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Role of myofibroblasts in vascular remodelling: focus on restenosis and aneurysm.
Myofibroblasts (MFs) are contractile cells deriving from a multiplicity of resident cells and/or circulating progenitors that are known to play a key role in wound healing. They were first discovered and analysed in the early 1970s in granulation tissue. Since their first identification, the role of MF and their mechanisms of differentiation have been highlighted in a number of diseases, including organ fibrosis and tumours, with particular attention devoted to the liver, kidney, and pulmonary fibrosis. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence for the role played by MFs in two frequent vascular diseases related to the remodelling of the vascular wall: the different forms of arterial restenosis and the most common forms of thoracic aortic aneurysm. The in-depth knowledge of the molecular pathways involved in MF differentiation, contraction, and survival/apoptosis could contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for anti-fibrotic and anti-remodelling therapy of vascular diseases in which these cells are involved. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Dissociation between c-fos gene expression and DNA synthesis in rat parotid glands.
Two experimental approaches were used to examine the relationship between c-fos gene expression and tissue proliferative responses. Beta-Adrenergic and muscarinic receptor stimulation yielded equivalent levels of c-fos expression, although only beta-adrenergic receptor agonists are reported as capable of eliciting DNA synthesis in parotid cells. Similarly, beta-adrenergic stimuli evoked comparable levels of c-fos expression in parotid cells from 2- and 12-month-old rats, whereas DNA synthesis has been shown to be much greater in younger animals. The results indicate that enhanced c-fos expression by itself is incapable of eliciting proliferative responses in rat parotid glands. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Aneurysms of the abdominal aorta: possibilities and limits of sonography].
Sonography has proved successful as an excellent method to diagnose an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta with an accuracy of 98%. Diameter of the aneurysm can be determined via sonography with the same exactitude as with CT. The difficulties arising with sonography concern the exact determination of longitudinal spread. If an aneurysm starts on the level of the hilus of the kidney, the information supplied by sonography on an involvement of the renal arteries is not sufficiently safe, whereas the distal end of the aneurysm can often be determined correctly. The angiogram remains indispensable for assessing adjacent vascular regions in asymptomatic aneurysms. Sonography allows good identification of perforated and penetrating aneurysms. This fact emphasises the value of this method also in acute diagnostics. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Recombinant interleukin-2 in lepromatous leprosy lesions: immunological and microbiological consequences.
Seven patients with lepromatous leprosy (LL) were inoculated with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) at 5 lesional sites on the back, four sites receiving one dose of 10 micrograms and biopsy specimens being obtained on 4 consecutive days after the injection. At the 5th site, rIL-2 was instead administered over several days, three patients receiving a total dose of 40 micrograms and 4 patients 150 micrograms, while biopsy specimens from this site were obtained 7, 14 and 21 days after the first injection. Most injection sites developed features of a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, namely erythema and induration at the injection site, infiltrates rich in T helper cells, monocytes, and Langerhans cells, and at sites receiving higher doses, multinucleated Langhans giant cells and epithelioid granulomas. In some patients, there were favourable shifts in histological classification or small changes in bacterial load. Low doses of rIL-2 injected into LL lesions rapidly enhance cellular immunity and may alter the histological classification or bacterial load at the injection site. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Information transmission defect identified and localized in language learning impaired children by means of electrophysiology.
Children with language processing deficits have various learning impairments and poor scholastic performance. In 3-10% of all children a specific language processing deficit can be identified by the Sound Connecting Sub-Test of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic-Abilities (SC-ITPA). These children among which we drew our index group (AS-Group) suffer from the disability to recognize isolated sounds as parts of words. Following linguistic terminology this is known as an auditory sequential sound processing deficit (ASSPD) Eighteen children (AS-Group) and 21 controls (C-Group) were subjected to mapped P300 evoked potential analyses of cortical response to acoustic stimulation in the oddball paradigm. The data presented here show that there exists significant relation between the P300 amplitude reduction and ASSPD. The P300 amplitude decrease measured in the AS-Group is due to a reduced information transmission in accordance with Johnson's Triarchic Model of the P300 Amplitude. The cerebral structures involved in poor language processing are localized at the left temporo-parietal cortex. This supports the hypothesis that the underlying neuronal defect of ASSPD is localized in the language center and not in the auditory pathway. The P300 amplitude may serve as electrophysiological tool to identify ASSPD and to quantify the degree of improvement in the course of specific therapy. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A review and update of morphologically bland vulvovaginal mesenchymal lesions.
Vulvovaginal mesenchymal lesions composed of morphologically bland spindle-shaped cells often pose a particular diagnostic problem for the surgical pathologist not only because of the rarity of these lesions but also because of the wide array of entities with overlapping morphologic features. Included in this group of lesions are soft tissue neoplasms that may arise at any site and those that are characteristic of, or relatively specific to, the vulvovaginal region. Lesions that are relatively specific to the vulvovaginal region include well-known neoplasms such as aggressive angiomyxoma and angiomyofibroblastoma as well as more recently described lesions such as cellular angiofibroma and superficial cervicovaginal myofibroblastoma. Fibroepithelial stromal polyp, superficial angiomyxoma, and smooth muscle neoplasms also can occur in, but are not specific to, this site. In this review, the clinicopathologic features of these lesions are described with an emphasis on recent developments. The value of ancillary studies, especially immunohistochemistry, is discussed, although it is stressed that in general these are of limited value and routine morphology remains the mainstay in diagnosis. Morphologically bland spindle cell lesions that are not characteristic of the vulvovaginal region, but which also may occur here, are briefly discussed as are a variety of extremely rare mesenchymal lesions that have recently been described at this site. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Factors associated with the use of the Child Health Handbook in a large city of the Brazilian Northeast, 2009.
This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with mothers reading the Child Health Handbook (CHH) and health professionals completing this instrument, in Feira de Santana, Bahia, 2009. This is a cross-sectional study with the application of 727 forms to mothers of children under one year of age. The outcomes studied were mother reading the CHH and health professionals completing weight and height measures. We performed a logistic regression analysis with p ≤ 0.05. The prevalence of reading, weight and height were, respectively, 81.1%, 68.9% and 47.3%. Mothers with a higher level of education had a greater chance of reading the CHH. Recording weight and height was more prevalent in mothers who were under 35 years of age. Performing childcare in areas of the Family Health Program or the Community Health Workers was positively associated with the height's record, despite the low prevalence of records. Child age greater than six months was positively associated with all outcomes. It demonstrated the underutilization of CHH by mothers and health professionals, which indicates the need for training of health professionals and guidance to mothers on the importance and management of this issue. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Protective mechanical ventilation during general anesthesia for open abdominal surgery improves postoperative pulmonary function.
The impact of intraoperative ventilation on postoperative pulmonary complications is not defined. The authors aimed at determining the effectiveness of protective mechanical ventilation during open abdominal surgery on a modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score as primary outcome and postoperative pulmonary function. Prospective randomized, open-label, clinical trial performed in 56 patients scheduled to undergo elective open abdominal surgery lasting more than 2 h. Patients were assigned by envelopes to mechanical ventilation with tidal volume of 9 ml/kg ideal body weight and zero-positive end-expiratory pressure (standard ventilation strategy) or tidal volumes of 7 ml/kg ideal body weight, 10 cm H2O positive end-expiratory pressure, and recruitment maneuvers (protective ventilation strategy). Modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score, gas exchange, and pulmonary functional tests were measured preoperatively, as well as at days 1, 3, and 5 after surgery. Patients ventilated protectively showed better pulmonary functional tests up to day 5, fewer alterations on chest x-ray up to day 3 and higher arterial oxygenation in air at days 1, 3, and 5 (mmHg; mean ± SD): 77.1 ± 13.0 versus 64.9 ± 11.3 (P = 0.0006), 80.5 ± 10.1 versus 69.7 ± 9.3 (P = 0.0002), and 82.1 ± 10.7 versus 78.5 ± 21.7 (P = 0.44) respectively. The modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score was lower in the protective ventilation strategy at days 1 and 3. The percentage of patients in hospital at day 28 after surgery was not different between groups (7 vs. 15% respectively, P = 0.42). A protective ventilation strategy during abdominal surgery lasting more than 2 h improved respiratory function and reduced the modified Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score without affecting length of hospital stay. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Clinical, echocardiographic and histopathologic findings in nine patients with surgically explanted ASD/PFO devices: do we know enough about the healing process in humans?
Atrial septal defects (ASD) and persistent foramen ovale (PFO) are managed in increasing numbers by catheter interventions as an attractive alternative to surgery. Early complications have been described in clinical series whereas late complications are rare. No series are reported with clinical, echocardiographic and histological data. We collected clinical, echocardiographic, and histolological data of nine patients with surgically explanted devices. Occlusion devices were explanted after a mean interval of 3.4 ± 2.4 years (range 0.9-8.3). Indications were recurrent thromboembolic events in five, residual shunt/dislocation in three, and growing mass on echocardiography despite oral anticoagulation in one patient. Two patients suffered potentially live threatening events due to coronary embolism. One of them had to be resuscitated due to ventricular fibrillation. Histologically, residues of superficial thrombus formation could be demonstrated in two of the devices. In another patient, hyperplastic tissue formation was related to a local inflammatory process but not to a thrombus as suspected by echocardiography. Late complications after device implantation may occur up to 8 years after device implantation and may be potentially live threatening. Echocardiographic controls should be prolonged beyond the first year after implantation and every explanted device should be histologically worked up in an experienced center. Up to now, the mechanisms of late thrombogenesis are not fully understood. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Design and experiment performances of an inchworm type rotary actuator.
A piezo-driven rotary actuator by means of inchworm principle is proposed in this paper. Six piezo-stacks and flexure hinges are used to realize large rotation ranges with high accuracy both in the forward and backward motions. Four right-angle flexure hinges and two right-circular flexure hinges are applied in the stator. The motion principle and theoretical analysis of the designed actuator are discussed. In order to investigate the working characteristics, a prototype actuator was manufactured and a series of experiment tests were carried out. The test results indicate that the maximum rotation velocity is 71,300 μrad/s; the maximum output torque is 19.6 N mm. The experiment results confirm that the designed actuator can obtain large rotation motion ranges with relatively high output torques and different rotation speeds on the condition of different driving voltages and frequencies. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Shear force control for a terahertz near field microscope.
We report on the advancement of apertureless terahertz microscopy by active shear force control of the scanning probe. Extreme subwavelength spatial resolution and a maximized image contrast are achieved by maintaining a tip-surface distance of about 20 nm. The constant distance between scanning tip and surface results in terahertz images that mirror the dielectric permittivity of the surface. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[A case of hepatocellular carcinoma responding to hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy with low-dose cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil].
A 74-year-old man had multiple liver recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after extended left hepatectomy. He was treated by continuous hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy with low-dose cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) via an implanted reservoir. A catheter was inserted percutaneously into the hepatic artery using the Seldinger technique. The patient was administered 10 mg of CDDP on day 1 and 500 mg/day of 5-FU for 4 days as one course. Four courses were administered and the PIVKA-II level decreased from 427 to 216 mAU/ml. However, infusion port problems led to interruption of chemotherapy and PIVKA-II increased to 798 mAU/ml. His chemotherapy was changed to 10 mg of CDDP on day 1 and 750 mg/day of 5-FU for 2 days. After five courses were administered, PIVKA-II decreased to 540 mAU/ml. This patient is still alive 15 months after the start of therapy. This case suggests that HAI with low-dose CDDP and 5-FU might be useful for prolonging the survival of HCC patients with a good quality of life. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Nager acrofacial dysostosis: management of a difficult airway.
Nager acrofacial dysostosis, first described by Nager and deReynier in 1948, is a rare syndrome characterized by mandibulofacial dysostosis with associated radial defects. The facial features include downward slanting palpebral fissures, absent eyelashes in the medial third of the lower lids, mandibular and malar hypoplasia, dysplastic ears with conductive deafness, and variable degrees of palatal clefting. Upper limb malformation is a constant feature of Nager syndrome and ranges from thumb hypoplasia to absence of the radial ray. The maxillo-mandibular hypoplasia and associated retroplaced tongue set the stage for early and significant upper airway obstruction. The craniofacial anomalies and associated trismus make emergent airway intubation challenging. We present a case of Nager syndrome with life threatening airway obstruction unresponsive to conservative management. This case and a review of the literature emphasize the importance of early tracheotomy for these patients. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
MELAS: clinical phenotype and morphological brain abnormalities.
We describe the clinical and neuropathological findings of three unrelated autopsy cases of MELAS harboring the A3243G transition in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Using immunohistochemical techniques, we studied the expression of several subunits of the respiratory chain in various brain regions from the same cases. In all three cases there was a reduced immunocytochemical staining for mtDNA-encoded subunits of the respiratory chain, confirming the presence of a defective mitochondrial protein synthesis in this disease. Mitochondrial abnormalities were mostly confined to multiple areas of different size and shape, in agreement with the focal character of the brain pathology in MELAS, and were most prominent in the cerebral cortex, providing a morphological contribution to the explanation of the cognitive regression of the patients. Immunoreactivity for mtDNA-encoded subunits was reduced in the walls of many pial and intracerebral arterioles of different brain regions but there was no clear correlation between territories of affected vessels and distribution of the histological and immunohistochemical lesions. Cerebral focal lesions in MELAS might have a metabolic nature and several pathogenetic mechanisms might be involved in the genesis of stroke-like episodes when there is a local increased ATP demand. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Impact of Single Dose Photons and Carbon Ions on Perfusion and Vascular Permeability: A Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI Pilot Study in the Anaplastic Rat Prostate Tumor R3327-AT1.
We collected initial quantitative information on the effects of high-dose carbon (12C) ions compared to photons on vascular damage in anaplastic rat prostate tumors, with the goal of elucidating differences in response to high-LET radiation, using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Syngeneic R3327-AT1 rat prostate tumors received a single dose of either 16 or 37 Gy 12C ions or 37 or 85 Gy 6 MV photons (iso-absorbed and iso-effective doses, respectively). The animals underwent DCE-MRI prior to, and on days 3, 7, 14 and 21 postirradiation. The extended Tofts model was used for pharmacokinetic analysis. At day 21, tumors were dissected and histologically examined. The results of this work showed the following: 1. 12C ions led to stronger vascular changes compared to photons, independent of dose; 2. Tumor growth was comparable for all radiation doses and modalities until day 21; 3. Nonirradiated, rapidly growing control tumors showed a decrease in all pharmacokinetic parameters (area under the curve, Ktrans, ve, vp) over time; 4. 12C-ion-irradiated tumors showed an earlier increase in area under the curve and Ktrans than photon-irradiated tumors; 5. 12C-ion irradiation resulted in more homogeneous parameter maps and histology compared to photons; and 6. 12C-ion irradiation led to an increased microvascular density and decreased proliferation activity in a largely dose-independent manner compared to photons. Postirradiation changes related to 12C ions and photons were detected using DCE-MRI, and correlated with histological parameters in an anaplastic experimental prostate tumor. In summary, this pilot study demonstrated that exposure to 12C ions increased the perfusion and/or permeability faster and led to larger changes in DCE-MRI parameters resulting in increased vessel density and presumably less hypoxia at the end of the observation period when compared to photons. Within this study no differences were found between curative and sub-curative doses in either modality. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Phylogenetic analysis of Alphapapillomavirus based on L1, E6 and E7 regions suggests that carcinogenicity and tissue tropism have appeared multiple times during viral evolution.
Members of the Alphapapillomavirus genus are causative agents for cervix cancer and benign lesions in humans. These viruses are classified according to sequence similarities in their L1 region. Yet, viral carcinogenicity has been associated with variations in the proteins encoded by the E6 and E7 genes. In order to relate evolutionary history with origin of carcinogenicity, we performed phylogenetic reconstructions using both nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences of the L1, E6 and E7 genes. Whilst phylogenetic analysis of L1 reconstructed genus evolutionary history, phylogenies based on E6 and E7 proteins support the idea that mutations at amino acids S/Tx [V/L] (E6) and LxCxE (E7) might be responsible for carcinogenic potential. These findings indicate that virulence within Alphapapillomavirus have appeared multiple times during evolution. Our results reveal that oncogenic potential is not a monophyletic clade-specific adaptation but might be the result of positive selection on random mutations occurring on proteins involved in host infection during viral diversification. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Health promotion by sports and physical activity: politics, behavior and infrastructures in a European comparison].
The focus of physical activity promotion is moving from measures to increase health-enhancing physical activity on the individual level to higher-level strategies including policy and environmental approaches. Scientific evidence, traditionally related to individual-based strategies, calls for adaptation and refinement when environmental and policy changes become more relevant. This paper investigates differences in physical activity promotion and public policy among six European countries. Data from a European study on public health promotion policy and health behaviours (MAREPS) is analysed to study behaviour, community-based opportunities for physical activity, and populations' perception of the effectiveness of their national policies in promoting physical activity. Analyses show significant differences in both involvement in and perceived opportunities for physical activity among the investigated countries. Populations in Finland, Switzerland, and The Netherlands show comparably higher participation and, at the same time, perceive better opportunities for physical activity within the residential environment than people in East Germany, Belgium, and Spain. Moreover, respondents from the former group of nations report considerably greater contribution of health policy in their country to the promotion of physical activity than respondents from the latter group. In conclusion, the results provide empirical support for the significance of environmental and policy approaches with regard to physical activity. Opportunities created by implementing such approaches may enable populations to develop more active lifestyles conducive to health. Further research employing longitudinal designs could be especially helpful to explore the causalities of the relationship between policy, environment and physical activity. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Adherence, therapeutic intensity, and the number of dispensed drugs.
To estimate non-adherence in relation to the therapeutic intensity (TI) and the number of dispensed drugs per individual and study whether the TI can be used as an estimator of non-adherence with an increasing number of drugs. The study comprised an individual-based register of all dispensed outpatient prescriptions in Sweden in 2006, including 6.2 million individuals. The applied definition of drug was the chemical entity or substance comprising the fifth level in the World Health Organisation's Anatomic, Therapeutic, Chemical classification. The defined daily dosage per individual during 12 months was applied as an indicator of the TI. We found a positive linear relation between the TI and the increasing number of dispensed drugs per individual, both for men and women. We found a slightly diminishing TI with an increasing number of drugs only for the age groups above 70 years, at a level above 13 drugs per individual. The linear relationship between the TI and the increasing number of dispensed drugs per individual provides poor support for using decreasing TI as an estimator of non-adherence. The low rate of cost-related non-adherence in Sweden might contribute to explaining the linear relationship. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The relationship between insulin resistance and hypercoagulability in acute ischemic stroke.
Insulin resistance has effects on the coagulation system, which is important in the acute phase of infarct. We examined the relationships between insulin resistance, hemostatic markers and stroke severity in acute ischemic stroke patients. Protein C (PC), protein S (PS), fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor and antithrombin III (AT III) were studied in 75 acute ischemic stroke patients with and without insulin resistance. The PC and PS levels of insulin-resistant patients were significantly lower than those of non-insulin-resistant patients (PC: 87 ± 19.23 vs. 97.89 ± 13.3%, p = 0.007; PS: 84.75 ± 15.72 vs. 93.21 ± 15.02%, p = 0.02), and both of the anticoagulants were correlated with the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA; r = -0.339, p = 0.003 and r = -0.481, p = 0.000, respectively). Additionally, the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score correlated negatively with PS (r = -0.329, p = 0.004) and AT III levels (r = -0.235, p = 0.04). The parameters with positive correlations with NIHSS were fibrinogen (r = 0.270, p = 0.019), fasting glucose (r = 0.358, p = 0.008) and HOMA (r = 0.286, p = 0.013). The significant associations between insulin resistance and hemostatic markers may be relevant to stroke severity by causing a procoagulant tendency in acute ischemic stroke. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Protein trafficking during plant innate immunity.
Plants have evolved a sophisticated immune system to fight against pathogenic microbes. Upon detection of pathogen invasion by immune receptors, the immune system is turned on, resulting in production of antimicrobial molecules including pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. Conceivably, an efficient immune response depends on the capacity of the plant cell's protein/membrane trafficking network to deploy the right defense-associated molecules in the right place at the right time. Recent research in this area shows that while the abundance of cell surface immune receptors is regulated by endocytosis, many intracellular immune receptors, when activated, are partitioned between the cytoplasm and the nucleus for induction of defense genes and activation of programmed cell death, respectively. Vesicle transport is an essential process for secretion of PR proteins to the apoplastic space and targeting of defense-related proteins to the plasma membrane or other endomembrane compartments. In this review, we discuss the various aspects of protein trafficking during plant immunity, with a focus on the immunity proteins on the move and the major components of the trafficking machineries engaged. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Mean-field model for the density of states of jammed soft spheres.
We propose a class of mean-field models for the isostatic transition of systems of soft spheres, in which the contact network is modeled as a random graph and each contact is associated to d degrees of freedom. We study such models in the hypostatic, isostatic, and hyperstatic regimes. The density of states is evaluated by both the cavity method and exact diagonalization of the dynamical matrix. We show that the model correctly reproduces the main features of the density of states of real packings and, moreover, it predicts the presence of localized modes near the lower band edge. Finally, the behavior of the density of states D(ω)∼ω^{α} for ω→0 in the hyperstatic regime is studied. We find that the model predicts a nontrivial dependence of α on the details of the coordination distribution. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Racially based trust expectancies of Native American and Caucasian children.
Native American and Caucasian children attending fourth or fifth grade in same-race or mixed-race Canadian schools judged themselves and the other group with respect to trust. As hypothesized, the children displayed same-race trust expectancies: Native American children expected a Caucasian child to be less likely to keep promises, keep secrets, and tell the truth than a Native American child. The Caucasian children displayed the opposite pattern of expectancies. The same-race pattern of trust was less evident in mixed-race schools than in same-race schools but, consistent with the behavioral disconfirmation hypothesis, only for expectancies of promise keeping. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Partitioning of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and coplanar PCBS in blood, milk, adipose tissue, placenta and cord blood from five American women.
Partitioning of dioxins, dibenzofurans and the dioxin-like coplanar PCBs was determined by congener-specific high resolution gc-ms analysis of compounds in 6 tissue samples each from 5 women. Samples were whole blood obtained prior to delivery; maternal adipose tissue, cord blood and placenta obtained during cesarean section delivery; and whole blood and milk taken at the time of first obstetrical follow-up examination, one to two months following delivery. All women lived in upstate New York. Specimens were collected in late 1995 and early 1996. Mean measured levels of total PCDDs, PCDFs and coplanar PCBs were 352 pg/g for adipose tissue, 526 pg/g for predelivery blood, 182 pg/g for placenta, 165 pg/g for cord blood, 352 pg/g for postpartum blood and 220 pg/g for milk. Mean total TEQ levels were 11.6 pg/g TEQ for adipose tissue, 12.1 pg/g TEQ for predelivery blood, 10.5 pg/g TEQ for placenta, 5.8 pg/g TEQ for cord blood, 10.0 pg/g TEQ for postpartum blood and 10.2 pg/g TEQ for milk. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Biochemical investigation and gene analysis of equol: a plant and soy-derived isoflavonoid with antiaging and antioxidant properties with potential human skin applications.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of equol, a plant and intestinal flora derived isoflavonoid molecule on the expression of skin genes and proteins using human dermal models. As equol has been shown to mimic 17β-estradiol and bind specifically to 5α-dihydrotestostone (5α-DHT), these agents were used (in addition to equol) to determine whether equol may play important and beneficial roles in the extracellular matrix (ECM). Equol at 0.3 or 1.2% in qPCR experiments using a human skin barrier model examined ECM gene expression. Equol, 5α-DHT, and 17β-estradiol at 10 nM were studied in human monolayer fibroblasts cultures (hMFC) for ECM protein expression. Human fibroblast three-dimensional organotypic cultures revealed equol's influence (@ 10 nM) on ECM proteins via fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. In qPCR experiments, equol significantly increased collagen, elastin (ELN), and tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease and decreased metalloproteinases (MMPs) gene expression and caused significant positive changes in skin antioxidant and antiaging genes. In hMFC, equol significantly increased collagen type I (COL1A1), whereas, 5α-DHT significantly decreased cell viability that was blocked by equol. FACS analysis showed equol and 17β-estradiol significantly stimulated COL1A1, collagen type III (COL3A1), and ELN while MMPs were significantly decreased compared with control values. Finally, tamoxifen blocked the positive influences of equol on ECM proteins via FACS analysis. These findings suggest that equol has the potential to be used topically for the treatment and prevention of skin aging, by enhancing ECM components in human skin. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Assessment of cross-flow filtration as microalgae harvesting technique prior to anaerobic digestion: Evaluation of biomass integrity and energy demand.
In the present study, the effect of cross-flow filtration (CFF) on the overall valorization of Chlorella spp. microalgae as biogas was assessed. The effect of CFF on microalgae cell integrity was quantified in terms of viability which was correlated with the anaerobic biodegradability. The viability dropped as the biomass concentration increased, whereas anaerobic biodegradability increased linearly with the viability reduction. It was hypothesized that a stress-induced release and further accumulation of organic polymers during CFF increased the flux resistance which promoted harsher shear-stress conditions. Furthermore, the volume reduction as the concentration increased entailed an increase in the specific energy supply to the biomass. The energy demand was positive in the whole range of concentrations studied, yielding an overall energy efficiency as high as 22.9% for the highest concentration studied. Specifically, heat requirements were lower than electricity requirements only when the biomass concentrations exceeded 10 g COD·L-1. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Comparing clustering and pre-processing in taxonomy analysis.
Massively parallel sequencing allows for rapid sequencing of large numbers of sequences in just a single run. Thus, 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicon sequencing of complex microbial communities has become possible. The sequenced 16S rRNA fragments (reads) are clustered into operational taxonomic units and taxonomic categories are assigned. Recent reports suggest that data pre-processing should be performed before clustering. We assessed combinations of data pre-processing steps and clustering algorithms on cluster accuracy for oral microbial sequence data. The number of clusters varied up to two orders of magnitude depending on pre-processing. Pre-processing using both denoising and chimera checking resulted in a number of clusters that was closest to the number of species in the mock dataset (25 versus 15). Based on run time, purity and normalized mutual information, we could not identify a single best clustering algorithm. The differences in clustering accuracy among the algorithms after the same pre-processing were minor compared with the differences in accuracy among different pre-processing steps. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [email protected] or [email protected] | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Advances in plasmid gene delivery and expression in skeletal muscle.
One of the most striking recent advances for plasmid delivery in vivo has been that of electropermeabilization, commonly referred to as electroporation. This physical process exposes a muscle tissue to a brief, high intensity electric field that induces temporary and reversible breakdown of the plasma membrane. During the period of membrane destabilization, a variety of molecules, including plasmids, gain intracellular access. Electroporation has been shown to improve the efficiency of plasmid gene delivery to skeletal muscle of small animals by as much as two-orders of magnitude to levels comparable to that of adenoviral gene delivery. This technology will allow the muscle to be used as a bioreactor for the secretion of therapeutic proteins into the circulation. This method of gene delivery, which is simple, efficient and reproducible, has become valuable for basic research, with great potential for gene therapy and DNA vaccination. Moreover, significant progress has been made using a variety of molecular designs to achieve regulation of gene expression by low molecular weight drugs. The enhanced efficiency of plasmid delivery by electroporation and the resultant durability of transgene expression, combined with the effectiveness of drug-dependent transgene regulation systems, provide a powerful set of tools that will be broadly applicable to the development of plasmid-based gene therapies for the treatment of human disease. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The Taylor theory on retention.
There are many concepts which have been publicized, theorized, scrutinized and debated. Retention is one of those concepts near and dear to us all in today's market where it is less costly to retain than retrain. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effect of polyamine depletion on cone photoreceptors of the developing rabbit retina.
To measure the concentrations of polyamines, determine their cellular and subcellular localization, and analyze effects of their depletion in developing rabbit retina. Isolated retinas at different developmental stages were analyzed for polyamine content by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An antibody against polyamines was used to localize endogenous stores in both freshly harvested retinas and neonatal retinal explants. To determine the effects of polyamine depletion on immature retina, neonatal explants were cultured in the presence or absence of alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of the polyamine synthetic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Similar studies were also performed on dissociated cell cultures. Tissue was assessed using standard histologic stains as well as cell-specific markers (peanut agglutinin for cone photoreceptors and calbindin for horizontal cells). Retinal polyamine content was highest at birth, remained relatively high during the first postnatal week, and then steadily decreased to adult levels. At all ages analyzed, spermine concentration was higher than putrescine or spermidine; however, the differential was greatest in the adult. Polyamine immunoreactivity was localized to distal processes of both rods and cones during development. Strong immunoreactivity was maintained in adult cone inner and outer segments; comparatively weak staining was observed in the adult rods. Heavy staining of ganglion cells was present throughout development but was localized in the cytoplasm in immature cells and in the nucleus in the adult. Amacrine cells stained only in the adult. Polyamine depletion caused a disruption of immature cones, evident in the loss of their somata in the outer nuclear layer, in their processes in the outer plexiform layer in retinal explants, and in their decreased association with horizontal cells in dissociated cell culture. The relatively high concentrations of polyamines in neonatal retina and their discrete localization in developing photoreceptor outer segments and ganglion cells suggests an important role for these compounds in development. The disruption of cone-specific markers in polyamine-depleted retinas indicates a specific reliance on polyamines for expression of normal cone morphology or morphologic development. These developmental effects may involve polyamine-sensitive ion channels, which are known to exist in retina, or direct interactions with specialized cytoskeletal elements within outer segments. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Falciparum malaria in an overseas traveler complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation and pulmonary edema.
A 24-year-old woman was infected with falciparum malaria during travel to Kenya, complicated by intravascular coagulation and pulmonary edema. She was successfully treated with anti-malarial drugs including chloroquine, quinine sulfate and pyrimethamine, with a combined regimen of heparin, antithrombin III and nafamostat mesilate for disseminated intravascular coagulation, and with methylprednisolone pulse therapy for pulmonary edema. The present case emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment in terms of falciparum malaria. This case, in particular, is believed to be worth reporting as overseas travel is increasing and yet anti-malarial drugs are not readily available to most physicians in Japan. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Solid-vapour reactions as a post-synthetic modification tool for molecular crystals: the enclathration of benzene and toluene by Werner complexes.
The enclathration of benzene and toluene by Werner complexes has been described. In the case of toluene, time-lapse PXRD analysis reveals that solid-liquid and solid-vapour reactions proceed according to different pathways. These preliminary results suggest that solid-liquid reactions destroy the host structure, whereas the solid-vapour reactions allow post-synthetic modification. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Recurrent maturing perineal lipoblastoma.
Lipoblastoma is a rare benign neoplasm of fetal adipose tissue that we see mostly in infants and young children less than 3 years of age. Most lipoblastomas occur on the extremities, trunk, head and neck, and various other organs have been described. We report a case of a recurrent perineal lipoblastoma in a 2.5-year-old boy, which showed maturation of the lipoblasts as compared to the primary tumor. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Type 2 diabetes: RENAAL and IDNT--the emergence of new treatment options.
The Reduction in End Points in NIDDM with the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan (RENAAL) study and the Irbesartan Diabetic Nephropathy Trial (IDNT) are two recently reported trials with hard end points, conducted in patients in advanced stages of diabetic nephropathy. Two other studies--the Irbesartan Microalbuminuria Study (IRMA)-2 and the Microalbuminuria Reduction with Valsartan study (MARVAL)--were trials conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes with microalbuminuria, a cardiovascular risk factor associated with early-stage diabetic nephropathy. These trials all had a common theme--that is, does an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) interfere with the natural history of diabetic nephropathy in a blood pressure-independent fashion? Without question, the results of these trials legitimatize the use of the ARB class in forestalling the deterioration in renal function, which is almost inevitable in the patient with untreated diabetic nephropathy. These data can now be added to the vast array of evidence supporting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor use in patients with nephropathy associated with type 1 diabetes. It now appears a safe conclusion that the patient with diabetic nephropathy should receive therapy with an agent that interrupts the renin-angiotensin system. These studies have not resolved the question as to whether an ACE inhibitor or an ARB is the preferred agent in people with nephropathy from type 1 diabetes, though the optimal doses of these drugs remain to be determined. Head-to-head studies comparing ACE inhibitors to ARBs in diabetic nephropathy are not likely to occur, so it is unlikely that comparable information will be forthcoming with ACE inhibitors. An evidence-based therapeutic approach derived from these trials would argue for ARBs to be the foundation of therapy in the patient with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-modified umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation improves neurological deficits in rats with traumatic brain injury.
This study explored the effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene-modified umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) transplantation on neurological functional improvement in rats after brain trauma. A rat model of cerebral contusion in the motor-sensory cortex was established by the weight hammer-falling method. UCMSCs were cultured and transferred with BDNF gene. After determining BDNF expression and activity, the BDNF gene-modified UCMSCs were implanted into brains of rats receiving the brain injury. The neurological function was evaluated 1 and 2 weeks after brain injury. BDNF expression was then determined by immunohistochemistry. Severe neurological dysfunction was observed in animals subjected to contusion brain injury (10.50 ± 0.53). A significant improvement in neurological function was found in the UCMSC transplantation animals (7.75 ± 0.71) compared with the brain injury only group (p < 0.01). Rats with BDNF gene-modified UCMSCs showed the highest improvement in behavior (5.50 ± 0.76; p < 0.01). BDNF gene-modified UCMSCs can survive and migrate in rat cerebral tissues. The transplantation of these UCMSCs can improve the neurological functions of rats with traumatic brain injury. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Specific metabolic effects imposed by Streptococcus pneumoniae upon the response to femoral fracture in the rat.
The possible potentiation of an infection upon the metabolic consequences of trauma was tested in rats using a 2 X 2 block design which included control, femoral fracture, pneumococcal infection, and fracture plus infection groups. Infection introduced unique metabolic effects different from those of starvation, femoral fracture, or both together. Infection-induced effects included an accelerated conversion of 14C-alanine to glucose, higher serum haptoglobin, alpha2-macrofetoprotein, copper, and ceruloplasmin values, and lower serum iron, zinc, and transferrin concentrations. The first three of these infection-induced effects were diminished in rats with a femoral fracture. No measured effect of infection was increased in traumatized rats. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Review of home phototherapy.
Outpatient phototherapy is a safe, effective, and low-cost treatment modality for moderate to severe psoriasis. Barriers to outpatient phototherapy including patient inconvenience, patient co-pays, decreased physician compensation, and insurance disincentive structures have led to decreased use and underutilization of phototherapy. Home phototherapy can potentially overcome many of the barriers associated with outpatient treatment but is not widely used because of concerns over safety and efficacy, lack of resident and physician education, and lack of insurance coverage. The purpose of this study is to review the use of phototherapy with emphasis on the safety, efficacy, and practical use of home phototherapy. A comprehensive Pubmed literature search was done using the keywords NB-UVB, narrowband UVB, BB-UVB, broadband UVB, PUVA, psoralen and UVA, UVA, history of phototherapy, mechanism of phototherapy, phototherapy in dermatology, home phototherapy, and phototherapy for psoriasis. All relevant articles were reviewed. Home NB-UVB phototherapy can be as safe, effective, and cost-effective as outpatient phototherapy. Further, home UVB is more convenient for patients, has higher patient satisfaction, and a lower treatment burden compared to outpatient phototherapy. Home NB-UVB should be considered as a treatment option for patients eligible for phototherapy. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Novel insight into the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the m1 muscarinic receptor, iNOS and nNOS mRNA levels.
In this paper we have determined the different signaling pathways involved in M(1) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR)-dependent stimulation of m1 mAChRs, neural and inducible isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and iNOS)-mRNA gene expression of rat frontal cortex. Carbachol-stimulation of M(1) mAChRs exerts an increase in m1 mAChR-mRNA, activation of phosphoinositide (PI) turnover, translocation of protein kinase C (PKC) and stimulation of NOS activity. Inhibitors of phospholipase C (PLC), calcium/calmodulin and NOS, but not guanylate cyclase, prevent the carbachol-dependent increase of m1 mAChR-mRNA levels. These inhibitors also attenuate the muscarinic receptor-dependent increase in nNOS and iNOS mRNA levels. These results suggest that carbachol-activation of M(1) mAChRs increases m1 mAChR, nNOS and iNOS mRNA levels associated with increased production of nitric oxide (NO). The mechanism appears to occur secondarily to stimulation of PI turnover via PLC activation. This in turn, triggers a cascade reaction involving calcium/calmodulin and PKC, leading to activation of NOS. On the basis of our results, the activation of M(1) mAChRs appears to induce nNOS and iNOS expression and, reciprocally, the activator of NOS up-regulates m1 mAChR gene expression. These results may contribute to a better understanding of the effects and side effects of cholinomimetic treatment in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[The antitumor activity of bovine serum albumin-mediated conjugate of hematoporphyrin derivative with antigastric cancer monoclonal antibody].
Hematoporphyrin derivative (HPD) was conjugated with a murine monoclonal antibody (3H11) against human gastric cancer through bovine serum albumin (BSA) as an intermediate. In this paper, the antitumor activity of indirect conjugate 3H11-BSA-HPD was demonstrated and compared with that of direct conjugate 3H11-HPD in vitro and in vivo. The molar ratios of the conjugates 3H11-BSA-HPD and 3H11-HPD were 1:200 and 1:37, respectively. The cytotoxicities of 3H11-BSA-HPD and 3H11-HPD plus exposure to light were shown to be similar, and much greater than those of free HPD at equivalent HPD concentration in vitro. When tumor-bearing nude mice were treated with the different conjugates or HPD plus exposure to light, all the six mice of the control group formed tumor within 13 days after inoculation of BGC 823 cells (2 x 10(5) cells/mouse), whereas five of the six mice treated with 3H11-BSA-HPD or 3H11-HPD were tumor free for the observation period of 34 days. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Consequences of rapid fertility decline in the Republic of Korea: issues and solutions.
During the last 3 decades, efforts to deal with population problems in Korea have focused largely on reducing population growth. The national population control program has been a major means of achieving this goal. Between the early 1960s and 1990, evidence from a national survey indicates that the percent of current use of contraception rose from about 12% to 80% and the total fertility rate fell to 1.6. representing 1 of the most rapid fertility transitions in the developing world. In conjunction with this rapid reduction in fertility, mortality also improved significantly during this period. Thus, Korea has virtually completed the demographic transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates during the same period. It is widely recognized that Korea has reached demographic maturity and has also achieved remarkable economic development at the same time. The world's demographic history shows that the demographic transition which almost every industrialized country has gone through from a predominantly rural, illiterate society with high birth and death rates, to a predominantly rural, illiterate society with high birth and death rates, to a predominantly urban, educated society with low birth and death rates usually takes well over a century, but in Korea, that process has taken only a few decades. On the other hand, the consequences of a rapid fertility decline bring about various demographic and social issues which we have to take into consideration for future socioeconomic development policy concerning the well-being of the Korean people. Some of issues for policy consideration can be broadly summarized as follows: 1) gradual imbalance of sex ratio at birth due to traditional son preference behavior; 2) latent effect of inevitable population aging and increasing dependency burden on behalf of the elderly for the public sector; 3) changes in family life cycle and rapid transformation form a large to a small family; 4) increasing demand for now social roles for women, supported by easing of child care burdens within households. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Pharmacological closure of symptomatic PDA in premature infants using indomethacin].
When left to right shunting through the ductus arteriosus is of a degree contributing to the cardiopulmonary problems in a premature infant, the condition is clinically termed symptomatic PDA. It is also generally agreed that symptomatic PDA if left untreated is a significant cause of increased morbidity and mortality. Studies have also concluded that all infants with symptomatic PDA who are prematurely born and/or ventilator dependent should be considered candidates for ductal closure by either pharmacological or surgical mean. Over a period of approximately 2 1/2 years, 22 premature infants with symptomatic PDA have been treated here with powder form indomethacin. The one course success rate was 68%. Thereafter, in another 2 1/2 years, 33 cases were selected for whom a liquid form was used instead. The success rate was 70%. Indomethacin is better given by an intravenous route. However, if the intravenous form is not available, using the liquid form by mouth or via the naso-gastric tube is a good substitute. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Stimulation of heterotrophic microplankton production by resuspended marine sediments.
Resuspended material experimentally derived from natural marine sediments and added to dark microcosms containing natural seawater stimulated the suspended microheterotrophs (bacteria and protozoa) to attain 2.6 times the biovolume of controls after 32 hours. Free bacteria benefited most from the stimulus, both numerically and volumetrically. Attached suspended bacteria also increased in number during the first 64 hours of the experiment; particles remaining in suspension became more densely packed with bacteria. This increased microbial production may be an important source of high-quality biomass for consumers in the nearshore zone, depending on the frequency, duration, and intensity of resuspension events in a given region. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Recombinant factor VIIa.
Human coagulation factor (F) VII is a single chain protease that circulates in the blood as a weakly active zymogen at concentrations of approximately 10 nmol/L. When converted to the active 2 chain form (FVIIa), it is a powerful initiator of haemostasis. Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa, eptacog alfa, NovoSeven) is a genetically engineered product that was first introduced in 1988 for the treatment of patients with haemophilia A and B with high inhibitory antibody titres to factors VIII and IX. Recent reports in the form of case studies and series, and early trial data, have suggested a role for rFVIIa across a diverse range of indications including bleeding associated with trauma, surgery, thrombocytopaenia, liver disease and oral anticoagulant toxicity. This review describes the physiology of the coagulation pathway and in particular the role of recombinant factor VIIa. It will also focus on the emerging role of rFVIIa in both trauma and non-trauma bleeding and its potential use in the ED. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Clinical and pathological analysis of 566 patients with cryptogenic liver diseases].
To investigate the etiology, pathology, and clinical characteristics of cryptogenic liver diseases in order to develop a pathogenic profile for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic design. The data of the 566 patients diagnosed with abnormal liver function and who had undergone liver biopsy at our institute between January 2006 to March 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The Chi-squared (x²) test was used to assess disease correlation with sex and the rank sum test was used to assess disease correlation with continuous data since all data had asymmetric distribution. Among the 566 patients, abnormal liver function was attributed to alcoholic liver disease (n=175; 30.92%), drug-induced or environmentally-induced liver disease (n=101; 17.84%), hereditary and metabolic disease (n=93; 16.43%), infectious hepatitis disease (n=84; 14.84%), fatty liver disease (n=53; 9.36%), and autoimmune liver disease (n=30; 53.00%). Thirty patients had unknown etiology, despite liver biopsy analysis. Among these disease subgroups, there were distinct correlations with sex, age, and levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT). The autoimmune liver disease group was correlated with sex (q=9.14, 7.435, 5.071, 9.529, and 12.5, respectively; P less than or equal to 0.01). The alcoholic liver disease group and autoimmune liver disease group were correlated with age (vs. genetic metabolic disease group: q=17.254 and 10.302; infectious hepatitis group: q=17.523 and 10.697); drug/environmentally-induced liver damage group: q=9.170 and 5.266); fatty liver group: q=7.118 and 4.661) (P less than or equal to 0.01). In addition, the alcoholic and autoimmune liver disease groups were correlated with GGT levels (vs. genetic metabolic disease group: q=8.003; infectious hepatitis group: q=4.793; drug/environmentally-induced liver damage group: q=4.404) (P less than or equal to 0.01). Liver pathology is important for the diagnosis of cryptogenic liver diseases. Patient age, sex, and biochemistry index may facilitate diagnosis and treatment in the absence of pathology. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Brainstem white matter integrity is related to loss of consciousness and postconcussive symptomatology in veterans with chronic mild to moderate traumatic brain injury.
We investigated associations between DTI indices of three brainstem white matter tracts, traumatic brain injury (TBI) injury characteristics, and postconcussive symptomatology (PCS) in a well-characterized sample of veterans with history of mild to moderate TBI (mTBI). 58 military veterans (mTBI: n = 38, mean age = 33.2, mean time since injury = 90.9 months; military controls [MC]; n = 20; mean age = 29.4) were administered 3T DTI scans as well as a comprehensive neuropsychiatric evaluation including evaluation of TBI injury characteristics and PCS symptoms (e.g., negative mood, dizziness, balance and coordination difficulties). Tractography was employed by seeding ROIs along 3 brainstem white matter tracts (i.e., medial lemniscus-central tegmentum tract [ML-CTT]; corticospinal tracts [CST], and pontine tegmentum [PT]), and mean DTI values were derived from fractional anisotropic (FA) maps. Results showed that there were no significant difference in FA between the MC and TBI groups across the 3 regions of interest; however, among the TBI group, CST FA was significantly negatively associated with LOC duration. Additionally, lower FA of certain tracts-most especially the PT-was significantly associated with increased PCS symptoms (i.e., more severe vestibular symptoms, poorer physical functioning, and greater levels of fatigue), even after adjusting for PTSD symptoms. Our findings show that, in our sample of veterans with mTBI, tractography-based DTI indices of brainstem white matter tracts of interest are related to the presence and severity of PCS symptoms. Findings are promising as they show linkages between brainstem white matter integrity and injury severity (LOC), and they raise the possibility that the pontine tegmentum in particular may be a useful marker of PCS symptoms. Collectively, these data point to important neurobiological substrates of the chronic and complex constellation of symptoms following the 'signature injury' of our combat-exposed veterans. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effects of m-nifedipine on dihydropyridine binding sites in hypertrophied left ventricular cell membranes from deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt hypertensive rats.
m-Nifedipine(m-Nif 20 mg.kg-1.d-1 ig) was administered orally to male deoxycorticosterone-acetate-salt(DOCA) hypertensive rats for 9 or 12 wk, the affinity and density of dihydropyridines (DHP) binding sites in the membranes of left ventricle (LV) were investigated. Treatment with m-Nif, whether for prevention (6 wk postoperation) or regression (9 wk postoperation) lowered systolic blood pressure, decreased the weight of left ventricle and the Ca2+ concentration in mitochondria in hypertrophied LV. The density (Bmax) and the total number of DHP binding sites in hypertrophied LV were also markedly decreased (450 +/- 25, 462 +/- 36 fmol.mg-1 vs 836 +/- 47 fmol.mg-1 protein, P < 0.001). There was no difference between groups in constant (KD) values of DHP binding sites. These results indicate that m-Nif prevented and regressed cardiac mass in DOCA hypertensive rats through mechanisms that may be associated with their density of DHP binding sites and control of blood pressure. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Split cord malformation type 1 with two hemicord lesions.
Split cord malformations are rare entities which may present in an occult manner or in association with other lesions or congenital anomalies. Rarely, these cases may have associated hemicord lesions. We report an unusual case, the first of its kind, a type 1 split cord malformation with two pathologically different lesions (lipoma and dermoid) on one hemicord. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Child welfare characteristics in a sample of youth involved in commercial sex: An exploratory study.
Homeless, runaway, and youth exiting foster care are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, but little research has parsed the societal, community, and individual factors that contribute to their risk. (1) To estimate child welfare characteristics in a sample of homeless young people who engaged in commercial sex (CS); and (2) To compare young people who were sex trafficked (ST) to those who engaged in some other form of CS. This study includes 98 homeless young people in Philadelphia, PA, Phoenix, AZ, and Washington, DC, who were interviewed for a larger study of ST and endorsed engagement in CS. We used a non-probability, purposive, maximum variation sampling procedure. Interviews were recorded and responses were simultaneously noted on a standardized interview form. Data were analyzed through means, frequencies, and bivariate tests of association. Average age of the full sample of 98 homeless young people was 20.9 years; 48% were female and 50% were Black/African American. Forty-six percent of the full sample was sex trafficked. The full sample and the victims of ST differed significantly in three child welfare characteristics, with the ST group more likely to have been maltreated as children, more likely to have had family involvement with the child welfare system (CWS), and more likely to report higher rates of living someplace other than with their biological parents as children. ST victims differ from those who engaged in other forms of CS in histories of maltreatment, involvement with the CWS, and exposure to residential instability while growing up. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Eye-acupuncture intervention reduces cerebro-cortical apoptosis of neurovascular unit in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats].
To observe the effect of eye-acupuncture intervention on cerebro-cortical apoptosis of microvascular endothelial cells, neurons and astrocytes (main components of neurovascular unit) and the expression of Bad (an apoptosis promoter) and B-cell lymphoma-extra large(Bcl-xL) proteins in focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of CIRI. SD rats were randomly divided into control, sham-operation, model 3 h, model 24 h, model 72 h, eye-acupuncture 3 h, eye-acupuncture 24 h and eye-acupuncture 72 h groups(n＝12 in each group). The CIRI model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Eye-acupuncture was applied to bilateral "Gan" (Liver) regions, "Shen" (Kidney) regions, "Shangjiao" (Upper-energizer) and "Xiajiao" (Lower-energizer) for 20 min, once 3 h and every 12 h after modeling. The expression levels of Bad and Bcl-xL in the ischemic cerebral cortex tissue were detected by Western blot. The apoptotic neurons, microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes were assayed by immunofluorescence double labeling (Nestin/TUNEL, CD34/TUNEL and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]/TUNEL) separately. After modeling, the numbers of apoptotic neurons, microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes in the ischemic cerebral cortex tissue were significantly increased in the model 72 h group than in the sham-operation group (P<0.01). Following the treatment, the numbers of the 3 types of apoptotic cells were markedly lower in the eye-acupuncture 72 h group than in the model 72 h group(P<0.01). The expression levels of Bad and Bcl-xL proteins were notably up-regulated in the model 3 h, model 24 h and model 72 h groups than in the sham operation group(P<0.01). Following eye-acupuncture intervention, modeling induced increase of the Bad expression were obviously reversed in eye-acupuncture 24 h and eye-acupuncture 72 h groups than those in the 2 model groups(P<0.05). And the increase of Bcl-xL expression levels were further increased in the eye-acupuncture groups in comparison with those in the 3 model groups (P<0.01). Eye-acupuncture can down-regulate the expression of Bad protein, and up-regulate the expression of Bcl-xL protein in the ischemic cerebral cortex in CIRI rats, which may contribute to its function in reducing apoptotic neurons, microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes, suggesting a protective effect of eye-acupuncture intervention on neurovascular unit. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Writing Scientific and Medical Papers Clearly.
My concern in this presentation is with the falling standard of papers, particularly primary research articles, in the scientific and medical literature. Few of our younger generation of scientists (and many older ones) have never had specific training in how to write a good article, and yet this is the major product of all research effort that has been done, perhaps over a year or more. This is a situation that has to be corrected by all institutions, universities, and similar bodies, who need to introduce into the curriculum a course (not just a token lecture) that deals with the complexity of writing a lucid article that is succinct and written with style. To assist in this exercise, I have now produced a manual (1) that goes step-by-step through the process of writing and publishing scientific papers in such a way that they have much greater chance of being accepted by learned journals. Anat Rec, 301:1493-1496, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Cardiovascular death in patients with atrial fibrillation is better predicted by left atrial thrombus and spontaneous echocardiographic contrast as compared with clinical parameters.
We hypothesized that altered intra-atrial thrombogenicity, as reflected by the presence of left atrial (LA) thrombus or spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC), would predict cardiovascular death in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). In 175 patients with AF and no more than mild mitral regurgitation as detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), 13 cardiovascular deaths occurred during a mean follow-up of 31 +/- 20 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis using clinical variables identified the presence of congestive heart failure (relative risk [RR] = 4.22; P = .02) as the only positive predictor of cardiovascular death. However, when the TEE variables were added to the model, LA thrombus (RR = 5.52; P = .024) and LA SEC (RR = 7.96; P = .013) emerged as the only positive predictors of cardiovascular death. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a lower event-free survival from cardiovascular death in patients with LA thrombus and/or SEC ( P = .0013). These findings support AF as a contributing cause of cardiovascular death independent of clinically associated risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, congestive heart failure, and prior myocardial infarction. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Factors Influencing Patients' Intention to Perform Physical Activity During Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.
To examine theoretical and medical variables influencing a patient's intention to perform physical activity during hospitalization for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). 54 patients undergoing HCT at the Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio. A longitudinal, prospective cohort design was used. Instruments included the Self-Report Habit Index, tailored to assess exercise habit, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form, and an investigator-constructed survey of intention, attitude, control, and subjective norm toward physical activity. Descriptive statistics, univariate logistic regression, and linear regression were used. Intention for physical activity remained high at all time points. Previous exercise habits were not related to intention. Inverse relationships between symptom distress and the theoretical constructs that influence intention occurred at the critical time points of nadir and discharge during transplantation. Nurses should reinforce physical activity regardless of exercise habits. Symptom distress may influence physical activity differently during the transplantation trajectory. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Pilot study of a visitor volunteer programme for community elderly people receiving home health care.
There is a need to evaluate community support programmes for elderly people. In this randomized control trial (RCT), we determined the effectiveness of 'friendly visitors' in a volunteer programme of a visiting nurses organization in Southern Ontario, Canada. The Volunteer Friendly Visitor Programme was developed to support elderly people receiving homemaking and nursing care in the community. Volunteers are screened, trained, interviewed and matched to homebound elderly clients for general interest, visit expectations and personality. Volunteers spend three to four hours on average per week with clients socializing in mutually agreed-upon ways. The nursing staff identified clients who were lonely for this additional support. These newly-referred clients were randomly allocated to receive a friendly visitor or not for six weeks. Those receiving the volunteer visitor improved in life satisfaction and two social support measures: worth and social integration. Thus, the addition of volunteer visitors to planned homemaking and nursing care made a difference for elderly in the community. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Inverted and satellited Y chromosome in the orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).
An inverted and satellited Y chromosome of almost acrocentric appearance was detected in seven of 14 male orangutans. In the remaining seven animals a submetacentric Y chromosome without NORs occurred. The high frequency with which the satellited Y chromosomes were associated with acrocentric autosomes and the positive AgNO3-staining of their satellite stalks clearly indicate the active state of the NOR on the Y chromosomes. DNA fingerprinting in two orangutan families showed that the inverted and satellited Y chromosomes in carrier orangutan males do not interfere with normal fertility. Within our sample of male orangutans studied, the inverted and satellited Y chromosome is restricted to Sumatran animals; all Bornean specimens possessed the submetacentric Y chromosome. The question arises whether these two kinds of Y chromosome differ constitutively between the Pongo pygmaeus subpopulations. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
New polyurethane/docosane microcapsules as phase-change materials for thermal energy storage.
Polyurethane microcapsules were prepared by mini-emulsion interfacial polymerization for encapsulation of phase-change material (n-docosane) for energy storage. Three steps were followed with the aim to optimize synthesis conditions of the microcapsules. First, polyurethane microcapsules based on silicone oil core as an inert template with different silicone oil/poly(ethylene glycol)/4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate wt % ratio were synthesized. The surface morphology of the capsules was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the chemical nature of the shell was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Capsules with the silicone oil/poly(ethylene glycol)/4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate 10/20/20 wt % ratio showed the best morphological features and shell stability with average particle size about 4 μm, and were selected for the microencapsulation of the n-docosane. In the second stage, half of the composition of silicone oil was replaced with n-docosane and, finally, the whole silicone oil content was replaced with docosane following the same synthetic procedure used for silicone oil containing capsules. Thermal and cycling stability of the capsules were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and the phase-change behavior was evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Nonaqueous and aqueous capillary electrophoresis of synthetic polymers.
In this work, the use of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to analyze synthetic polymers is reviewed including works published till February 2004. The revised works have been classified depending on the CE mode (e.g., free solution capillary electrophoresis, capillary gel electrophoresis, etc.) and type of buffer (i.e., nonaqueous, aqueous and hydro-organic background electrolytes) employed to separate synthetic macromolecules. Advantages and drawbacks of these different separation procedures for polymer analysis are discussed. Also, physicochemical studies of complex polymer systems by CE are reviewed, including drug release studies, synthetic polyampholytes, dendrimers, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and associative copolymers. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Robust Ellipse Fitting via Half-Quadratic and Semidefinite Relaxation Optimization.
Ellipse fitting is widely applied in the fields of computer vision and automatic manufacture. However, the introduced edge point errors (especially outliers) from image edge detection will cause severe performance degradation of the subsequent ellipse fitting procedure. To alleviate the influence of outliers, we develop a robust ellipse fitting method in this paper. The main contributions of this paper are as follows. First, to be robust against the outliers, we introduce the maximum correntropy criterion into the constrained least-square (CLS) ellipse fitting method, and apply the half-quadratic optimization algorithm to solve the nonlinear and nonconvex problem in an alternate manner. Second, to ensure that the obtained solution is related to an ellipse, we introduce a special quadratic equality constraint into the aforementioned CLS model, which results in the nonconvex quadratically constrained quadratic programming problem. Finally, we derive the semidefinite relaxation version of the aforementioned problem in terms of the trace operator and thus determine the ellipse parameters using semidefinite programming. Some simulated and experimental examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed ellipse fitting approach. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Treating missing data in a clinical neuropsychological dataset--data imputation.
Missing data frequently reduce the applicability of clinically collected data in research requiring multivariate statistics. In data imputation, missing values are replaced by predicted values obtained from models based on auxiliary information. Our aim was to complete a clinical child neuropsychological data set containing 5.2% of missing observations. This was to be used in research requiring multivariate statistics. We compared four data imputation methods by artificially deleting some data. A real-donor imputation method which preserved the parameter estimates and which predicted the observed values with acceptable accuracy was used to complete the data set. In addressing the lack of studies with regard to treatment of missing data in neuropsychological data sets, this study presents information on the outcomes of applying data imputation methods to such data. The imputation modeling described can be applied to a variety of clinical neuropsychological data sets. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Comparison of the Rev transactivation of feline immunodeficiency virus in feline and non-feline cell lines.
The Rev protein of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) differentially transactivates the expression of viral structural proteins by allowing the accumulation of unspliced and singly spliced viral mRNA in cytoplasm via the Rev response element (RRE) at the end of env. To investigate the role of rev gene of FIV for the virus life cycle and cell tropism, we constructed the Rev expression plasmids, and functional activity of the Rev was assayed by using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay system in feline and non-feline cell lines. Although the FIV Rev protein showed high transactivity to result in enhanced CAT production in a feline cell line, the productions of the CAT in non-feline cell lines were significantly lower than that in the feline cell line. These results indicate that specific cellular factor(s) present in feline cell line is required for the FIV Rev full-action and also suggest that the Rev action plays one of the important roles in determining the FIV cell tropism. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Medication of the month. Sitagliptin-metformin fixed combination (Janumet)].
Type 2 diabetes is a complex disease with the coexistence of several pathophysiological abnormalities such as a defect of insulin secretion, a relative hyperglucagonaemia, an increased hepatic glucose production and a muscular insulin resistance. In order to tackle all these abnormalities, the coadministration of several drugs with complementary actions is frequently required. Janumet is a fixed-dose combination of sitagliptin, a specific inhibitor of dipeptidylpeptidase-4 that blocks the rapid degradation of so-called incretin hormones (resulting in a potentiation of insulin secretion and reduction of glucagon secretion in a glucose-dependent manner), and of metformin, a biguanide compound that reduces glucose hepatic production and slightly improves insulin sensitivity. This pharmacological combination improves glucose control without inducing hypoglycaemia or weight gain. The tolerance profile is rather good, with (digestive) side effects and contraindications (risk of lactic acidosis in case of renal insufficiency) attributable to metformin. Janumet (50/850 mg or 50/1.000 mg), twice daily, is indicated in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is currently reimbursed in Belgium after failure of metformin monotherapy or the prior demonstration of the efficacy of adding sitaglitptin (Januvia) to metformin. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Single-frame blind deconvolution by means of frame segmentation.
For restoration of an image degraded with a shift-invariant point-spread function (PSF), partial images segmented from the degraded image are blind deconvolved in parallel for estimation of the common PSF in each partial image. An object function is reconstructed by deconvolution of the whole image with the PSF. A technique for calibrating contamination caused by the segmentation is developed. Results for a computer-generated image and an atmospherically degraded solar image are presented. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Effect of sera from various vertebrate species on mouse erythroid progenitor proliferation.
Sera from different vertebrate species were tested for their stimulating activity upon mouse CFU-E growth. Crude sera were either naturally stimulating or toxic. Absorption on mouse blood and spleen cells or decomplementation removes or neutralizes the toxicity, probably mediated through natural anti-mouse antibodies. All but 2 sera tested (ox and sheep) were stimulatory. This stimulating activity was found to be either heat-sensitive or -resistant according to the sera. Upon chromatography on DEAE cellulose, 2 fractions were obtained which were both stimulatory. Whether these two stimulating activities correspond to different molecules or to only 1 absorbed on different serum proteins remains to be determined. These results confirm previous results obtained for mouse and human sera and suggest that this cross-reactive stimulating activity may have an important role in vertebrate erythropoiesis. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Testicular cancer guideline adherence and patterns of care in Germany: A nationwide survey.
Testicular cancer has excellent cure rates; however, poor guideline adherence can lead to inappropriate management, with a detrimental effect on outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the current patterns of care for testicular cancer patients and to evaluate guideline adherence. A 19-item survey was distributed among German urologists between September 2015 and September 2016. The response rate was 45% (411/920). Staging imaging of the chest was performed by computed tomography (CT) in 85.5% and X-ray in 17.7%, and for the abdomen, by CT in 83.7% and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 21.1%. Areas of discrepancy with respect to guideline recommendations included underuse of MRI and infrequent follow-up examinations for changes in the cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, and pulmonary systems, in addition to psychological burden. Further deviations of reported routine procedures from guideline recommendations were identified in the fields of active surveillance in Stage I seminoma, contralateral biopsies (63.1% overuse) and cryopreservation (19.2% underuse). Moreover, we found that hospital-based clinicians and younger specialists, with ≤5 years of practice following board certification, perform a more accurate and thorough follow-up. German urologists show relatively strong guideline adherence in staging patterns. Significant improvements are necessary in the following areas: recommending cryopreservation, imaging modalities and accurate follow-up examinations with a focus on late toxicities. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Evaluation of France's contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Ten years later].
For 30 years, France has been very committed politically in the international combat against AIDS. The discovery of the AIDS virus at the Pasteur Institute in 1983, the AIDS summit meeting convened by Simone Veil in 1994, the excellence of research by French institutions on its virologic and other aspects as well as the socioeconomic and anthropological issues, and the strong commitment to international technical cooperation against this disease - all these have made (and continue to make) France a major political, technical, and financial participant in this battle against the combined pandemic of AIDS and tuberculosis. More than 10 years after the creation of the Global Fund, 5 years after the first evaluation of this Fund, and 2 years before the schedule for meeting the Millennium Development Goals, an assessment commissioned in 2013 from a French consulting firm of the French contributions is timely. The study was expected. Its results are disappointing. Why? Because the team chosen to conduct the assessment has a limited knowledge of the history of the interventions already funded by France and of the results of earlier assessments. The point was not to repeat the same observations but to move forward to see where they lead. In addition, the current and coming challenges are not considered. The countries to which France is providing cooperation are on the continent that after 30 years remains the most heavily affected by the pandemic. Several transitions are occurring there simultaneously: epidemiologic, demographic and urban. These metamorphoses influencing social values quite substantially, as well as risk factors for transmission of the AIDS virus; at the same time, they facilitate overcrowding and the propagation of tuberculosis. Nor do the authors consider the resistance of these infectious agents to the most commonly used drugs. The effects of the propagation of AIDS, of the expansion of armed conflicts in French-speaking Africa and of the sexual violence alongside them are not mentioned, while France is intervening militarily in Mali! I use the observations of this assessment to discuss all these questions. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Epidemiology and Genetic Characterization of H3N8 Equine Influenza Virus Responsible for Clinical Disease in Algeria in 2011.
An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) was reported in Algeria between May and July, 2011. The outbreak started in Tiaret, in west province of Algeria, and spread to the other parts of the country affecting almost 900 horses in many provinces. The population studied was composed of 325 horses from different groups of age. Clinical sign expression was age dependent. Indeed, a morbidity rate of 14.9% was observed in horses under 15 months old and a rate of 4.95% in horses over 8 years old. Interestingly, the morbidity rate raised sharply to reach 100% in horses aged between 18 months and 7 years. The virus (H3N8) was detected in nasopharyngeal swabs (n = 11) from non-vaccinated horses using a qRT-PCR targeting a portion of the gene encoding the matrix protein (M). The virus isolates were identified as H3N8 by sequencing the haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes and were named from A/equine/Tiaret/1/2011 to A/equine/Tiaret/10/2011. Alignment of HA1 amino acid sequence confirmed that viruses belong to Clade 2 of the Florida sublineage in the American lineage. Moreover, they are closely related to A/equine/Yokohama/aq13/2010, A/equine/Eyragues/1/2010, A/equine/Bokel/2011 and A/equine/Lichtenfeld/2012. Our data indicate that this strain was also circulating in the European horse population in 2010, 2011 and 2012. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
High-resolution HLA phased haplotype frequencies to predict the success of unrelated donor searches and clinical outcome following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
HLA matching is a critical factor for successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. For unrelated donor searches, matching is usually based on high-resolution typing at five HLA loci, looking for a 10/10 match. Some studies have proposed that further matching at the haplotype level could be beneficial for clinical outcome. In this study, we determined the phased haplotypes of 291 patients using family members and segregation analysis. The sum of ranks of the haplotypes carried by patients was used as a surrogate predictor of a successful unrelated donor search. The putative impact of haplotypes was then analyzed in a cohort of 211 recipients transplanted with 10/10 matched unrelated donors. A logistic regression analysis showed a highly significant effect of the haplotypes in the outcome of a search, but we did not find any significant effect on overall survival, graft versus host disease or relapse/progression following HSCT. This study provides useful data for the optimization of unrelated bone marrow donor searches, but does not confirm previous reports that matching at the haplotype level has a clinical impact following HSCT. Due to the extreme polymorphism of HLA genes, further studies are warranted to better understand the many factors at play. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Folic acid--an innocuous means to reduce plasma homocysteine.
With an improved highly reproducible method, we measured total plasma homocysteine (free plus protein-bound) and related amino acids in the fasting state in healthy subjects, before and after treatment with co-factors for homocysteine metabolism: 1 mg cyanocobalamin (n = 14), 5 mg folic acid (n = 13) or 40 mg pyridoxine hydrochloride (n = 15) daily for 14 days. Cyanocobalamin and pyridoxine hydrochloride had no effects on plasma levels of amino acids, but folic acid had a considerable homocysteine-lowering effect. Total plasma homocysteine was reduced in all but two subjects, from 19.9 +/- 4.4 (mean +/- SEM) to 9.5 +/- 1.0 mumol/l (-52%, p less than 0.01). We propose that folic acid in excess acts by enhancing the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. The finding confirms a previous report by us. Since homocysteine is considered to be an atherogenic amino acid and recent reports suggest that mild to moderate homocysteinaemia is also associated with premature vascular disease, treatment with folic acid might be of use as prophylaxis. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Development and evaluation of a new solid-phase direct immunoenzyme assay for prostatic acid phosphatase.
In this assay we used polystyrene-tube-attached rabbit antibodies against prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) that had been purified to homogeneity from human prostate. The amount of immunoreactive acid phosphatase was determined directly by its enzymic activity in the solid-phase-bound immune complex. The detection limit was 0.05 U/L (0.13 microgram/L), the CVs between 4.3 and 10.8%. Investigating the organ specificity of PAP, we found that some cross-reacting acid phosphatase activity could be so measured in human kidney, leukocytes, and platelets, all of which probably contribute to the circulating "prostatic" acid phosphatase that normally is present in serum. Diurnal and day-to-day variations in serum PAP activity were as much as 100% in healthy subjects. Individuals without prostatic diseases (n = 92) had values for serum PAP activity up to 0.36 U/L (0.94 microgram/L), in an age-independent distribution; patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (n = 62) showed values up to 0.48 U/L (1.25 micrograms/L). With PAP activity of 0.38 U/L or 1.0 microgram/L (90th percentile of the prostatic group) as the upper limit of "normality," overall sensitivity (stages A-D) for detection of prostatic cancer in 33 essentially untreated patients was 65%. Examples for the followup of therapy of prostatic cancer by measurement of serum PAP with this assay are described. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Work and Home Neighborhood Design and Physical Activity.
To investigate relations of perceived worksite neighborhood environments to total physical activity and active transportation, over and above home neighborhood built environments. Observational epidemiologic study. Baltimore, Maryland-Washington, DC, and Seattle-King County, Washington metropolitan areas. One thousand eighty-five adults (mean age = 45.0 [10.2]; 46% women) recruited from 32 neighborhoods stratified by high/low neighborhood income and walkability. The Neighborhood Environment Walkability Survey assessed perceptions of worksite and home neighborhood environments. Accelerometers assessed total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed total active transportation and active transportation to and around work. Mixed-effects regression tested relations of home and worksite neighborhood environments to each physical activity outcome, adjusted for demographics. Home and worksite mixed land use and street connectivity had the most consistent positive associations with physical activity outcomes. Worksite traffic and pedestrian safety were also associated with multiple physical activity outcomes. The worksite neighborhood explained additional variance in physical activity outcomes than explained by the home neighborhood. Worksite and home neighborhood environments interacted in explaining active transportation to work, with the greatest impacts occurring when both neighborhoods were activity supportive. Both worksite and home neighborhood environments were independently related to total MVPA and active transportation. Community design policies should target improving the physical activity supportiveness of worksite neighborhood environments and integrating commercial and residential development. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A real-time interface for a formant speech synthesizer.
This paper describes a multi-parametric user interface based around the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) Creator system developed at York which provides MIDI data in response to changing pressures on five strain gauge sensors to control the fundamental frequency, first three formants and the overall amplitude of synthesized speech. Vocal synthesis is achieved by means of a freely available time domain formant synthesis system running on a standard PC compatible machine. The result is a novel hand-controlled speech synthesizer which is not command/phoneme based, but is rather more like a continually controlled musical instrument where the speech sounds are shaped in real-time. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The eye in acute leukaemia. 1. Dosimetric analysis in cranial radiation prophylaxis.
The dose to the ocular lens during standard cranial irradiation prophylaxis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) has been studied both in patients and in an anthropomorphic phantom. Doses to the lens depend on patient set-up and in order that this is minimised, a simple immobilisation technique is recommended. Surface thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements seriously underestimate the dose received by the ocular lens. Previous measurements made in a phantom have used a large volume ionisation chamber and therefore the minimum cataractogenic dose of 400 cGy for a fractionated treatment is an underestimate. The exact position of the anterior orbital field margin and thus its distance behind the surface of the eye is also important as regards lens dose. Data from the phantom demonstrate accurately the dose gradient through the eye during standard cranial prophylaxis and may explain the lower incidence of leukaemic relapse in the posterior segment of the eye, and yet explain the persistence of isolated anterior chamber relapses. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
From binary to multivalued to continuous models: the lac operon as a case study.
Using the lac operon as a paradigmatic example for a gene regulatory system in prokaryotes, we demonstrate how qualitative knowledge can be initially captured using simple discrete (Boolean) models and then stepwise refined to multivalued logical models and finally to continuous (ODE) models. At all stages, signal transduction and transcriptional regulation is integrated in the model description. We first show the potential benefit of a discrete binary approach and discuss then problems and limitations due to indeterminacy arising in cyclic networks. These limitations can be partially circumvented by using multilevel logic as generalization of the Boolean framework enabling one to formulate a more realistic model of the lac operon. Ultimately a dynamic description is needed to fully appreciate the potential dynamic behavior that can be induced by regulatory feedback loops. As a very promising method we show how the use of multivariate polynomial interpolation allows transformation of the logical network into a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), which then enables the analysis of key features of the dynamic behavior. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Longitudinal links among parenting, self-presentations to peers, and the development of externalizing and internalizing symptoms in African American siblings.
A longitudinal model that linked involved-supportive parenting and siblings' ability-camouflaging self-presentations to peers with the development of externalizing and internalizing symptoms was tested with 152 pairs of first- and second-born African American siblings (mean ages 12.7 years and 10.2 years at the first wave of data collection). Three waves of data were collected at 1-year intervals. Teachers assessed siblings' externalizing symptoms, internalizing symptoms, and academic competence; siblings reported their own self-presentations and desire for peer acceptance; and mothers and siblings provided multiinformant assessments of involved-supportive parenting. Involved-supportive parenting at Wave 1 was linked with peer-directed self-presentations at Wave 2. Wave 2 self-presentations were linked indirectly with changes from Wave 1 to Wave 3 in externalizing and internalizing symptoms through their association with academic competence. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Opiate receptor activity of 17-alpha-estradiol and related steroids.
Of a large number of steroid hormones, semisynthetic analogues, and metabolites examined for activity in an opiate radioreceptor binding assay, only 17 alpha -estradiol (E-17 alpha) and closely related 17 alpha-dihydroequilin (DHE1) and 17 alpha-dihydroequilenin (DHE2) were active. 17 beta-estradiol (E-17 beta) was much weaker than E-17 alpha, particularly in the presence of Na+. On the basis of the effects of Na+ and Mn+2 on binding potency, E-17 alpha is an agonist/antagonist and DHE1 and DHE2 pure antagonists. There is evidence for diverse biological activities of 17-alpha estranes, some of which may be mediated through opiate receptors. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Interpretation of the longitudinal (13)C nuclear spin relaxation and chemical shift data for five bromoazaheterocycles supported by nonrelativistic and relativistic DFT calculations.
The longitudinal relaxation times of (13)C nuclei and NOE enhancement factors for 2-bromopyridine (1), 6-bromo-9-methylpurine (2), 3,5-dibromopyridine (3), 2,4-dibromopyrimidine (4), and 2,4,6-tribromopyrimidine (5) have been measured at 25 °C and B0 = 11.7 T. The most important contributions to the overall relaxation rates of nonbrominated carbons, i.e., the relaxation rates due to the (13)C-(1)H dipolar interactions and the shielding anisotropy mechanism, have been separated out. For 3 and 5, additionally, the T2,Q((14)N) values have been established from (14)N NMR line widths. All of these data have been used to determine rotational diffusion tensors for the investigated molecules. The measured saturation recovery curves of brominated carbons have been decomposed into two components to yield relaxation times, which after proper corrections provided parameters characterizing the scalar relaxation of the second kind for (13)C nuclei of (79)Br- and (81)Br-bonded carbons. These parameters and theoretically calculated quadrupole coupling constants for bromine nuclei have allowed the values of one-bond (13)C-(79)Br spin-spin coupling constants to be calculated. Independently, the coupling constants and magnetic shielding constants of the carbon nuclei have been calculated theoretically using the nonrelativistic and relativistic DFT methods F/6-311++G(2d,p)/PCM and so-ZORA/F/TZ2P/COSMO (F = BHandH or B3LYP), respectively. The agreement between the experimental and theoretical values of these parameters is remarkably dependent on the theoretical method used. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Minimizing ammonia emissions from dairy manure composting by biofiltration using a pre-composted material as the packing media.
Compost-based biofiltration is a method widely used to mitigate ammonia emissions during composting. To improve the efficiency of a composting-biofiltration system, it is necessary to determine the most effective degree of composting at which to process the packing media used in the biofiltration system. In this study, materials pre-composted for 20 and 30 d (C20 and C30, respectively), and mature compost (CM) that had been treated for 60 d, were applied as biofilter media to remove ammonia from dairy manure composting exhaust gases. A comparison of the results revealed that the C30 biofilter not only completely removed ammonia, but also produced the least nitrogen loss (1.84%). The C20 biofilter exhibited an inferior performance, indicating that enough pre-composted time is necessary for material used as the packing media. Though the CM biofilter displayed good performance with regard to ammonia removal (97.8%), it had a high nitrogen loss (6.46%). A spearman rank correlation matrix revealed that the abundance of nitrogen cycle genes including amoA, nosZ, nirK, and nirS, had a strong correlation with the physicochemical properties such as nitrate content, carbon source, moisture content, and pH of the biofilter media. C30 provided advantageous conditions and contained a relatively high abundance of nitrifiers and the lowest abundance of denitrifiers. As a result, C30 rather than CM was a more appropriate biofilter media for ammonia removal. Moreover, the occurrence of biological nitrification during the dairy manure composting process indicates the effectiveness of a material for use as biofilter media. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Adenocarcinoma of the abdominal wall.
We report a rare case of adenocarcinoma confined to the umbilicus. A 60-year-old menopausal woman presented with an umbilical lump of four years. Excision biopsy showed adenocarcinoma with an appearance suggestive of metastasis from an ovarian cystadenocarcinoma. Tumour markers for ovarian malignancy were normal. Computer tomography did not reveal any evidence of ovarian malignancy. She defaulted on follow-up. After five years, she presented with a 6-cm irregular periumbilical mass. She agreed to undergo an excision biopsy of the mass with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy with omentectomy. The frozen section of the tumour showed papillary adenocarcinoma. Histology showed adenocarcinoma favouring serous cancer. There was no tumour seen in the ovaries, uterus and omentum. On follow-up, there was no disease recurrence. The patient has been disease-free for two years post surgery. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
A Rutile TiO2 Electron Transport Layer for the Enhancement of Charge Collection for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.
Interfacial charge collection efficiency has demonstrated significant effects on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, crystalline phase-dependent charge collection is investigated by using rutile and anatase TiO2 electron transport layer (ETL) to fabricate PSCs. The results show that rutile TiO2 ETL enhances the extraction and transportation of electrons to FTO and reduces the recombination, thanks to its better conductivity and improved interface with the CH3 NH3 PbI3 (MAPbI3 ) layer. Moreover, this may be also attributed to the fact that rutile TiO2 has better match with perovskite grains, and less trap density. As a result, comparing with anatase TiO2 ETL, MAPbI3 PSCs with rutile TiO2 ETL delivers significantly enhanced performance with a champion PCE of 20.9 % and a large open circuit voltage (VOC ) of 1.17 V. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Obstructive Lung Disease in HIV-Phenotypes and Pathogenesis.
In the antiretroviral therapy era, people living with HIV (PLWH) are surviving to older ages. Chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occur more frequently. COPD is often described as a single entity, yet multiple manifestations may be considered phenotypes. HIV is an independent risk factor for certain COPD phenotypes, and mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of these phenotypes may differ and impact response to therapy. Impaired diffusing capacity, airflow obstruction, and radiographic emphysema occur in PLWH and are associated with increased mortality. Age, sex, tobacco, and HIV-specific factors likely modulate the severity of disease. An altered lung microbiome and residual HIV in the lung may also influence phenotypes. COPD is prevalent in PLWH with multiple phenotypes contributing to the burden of disease. HIV-specific factors and the respiratory microbiome influence disease pathogenesis. As tobacco use remains a significant risk factor for COPD, smoking cessation must be emphasized for all PLWH. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Neonatal iron overload and tissue siderosis due to gestational alloimmune liver disease.
Gestational alloimmune liver disease is the main cause of the neonatal hemochromatosis phenotype, wherein severe neonatal liver disease is associated with iron overload and extrahepatic tissue siderosis. How fetal liver disease produces extrahepatic siderosis is not known. We hypothesized that fetal liver injury causes deficient hepcidin production and poor regulation of placental iron flux. Under the resulting conditions of iron overload, the tissue pattern of extrahepatic siderosis is determined by the normal expression of proteins involved in the import of non-transferrin-bound iron and the export of cellular iron. Liver and extrahepatic tissues from infants with gestational alloimmune liver disease were examined and compared to normal age-appropriate tissues. Serum iron indices indicate iron overload and excess non-transferrin bound iron in gestational alloimmune liver disease. The diseased liver showed significantly reduced hepcidin, hemojuvulin, and transferrin gene expression compared to the normal fetal and neonatal liver. Those extrahepatic tissues that are typically involved in pathological siderosis in neonatal hemochromatosis, whether from normal or diseased newborns, consistently expressed solute carrier family 39 (zinc transporter), member 14 (ZIP14) for non-transferrin-bound iron uptake and expressed little ferroportin for iron export. Excess non-transferrin-bound iron in gestational alloimmune liver disease may result from fetal liver injury that causes reduced synthesis of key iron regulatory and transport proteins. Whereas, the pattern of extrahepatic siderosis appears to be determined by the normal capacity of various tissues to import non-transferrin-bound iron and not export cellular iron. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Building skills in organizational and systems changes: a DNP-FNP clinical curriculum.
DNP-prepared nurse practitioner leaders play a pivotal role in organizational change and quality improvement consistent with the IHI Triple Aim: improving quality of care, health of populations, and reducing cost. A DNP-FNP curriculum is described, designed to build students' leadership competencies for systems change in healthcare settings. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Characterization and variation of microbial community structure during the anaerobic treatment of N, N-dimethylformamide-containing wastewater by UASB with artificially mixed consortium.
A lab-scale UASB was operated successfully to anaerobically treat wastewater containing approximately 2000 mg L-1N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) by artificially mixing anaerobic granular sludge with DMF-degrading activated sludge. DMF was effectively degraded by the UASB under a low OLR of 1.63-4.22 g COD L-1 d-1, with over 96% DMF removal efficiency and a high methane production rate. However, the DMF-degrading ability gradually weakened along with increases in the OLR. The analysis of the microbial community structure by high-throughput sequencing revealed a decline in the abundance of the facultatively anaerobic DMF-hydrolyzing bacteria originating from activated sludge with increasing OLR, further deteriorating the methanogenic degradation of DMF. When the OLR was lowered again, the slow growth of those facultative anaerobes recovered, and slight improvements in the removal were noted. Methylotrophic methanogens utilized the intermediate products from the hydrolysis of DMF, which kept increasing in abundance throughout the entire experimental period. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Different methods and results in the treatment of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy.
Mallet's test was used to evaluate shoulder and elbow functional results following conservative treatment, neurolysis, and nerve transfer and grafting in 31 patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, who had no recovery of biceps contraction by 3 months of age. Twelve of them had been treated conservatively for 3 to 4 years. Nine patients with upper trunk conducting neuromas underwent neurolysis at the age of 4 to 6 months. Nerve transfer and grafting were performed in 10 patients at the age of 3 to 6 months. Upper trunk conducting neuromas were found in six of them. The follow-up period was, on average, 44.3 and 51.5 months in the nerve transfer and grafting group and in the neurolysis group, respectively. Excellent and good results in shoulder abduction, external rotation, and elbow flexion were found in 70 percent of patients in the nerve transfer and grafting group. However, none of the conservative treatment and neurolysis groups had a good result. The authors conclude that when there is no recovery of biceps contraction by 3 months of age, surgical intervention is indicated. Neuroma should be managed by nerve transfer and grafting, even though intraoperative electrophysiologic studies show that the neuroma is a conducting one. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
The rod-shaped conformation of Starmaker.
Fish otoliths are calcium carbonate biominerals responsible for gravity sensing and the perception of sound. The otoliths formation is controlled by Starmaker (Stm), a protein which belongs to a class of intrinsically disordered proteins. Here, we utilized analytical ultracentrifugation along with Ferguson's analysis of the electrophoretic data to demonstrate that Stm exists in solution as a monomer. The Stm frictional ratio has an unusually high value ranging from 2.6 to 3.1 depending on the method used to analyse the data obtained from analytical ultracentrifugation or gel filtration experiments. These unusually high values of frictional ratio indicate that monomeric Stm has a significantly extended rod-shaped conformation. Calcium ions, which are putative ligands of Stm, induce compaction of the extended conformation of Stm. In particular, increasing the calcium ion concentration from 1 mM to 50 mM lowered the Stokes radius by about 9.5 A. Gel filtration experiments done under denaturing conditions showed only small changes in the dimensions of Stm, which suggests the presence of residual ordered structures. These structures were estimated to be 23% of the Stm structure by detailed analysis of the data obtained by differential scanning microcalorimetry. The elongation of Stm polypeptide chain may facilitate its simultaneous interaction with other components of the composed calcium carbonate crystals which build up otoliths. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Lichenoid keratosis is frequently misdiagnosed as basal cell carcinoma.
Lichenoid keratosis (LK), also known as benign lichenoid keratosis or lichen planus-like keratosis, is a solitary, pink to red-brown scaly plaque representing a host immunological response to a variety of precursor lesions. LK is often misdiagnosed as a dermatological malignancy owing to its clinical resemblance to basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or Bowen disease. We performed a retrospective analysis of the pathology records of a series of LK lesions with reference to the demographic features and accuracy of clinical diagnosis. The pathology records from 2008 to 2009 of 263 consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of LK from a specialized skin laboratory were retrieved. Data relating to clinical diagnosis, age, sex, anatomical location, time of year of presentation and any coexistent pathological lesions adjacent to the LK were recorded. Mean age at presentation was 64 years (range 34-96), and 58% of patients were female. The most common anatomical site was the chest/anterior torso, followed by the back and legs. The most common coexisting lesion was solar keratosis at 14%, followed by seborrhoeic keratosis (SK) at 7.8%. The correct clinical diagnosis of LK was made in 29.5% of cases. The most common clinical diagnosis was BCC (47%), while SK was the preferred diagnosis in 18%. A clinical diagnosis was not given in 5.5% of cases. In conclusion, it appears that LK is frequently misdiagnosed, with misdiagnosis occurring in > 70% of cases in this study. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Pupillary response among VDU users in daylighted workplaces.
Daylighted workplaces can complicate the viewing of visual display unit (VDU) tasks. Incoming direct- and/or reflected-daylight components can distort surface luminance distributions in both the direct- and screen-reflected visual fields. Pupillary response to these sources moreover may differ significantly, for example, between window- and interior-exposures, affecting bilateral depth of field and accommodation. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that pupil diameter is a valid ergonomic indicator of visual comfort for viewing targets at workplaces with varying daylighting exposures. This hypothesis is tested by measuring the pupillary response of four VDU users, each while viewing three targets at each of six different workplaces in a daylighted room. An iriscorder is used to record pupil diameter independently for left and right eyes in response to keyboard, screen, and background-surround surface luminances. The significant differences in pupil diameter among the three targets at the six positions can be explained by the luminance differences rendered by the incoming daylight. On this basis, it is further hypothesized that smaller pupil diameters in response to a limited range of graduated luminances correspond to more comfortable viewing conditions. Provision of these viewing conditions hold implications for VDU workplace layout, work organization, and control of electric lighting and cooling loads. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Evaluation of the titanium dioxide approach for MS analysis of phosphopeptides.
The affinity of titanium dioxide for phosphate groups has been successfully used for enrichment of phosphopeptides from complex mixtures. This paper reports the relationship between the occurrence of some amino acids and the phospho-specific and nonspecific binding of peptides that occurs during titanium dioxide enrichment. In order to perform a systematic study, two well-characterized peptide mixtures consisting of either 33 or 8 synthetic phosphopeptides and their nonphosphorylated analogs, which differed in charge and hydrophobicity, were synthesized and analyzed by ESI-MS and MALDI-MS. The titanium dioxide procedure was also evaluated for comprehensive detection of phosphopeptides in phosphoproteomics. In summary, our results clearly confirm the high selectivity of titanium dioxide for phosphorylated sequences. Drastically reduced recovery was observed for phosphopeptides with multiple basic amino acids. Nonspecific binding of nonphosphorylated peptides and sample loss of phosphopeptides must also be taken into account. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
[Construction of human Bcl-6 3'UTR reporter vector and expression vector and their functional assessment].
To observe the direct regulation of miR-127 on Bcl-6 and the effect of Bcl-6 in rescuing miR-127-induced cell cycle and cell growth inhibition. The 3'UTR and coding region of human bcl-6 gene were amplified by PCR and cloned into pcDNA3.0-Luc and pcDNA3.0-Flag vectors, respectively. Mutations were introduced into the seed sequences of the predicted miR-127 target sites within the Bcl-6 3'UTR using recombinant PCR. Luciferase assay was used to verify the direct targeted regulation of miR-127 on Bcl-6. In HepG2 cell models with overexpression or knockdown of miR-12, the changes of cell cycle and cell growth were investigated after transfection with the constructed vectors. The recombinant plasmids were successfully obtained as confirmed by double digestion and sequence identification. Luciferase assay showed that in 293T and HepG2 cells, miR-127 inhibited the activation of wild-type Bcl-6 3'UTR reporter vector but not mutated Bcl-6 3'UTR vector. Overexpression of miR-127 induced cell cycle arrest at G(2)/M phase and suppressed the growth of HepG2 cells, and these effects were reversed by Bcl-6 overexpression. We successfully cloned wild-type and mutated 3'UTR reporter vectors and expression vector of bcl-6 gene and confirmed their biological functions. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Neuroimaging of scuba diving injuries to the CNS.
Diving accidents related to barotrauma constitute a unique subset of ischemic insults to the CNS. Victims may demonstrate components of arterial gas embolism, which has a propensity for cerebral involvement, and/or decompression sickness, with primarily spinal cord involvement. Fourteen patients with diving-related barotrauma were studied with MR imaging of the brain and spinal cord and with CT of the brain. In four patients with presumed cerebral gas embolism, cranial MR was abnormal in three patients while CT was abnormal in only one. Twelve patients had decompression sickness and spinal cord symptoms. MR documented spinal cord abnormalities in three patients. However, scans obtained early in our study were frequently limited by technical constraints. MR of the brain is more sensitive than conventional CT scanning techniques in detecting and characterizing foci of cerebral ischemia caused by embolic barotrauma to the CNS. Although spinal MR may be less successful in the localization of spinal cord lesions related to decompression sickness, these lesions were previously undetectable by other neuroimaging methods. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Divorce, single parenting, and child development.
Application of "crisis" and "social facilitation" theory to program intervention with preschool-age children was undertaken to asses the effects of a preschool education experience on recovery of psychological functions following divorce. A pretest-posttest control group design was completed using single-parent (n = 7) and two-parent (n = 8) children in an educational setting as the treatment groups and two-parent (n = 8) children at home as the control. Maternal reports on self-assesed childrearing and child's behavior were obtained during an interview, while intellectual assessments and observational data on social behavior were collected by trained observers and teachers. Little evidence could be noted that suggested weakened mother-child interaction as a function of divorce. Crisis intervention was observed to be an effective technique in assisting single-parent children toward cognitive recovery. However, it remains unclear whether social behavioral problems of single-parent children were positively affected by the crisis intervention program. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Circulating miRNAs Associated with Arsenic Exposure.
Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid. Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a form of As commonly found in drinking water and in some foods. Overwhelming evidence suggests that people chronically exposed to iAs are at risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic diseases. Although the mechanisms underlying iAs-associated illness remain poorly characterized, a growing body of literature raises the possibility that microRNAs (miRNAs), post-transcriptional gene suppressors, may serve as mediators and/or early indicators of the pathologies associated with iAs exposure. To characterize the circulating miRNA profiles of individuals chronically exposed to iAs, samples of plasma were collected from 109 healthy residents of the city of Zimapán and the Lagunera area in Mexico, the regions with historically high exposures to iAs in drinking water. These plasma samples were analyzed for small RNAs using high-throughput sequencing and for iAs and its methylated metabolites. Associations between plasma levels of arsenic species and miRNAs were evaluated. Six circulating miRNAs (miRs-423-5p, -142-5p -2, -423-5p +1, -320c-1, -320c-2, and -454-5p), two of which have been previously linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes (miRs-423-5p, -454-5p), were found to be significantly correlated with plasma MAs. No miRNAs were associated with plasma iAs or DMAs after correction for multiple testing. These miRNAs may represent mechanistic links between iAs exposure and disease or serve as markers of disease risks associated with this exposure. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Crossed reflex activity in an entire, isolated, spinal cord preparation taken from juvenile rodents.
An entire (not hemisected) spinal cord preparation taken from hamsters weighing up to 40 g is described, in which crossed and uncrossed reflex activity could be evoked from the lumbar ventral roots following stimulation of the lumbar dorsal roots. This activity persisted at higher temperatures in the complete spinal cord than was previously found for hemisected cords, and was obtained in tissue taken from larger animals. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Self-help smoking cessation interventions in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Self-help smoking cessation interventions for pregnant smokers are of importance due to their potential to be wide-reaching, low-cost and their appeal to pregnant smokers who are interested in quitting smoking. To date, however, there has been no systematic assessment of their efficacy. This systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of self-help interventions for pregnant smokers and to investigate whether self-help material intensity, type or delivery are associated with cessation. The literature was searched for randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials of self-help smoking cessation interventions for pregnant smokers without significant cessation counselling. Fifteen trials met the inclusion criteria and relevant data were extracted independently. The primary meta-analysis pooled 12 trials comparing usual care (median quit rate 4.9%) with self-help (median quit rate 13.2%) and yielded a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.83 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-2.73], indicating that self-help interventions on average nearly double the odds of quitting compared with standard care. However, a further meta-analysis failed to find evidence that intervention materials of greater intensity increase quitting significantly over materials of lesser intensity (pooled OR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.81-1.94). There was insufficient evidence to determine whether the tailoring of materials or levels of one-to-one contact were related to intervention efficacy. Self-help interventions appear to be more effective than standard care although, due mainly to a lack of trials, it is unclear whether more sophisticated and intensive approaches increase intervention effectiveness. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Influence of residual surfactants on DNAPL characterization using partitioning tracers.
The partitioning tracer technique is among the DNAPL source-zone characterization methods being evaluated, while surfactant in-situ flushing is receiving attention as an innovative technology for enhanced source-zone cleanup. Here, we examine in batch and column experiments the magnitude of artifacts introduced in estimating DNAPL content when residual surfactants are present. The batch equilibrium tests, using residual surfactants ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 wt.%, showed that as the surfactant concentrations increased, the tracer partition coefficients decreased linearly for sodium hexadecyl diphenyl oxide disulfonate (DowFax 8390), increased linearly for polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether (Brij 97), and decreased slightly or exhibited no observable trend for sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate (AMA 80). Results from column tests using clean sand with residual DowFax 8390 and Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were consistent with those of batch tests. In the presence of DowFax 8390 (less than 0.5 wt.%), the PCE saturations were underestimated by up to 20%. Adsorbed surfactants on a loamy sand with positively charged oxides showed false indications of PCE saturation based on partitioning tracers in the absence of PCE. Using no surfactant (background soil) gave a false PCE saturation of 0.0004, while soil contacted by AMA 80, Brij 97, and DowFax 8390 gave false PCE saturations of 0.0024, 0.043, and 0.23, respectively. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Treating depression with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a practical approach.
Depression is a common disorder that is becoming better understood as an illness that can be chronic, recurrent, and refractory to treatment. Depression can produce substantial suffering and profoundly affect a patient's self-esteem, relationships, and functional capacity. The improved adverse-effect profile and safety from overdose of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have led to treatment of milder forms of depression and thus increased treatment of depression overall. This article synthesizes several previously published reviews and psychopharmacology resources and addresses practical issues related to initiating, monitoring, continuing, and discontinuing SSRIs. Precautions related to SSRI use and important considerations for various types of depression are discussed. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
N-Hydroxyphthalimide: a new photoredox catalyst for [4+1] radical cyclization of N-methylanilines with isocyanides.
The first utilization of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as an organophotoredox catalyst is demonstrated by the [4+1] radical cyclization reaction of N-methylanilines with isocyanides. The protocol offers an operationally simple one-pot synthesis of 3-iminodihydroindoles at room temperature. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
PreDSLpmo: a neural network-based prediction tool for functional annotation of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases.
Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), a family of copper-dependent oxidative enzymes, boost the degradation of polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitin, and others. While experimental methods are used to validate LPMO function, a computational method that can aid experimental methods and provide fast and accurate classification of sequences into LPMOs and its families would be an important step towards understanding the breadth of contributions these enzymes make in deconstruction of recalcitrant polysaccharides. In this study, we developed a machine learning-based tool called PreDSLpmo that employs two different approaches to functionally classify protein sequences into the major LPMO families (AA9 and AA10). The first approach uses a traditional neural network or multilayer percerptron-based approach, while the second employs bi-directional long short-term memory for sequence classification. Our method shows improvement in predictive power when compared with dbCAN2, an existing HMM-profile-based CAZyme predicting tool, on both validation and independent benchmark set. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Lack of peripheral modulation of cardiovascular central oscillatory autonomic activity during apnea in humans.
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) high-frequency oscillations (HF) and slow fluctuations in heart rate (LF) are thought to result from entrainment of a medullary oscillator, from the baroreflex, or from a combination of both central and baroreflex mechanisms. We sought to distinguish between the alternatives by examining with spectral analysis the behavior of heart rate (R-R interval) and blood pressure in 10 healthy subjects (mean age 27 +/- 1 yr) during apnea, altering the rate of preapnea entrainment stimuli by changing the frequency either of respiration (controlled at 0.1 or 0.25 Hz) or of baroreceptor stimulation by sinusoidal neck suction (0 to -30 mmHg, 0.1 or 0.2 Hz). During apnea the RSA-EF power decreased (from 6.73 +/- 0.15 to 3.67 +/- 0.10 In ms2: P < 0.0001), regardless of preapnea conditions, whereas LF power was reduced only if preceded by 0.1-Hz respiration or neck suction [from 8.71 +/- 0.18 to 6.52 +/- 0.11 In ms2 (P < 0.001) and from 8.31 +/- 0.23 to 6.90 +/- 0.38 In ms2 (P < 0.01), respectively]. The LF frequency seen in the R-R interval during apnea was slower than the spontaneous LF during 0.25-Hz breathing (0.082 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.112 +/- 0.001 Hz, P < 0.001), but the maneuvers during preapnea had no influence on the observed frequency or other characteristics of the slow oscillations during apnea. Moreover, we found no evidence of a progressive decrease in the power of the oscillation during apnea. The same behavior was observed on the mean blood pressure signal. In conclusion, a slow rhythm is present during apnea. In healthy subjects at rest the characteristics of this oscillation indicate that it could be generated by a central oscillator this may thus contribute to the origin of LF present during normal respiration, in addition to the baroreflex. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Nocturia: "do the math".
We reviewed the definition and etiologies of nocturia, offering the current diagnostic procedures and standards of care. We reviewed recent published literature regarding nocturia, along with current paradigms for diagnosis and management. Nocturia is common as a limited occurrence but troublesome if the patient regularly experiences more than 2 episodes during sleep hours. The 4 principle etiologies associated with nocturia (nocturnal polyuria, decreased nocturnal bladder capacity, mixed polyuria, and global polyuria) may be easily differentiated through mathematical analysis of a 24-hour bladder diary. Nocturia is highly treatable in many patients. Identification of the precise type and its cause enable clinicians to minimize the inconvenience and sleep deprivation associated with nocturia. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Positive encounters with rehabilitation professionals reported by persons with experience of sickness absence.
More knowledge is needed on different factors that can promote return to work among sick-listed persons. One such factor might be by their interactions with the rehabilitation professionals they encounter. The aim of the present study was to identify and analyze statements about positive encounters with rehabilitation staff, reported by persons who had been absent from work with back, neck, or shoulder diagnoses. A descriptive and explorative qualitative approach was used to analyze data from five focus-group interviews. There were few statements on positive encounters, and they were frequently attributed to sheer luck. Experiences of positive encounters were assigned to two major categories: respectful treatment and supportive treatment. Receiving adequate medical examination or treatment was also mentioned as being positive. Further efforts are needed to study and develop methods for investigating interactions with rehabilitation professionals that laypersons experience as positive and that may contribute to empowerment and influence return to work when sickness absent. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
Molecular simulations of water and paracresol in MFI zeolite--a Monte Carlo study.
Paracresol is a protein-bound toxin that is not efficiently eliminated by the hemodialysis method. Monte Carlo simulations in grand-canonical (GCMC) and canonical ensembles were performed to investigate the adsorption of paracresol and water in silicalite-1 zeolite. GCMC simulations using a configurational-biased algorithm show that four paracresol molecules are adsorbed at the channel intersections per unit cell of silicalite-1. The adsorption isotherms of water with and without the presence of paracresol at the intersections were investigated. A cooperative phenomenon in the process of coadsorption has been observed: at very low chemical potential, paracresol facilitates the penetration of water into silicalite-1. This mechanism is interpreted in terms of the properties of the zeolite and paracresol molecules. A thermodynamic cycle is used to calculate the adsorption energy of paracresol in silicalite-1. The calculated adsorption energy reasonably agrees with the experimental data. | {
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
} |
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