to-day variability which was non-significant. The 40 mm diameter device is most favourable, estimated by Bland Altman plots of the test-retest measurements.
CONCLUSIONS
Force development in pelvic floor muscles increased as a function of vaginal diameter when measured in the frontal plane. The measurements were reliable at all the different diameters chosen. | 10.1002/nau.20070 |
pubmed_105_3676 | Wettability has been the focal point of many studies in metal oxide materials due to their applications in water-gas shift reactions, organic reactions, thermochemical water splitting, and photocatalysis. This paper presents the results of systematic experimental studies on the wettability of surfaces of nanostructured transition-metal oxides (TMOs) (Al2O3, CeO2, and AlCeO3). The wettability of nanoparticles was investigated by measuring contact angles of different concentrations of water-based nanofluids (0.05-0.1 wt%) on the glass slide. The morphology, the heterostructure, and the nature of incorporated nanoparticles were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Characteristic diffraction patterns of the nanomaterials were evaluated using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The contact angles of water-Al2O3, water-CeO2, and water-AlCeO3 were measured as 77.5 ± 5°, 89.8 ± 4°, and 69.2 ± 1°, respectively. This study suggests that AlCeO3 is strongly water-wet (hydrophilic), while CeO2 is weakly water-wet (hydrophobic). It further demonstrated that the sizes and compositions of the nanoparticles are key parameters that influence their wetting behaviors. | 10.3390/ma15165485 |
pubmed_268_16176 | We report a case of cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum in a 54-year-old man in whom cystic masses were removed twice by surgery at an interval of 2 years. The patient died of cardiac arrest shortly after the second operation for a concurrent unresectable colonic cancer. The pathogenesis of the disease is uncertain, but we consider it neoplastic of low grade malignancy. | 10.1097/00004836-199012000-00023 |
pubmed_912_25033 | UNLABELLED
BACKGROUND
The use of patients as the primary teaching modality for learning procedures is being questioned. While there have been advancements in the technology used for performing needle biopsies in both native and transplanted kidneys, there has been little advancement in teaching and training tools. We have developed a portable ex-vivo kidney, the Bento Kidney, using cryo-preserved porcine kidneys for teaching this procedure.
METHODS
The kidney is thawed, perfused by a pump, covered with skin for realistic haptic feedback, and then used with existing biopsy technology to teach the technique.
RESULTS
Thirty porcine kidneys were used in this pilot research, and nine were shipped to physicians at a distant facility. Renal biopsy was then performed using a core biopsy needle and ultrasound guidance. There was some leakage of fluid from all kidneys noted. All trainees felt that the model was realistic, and judged at a mean score of 8.7 (SD 0.8) on a scale of 1 (not useful) to 10 (very useful).
CONCLUSIONS
This feasibility study demonstrates that cryo-preserved porcine kidneys can be successfully used to teach and train renal biopsy techniques, and provides haptic feedback as well as realistic real-time ultrasound images. Further large scale studies are needed to demonstrate value from the educational point of view for nephrology and transplantation. | 10.1186/2047-1440-1-5 |
pubmed_325_13139 | Papillary hidradenoma (a.k.a. hidradenoma papilliferum) is a benign tumor of the anogenital region that almost exclusively arises in middle-aged Caucasian women. These tumors may recur and rare cases of malignant development have been reported. The genetic basis of papillary hidradenoma is currently unknown. Hence, we employed targeted high-coverage next generation sequencing interrogating 50 cancer-related genes and conventional Sanger sequencing to investigate the mutational landscape in a cohort of 15 cases. Additionally, we analyzed the HPV status of these tumors. Thirteen cases (87%) harbored mutations in cancer-related genes. Recurrent mutations in PIK3CA and AKT1 were present in 10 of the cases (67%). One PIK3CA mutated case had a concomitant STK11 mutation. Three cases harbored mutually exclusive mutations in BRAF, APC and ERBB4. The remaining two cases showed no mutations. None of the cases harbored DNA of human papilloma virus. Our results also provide evidence that--just as BRAF V600E mutations in hyperplastic polyps and benign nevi- a mutated driver gene does not imply malignant behavior per se but may set the basis for malignant transformation. The latter point may explain why rare cases of papillary hidradenoma have been reported to take a malignant course. Lastly, our genetic data may suggest treatment avenues beyond conventional surgery for some of these tumors. | 10.1002/gcc.22315 |
pubmed_327_3417 | Methyltransferases (MTases) of procaryotes affect general cellular processes such as mismatch repair, regulation of transcription, replication, and transposition, and in some cases may be essential for viability. As components of restriction-modification systems, they contribute to bacterial genetic diversity. The genome of Helicobacter pylori strain 26695 contains 25 open reading frames encoding putative DNA MTases. To assess which MTase genes are active, strain 26695 genomic DNA was tested for cleavage by 147 restriction endonucleases; 24 were found that did not cleave this DNA. The specificities of 11 expressed MTases and the genes encoding them were identified from this restriction data, combined with the known sensitivities of restriction endonucleases to specific DNA modification, homology searches, gene cloning and genomic mapping of the methylated bases m(4)C, m(5)C, and m(6)A. | 10.1128/JB.183.2.443-450.2001 |
pubmed_774_23854 | Treatment of dementias represents an important but relatively neglected part of neurological care of the elderly population. Individual therapeutic interventions may make only small changes to the quality of life of individuals afflicted with dementia, but when used in combination these interventions synergize and can make a significant difference. Additionally, given the societal scale of the problem of dementia care, the overall impact, in economic and sociological terms, of such therapies is of consequence. Presently there are no disease-modifying treatments for any of the neurodegenerative dementias. Instead, the clinician has several therapeutic tools to mitigate cognitive and behavioral consequences of dementias. There are also strategies to minimize harm to patients with dementia. In this article, we aim to review these tools and place them in the greater context of dementia care. | 10.1055/s-0039-1683408 |
pubmed_292_8228 | In this paper the notion of border will be examined in a cultural life course perspective. I will investigate borders as psycho-cultural constructions created to enable and control meaning-making in the intersection between subjects engagements and concerns and collectively constructed and guiding meanings. An empirical analysis of one boy's life course in and between home, school and a Leisure Time Activity Center in the years 1st to 3rd grade demonstrates a systemic construction of borders involving him, his teachers and his parents and renders the boy to choose between becoming an engaged pupil or a dedicated son. As such, the analysis can illuminate processes of school - home interactions that work opposite of what is intended and become detrimental to children's life. In a cultural life course perspective borders show how life is maintained as meaningful and not only guide the present living but also serve as directional guides into the future. | 10.1007/s12124-015-9319-1 |
pubmed_767_9742 | Extensive genome-wide analyses of deregulated gene expression have now been performed for many types of cancer. However, most studies have focused on deregulation at the gene-level, which may overlook the alterations of specific transcripts for a given gene. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the best-characterized and most pervasive renal cancers, and ccRCCs are well-documented to have aberrant RNA processing. In the present study, we examine the extent of aberrant isoform-specific RNA expression by reporting a comprehensive transcript-level analysis, using the new kallisto-sleuth-RATs pipeline, investigating coding and non-coding differential transcript expression in ccRCC. We analyzed 50 ccRCC tumors and their matched normal samples from The Cancer Genome Altas datasets. We identified 7,339 differentially expressed transcripts and 94 genes exhibiting differential transcript isoform usage in ccRCC. Additionally, transcript-level coexpression network analyses identified vasculature development and the tricarboxylic acid cycle as the most significantly deregulated networks correlating with ccRCC progression. These analyses uncovered several uncharacterized transcripts, including lncRNAs FGD5-AS1 and AL035661.1, as potential regulators of the tricarboxylic acid cycle associated with ccRCC progression. As ccRCC still presents treatment challenges, our results provide a new resource of potential therapeutics targets and highlight the importance of exploring alternative methodologies in transcriptome-wide studies. | 10.18632/oncotarget.25330 |
pubmed_704_18789 | BACKGROUND
Taking pictures of protruding body parts (such as fingertips, toes, nipples, auricles, hands, and feet) from multiple directions is difficult. To solve this problem, we developed a simple and easy-to-use device, using mirrors.
METHODS
The device is composed of 4 trapezoidal plane plastic mirrors firmly connected to each other. It is possible to photograph the object from 5 directions at once, including the real image of the object at the center, and 4 images that are reflected in the mirrors around the sides.
RESULTS
The device allowed photographing various body parts from multiple directions at once.
CONCLUSION
This simple and easy-to-use device helps us to take additional photographs in a single shot, which previously took more time and effort. | 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002916 |
pubmed_54_11279 | A new species Phanerotoma andamanensis Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov. is described from the Andaman Islands, India. Differences of the new species from the other Oriental species are discussed. Phanerotoma agarwali Varshney & Shujauddin, 1999, is a junior synonym of P. syleptae Zettel, 1990, syn. nov. | 10.11646/zootaxa.3856.4.8 |
pubmed_117_9131 | Our unique case demonstrates the use of an over-the-scope Padlock clip for closure of a sharp foreign body induced gastric perforation, avoiding the need for surgical intervention. A 47-year old female presented with a two-day history of abdominal pain with nausea. Abdominal CT scan revealed a linear density in the distal body of the stomach extending outside the lumen. Endoscopic evaluation revealed a toothpick perforating through the wall of the gastric antrum. Endoscopic removal was performed, and closure of the full-thickness defect was achieved with an over-the-scope Padlock clip. The patient subsequently made an uneventful recovery, with no reported complications at two-year follow-up. Early endoscopic removal and closure of gastric luminal perforations by over-the-scope Padlock clips are viable alternative treatments for defects previously considered only amenable to surgical repair. Endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal perforations has shown to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with more invasive surgical procedures. | 10.7759/cureus.11263 |
pubmed_332_11531 | The Internet plays an increasingly important role in health education, providing laypeople with information about health-related topics that range from disease-specific contexts to general health promotion. Compared to traditional health education, the Internet allows the use of multimedia applications that offer promise to enhance individuals' health knowledge and literacy. This study aims at testing the effect of multimedia presentation of health information on learning. Relying on an experimental design, it investigates how retention of information differs for text-only presentation, image-only presentation, and multimedia (text and image) presentation of online health information. Two hundred and forty students were randomly assigned to four groups each exposed to a different website version. Three groups were exposed to the same information using text only, image only, or text and image presentation. A fourth group received unrelated information (control group). Retention was assessed by the means of a recognition test. To examine a possible interaction between website version and recognition test, half of the students received a recognition test in text form and half of them received a recognition test in imagery form. In line with assumptions from Dual Coding Theory, students exposed to the multimedia (text and image) presentation recognized significantly more information than students exposed to the text-only presentation. This did not hold for students exposed to the image-only presentation. The impact of presentation style on retention scores was moderated by the way retention was assessed for image-only presentation, but not for text-only or multimedia presentation. Possible explanations and implications for the design of online health education interventions are discussed. | 10.1080/10410236.2012.683387 |
pubmed_538_4373 | This study is designed to investigate the relationship between macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and ocular biometric parameters. The following details were recorded for 180 healthy subjects: demographic profile; best-corrected visual acuity; refractive status; ocular biometric parameters [axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD)]; ocular dominance; MPOD; serum lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z). The mean MPOD (+/-SD) was 0.307 (0.155) and 0.305 (0.149) in the right and left eyes, respectively. No demonstrable relationship was observed between MPOD and AL, ACD or VCD [AL: r=0.091, p=0.225; ACD: r=0.091, p=0.227; VCD: r=0.146, p=0.051]. There was a significant and inverse relationship between LT and MPOD (r=-0.204; p=0.008), which was attenuated to non-significance after correction for age and height (r=-0.058; p=0.466). This study fails to identify an association between MPOD and ocular biometric parameters. This is an important negative finding, which allows investigators to study MP, and its relationship with potentially important variables, without the need to correct for ocular biometric parameters. | 10.1016/j.visres.2005.12.012 |
pubmed_121_14236 | BACKGROUND
The human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has demonstrated efficacy in the prevention of cervical cancer when given in early adolescence. The recommendation of the vaccine by health care workers (HCW) is crucial to the uptake of the vaccine by adolescents and the process of this recommendation is important as it determines subsequent uptake of the vaccine. Understanding of the facilitators and barriers of recommendation of this vaccine can help in the development of strategies to improve its recommendation rates and uptake. This study therefore explored the facilitators and barriers for the recommendation of HPV vaccine for adolescents by HCW in Ibadan, Nigeria using the Theoretical Domain Framework (TDF).
METHODS
Key informant interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected HCW who were in charge of vaccination. Content analysis was used after deductive coding of the data using the domains of the TDF. Relevant concepts for facilitators and barriers of HPV vaccine recommendation and quotes were then identified.
RESULTS
Mean age of the HCW was 47.7 ± 6.5 years and they consisted of eight nurses, four medical doctors, one medical social worker and one health visitor. Ten domains of the TDF were represented among the facilitators and barriers against the recommendation of HPV vaccination by the HCW, except the goals; memory, attention, decision process; emotion; and behavioral regulation domains. The domains with the highest frequency of concepts were: knowledge, skills, social/professional role and identity, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, intention and environmental context and resources. Domains with conflicting statements in the concept were: environmental context and resources, and beliefs about consequences. While those with perceived strength of concept were: social influences, reinforcement and optimism.
CONCLUSION
All the 10 identified domains of the TDF are potential areas of focus for strategies for improving the recommendation of HPV vaccine for adolescents by health care workers in Nigeria and other countries with similar sociocultural settings. | 10.1186/s12913-022-08224-7 |
pubmed_539_16404 | PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment response to terazosin, finasteride, or a combination of both in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with BPH were consecutively enrolled from a clinical urology practice. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), peak urinary flow rate, and prostate volume were assessed at baseline and every 2 months for 12 months. Detrusor pressure at maximum flow was assessed at baseline, 4 and 12 months. Patients were randomized into 1 of 3 treatment groups - terazosin alone, finasteride alone, or combination therapy. RESULTS: At 12 months, symptom scores had decreased significantly in all 3 treatment groups (p<0.05). Combination therapy resulted in significantly greater reductions in IPSS than terazosin or finasteride (6.4, 4.9, 4.1 points, respectively, p<0.05) There were significant increases in peak urinary flow rate within each treatment group, although there were no significant changes between groups. Detrusor pressure also significantly decreased from baseline within each treatment group. Patients treated with combination therapy had a significantly greater mean decrease in detrusor pressure after 12 months when compared with finasteride-treated patients (16.7 versus 10.5 cm H20, p<0.03). There were no significant differences between terazosin and combination therapy or between terazosin and finasteride despite the relatively greater decrease in detrusor pressure seen in the terazosin group when compared with the finasteride group. CONCLUSIONS: Combination medical therapy with finasteride and terazosin provides greater symptom relief than monotherapy in men with BPH. | pubmed_539_16404 |
pubmed_166_10133 | BACKGROUND
Punica granatum (pomegranate), an edible fruit originating in the Middle East, has been used as a traditional medicine for treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions such as peptic ulcer. The numerous risks associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for treatment of pain and inflammation give rise to using medicinal herbs as alternative therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of isolated compounds from the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of P. granatum by determination of their inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulated nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cyclooxxgenase-2 (COX-2) release from RAW264.7 cells.
METHODS
The compounds ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin A&B were isolated from EtOAc by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and further identified by mass spectrometry (MS). The inhibitory effect of ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin A&B were evaluated on the production of LPS-induced NO by Griess reagent, PGE-2 and IL-6 by immunoassay kit and prostaglandin E2 competitive ELISA kit, and COX-2 by Western blotting.
RESULTS
Ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin A&B potentially inhibited LPS-induced NO, PGE-2 and IL-6 production.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that ellagic acid, gallic acid and punicalagin may be the compounds responsible for the anti-inflammatory potential of P. granatum. | 10.1186/s12906-017-1555-0 |
pubmed_884_2433 | Kinetic aspects of reactions in homogeneous multienzyme systems under nonsteady state conditions were investigated. An analysis of formal-kinetic relationships, describing the time course of system was conducted with a bienzyme system. Presteady state kinetics of processes in lineal multienzyme systems was investigated. Relax-kinetics methods were applied for the analysis of processes in lineal sequences. Methods of determination of number of stages initial substrate transformations and of number of enzymes were developed as well as methods for the analysis of sequences of intermediates in reaction pathway. Methods of determination of Vmax and Kmax for each individual enzyme are considered. | pubmed_884_2433 |
pubmed_496_16535 | Adrenal catecholamines and steroids are important regulators of the stress response, immune function, blood pressure, and energy homeostasis. Historically, the two cell populations within the adrenal gland-the steroid-producing adrenocortical cells and the catecholamine-producing chromaffin cells-have been regarded as two independent endocrine systems. Research on adrenal physiology and pathophysiology has therefore largely focused on the individual understanding of each cell type. However, adrenal cortex and medulla appear to be interwoven and show multiple contact zones without separation by connective tissue or interstitial membranes. In vitro studies, animal models, and the analysis of human adrenal pathophysiology have demonstrated critical importance of cortical-chromaffin crosstalk for adrenal function and disease. Thus, chromaffin cells regulate steroid-hormone release by the adrenal cortex and steroids induce catecholamine production in the medulla. Consequently, disorders of the adrenal cortex have been shown to affect chromaffin cell function and vice versa. Mouse models of adrenal cortical dysfunction, such as the targeted disruption of the 21-hydroxylase- or the CRHR1 genes, show alterations in chromaffin cell function, while disruption of tyrosine hydroxylase, a key enzyme in catecholamine synthesis, impairs adrenal cortical function. Accordingly, patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and Addison's disease show reduced catecholamine biosynthesis. Immense progress in characterizing the mechanisms of chromaffin-cortical interactions has been achieved in recent years. Here, we summarize the current view on intraadrenal communication with respect to adrenal pathophysiology. | 10.1385/ep:16:2:091 |
pubmed_978_16070 | A basin type of hepatoenterostomy was performed in 209 cases of hepatolithiasis with ductal strictures in our hospital between 1983 and 1987. The 12 word Pithy formula technique, 2 methods, and 7 approaches for the exposure of primary to tertiary hepatobiliary ducts were nimbly adopted for releasing ductal strictures and removing gallstones. A wide hepatobiliary "basin" with neat edge and smooth inner surface was eventually formed. Then a loop of jejunum 20-30 cm in length was used to anastomose with the hepatobiliary "basin" and a combined installation against bile reflux was set up. A Roux-y reconstruction (91 cases) or a jejunal interposition between the intrahepatic ducts and duodenum (118 cases) with a hepatobiliary "basin" was completed finally. In 95.2% of cases, the "basin" was located under the visceral surface of the liver. Postoperative complications included stress ulcer (20 cases), anaerobic septicaemia (2 cases), with mortality rate of 1.4%. Eighty-three percent of patients were followed up for an average period of 21.5 months. There was no reoperative case during the follow up period. The satisfactory result accounted for 90.9% in this series. The authors believe that hepatoenterostomy with a hepatobiliary "basin" is a preferable operation for hepatolithiasis with ductal strictures. | pubmed_978_16070 |
pubmed_198_9038 | This case report describes an unusual occurrence of invasive aspergillosis in a previously healthy, nonimmunocompromised woman. Repeatedly positive sputum cultures were misinterpreted as not significant, and the diagnosis was not made until after the patient died. Serial sputum cultures positive for Aspergillus in a patient with pneumonia who is not responding to treatment should prompt the clinician to consider invasive aspergillosis. | 10.1097/00007611-198805000-00038 |
pubmed_1131_5258 | A healthy young male patient suffered a nearly complete loss of vision after a minor ocular injury. We describe a rare case of central arterial occlusion after blunt force trauma. After rheological therapy the visual acuity increased from perception of hand movement to 1/20, 1 month after the injury. Central artery occlusion is a rare but severe complication after blunt force ocular trauma that should be considered when patients suffer severe posttraumatic loss of vision. | 10.1007/s00347-016-0274-0 |
pubmed_339_1109 | A hundred and six clinically diagnosed cases of epidemic dropsy, admitted in June to August 1998 to the P-III unit of RML Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics, Safdarjang Hospital, were studied. All of them consumed mustard oil contaminated with Argemona mexicana, confirmed by ferric chloride and nitric acid tests. No specific sex predilection was seen. No child was affected below the age of 3 years. Pedal edema and reddish hyperpigmentation were the most consistent findings (100 per cent). Frank cardiac failure was seen in only 24 (22.64 per cent), yet persistent tachycardia was alarmingly high (104/106, i.e. 98.4 per cent). Notably ECG showed prolonged Q-T interval in 24 children (22.64 per cent), unrelated to serum Ca2+ level in patients with congestive cardiac failure (CCF). Color Doppler echocardiography showed biventricular dilatation in all the 24 patients with CCF. Wide pulse pressure was recorded in two patients only. Mortality occurred in only two patients (1.89 per cent). Eye involvement was a late finding. All those who survived (i.e. 104/106) recovered completely, except two patients who were left with sarcoid-like changes of skin telangiectasia. | 10.1093/tropej/47.5.291 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.