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Correlation between the measures of impairment, according to the modified system of the American Medical Association, and function.
We performed a prospective study of 302 patients who had a fracture of the lower extremity. Our purpose was to determine whether there was any association between impairment ratings of the lower extremity, derived with use of the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment by the American Medical Association, and measurements of task performance based on direct observation as well as the patient's own assessment of activity limitation and disability as recorded on the Sickness Impact Profile. The mean residual impairment of the lower extremity according to the Guides was 27 per cent one year after the injury. Only 130 subjects (43 per cent) could perform all five functional tasks without difficulty. Eighty-four subjects (28 per cent) reported functional limitations that resulted in a score on the Sickness Impact Profile that was more than one standard deviation from the preinjury norm for the sample. Impairment ratings according to a modification of the system of the American Medical Association correlated strongly with the performance of functional tasks (r = 0.57) as well as the patients' reported activity limitations as recorded on the Sickness Impact Profile (r = 0.55). Correlations were highest when measures of impairment were based on strength rather than on range of motion. The relationship between the impairment rating and function (as observed by an examiner and as reported by the patient) was not influenced by the location of the fracture or the receipt of disability compensation. Our results suggest that the American Medical Association developed a valid approach for the measurement of physical impairment after a fracture of the lower extremity. In our study, the anatomical approach of evaluation based on muscle strength that was described in the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment was the most sensitive measure of impairment compared with the anatomical measure based on range of motion and compared with the functional and diagnostic methods for the rating of impairment. Until the diagnostic and functional approaches for the measurement of musculoskeletal impairment are refined, we recommend use of the anatomical approach when evaluating impairment after a fracture of the lower extremity.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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[Postoperative evaluation of presealed vascular prostheses in surgical treatment of the thoracic aorta].
Two kinds of presealed vascular prostheses were started to use for the thoracic aortic surgery at May 1991. The Gelseal graft was implanted in 13 patients and the Hemashield graft in 31 patients. Each cases was performed enhanced computed tomographic scan periodically to determine the extent of postoperative dilatation of both grafts. These showed that the Gelseal graft is significant more dilated than the Hemashield graft (51.2 +/- 8.1% vs 10.2 +/- 5.8%: p < 0.001). The dilatation was almost completed within one month and no addition later on both grafts. Because of more dilatation and possibility of serous discharge, the Gelseal graft is not good prosthesis for the patients who require postoperative anticoagulant therapy. If the Gelseal graft is used, smaller size should be selected for its dilatation. As the result of this study, the Hemashield graft is more suitable for thoracic aortic lesions than the Gelseal graft.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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DNA: a model compound for solution studies of macromolecules.
Well-defined, monodisperse, homologous series of oligonucleotides and DNA restriction fragments may now be produced and used as models of rigid and semirigid rodlike molecules in solution. Information from optical experiments on these model systems aids in the formulation and testing of theories of macromolecular dynamics in both dilute and concentrated solution.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Botulinum toxin for relief of bilateral abductor paralysis of the larynx: histologic study in an animal model.
We previously reported the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in the cricothyroid muscle under electromyographic guidance for lateralization of the true vocal cord in the mongrel dog. These additional experiments were performed to substantiate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injections in laryngeal muscle to overcome airway obstruction produced by bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis. A predetermined aliquot of the toxin was injected into the cricothyroid muscle of ten dogs, the duration of its effectiveness was noted, and repeated injections were given the animals. Biopsies of the injected muscles were obtained in three of the animals for routine histologic and electron microscopic studies. The effects of the toxin were recorded by cinelaryngoscopy and videotape documentation. In all the dogs, the true vocal cord was lateralized effectively and there was no morbidity, dysphagia, aspiration, or deaths. This study also confirms that the effects of the toxin in the canine larynx are spontaneously reversed and that multiple injections do not cause irreparable damage to the laryngeal muscles.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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RNA editing of AMPA receptor subunit GluR-B: a base-paired intron-exon structure determines position and efficiency.
A functionally critical position (Q/R site) of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR-B is controlled by RNA editing that operates in the nucleus, since in brain and clonal cell lines of neural origin, unspliced GluR-B transcripts occur edited in the Q/R site CAG codon and, additionally, in intronic adenosines. Transfection of GluR-B gene constructs into PC12 cells revealed that the proximal part of the intron downstream of the unedited exonic site is required for Q/R site editing. This intron portion contains an imperfect inverted repeat preceding a 10 nt sequence with exact complementarity to the exon centered on the unedited codon. Single nucleotide substitutions in this short intronic sequence or its exonic complement curtailed Q/R site editing, which was recovered by restoring complementarity in the respective partner strand. Base conversion in the channel-coding region of GluR-B directed by base paired sequences may be executed by a ubiquitous nuclear adenosine deaminase specific for double-stranded RNA.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Influence of dimercaprol on the early hepatic uptake of 111In-bleomycin in the BALB/c mouse.
Dimercaprol (BAL) administered 1 hr before 111In-bleomycin in the normal BALB/c mouse produced an early preferential hepatic loading of 111In-bleomycin without a loading of the spleen, skin, bone, or muscle. Liver-to-muscle ratios were increased about threefold under the influence of BAL. Liver (c BAL)/liver (s BAL) ratios also increased threefold at 3 hr whereas relative muscle uptake remained at about unity. Indium-111 chloride (colloid, pH 6.5) used as a control did not show a similar increase. The findings suggest that the kinetics and distribution of 111In-bleomycin in the normal BALB/c mouse can be influenced by pretreatment with BAL.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Sinusitis-induced enophthalmos: the silent sinus syndrome.
Enophthalmos caused by inadequate maxillary sinus function was first reported in 1964. Since this initial report, scattered case reports and, more recently, reviews have appeared in the literature detailing the pathophysiology, clinical findings, and management of this process. We present a classic case of the asymptomatic development of enophthalmos caused by maxillary sinus hypoventilation: the silent sinus syndrome. In addition, this case included findings in the ethmoid sinuses that suggested their contribution to this disorder, which by our review of the literature has not been well described.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Responsiveness of isolated adrenocortical cells from lean and obese Zucker rats to ACTH.
Morning plasma corticosterone concentrations have been reported to be elevated in obese Zucker rats compared with lean rats. The aim of this study was to determine if differences in adrenal sensitivity or maximal responsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-(1-24) could account for this disparity. Serum and adrenal glands were collected from lean and obese, male and female Zucker rats (10-13 wk old) between 10:00 and 11:00 A.M. Adrenocortical cells were isolated and challenged with ACTH-(1-24). The serum corticosterone and ACTH concentrations were significantly greater in obese males compared with lean males (45.3 +/- 10.3 vs. 23.2 +/- 1.45 ng/ml and 156.6 +/- 15.3 vs. 113.3 +/- 9.4 pg/ml, respectively). Although serum corticosterone concentrations were similar in female rats, serum ACTH concentrations tended (P = 0.07) to be lower in obese female rats than in lean female rats (67.6 +/- 9.3 vs. 103.5 +/- 15.1 pg/ml, respectively). The median effective concentration (EC50) and the maximal corticosterone response per microgram of DNA of dose-response curves derived from lean and obese rats were not significantly different. Additionally, a morphometric evaluation of adrenal tissue from lean and obese rats suggested that cells of the zona glomerulosa were smaller in obese rats than in lean rats. Our data confirm that morning serum corticosterone concentrations are elevated in 10- to 13-wk-old male Zucker rats. This difference does not appear to be due to differences in the sensitivity or maximal secreting capacity of adrenocortical cells to ACTH.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Quantitation of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach using quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays.
The density of Helicobacter pylori is thought to correlate with the degree of inflammation and thus indirectly with the outcome of the infection. Rapid quantitative assays of H. pylori in gastric or duodenal mucosa are lacking. The aim was to develop quantitative assays using the polymerase chain reaction to assess the quantity of H. pylori in the gastric mucosa. Competitive PCR was based on coamplification of a segment of the ureC sequence and an internal control using a single set of primers. PCR products were quantified colorimetrically by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared with known quantities of the internal control standard added to the PCR reaction. The highly sensitive, noncompetitive PCR assay does not use coamplification and measures the amplified DNA sequence using a flash-type luminescent tag and a specific probe. The mouse infected model using H. pylori strain SS-1 was used to develop the assays. Quantification of H. pylori using either the competitive or noncompetitive PCR was reliable, highly sensitive and specific. The ability to rapidly quantitate H. pylori from gastric mucosa should be useful to investigate the role of H. pylori density and infection outcome, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment or vaccines against H. pylori.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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An efficient semi-implicit method for three-dimensional non-hydrostatic flows in compliant arterial vessels.
Blood flow in arterial systems can be described by the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations within a time-dependent spatial domain that accounts for the elasticity of the arterial walls. In this article, blood is treated as an incompressible Newtonian fluid that flows through compliant vessels of general cross section. A three-dimensional semi-implicit finite difference and finite volume model is derived so that numerical stability is obtained at a low computational cost on a staggered grid. The key idea of the method consists in a splitting of the pressure into a hydrostatic and a non-hydrostatic part, where first a small quasi-one-dimensional nonlinear system is solved for the hydrostatic pressure and only in a second step the fully three-dimensional non-hydrostatic pressure is computed from a three-dimensional nonlinear system as a correction to the hydrostatic one. The resulting algorithm is robust, efficient, locally and globally mass conservative, and applies to hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic flows in one, two and three space dimensions. These features are illustrated on nontrivial test cases for flows in tubes with circular or elliptical cross section where the exact analytical solution is known. Test cases of steady and pulsatile flows in uniformly curved rigid and elastic tubes are presented. Wherever possible, axial velocity development and secondary flows are shown and compared with previously published results.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Intra-articular lornoxicam loaded PLGA microspheres: enhanced therapeutic efficiency and decreased systemic toxicity in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
The aim of this study was to investigate the joint tissue distribution and pharmacodynamics of Lornoxicam (Lnxc) following intra-articular injection of either Lnxc suspensions or sustained release Lnxc-loaded PLGA microspheres (Lnxc-MS), as well as the biocompatibility of PLGA microspheres with or without drugs. In this study, Lnxc suspensions or Lnxc-loaded PLGA microspheres was injected into the knee joint cavity of rats. Blood samples were taken at predetermined times from the jugular vein and the joint tissue (cartilage and synovial membrane) were removed from the rats. Biocompatibility and pharmacodynamics were evaluated by observing the swelling of the joints of the rats and histological analysis following the injection of the microspheres. The plasma drug concentration decreased in rats and retention time increased in rats' joint with intra-articular injections of microspheres, revealing good targeting efficiency and decreased systemic toxicity. After 30 days of intra-articular injection with Lnxc-loaded or blank microspheres, the filtration liquid accumulation, blood vessels and fibrous proliferation were not detected, showing their good compatibility. Furthermore, the articular cartilage damage by papain could also be repaired by the Lnxc-loaded PLGA microspheres. In conclusion, intra-articular Lnxc-MS have considerable potential for creating a sustained release Lnxc delivery system and providing effective healing to Osteoarthritis.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Mid-luteal serum inhibin-A concentration as a marker of endometrial differentiation.
Recent studies have indicated that the corpus luteum is a major source of circulating inhibin-A and serum concentrations of inhibin-A may reflect the human luteal function. The present prospective study was undertaken to determine the usefulness of mid-luteal serum concentrations of inhibin-A as markers of endometrial receptivity (as assessed by histological dating and alphavbeta3 integrin expression) and whether they are better predictors of endometrial function than serum progesterone. Consecutive infertile women (experimental group, n = 50) with regular menstrual cycles, and fertile women who were requesting contraception and had regular menstrual patterns and normal secretory endometria (control group, n = 10) were included. In all women basal body temperature, luteal serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and inhibin-A, and endometrial biopsies were used in the same cycle to assess luteal function. Out-of-phase mid-secretory endometria were detected in 17 of the 50 infertile women. Lack of alphavbeta3 integrin expression was detected in 27 of the 50 mid-luteal endometrial biopsies. Thus, hormonal concentrations were compared in the mid-luteal phase between the following eight groups of women: group 1 (n = 10), control fertile women; group 2 (n = 50), infertile women (all); subdivided into group 3 (n = 33), with in-phase biopsies; group 4 (n = 17), with out-of-phase endometria; group 5 (n = 23), expressing alphavbeta3 integrin in endometria; group 6 (n = 27), whose endometria did not express alphavbeta3 integrin; group 7 (n = 18), with both in-phase endometrial biopsy and alphavbeta3 integrin expression; and finally group 8 (n = 12), whose endometria were out-of-phase and did not express alphavbeta3 integrin. Mid-luteal serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and inhibin-A of the seven infertile groups were similar to those of the control group of fertile women. No statistically significant difference between the infertile groups was observed for any hormonal parameter considered. Mid-luteal serum inhibin-A determination does not accurately reflect endometrial function/maturation and it is not a better indicator of endometrial luteal phase dysfunction than mid-luteal serum progesterone.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Glial cell component in retinoblastoma.
The right eye of a 4-month-old girl with a large, unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma was enucleated. The tumor was unusual because it contained Flexner-Wintersteiner rosettes with extremely large lumina. Smaller rosettes and undifferentiated tumor cells were observed within the lumina. Also of importance were cells resembling glial cells which were intermixed with more typical cuboidal retinoblastoma cells. These cells had electron microscopic features typical of glial cells and stained positively for glial fibrillary acidic protein in immunohistochemical studies. Rosettes and glial cells continued to be observed in the tumor carried in tissue culture through two passages over a 7-month period. This tumor is presented because of its unusual rosette structures and because it confirms recent reports describing a glial cell component in retinoblastoma.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Removal of Reactive Black 5 from aqueous solutions using magnetic chitosan resins.
Chitosan was cross-linked using glutaraldehyde in the presence of magnetite. The resin obtained was chemically modified through the reaction with tetraethylenepentamine followed by glycidyl trimethylammonium chloride, to produce chitosan/amino resin (R1) and chitosan bearing both amine and quaternary ammonium chloride moieties (R2), respectively. The uptake of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) from aqueous solutions using R1 and R2 resins was studied using batch and column methods. The resins showed high affinity for the adsorption of RB5 where an uptake value of 0.63 and 0.78 mmol/g was reported for resins R1 and R2, respectively at 25 degrees C. Both kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of the process were estimated. These data indicated an endothermic spontaneous adsorption process and kinetically followed the pseudo-second order model. Breakthrough and regeneration curves for the removal of RB5 were studied. The adsorbed dye was eluted from the investigated resins effectively.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Agreement of self-reported estrogen use with prescription data: an analysis of women from the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention Study .
Self-reported data are usually used for the evaluation of the effects of hormone therapy in population studies. We examined the agreement between self-reported hormone therapy use and nationwide prescription data from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland to evaluate the accuracy of self-reports. The 10-year questionnaire of the population-based Kuopio Osteoporosis Study was sent in 1999 to 12,562 women aged 57 to 67 years; 11,377 women who completed questionnaires were eligible for analysis. We asked women whether they had been taking estrogen hormone therapy as a gel, plaster, or tablet for the treatment of climacteric symptoms or osteoporosis and if the answer was yes, to specify the brand and duration of treatment for each year from 1994 to 1999. Among the 11,377 women, 3,105 (27.3%) reported the use of an estrogen-based preparation in 1996 to 1999, and 97.6% were confirmed by Social Insurance Institution of Finland to have been prescribed hormone therapy during that time. In these women the median duration of use was 32 months (range, 1-41), according to Social Insurance Institution of Finland data. An additional 1,738 women had been prescribed hormone therapy for short periods, but those women did not report it. The duration of self-reported hormone therapy use was compared to the duration of prescriptions. A difference of 3 months or less per year was observed in 63.4% to 77.0% of women during the years 1996-1998. A postal inquiry is a reliable method of recording long-term hormone therapy use.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Water-cooled, high-intensity ultrasound surgical applicators with frequency tracking.
High-intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) applicators have been developed for arresting bleeding with the ultimate intent of use in surgery. The design uses a tapered titanium component for transmission coupling of the ultrasound energy from a spherically curved transducer to biological tissues. The nominal operating frequency is 5.5 MHz, in a highly resonant mode (quality factor of 327 with water load). Liquid cooling is used to remove energy loss important at net applied power greater than 18 W/cm2 at the surface of the piezoelectric element. A downward resonance frequency shift (>20 kHz) occurs, even with cooling, as the applicator warms with normal operation. A feedback technique is used for maintaining the excitation near optimum resonance. Standing wave ratios of the applied power of 1.6 or less are thus sustained. The system and applicators have been found to be highly robust, effective in achieving hemostasis in the hemorrhaging liver, spleen, lung, or blood vessels in rabbit and pig experiments. One unit has been operated for over 1.7 hours in treating organ hemorrhage in blunt trauma experiments with nine swine with electrical net power of up to 158 W (31 W/cm2 across the transducer) and intensity of 2560 W/cm2 at focus.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Role of H-ras in the malignant progression of rat tracheal epithelial cells.
The effect of an activated H-ras oncogene on the progression of neoplasia was studied in transformed rat tracheal epithelial cells. Nude mouse tumours produced by injection of these cells exhibited a higher fraction of cells containing the mutant ras gene that did the injected cells, while a subclone that lacked the ras mutation was much less tumorigenic than parental cells. Serial passage of one cell line containing a ras mutation resulted in an increase in the fraction of ras-mutated cells, which suggests that, in this line, ras activation may confer a selective advantage in vitro as well. However, this was not seen in another ras-containing line, suggesting the importance of alternative pathways in malignant progression of rat tracheal epithelial cells.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Aggression in the elderly.
Aggression is a common behavioral symptom of dementia. Aggression is associated with frontotemporal dementia, greater dementia severity, cognitive decline, and other behavioral and psychological disturbances. It is influenced by the environment and has been correlated with neuropathologic changes and certain polymorphisms. Aggression in dementia patients results in higher psychotropic use and distress to family caregivers and nursing home staff; it is predictive of institutionalization. There is empirical evidence for the efficacy of pharmacotherapy and more limited evidence for psychosocial interventions in the successful management of aggression in persons with dementia. Management of aggression should include comprehensive assessment of medical, psychological, and environmental variables.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Stereopsis and 3D surface perception by spiking neurons in laminar cortical circuits: a method for converting neural rate models into spiking models.
A laminar cortical model of stereopsis and 3D surface perception is developed and simulated. The model shows how spiking neurons that interact in hierarchically organized laminar circuits of the visual cortex can generate analog properties of 3D visual percepts. The model describes how monocular and binocular oriented filtering interact with later stages of 3D boundary formation and surface filling-in in the LGN and cortical areas V1, V2, and V4. It proposes how interactions between layers 4, 3B, and 2/3 in V1 and V2 contribute to stereopsis, and how binocular and monocular information combine to form 3D boundary and surface representations. The model suggests how surface-to-boundary feedback from V2 thin stripes to pale stripes helps to explain how computationally complementary boundary and surface formation properties lead to a single consistent percept, eliminate redundant 3D boundaries, and trigger figure-ground perception. The model also shows how false binocular boundary matches may be eliminated by Gestalt grouping properties. In particular, the disparity filter, which helps to solve the correspondence problem by eliminating false matches, is realized using inhibitory interneurons as part of the perceptual grouping process by horizontal connections in layer 2/3 of cortical area V2. The 3D sLAMINART model simulates 3D surface percepts that are consciously seen in 18 psychophysical experiments. These percepts include contrast variations of dichoptic masking and the correspondence problem, the effect of interocular contrast differences on stereoacuity, Panum's limiting case, the Venetian blind illusion, stereopsis with polarity-reversed stereograms, da Vinci stereopsis, and perceptual closure. The model hereby illustrates a general method of unlumping rate-based models that use the membrane equations of neurophysiology into models that use spiking neurons, and which may be embodied in VLSI chips that use spiking neurons to minimize heat production.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Breast conservation treatment for multifocal and multicentric breast cancers in women with small-volume breast tissue.
Breast conservation treatment (BCT) is an established option in the treatment of early breast cancer, but women with small breast volume (SVB) are considered poor candidates for BCT. Multifocal and multicentric breast cancers (MFMCBC) are conventionally considered a relative contraindication to BCT. These arguments form the basis of limited eligibility for BCT for a woman with SVB and MFMCBC. This study was performed to investigate this syllogism. Consecutive patients with breast malignancies treated from 2009 to 2011 were included. Patients were deemed to have successful BCT if they had pathologically clear margins and had completed all recommended adjuvant treatment. Those who had MFMCBC based on clinical, imaging and pathological data were selected for detailed evaluation. Comparisons were made with unifocal breast cancer. Data from a total of 160 patients who underwent treatment during the study period were analysed. The mean age was 48.8 years. One hundred and six patients (66.3%) were of Chinese ethnicity, 36 (22.5%) were of other Asian ethnicity and 18 were Caucasian (11.2%). Forty-one (25.6%) patients had clinical evidence of MFMCBC. Of these patients, 35 (85.4%) underwent BCT. After a mean follow-up of 45 months, none of the patients with MFMCBC developed a local recurrence. Two patients with MFMCBC, one who underwent mastectomy and one with BCT, succumbed to cancer from distant disease. BCT is feasible in women with MFMCBC in a predominantly Chinese community where majority are expected to have SVB. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the findings.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Integrated, nontargeted ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry platform for the identification and relative quantification of the small-molecule complement of biological systems.
To address the challenges associated with metabolomics analyses, such as identification of chemical structures and elimination of experimental artifacts, we developed a platform that integrated the chemical analysis, including identification and relative quantification, data reduction, and quality assurance components of the process. The analytical platform incorporated two separate ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS(2)) injections; one injection was optimized for basic species, and the other was optimized for acidic species. This approach permitted the detection of 339 small molecules, a total instrument analysis time of 24 min (two injections at 12 min each), while maintaining a median process variability of 9%. The resulting MS/MS(2) data were searched against an in-house generated authentic standard library that included retention time, molecular weight (m/z), preferred adducts, and in-source fragments as well as their associated MS/MS spectra for all molecules in the library. The library allowed the rapid and high-confidence identification of the experimentally detected molecules based on a multiparameter match without need for additional analyses. This integrated platform enabled the high-throughput collection and relative quantitative analysis of analytical data and identified a large number and broad spectrum of molecules with a high degree of confidence.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Evaluation of an educational programme for socially deprived asthma patients.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an asthma education programme in moderate and severe asthma patients in a longitudinal, prospective and randomized study with a control group. Fifty-three asthmatic patients were studied, 26 of whom were assigned to the educational group and 27 to the control group. The educational group attended the programme regularly for a period of 6 months. The programme included information about asthma, instruction on the appropriate use of medication and training in the metered dose inhaler (MDI) technique, and information about the identification and control of asthma attacks and the recognition of early signs of exacerbation. The control group was submitted to the routine care provided at the Asthma Clinic, with no formal instruction regarding asthma control. The groups were identical with regard to severity parameters, skills, lung function and quality of life at the beginning of the trial. At the end of the study, the education group showed significant differences when compared with the control group (education/control (mean values)) with respect to: visits to the asthma emergency room over the previous 6 months, 0.7/2 (p=0.03); nocturnal symptoms, 0.3/0.7 (p=0.04); score of symptoms, 1.3/2 (p=0.04). Improvements were also observed in skills and quality of life, knowledge of how to deal with attacks and how to control the environmental triggering factors, 73/35 (<0.05); correct use of the MDI, 8/4 (0.001); understanding of the difference between relief and anti-inflammatory medication, 86/20 (<0.05); and in the global limitation quality of life score, 28/50 (0.02). It is concluded that the educational programme led to a significant improvement in asthma morbidity and that the implantation of educational programmes is possible for special populations when these programmes are adapted to the socioeconomic profile of the patients, with a significant gain in terms of the reduction of symptoms and improved pulmonary function and quality of life of asthmatics.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Cysteine proteinase 1 (CP1), a cathepsin L-like enzyme expressed in the Drosophila melanogaster haemocyte cell line mbn-2.
We have isolated cDNA clones encoding the full-length Drosophila melanogaster cysteine proteinase 1 (CP1). The clones were isolated from the Drosophila melanogaster haemocytic mbn-2 cell line, where the gene is relatively strongly expressed, giving a transcript of 1.6 kb in size. We present the sequence encoding the full-length protein, and deduced the genomic organization of the gene by comparison to previously published genomic partial sequence data. Immunofluorescence shows that CP1 is localized in small granules, probably lysosomes, in mbn-2 cells. The data presented suggest a role for cysteine proteinase in immune functions in insects. It is likely to participate in the degradation of internalized material in phagocytic cells.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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A novel single-stranded DNA enzyme expression system using HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.
In this study, we exploited a DNA enzyme expression system using the mechanism of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro. HIV-1 reverse transcription is initiated when its cognate primer tRNA (Lys-3) binds to the primer binding site (PBS) of the viral RNA template. Therefore, this RNA contains the HIV-1 PBS, the DNA enzyme, and a tRNA (Lys-3) at the 3(')-end of its RNA transcript, such that a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) is synthesized by the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. We constructed RNA expression vectors including the HIV-1 PBS, the DNA enzyme, and either a native tRNA (Lys-3) or one of two truncated tRNAs (Lys-3), Delta tRNA (Lys-3) and Delta Delta tRNA (Lys-3). The reactions of the pVAX1-Dz-tRNA (Lys-3), pVAX1-Dz-Delta tRNA (Lys-3), and pVAX1-Dz-Delta Delta tRNA (Lys-3) vectors with T7 RNA polymerase in vitro gave the corresponding RNAs. The liberated RNAs were treated with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) in vitro, which yielded the corresponding ssDNA. The cleavage assay results demonstrated that the expressed DNA enzyme has cleavage ability against the target sequence. Thus, we have found a new DNA enzyme oligonucleotide expression system using the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in vitro.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Toxicity of lead and zinc to developing mussel and sea urchin embryos: critical tissue residues and effects of dissolved organic matter and salinity.
Lead (Pb) EC50 values in the very sensitive early development phases (48-72h post-fertilization) of the mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mytilus trossolus and sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus in 100% sea water were: M. trossolus - 45 (95% C.I.=22-72) μgL(-1); M. galloprovincialis - 63 (36-94) μgL(-1); S. purpuratus - 74 (50-101) μgL(-1). Salinity thresholds for normal development varied: M. trossolus>21ppt; M. galloprovincialis>28ppt; S. purpuratus≥30ppt. Addition of two spectroscopically distinct dissolved organic matters (DOM) from fresh water (Nordic Reservoir) and sea water (Inshore) moderately decreased the toxicity of Pb to both mussels, but not in a concentration-dependent fashion, with only an approximate doubling of EC50 over the range of 1.4-11.2mgCL(-1). Independent Pb binding capacity determinations for DOC explained the lack of a relationship between DOM concentration and toxicity. Salinity had no effect on Pb toxicity down to 21ppt in M. trossolus, and low salinity (21ppt) did not enhance the protective effect of DOC. Both DOMs increased the toxicity of Pb in developing sea urchin embryos, in contrast to mussels. Relative to Pb, the organisms were 6-9 fold less sensitive to Zn on a molar basis in 100% seawater with the following Zn EC50s: M. trossolus - 135 (103-170) μgL(-1); M. galloprovincialis - 172 (126-227) μgL(-1), S. purpuratus - 151 (129-177) μgL(-1). Nordic Reservoir and Inshore DOM (2-12mgCL(-1)) had no significant effect on Zn toxicity to mussels, in accord with voltammetry data showing an absence of any strong ligand binding for Zn by DOMs. As with Pb, DOMs increased Zn toxicity to urchin larvae. Critical Tissue Residues (CTR) based on whole body concentrations of Pb and Zn were determined for M. galloprovincialis at 48h and S. purpuratus at 72h. The median lethal CTR values (LA50s), useful parameters for development of saltwater Biotic Ligand Models (BLMs), were approximately 4-fold higher on a molar basis for Zn than for Pb. The latter were not altered by DOM exposure, despite increased EC50 values, in accord with the tenets of the BLM.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Stem cells. Human primordial germ cells in a dish.
A robust method to induce primordial germ cells from human pluripotent stem cells has been developed, highlighting the importance of SOX17 in the specification of the human germline.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Nuclear receptor sites for vitamin D-soltriol in midbrain and hindbrain of Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) assessed by autoradiography.
Autoradiograms were prepared from midbrains and hindbrains of male and female Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), kept under short-day or long-day illumination, after injection of tritium-labeled 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D, soltriol). Concentration and retention of radioactivity was noted in nuclei of certain neurons, glial cells, and ependymal cells, and in choroid epithelium. Labeled neurons of varying intensity were found throughout the brainstem in distinct populations at characteristic topographical sites, which include cranial nerve motor nuclei, the nucleus (n.) reticularis tegmenti pontis, the caudoventral region of the n. raphe dorsalis, the n. trapezoides, the n. vestibularis lateralis and n. vestibularis superior, neurons in the various nuclei of the sensory trigeminus, accessory optic nuclei, scattered neurons in nuclei of the reticular formation, the n. ambiguus, certain cells in the area postrema, and many others. Glial cells with nuclear labeling, probably microglia, were scattered predominantly in or near myelinated nerve fascicles. The choroid epithelium showed strong nuclear labeling throughout the ventricle. Nuclear labeling of ependyma was variable and weak, mainly at ventral and lateral extensions (recesses) of the ventricle. The extensive presence of nuclear binding in select neural structures indicates that vitamin D exerts specific genomic effects on cell populations that are known to be involved in the regulation of motor, sensory, autonomic, neuroendocrine, metabolic, and immune functions. The results of these studies, in conjunction with those from other brain and peripheral tissues, recognize vitamin D-soltriol as a steroid hormone with a wide scope of hormone-specific target cells, similar to estrogen, androgen, and adrenal steroids, and which are topographically distinct and characteristic for its functions as the steroid hormone of sunlight.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Association between minor and major surgical complications after carotid endarterectomy: results of the New York Carotid Artery Surgery study.
Most studies on outcomes of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) have focused on the major complications of death and stroke. Less is known about minor but more common surgical complications such as hematoma, cranial nerve palsy, and wound infection. This study used data from a large, population-based cohort study to describe the incidence of minor surgical complications after CEA and examine associations between minor and major complications. The New York Carotid Artery Surgery (NYCAS) study examined all Medicare beneficiaries who underwent CEA from January 1998 to June 1999 in NY State. Detailed clinical information on preoperative characteristics and complications < or =30 days of surgery was abstracted from hospital charts. Associations between minor (cranial nerve palsies, hematoma, and wound infection) and major complications (death/stroke) were examined with chi(2) tests and multivariate logistic regression. The NYCAS study had data on 9308 CEAs performed by 482 surgeons in 167 hospitals. Overall, 10% of patients had a minor surgical complication (cranial nerve (CN) palsy, 5.5%; hematoma, 5.0%; and wound infection, 0.2%). Cardiac complications occurred in 3.9% (myocardial 1.1%, unstable angina 0.9%, pulmonary edema 2.1%, and ventricular tachycardia 0.8%). In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, the occurrence of any minor surgical complication, CN palsy alone, or hematoma alone was associated with 3 to 4-fold greater odds of perioperative stroke or combined risk of death and nonfatal stroke (P < 0.0001). Patients with cardiac complications had 4 to 5-fold increased odds of stroke or combined risk of death and stroke. Minor surgical complications are common after CEA and are associated with much higher risk of death and stroke. Patient factors, process factors, and direct causality are involved in this relationship, but future work will be needed to better understand their relative contributions.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Effects of serum and follicular fluid on the in vitro maturation of canine oocytes.
The effects of gonadotropin, serum and follicular fluid on the in vitro maturation of canine oocytes were examined. Additionally, spindle size and spindle migration in MI-stage oocytes derived by in vivo or in vitro maturation were evaluated for the first time. Mature oocytes collected from beagle dog ovaries were divided into two experiments. In experiment I, oocytes were cultured in basic TCM 199 medium supplemented with different levels of P4, E2 and FSH. In experiment II, oocytes in the estrus or anestrus stage were cultured in basic medium supplemented with 30% or 40% canine serum plus 20% or 10% follicular fluid. Our results showed that in experiment I, more oocytes reached MI-MII (18.57%) after supplementation with 1 IU/ml FSH+ 5 IU/ml P4 + 5 IU/ml E2 than after supplementation with other levels of reagents. However, there were no significant differences among the groups (three different concentration groups and a control group) with respect to the proportions of oocytes that resumed meiosis, completed meiosis or degenerated. In experiment II, the number of oocytes from the estrus stage that reached MI-MII in TCM 199 medium supplemented with 40% canine serum and 10% follicular fluid (46.72%) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the number of oocytes from the anestrus stage that reached MI-MII in medium supplemented with 30% canine serum and 20% follicular fluid (21.84%). In addition, the degeneration rate was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the 40% canine serum/10% follicular fluid group from follicular stage than in the other three groups. The average spindle length of the MI-stage oocytes that matured in vivo was significantly (p < 0.01) longer than that of the MI-stage oocytes that matured in vitro (21.75 vs. 14.39 μm). These results suggest that supplementation of the culture medium with 40% estrus serum and 10% follicular fluid had a positive influence on the in vitro maturation of canine oocytes and greatly affected spindle size in MI-stage oocytes.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Medical devices; 30-day notices and 135-day PMA (premarket approval application) supplement review; companion document to direct final rule--FDA. Proposed rule.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to amend its regulations governing the submission and review of premarket approval application (PMA) supplements to allow for the submission of a 30-day notice for modifications to manufacturing procedures or methods of manufacture. Amendments are being made to implement revisions to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the act) as amended by the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 (FDAMA). This proposed rule is a companion document to the direct final rule published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Heart rate mechanisms in instrumental conditioning reinforced by petting in dogs.
The aim of this experiment was to determine heart rate (HR) responses during conditioned stimuli (CS) and the petting reward (US) delivered by the experimenter to the dogs after performance of the instrumental conditioned response (CR). It was found that in five dogs for which petting served as a positive reinforcement the delivery of petting was accompanied by cardiac deceleration followed by sudden acceleration at the moment of petting withdrawal. Presentation of CS evoked heart rate deceleration until performance of the first CR. At the start of performance of CRs, heart rate accelerated. It was suggested that heart-rate deceleration is an important component of cardiac response to petting reward and, that probably, it is associated with the hedonic aspect of the reinforcement.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Revisional Gastric Bypass for Failed Restrictive Procedures: Comparison of Single-Anastomosis (Mini-) and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
Ten to 50% of patients who received restrictive bariatric operations may require reoperation for unsatisfactory weight loss or weight regain. Failed restrictive procedures are usually managed with conversion to another bariatric procedure with a favor of conversion to laparoscopic gastric bypass. Our aim is to evaluate two different bypass techniques, laparoscopic RY gastric bypass (RYGB) versus single-anastomosis (mini-) gastric bypass (SAGB) as a revision option (R-RYGB and R-SAGB) for failed restrictive bariatric operations. From May 2001 to December 2015, a total of 116 patients with failed restrictive bariatric operations underwent laparoscopic revisional bypass surgery (81 R-SAGB and 35 R-RYGB). Among them, 81 were failed after vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and 35 were after adjustable gastric band (AGB). The demographic data, surgical parameters, and outcomes were studied. The average age at revision surgery was 35.7 years (range 22-56), and the average body mass index (BMI) before reoperation was 37.2 kg/m2 (29.0-51.8). Revision surgery was performed after 58.8 months from the primary surgery on average (14-180 months). The main reasons for the revisions were weight regain (50.9%), inadequate weight loss (31%), and intolerance (18.1%). All of the procedures were completed laparoscopically as one-stage procedure. R-RYGB had significantly longer operative times than R-SAGB. Major complication occurred in 12 (10%) patients without significant difference between R-SAGB group and R-RYGB group. At 1 year follow-up, weight loss was better in R-SAGB than R-RYGB (76.8 vs. 32.9% EWL; p = 0.001). At 5 year follow-up, a significantly lower hemoglobin level was found in R-SAGB group (p = 0.03). Both SAGB and RYGB are acceptable options for revising a restrictive type of bariatric procedures with equal safety profile. R-SAGB was shown to be a simpler procedure with better weight reduction than R-RYGB but anemia is a considerable complication at long-term follow-up.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Variation in PARK10 is not associated with risk and age at onset of Parkinson's disease in large clinical cohorts.
A recent study in autopsy-confirmed Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and controls revived the debate about the role of PARK10 in this disorder. In an attempt to replicate these results and further understand the role of this locus in the risk and age at onset of PD, we decided to explore NeuroX genotyping and whole exome sequencing data from 2 large independent cohorts of clinical patients and controls from the International Parkinson's Disease Genomic Consortium. A series of single-variant and gene-based aggregation (sequence kernel association test and combined multivariate and collapsing test) statistical tests suggested that common and rare genetic variation in this locus do not influence the risk or age at onset of clinical PD.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Estrogen response element-independent estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha signaling does not rescue sexual behavior but restores normal testosterone secretion in male ERalpha knockout mice.
Estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha mediates estradiol (E(2)) actions in the male gonads and brain and is critical for normal male reproductive function. In the classical pathway, ERalpha binds to estrogen response elements (EREs) to regulate gene transcription. ERalpha can also regulate gene transcription independently of EREs via protein-protein interactions with transcription factors and additionally signal via rapid, nongenomic pathways originating at the cell membrane. This study assessed the degree to which ERE-independent ERalpha signaling can rescue the disrupted masculine sexual behaviors and elevated serum testosterone (T) levels that have been shown to result from ERalpha gene deletion. We utilized male ERalpha null mice that possess a ER knock-in mutation (E207A/G208A; AA), in which the mutant ERalpha is incapable of binding to DNA and can signal only through ERE-independent pathways (ERalpha(-/AA) mice). We found that sexual behavior, including mounting, is virtually absent in ERalpha(-/-) and ERalpha(-/AA) males, suggesting that ERE-independent signaling is insufficient to maintain any degree of normal sexual behavior in the absence of ERE binding. By contrast, ERE-independent signaling in the ERalpha(-/AA) mouse is sufficient to restore serum T levels to values observed in wild-type males. These data indicate that binding of ERs to EREs mediates most if not all of E(2)'s effects on male sexual behavior, whereas ERE-independent ERalpha signaling may mediate E(2)'s inhibitory effects on T production.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Paclitaxel-induced Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy in Chinese Han Population.
Objective To study the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)that predict a patient's risk of grade 2-3 paclitaxel-induced peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN) in Chinese Han populations.Methods Totally 216 patients received paclitaxel in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from May 2014 to December 2016 were enrolled.DNA was isolated from peripheral blood.Genotyping for eight candidate SNPs was performed on Sequenom-MassARRARYiPLEX platform.Patients were followed up and PSN was assessed by trained physicians according to National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.03.Results A total of 209 patients entered the final analysis.Among the candidate SNPs,only rs4141404:A>C(LIMK2) was significantly associated with grade 2/3 PSN (OR:4.32,95%CI:2.37-7.89,P<0.0001).In multivariate logistic regression analysis,both rs4141404:A>C(LIMK2) and history of receiving platinum compound (OR:2.70,95%CI:1.32-5.51,P=0.007) were associated with grade 2/3 PSN.Conclusion rs4141404:A>C(LIMK2) may be the markers of risk of grade 2/3 PSN.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Primary intracranial lymphomas.
We present 20 cases of primary intracranial lymphoma and review the most important published series on this subject. The clinical patterns and the differential diagnosis from other intracranial space-occupying lesions on the CT and angiographic evidence are discussed. Surgical treatment was given in 19 of our cases, followed in 17 cases by radiotherapy and in 4 by chemotherapy. One patient was treated by a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. The effectiveness of the various modalities of treatment is discussed in the light of survival.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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An experimental study of clearance of inhaled particles from the human nose.
Retention in the extrathoracic airways, and clearance by nose blowing, of monodisperse indium-111-labeled polystyrene particles were followed for at least 2 days after inhalation by healthy volunteers. Nine volunteers inhaled 3-μm aerodynamic diameter particles while sitting at rest, whereas subgroups of 3 or 4 inhaled 1.5-μm or 6-μm particles at rest, and 3-μm or 6-μm particles while performing light exercise. Retention of the initial extrathoracic deposit (IETD) in the extrathoracic airways was described by 4 components: on average 19% IETD cleared by nose blowing; 15% was swallowed before the first measurement, a few minutes after inhalation; 21% cleared by mucociliary action between the first measurement and about an hour later; and 45% subsequently cleared by mucociliary action. Geometric mean times in which 50% and 90% of IETD cleared were 2.5 and 22 hours. The geometric mean retention fractions at 24 and 48 hours were 7% and 2.4% IETD, respectively. No clear trends were found between parameters describing retention and any related to deposition (e.g., particle size). However, the fraction cleared by nose blowing was related to the frequency of nose blowing and therefore appears to be a characteristic of the individual.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Presentation of autoantigen by human T cells.
Activated human T cells express MHC class II and have been shown to present foreign Ag to autologous T cells. We now demonstrate that MHC class II+ T cell clones can present myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide autoantigen in the absence of traditional APC to autologous MBP reactive T cell clones. MBP peptide-pulsed T cell clones specifically stimulated autologous MBP-reactive T cell clones to flux calcium and proliferate. Activation responses were peptide epitope specific and blocked by mAb to MHC class II, indicating a TCR-mediated response. In addition, mAb to the adhesion molecules LFA-3, CD2, LFA-1, CD29, and to the tyrosine phosphatase CD45 also inhibited proliferation, indicating the involvement of T to T cell interactions. In contrast to peptide Ag, T cell clones did not respond to autologous T cells pulsed with HPLC-purified MBP, suggesting that T cells are unable to process whole MBP. However, batch-purified MBP Ag preparations containing lower m.w. breakdown products were presented by T cells, indicating that naturally occurring breakdown products of autoantigens could be presented by activated T cells in vivo. These results raise the possibility that T cell presentation of autoantigen at inflammatory sites may be important in regulation of immune responses to self Ag.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Paracrine Interactions between the Conjunctival and Corneal Epithelial Cells Regulate Microenvironmental Homeostasis during Artificially Induced Inflammation.
Purpose/Aim of the study: The corneal and conjunctival epithelium interact with each other and reciprocally modulate the levels of soluble mediators to maintain balance in the ocular surface. The aim of the present study was to analyze paracrine interactions between the corneal and conjunctival epithelium in an inflamed microenvironment (LPS or PMA induction) to test the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide released by the epithelia. The corneal (pRSV-T) and conjunctival (HC0597) epithelial cell cultures and their indirect co-cultures were treated for 2 h with LPS (E. coli) or for 30 min with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) to induce inflammation. Cytokine expression (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10) and the level of apoptosis were analyzed by ELISA, and the nitric oxide (NO) level by Griess reaction. Cells were incubated for 24 h. The apoptosis of the corneal and conjunctival epithelia decreased (by 43% and 53%, respectively) in co-cultures compared to corresponding monocultures. The conjunctival epithelium produced lower amounts (23%) of NO than the corneal epithelium. PMA and LPS had comparable effects on the levels of NO in mono- and co-cultures. The levels of the tested cytokines changed depending on the type of cell culture and culture conditions (mono- vs. co-cultures and inflammation). The most striking changes were observed for IL-6 expression. Paracrine interactions between the corneal and conjunctival epithelia may regulate microenvironmental homeostasis during artificially induced inflammation among others by balancing the levels of NO, cytokines, and the viability of cells.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Pharmacological treatment of unipolar depression.
Antidepressants were first developed serendipitously 60 years ago and gave rise to the monoamine hypothesis of depression and antidepressant action which has persisted in various forms ever since. Although we have made huge strides in our understanding of the pharmacology of antidepressants, and in the neuroscience of depression, our current antidepressants have changed little since the original drugs. In this chapter I first review some controversies in the use of antidepressant drugs including whether they actually work, and then go on to describe the current state of our clinical use of antidepressants, looking both at the principles and practice of treatment and reviewing the evidence for efficacy, tolerability and safety in acute and sequenced treatments. I finally briefly consider future directions and the aspiration of developing more effective antidepressants.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Endothelin-mediated induction of heme oxygenase-1 in the spinal cord is attenuated in transgenic mice overexpressing superoxide dismutase.
Spinal cord blood flow and the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an indicator of oxidative stress, were studied in the spinal cords of adult wild-type and transgenic mice overexpressing the antioxidant copper, zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZn SOD) after intrathecal administration of the potent vasoactive peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1). Gelfoam, saturated with ET-1 (40, 80, or 400 micromol/L), was positioned in the intrathecal space at the midthoracic level in anesthetized animals. Blood flow was continuously monitored by laser Doppler for 10 min after the intrathecal application of ET-1. There was a significant reduction in spinal cord blood flow to approximately 40% of control values by 10 min after the intrathecal application of the peptide in both wild-type and transgenic mice. Moreover, SB209670, a nonselective endothelin receptor antagonist, blocked this reduction in flow. Each animal was euthanized 24 h after the intrathecal administration of ET-1, and the spinal cord was prepared for quantitative immunocytochemistry. HO-1 was primarily induced in astrocytes near the dorsal surface of the spinal cord in wild-type mice. This induction was attenuated in both wild-type, treated with SB209670, and untreated transgenic mice. Together, these findings suggest that ET-1 mediates oxidative stress in the spinal cord through the modulation of spinal cord blood flow.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Broad-band antireflection coating at near-infrared wavelengths by a breath figure.
We prepared a porous thin film by spin-coating of a cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) solution in tetrahydrofuran under a humid environment. Due to evaporative cooling during spin-coating, condensed water droplets were formed by a breath figure on the CAB solution, and these developed a porous structure after complete drying. By varying the solution concentration and rotating speeds, two distinct morphologies were generated: top and bottom layers with higher and lower porosities, respectively. We found that the two-layer porous film coated on glass exhibited low reflectance of less than 1% in the near-infrared (NIR) regime corresponding to wavelengths between 900 and 2200 nm. Since the porous structure was very uniform over a large area, the film could be easily employed for broad-band antireflection coating at NIR wavelengths.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Fatigue and its related factors in patients with chronic heart failure.
To understand fatigue in chronic heart failure patients and its related factors. Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with chronic heart failure, but little is known about this phenomenon. Correlational study. This correlational study sampled 107 chronic heart failure patients from a medical centre in northern Taiwan. Data were collected on objective outcomes (ejection fraction, EF; New York Heart Association classification, NYHA; beta-blocker use and haemoglobin, Hb) and subjective outcomes (depression and fatigue). Since the main outcome variable, fatigue, is multidimensional, it was measured by two scales: Lee's Fatigue Visual Analog Scale and a researcher-developed scale, the Tang Fatigue Rating Scale. Subjects experienced a medium level of fatigue. Fatigue was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females (226.6 SD 49.1) than males (203.0 SD 52.2) and in patients who took beta-blockers than those who did not (p < 0.01). Depression, EF and NYHA as a set explained 73% of the variance in subjects' fatigue. Subjects with greater depression, lower EF and worse NYHA experienced significantly higher fatigue (F = 76.50, p < 0.001). Fatigue for this sample of chronic heart failure patients was significantly predicted by depression, EF and NYHA. Additional research is needed to explore patterns of fatigue and its related factors over time. In nursing care, psychological factors are as important as physiological factors to patients' well-being. Health care providers should therefore pay more attention to the psychological status of patients with chronic heart failure, thus helping them control their fatigue and improve their well-being.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Congenital anomalies involving the coronary sinus.
A classification is presented of anomalies involving the coronary sinus. These anomalies are classified into four anatomic groups on the basis of (1) enlargement of the coronary sinus, (2) absence of the coronary sinus, (3) atresia of the right atrial coronary sinus ostium, and (4) hypoplasia of the coronary sinus. Anomalies involving the coronary sinus often are associated with other venous anomalies, either of the systemic or the pulmonary circulation. In some there is no basic disturbance of the circulation. Those conditions involving the coronary sinus which are of major functional significance participate in shunts, either left-to-right or right-to-left in nature. Enlargement of the coronary sinus in the absence of a shunt usually indicates that a systemic venous channel joins the coronary sinus anomalously.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Colchis - Iberian Medicine or Cura Mediana
This paper reviews the ancient traditions about Colchis. It considers the legends of the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece, of Medea and the plant lore which is well established in Georgia. Many remedies and poisons are native to the area. Hippocrates is said to have visited Colchis to study local healing traditions, describing the country, with its rich flora and fauna as well as its diseases. Thus, Medea can be considered a pioneer of cosmetics, haematology, surgery and toxicology leading the way for the development of modern medicine.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Additive toxicity of zinc and arsenate on barley (Hordeum vulgare) root elongation.
Zinc (Zn) and arsenic (As) are typically present as mixed contaminants in mining-impacted areas; however, their joined effects have rarely been evaluated. The present study was set up to test whether the Zn2+ and H2 AsO4- (hereafter, As) mixture toxicity to plants is additive or whether interactions occur. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) root elongation was measured in resin buffered nutrient solutions. The design included ranges of single-element concentrations and combinations at 3 different Ca2+ concentrations (0.5 mM, 2.2 mM, and 15.0 mM) to vary the relative toxicity of Zn2+ . Increasing Ca concentrations decreased Zn toxicity, whereas As toxicity was unaffected by Ca. Root elongation was generally more affected in Zn-As mixtures than in corresponding single-element treatments. This is merely a joint additive effect, as 96% of the root elongation data were within a factor of 1.2 from predictions using the independent action (IA) or concentration addition (CA) model. The CA and IA predictions were similar, and data did not allow identification of equal or dissimilar modes of action. Small but significant Zn-As antagonisms were only found at high effects (>50% inhibition). The present study suggests that mixture effects of Zn and As are environmentally relevant and that current risk assessment underestimates toxicity in multielement-contaminated environments. The CA model can be used as a conservative model for risk assessment; however, for soil-grown plants, soil-exposed studies are needed. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1556-1562. © 2016 SETAC.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Differentiation-dependent transcription of the epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated human papillomavirus type 5 in benign lesions.
Human papillomavirus type 5 (HPV 5) induces cutaneous lesions and persists in skin carcinomas of patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). We investigated the expression pattern of HPV 5 in biopsies from benign skin lesions of EV patients by cDNA analysis and in situ hybridization. Nine different cDNAs could be generated from total RNA of one of these lesions by reverse transcription and PCR amplification with HPV 5-specific primers. We could identify two major splice donors: one was found in the E6-proximal part of the noncoding region (NCR), and the other just downstream of the first ATG codon of ORF E1. Each of the characterized transcripts was processed at one or the other donor site and the two corresponding leader exons were found in combination with both 3'-early and late exons. Two transcripts appear to be specific for EV-associated papillomaviruses: one species might encode an E1--E2C fusion protein, and the other mRNA (NCR/E2) is probably encoding for the full-length E2 protein. According to the results of the cDNA analysis, riboprobes were designed for in situ hybridization experiments to study the cell differentiation-dependent expression of the different exons. Only the E7/E1 and E4 probes led to strong signals almost throughout the epithelium. The signals generated by the 5'-E2 and E1 probe increased with cell differentiation and were mainly confined to the nucleus. The NCR, E6, E7, L2, and L1 probes yielded more or less strong signals in the terminally differentiated epidermal layers. The difference in the cell differentiation-dependent expression of the 5'-early region exon (probe E7/1) and L2/L1 exons may point to a differentiation-dependent processing of transcripts.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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[Communication barriers in the management of immigrants and their children. An analysis and possible solutions based on case reports].
Up to 41% of patients treated in health care institutions and hospitals in Vienna are non-German-speaking. As one half of the foreign population of Vienna speaks little or no German, their treatment in health care institutions is a difficult issue. Based on exemplary case reports, linguistic and socio-cultural communication barriers in health care are presented and the problematic area of foreign-language communication is analysed. Misunderstandings due to communication barriers not only have a negative financial impact on health care economy, they also complicate the individual care of these patients. Based on the experience gained thus far and in concurrence with the developments in other European countries, the use of professional interpreters who combine their role as linguistic intermediaries with the cultural features of foreign-language patients (community interpreters) should be encouraged. The use of specifically trained internal hospital staff is recommended as well. A concept to coordinate central organisations that provide interpreters in the public field may substantially enhance the quality and efficiency of health care in this special situation.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Neuron-microglia communication in the CNS of the freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus.
The aim of the present study was to identify molecules that may be involved in neuron-microglia communication in the CNS of freshwater snail Planorbarius corneus. Messenger molecules are exchanged in normal and pathological conditions and we tried to identify some of them by immunocytochemistry on whole ganglia and cell cultures. In particular, we examined neurons and microglia for the expression of some cytokines, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha and the neurotransmitter glutamate. These substances may be released by suffering or injured neurons and communicate to microglia the damaging event. Even microglia, on own turn, once activated, express and released the same or other substances in order to reestablish the system homeostasis, depending on modalities and times of activation. We discuss the possibility that hyperactivated microglia can shift from neuroprotective to neurodegenerative. Moreover, we examined in neuron-microglia co-coltures the direct interaction effects in terms of neuronal survival and improved neurite regeneration.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Binding of nitrite and its reductive activation to nitric oxide at biomimetic copper centers.
The reactivity of nitrite towards the copper(II) and copper(I) centers of a series of complexes with tridentate nitrogen donor ligands has been investigated. The ligands are bis[(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)methyl]amine (1-bb), bis[2-(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amine (2-bb), and bis[2-(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)ethyl]amine (ddah) and carry two terminal benzimidazole (1-bb, 2-bb) or pyrazole (ddah) rings and a central amine donor residue. While 2-bb and ddah form two adjacent six-membered chelate rings on metal coordination, 1-bb forms two smaller rings of five members. The binding affinity of nitrite and azide to the Cu(II) complexes (ClO4- as counterion) has been determined in solution. The association constants for the two ligands are similar, but nitrite is a slightly stronger ligand than azide when it binds as a bidentate donor. The X-ray crystal structure of the nitrite complex [Cu(ddah)(NO2)]ClO4 (final R=0.056) has been determined: triclinic P1space group, a=8.200(2) A, b=9.582(3) A, c=15.541(4) A. It may be described as a perchlorate salt of a "supramolecular" species resulting from the assembly of two complex cations and one sodium perchlorate unit. The copper stereochemistry in the complex is intermediate between SPY and TBP, and nitrite binds to Cu(II) asymmetrically, with Cu-O distances of 2.037(2) and 2.390(3) A and a nearly planar CuO2N cycle. On standing, solutions of [Cu(ddah)(NO2)]ClO4 in methanol produce the dinuclear complex [Cu(ddah)(OMe)]2(ClO4)2, containing dibridging methoxy groups. In fact the crystal structure analysis (final R=0.083) showed that the crystals are built up by dinuclear cations, arranged on a crystallographic symmetry center, and perchlorate anions. Electrochemical analysis shows that binding of nitrite to the Cu(II) complexes of 2-bb and ddah shifts the reduction potential of the Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple towards negative values by about 0.3 V. The thermodynamic parameters of the Cu(II)/Cu(I) electron transfer have also been analyzed. The mechanism of reductive activation of nitrite to nitric oxide by the Cu(I) complexes of 1-bb, 2-bb, and ddah has been studied. The reaction requires two protons per molecule of nitrite and Cu(I). Kinetic experiments show that the reaction is first order in [Cu(I)] and [H+] and exhibits saturation behavior with respect to nitrite concentration. The kinetic data show that [Cu(2-bb)]+ is more efficient than [Cu(1-bb)]+ and [Cu(ddah)]+ in reducing nitrite.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Expression of stanniocalcin in zona glomerulosa and medulla of normal human adrenal glands, and some adrenal tumors and cell lines.
Stanniocalcin (STC) is a calcium (Ca)-regulating hormone that was originally discovered in the fish Stannius body, which is a unique endocrine organ. Hypercalcemia increases STC secretion, which inhibits Ca uptake by the gills and normalizes serum Ca level. In this study we investigated the STC expression in human normal and abnormal adrenal cells. Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibody against STC revealed specific staining in zona glomerulosa and medulla of normal human adrenal glands. STC was also detected in human adrenal tumors, such as pheochromocytoma, differentiated neuroblastoma, and aldosterone-producing adenoma, and cultured adrenal tumor cells (rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells and human neuroblastoma NB-1 cells). However, undifferentiated human adrenal neuroblastoma was negative for STC staining. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction demonstrated STC mRNA expression in cultured PC-12 cells and NB-1 cells. Following several studies indicating that zona glomerulosa cells of adrenal glands express neuroendocrine properties, STC expression in normal and abnormal adrenal cells provides additional evidence to support the neuroendocrine differentiation of these cells. In conclusion, STC may be useful as a new cell marker of adrenal glands under physiological and pathological conditions.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Attachment and substance use in adolescence: a review of conceptual and methodological aspects.
Attachment is currently considered one of the major risk and/or protective factors for substance use in adolescence. This paper reviews the most important studies published in the last 30 years in this field, focusing on the conceptual and methodological issues that may be making it more difficult to draw conclusions about the impact of attachment especially attachment to parents on substance use among youths. In general, the results indicate that secure attachment or stronger attachment between parents and children acts as a protective factor against drug use, even though there is a great variability in relation to the concept of addiction and its assessment. Secondly, most of the research reviewed also covers other factors that may be conditioning the influence of attachment to parents on children's drug use and which would explain, at least in part, the disparity of the results from different studies. Notable among such factors would be individual characteristics (such as sex, age or self-esteem) and the influence of other sources of attachment, including peers and their circumstances (such as their drug use). Finally, we discuss the importance of taking into account the mentioned conceptual and methodological considerations aspects in research on attachment as a risk and/or protective factor for drug use in adolescence.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Pertussis in Poland.
Since 1997, an unexpected 2-5-fold increase in the incidence of pertussis has been reported in Poland in comparison with the previous 10 years, although the introduction of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination in 1960 reduced the incidence of pertussis approximately 100-fold in the 1980s. The aim of the study was to analyse all available data on pertussis in Poland to identify the risks associated with its re-emergence. Available data on notification, incidence, mortality, hospitalization, geographical distribution, incidence according to age, and diagnosis of pertussis were collected from national surveillance monographs and statistically evaluated. Analyses performed in the study found two periods of rising and falling trends: in the incidence before and after 1989, respectively. Moreover, after 1989, the age-specific incidence among children aged 0-4 years decreased, and among 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 year olds increased in comparison to the previous decade. The incidence rate of pertussis among infants was similar in both decades analysed. Clustering of pertussis incidence increase in provinces along a line from North East to South West was observed. As vaccination coverage did not decrease and diagnostics have not been improved since the 1980s, it is possible that waning immunity and the appearance of Bordetella pertussis vaccine escape mutants are involved in the changing pertussis epidemiological parameters. Further monitoring studies, together with improving diagnostics, might allow more precise epidemiological data to be obtained. An additional booster dose of acellular pertussis vaccine at age 6 years has been included in the current vaccination schedule.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Backbone dynamics of human Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase and of its monomeric F50E/G51E/E133Q mutant: the influence of dimerization on mobility and function.
The backbone assignment of reduced human dimeric Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) was performed on a sample 100% enriched in (15)N, (13)C and 70% enriched in (2)H. (15)N T(1), T(2), and T(1)(rho) and (15)N-(1)H NOE assignment was performed at 600 MHz proton frequency on both wild-type SOD and the monomeric F50E/G51E/E133Q mutant. This allowed a comparison of the mobility in the subnanosecond and in the millisecond to microsecond time scales of the two systems. Both proteins are rather rigid, although some breathing of the beta sheets is detected in the wild type dimer. The monomer displays large mobility in the loops in the first part of the sequence, in loop IVa where point mutations have been introduced and at the C-terminus. The dimeric wild type is rigidified at loop IVa and at the C-terminus. Only loop VII shows a higher mobility in the dimer (besides some individual NH moieties). Conformational equilibria are displayed in the monomeric form around cysteines 57 and 146, thus explaining the disorder of arginine 143 which is the most important residue in guiding O(2)(-) toward the copper ion. The larger mobility in the wild type form with respect to the monomer in the picosecond to nanosecond time scale of helix alpha1 and loop VIIb, which provides the correct electrostatic driving force for O(2)(-) in the active channel, has been discussed in terms of favoring the activity of SOD.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Assessment of the wish to hasten death in patients with advanced cancer: A comparison of 2 different approaches.
The Desire for Death Rating Scale (DDRS) and the short form of the Schedule of Attitudes toward Hastened Death (SAHD-5) are different approaches to assessing the wish to hasten death (WTHD). Both have clinical threshold scores for identifying individuals with a meaningfully elevated WTHD. However, the agreement between the 2 measures and patient opinions about assessment of the WTHD are unknown. To compare the DDRS and SAHD-5 and to analyze patient opinions about assessment of the WTHD. The WTHD was assessed in 107 patients with advanced cancer using both the DDRS and SAHD-5. Patients were subsequently asked their opinion about this assessment. Correlation between scores on the SAHD-5 and the DDRS was moderate, Spearman rho = 0.67 (P < .01). The SAHD-5 identified 13 patients (12.1%) at risk of the WTHD, and the DDRS identified 6 patients (5.6%) with a moderate-high WTHD (P > .05). Concordance between the DDRS and SAHD-5 in identifying individuals with an elevated WTHD was poor when using recommended cut-off scores, κ = 0.37 (P < 0.01) but could be improved by using different thresholds. Only 4 patients (3.8%) regarded the assessment questions as bothersome, and 90.6% considered it important that health-care professionals inquire about the WTHD. The SAHD-5 and DDRS appear to be appropriate methods for assessing the WTHD and could provide complementary information in clinical practice: the SAHD-5 to screen for risk of the WTHD and the DDRS as a clinical interview to explore it in greater detail. Assessment of the WTHD is well accepted by palliative care cancer patients.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Functional evaluation of bladder neck disease.
22 patients diagnosed as having bladder neck disease were evaluated retrospectively point of view. Urodynamic study including intravesical pressure, rectal pressure, intrinsic detrusor pressure and urine flow was performed in every case. A relation was established between the findings and the definite etiology. Two urodynamic patterns were found, one with high pressures and low voiding flow, and one with low pressures and low voiding flow. Functional differences were not found between the two etiological groups, i.e. fibrotic and idiopathic.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Evaluation of Iron Overload Between Age Groups Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Its Correlation with Iron Profile in Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia.
routine blood transfusion in transfusion-dependent-thalassemia (TDT) causes iron accumulation in various organ. Serum markers of iron overload, serum ferritin and transferrin saturation, are sensitive but not specific. MRI T2-star (T2*) is valuable for detecting iron level in organs. This study aimed to explore the degree of iron overload in various organs, iron deposition difference between children and adults, also its correlation with serum marker of iron overload. this was a cross-sectional study of TDT patients who had been evaluated by MRI T2* examination in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital from 2014 to 2018. a total of 546 subjects was included in this study. The number of subjects between children and adults was almost equal. Most of subjects had normal cardiac iron deposition. The difference of cardiac iron overload between children and adults was significant (p=0.009). Liver evaluation showed that most of subjects had moderate to severe iron overload. This difference between children and adults was significant (p=0.017). Pancreas evaluation showed that either children or adults mostly had mild pancreatic iron overload. Analysis of T2* showed that pancreatic iron deposition progressed with increasing age. Serum ferritin had weak correlation with heart T2* MRI, moderate correlation with pancreas and liver T2* MRI. Relationship between transferrin saturation and T2* MRI was extremely weak. cardiac and hepatic iron deposition between children and adults differ significantly. Liver has the greatest iron overload, followed by pancreas and heart. Iron deposition in liver and pancreas has been started from earlier age. Pancreatic iron deposition rises with increasing age. Serum ferritin and transferrin saturation should not be used solely to predict iron overload in various organs. We suggest that MRI evaluation must be conducted at least once to assess iron deposition in organs.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Vascular injuries in electrical burns--the pathologic basis for mechanism of injury.
These studies present a more complete picture of the pathological changes in injured arteries obtained from patients with electrical injuries affecting the upper extremity. The specific characteristics of vascular injury by electric current proceed from relatively mild to severe in the order of the intima, adventitia and whole-thickness. Vascular injury by electricity is a thermal process extending from the interior to the exterior.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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[Targeting therapy with a drug using temperature-sensitive liposomes entrapped antitumor drug together with localized hyperthermia].
The characteristics and feasibility of targeting therapy with combination of temperature-sensitive liposomes entrapped antitumor drug with localized hyperthermia were discussed on the theoretical as well as experimental basis. An optimum liposome form and a drug for this delivery were proposed as follows: the liposome is LUV which has a phase transition temperature of 41 to 42 degree and the osmotic pressure of the internal aqueous phase is 1.5 or higher than the physiological one, the drug has a large body clearance and has a synergistic effect with hyperthermia. The LUV preparation containing cisplatin was administered to mice together with tumor heating. The uptake of the drug in the tumor (as a criterion of targeting) were 3 to 5 times greater than those of an aqueous cisplatin solution. The tumor responses were well correlated with the drug-targeting.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Construction and characterization of virG (icsA)-deleted Escherichia coli K12-Shigella flexneri hybrid vaccine strains.
Human challenge studies with EcSf2a-2, an aroD deletion-attenuated Escherichia coli K12-Shigella flexneri hybrid vaccine expressing S. flexneri 2a somatic antigen and the invasive phenotype indicated that, at doses of 2 x 10(9) bacteria, EcSf2a-2 was immunogenic but also reactogenic and therefore not sufficiently attenuated. Two factors that may contribute to the residual reactogenicity are the spontaneous appearance of plaque-positive variants in the E. coli K12 recipient and the presence of the arg locus encoding enterotoxin or cytotoxin, transferred from S. flexneri 2a into the E. coli recipient. EcSf2a-3 was derived from EcSf2a-2 by introducing a deletion in the virG gene, whose expression is required for plaque formation and keratoconjunctivitis in guinea pigs. EcSf2a-5 contains the same deletion in the E. coli-S. flexneri hybrid strain, 7921, but does not contain the arg locus. Lack of virG expression in these hybrid strains did not affect the immune response to LPS or the development of protective immunity in the guinea pig model.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Blocking of endothelial-leukocyte interaction (rolling) does not improve reflow in the rat gastric mucosa after hemorrhagic shock and retransfusion.
The polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocyte (PMN) has been implicated as one possible cause of the no-reflow phenomenon seen upon reperfusion after ischemia, by, for instance, the release of toxic substances and/or microvascular flow obstruction. In the present study we studied the effects of ascorbate (an antioxidant) and fucoidin (an inhibitor of leukocyte rolling in microvessels) on the rat gastric mucosal and submucosal PMN content and vascular patency (the latter assessed as the surface density of perfused vessels) in connection with hemorrhagic shock (15 min) and retransfusion (5 or 10 min). The effect of fucoidin on the leukocyte rolling in small venules was studied separately with vital microscopy in the rat mesentery. As found in earlier studies, shock and retransfusion led to a decrease in the surface density of perfused vessels, whereas the number of PMNs in the mucosa or the submucosa was not affected by shock and retransfusion. Ascorbate improved vascular patency without affecting the PMN content. In the mesentery, fucoidin caused a 76% reduction in the number of rolling PMNs and it reduced significantly the number of PMNs in the mucosa, but not in the submucosa, after 10 min of retransfusion. Fucoidin had no effect on the vascular patency at that or any other time point. On the basis of these experiments it is concluded that PMN accumulation cannot be singled out as the cause of no-reflow in the rat gastric mucosa after shock and retransfusion of the degree and duration analyzed in this investigation.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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10-year randomized trial (RCT) of zirconia-ceramic and metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses.
To monitor zirconia-ceramic and metal-ceramic posterior FDPs with respect to survival and technical/biological complication rates. Fifty-eight patients received 76 3- to 5-unit posterior FDPs. The sites were randomly assigned to 40 zirconia-based (ZC) and 36 metal-based (MC) FDPs. FDPs were examined at baseline (cementation), at 6 months, at 1 year and then yearly up to 10 years. Technical outcomes were assessed using modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. Biologic outcomes included probing depth, plaque, bleeding on probing and tooth vitality. Statistical analysis was performed applying Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimation, log-rank, Mann-Whitney and Fisher exact test. During the 10-year follow-up thirteen patients (17 FDPs) dropped out and 6 FDPs in 6 patients (5 ZC,1 MC) were considered catastrophic failures for technical and/or biological reasons. Forty-four patients with 53 FDPs (29 ZC, 24 MC) were available for examination. The median observation period was 10.3 years (ZC) and 10.0 years (MC). The 10-year KM survival estimate of ZC FDPs was 91.3% (95%CI:69.5;97.8) and 100% of MC FDPs. Minor chipping of the veneering ceramic and occlusal wear were found to a similar extent at ZC and MC FDPs. ZC FDPs demonstrated a significantly higher rate of framework fracture, de-bonding, major fractures of the veneering ceramic and poor marginal adaption. Biological outcomes were similar in both groups and between abutment and control teeth. At 10 years, ZC and MC posterior FDPs resulted in similar outcomes for the majority of the outcome measures (p > 0.05).
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Pattern of semantic errors in autism: a brief research report.
Semantic or vocabulary errors were measured among children with autism and mild learning disability and children with mild learning disability only (six children of 7.9-8.7 years in each group), testing the hypothesis that these were common in both groups. Different variables were investigated such as breadth of vocabulary and number of vocabulary errors, type of paraphasias, and mechanisms used to name the meanings that children were not aware of or could not recall, and the particular meanings that were difficult for each group. Preliminary findings showed that vocabulary errors were similar in both groups, except under-extension, which was not used by the autism group. Children with autism tended to use all mechanisms in order to name something they did not know and to focus on parts of the object in order to name it, while unknown words were similar in both groups.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Synthesis, structure and application of chiral copper(II) coordination polymers for asymmetric acylation.
Chiral copper(II) coordination polymers 1a-c have been prepared by one-pot synthesis in high yield. Their single-crystal X-ray analysis showed that repeating units are connected to each other by carboxylate linker and copper(II) atoms are pentacoordinated with distorted square-pyramidal geometry for 1a-b and square-planar geometry for 1c. These polymers have catalyzed the kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols by acylation with up to 90% ee ( s = 50).
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Association of working hours with biological indices related to the cardiovascular system among engineers in a machinery manufacturing company.
A field survey of 278 engineers (20-59 years) in a machinery manufacturing company was conducted to investigate the association of working hours with biological indices related to the cardiovascular system (heart rate variability, blood pressure and serum levels of magnesium, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate <DHEA-S> and cholesterol). Average working hours (defined as <"hours at workplace" + "half a commuting time">) and sleeping hours in this study were 60.2 +/- 6.3 hr/week and 6.6 +/- 0.8 hr/day respectively. There were no significant relationships between working hours and biological indices related to the cardiovascular system, but sleeping hours was closely related to working hours negatively. Furthermore, the serum DHEA-S level was significantly related to sleeping hours positively. Combining these two results, it appeared that long working hours might lower the serum DHEA-S level due to the reduction of sleeping hours.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Extended resections for carcinoma of the colon and rectum.
Eighty-four of 1,081 patients with carcinoma of the colon and rectum operated upon at our institution between 1951 and 1980 had extended resections involving adjacent organs. The types of presenting symptoms or the duration had no affect on the survival time of these patients. Survival time was most significantly correlated with pathologic penetration and Dukes' stage. The operative mortality was 5.9 per cent with a complication rate of 28.5 per cent. The nature of the individual organs involved did not affect the survival time. Patients with carcinoma of the colon and rectum extending to adjacent organs can undergo resection with a five year survival rate comparable with all patients with surgically treated carcinoma of the colon and rectum.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Do we need to perform cystoscopy on all adults attending urology centres as outpatients?
There has been considerable expansion in the use of flexible cystoscopy (FC) and people who can perform the procedure. Hence, there is a criticism that this procedure is being overused with no management benefit. We audited the use of FC in a district hospital for a period of 1 year. The results of FC for non-standard indications (other than haematuria and check cystoscopy) were analysed for their diagnostic yield. Of the 1,390 FCs performed, 295 were done for non-standard indications. 46.14% of these cystoscopies had positive findings. Cancer detection rate was 6.10%. Cystoscopy altered the management in 14.08% of patients and was supportive to diagnosis and management in 32.06%. This procedure is certainly not overused and the ever-increasing requirement of this simple procedure has serious resource implications for the National Health Service.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Reye's syndrome in a child on long-term salicylate medication.
A case of Reye's syndrome in a four-year-old child on long-term salicylate medication for rheumatoid arthritis is reported. Severe fatty changes of the liver, lipid vacuolation in the renal proximal tubules, and severe brain oedema were the prominent postmortem findings. Symptoms of a trivial infection and vomiting just before death added to the resemblance of this case to Reye's syndrome.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Osteoporosis during continuous androgen deprivation: influence of the modality and length of treatment.
To analyze the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with prostate cancer with and without androgen ablation. To know the influence of the modality and the length of androgen ablation on the prevalence of osteoporosis. To analyze the relative risk of hip fracture. In a cross-sectional study, we assessed bone densitometry at the Ward's triangle of the femoral neck in 110 patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer and without biochemical relapse. A cohort of 53 patients under continuous androgen suppression during a median period of 41 months (12-191) formed the study group and 57 age-matched patients that had been submitted to a radical prostatectomy formed a control group. Both subsets of patients had similar mean age (70.4 vs. 69.2, p=0.07). Mean bone mass was 0.70 g/cm2 in patients under androgen suppression and 0.76 g/cm2 in the control group, p=0.06. The rate of osteoporosis was 41.5% (22/53) and 28.1% (16/57) respectively, p=0.16 and the odds ratio was 1.82 (95% CI 0,82-4.03). The rate of osteoporosis was 41.4% (12/29) in patients under maximal androgen blockade and 41.7% (10/24) in patients under chemical castration, p=0.735. According to the length of the androgen suppression the rate of osteoporosis was 36.4% when it was between 12 and 36 months, 42.1% from 36 to 60 months and 50% when it was longer than 60 months. While the overall relative risk of hip fracture in the control group was 2.0, it was 2.4 when the length of androgen suppression was between 12 and 36 months, 2.9 between 36 and 60 months and 3.9 when it was longer than 60 months. Androgen suppression increases the prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with prostate cancer. The modality of continues androgen suppression seems not to affect its prevalence. However the length of androgen suppression would be related to its development. The relative risk of hip fracture is also increasing during the androgen suppression.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Studies on nude mice bearing human CSF-producing tumor. III. Colony type of granulocyte-macrophage precursors of nude mice bearing CSF-producing tumor.
In previous studies, we analyzed the hemopoietic precursor cells of tumor-bearing nude mice with marked neutrophilia induced by a transplanted human lung cancer. In this study, we examined the morphology of granulocyte-macrophage colonies using a technique for cytochemical examination of all colonies grown in agar gel culture. By stimulation with spleen cell-conditioned medium, the bone marrow cells and spleen cells of tumor-bearing nude mice formed a higher proportion of granulocyte-containing colonies than those of control mice. However, a larger number of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors were not definitely committed to differentiate into granulocytes and macrophages, as no significant differences in cellular composition of colonies between tumor-bearing mice and control mice were observed by stimulation with L cell-conditioned medium.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Prevalence and characterization of urinary tract infections in dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion.
To determine the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI), factors that correlate positively with UTI, and whether identified UTI are most likely community- or hospital acquired in dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) extrusions. Prospective cross-sectional clinical study. Dogs (n=92) that were surgically treated for a thoracolumbar extradural compressive spinal cord lesion that was consistent with type 1 IVD extrusion. Dogs were evaluated for bacterial lower UTI when possible by cystocentesis and urine culture before surgery, and 48-72, 96-120 hours, and 7 days after surgery while hospitalized. Paraparesis, confirmation of thoracolumbar extruded nucleus pulposus, and informed owner consent were required for study inclusion. Urine specimens (n=297) were cultured and both objective and subjective clinical data were obtained. Prevalence of UTI in dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar IVD extrusion was 27% (25 dogs). Temporal prevalence of UTI was 15% (13/89) before surgery, 12% (11/91) at 2-3 days, 16% (12/76) at 4-5 days, and 20% (8/41) at 7 days after surgery. Statistically significant factors affecting UTI prevalence included neurologic and urinary status, sex, administration of perioperative antibiotics, and amount of time body temperature was <35 degrees C during anesthesia. UTI are common in dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar IVD extrusion. Females, dogs that cannot ambulate or voluntarily urinate, dogs not administered perioperative cefazolin, and dogs whose body temperature falls <35 degrees C during anesthesia have a higher incidence of UTI. All dogs with surgically treated type 1 thoracolumbar IVD extrusion should be monitored for the presence of UTI; however, close attention should be paid to females and dogs that cannot ambulate or voluntarily urinate.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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[Extranodal NK-T-cell lymphoma, nasal type in granulomatosis with polyangiitis. A case report].
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GP) is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis with multi-organ involvement that primarily affects the respiratory tract and the kidneys. Fever in these patients is an indicator of activity; however, if it arises in isolation, the physician should exclude other causes. Male patient admitted due to an unexplained fever and weight loss; it was diagnosed GP by a history of pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, fixed pulmonary nodules and chronic sinusitis of four years of evolution; however, the fever persisted despite treatment and in the absence of infection. It was performed an oropharynx lesion biopsy and the diagnosis was extranodal NK-T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, and positive for CD56 and granzyme. Extranodal NK-T-cell lymphoma, nasal type is a rare entity, of poor prognosis, that should be considered as a diagnosis in patients with GP unresponsive to steroid. That is the reason why biopsy of the lesion and immunohistochemistry are required.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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ROCK2 promotes HCC proliferation by CEBPD inhibition through phospho-GSK3β/β-catenin signaling.
Rho-associated kinase 2 (Rock2) is known to promote tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (CEBPD) functions as a tumor suppressor. In this study, we found that the expression of Rock2 and CEBPD are inversely correlated. Knockdown of Rock2 increased CEBPD expression and inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that Rock2 regulates CEBPD expression through the p-GSK3β/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, we identified a novel Rock2-p-GSK3β/β-catenin-CEBPD regulatory circuitry, the dysfunction of which may contribute to the tumorigenic characteristic of HCC.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Engineering Protease-Resistant and Highly Active Phytases.
Phytases can catalyze the hydrolysis of indigestible phytate and releases the usable phosphorus. Protease resistance and high activity of enzymes facilitate their biotechnological and medical application. Here we described a genetic manipulation method to improve enzyme tolerance to pepsin, trypsin, and low pH by optimizing the residual side chain of trypsin- and pepsin-sensitive HAP phytase YeAPPA from Yersinia enterocolitica.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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A shorter duration of pre-transplant abstinence predicts problem drinking after liver transplantation.
Liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease (ALD) can be complicated by abusive or "problem" drinking (PD) after transplant. There are limited data for evaluating the effect of pre-transplant abstinence on post-transplant PD. Few existing studies have included a substantial number of patients with co-existing causes of hepatic dysfunction, and the effect of PD on survival in recent European studies has been controversial. We hypothesized that a longer duration of pre-transplant abstinence would lead to less PD after transplantation. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to analyze a North American cohort of patients with ALD with or without a secondary diagnosis of liver disease to estimate (i) the incidence of PD and its predictors, as well as (ii) the effect of PD on patient survival. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients transplanted for ALD surviving for more than 3 months after transplant. PD was defined as either any drinking (AD) to the point of intoxication or drinking above the toxic threshold (>20 g/day in women and >40 g/day in men) on at least two separate occasions. We used Cox's proportional hazards regression to estimate risk ratios and Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank analysis to compare survival. Of 213 eligible transplant patients, 42 were excluded. Of the 171 remaining patients, 78% were male; mean age was 52 years. Overall 53% of patients had co-existing causes of liver dysfunction. The mean follow-up was 64.8 months. The median pre-transplant abstinence was 19 months. In all patients, the risk of AD was 24% and PD 13%. Pre-transplant abstinence duration was the only independent predictor of PD after transplant. For every 1-month increment in pre-transplant abstinence, there was a 5% decrease in the adjusted relapse rate. There was no survival difference noted between problem drinkers and non-drinkers. The risk of PD decreased with increasing pre-transplant abstinence. Our data support pre-transplant abstinence as an important predictor of post-transplant recidivism; however, the optimal period of abstinence remains unclear. Patients with <18 months of abstinence may benefit from more intensive follow-up and rehabilitation after transplant.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Assessment of perceptions of nutrition knowledge and disease using a group interactive system: the Perception Analyzer.
Food labels can be used as a tool for nutrition education, but the information available is of little value to consumers who do not understand how to apply it. In an effort to assess nutrition knowledge and identify misconceptions, a group interactive system--the Perception Analyzer--was used as a lecture aid and data collection tool. The Perception Analyzer is composed of a laptop computer, an antenna, and handheld electronic handsets, or dials, that participants use to answer questions. Participants (N = 621) were surveyed on 14 multiple-choice questions concerning nutrition with 4 nutrition questions repeated at the end of a session as a posttest. A knowledge score was calculated by counting correct answers. Linear regression analyses were used to study the main effects of demographic variables on the knowledge score. Our study reports the following: although participants reported reading food labels, nrisconceptions about label content were identified; analyses of mean scores indicated that age, education, and race influenced the nutrition knowledge score; and participants found the Perception Analyzer to be enjoyable. The findings indicate that because the Perception Analyzer provides immediate and anonymous feedback to a discussion leader about audience's current knowledge, it is a promising tool for nutrition education by dietetic practitioners.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Immediate and long-term impacts of potassium permanganate on photosynthetic activity, survival and microcystin-LR release risk of Microcystis aeruginosa.
The immediate and long-term impacts of potassium permanganate (KMnO(4)) as pre-oxidant on Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin-LR (MC-LR) release risk were investigated. The cell density and the integrity of M. aeruginosa were determined by a flow cytometry, and typical photosynthetic parameters were measured by a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer. The photosynthetic parameters were reduced to different degrees, accompanied with slight cytoclasis and complete degradation of extracellular MC-LR immediately after various dosages KMnO(4) oxidation (2-20 mg L(-1)). In a 6-d cultivation following 5 mg L(-1) KMnO(4) oxidation, the cell density decreased from 3.9×10(6) to 0.6×10(6) cells mL(-1), and then increased to 0.9×10(6) cells mL(-1), while the extracellular MC-LR increased from 0 to 51.2 μg L(-1). In the cultivation after 10 mg L(-1) KMnO(4) treatment, the intracellular MC-LR and cell activity significantly declined, while significant cytoclasis (cell density from 3.8×10(6) to 0 cells mL(-1)) and MC-LR release (increase from 0 to 15.2 μg L(-1)) were observed. The photosynthetic parameters were found to be useful tools to predict the recovery tendency of M. aeruginosa cells, and the MC-LR release risk should be considered during KMnO(4) pre-oxidation in water-treatment plants.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Methods of fixing, sectioning and staining amphibian eggs for cytological study.
A combination of methods for fixation (sublimate, cobalt nitrate, formaldehyde, acetic acid in water), inclusion (celloidin dissolved in methyl salicylate, paraffin-paraplast) and staining was used to make serial sections easy, to avoid clefts and to give a good picture of segmentation mitoses, as well as a good contrast of yolk and cytoplasmic components. Four methods of staining were used concerning the Urodele eggs: Safranin-methyl blue-orange G, safranin-picro-blue black naphthol (Curtis), safranin-violet crystal-orange G (Flemming) and Feulgen-methyl blue-orange G. The achromatic apparatus of the normal segmentation mitoses is clearly delineated and the relationships between astral fibers and yolk are different at metaphase and anaphase. By these methods, particularly suitable for demonstration of nuclei, cytoplasm and achromatic apparatus, the cleaving egg may be used as a test for the inhibition of achromatic apparatus and chromosome damage by antimitotic substances. The contrast between vitelline cytoplasm and cytoplasmic non-vitelline abnormal fibrillar systems, produced by transformation of astral and diastematic fibres, is made particularly evident by these methods of staining.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Describing shape dynamics in transformed cells through latent factors.
Previous studies attributed the characteristic shape changes found in cancer cells, in part, to aberrant vesicle traffic. Typically, transformed cells also rounded up. These phenomena were further investigated by measuring the shape features of cells from established lines, which represented both normal and oncogenic stages of transformation. Although conventional pattern recognition methods, applied to a combined data set from these lines, failed to reveal any new, recognizable features beyond those already known, factors did describe such features. Factors are hypothetical variables that contribute to the variance of two or more measurable variables. One factor for the cell edge, 5, was known from previous studies on correlations among the variables. Several other factors at the same level identified crucial features. Factor 4 reflected the frequency of microspikes; another factor described a knob-like structure (7). A third, factor 16, indexed the variability in projection size. Factors of the upper cell, 1 micrometer or more above the substratum, namely, 1, 2, 8, 11, 13, and 19, also described transformation-related changes. Comparing lines that modeled the development of bronchogenic carcinoma, we found a tendency for 2 (surface smoothing), 4, and 12 (rounding-up) to be changed irreversibly. Thus, factors overcame the problem of relating mathematical shape phenotypes, previously obtained based on single variables, to cell features.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Epidemiology and Characteristics of Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease in the African-Descent Population of Martinique, French West Indies.
To provide an epidemiologic description of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD), and to describe its relationship with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a population of sub-Saharan origin. Patients were retrospectively included on the basis of lymph node histology compatible with KFD reported in Martinique from 1991 until 2013. In order to describe the characteristics of the disease in a larger cohort, we subsequently included more patients of Afro-Caribbean origin from Guadeloupe and French Guiana. In Martinique, mean annual incidence between 1991 and 2013 was 2.78 cases for 1 million inhabitants (95% confidence interval 1.73-3.93). A total of 36 Afro-Caribbean patients from the 3 French American regions were included. Mean age was 30.5 years (range 5-59 years) and the female:male ratio was 3:1. The main characteristics were cervical adenopathies (88.8%), fever (83.3%), asthenia (73.0%), weight loss (64.4%), and recurrence in 33.3%. KFD was associated with lupus (n = 9 for SLE, n = 2 for cutaneous lupus) in 36.6% (11 of 30). We report the first epidemiologic description of KFD in a population of sub-Saharan origin. According to our data, this disease is present in the black African diaspora and is strongly associated with autoimmune diseases, particularly lupus.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Features of the Femoral Proximocaudal Joint Capsule Insertion Among Canids.
This observational study was conducted to evaluate the anatomic relationship between the proximocaudal femoral joint capsule insertion and the femoral caudolateral curvilinear osteophyte (CCO), across ancient and modern domestic and non-domestic canids. Museum specimens of proximal femora were screened for presence of remnant enthesophytes of the caudal joint capsule insertion (first inclusion criterion) and then for the CCO (second inclusion criterion). The initially screened population included 267 dry bone specimens: Six Canis species, hybrid coyote × domestic dog, and five vulpines (three Vulpes species, one Urocyon, and one Nyctereutes). Proximocaudal joint capsule insertion remnant enthesophytes were limiting at n = 19 specimens: Seven ancient domestic dogs, four modern coyotes, two ancient coyotes, two modern hybrid coyote × dog, two modern red foxes, and two modern raccoon dogs. The joint capsule enthesophytes are associated with inflammation, but are observed far less frequently than the CCO. The CCO is seen radiographically but is visible more frequently by direct inspection. The primary inclusion criterion necessarily was a visible caudal joint capsule insertion; spatial relationships of the CCO can be assigned with confidence only when a capsule insertion line can be recognized clearly. We demonstrate that the anatomic CCO associates with the joint capsule insertion being nonspecific and species-independent. A joint capsule insertion-CCO spatial relationship across species is an important new observation, strongly indicating that both are pathological features. Our data indicate need for new research to characterize the canid coxofemoral joint and its overt and incipient pathology in a phylogenetic context. Anat Rec, 302:2164-2170, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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The C-terminal sequences of porcine thrombin are active as antimicrobial peptides.
The C-terminal sequences of porcine thrombin encode a series of peptides with the characteristics of net positive charge and hydrophobicity, suggesting antimicrobial potential. In this study, we synthesized truncated C-terminal peptides to explore their antimicrobial potency and structure-activity relationship. The results showed that some peptides exerted antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with selectivity for microbial membranes. The antimicrobial potency of the peptides increased with the extension of chain length. Considering toxicity to red blood cells, the 21-mer peptide T-6 displayed the highest therapeutic index of 43.4, suggesting its higher cell selectivity. Typical α-helical conformations were observed upon binding to a bacteria-mimicking environment. The derivatives tended to interact preferentially with negatively charged vesicles compared to zwitterionic vesicles. Flow cytometry and electron microscopy revealed that the peptides targeted bacterial cell membranes and disrupted cytoplasmic membrane integrity, thereby causing the release of cellular contents leading to cell death. Peptide-membrane interaction experiments provided evidence that the peptides killed bacteria via a membrane-mediating mechanism. In summary, the C-terminal sequence of porcine thrombin has antimicrobial functions.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Pharmacokinetics of iodine-123-IMBA for melanoma imaging.
The development of an effective radiopharmaceutical with affinity for malignant melanoma has been a research goal for some time. The early detection of melanoma metastases would greatly improve the therapy outcome for this disease. This article describes the synthesis of radioiodinated IMBA, N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-3-[123I/131I]iodo-4-methoxybenzamide 8, its organ distribution, its comparison with BZA and other benzamides, and demonstrates the scintigraphic efficacy of the title compound with three melanoma patients. The syntheses and radioiodination of eight benzamide derivatives are described. After intravenous injection into C57B16-mice subcutaneously transplanted with B16 melanoma, the organ distribution of the respective benzamides were investigated at 1 and 6 hr. n-octanol/phosphate buffer partition coefficients. The wholebody retention, erythrocyte and serum protein bound fractions of radioiodinated benzamides were measured. While structural changes in the amide substituents of N-(2-dialkylaminoalkyl)-4-iodobenzamides 2-7 resulted in no improvement in organ distribution compared with BZA, the 3-iodo-4-methoxyphenyl form of IMBA showed high melanoma uptake with significantly higher melanoma/nontarget tissue ratios. Compared with BZA the average ratio improved after 1 hr by a factor of eight and was still four times better after 6 hr. BZA and IMBA exhibit almost identical n-octanol/ phosphate buffer partition coefficients, however, IMBA has a faster urinary excretion facilitated by a lower affinity to erythrocytes and serum proteins; this could explain the improved tissue partinioning observed. Scintigraphy of patients with melanoma metastases confirmed the promising characteristics derived from the animal studies. Due to rapid background clearance and high melanoma affinity, IMBA showed high tumor contrast already at 4 hr after injection which makes it a promising new radiopharmaceutical for the scintigraphic detection of melanoma metastases.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Survival and prognostic indicators for cycad intoxication in dogs.
Cycad palms are commonly used in landscaping and ingestion by dogs can cause disease or death. Determine the morbidity and case fatality of cycad palm toxicosis in dogs from Louisiana, and examine putative prognostic factors. Thirty-four client-owned dogs with confirmed cycad palm toxicosis between 2003 and 2010. Retrospective cohort study. Search of all medical records for animals with cycad palm toxicosis. Seventeen of 34 (50%) dogs died or were euthanized as a direct consequence of cycad intoxication. There were no differences in presenting signs and physical examination findings between survivors and nonsurvivors. Nonsurvivors had higher serum alanine transaminase activity (median 196 U/L; range 16-4,123 versus 113.5; 48-1,530) and total bilirubin concentration (0.5 mg/dL; 0.1-6.2 versus 0.25; 0-1.7) upon presentation, and their initial serum concentrations of albumin (2.9 g/dL; 1.4-4.1 versus 3.3; 2.2-3.9) were lower than those of survivors. Nadir serum albumin concentration was also lower in nonsurvivors (1.9; 1.4-3.7 versus 3.2; 1.8-3.5). A higher proportion of nonsurvivors had prolonged coagulation times, prothrombin time. and partial thromboplastin time. In a multivariate model, administration of charcoal at initial presentation was associated with longer survival (heart rate [HR] 0.019, 95% CI 0.001-0.644), while high serum aspartate aminotransferase activity was a negative prognostic factor (HR 118.2, 95% CI 2.89-4,826). Cycad intoxication is associated with a higher case fatality than previously published. Several laboratory parameters might help differentiating potential nonsurvivors from survivors. Administration of charcoal as part of the emergency treatment appears to have a protective effect.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Diabetes insipidus as a consequence of neurologic involvement in Behcet's syndrome.
To describe a case of central diabetes insipidus that was associated with Behçet's syndrome. We present a case report, including clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data. The pertinent literature is reviewed relative to diabetes insipidus and Behçet's syndrome, and a discussion about a possible association is presented. A 32-year-old man presented with diplopia and severe headaches and was found to have transverse sinus thrombosis. He reported having recurrent mouth and genital ulcers for 3 months before the current consultation. On the basis of the clinical picture, Behçet's syndrome was diagnosed. During hospitalization of the patient, polyuria and polydipsia developed, along with hypernatremia and hypotonic urine, indicative of diabetes insipidus. After desmopressin treatment was initiated, considerable improvement in clinical status and laboratory data was evident and persisted during follow-up. Behçet's syndrome, probably through vasculitic mechanisms, may result in central diabetes insipidus. This case report emphasizes that Behçet's syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Mutations in a new gene, encoding a zinc-finger protein, cause tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type I.
Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type I (TRPS I, MIM 190350) is a malformation syndrome characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. TRPS I patients have sparse scalp hair, a bulbous tip of the nose, a long flat philtrum, a thin upper vermilion border and protruding ears. Skeletal abnormalities include cone-shaped epiphyses at the phalanges, hip malformations and short stature. We assigned TRPS1 to human chromosome 8q24. It maps proximal of EXT1, which is affected in a subgroup of patients with multiple cartilaginous exostoses and deleted in all patients with TRPS type II (TRPS II, or Langer-Giedion syndrome, MIM 150230; ref.2-5). We have positionally cloned a gene that spans the chromosomal breakpoint of two patients with TRPS I and is deleted in five patients with TRPS I and an interstitial deletion. Northern-blot analyses revealed transcripts of 7 and 10.5 kb. TRPS1has seven exons and an ORF of 3,843 bp. The predicted protein sequence has two potential nuclear localization signals and an unusual combination of different zinc-finger motifs, including IKAROS-like and GATA-binding sequences. We identified six different nonsense mutations in ten unrelated patients. Our findings suggest that haploinsufficiency for this putative transcription factor causes TRPS I.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Fulvestrant (Faslodex), an estrogen selective receptor downregulator, in therapy of women with systemic lupus erythematosus. clinical, serologic, bone density, and T cell activation marker studies: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Estrogen plays a role in the activation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in upregulating intracellular signals by binding to the estrogen receptor(s). Fulvestrant (Faslodex, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE, USA), an estrogen selective receptor downregulator, competes for receptor binding in vitro and inhibits estrogen action in target cells. We evaluated the efficacy, side effects, and expression of T cell activation markers, following the administration of fulvestrant or placebo to premenopausal patients with SLE. Twenty women with moderate SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI; 7.87 +/- 3.7) were enrolled. They were premenopausal with regular menstrual cycles and not taking exogenous hormones. The study was double-blind and placebo-controlled. Ten patients received 250 mg fulvestrant intramuscularly for 12 months, and 10 received the placebo. All were observed monthly and 3 months after final fulvestrant/placebo injection. Measures studied were monthly SLEDAI scores, routine and serologic markers for lupus, and serum concentrations of estrogen and fulvestrant. Expression of T cell calcineurin and CD154 mRNA in peripheral T cells was measured by polymerase chain reaction. Medications the patients were taking were recorded each visit. Bone density was obtained at baseline and at visit 12. Sixteen patients completed the 15-month study, 8 from each group. SLEDAI improved significantly in the fulvestrant group at both 12 months (p = 0.02) and 15 months (p = 0.002), but serologic markers, routine laboratory tests, and bone density did not. Serum estrogen levels were higher in the fulvestrant group and dropped when fulvestrant was discontinued; these differences were not statistically significant. Medications for therapy of lupus to the fulvestrant group were reduced, whereas the placebo group medications were unchanged or increased. Comparison of relative values at individual timepoints revealed significantly lower median values for the T cell activation markers CD154 (p < 0.001) and calcineurin (p = 0.013) in the fulvestrant arm. Blocking estrogen receptors in vivo by an estrogen selective receptor downregulator could be considered as a new and relatively safe therapeutic approach in the management of SLE patients with moderately active disease for the 1-year study period.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Quality of life in patients with chronic diseases.
A quality of life assessment is of great importance for patients with chronic diseases, because problems caused by specific diseases impact specific areas of their lives. The goal of this work was to determine, in which areas select diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ischemic disease of the lower extremities and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) affect patients' quality of life. The Czech version of the WHOQOL-100 instrument and specific standardized questionnaires for individual diseases: EuroQol, EQ-5D-5L, IBDQ, PAQ were used to assess quality of life. This paper presents the results of the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire. In total, 5 research samples were put together. The first sample consisted of 200 respondents with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); the second sample included 100 respondents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); the third sample was comprised of 404 respondents with ischemic disease of the lower extremities (IDLE); the fourth sample consisted of 449 respondents with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); and the fifth sample was represented by 1,456 healthy respondents. The acquired data were then statistically analyzed. A statistical data analysis was performed in two steps. In the first step descriptive statistical analyses were performed in the SASD program (absolute and relative frequencies of respondents' answers, median values and variability characteristics). In the second step differences in means of the subjectively-perceived quality of life in patients with individual diseases and in control group were tested using the Mann-Whitney U test and the non-parametric Wilcoxon pair test. These analyses were computed in the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) program. The results show that a statistically significant difference in average domain score values was found between the healthy population and patients diagnosed with RA in the domains of "physical health", "level of independence", "environment", and "spirituality/religion/personal beliefs". A statistically significant difference was found in all domains for patients with IDLE and COPD. A statistically significant difference was found in four domains for patients with IBD, namely those of "physical health", "level of independence", "social relationships" and "spirituality/religion/personal beliefs". All therapeutic and nursing interventions that can contribute to improving QoL in poorly performing domains should be utilized.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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[Acute cardiac injury activates interleukin-1 beta signaling in the spinal cord].
To investigate the effect of acute cardiac injury on the activation of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) signaling in the spinal cord. Acute cardiac injury rat model was established by intra-myocardial injection of formalin through diaphragm. IL-1 beta expression was determined by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The DNA binding activities of 2 IL-1 beta transcription factors, activator protein (AP)-1 and nuclear factor kB (NF-kappaB) were measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). After cardiac injury, the IL-1 beta protein level was dramatically upregulated in the spinal cord. The upregulated IL-1 beta was mainly expressed in the neurons in the lamina II approximately IV of the spinal cord. In response to cardiac injury, the DNA binding activities of NF-kappaB and AP-1 were greatly activated. Acute cardiac injury could activate the spinal IL-1 beta signaling, which, in turn, may be involved in the progression of heart failure after injury.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Continuous measurements of renal perfusion in pigs by means of intravascular Doppler.
Changes in renal blood flow are considered to play a significant role in the induction and maintenance of kidney failure, but are difficult to monitor with currently available techniques. The objective was to validate renal flow measurements with Doppler guidewires and to apply this technique to assess dose and time dependency of the renal vascular effects of norepinephrine (NE). In 10 anesthetized pigs, flow velocity in renal arteries (FVart) and veins (FVvein) and volumetric renal blood flow (VBF) were measured before and after intravenous bolus application of incremental doses of NE (2 to 200 microg). FVart curves exactly reflected the changes in VBF. Beat-to-beat analysis revealed a strong linear correlation over a mean VBF range of less than 0.05 to 0.35 L/min (median correlation coefficient with FVart, r = 0.998), and significant but less close relationships were also found between VBF and FVvein. Ten seconds after the administration of 200 microg NE, FVart dropped from 71 to 6 cm/sec and was 90% reversible after 48 seconds. Similarly, the renal vascular resistance temporarily rose from 988 to 13711 mm Hg. min/L. In contrast, NE-induced increases in systemic vascular resistance were on average a maximum of 1.5-fold but persisted for more than 60 seconds. Doppler flow measurements in the renal artery provide an excellent surrogate of volumetric blood flow, which may be useful for continuous monitoring of renal hemodynamics. The renal vasculature is more sensitive when compared with the systemic vasculature, but also appears to evoke more efficient counter-regulatory mechanisms in response to NE.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Critical increment of Lewis blood group antigen in serum by cancer found by photothermal immunoassay.
Lewis blood group antigen levels in human sera were assayed with a highly sensitive photothermal immunoassay which is based on laser-induced photothermal detection. Comparison of 32 colon cancer patients' sera and 34 healthy persons' sera showed that cancer patients' sera contained more Lewis antigens than healthy persons' sera. Le(a) antigen level in Le(a-) type persons and Le(b) level in Le(b-) type persons differentiated healthy persons and colon cancer patients. Furthermore, it was found that in Lewis blood phenotype (a-) several cancer patients' sera specimens changed to (a+). Many reports demonstrated that Lewis phenotype of erythrocytes changed with various conditions, including carcinomas, but they dealt mostly with erythrocytes and salivas or showed immunohistochemical evidence, and there are no reports on the quantitative analysis of ordinary (noncancerated) Lewis antigen levels in human sera. This is because Lewis antigens in sera, unlike those found in saliva, are too small to quantify with conventional immunoassay and there has been no highly selective method to measure Lewis antigens in sera. The increase of Lewis antigen in cancer patients' sera is presumed to antecede the blood type change. Our assay presented here, a highly sensitive assay of Lewis antigens, will greatly contribute to an early detection or diagnosis of cancers.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Thermally Regulated Reversible Formation of Vesicle-Like Assemblies by Hexaproline Amphiphiles.
Peptides composed of hexaproline and glutamic acid (P6E) or lysine (P6K) as C-terminal units show thermally promoted aggregation, affording vesicle-like assemblies upon heating to 80 °C. The aggregation is analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), with number-averaged diameters of ca. 600 and 300 nm, respectively, for P6E and P6K. NMR studies reveal that upon heating the amount of NMR-visible species is reduced to ca. 50% and that an important conformational change is experienced by the molecules in solution. Circular dichroism (CD) shows that at 20 °C the peptides present a polyproline II (PP-II) conformation which is disorganized upon heating. Scanning electron microscopy for samples which were fast frozen at 80 °C reveals vesicle-like assemblies. Using pyrene as a fluorescence probe, a critical aggregation concentration of ca. 30 μM was estimated for P6E, while that of P6K was above 0.6 mM. The aggregation process is found to be fully reversible and could serve as a basis for development of stimuli responsive carriers.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Lumbar hernia as congenital aplasia of lumbo-dorsal muscle.
A newborn with congenital aplasia of the dorso-lumbar muscles is described. The lesion seemed to be a congenital lumbar hernia and is a very uncommon feature. The child underwent surgery and although it was a very large bilateral defect, it was repaired without using prosthetic patch. The surgical technique and the results are discussed. The function of the region was conserved as demonstrated at the check-up of the child at 6 and 12 months of age.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Peripheral odontogenic fibroma: a rare gingival neoplasm with clinico-pathological differential diagnosis.
The peripheral odontogenic fibroma (POdF) is a rare gingival neoplasm, characterised by relatively mature collagenous fibrous tissue and varying amounts of odontogenic epithelium. It can be described as a slow growing, firmly attached, solid and smooth gingival mass which may be present asymptomatically for years, which may cause displacement of adjacent teeth. The purpose of this article is to discuss a case of POdF, occurring in the maxillary anterior region, with detailed clinico-pathological differential diagnosis to clarify characteristic features of various gingival overgrowths to enhance easy identification.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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A biomechanical analysis of tibial ACL reconstruction with graft length mismatch.
The incidence of graft length mismatch (GLM) during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is reported to be up to 13%, with a rate of 20% when using bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) allografts. Multiple techniques have been described to accommodate for the longer BPTB graft. As no study has compared the biomechanical properties of these methods (with cyclic loading), we evaluated the strength of four different surgical techniques used to accommodate for GLM during ACL reconstruction. A total of 32 fresh-frozen bovine tibiae and patellar tendons were divided into four groups based on the method of tibial graft fixation: (1) sutures tied over a post, (2) bone staples, (3) screws and washers, and (4) soft-tissue conversion with interference screw. Biomechanical testing was performed comparing the tensile properties of graft fixation techniques under cyclic loading. Ability to withstand 1500 cycles of load, the maximum tensile strength at load-to-failure, and the mode-of-failure were evaluated. Only group 4 had all grafts intact after 1500 loading cycles, while the other groups had one graft failure at 338 (group 1), 240 (group 2), and 309 (group 3) cycles. The highest mean load-to-failure was observed in group 3 at 762 ± 173 N, which was found to be significantly higher than the other groups. The mean loads to failure in groups 1-4 were 453 ± 86 N, 485 ± 246 N, 762 ± 173 N, and 458 ± 128 N. While there are multiple viable techniques for fixation of a BPTB graft in the case of GLM, this study demonstrated that direct screw fixation offers the strongest construct.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Peutz-Jeghers syndrome with feminizing sertoli cell tumor.
A case involving a 6-year-old boy with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and an unilateral feminizing Sertoli cell tumor is described. Endocrinologic studies revealed consistently high plasma and urine levels of estrogens and normal levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. The increased levels of estrogens did not show changes that could be correlated with exogenous gonadotropin administration, thus indicating an autonomous nature. The histopathologic studies of nontumorous testicular tissue revealed changes in the seminiferous tubules which suggested that estrogens, directly or indirectly, may have had both stimulating and atrophying effects. It is concluded that gonadal tumors are in additional manifestation of the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome gene in both male and female patients.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Current management and novel insights in acute pancreatitis.
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common and potentially lethal acute inflammatory process. Approximately 10-20% of patients develop a severe course and suffer systemic inflammatory response and/or pancreatic necrosis (PNec). To date, there is no single biomarker proven to perform better than clinical judgment in predicting severe AP. The available prognostic clinical scoring systems are used primarily for research purposes. Management of AP is limited to supportive care and treatment of complications when they develop. Patients with mild AP require regular ward admission, fluid administration, bowel rest and pain management. Patients with signs of severe AP should be identified early and admitted promptly to an intensive-care unit. Nutrition support via nasojejunal feedings should be initiated. Sterile PNec is managed conservatively. Infected PNec requires minimally invasive debridement via endoscopic or surgical approaches. The lack of scientific advancements in the management of AP reflects the limited understanding of the early pathogenetic mechanisms and our moderate-to-poor ability to predict severe course at the time of admission.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Activity of CHS 828 in primary cultures of human hematological and solid tumors in vitro.
CHS 828 is a pyridyl cyanoguanidine that has shown promising preclinical anticancer activity against various experimental tumor models and is presently being tested in a phase II trial in man. In the present study the fluorometric microculture cytotoxicity assay was used for in vitro evaluation of CHS 828 activity in primary cell cultures from hematological and solid tumors. In total, 156 samples from various diagnoses were tested with 72-h continuous drug exposure. CHS 828 showed high relative in vitro activity against tumor cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia as well as from acute leukemia and high-grade lymphoma. Activity was also observed in several solid tumor cell samples, although the group as a whole appeared less responsive. CHS 828 was significantly more active against hematological malignancies compared to normal lymphocytes. Correlation analysis with standard drugs revealed low to moderate correlation coefficients. The results show that CHS 828 has potent antitumor activity against primary cultures of human tumor cells from patients and might have a unique mechanism of action.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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Operons in C. elegans: polycistronic mRNA precursors are processed by trans-splicing of SL2 to downstream coding regions.
The mRNAs of six C. elegans genes are known to be trans-spliced to SL2. We report here that a similarly oriented gene is located 100-300 bp upstream of each. We present evidence that the genes in these clusters are cotranscribed and downstream mRNAs are formed by cleavage at the polyadenylation site and trans-splicing. From one three-gene cluster we isolated cDNA clones representing both polycistronic RNAs and mRNAs polyadenylated at the free 3' end created by trans-splicing, suggesting that polycistronic RNAs can be processed by trans-splicing. Several experiments indicate that SL2 trans-splicing is a consequence of a gene's downstream location in an operon. In particular, when an SL1-accepting gene was moved to a downstream location, its mRNA was trans-spliced largely to SL2. The possible regulatory significance of cotranscription of C. elegans genes is discussed.
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{
"pile_set_name": "PubMed Abstracts"
}
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