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A lectin histochemical study of gustatory (von Ebner's) glands of the horse tongue.
In the present work, gustatory glands (von Ebner's glands) of the horse tongue were examined by means of five peroxidase-conjugated lectins (PNA, DBA, SBA, UEA I, WGA), with and without prior sialidase digestion, in order to investigate the presence and distribution of carbohydrate residues in secretory cells and duct cells. The most intense staining of secretory cells was observed with PNA after pre-treatment with neuraminidase. This indicates that the terminal trisaccharide sequence sialic acid- (alpha 2-->3, 6) galactosyl (beta 1-->3) N-acetylgalactosamine is the most frequent oligosaccharide chain present in glycoproteins secreted by horse gustatory glands. Secretory cells also contained oligosaccharides with terminal alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylglucosamine, whereas fucose was found in only a few glandular cells. The apical cytoplasm of duct lining cells reacted with all the lectins except WGA. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Anatomic Impediments to the Performance of Hysteroscopy
Infertility and menorrhagia in menopausal women are the most frequent indications for hysteroscopy. Often, however, the procedure turns out to be difficult or impossible due to stenosis and reduction in the size of the cervical canal. With the availability of more and more atraumatic endoscopic instrumentations and improvements in the technique, hysteroscopy can be performed in all women, whatever the obstacle. In our 5-year experience of 1500 hysteroscopies, we often found anatomic conditions that, besides being obstacles to performing the examination, increased patient discomfort. With the office hysteroscope with a 5F operative sheath one can rapidly overcome the obstacles and complete the examination without discomfort to the patient. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effector mechanism in rejection of allografts expressing an isolated minor histocompatibility disparity. Importance of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the rejection of H-43a allografts by H-43b mice.
To explore effector mechanisms in allograft rejection, we transplanted skin grafts (SG) across a single minor histocompatibility locus (H-43) using mouse strains carrying the H-43b allele as SG recipients and those carrying the H-43a allele as SG donors. Recipients' spleen cells (SC) were assayed at various intervals for 200 days for anti-H-43a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responsiveness, as well as delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responsiveness. When H-43a SG from C3H.SW mice were transplanted to H-43b CWB mice, two thirds of the recipients rejected the SG, and recipients' SC showed marked self-H-2Kb-restricted anti-H-43a CTL responsiveness until the end of the observation period. In contrast,H-43aSG transplanted to H-43b (B10.BRxCWB)F1 (BWF1) mice survived in almost all of the BWF1 recipients. The anti-H-43a CTL responsiveness of the recipients' SC was evident until day 40 but thereafter started to wane and eventually disappeared. Notably, BWF1 mice whose self-H-2Kb-restricted anti-H-43a CTL precursors had been primed by prior injection with H-43a SC rejected H-2Kb-bearing H-43a CSW SG but not H-2k, H-43a C3H/HeN SG. In contrast, an anti-H-43a DTH response was not induced in any of the CWB and BWF1 recipients, including CWB recipients who rejected the H-43a SG. Since it has been well documented that anti-H-43a CTL are restricted solely by self-H-2Kb, the results in this study indicate that self-H-2Kb-restricted anti-H-43a CTL are responsible for rejection of H-43a allografts by H-43b recipient mice. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Gastric amyloidosis: clinicopathological correlations in 79 cases from a single institution.
Gastrointestinal involvement by amyloidosis is common, but large clinicopathological studies specifically addressing gastric amyloidosis are lacking. Seventy-nine patients with biopsy-proven, gastric amyloidosis were identified by a retrospective review of our pathology archives, from 2007 to 2013. Amyloid typing was performed by laser microdissection/mass spectrometry (in 44 patients), immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and/or genetic testing. The median age at diagnosis was 62years, with 61% being males. The amyloid was derived from immunoglobulin light chain (67%), transthyretin (ATTR) (18%), serum amyloid A (9%), and apolipoprotein A1 (3%). When other gastrointestinal sites were biopsied, amyloid was demonstrated in the small bowel (89%), colon (81%), and esophagus (33%). The most common gastrointestinal manifestations were weight loss (37%), abdominal pain/dyspepsia (23%), and nausea/vomiting (23%). Endoscopic findings included normal (35%), erythema (33%), erosions (18%), and nodularity (15%) and were not related to amyloid type. No case showed gastric lymphoma. The most common location of amyloid was the muscularis mucosae regardless of the type of amyloid. Lamina propria involvement was less frequent in ATTR than other types. In 22% of patients, the first diagnosis of amyloid was based on the gastric biopsy. Patients' survival at 3years was 60% and was not different by type of amyloid. Our study shows that light-chain amyloidosis is the most common form of gastric amyloidosis, followed by ATTR. Type of amyloid cannot be predicted based on clinical or endoscopic findings, and therefore, biopsy with amyloid typing, preferably by laser microdissection/mass spectrometry, is critical to establish the correct diagnosis, prognosis, and appropriate treatment. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Paraspinal muscle vasculature contributes to posterolateral spinal fusion.
Study of posterolateral fusions in a rabbit model. To characterize the contribution of paraspinal musculature to the healing of posterolateral spinal fusions in a rabbit model. Previous studies have demonstrated that successful spinal arthrodesis requires vascular ingrowth from adjacent decorticated bone. In other areas of the body, such as the tibia, vascular ingrowth from the surrounding musculature has also been shown to be important. The role of the surrounding paraspinal musculature in spinal fusions has yet to be assessed. Twenty-five New Zealand white rabbits underwent posterolateral spinal fusion. One side of the animals was treated with autograft alone and served as the control group. On the contralateral side, the autograft was contained within porous or nonporous barrier sheets. Following euthanization, high-resolution radiographs, CT scans, and histologic analyses were performed to assess fusion and characterize vascular ingrowth. Using histologic evaluation, the fusion rate in the porous group was 90%, in the nonporous group 40%, and in the control group 55%. Vascular ingrowth was evident from the muscle through the porous sheet into the fusion mass. These results support our hypothesis that the paraspinal musculature provides important vascular ingrowth into the fusion site. Use of a porous barrier sheet appears to improve fusion by preventing muscle interposition while allowing vascular ingrowth from surrounding muscle. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Synthesis of Naphthols by Rh(III)-Catalyzed Domino C-H Activation, Annulation, and Lactonization Using Sulfoxonium Ylide as a Traceless Directing Group.
Sulfoxonium ylide directed C-H activation catalyzed by the Rh(III)-catalyst has been disclosed. In this study, sulfoxonium ylide functions as a traceless directing group, which reacts with an unsymmetrical alkyne, 4-hydroxy-2-alkynoate, to form the corresponding furanone-fused 1-naphthols. The application of the methodology has been illustrated by synthesizing bromo lactones, which are used as an intermediate in synthesizing photochromic dichroic materials. We have also demonstrated the synthesis of an analogue of fimbricalyx lactone A. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Bone material strength as measured by microindentation in vivo is decreased in patients with fragility fractures independently of bone mineral density.
Bone mineral density (BMD) does not fully capture fracture risk as the majority of fractures occur in patients with osteopenia, suggesting that altered bone material properties and changes in microarchitecture may contribute to fracture risk. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between bone material strength (BMS), measured by microindentation in vivo, and fracture in patients with low bone mass. BMS was measured in 90 patients (mean age, 61.0 y; range, 40.4-85.5 y) with low bone mass with or without a fragility fracture. Sixty-three patients had sustained one or more fragility fractures. There was a significant negative correlation between age and BMS (r = -0.539; P < .001) and with the 10-year fracture probability with and without inclusion of femoral neck BMD as calculated by FRAX (r = -0.383; P < .001 and r = -0.426; P < .001, respectively). BMS values were lower in patients with a fragility fracture compared with nonfracture patients (79.9 ± 0.6 vs 82.4 ± 1.0; P = .032) despite similar BMD. BMS was comparable in patients with a fragility fracture whether they had osteopenia or osteoporosis (79.8 ± 0.8 vs 78.7 ± 1.1; P = .456). In patients with osteopenia, BMS was significantly lower in fracture patients than in nonfracture patients (80.3 ± 0.7 vs 83.9 ± 1.2; P = .015). These data suggest that patients with fractures have altered material properties of bone that are not captured by BMD. Additional studies are required to establish the value of BMS in the prediction of fracture risk, especially in patients with osteopenia. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with a poly-methylpentene oxygenator (Quadrox D). The experience of a single Italian centre in adult patients with refractory cardiogenic shock.
Although microporous polypropylene hollow fiber oxygenators are standard devices used for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), they have limitations such as development of plasma leakage. Poly-methylpentene (PMP) is a new material used for the last generation of oxygenators. We reviewed our experience with a new PMP oxygenator (Quadrox D) and a centrifugal pump (RotaFlow) used to support adult patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Between January 2000 and April 2007, 25 patients required ECMO for primary or postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. Eighteen patients were analyzed [mean age 60.2 years; 11 (61%) men; 7 (39%) women]. Nine patients (50%) suffered primary cardiogenic shock. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was applied in 11 patients (61%) with a mean duration time of 31.5 minutes. Mean ECMO duration time was 7.1 +/- 6.3 days (range, 1-27 days). Intra-aortic balloon pump was used in 13 patients (72.2%) with a mean duration time of 7.7 +/- 5 (range, 2-17 days). Twelve patients (66.7%) survived on ECMO and five patients (27.8%) were discharged. Our results indicate the PMP oxygenator and the centrifugal pump provided acceptable results in terms of surviving on ECMO and discharge. Patients with an initial catastrophic hemodynamic status could benefit by means of a rapid institution of ECMO with PMP oxygenators. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (-)-Stemonamine and Its Stereochemical Stability.
The first asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-stemonamine is described. The key reactions included intramolecular acylation to construct the seven-membered ring and a tandem [2+2] cycloaddition-Dieckmann condensation reaction using an ynolate to form the fully substituted cyclopentenone moiety. Racemization and epimerization of the natural product were first experimentally demonstrated. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Regulation of SREBP-1 expression and transcriptional action on HKII and FAS genes during fasting and refeeding in rat tissues.
The sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) is regarded as a major factor involved in the nutritional regulation of lipogenesis. The aim of the present work was to demonstrate its involvement in the response of key genes of glucose and lipid metabolism in liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle during fasting and refeeding. The regulation of hexokinase-2 (HKII) was investigated as a marker of the glucose metabolic pathway and that of FAS was investigated as a marker of the lipogenic pathway. The in vivo association of SREBP-1 with the promoter regions of these genes was determined in the different tissues using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Fasting decreased, and refeeding restored, FAS and HKII mRNA and protein levels in each tissue. The concomitant measurement of SREBP-1a and SREBP-1c mRNA levels, of mature SREBP-1 protein abundance in nuclear extracts, and of SREBP-1 interaction with target promoters led to the conclusion that SREBP-1 plays a major role in the response of FAS and HKII genes to nutritional regulation in rodents. These data elucidate the important role of SREBP-1 not only in the regulation of lipid metabolism but also of glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Lipophilicity study of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and cephalosporin antibiotics: a review.
Lipophilicity properties have long been considered a vital component of drug discovery and development, providing insight into the role of molecular properties in the biological activity of known and new compounds. An extensive survey of the literature published in analytical and pharmaceutical chemistry journals has been conducted. Separation, optical, electrochemical and calculation methods which were developed and used for determination of lipophilicity non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and cephalosporin antibiotics in drugs and biological materials, have been reviewed. This review covers over 100 miscellaneous methods. Presented review highlighted some recent developments and new techniques that have been used in the lipophilicity detection of two different kinds of drugs. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[PSI(+)] aggregate enlargement in rnq1 nonprion domain mutants, leading to a loss of prion in yeast.
[PIN(+)] is the prion form of the Rnq1 protein of unknown function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A glutamine/asparagine (Q/N)-rich C-terminal domain is necessary for the propagation of [PIN(+)], whereas the N-terminal region is non-Q/N-rich and considered the nonprion domain. Here, we isolated numerous single-amino-acid mutations in Rnq1, phenotypically similar to Rnq1Δ100, which inhibit [PSI(+)] propagation in the [PIN(+)] state, but not in the [pin(-)] state, when overproduced. The dynamics of the prion aggregates was analyzed by semi-denaturing detergent-agarose gel electrophoresis and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The results indicated that [PSI(+)] aggregates were enlarged in mother cells and, instead, not apparently transmitted into daughter cells. Under these conditions, the activity of Hsp104, a known prion disaggregase, was not affected when monitored for the thermotolerance of the rnq1 mutants. These [PSI(+)]-inhibitory rnq1 mutations did not affect [PIN(+)] propagation itself when over-expressed from a strong promoter, but instead destabilized [PIN(+)] when expressed from the weak authentic RNQ1 promoter. The majority of these mutated residues are mapped to the surface, and on one side, of contiguous α-helices of the nonprion domain of Rnq1, suggesting its involvement in interactions with a prion or a factor necessary for prion development. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Intensity and treatment of symptoms in 3,030 palliative care patients: a cross-sectional survey of the EAPC Research Network.
This study aimed to describe intensity and treatment of symptoms other than pain in European palliative care units. A total of 3,030 patients, including 2,064 that used an opioid, were included from 143 palliative care centers, in 21 European countries. Pain was treated with analgesics corresponding to the WHO pain ladder step I (n = 374), II (n = 497), and III (n = 1,567). Frequencies of symptoms observed as moderate or severe were for generalized weakness (50 percent), fatigue (48 percent), anxiety (28 percent), anorexia (26 percent), constipation (18 percent), focal weakness (18 percent), depression (18 percent), and dyspnoea (15 percent). When comparing WHO-groups, cancer diagnoses, metastasis sites, countries, and genders, we found that some of the symptom intensities and treatments differed significantly between subgroups. A majority of patients used drugs for symptom management. Still, more than one-third of patients assessed to have moderate or severe constipation did not receive any treatment. The corresponding numbers for depression, confusion, nausea, vomiting, or anxiety were approaching 40 percent and for poor sleep about 50 percent. Prescription practice of antiemetics, laxatives, and psychotropic drugs varied widely between countries both in terms of preparation and percent of patients receiving a specific treatment. This survey shows that clinically relevant symptoms are frequent and that one-third to half of the patients with a symptom observed as moderate or severe do not receive any treatment aimed to reduce the symptom intensity. Several symptoms and treatments differed between WHO-groups, cancer diagnoses, metastasis locations, countries, and genders. Prescription practice varied between countries both in terms of medication administered and percent of patients receiving specific treatment. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Tail regression in Ciona intestinalis (Prochordate) involves a Caspase-dependent apoptosis event associated with ERK activation.
Two apoptotic events take place during embryonic development of Ciona intestinalis. The first concerns extra-embryonic cells and precedes hatching. The second controls tail regression at metamorphosis, occurs through a polarized wave originating from tail extremity, and is caspase dependent. This was shown by: (1) in vivo incorporation of a fluorescent marker of caspase activation in different cell types of the tail; (2) detection of an activated form of caspase 3-like protein by western blotting; and (3) failure of 30% of larvae to undergo metamorphosis after treatment of fertilized eggs with a pan-caspase inhibitor. In addition, Ciona embryos express a single ERK protein, specifically phosphorylated at metamorphosis. ERK activation was shown to be located in cells of the tail. Addition of MEK inhibitor in the culture medium prevented ERK activation and metamorphosis. In silico analysis of Ciona genome pointed to 15 caspases with high homology with humans, and a single ERK gene with high homology to both mammalian ERK1 and ERK2. It is concluded that the sequence of events leading to metamorphosis includes ERK phosphorylation followed by caspase-dependent apoptosis and tail regression. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A nationwide study of decisions to forego life-prolonging treatment in Dutch medical practice.
Decisions to withhold or withdraw life-prolonging treatment in terminally ill patients are common in some areas of medical practice. Information about the frequency and background of these decisions is generally limited to specific clinical settings. This article describes the practice of withholding or withdrawing life-prolonging treatment in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were sent to the attending physicians of a stratified sample of 6060 of all 43002 cases of death in the Netherlands from August 1 through November 30, 1995. The questions concerned the treatments foregone, the patient characteristics, and the decision-making process. The response rate was 77%. A nontreatment decision was made in 30% (95% confidence interval, 28%-31%) of all deaths in the Netherlands in 1995; this is an increase compared with 28% (95% confidence interval, 26%-29%) in 1990; in 20% of all deaths, this decision was the most important end-of-life decision. Artificial nutrition or hydration and antibiotics were the treatments most frequently foregone, each accounting for 25% of cases in which a nontreatment decision was made. Nursing-home physicians withheld or withdrew treatment more often than clinical specialists or general practitioners in 52%, 35%, and 17% of all deaths they were involved with, respectively. Of the patients in whom a nontreatment decision was the most important end-of-life decision, 26% were competent; of those, 93% were involved in the decision making. In 17% of patients, the nontreatment decision was made without being discussed with the patient or the patient's relatives and without knowledge of the patient's wishes. Life was shortened by an estimated 24 hours or less in 42% and 1 month or more in 8% of patients. Decisions to forego life-prolonging treatment are frequently made end-of-life decisions in the Netherlands and may be increasing. Most of these decisions do not involve high-technology treatments, and the consequences, in terms of shortening of life, are relatively small. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Preliminary studies on a Streptomyces sp. CS-14 showing broad spectrum antibiotic activity.
A Streptomyces sp. CS-14 producing antifungal and antibacterial antibiotics has been isolated and characterized. The characterization of mycelial bound antibiotic revealed the presence of a hexaene polyene macrolide whereas filtrate bound antibiotic belonged to aminoglycoside group. Both the antibiotics showed very good antimicrobial activities in vitro. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Three vasoactive peptides, endothelin-1, adrenomedullin and urotensin-II, in human tumour cell lines of different origin: expression and effects on proliferation.
Evidence has accumulated showing that vasoactive peptides, such as endothelin-1, adrenomedullin and urotensin-II, are expressed in various kinds of tumour cells. In the present study, the expression of endothelin-1 and endothelin receptors was studied in eight human tumour cell lines: T98G (glioblastoma), IMR-32 and NB69 (neuroblastoma), BeWo (choriocarcinoma), SW-13 (adrenocortical carcinoma), DLD-1 (colonic carcinoma), HeLa (cervical carcinoma) and VMRC-RCW (renal carcinoma). Reverse transcriptase-PCR showed expression of endothelin-1 mRNA in seven out of the eight cell lines, the exception being BeWo cells. ET(A) receptor mRNA was expressed in T98G, IMR-32 and NB69 cells, but weakly in the other cells. ET(B) receptor mRNA was expressed in IMR-32, NB69 and BeWo cells, but only weakly in T98G and HeLa cells. Immunoreactive endothelin was detected in the culture media of six out of the eight cell lines, but not in that of IMR-32 or BeWo cells. Treatment of T98G cells with an anti-endothelin-1 antibody or an anti-adrenomedullin antibody for 24 h decreased cell numbers to approx. 84% and 90% of control respectively. Treatment with the ET(A) receptor antagonist BQ-610 (1 microM) significantly decreased cell number to about 90% of control, whereas the ET(B) receptor antagonist BQ-788 had no significant effect. On the other hand, exogenously added endothelin-1, adrenomedullin or urotensin-II (0.1 microM) had no significant effects on cell number. These results suggest that endothelin-1 acts as a paracrine or autocrine growth stimulator in tumours. The effect of endothelin-1 on tumour growth appears to be mediated by the ET(A) receptor. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domains 9 and 11 of WC1 are receptors for the WC1 counter receptor.
Workshop cluster 1 (WC1) is a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) superfamily that includes CD5, CD6, CD163, and M160. Bovine WC1 consists of 11 SRCR domains, a unique domain 1, and two homologous 5 SRCR domain cassettes, WC1 domains 2-6 and 7-11. The porcine orthologue of WC1 contains five SRCR domains with a different domain arrangement. Although the function of WC1 is unknown, WC1 is proposed to be an accessory or homing molecule. Thus, identification of cells that express the counter receptor for WC1 (WC1-CR) is critical to understanding the function of WC1. For this reason, we constructed WC1-human immunoglobulin G1 fusion proteins to identify the binding domain of WC1 and cells that express the WC1-CR. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed WC1 domains 9 and 11 bind cells with macrophage and dendritic cell morphology and cells in ellipsoids in the spleen. These results and the finding of conserved signaling motifs in the cytoplasmic tail suggest WC1 may be an accessory molecule. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Groups 4 Health: Evidence that a social-identity intervention that builds and strengthens social group membership improves mental health.
Social isolation and disconnection have profound negative effects on mental health, but there are few, if any, theoretically-derived interventions that directly target this problem. We evaluate a new intervention, Groups 4 Health (G4H), a manualized 5-module psychological intervention that targets the development and maintenance of social group relationships to treat psychological distress arising from social isolation. G4H was tested using a non-randomized control design. The program was delivered to young adults presenting with social isolation and affective disturbance. Primary outcome measures assessed mental health (depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, and stress), well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem) and social connectedness (loneliness, social functioning). Our secondary goal was to assess whether mechanisms of social identification were responsible for changes in outcomes. G4H was found to significantly improve mental health, well-being, and social connectedness on all measures, both on program completion and 6-month follow-up. In line with social identity theorizing, analysis also showed that improvements in depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and life satisfaction were underpinned by participants' increased identification both with their G4H group and with multiple groups. This study provides preliminary evidence of the potential value of G4H and its underlying mechanisms, but further examination is required in other populations to address issues of generalizability, and in randomized controlled trials to address its wider efficacy. Results of this pilot study confirm that G4H has the potential to reduce the negative health-related consequences of social disconnection. Future research will determine its utility in wider community contexts. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Antimicrobial Photodynamic Polymeric Films Bearing Biscarbazol Triphenylamine End-Capped Dendrimeric Zn(II) Porphyrin.
A novel biscarbazol triphenylamine end-capped dendrimeric zinc(II) porphyrin (DP 5) was synthesized by click chemistry. This compound is a cruciform dendrimer that bears a nucleus of zinc(II) tetrapyrrolic macrocycle substituted at the meso positions by four identical substituents. These are formed by a tetrafluorophenyl group that possesses a triazole unit in the para position. This nitrogenous heterocyclic is connected to a 4,4'-di(N-carbazolyl)triphenylamine group by means of a phenylenevinylene bridge, which allows the conjugation between the nucleus and this external electropolymerizable carbazoyl group. In this structure, dendrimeric arms act as light-harvesting antennas, increasing the absorption of blue light, and as electroactive moieties. The electrochemical oxidation of the carbazole groups contained in the terminal arms of the DP 5 was used to obtain novel, stable, and reproducible fully π-conjugated photoactive polymeric films (FDP 5). First, the spectroscopic characteristics and photodynamic properties of DP 5 were compared with its constitutional components derived of porphyrin P 6 and carbazole D 7 moieties in solution. The fluorescence emissions of the dendrimeric units in DP 5 were more strongly quenched by the tetrapyrrolic macrocycle, indicating photoinduced energy transfer. In addition, FDP 5 film showed the Soret and Q absorption bands and red fluorescence emission of the corresponding zinc(II) porphyrin. Also, FDP 5 film was highly stable to photobleaching, and it was able to produce singlet molecular oxygen in both N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and water. Therefore, the porphyrin units embedded in the polymeric matrix of FDP 5 film mainly retain the photochemical properties. Photodynamic inactivation mediated by FDP 5 film was investigated in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. When a cell suspension was deposited on the surface, complete eradication of S. aureus and a 99% reduction in E. coli survival were found after 15 and 30 min of irradiation, respectively. Also, FDP 5 film was highly effective to eliminate individual bacteria attached to the surface. In addition, photodynamic inactivation (PDI) sensitized by FDP 5 film produced >99.99% bacterial killing in biofilms formed on the surface after 60 min irradiation. The results indicate that FDP 5 film represents an interesting and versatile photodynamic active material to eradicate bacteria as planktonic cells, individual attached microbes, or biofilms. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Improving families' nutrition knowledge through service learning.
Current research documents an increasing prevalence of pediatric obesity in the United States. Effective nutrition education programs are needed to affect this trend. This study pre-tested and post-tested kindergarten students and their families to evaluate the impact of a service learning nutrition education program. Changes in nutrition knowledge and home environment among kindergarten students and their parents who participated in a nutrition education program (treatment group) were compared with those who did not participate in the program (control group). The nutrition education program was developed and delivered by senior nutrition majors at an accredited 4-year university. Responses from a total of 156 parents and kindergarten children (treatment n = 79, control n = 77) out of 205 total kindergarten families (76% response rate) were analyzed to compare changes in knowledge and home environment. Results indicate an increase in the kindergarten children's knowledge and a decrease in the family's home obesigenic risk. These results provide support for the use of service learning to provide age-appropriate nutrition education programs to benefit the entire family. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Do leukocytes contribute to impaired microvascular tissue perfusion after arterial repair?
Impaired capillary perfusion may result in flap failure. Platelet emboli, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and/or vasospasm have been identified as possible causes. This study investigates the role of PMNs in causing impaired capillary perfusion in a free flap model. PMN concentrations were depleted using antineutrophil serum. The cremaster muscles of 20 Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated on a single neurovascular pedicle and after a simulated technically poor arterial anastomosis upstream and reperfusion, capillary perfusion was measured each hour for 6 hours. Even though the number of PMNs was significantly reduced in the animals treated with antineutrophil serum, capillary perfusion was not changed compared with controls. These results demonstrate that depleting circulating PMNs does not protect capillary perfusion in our model. These findings suggest that reduced capillary perfusion downstream from an anastomotic repair is not mediated by the presence of PMNs in the microcirculation. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Benign acute childhood myositis: an unusual cause of calf pain.
We present a 17-year-old boy with benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) who presented with acute onset of right calf pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. The MR findings are reviewed. MR may be useful in diagnosing BACM and in differentiating it from other causes of myositis. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effects of hydroxyl radicals on outwardly rectifying chloride channels in a cultured human bronchial cell line (16HBE14o-).
Respiratory pathologies can result from the exposure of airway epithelial cells to oxidative stress. We studied the effects of the hydroxyl radical *OH, for which there is no natural intra- or extracellular scavenger, on an outwardly rectifying chloride channel (ORCC). In the human bronchial cell line 16HBE14o-, the cytoplasmic side of ORCC in inside-out excised membrane patches was exposed to *OH created by simultaneously superfusing Fe2+ and H2O2 in front of the patch-pipette. ORCC was activated by depolarizing voltage steps. Its open probability (Po) increased with bath [Ca2+] above 1 microM. Upon brief exposure to *OH, ORCC first closed and then alternated between periods of closure and normal activity. The duration of closure increased with the duration of *OH exposure but voltage steps could reopen the channel. After 10 min exposure to *OH, however, the channel closed irreversibly, regardless of the number of subsequent voltage steps or the duration of washing. Low [Ca2+] in the bath accelerated the irreversible closure of the channel in the presence of *OH. Intracellular application of *OH progressively inhibited ORCC activity by inducing long closure periods that increased with time. This might have important pathophysiological implications in the process of inflammation. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Soluble forms of the selectin family in children with Kawasaki disease: prediction for coronary artery lesions.
To investigate the relationship between the plasma levels of soluble forms of the selectin family and the incidence of coronary artery lesions (CALs) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). Thirty-three patients with KD, including group A patients (n = 22) who had no CALs and group B patients (n = 11) who had CALs, as well as age-matched febrile (n = 10) and afebrile controls (n = 11), were studied. Peak plasma E-selectin levels (172.0 +/- 58.6 ng ml(-1)) occurred during the acute phase of KD, while peak plasma P-selectin levels (260.3 +/- 43.2 ng ml(-1)) occurred during the subacute phase of the illness (p<0.05). Plasma L-selectin levels (1757.3 +/- 244.3 ng ml(-1)) during the convalescent phase tended to be higher than in either the acute or the subacute phase (not significant). Before intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, the plasma levels of E- (225.1 +/- 46.8 ng ml(-1)) and P-selectin (259.4 +/- 76.2 ng ml(-1)) of patients with CALs (n = 11) were significantly higher than those of patients (n = 22) with no CALs (E-selectin, 131.6 +/- 36.9 ng ml(-1); P-selectin, 184.9 +/- 84.6 ng ml(-1); p < 0.05). When a plasma E-selectin value before immunoglobulin treatment of >184.7 ng ml(-1) was used as the cut-off point, the sensitivity and specificity for the incidence of CALs were 81.8% and 90.9%, respectively. These findings demonstrate the relationship between plasma levels of selectins and disease severity of Kawasaki vasculitis. Higher plasma levels of E-selectin may have potential as a predictor of the incidence of coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease patients. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A new approach to the analysis of thermoluminescence glow-curve of TLD-600 dosimeters following Am-241 alpha particles irradiation.
A new approach to the analysis of thermoluminescence (TL) glow-curves of LiF:Mg, Ti (TLD-600) following alpha particles irradiation has been presented using general expressions derived from the one-trap-one recombination (OTOR)-level model. It has been found that the results of the deconvolution in the case of using these expressions are different from the case of using the other TL expressions, especially for the high-temperature region. The advantage of using the OTOR expressions is that, unlike the usual analysis, a good fit and reasonable kinetic parameter values could be obtained with a lower number of deconvoluted peaks. The kinetic parameters and the dosimetric properties of each peak have been investigated over different absorbed doses and new findings have been found. Improvement of the accuracy and the precision of the dose measurements at low-dose levels has been achieved using the glow-curve deconvolution algorithm. In addition, theoretical interpretations of some observed behaviors have been presented using the interactive multiple trap system model. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation and Dehydrogenation of N-Heterocycles in Water under Mild Conditions.
An efficient catalytic method is presented for the hydrogenation of N-heterocycles. The iridium-based catalyst operates under mild conditions in water without any co-catalyst or stoichiometric additives. The catalyst also promotes the reverse reaction of dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles, hence displaying appropriate characteristics for a future hydrogen economy based on liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Aging is associated with a shift of fatty metabolism toward lipogenesis.
The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is steadily increasing among the elderly population. Lipid metabolism is transcriptionally controlled by the nuclear receptors retinoid acid receptor alpha, liver-X-receptor alpha, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and their target genes ABCA1, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, and fatty acid synthase. Using senescence-accelerated prone mice (SAMP8), we addressed the question as to whether age-related increase of oxidative stress affects nuclear receptor gene expression. In contrast to SAMR1 control mice, young SAMP8 mice exhibit hepatic steatosis with increased hepatic cholesterol content, plasma triglyceride, and aspartate aminotransferase levels. This is accompanied by an increase of liver-X-receptor alpha and retinoid acid receptor alpha expression, whereas peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha expression is found diminished. SAMP8 mice further reveal a lower expression of ABCA1 as well as of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and higher expression of fatty acid synthase. The dysbalance between the nuclear receptors and their target genes most probably mediates hepatic steatosis and underlines the pathological relevance of nuclear receptor shift toward lipogenesis in fat metabolism of the elderly patient. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Dobutamine-induced ST-segment elevation in patients with acute myocardial infarction and the role of myocardial ischemia, viability, and ventricular dyssynergy.
We analyzed the relation between dobutamine-induced Q-wave ST-segment elevation and regional contraction during low (5 to 10 microg/kg/min) and high doses (20 to 40 microg/kg/min) of dobutamine in a series of 391 dobutamine echocardiographic tests performed 10 +/- 2 days after a first uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ST-segment elevation was defined as > or = 1 mm new or additional J-point elevation with a horizontal or upsloping ST segment lasting 80 ms. Wall motion score index at rest was derived using a 16 segment-4 grade score model. Patients with dobutamine-induced ST-segment elevation had a higher wall motion score index at rest (anterior wall AMI: 1.67 +/- 0.27 vs 1.43 +/- 0.30, p = 0.0001; inferior wall AMI: 1.44 +/- 0.27 vs 1.30 +/- 0.18, p = 0.0001) and similar incidence and extent of myocardial viability and homozonal ischemia in comparison with those without ST-segment elevation. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of dobutamine-induced ST-segment elevation for detecting residual homozonal ischemia were 51%, 55%, and 54%, respectively, in patients with anterior wall AMI, and 42%, 68%, and 58%, respectively, in patients with inferior wall AMI. In conclusion, dobutamine-induced ST-segment elevation is not associated with higher incidence and extent of viable or jeopardized myocardium but rather to a greater extent of wall motion abnormalities at rest. Thus, this finding does not represent a clinically reliable discriminator for selecting patients for coronary angiography and possible revascularization procedures. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Leg muscle activation during gait in Parkinson's disease: adaptation and interlimb coordination.
Adaptation in leg muscle activity and coordination between lower limbs were studied during walking on a treadmill with split belts in one group of parkinsonian patients and one of age-matched healthy subjects. Four different belt speeds (0.25/0.5/0.75/1.0 m/sec) were applied in selected combinations to the left and right leg. While these walking conditions were easily tolerated by the healthy subjects, the parkinsonian patients usually reached the limits of their walking capabilities. Both groups adapted automatically to a change in belt speed within approximately 20 stride cycles. Healthy subjects adapted by reorganizing their stride cycle with a relative shortening of duration of support and lengthening of the swing phase of the "fast" leg and vice versa on the "slow" leg. The patients showed a restricted range of stride frequencies for the various belt speeds during normal and split-belt walking with consequent deviations in the reorganization of the stride cycle. In both healthy subjects and patients, ipsilateral gastrocnemius and contralateral tibialis anterior electromyographic (EMG) activity increased predominantly with an ipsilateral increase in belt speed. Two main differences were observed in the EMG patterns: (1) In the patients leg muscle EMG activity was less modulated and gastrocnemius EMG amplitude was small during normal and split-belt walking. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in respect to the reorganization of the EMG pattern required for the various split-belt walking conditions. (2) The amount of co-activation of antagonistic leg muscles during the support phase of the stride cycle was greater in the patients compared to the healthy subjects during normal and split-belt walking. It is suggested that reduced EMG modulation and recruitment in the leg extensors may contribute to the impaired walking of the patients. This in turn is a result of an impaired proprioceptive feedback from extensor load receptors. This defective control is partially compensated for in parkinsonian patients by a greater amount of leg flexor activation which leads to a higher degree of co-activation. Visual input plays a role in the control of this increased activation. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The use of benazepril in hypertensive patients age 55 and over.
Benazepril, a newer angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, has been evaluated for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension in patients 55 years of age and older. The results of the clinical trials conducted to date indicate that benazepril provides effective antihypertensive therapy in this population, with efficacy comparable to that demonstrated in younger patients. Benazepril does not produce precipitous decreases in diastolic blood pressure following the initial dose, and is well tolerated by the elderly. It has a safety profile similar to that of placebo and generally better than that of hydrochlorothiazide. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Biosocial models of adolescent problem behavior: extension to panel design.
We extended the biosocial model of problem behavior tested by Udry (1990) to a panel design, following a sample of over one hundred boys in adolescence for three years. We found the expected results for sociological variables, but weaker effects for testosterone than Udry found on cross-sectional data. Using panel models with lagged hormone effects, we identified relationships between Time-1 testosterone and problem behavior one year or more later. The relationship between testosterone and problem behavior was not present for subsequent measures of testosterone, either in cross-section or with time-lagged models. Therefore we cannot interpret the results as showing testosterone effects on problem behavior. Rather it appears that testosterone level in early adolescence is a marker for a more general growth trajectory of early development. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha-mediated pathways in alcohol fed cytochrome P450 2E1 deficient mice.
Fatty acids are substrates and inducers for cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). Previously, we have shown that the ethanol-induced CYP2E1 expression in rat is accompanied by the inhibition of the expression of the PPARalpha gene and the reduction in polyunsaturated fatty acid content. To further analyze the effect of CYP2E1 and ethanol in PPARalpha-mediated fatty acid homeostasis, the expression of PPARalpha and retinoid x receptor alpha (RXRalpha) and their target genes was examined in ethanol fed CYP2E1 deficient mice. Our data demonstrated that the expression of PPARalpha and RXRalpha genes was activated in the livers of CYP2E1-null mice suggesting a compensatory effect for the absence of CYP2El. In addition, the expression of PPARalpha target genes, which included the liver fatty acid-binding protein, malic enzyme, and CYP4A1 genes, was induced indicating the activation of PPARalpha-mediated pathways in CYP2E1 deficient mice. Ethanol inhibited the expression of some of the PPARalpha target genes in wild-type mouse livers, and the inhibitory effect of ethanol was particularly prominent in the CYP2E1-null mice. Morphologically, centrilobular fat accumulation was detected in the ethanol fed CYP2E1-null mouse livers suggesting that inhibition of PPARalpha-mediated pathways might be responsible for the ethanol-induced fatty liver in CYP2El-null mice. In addition, the expression of CYP2E1 was not changed in the PPARalpha-null mice. These data suggest that CYP2E1 and ethanol can regulate PPARalpha-mediated fatty acid homeostasis. CYP2E1-induced lipid peroxidation might play a major role in lipid metabolism, PPARalpha only becomes important when the CYP2E1 level is low and polyunsaturated fatty acids increase. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Total Synthesis of the 7,10-Epimer of the Proposed Structure of Amphidinolide N, Part II: Synthesis of C17-C29 Subunit and Completion of the Synthesis.
The total synthesis of 7,10-epimer of the proposed structure of amphidinolide N was accomplished. The requisite chiral C17-C29 subunit was assembled stereoselectively via Keck allylation, Shi epoxidation, diastereoselective 1,3-reduction, and a later oxidative synthesis of the THF framework. The C1-C13 and C17-C29 subunits were successfully coupled using a Enders RAMP "linchpin" as the C14-C16 three carbon unit, thereby controlling the chirality at C14 and C16. The labile allyl epoxy moiety was successfully constructed by Grieco-Nishizawa olefination at a final stage of the synthesis. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The HIV-1 cell entry inhibitor T-20 potently chemoattracts neutrophils by specifically activating the N-formylpeptide receptor.
T-20, a synthetic peptide corresponding to the heptad repeat sequence of HIV-1 gp41, blocks HIV-1 entry by targeting gp41, and is currently in clinical trials as an anti-retroviral agent. We recently reported that in vitro T-20 also functions as a phagocyte chemoattractant and a chemotactic agonist at the phagocyte N-formylpeptide receptor (FPR). Here we show that T-20 is also a potent chemotactic agonist in vitro at a related human phagocyte receptor FPRL1R. To test the relative importance of FPR and FPRL1R in primary cells, we identified the corresponding mouse T-20 receptors, mFPR and FPR2, which are both expressed in neutrophils, and compared T-20 action on neutrophils from wild type and mFPR knockout mice. Surprisingly, although T-20 activates mFPR and FPR2 in transfected cells with equal potency and efficacy in both calcium flux and chemotaxis assays, neutrophils from mFPR knockout mice did not respond to T-20. These results provide genetic evidence that FPR is the major phagocyte T-20 receptor in vivo and point to the potential feasibility of studying T-20 effects on immunity in a mouse model. This may help define the cause of local inflammation after T-20 injection that has recently been reported in Phase I clinical trials. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Family size and the quality of children.
If couples decide to have fewer children in order to achieve higher "quality" offspring, are they correct in assuming that the quality of children bears an important and inverse relation to family size? If they are correct, how does number of children operate to affect individual quality? This research (using U.S. whites primarily) takes educational attainment (among adults) and college plans (among youngsters) as the principal indicators of quality, but also directs some attention to measures of intelligence. The analysis supports the "dilution model" (on average, the more children the lower the quality of each child) and indicates that only children do not suffer from lack of siblings, and that other last-borns are not handicapped by a "teaching deficit." Number of siblings (relative to other background variables) is found to have an important detrimental impact on child quality--an impact compounded by the fact that, when couples are at a stage in life to make family-size decisions, most background factors (however important to the quality of their children) are no longer readily manipulable. A special path analysis of college plans among boys uses a modification of Sewell's Wisconsin Model as its base. The results show that number of siblings is a negative influence on intervening variables affecting college plans. In general, the research documents the unfavorable consequences for individual siblings of high fertility, even in a country that is (at least for whites) as socially, economically, and politically advantaged as the United States. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Reduced posterior parietal cortex activation after training on a visual search task.
Gaining experience on a cognitive task improves behavioral performance and is thought to enhance brain efficiency. Despite the body of literature already published on the effects of training on brain activation, less research has been carried out on visual search attention processes under well controlled conditions. Thirty-six healthy adults divided into trained and control groups completed a pre-post letter-based visual search task fMRI study in one day. Twelve letters were used as targets and ten as distractors. The trained group completed a training session (840 trials) with half the targets between scans. The effects of training were studied at the behavioral and brain levels by controlling for repetition effects using both between-subjects (trained vs. control groups) and within-subject (trained vs. untrained targets) controls. The trained participants reduced their response speed by 31% as a result of training, maintaining their accuracy scores, whereas the control group hardly changed. Neural results revealed that brain changes associated with visual search training were circumscribed to reduced activation in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) when controlling for group, and they included inferior occipital areas when controlling for targets. The observed behavioral and brain changes are discussed in relation to automatic behavior development. The observed training-related decreases could be associated with increased neural efficiency in specific key regions for task performance. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Impaired myocardial radial function in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a speckle-tracking imaging study.
Diabetic cardiomyopathy has been characterized by an early impairment of left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function as opposed to preserved LV radial function. Conventional echocardiography and longitudinal (ε(L)) and radial (ε(R)) systolic strain assessed by speckle-tracking imaging were obtained in 114 type 2 diabetic patients and 88 age-matched controls. LV ejection fraction was similar in diabetic patients and controls. The presence of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in diabetic patients was demonstrated by lower values of midwall fractional shortening (18% ± 3% vs 20% ± 3%, P = .006), ε(L) (-19% ± 3% vs -22% ± 2%, P < .001), and ε(R) (50% ± 16% vs 56% ± 12%, P = .003) compared with controls. On multivariate analysis, factors predicting strain values were diabetes (P = .001) and gender (P = .001) for ε(L) and diabetes (P = .003) for ε(R). Diabetic patients without overt heart disease display subclinical alteration of both radial and longitudinal LV systolic function even after adjustment for blood pressure, age, and body mass index. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Relationship between dynamic deformities and joint moments in children with cerebral palsy.
A relationship between dynamic flexion-extension motion ranges during walking and the magnitude of flexion and extension moments was analyzed for 38 ambulatory children with spastic cerebral palsy. Moments tending to flex the hip and the knee were more than a factor of two times greater than those occurring during normal gait. At the knee, the magnitude of the moments was related to the amount of flexion deformity, whereas at the hip there was no correlation between moment magnitude and extension motion range. The maximum dorsiflexion and plantarflexion ankle moments were of less than normal value in all deformity groupings. An understanding of the longterm influence of these abnormal moments on the terms of the progression or stabilization of the dynamic deformities during walking is an important step toward improving our understanding of and, potentially, our ability to treat patients with cerebral palsy. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Anesthetic and postoperative management of the obstructive sleep apnea patient.
Sleep apnea patients pose a challenge for surgeons, anesthesiologists, and surgical facilities as there is increased risk for anesthetic and postoperative complications. Precautions before and after surgery minimize these risks. Screening for sleep apnea should be done for all surgical patients. Safe perioperative management requires judicious use of narcotics and sedating medications, reducing upper airway edema, prevention of aspiration and deep vein thrombosis, blood pressure control, use of positive airway pressure, and proper postoperative monitoring. Although the literature lacks specific recommendations, the guidelines presented in this article are based on more than 20 years of experience and supported by peer-reviewed medical literature. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Analysis of the fine specificities of sheep major histocompatibility complex class II-specific monoclonal antibodies using mouse L-cell transfectants.
The fine specificities of two panels of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for sheep major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules were determined using five mouse L-cell transfectants, each expressing a defined sheep DQ or DR MHC class II A/B gene pair. Using the transfectants in an indirect fluorescence antibody assay, previous immunochemical characterization of the mAbs was confirmed for 16 of 23 mAbs tested. The MHC class II subtype specificity (DQ or DR) of each mAb was assigned without interference from the products of other expressed class II loci. This allowed the identification of both cross-locus specificities as well as defining fine specificities of mAbs previously only partially characterized by immunochemical techniques. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Use of CO2 laser as an adjunctive treatment for caudal stomatitis in a cat.
Lasers have become a popular tool in veterinary practice, particularly the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser. In humans, the CO2 laser is used most commonly in oral and maxillofacial soft tissue surgery due to its favorable interactions with oral soft tissues. Other types of lasers are better suited for use on hard tissues such as enamel and dentin. This article reviews the history of laser use, physics of laser-tissue interaction, delivery systems, and laser types used in dentistry and oral surgery. This is followed by a case report describing the use of CO2 laser as an adjunctive treatment for therapy of refractory caudal stomatitis in a cat. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Influence of vitamin D on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in naturally colonized cattle.
Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the influence of vitamin D on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle. In the first experiment, two groups of cattle (beef and dairy) were assigned to a control treatment or to receive 0.5 × 10(6) IU vitamin D per day via oral bolus for 10 days. Fecal samples were collected before and throughout the dosing period for culture of E. coli O157:H7. No differences were observed for fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 among treatments for either beef or dairy animals. Serum concentrations of vitamin D were markedly higher (P < 0.0001) in treated beef cattle but only tended to be higher (P = 0.09) in the dairy cattle. In the second experiment, three successive vitamin D dosages (2,400, 4,800, and 9,600 IU/day; 14 days each) were administered to 14 dairy steers (7 steers served as controls), fecal samples were collected daily, and serum samples were collected weekly throughout the 42-day experimental period. No significant differences in fecal prevalence or serum vitamin D concentrations were observed for any of the vitamin D dosages. A third experiment sampled feedlot cattle (winter and summer) to determine whether serum vitamin D concentrations were correlated with fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7. A fecal sample and a blood sample were obtained in each season from 60 randomly selected animals (total of 120 fecal samples and 120 corresponding blood samples). As expected, season was highly correlated (r = 0.66) with serum vitamin D concentration with higher concentrations (P < 0.01) observed in the summer. E. coli O157:H7 prevalence (percentage of positive samples) was not highly correlated (r = 0.16) with season, although the correlation tended to be significant (P = 0.08). The proportion of cattle shedding E. coli O157:H7 was 16.7 and 6.7% for the summer and winter collections, respectively. Results of this research do not support a correlation between vitamin D intake and E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Construction of shRNA eucharyotic expression plasmid targeted human VIGILIN and the investigation of VIGILIN's effect on hepatocarcinoma cell cycle].
To construct a shRNA eucharyotic expression plasmid against human VIGILIN and explore possible relation between human VIGILIN and HepG2 cell cycle. We constructed the shRNA eucharyotic expression plasmid targeted human VIGILIN, and transfected HepG2 cells with shRNA expression plasmid pSIREN-VIG, then determined the expression of VIGILIN mRNA and protein in HepG2 cells by RT-PCR and Western-blot, analysed alteration of cell cycle using FACS. The plasmid pSIREN-VIG can effectively and specifically inhibit the expression of human VIGILIN. After transfection 48 hours, the expression of VIGILIN was significantly decreased. Due to knockdown of human VIGILIN, cell cycle is impaired and cells are arrested in G2/M phase. The proportion of G2/M phase of all groups were listed as: C group (untreated wild HepG2 cells) 2.4%, M group (HepG2 cells treated with transfection reagent) 4.9%, G group (HepG2 cells transfected with pSIREN-GFP) 6.5% and V group (HepG2 cells transfected with pSIREN-VIG) 9.4%. We have successfully constructed a shRNA expression plasmid which could effectively and specifically inhibit the expression of human VIGILIN. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effect of chronic furosemide administration on acid-base balance in patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure.
We quantitatively analyzed the effect of long-term administration of oral furosemide on the PaCO2 - H+ relationship in patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure. In this study we measured arterial blood gases of eighteen outpatients (mean duration of visits, 7.6 years; mean rise of PaCO2, 15.4 mmHg). We obtained linear regression lines for PaCO2 - H+, and determined their Y-axis intercepts and slopes. The results indicated that an increase in the administered dose of furosemide decreased linearly the Y-axis intercept of the regression line [(Y-intercept) = - 6.9(dose of furosemide) + 30.9, r = 0.81], and increased linearly the slope of the regression line [(slope) = 0.094(dose of furosemide) + 0.22, r = 0.74]. Thus, the regression line of the PaCO2 - H+ relationship moved downward and became steeper at higher doses of furosemide. The regression lines for each dose of furosemide crossed at a PaCO2 of 75 mmHg. We concluded that there is a mutual interaction between the renal and respiratory mechanisms for acid-base balance in chronic hypercapnia and the effect of furosemide on the PaCO2 - H+ relationship is negligible in severe hypercapnia. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Kappa-casein based electrochemical and surface plasmon resonance biosensors for the assessment of the clotting activity of rennet.
We report for the first time the development of kappa-casein (κ-CN)-based electrochemical and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors for the assessment of the clotting activity of rennet. Electrochemical biosensors were developed over gold electrodes modified with a self-assembled monolayer of dithiobis-N-succinimidyl propionate, while SPR measurements were performed on regenerated carboxymethylated dextran gold surfaces. In both types of biosensor, κ-CN molecules were immobilized onto modified gold surfaces through covalent bonding. In electrochemical biosensors, interactions between the immobilized κ-CN molecules and chymosin (the active component of rennet) were studied by performing cyclic voltammetry, differential pulsed voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, using hexacyanoferrate(II)/(III) couple as a redox probe. κ-CN is cleaved by rennet at the Phe105-Met106 bond, producing a soluble glycomacropeptide, which is released to the electrolyte, and the positively charged insoluble para-κ-casein molecule, which remains attached to the surface of the electrode. This induced reduction of the net negative charge of the sensing surface, along with the partial degradation of the sensing layer, results in an increase of the flux of the redox probe, which exists in the solution, and consequently, to signal variations, which are associated with the increased electrocatalysis of the hexacyanoferrate(II)/(III) couple on the gold surface. SPR experiments were performed in the absence of the redox probe and the observed SPR angle alterations were solely attributed to the cleavage of the immobilized κ-CN molecules. Various experimental variables were investigated and under the selected conditions the proposed biosensors were successfully tried to real samples. The ratios of the clotting power units in various commercial solid or liquid samples, as they are calculated by the EIS-based data, were almost identical to those obtained with a reference method. In addition, EIS measurements showed an excellent reproducibility, lower than 5%. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Sphenoid sinus involvement in neuroblastoma.
Malignancy of the sphenoid sinus, especially metastatic involvement, is an extremely rare event at any age and is usually associated with a poor prognosis. We present a case of a 5-year-old boy who underwent allogenic bone marrow transplantation for stage IV neuroblastoma. Three years later, he presented with an isolated lesion, histologically proven to be neuroblastoma, in the sphenoid sinus. Partial excision of the tumor, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, achieved a remission for 3 years. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Analysis of permanent accident-induced physical damage based on statistics of the federal insurance organization].
The changes in the occurrence of the accidents are continuously reflected in the computer statistics of the State Insurance Co. Comparing the date from 1970, 1975, 1984, 1986 it is evident the rapid increase in rate and number of the accidents happened at home and the decrease of the accidents in the working places. The pedestrian is run down on the road more often. The rate of the manual workers reaches the 90% among the injured. The most of the accidents at school happen on the physical training and during the break-time. The mortality ratio is 0.78%, the rate of the permanent damages of health 5.72%. 70% of all injuries are caused by mechanical trauma, falling in particular. 30% or higher permanent damage of health caused by accident was found in 3.047 injured persons in the year 1983. 74% male, 26% female, 80% of them were in working age. In 85% of the damaged persons the degree of the P.D.H. was 50% or less, only 15% of them became invalid. The traffic accidents has the leading role in provoking severe P.D.H.-s. In the distribution according the injured part of the body the extremities are leading with 62% of participation, the fractures of the leg, ankle and heel bone in particular. The therapeutic results of this letter group could be improved by better, more careful rehabilitation. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Gold nanoparticle-based electrochemical magnetoimmunosensor for rapid detection of anti-hepatitis B virus antibodies in human serum.
A sandwich immunoassay using magnetic beads as bioreaction platforms and AuNPs as electroactive labels for the electrochemical detection of human IgG antibodies anti-Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is here presented as an alternative to the standard methods used in hospitals for the detection of human antibodies directed against HBsAg (such as ELISA or MEIA). The electrochemical detection of AuNPs is carried out approaching their catalytic properties towards the hydrogen evolution in an acidic medium, without previous nanoparticle dissolution. The obtained results are a good promise toward the development of a fully integrated biosensing set-up. The developed technology based on this detection mode would be simple to use, low cost and integrated into a portable instrumentation that may allow its application even at doctor-office. The sample volumes required can be lower than those used in the traditional methods. This may lead to several other applications with interest for clinical control. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Enhancement of multimodality texture-based prediction models via optimization of PET and MR image acquisition protocols: a proof of concept.
Texture-based radiomic models constructed from medical images have the potential to support cancer treatment management via personalized assessment of tumour aggressiveness. While the identification of stable texture features under varying imaging settings is crucial for the translation of radiomics analysis into routine clinical practice, we hypothesize in this work that a complementary optimization of image acquisition parameters prior to texture feature extraction could enhance the predictive performance of texture-based radiomic models. As a proof of concept, we evaluated the possibility of enhancing a model constructed for the early prediction of lung metastases in soft-tissue sarcomas by optimizing PET and MR image acquisition protocols via computerized simulations of image acquisitions with varying parameters. Simulated PET images from 30 STS patients were acquired by varying the extent of axial data combined per slice ('span'). Simulated T 1-weighted and T 2-weighted MR images were acquired by varying the repetition time and echo time in a spin-echo pulse sequence, respectively. We analyzed the impact of the variations of PET and MR image acquisition parameters on individual textures, and we investigated how these variations could enhance the global response and the predictive properties of a texture-based model. Our results suggest that it is feasible to identify an optimal set of image acquisition parameters to improve prediction performance. The model constructed with textures extracted from simulated images acquired with a standard clinical set of acquisition parameters reached an average AUC of [Formula: see text] in bootstrap testing experiments. In comparison, the model performance significantly increased using an optimal set of image acquisition parameters ([Formula: see text]), with an average AUC of [Formula: see text]. Ultimately, specific acquisition protocols optimized to generate superior radiomics measurements for a given clinical problem could be developed and standardized via dedicated computer simulations and thereafter validated using clinical scanners. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Role of Oncostatin M in hematopoiesis and liver development.
Definitive hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) first appear in the aorta/gonad/mesonephros (AGM) region and migrate to the fetal liver where they massively produce hematopoietic cells before establishing hematopoiesis in the bone marrow at a perinatal stage. In the AGM region, Oncostatin M (OSM) enhances the development of both hematopoietic and endothelial cells by possibly stimulating their common precursors, so-called hemangioblasts. During development of HSCs in the AGM region, the liver primodium is formed at the foregut and accepts HSCs. While fetal hepatic cells function as hematopoietic microenvironment for expansion of hematopoietic cells during mid to late gestation, they do not possess most of the metabolic functions of adult liver. Along with the expansion of hematopoietic cells in fetal liver, OSM is produced by hematopoietic cells and induces differentiation of fetal hepatic cells, conferring various metabolic activities of adult liver. Matured hepatic cells then lose the ability to support hematopoiesis. Thus, OSM appears to coordinate the development of liver and hematopoiesis in the fetus. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
System issues are at the heart of flow woes.
ED managers should be proactive in seeking to achieve Institute of Medicine report goals and in tackling patient flow from within, even before systems improvements are made. Change the "conversation" about flow, and address it in all meetings as a hospitalwide problem. Got no room for new patients? Try moving your admitted patients to the inpatient floor. Determine which areas "own" which part of the flow process, and then hold them accountable. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Studies on the diastereoselective oxidation of 1-thio-β-D-glucopyranosides: synthesis of the usually less favoured R(S) sulfoxide as a single diastereoisomer.
A detailed study on the diastereoselective oxidation of 1-thio-β-D-glucopyranosides is reported. It has been shown that the sense and the degree of stereochemical outcome of the oxidation are highly dependent on the substituent of the sulfur and on the protective group of the C2-OH. In the case of thioglycosides with a bulky aglycone, the mesylation of C2-OH has a significant effect on the stereochemical outcome of the oxidation, affording the usually less favoured RS sulfoxide as a single diastereoisomer. The absolute configuration of the final sulfinyl glycosides was ascertained by NMR analysis and corroborated by X-ray crystallography. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells by aminobenzyl alcohols and nitrobenzyl alcohols is correlated with intercellular communication.
Two aminobenzyl alcohols (ABAs) and 3 nitrobenzyl alcohols (NBAs) were studied in the Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell transformation system. All compounds induced statistically significant increases in morphological transformation of SHE cells. 2-ABA and 3-ABA induced dose-dependent increases in transformation, while the transformation frequencies for 2-NBA and 4-NBA decreased when concentrations were increased above 0.2 mM. When tested in an intercellular communication assay using dye transfer between SHE cells, 2-ABA inhibited communication, and 2-NBA and 4-NBA enhanced communication. Thus, the inverse dose-response of 2-NBA related to an increased intercellular communication. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
α-Galactosylceramide ameliorates autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice through a suppressive effect mediated by CD8+ T cells.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder resulting from lymphocyte-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β cells in pancreas. Natural killer T cells are regulatory immune components controlling autoreactivity and immune homeostasis. Although early studies supported that amelioration of autoimmune diabetes by natural killer T cells was associated with Th1/2 shift, other Th2-independent regulatory mechanisms were also suggested. Since natural killer T cells are critical for the generation of CD8(+) regulatory T cells controlling anterior chamber-associated immune deviation and CD8(+) regulatory T cells also participate in suppression of immune responses like experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we investigate whether the similar suppressive effects are involved in α-galactosylceramide-induced immune tolerance in non-obese diabetic mice. We demonstrate that repeated exposure of α-galactosylceramide reveals a hyporesponsiveness of total or antigen-presenting cells-depleted splenocytes upon anti-CD3/28 antibodies stimulation. The dispensability of dendritic cells in the hyporesponsiveness is consistent with the comparable expression of costimulatory molecules on CD11c(+) subsets between α-galactosylceramide- and vehicle-treated mice. α-Galactosylceramide treatment not only affects the effector T cell subsets and their cytokine production but also increases the secretion of transforming growth factor-β by splenocytes, implying the suppressive regulation. The adoptive transfer experiments demonstrate the suppressive effect of T cells from α-galactosylceramide-treated non-obese diabetic mice when co-transferred with vehicle-treated littermates. Finally, it reveals that CD8(+) subset among antigen-presenting cells-depleted splenocytes tends to confer the suppression since the protective ability vanishes upon withdrawal of CD8(+) subset. These results suggest that repeated exposure of α-galactosylceramide ameliorates autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice mediated by CD8(+) T cell-associated suppression. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The results of the expression array studies correlate and enhance the known genetic basis of gastric and colorectal cancer.
Gastric and colorectal cancers belong to the most frequent cancer types in the world today. This fact emphasizes the importance of identification of useful diagnostic and prognostic markers, in the earliest stage of the disease. The examination of gene expression profile in gastric and colorectal cancer may develop the bases of early diagnosis and of individual therapeutic strategies. In the microarray examinations done so far for these types of cancers, the expression of hundreds and thousands of genes were studied, however, both the sample collection and the results showed wide variations. The diversity of expression array methods and data analysis makes the comparison of microarray results difficult. Beside the exposition of the practical aspects of the chip technology, our aims are the systematization of data that are currently available in the international scientific literature and the description of the results in a comprehensive way. Microarray results show that the gene expression pattern, detected in gastric and colon cancers, highly depends on the histological type and heterogeneity of the sample, array type, and softwares, used for data analysis. Recent experiments point out not just the changes of the alterations of tumor suppression, apoptosis, cell-cycle regulation, and signal transduction, but tumor cell metabolism and cell-microenvironment interactions also. Results show connection to and make more complete the already known molecular background of gastric and colorectal cancers. Based on the accumulation of recent and further data, such kind of multifunctional diagnostic microarrays that can be suited for completing the conventional histological diagnostics and subtypization will certainly become available in the near future. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in severe beta-thalassemia: effect of chelation and pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone therapy.
We studied pituitary-gonadal function in 11 male and 5 female patients, aged 12-30 yr, with severe beta-thalassemia and chronic iron overload. All had normal basal serum cortisol, T4, and PRL concentrations and normal serum cortisol and GH responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and TSH responses to TRH. Of the 11 male patients (all over 17 yr of age), only 3 attained full pubertal development and 4 had subnormal serum LH and FSH responses to GnRH. As a group, their mean basal serum testosterone (T) level was low [11.7 +/- 4.9 (+/- SE) nmol/L; normal, 10-40 nmol/L], and 9 of the 11 male patients responded to hCG with a rise in serum T. Two of the 3 female patients over 17 yr of age were prepubertal with undetectable serum estradiol (E2) levels and absent serum LH and FSH responses to GnRH; the other female patient had regular menstrual cycles and normal serum E2 levels and LH and FSH responses to GnRH. Six of the prepubertal patients (4 males and 2 females, aged 17-30 yr) were studied serially for 3 yr after the start of chelation therapy. Despite a fall of median serum ferritin from 11,910 to 1,303 pmol/L, there was no progression of puberty, and their basal and GnRH-stimulated serum LH and FSH and serum T or E2 levels did not change. Three of these patients (1 male and 2 female) then received pulsatile sc GnRH therapy in addition to chelation therapy for 6 months with no improvement. We conclude that chronic iron overload in patients with severe thalassemia leads to variable degrees of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which do not respond to chelation therapy given late in the course of the disease. The hypogonadism in most patients was due to pituitary hyporesponsiveness to GnRH. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[[COMPLIANCE RATE OF STANDARD TREATMENT REGIMEN AND OPTIMAL DOSE OF ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS DRUGS IN LATE ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS].]
The proportion of the elderly in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis is increasing, and failure to complete the standard treatment regimen is not uncommon in these patients. We examined the compliance rate and prob- lems of the standard regimen in the late elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients. [Methods] We reviewed the medical records of late elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis aged 75 or above who were smear-positive and treated in Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center between January 2011 and December 2014. Our retrospective study examined patient characteris- tics, imaging findings, laboratory results, and outcomes. The compliance rate of standard regimen during the hospitaliza- tion period was calculated. We compared the discontinua- tion rate and the incidence of adverse drug reactions by body weight equivalent doses of anti-tuberculosis drugs. [Results] A total of 298 patients were included in this study, and 76% of those patients were aged 80 or above. Anti-tuberculosis therapy was not able to be initiated for 3 patients (1%), and treatment other than standard regimen was inevitably introduced at initiation in 21 patients. The remaining 274 patients (92%) were administered the stan- dard regimen. Among them, at least one medication was subsequently discontinued for 85 patients (29%), and the medication was changed due to drug resistance in 6 patients . (2%). The remaining 183 patients (61%) complied with the standard regimen during hospitalization. In the comparison by body weight equivalent dose, significantly more patients discontinued their medication in the group using ethambutol with a higher standard dose per weight (37% vs. 21%, p=0.02). [Conclusion] Nearly 40% of the late elderly patients could not comply with the standard regimen. We may need to be more careful when calculating ethambutol equivalent dose. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
In vivo predegeneration of peripheral nerves: an effective technique to obtain activated Schwann cells for nerve conduits.
In vivo predegeneration of peripheral nerves is presented as a convenient and effective method to obtain activated Schwann cells and an enhanced cell yield following in vitro cultivation. The experiments conducted in rats were aimed at clinical use in gaining Schwann cell suspensions for filling artificial conduits in order to bridge peripheral nerve gaps. The rat sciatic nerve used as a model was transected distally to the spinal ganglia. Predegeneration in vivo was allowed to take place for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days and up to 1, 2 and 3 weeks. The nerve was then resected and prepared for cell cultivation. Schwann cells cultivated from the contralateral untreated nerve served as control. Immunostaining for S100, nerve growth factor receptor and the adhesion molecules N-cadherin and L1 was used to characterize the general state of the cultures. Viability was assessed by fluorescein fluorescence staining, and the proliferation index was determined by bromodeoxyuridine-DNA incorporation. The Schwann cells from predegenerated nerves revealed an increased proliferation rate compared to the control, whereas fibroblast contamination was decreased. Best results were obtained 1 week after predegeneration. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Assessment of flood-induced changes of phytoplankton along a river-floodplain system using the morpho-functional approach.
In this research, we aimed to find out how the differences in hydrological connectivity between the main river channel and adjacent floodplain influence the changes in phytoplankton community structure along a river-floodplain system. The research was performed in the River Danube floodplain (Croatian river section) in the period 2008-2009 characterised by different flooding pattern on an annual time scale. By utilising the morpho-functional approach and multivariate analyses, the flood-derived structural changes of phytoplankton were analysed. The lake stability during the isolation phase triggered the specific pattern of morpho-functional groups (MFG) which were characterised by cyanobacterial species achieving very high biomass. Adversely, the high water turbulence in the lake during the frequent and extreme flooding led to evident similarity between lake and river assemblages. Besides different diatom species (groups of small and large centrics and pennates), which are the most abundant representatives in the river phytoplankton, many other groups such as cryptophytes and colonial phytomonads appeared to indicate altered conditions in the floodplain driven by flooding. Having different functional properties, small centric diatom taxa sorted to only one MFG cannot clearly reflect environmental changes that are shown by the species-level pattern. Disadvantages in using the MFG approach highlight that it is still necessary to combine it with taxonomical approach in monitoring of phytoplankton in the river-floodplain ecosystems. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The role of rhythms in the response to melatonin.
Rhythmicity of melatonin secretion is critical to the regulation of mammalian reproduction by daylength. In the ewe, photoperiod determines ovarian function by modulating the ability of oestradiol to suppress pituitary secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH). This influence of daylength depends in turn upon the pineal gland, which mediates photic control of the frequency at which the brain stimulates the pituitary to secrete gonadotropin. Photoperiod determines the pattern of melatonin secretion, most notably setting the duration of the nightly elevation in serum concentrations. Replacement of melatonin in pinealectomized ewes drives responsiveness to oestradiol negative feedback; LH levels are determined by the duration of the nightly melatonin infusion rather than by the photoperiod to which ovariectomized, oestradiol-implanted pinealectomized ewes are exposed. Refractoriness to stimulatory and inhibitory photoperiods may reflect circannual modulation of the responsiveness of neuroendocrine mechanisms to melatonin signals of a given duration. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Thyroid screening in the newborn: Utah experience.
Since 1979, the State Department of Health Laboratory of Utah has screened 108,256 newborn infants for hypothyroidism. The incidence of diagnosed hypothyroid children during this period was 1 per 3,800 live births. Utilizing a normal range of serum thyroid hormone levels in newborn infants of 8.0 to 26.0 micrograms per dl, the incidence of normal infants initially considered hypothyroid was less than one percent. A review of our three years experience is presented. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Biomechanical assessment of surgical repair of the mitral valve.
Repair of the mitral valve is defined (loosely) as a procedure that alters the valve structure, without replacement, enabling the natural valve itself to continue to perform under the physical conditions to which it is exposed. As the mitral valve is driven by flow and pressure, it should be feasible to analyse and assess its function, failure and repair as a mechanical system. This article reviews the current state of mechanical evaluation of surgical repairs of the failed mitral valve of the heart. This review describes the anatomy and physiology of the mitral valve, followed by the failure of the mitral valve from a mechanical point of view. The surgical methods used to repair failed valves are introduced, while the use of engineering analysis to aid understanding of mitral valve repair is also reviewed. Finally, a section on recommendations for development and future uses of engineering techniques to surgical repair are presented. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Investigation of optimal follower load path generated by trunk muscle coordination.
It has been reported that the center of rotation of each vertebral body is located posterior to the vertebral body center. Moreover, it has been suggested that an optimized follower load (FL) acts posterior to the vertebral body center. However, the optimal position of the FL with respect to typical biomechanical characteristics regarding spinal stabilization, such as joint compressive force, shear force, joint moment, and muscle stress, has not been studied. A variation in the center of rotation of each vertebra was formulated in a three-dimensional finite element model of the lumbar spine with 117 pairs of trunk muscles. Then, the optimal translation of the FL path connecting the centers of rotations was estimated by solving the optimization problem that was to simultaneously minimize the compressive forces, the shear forces, and the joint moments or to minimize the cubic muscle stresses. An upright neutral standing position and a standing position with 200N in both hands were considered. The FL path moved posterior, regardless of the optimization criteria and loading conditions. The FL path moved 5.0 and 7.8mm posterior in upright standing and 4.1mm and 7.0mm posterior in standing with 200N in hands for each optimization scheme. In addition, it was presented that the optimal FL path may have advantages in comparison to the body center FL path. The present techniques may be important in understanding the spine stabilization function of the trunk muscles. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Type 1 regulatory T cells and regulatory B cells induced by tolerogenic dendritic cells.
Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells that are capable of both activating immune responses and inducing tolerance. Several studies have revealed efficiency of therapeutic vaccination with tolerogenic DC (tolDC) in inhibition of experimental autoimmunity. The purpose of this study was to compare four different protocols for generation of tolDC - the antidiabetic drug troglitazone (TGZ DC), NF-κB inhibitor BAY 11-7082 (BAY DC), prostaglandin D2 metabolite 15d-PGJ2 (PGJ DC) and a combination of dexamethasone and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (DexVD3 DC) regarding phenotype, cytokine production and T cell stimulatory capacity. TGZ DC and BAY DC had a phenotype comparable to immature DC, while DexVD3 DC were more macrophage like. Analysis of cytokine production using cell culture supernatants from all DC populations revealed that DexVD3 DC were efficient producers of IL-10 and produced less pro-inflammatory cytokines. T cells primed with DexVD3 DC showed reduced proliferation, and further analyses of these T cells revealed that functionally effective type 1 regulatory T cells (Tr1) but not FoxP3(+) Treg were induced. Furthermore, DexVD3 DC promoted the induction of regulatory B cells (Breg). Together, these results indicate that DexVD3 DC have the best potential to be used in a tolerogenic antigen-presenting cell-based immunotherapy setting. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Increased cathepsin K and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase expression in bone of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
The effect of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) on bone metabolism was evaluated using the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat 1 week after the induction of diabetes. The urinary excretion of cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTx) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpd) in diabetic rats increased to 3.6-fold and 1.2-fold the control level, respectively. The amount of hydroxyproline and calcium in the distal femur of diabetic rats significantly decreased to 76% and 90% of the control, respectively. The levels of serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the distal femur of the diabetic rats were significantly reduced to about 40% and 70% of the control levels, respectively. The decrease in the expression osteocalcin was observed in distal femur of the diabetic rats, although the level of ALP mRNA was unchanged. The activity and the mRNA level of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) increased to 1.5- and 2.3-fold the control level, respectively, in distal femur of the diabetic rats. The activity, protein, and mRNA levels of cathepsin K of diabetic rats also elevated to about 2-, 2.3-, and 2-fold the control levels, respectively. These results suggest that IDDM contributes to bone loss through changes in gene expression of TRAP and cathepsin K in osteoclasts as well as osteocalcin in osteoblasts resulting in increased bone resorptive activity and decreased bone formation. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
P2Y receptor-mediated Ca(2+) signaling increases human vascular endothelial cell permeability.
We investigated the effects of P2-receptor agonists on cell size, intracellular calcium levels ([Ca(2+)](i)), and permeation of FITC-labeled dextran (FD-4) as well as the relationship between these effects in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). FD-4 concentration, cell size, and [Ca(2+)](i) were analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence, phase contrast microscopic imaging, and fluorescent confocal microscopic imaging, respectively. The P2Y(1)-receptor agonists 2-methylthio ATP (2meS-ATP) and ADP decreased cell size and increased [Ca(2+)](i) in HUVEC. The P2Y(2)-receptor agonist UTP increased [Ca(2+)](i), but did not influence cell size. The P2X-receptor agonist alpha,beta-methylene ATP did not induce either response. The decrease in size and increase in [Ca(2+)](i) by 2meS-ATP were blocked by pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS, P2Y(1)-antagonist), thapsigargin (Ca(2+)-pump inhibitor), and U73122 (phospholipase C inhibitor). Furthermore, 2meS-ATP (P2Y(1)-receptor agonist) enhanced permeation of FD-4 through the endothelial cell monolayer. The 2meS-ATP-induced enhancement of the permeation was also prevented by PPADS, thapsigargin, and U73122. These results indicate that activation of P2Y receptors induces a decrease in cell size, an increase in [Ca(2+)](i), and may participate in facilitating macromolecular permeability in HUVEC. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Blunt diaphragmatic rupture in children.
Although several series of blunt diaphragmatic rupture in adults have been published, this injury remains largely uncharacterized in the pediatric population. We queried our trauma registry for all children admitted with blunt diaphragmatic rupture over a 10-year period at a Level I pediatric trauma center. Six children (aged 2-15 years; mean, 7 years) were identified with blunt diaphragmatic rupture (three right, two left, one bilateral), representing 0.4% of admissions. All of the children had associated injuries (4.5 per child), with a mean Injury Severity Score of 32. Four diaphragmatic injuries were identified during the initial evaluation. The two missed injuries were diagnosed at postinjury days 5 and 8. There were no deaths and all children were eventually discharged without sequelae. Blunt diaphragmatic rupture occurs in children with a frequency and severity commensurate with that observed in adults. Our data suggest improved survival compared with adults with this injury. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Basic and acidic regions flanking the HMG-box domain of maize HMGB1 and HMGB5 modulate the stimulatory effect on the DNA binding of transcription factor Dof2.
The chromatin-associated high-mobility group (HMG) proteins of the plant HMGB family are characterized by a central HMG-box domain that is flanked by a basic N-terminal and an acidic C-terminal domain. By functional interaction with certain transcription factors, HMGB proteins contribute to transcriptional regulation. Previous work has shown that the maize HMGB5 protein is markedly more efficient than other HMGB proteins in stimulating the binding of transcription factor Dof2 to DNA target sites. Here we examine the structural requirements that determine the particular efficiency of HMGB5. The HMG-box domains of HMGB1 and HMGB5 (which mediate the interaction with Dof2) promoted Dof2-DNA binding to a similar extent, indicating that the terminal domains modulate the interaction with Dof2. Analysis of full-length, truncated, and chimeric HMGB1/5 proteins revealed that the acidic C-terminal domains positively influence the stimulation of Dof2-DNA binding, while the basic N-terminal domains have a rather negative effect. In particular, the C-terminal domain of HMGB5 has a striking positive effect and may account for the efficient stimulation mediated by full-length HMGB5. Interestingly, recombinant HMGB protein variants that have a relatively low affinity for linear DNA (such as proteins lacking the basic N-terminal domain) efficiently assist Dof2-DNA binding. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Antibodies to and elevations of beta 2 microglobulin in the serum of ankylosing spondylitis patients.
Antibodies to beta 2 microglobulin are found in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and are important in the lymphocytotoxic reactions of sera from such patients. In this study, beta 2 microglobulin antibodies were measured with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with purified beta 2 microglobulin antigen and peroxidase-labeled anti-human IgG or IgM. IgG antibodies to beta 2 microglobulin were found in 68% of 22 patients with ankylosing spondylitis. This incidence was higher than the 5% in 80 controls (P less than 0.01) and similar to the 71% incidence found in 35 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Eleven (27%) of 41 patients with rheumatoid arthritis had elevated levels of antibodies to beta 2 microglobulin (P less than 0.01). The mean antibody levels expressed in enzyme units were 0.125 for patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 0.157 for those with systemic lupus erythematosus, 0.101 for those with rheumatoid arthritis, and 0.067 for controls. IgM anti-beta 2 microglobulin was not significantly different from controls. A competitive binding assay with enzyme-labeled beta 2 microglobulin was used to determine serum beta 2 microglobulin. These values were also found to be elevated in 48% of patients in all 3 disease categories (P less than 0.01). Beta 2 microglobulin antibodies and serum beta 2 microglobulin did not correlate with each other, renal diseases or antinuclear antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, with rheumatoid factor or severity of articular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, or with peripheral arthritis or iritis in those with ankylosing spondylitis. Although antibodies to beta 2 microglobulin might reflect a general disturbance of immune regulation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, their presence in those with ankylosing spondylitis, a disease closely associated with a specific HLA allotype and not usually associated with formation of autoantibody, suggests that they might play a role in the pathogenesis of the latter disease. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Primary evidence for involvement of IP3 in heat-shock signal transduction in Arabidopsis.
The role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)) in transducing heat-shock (HS) signals was examined in Arabidopsis. The whole-plant IP(3) level increased within 1 min of HS at 37 degrees C. After 3 min of HS, the IP(3) level reached a maximum 2.5 fold increase. Using the transgenic Arabidopsis plants that have AtHsp18.2 promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) fusion gene, it was found that the level of GUS activity was up-regulated by the addition of caged IP(3) at both non-HS and HS temperatures and was down-regulated by the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors {1-[6-((17beta-3-Methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl)amino)hexyl]-2,5-pyrrolidinedione}(U-73122). The intracellular-free calcium ion concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) increased during HS at 37 degrees C in suspension-cultured Arabidopsis cells expressing apoaequorin. Treatment with U-73122 prevented the increase of [Ca(2+)](i) to some extent. Above results provided primary evidence for the possible involvement of IP(3) in HS signal transduction in higher plants. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Intrahepatic distribution of nerves in the rat.
The intrahepatic distribution of nerves in the rat was studied using neurohistochemical and electron microscopic methods. Innervation was restricted primarily to vessels in the portal space and hilus. Both adrenergic and cholinergic fibers were observed in the adventitia of hepatic arteries, and to a lesser extent adjacent to portal veins. Some of the cholinergic fibers, however, were not contiguous with the vasculature. Near the hilus many of these fibers were associated with ganglia while peripherally some coursed into the immediately adjacent parenchyma where end bulbs abutted on hepatocytes. Ultrastructurally, scattered small nerves, devoid of neurolemma, were found contiguous with the portal lamina of hepatocytes. Nerve fibers deeper within the lobule were not seen but numerous gap junctions were observed between contiguous hepatocytes. Central and sublobular hepatic veins lacked innervation but adrenergic nerves were demonstrated in the walls of larger hepatic veins. Innervation of the biliary system was sparse. While nerves were interposed between vessels and bile ducts, such nerves tended to be associated more closely with the vasculature. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Performance assessment of PID and IMC tuning methods for a mixing process with time delay.
A flow process with time delay has been considered for modeling and control. A dilute solution of sodium chloride is used as tracer and an online conductivity measurement unit as sensor and recorder. The objective of the current study is to design control algorithms and present corresponding robust control analysis for the process. The control methodologies considered are (i) conventional PID control and (ii) internal model control (IMC). The control structures are comparatively analyzed using standard robustness measures for stability and performance. Of the two control algorithms, conventional PID and IMC, IMC exhibits faster settling time, no overshoot, better set-point tracking and disturbance rejection, and good robust performance than the PID control scheme. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Enhanced biliary iron excretion with amphiphilic diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid.
The elimination of toxic metal ions metabolically accumulated by patients remains a difficult clinical problem and a target of drug development. DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) is a hydrophilic chelating agent with high affinity for divalent and trivalent metal ions including iron but with a limited ability to cross cell membranes for access to iron stores. In this study we have synthesized an amphiphilic form of this chelator-DTPA covalently linked to the phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)--to produce a chelator that incorporates completely and stably into liposome membranes for efficient delivery to the liver and reticuloendothelial system. Biliary and urinary excretion of iron were studied in iron-loaded rats (n = 15) in association with a 2-hr intravenous infusion of sonicated liposomes of 1:1 amphiphilic phosphatidylethanolamine-DTPA/egg phosphatidylcholine (L-PE-DTPA) and compared with excretion obtained using equivalent amounts of water-soluble DTPA (alone or mixed with egg phosphatidylcholine liposomes [L-DTPA] as controls). For a 6-hr period, the administration of L-PE-DTPA resulted in approximately a 20-fold increase in biliary iron excretion (480 +/- 160 micrograms/6 hr, mean +/- S.D.) compared with that seen with DTPA (21.2 +/- 4.0 micrograms/6 hr) and L-DTPA (23.1 +/- 5.0 micrograms/6 hr) (p less than 0.05, analysis of variance). Urinary iron excretion was significantly decreased with L-PE-DTPA (41.5 +/- 38 micrograms/6 hr) compared with DTPA (154 +/- 110 micrograms/6 hr) and L-DTPA (86 +/- 17 micrograms/6 hr) (p less than 0.05). Combined biliary and urinary excretion of iron was three to four times greater with L-PE-DTPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Noonan syndrome: a case report.
Noonan syndrome is a developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphia, short stature, cardiac defects and skeletal malformations. It may be sporadic or inherited as an autosomal dominant or recessive trait and occurs, one in 1,000-2,500 children. This is a case report of a 13 year-old girl who was referred by a general dental practitioner to a pediatric dentist for management. Full mouth dental rehabilitation was done and the child was brought to a dental institution for correction of orofacial and occlusal defects. Multidisciplinary treatment is the key to success in managing children with Noonan syndrome and the pediatric dentists play an important position to lead the health team. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Retrieval of Glass Fiber Post Using Er:YAG Laser and Conventional Endodontic Ultrasonic Method: An In Vitro Study.
To compare the times and temperatures used to remove a glass fiber post from an endodontically treated tooth using erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) compared to conventional endodontic ultrasonic method. Thirty-four single-root human extracted teeth were endodontically treated ex vivo. The post space was prepared to 7 mm in depth and a 11.4 mm glass fiber post was cemented using composite resin cement. Specimens were kept in 100% humidity for 24 hours and then randomly assigned to Er:YAG laser or ultrasonic methods for post removal. The removal time was recorded. Specimens with a fractured post during the removal process were excluded. The temperature on the external surface of the root was measured at the coronal, middle, and apical third portions during the laser or ultrasonic applications from 1 to 10 minutes. Data were analyzed using one-tailed t-test and paired t-test (ɑ = 0.01) for the post removal time and temperature difference, respectively. The specimen surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fifteen specimens were tested in each group. Four specimens were fractured, 2 in the laser and 1 in ultrasonic group. One post was excluded because of laser tip damage. The average removal time were 98 ± 46.1 seconds for Er:YAG laser and 538 ± 215.6 seconds or ultrasonic groups with significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). The temperature (°C) ranges measured from 1 to 10 minutes were [24.2°, 27.3°] for laser and [33.0°, 38.0°] for ultrasonic in the cervical area, [22.1°,24.6°] for laser and [31.0°, 34.6°] for ultrasonic in the middle area, and [24.4°, 27.7°] for laser and [30.3°, 34.1°] for ultrasonic in the apical area. There were significant differences between temperatures for each treatment (p < 0.001). SEM examination showed no visible damage caused by treatment with Er:YAG laser. Er:YAG laser can remove posts up to 5 times faster than ultrasonic removal method. The laser causes lower temperature increase at the root surface compared to the ultrasonic removal. Er:YAG may be considered as a viable alternative to sonication for post removal. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A fluorescein-based AND-logic FPSi probe for the simultaneous detection of Hg2+ and F.
In this study, we have designed and synthesized a novel 'AND' logic based fluorescence probe,1-(3',6'-bis((tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)oxy)-3-oxospiro (isoindoline-1,9'-xanthen)-2-yl)-3-phenylthiourea (FPSi), for the rapid (3 min) simultaneous detection of F- and Hg2+ in DMSO/H2O solution (7:3, v/v). The FPSi probe, synthesized over three steps starting from commercially available fluorescein, was constructed by attaching tert-butyldiphenylsilyl and thiosemicarbazide (as the specific identification groups for F- and Hg2+) to the skeleton of fluorescein, respectively. FPSi produced no fluorescence response towards the addition of F- or Hg2+ separately. However, when the probe was exposed to a solution containing both F- and Hg2+, there was a significant yellow-green fluorescence. FPSi demonstrated an excellent selectivity towards both F- and Hg2+ in the presence of interfering substances. The results of TOF-MS-EI analysis indicated that the response of FPSi towards F- and Hg2+ was mainly aroused by the F- promoted cleavage of Si-O bond, and Hg2+ triggered an irreversible desulfurization reaction leading to the spiral ring opening. Furthermore, the FPSi probe has been successfully used to detect F- and Hg2+ ions in tap water and cropland soil. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Virulence factors in pneumococcal respiratory pathogenesis.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a major global cause of human disease. Since the publication of the entire sequence of TIGR4 in 2001, our understanding of this human pathogen has increased significantly. Genetic studies, and the use of mutant strains have refined our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of classic pneumococcal virulence factors, including the polysaccharide capsule, pneumolysin and surface-expressed proteins. Genetic screens are identifying novel virulence factors. Characterization of pili and bacteriocins, as well as genes associated with competence, metabolism and resistance to oxidative stress has provided new insights into the genetic diversity of the pneumococcus. Further appreciation of the molecular basis of pneumococcal pathogenesis will lead to more effective strategies for the prevention and management of pneumococcal disease. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Binding Specificity Profiles from Computational Peptide Screening.
The computational peptide screening method is a Monte Carlo-based procedure to systematically characterize the specificity of a peptide-binding site. The method is based on a generalized-ensemble algorithm in which the peptide sequence has become a dynamic variable, i.e., molecular simulations with ordinary conformational moves are enhanced with a type of "mutational" move such that proper statistics are achieved for multiple sequences in a single run. The peptide screening method has two main steps. In the first, reference simulations of the unbound state are performed and used to parametrize a linear model of the unbound state free energy, determined by requiring that the marginal distribution of peptide sequences is approximately flat. In the second step, simulations of the bound state are performed. By using the linear model as a free energy reference point, the marginal distribution of peptide sequences becomes skewed towards sequences with higher binding free energies. From analyses of the sequences generated in the second step and their conformational ensembles, information on peptide binding specificity, relative binding affinities, and the molecular basis of specificity can be achieved. Here we demonstrate how the algorithm can be implemented and applied to determine the peptide binding specificity of a PDZ domain from the protein GRIP1. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Temperature-sensitive mutant of Mycoplasma synoviae. I. Production and selection of a nonpathogenic but immunogenic clone.
Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants of Mycoplasma synoviae were produced by treating the wild 1-3SN strain with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Twelve ts mutants were selected at 39.5 C as a restrictive and 33 C as a permissive temperature. Among the mutants, MSts44 was proven to be nonpathogenic but immunogenic. MSts44 did not induce airsacculitis in bursectomized or normal chickens, and it was stable after five passages through chicken. Chickens immunized intranasally with MSts44 were protected against airsacculitis for at least 21 weeks. A dose of 10(4.1) colony-forming units or more of the mutant per bird was needed to induce protection in 3-week-old chickens. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Serotoninergic afferents preferentially innervate distinct subclasses of peptidergic interneurons in the rat visual cortex.
Although it is well documented that the non-pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex are under the influence of the vast serotoninergic input, the ultrastructural substrate for such functional interactions appears largely obscure. We sought to address this issue by dual immunoelectron microscopy, combining antibodies against serotonin (5-HT) and three neurochemical markers for peptidergic interneurons, namely somatostatin (SRIF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). The gold-substituted silver-peroxidase method was employed to intensify and differentiate the end-product of the peptide-immunoreaction from the non-intensified 5-HT fibers. Mainly the SRIF but also the NPY neurons were encountered among the postsynaptic targets of the 5-HT boutons. Recipients of synapses were perikarya and proximal dendrites of SRIF and NPY cells but also distal dendrites of the SRIF neurons. Neither synaptic relationships nor close appositions were ever identified between 5-HT boutons and VIP-immunoreactive elements. This remarkable synaptic preference/avoidance of 5-HT afferents for specific peptidergic subpopulations reveals a 'wired' component of cortical serotonin neurotransmission, which should be carefully interpreted within the frame of the available literature for extrasynaptic serotonin release. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Long-term culture of porcine esophageal epithelial cells without use of feeder layers.
Epithelial cells from normal pig esophagus survived in culture for about 4 months undergoing about 12 passages and nearly 40 doublings before showing signs of slow proliferation and senescence. Epithelial cells did not show any attachment and proliferation in serum free media, compared to cells supplemented with 10% serum, where the doubling time was between 48 and 60h. Fibroblasts never became the prominent cell type in these cultures at any given time point. The epithelial cells reacted with antibodies to keratin AE1/AE3, keratin 14 and to involucrin, the differentiating marker. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Reliability calculation under seasonally varying failure rate.
This paper treats of the analytical solution of reliability problems in the special case when the failure rate acting on an object is a periodic piecewise constant function of time. It is proposed that the nonstationary failure rate be substituted by a stationary one. The formula intended for calculation of this fictitious equivalent stationary failure rate is derived. This makes possible the finding of approximate solutions of reliability problems in an analytical form convenient for applications in the sphere of engineering and for the following analysis. A simplistic example is used to demonstrate the proposed approach. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Contextualizing immigrants' lived experience: story of Taiwanese immigrants in the United States.
Immigration involves extensive changes in living environments. Nonetheless, the predominant approach in the health science literature has been to utilize individual characteristics (including ethnic background) to explain and predict immigrants' lived experiences and health outcomes. Contexts, particularly the larger societal contexts by which immigrants are constituted, are generally ignored. Data from a critical ethnography regarding immigrants' experiences with language, occupation, and economic survival in the United States are utilized to illustrate that immigrants' lives are inseparable from the larger societal contexts, such as immigration policy, Western imperialism, and structural discrimination. The implications for practice, education, and research are discussed. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Symmetry forbidden vibronic spectra and internal conversion in benzene.
The spectra of symmetry-forbidden transitions and internal conversion were investigated in the present work. Temperature dependence was taken into account for the spectra simulation. The vibronic coupling, essential in the two processes, was calculated based on the Herzberg-Teller theory within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The approach was employed for the symmetry-forbidden absorption/fluorescence, and internal conversion between 1(1)A(1g) and 1(1)B(2u) states in benzene. Vibrational frequencies, normal coordinates, electronic transition dipole moments, and non-adiabatic coupling matrix elements were obtained by ab initio quantum chemical methods. The main peaks, along with the weak peaks, were in good agreement with the observed ones. The rate constant of the 1(1)A(1g)← 1(1)B(2u) internal conversion was estimated within the order of 10(3) s(-1). This could be regarded as the lower limit (about 4.8 × 10(3) s(-1)) of the internal conversion. It is stressed that the distortion effect was taken into account both in the symmetry-forbidden absorption/fluorescence, and the rate constants of internal conversion in the present work. The distortion effects complicate the spectra and increase the rate constants of internal conversion. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Expression of a New Cellular Protein by Monocytoid B-Lymphocytes Differentiated from the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Line (REH).
In an attempt to identify differentiation-related changes in cellular proteins, the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line, REH, was studied. REH cells were cultured in either the absence or presence of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Changes in surface phenotype were analyzed using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. Cellular proteins were analyzed with two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) of [(3)H]leucine and [(32)P]orthophosphate labeled cells. Immunophenotype and 2D-PAGE studies were replicated three times on untreated (control) and TPA-treated cells on day 5. Immunophenotypic analysis showed that TPA induced further differentiation of REH cells along the B-cell lineage as indicated by significant decrease in the expression of CD10, induction of CD11c and increase in the expression of CD22. 2D-PAGE of [(3)H]leucine but not the [(32)P]orthophosphate showed that TPA induced the expression of a unique protein. The apparent relative molecular mass (Mr) of the resolved protein was ~23 kd with a ~6.2 isoelectric point (PI). Based on the morphologic and phenotypic findings, our data suggest that the new protein (p23-6.2) and the quantitative changes in protein synthesis induced by TPA are differentiation-related. Our study also indicates that 2D-PAGE analysis is a sensitive and complementary tool to phenotypic markers in the study of differentiation of malignant B-cells. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Angiotensinogen gene variation associated with variation in blood pressure in aboriginal Canadians.
We measured blood pressure and related clinical phenotypes in 497 adult native Canadians from an isolated community in Northern Ontario. We analyzed their DNA for genotypes of angiotensinogen. We found that the frequency of the T235 variant of the angiotensinogen gene was 0.89 in this sample. This variant was associated with a significantly increased systolic pressure but not diastolic pressure. We also found that sex and body mass were each highly significantly associated with variation in both systolic and diastolic pressures. We found a significant association between age and variation in systolic pressure but not diastolic pressure. We also found a highly significant association between plasma apolipoprotein B concentration and variation in diastolic pressure but not systolic pressure. The high frequency of the angiotensinogen T235 variant suggests that subjects in this young, essentially normotensive population might be predisposed to hypertension, which may become more apparent in the presence of secondary factors. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Characterization and primary structure of a base non-specific and acid ribonuclease from Dictyostelium discoideum.
A base non-specific and acid RNase was isolated from cellular slime mold (Dictyostelium discoideum) cells in a homogeneous state (about 2.4 kDa) by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The RNase (RNase DdI) has a pH optimum of 5.0. The amino acid sequence of RNase DdI was determined by a combination of protein chemistry, a search of Data base, Dicty cDB and further sequence analysis of cDNA from the same bank. RNase DdI consists of 198 amino acid residues, and about 13.3, 0.9, 1.2, 3.3, and 1.0 residues of mannose, xylose, glucose, GlcNAc, and GalNAc, respectively. RNase DdI has two characteristic conserved segments of the RNase T2 family, and thus belongs to the RNase T2 family. Considering the fact that most of the RNase activity of D. discoideum is present in the lysosomal fraction [Wiener and Ashworth (1970) Biochem. J. 118, 505-512], it was concluded that the lysosomal RNase in D. discoideum is a member of the RNase T2 family. The amino acid sequence of RNase DdI is highly homologous with that of Physarum polycephalum RNase (RNase Phyb), and its amino acid sequence seems to be similar to those of plant/animal type RNases, rather than fungal RNases. The location of RNase DdI in the phylogenetic tree of the RNase T2 family was estimated. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Cumulative influence of elastin peptides and plasminogen on matrix metalloproteinase activation and type I collagen invasion by HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells.
HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells express at their plasma membrane the elastin-binding protein (EBP). Occupancy of EBP by elastin fragments, tropoelastin or XGVAPG peptides was found to trigger procollagenase-1 (proMMP-1) overproduction by HT-1080 cells at the protein and enzyme levels. RT-PCR analysis indicated that elastin peptides did not modify the MMP-1 mRNA steady state levels, suggesting the involvement of a post-transcriptional mechanism. We previously reported that binding of elastin peptides to EBP induced other matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MT1-MMP) expression. Since those peptides were here found to also accelerate the secretion of urokinase from HT-1080 cells, culture medium was supplemented with plasminogen together with elastin peptides at aims to induce or potentiate MMPs activation cascades. In such conditions, plasmin activity was generated and exacerbate proMMP-1 and proMMP-2 activation. As a consequence, elastin peptides and plasminogen-treated HT-1080 cells displayed a significant type I collagen matrix invasive capacity. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Novel opioid antagonists for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction and postoperative ileus.
Peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists methylnaltrexone and alvimopan are a new class of drugs designed to reverse opioid-induced side-effects on the gastrointestinal system without compromising pain relief. This article gives an overview of the pharmacology, the efficacy, and adverse effects of these drugs. Both compounds seem to be generally well tolerated and effective for the treatment of opioid-related bowel dysfunction and postoperative ileus. Methylnaltrexone recently received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency for treatment of opioid-related bowel dysfunction in patients with advanced illness. Alvimopan was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of postoperative ileus, but the use of the drug is restricted to inpatients because it has been associated with an increased rate of myocardial infarction. Further research should assess the effectiveness and safety of these drugs in clinical practice. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Preventative effect of celecoxib in dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced ovarian cancer in rats.
The present study investigated the preventive effect of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced ovarian cancer in a rat model. A diet containing celecoxib (1500 ppm) was started 2 weeks before the introduction of DMBA. DMBA-soaked cotton threads were surgically applied to induce ovarian cancer in female Wistar rats. Tumor growth and survival were observed for 24 weeks. During the study period, an overall tumor incidence of 97.5% was observed and 65% of tumors were ovarian adenocarcinoma. The celecoxib diet significantly reduced the incidence and size of DMBA-induced ovarian cancers and significantly improved survival of tumor-bearing rats. The preventive effect of celecoxib was associated with increased apoptosis. DMBA-induced ovarian cancer in rats recapitulates many pathophysiological features of the human counterpart. Our results provide supportive evidence that celecoxib has a preventive effect on development of ovarian cancer in a rat model. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Extensive genetic polymorphism of peptidases A, B, C, and D, in wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations from the Iberian Peninsula.
Genetic polymorphism of peptidases A, B, C, and D in the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was assessed by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis, in a total of 1003 individuals comprising 16 Iberian and 2 French populations and 1 domestic stock. Twenty-five different alleles were detected: 6 in PEPA, 4 in PEPB, 8 in PEPC, and 7 in PEPD. The highest values of observed heterozygosity averaged over the four loci were obtained for the southwestern Iberian populations and a clinal loss of variability in a northeastern direction was detected. A clear separation between the two putative subspecies O. c. cuniculus and O. c. algirus was not obtained. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Heavy metal availability, bioaccessibility, and leachability in contaminated soil: effects of pig manure and earthworms.
A pot experiment and a leaching experiment were conducted to investigate the effects of earthworms and pig manure on heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Zn) immobility, in vitro bioaccessibility and leachability under simulated acid rain (SAR). Results showed manure significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), available phosphorus (AP), total N, total P and pH, and decreased CaCl2-extractable metals and total heavy metals in water and SAR leachate. The addition of earthworms significantly increased AP (from 0.38 to 1.7 mg kg-1), and a downward trend in CaCl2-extractable and total leaching loss of heavy metals were observed. The combined earthworm and manure treatment decreased CaCl2-extractable Zn, Cd, and Pb. For Na4P2O7-extractable metals, Cd and Pb were decreased with increasing manure application rate. Application of earthworm alone did not contribute to the remediation of heavy metal polluted soils. Considering the effects on heavy metal immobilization and cost, the application of 6% manure was an alternative approach for treating contaminated soils. These findings provide valuable information for risk management during immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 expression induced by lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis in human gingival fibroblast.
In the gingival tissues of patients with periodontitis, inflammatory responses are mediated by a wide variety of genes. In our previous screening study, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) mRNA binding protein expression was increased in gingiva from periodontitis patients. In this study, we further investigated the signaling pathway involved in PAI-1 expression induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS (Pg LPS) in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). When HGFs were treated with Pg LPS, both PAI-1 mRNA expression and PAI-1 protein were induced in a dose-dependent manner. Pg LPS induced NF-κB activation and the expressions of PAI-1 mRNA and protein were suppressed by pretreating with a NF-κB inhibitor. Pg LPS also induced ERK, p38, and JNK activation, and Pg LPS-induced PAI-1 expression was inhibited by ERK/p38/JNK inhibitor pretreatment. In conclusion, Pg LPS induced PAI-1 expression through NF-κB and MAP kinases activation in HGF. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Minor collagens in arthrotic human cartilage. Change in content of 1 alpha, 2 alpha, 3 alpha and M-collagen with age and in osteoarthrosis.
The content and distribution of 1 alpha, 2 alpha, 3 alpha and M-collagens in human articular cartilage were studied. As controls, normal femoral heads and costal cartilage of autopsy material from newborn to 91-year-old persons were used. The osteoarthrotic cartilage was obtained from patients undergoing total hip replacement aged 45-80. The pepsin-digested cartilage collagen was fractionated by differential salt fractionation. The collagen content of the fractions was determined, and the fractions were separated by polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. In the extracted collagen, the type II collagen varied from 82 to 97 per cent with increasing age. The 1 alpha, 2 alpha and 3 alpha chains decreased. M-collagen, especially of the high molecular weight components, disappeared with age. In osteoarthrosis three types of change - degeneration, new fibrocartilage formation on the surface of osteophyte and reparative cartilage - were separately studied. In all types of osteoarthrosis, an increase of minor collagens was found. In newly formed fibrocartilage, the reappearance of M-collagen was conspicuous. It is proposed that the three types of osteoarthrotic cartilage may be characterized on the basis of content and distribution of minor collagens. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Intradomain Allosteric Network Modulates Calcium Affinity of the C-Type Lectin Receptor Langerin.
Antigen uptake and processing by innate immune cells is crucial to initiate the immune response. Therein, the endocytic C-type lectin receptors serve as pattern recognition receptors, detecting pathogens by their glycan structures. Herein, we studied the carbohydrate recognition domain of Langerin, a C-type lectin receptor involved in the host defense against viruses such as HIV and influenza as well as bacteria and fungi. Using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular dynamics simulations, we unraveled the molecular determinants underlying cargo capture and release encoded in the receptor architecture. Our findings revealed receptor dynamics over several time scales associated with binding and release of the essential cofactor Ca(2+) controlled by the coupled motions of two loops. Applying mutual information theory and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified an allosteric intradomain network that modulates the Ca(2+) affinity depending on the pH, thereby promoting fast ligand release. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Agreement between two oscillometric blood pressure technologies and invasively measured arterial pressure in the dog.
To compare two commonly used oscillometric technologies for obtaining noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurements and to determine if there is a difference in agreement between these systems and invasive blood pressure (IBP) measurements. Prospective, experimental study. Twenty adult laboratory dogs. Each dog was anesthetized and its median caudal artery catheterized for IBP monitoring. An NIBP cuff was placed in the middle third of the antebrachium and attached to either monitor-1 or monitor-2. Four pairs of concurrent NIBP and IBP measurements were recorded with each monitor. Agreement between IBP and NIBP measurements was explored using Bland-Altman analysis, as well as the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) guidelines for the validation of NIBP devices. Both NIBP technologies produced results that met the ACVIM and AAMI guidelines for the validation of NIBP devices. For monitor-1, analyses of agreement showed biases of 0.2 mmHg [95% limits of agreement (LoA) -11.8 to 12.3 mmHg] in systolic arterial pressure (SAP) values, -2.6 mmHg (95% LoA -14.4 to 9.1 mmHg) in diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) values, and -2.5 mmHg (95% LoA -12.7 to 7.3 mmHg) in mean arterial pressure (MAP) values. For monitor-2, analyses of agreement showed biases of 3.4 mmHg (95% LoA -8.7 to 15.5 mmHg) in SAP values, 2.2 mmHg (95% LoA -6.6 to 10.9 mmHg) in DAP values, and 1.6 mmHg (95% LoA -5.9 to 8.9 mmHg) in MAP values. Multi-function monitors can contain components from various manufacturers. Clinicians should consider whether these have been validated in the species to be monitored. Both of the technologies studied here seem appropriate for use in dogs. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Specific binding of cytotactin to sulfated glycolipids.
The binding of the glial glycoprotein, cytotactin, to a variety of purified glycolipids was examined. Clear-cut evidence was found for binding of radiolabeled cytotactin to sulfatides purified from bovine brain, but the molecule did not bind to gangliosides or cerebrosides. The sulfatide binding was sensitive to pH and ionic strength and was dependent on the presence of divalent cations. Binding was inhibited by purified unlabeled cytotactin, by polyclonal antibodies to cytotactin, and by several monosaccharides and polysaccharides. It was not inhibited by fibronectin, a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, or the HNK-1 monoclonal antibody, all of which are known to bind to cytotactin. These findings raise the possibilities that sulfated glycolipids may function as cellular receptors for cytotactin and that binding by sulfatides may modulate the varied effects of cytotactin on cellular processes. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Setup and procedure for online identification of electrically stimulated muscle with Matlab Simulink.
This paper first describes a laboratory setup for biomechanical experiments that runs within the universal simulation environment Matlab Simulink. The overall system comprises a personal computer, two AMTI (Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc., Watertown, MA 02472) force plates, Parotec force-sensor shoe insoles, Optotrak system for noncontact three-dimensional (3-D)-position measuring, and a computer-controlled four-channel electrical stimulator. Conceptually, the most important application is implementation of closed-loop electrical stimulation of intact and paralyzed subjects in the laboratory. Second, the system was tested in real-time muscle model identification procedure during a standing experiment. The plantarflexors of three nonimpaired subjects were excited with pseudorandom binary sequences (PRBSs) with small deviations around selected operating points. Electrically stimulated muscles were presented with a linear local dynamic block that was identified with a recursive least-square method (RARX). RARX block was designed with fundamental Matlab Simulink blocks that support real-time operation. Introduced was online estimation of model output, which offers a great manner of instant model validation. Two modes of operation with online validation were tested. In the first mode, the operating point for selected excitation level was identified online. In the second mode, the operating point was measured in preceding experiments. Both procedures resulted in satisfying second-order models that will be used in the adaptive controller design. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Evaluation of gene expression in pigs selected for enhanced reproduction using differential display PCR and human microarrays: I. Ovarian follicles.
Differential display PCR (ddPCR) and complementary DNA microarray analyses were used to evaluate gene expression differences in porcine ovarian follicles between a line of pigs selected for an index of ovulation rate and embryo survival (Line I) and its randomly selected control line (Line C). Follicles (4.0 to 7.0 mm) were dissected from ovaries of multiparous sows (n = 27) at either 2 or 4 d following PGF2alpha analog injection on d 12 to 14 of the estrous cycle. Using ddPCR, differentially expressed bands (n = 282) were excised from gels and 107 were sequenced, yielding 84 unique porcine follicle expressed sequence tags. Northern hybridization confirmed differential expression (between lines, days, or follicle sizes) for messenger RNA representing the calpain I light subunit, cytochrome C oxidase subunit III, cytochrome P450 aromatase, and cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage genes. For microarray analysis, two mRNA pools representing follicles (d 2; 4.50 to 4.75 mm) from Line I and Line C sows were hybridized to the Incyte UniGEM V1.0 human chip (approximately 7,000 gene probes). A second analysis was performed using mRNA from follicles (d 2; 4.50 to 5.00 mm) hybridized to the Incyte UniGEM V2.0 human chip (approximately 9,100 gene probes). A total of 33 and 21 genes were identified with significant expression differences using UniGEM V1.0 and V2.0, respectively (twofold or greater relative expression following adjustment for expression of control probes). However, there was little overlap between results of the two hybridizations. Expression differences between lines for two genes, follistatin and nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1, were confirmed using Northern hybridization. These results demonstrate changes in follicular gene expression as the result of long-term selection for enhanced reproduction. These correlated responses may directly represent allelic variation utilized by selection (e.g., quantitative trait loci), or more likely, transcriptional changes in other genes that interact with reproductive QTL. This work represents one of the first applications of gene expression analysis to evaluate long-term selection response in livestock populations. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
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