title stringlengths 0 1.13k | abstract stringlengths 1 15.7k | PMID int64 22 36.5M |
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A mesothelioma in a ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis). | A malignant mesothelioma diagnosed post mortem in a ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) resembled similar tumours reported from poultry. It was papillomatous and composed of cuboidal cells. The tumour occupied much of the respiratory tract as well as extending into the left humerus, humero-scapular-coracoid joint and pectoral muscle. | 18,766,889 |
A contact dermatitis of broilers -clinical and pathological findings. | A new skin condition of broilers which results in the downgrading of up to 15-30% of broiler carcases/week is described. Unsightly brown-black coloured erosions and ulcers occur on the breast, hock and foot skin. Histopathological examination of these revealed acute inflammation with necrosis of the epidermis and in more severe cases, the upper dermis. A study of the condition has shown a strong association between the appearance of lesions and poor litter conditions and that birds as young as 9 days may be affected. It is suggested that the condition is a contact dermatitis. A study of the development of lesions in one flock is also described. | 18,766,896 |
[A case of influenza infection of zoo touracos]. | A respiratory disease occurred in a colony of 14 touracos in a zoological garden. Birds developed signs of disease during a period of 2 weeks and three died. Gross lesions consisted of hyperaemia of lungs, liver and kidney. An avian orthomyxovirus serotype Hav3 (or H11) was isolated. Five and 11 months after the outbreak antibodies against this serotype were present in the previously affected birds. Disease signs were not observed in another group of 14 touracos housed at the exit to the Zoo, and these birds did not contract the disease when they were moved into the building where the outbreak had taken place 4 1/2 months before. Antibodies against influenza virus were not found in these birds. It is concluded that the disease was caused by the influenza virus isolated. | 18,766,906 |
An unusual case of rhabdomyosarcoma in a fowl. | A rhabdomyosarcoma is described on the head of a white leghorn which invaded the nasal cavity, intra-orbital septum and the left cerebral hemisphere. | 18,766,908 |
Relationship between several criteria of challenge-immunity and humoral immunity in chickens vaccinated with avian infectious bronchitis vaccines. | Several methods were compared for assessing the immunity of chickens vaccinated with avian-infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) by observing tracheal ciliary activity, respiratory signs and virus recovery from several organs following challenge with virus which had not been passaged in embryos. All chickens vaccinated twice with live Kita-1 strain were protected according to all criteria. However, in chickens vaccinated with killed IBV and with H-120 strain 13 weeks earlier, respiratory signs were present and tracheal virus was isolated from the birds with ciliostasis regardless of their having significant levels of haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibody. This indicated that only observing the ciliary activity is insufficient for assessing complete immunity and no direct correlation exists between the serum HI titre and the presence of ciliostasis, respiratory signs and virus recovery from tracheas, excluding those from kidneys and genitalia. Regardless of the serum HI titres at challenge, full protection based on the six criteria was found in some birds at 1 week and in most chickens from 2 to 6 weeks after intraocular vaccination with live Kita-1 strain. | 18,766,913 |
Immunosuppressive effects of ochratoxin A in young turkeys. | Ochratoxin A (OA), a potent nephrotoxic mycotoxin, was fed to day-old turkey poults at 0 and 4 parts/10(6) dietary levels for 4 and 10 weeks, and its effects, particularly on the immune system, were studied. OA resulted in a significant retardation of growth in both males and females. OA caused a regression of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius and lymphoid depletion in these and other lymphoid organs. Analysis of covariance revealed an enlargement of the kidneys at 10 weeks of age in OA-treated birds; the liver and spleen were enlarged in birds treated with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by delayed hypersensitivity (DH) reactions to avian tuberculin and to BSA in pre-sensitised birds, were significantly depressed in OA-treated birds. The results suggest that the DH immune responses of turkeys differ from those in fowls in some respects; turkeys do not show a typical Arthus reaction and respond poorly to avian tuberculin PPD sensitisation. In a comparative evaluation of skin test sites for the study of DH responses in turkeys, the earskin area was found to be an easy and convenient site for injection, measurement and observation of cutaneous reactions. | 18,766,914 |
Ulcerative dermatitis dm broiler chickens: the effects of wet litter. | Wet litter induced severe ulceration of the skin of commercial broiler chickens over the plantar surface of the feet, the caudal aspect of the intertarsal joint and over the sternum. In addition constant sitting of the birds resulted in development of breast "busters". Growth rates were also depressed. Reversion of litter conditions to dry resulted in rapid healing of most of the lesions with a compensatory recovery in growth rate. | 18,766,928 |
Pathogenesis of infectious bronchitis nephritis. 2. Studies of water and electrolyte balance in colostomised chickens. | Water and electrolyte balance was examined throughout the course of an experimental infection with T strain infectious bronchitis virus in colostomised chickens. Significant losses of water and negative sodium and potassium balances were observed. The major change in the electrolyte balance was the increased output of sodium in urine and this was associated with a diuresis. A decrease in food intake was the most important contribution to the negative potassium balance. Death resulted from acute renal failure. The implication of the results for electrolyte replacement therapy is discussed and a method for colostomies in birds weighing less than 0.5 kg is described. | 18,766,944 |
Elective single embryo transfer: guidelines for practice British Fertility Society and Association of Clinical Embryologists. | Assisted conception treatment is the single most important cause in the increase in multiple pregnancy and births over the last 25 years. Multiple births are associated with significant peri natal morbidity and mortality. Europe has led the way in reducing multiple births by widespread adoption of an elective single embryo policy, which in Belgium is linked to an increase in state funding. Randomized controlled trials suggest that an eSET policy must include the ability to cryopreserve and transfer any remaining quality embryos to obtain parity with a double embryo transfer. This document provides a review of the available evidence with guidelines for practice, to help facilitate the introduction of an eSET policy in the UK. | 18,766,953 |
Insulin-like growth factor-1 gene therapy and cell transplantation in diabetic wounds. | Impaired wound healing is a frequent phenomenon in diabetes mellitus. However, little is known of the fundamental cause of this pathology. The present study examined the effect of human insulin-like growth factor (hIGF)-1 overexpression in combination with autologous cell transplantation to diabetic wounds in a preclinical large-animal model. Diabetes was induced in Yorkshire pigs with streptozotocin. Keratinocytes were cultured and transfected with hIGF-1 or LacZ transgene. Plasmids were lipoplexed with either Lipofectin or Lipofectamin 2000. Transgene expression was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or X-gal staining. For in vivo studies, full-thickness wounds were created and dressed with a sealed chamber. Transfected cells were transplanted into the wounds. Wound contraction was monitored and biopsies were obtained for measurement of re-epithelialization. Wound fluid was collected and analysed for IGF-1 concentrations. Quantification showed up to 740 ng/ml IGF-1 in vitro and significantly higher concentrations over 14 days compared to controls for the Lipofectamin 2000 group. Lipofectin-mediated gene transfer showed peak expression on day 2 with 68.5 ng/ml. In vivo, transfected cells showed peak expression of 457 ng/ml at day 1, followed by subsequent decline to 5 ng/ml on day 12 with Lipofectamin 2000. For Lipofectin, no significant IGF-1 expression could be detected. Gene therapy caused significantly faster wound closure (83%) than both controls (native-cell therapy = 57%; control wounds = 32%). The present study demonstrates that optimized nonviral gene transfer increased IGF-1 expression in diabetic wounds by up to 900-fold. This high IGF-1 concentration in combination with cell therapy improved diabetic wound healing significantly. | 18,767,030 |
Mechanisms of induction of adenosine receptor genes and its functional significance. | Adenosine is a metabolite generated and released from cells, particularly under injury or stress. It elicits protective or damaging responses via signaling through the adenosine receptors, including the adenylyl cyclase inhibitory A(1) and A(3), and the adenylyl cyclase stimulatory A(2A) and A(2B). Multiple adenosine receptor types, including stimulatory and inhibitory, can be found in the same cell, suggesting that a careful balance of adenosine receptor expression in a particular cell is necessary for a specific adenosine-induced response. This balance could be controlled by differential expression of the adenosine receptor genes under different stimuli. Here, we have reviewed an array of studies that have characterized basal or induced expression of the adenosine receptors and common as well as distinct mechanisms of effect, in hopes that ongoing studies on this topic will further elucidate detailed mechanisms of adenosine receptor regulation, leading to potential therapeutic applications. | 18,767,039 |
Serotonergic, sensory modifications in the apical ganglion during development to metamorphic competence in larvae of the dendronotid nudibranchs Melibe leonina and Tritonia diomedea. | The following investigation examines changes in the distance between the right and left dendritic termini arising from the serotonergic sensory neurons found in the apical ganglion of the larval dendronotid nudibranchs, Melibe leonina and Tritonia diomedea. A significant increase in separation, that is different in extent, occurs in both species as they grow from hatching to metamorphic competence. Competent M. leonina larvae exhibit a separation that is about 4.5 times that at hatching, whereas competent larvae of T. diomedea show an increase that is only 1.6 times that at hatching. The increase in separation of the lateral, serotonergic, dendritic termini (particularly in M. leonina) may allow the larva to more effectively assess left versus right differences in an as yet unknown sensory stimulus. The serotonergic innervation that arises from the apical ganglion is known to be associated with the muscles and large ciliated cells of the velum. Better right versus left discrimination of sensory stimuli experienced during the pelagic or settling larval phases may allow the larva to more precisely control swimming activities such that the likelihood of successful feeding or settlement behavior is increased. | 18,767,054 |
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: osteogenesis in vivo as seed cells for bone tissue engineering. | Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are ideal seed cells for bone tissue engineering. However, intrinsic deficiencies exist for the autologous transplantation strategy of constructing artificial bone with MSCs derived from bone marrow of patients. In this study, MSCs-like cells were isolated from human umbilical cords and were expanded in vitro. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that cells from the fourth passage were positive for CD29, CD44, CD71, CD73, CD90, and CD105 whereas they were negative for CD14, CD34, CD45, and CD117. Furthermore, these cells expressed HLA-A, B, C (MHC-I), but not HLA-DP, DQ, DR (MHC-II), or costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86. Following incubation in specific inductive media for 3 weeks, cultured cells were shown to possess potential to differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic or chondrogenic lineages in vitro. The umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) were loaded with a biomimetic artificial bone scaffold material before being implanted subcutaneously in the back of Balb/c nude mice for four to twelve weeks. Our results revealed that UC-MSCs loaded with the scaffold displayed capacity of osteogenic differentiation leading to osteogenesis with human origin in vivo. As a readily available source of seed cells for bone tissue engineering, UC-MSCs should have broad application prospects. | 18,767,055 |
Bioactive glass sol-gel foam scaffolds: Evolution of nanoporosity during processing and in situ monitoring of apatite layer formation using small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. | Recent work has highlighted the potential of sol-gel-derived calcium silicate glasses for the regeneration or replacement of damaged bone tissue. The work presented herein provides new insight into the processing of bioactive calcia-silica sol-gel foams, and the reaction mechanisms associated with them when immersed in vitro in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray scattering (diffraction) have been used to study the stabilization of these foams via heat treatment, with analogous in situ time-resolved data being gathered for a foam immersed in SBF. During thermal processing, pore sizes have been identified in the range of 16.5-62.0 nm and are only present once foams have been heated to 400 degrees C and above. Calcium nitrate crystallites were present until foams were heated to 600 degrees C; the crystallite size varied from 75 to 145 nm and increased in size with heat treatment up to 300 degrees C, then decreased in size down to 95 nm at 400 degrees C. The in situ time-resolved data show that the average pore diameter decreases as a function of immersion time in SBF, as calcium phosphates grow on the glass surfaces. Over the same time, Bragg peaks indicative of tricalcium phosphate were evident after only 1-h immersion time, and later, hydroxycarbonate apatite was also seen. The hydroxycarbonate apatite appears to have preferred orientation in the (h,k,0) direction. | 18,767,060 |
Trinuclear rhodium complexes and their relevance for asymmetric hydrogenation. | Various trinuclear rhodium complexes of the type [Rh(3)(PP)(3)(mu(3)-OH)(x)(mu(3)-OMe)(2-x)]BF(4) (where PP = Me-DuPhos, dipamp, dppp, dppe; different ligands and mu-bridging anions) are presented, which are formed upon addition of bases such as NEt(3) to solvate complexes [Rh(PP)(solvent)(2)]BF(4). They were extensively characterized by X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy ((103)Rh, (31)P, (13)C, (1)H). Their in situ formation resulting from basic additives (NEt(3)) or basic prochiral olefins (without addition of another base) can cause deactivation of the asymmetric hydrogenation. This effect can be reversed by means of acidic additives. | 18,767,103 |
A novel supramolecular system: combination of two switchable processes in a [2]rotaxane. | A novel supramolecular system, which is made up of a dibenzo[24]crown-8 (DB24C8) ring component linked with a calix[4]arene derivative, a dumbbell component, containing a secondary ammonium center (-NR(2)H(2) (+)-) and a 4,4'-bipyridinium (BIPY(2+)) unit, and stoppered with two 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl groups on the two termini of the dumbbell component, has been synthesized. The system displays a combination of two processes: the pH-induced shuttling of a DB24C8 ring and the complexation/decomplexation of K(+) ions. The switching process of this supramolecular system was investigated in detail by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that the supramolecular system can only switch smoothly in CD(3)CN. The two separated switchable processes can run together smoothly in this supramolecular system. | 18,767,105 |
How fast is a fast equilibrium? A new view of reversible reactions. | Reversible reactions are described in terms of kinetic cycles. From this description, two useful parameters arise: 1) average cycle duration and 2) average number of cycles. The latter applies to cycles with at least one unstable species. These parameters allow answering the question "How fast is a fast equilibrium?" in absolute and in relative terms, respectively. The general interest of the approach is demonstrated by application to reactions drawn from several areas: Acid-base equilibria, enzyme kinetics, excited-state proton transfer, thermally activated delayed fluorescence, monomer-excimer kinetics and homo-FRET. | 18,767,109 |
Recent advances in "formal" ruthenium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions of diynes to alkenes. | "Formal" and standard RuII-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition of 1,6-diynes to alkenes gave bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes in relatively good yields. When terminal 1,6-diynes 1 were used, two isomeric bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 4 or 6 were obtained, depending on the acyclic or cyclic nature of the alkene partner. When unsymmetrical substituted 1,6-diynes 7 were used, the reaction with acyclic alkenes took place regio- and stereoselectively to afford bicyclic 1,3-cyclohexadienes 8. A cascade process that behaves as a "formal" RuII-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition explained these results. Initially, a Ru-catalyzed linear coupling of 1,6-diynes 1 and 7 with acyclic alkenes occurs to give open 1,3,5-trienes of type 3, which after a thermal disrotatory 6e(-) pi-electrocyclization led to the final 1,3-cyclohexadienes 4 and 8. When disubstituted 1,6-diyne 10 was used with electron-deficient alkenes, new exo-methylene cyclohexadienes 12 arose from a competitive reaction pathway. | 18,767,111 |
Failure to confirm genetic association of the CHI3L1 gene with schizophrenia in Japanese and Chinese populations. | Recently, three common polymorphisms in the promoter region of the Chitinase 3-Like 1 (CHI3L1) gene, rs6691378, rs10399805 and rs4950928, have been identified as schizophrenia predisposing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Han Chinese population. The at-risk haplotype comprising these SNPs was also related to decreased expression of CHI3L1 in peripheral blood cells. In contrast, two independent postmortem brain studies have reported elevated expression of the transcript in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, from schizophrenic patients. The gene encodes a secreted glycoprotein (HC-gp39 or YKL40), which is deemed to be involved in the inflammatory process. These pieces of evidence signify the potential importance of CHI3L1 in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to replicate the prior genetic association findings using two sample sets, one set of Chinese samples (293 pedigrees consisting of 1,163 subjects) that are ethnically identical to those used in the original report and a second set from the relatively close Japanese population (570 schizophrenic patients and 570 matched controls). We analyzed the same five SNPs as in the original study, including the three promoter SNPs. None of these SNPs showed association signals with schizophrenia (P values >0.108) in our sample sets. These results suggest that the genetic contribution of CHI3L1 to schizophrenia is variable, even though it is mechanistically involved in the disease process. | 18,767,121 |
Influence of aroclor 1254 on benzo(a)pyrene-induced DNA breakage, oxidative DNA damage, and cytochrome P4501A activity in human hepatoma cell line. | Both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important environmental pollutants. They coexist widely in the environment at very low levels. Numerous studies indicated that aroclor1254 (one of PCBs mixture) is the inducer of cytochrome P450 1A enzyme acitivity. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) can cause a variety of toxicities in vitro, such as oxidative DNA damage and genotoxicity. In the present study, HepG2 cells were treated with either BaP (50 microM) or aroclor1254 at concentrations of 11.5 (low), 23.0 (medium), and 46.0 microM (high) alone, or pretreated the cells with aroclor1254 (11.5, 23.0, and 46.0 microM), followed by BaP (50 microM). It was found that 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deetylase (EROD) activities of HepG2 cells exposed to either BaP or aroclor 1254 increased. DNA damage measured by DNA migration and the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) also increased in cells exposed to BaP, but not in cells exposed to aroclor1254. Under the Aroclor 1254 pretreatment condition, BaP-induced EROD activities was enhanced in cells exposed to the medium and high concentrations of aroclor1254 (P < 0.01 for both), whereas in all pretreatment groups aroclor1254 significantly increased BaP-induced DNA migration (P < 0.01 for all) and the 8-OHdG formation (P < 0.05 for all). In addition, there was positive correlation between the EROD induction activity and Olive tail moment (r(2) = 0.958, P < 0.01) or the levels of 8-OHdG (r(2) = 0.992, P < 0.01). The findings suggest that under the experimental conditions aroclor1254 may enhance BaP-induced DNA migration and oxidative DNA damage in HepG2, due to inducing CYP1A enzyme activity. | 18,767,135 |
Assessing the toxicity of TBBPA and HBCD by zebrafish embryo toxicity assay and biomarker analysis. | Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) are two of the most widely used brominated flame retardants (BFRs). The biological toxicity effect of TBBPA and HBCD was studied by means of zebrafish embryo toxicity assays in combination with three biomarkers, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid peroxidation, (LPO), and heat shock protein (Hsp70). The standard zebrafish embryo assay showed that high concentrations of TBBPA (> or =0.75 mg/L) can cause lethality or malformation. For HBCD within the concentration range (0.002-10 mg/L), no endpoint was observed. Furthermore, SOD activities of zebrafish embryos exposed to TBBPA were increased with the increasing concentrations. SOD activities in the group treated by HBCD showed an increase followed by a decline. Regardless of TBBPA or HBCD, LPO were increased along with the increase of the concentration. The change pattern of Hsp70 levels was the same with LPO. All these results showed that TBBPA and HBCD could cause oxidative stress and Hsp70 overexpression, inducing acute toxicity to zebrafish embryo in a short-term exposure. The study also indicates that the zebrafish embryo assay in combination with the biomarkers is effective in aquatic environmental toxicology and risk assessment. | 18,767,142 |
Theoretical modeling of the O-intermediate structure of bacteriorhodopsin. | Bacteriorhodopsin is a prototype of efficient molecular machinery functioning as a light-activated proton pump. Among the five distinct intermediates (K, L, M, N, and O) of the photocycle, there is less structural information on the later stages compared with the early intermediates. Here, we report the structural modeling of the O-intermediate for which the determination of experimental structure remains difficult. Hypothetical conformational change of the molecule from the light-adapted state to the O-intermediate state was simulated by gradually changing the protonation state of two residues. To achieve accurate molecular modeling, we carefully constructed a realistic system of the native purple membrane. The modeled structure of the O-intermediate has some implications about proton transfer in the later stages of the photocycle and the structural response of bacteriorhodopsin to the inner charge distribution. | 18,767,148 |
Structure-based design of a T-cell receptor leads to nearly 100-fold improvement in binding affinity for pepMHC. | T-cell receptors (TCRs) are proteins that recognize peptides from foreign proteins bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell. This interaction enables the T cells to initiate a cell-mediated immune response to terminate cells displaying the foreign peptide on their MHC. Naturally occurring TCRs have high specificity but low affinity toward the peptide-MHC (pepMHC) complex. This prevents the usage of solubilized TCRs for diagnosis and treatment of viral infections or cancers. Efforts to enhance the binding affinity of several TCRs have been reported in recent years, through randomized libraries and in vitro selection. However, there have been no reported efforts to enhance the affinity via structure-based design, which allows more control and understanding of the mechanism of improvement. Here, we have applied structure-based design to a human TCR to improve its pepMHC binding. Our design method evolved based on iterative steps of prediction, testing, and generating more predictions based on the new data. The final design function, named ZAFFI, has a correlation of 0.77 and average error of 0.35 kcal/mol with the binding free energies of 26 point mutations for this system that we measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Applying the filter that we developed to remove nonbinding predictions, this correlation increases to 0.85, and the average error decreases to 0.3 kcal/mol. Using this algorithm, we predicted and tested several point mutations that improved binding, with one giving over sixfold binding improvement. Four of the point mutations that improved binding were then combined to give a mutant TCR that binds the pepMHC 99 times more strongly than the wild-type TCR. | 18,767,161 |
Molecular dynamics of amicyanin reveals a conserved dynamical core for blue copper proteins. | Molecular dynamics simulation has been carried out for the blue copper protein amicyanin from two different sources, Paracoccus denitrificans and Paraccocus versutus, to investigate the structural and dynamical properties common to the two molecules and to identify prominent features shared with proteins of the same family, the monomeric cupredoxins. The two amicyanins have almost identical secondary and tertiary structure. In the simulation, they differ for the number of hydrogen bonds in the main chain and the conformation of some beta-strands. However, they strictly maintain the arrangement of the portions of the beta-barrel that are conserved in the folding architecture of the blue copper proteins. Paracoccus versutus amicyanin equilibrates more rapidly, shows lower atomic deviation values, and is less rigid with respect to Paracoccus denitrificans amicyanin. Principal component analysis reveals that the conformational subspaces corresponding to eigenvectors with the same index for each of the two molecules are not necessarily equivalent. Nevertheless, a core scaffold with constrained dynamics exist for both amicyanins. In addition, two fairly flexible regions that are located on the opposite side with respect to the interaction sites with the partner molecules in the redox process have been evidenced in the protein structure. This description of amicyanin, with a few mobile regions remote from the active site and a rigid scaffold including most of the protein beta-barrel, has a close similarity with that of azurin and plastocyanin, two other cupredoxins previously investigated in simulation. Furthermore, similarities in the distribution of the atomic fluctuations indicate that amicyanin, azurin, and plastocyanin possess common dynamical features, in spite of differences in their structure. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that topological constraints imposed by the folding in correspondence of protein regions that are the most conserved determine the protein dynamics of the cupredoxin family. The dynamical properties of the cupredoxins might be controlled for functional advantages that include the binding mechanism with the biological partners and the collective inner motions of the protein matrix required for the electron transfer, whereas long-range conformational changes in the redox reaction should be excluded. | 18,767,164 |
Planned fractionated boron neutron capture therapy using epithermal neutrons for a patient with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma in the temporal bone: a case report. | We describe the first case of extensive squamous cell carcinoma in the temporal bone recurring after surgery, conventional radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, which was treated using planned fractionated boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). A 42-year-old patient received BNCT twice with a 1-month interval to ensure neutron capture in the deep lesion. We used an epithermal neutron beam as the neutron source and boronophenylalanine as the boron compound. The total radiation doses in the tumor beneath the skin, at the deepest point of the tumor, and in the skin around the right auricle were estimated as 41.8, 36.9, and 15.8 Gy-Eq, respectively. Radiological studies performed 6 months after the first BNCT showed obvious tumor shrinkage and no evidence of residual tumor. We believe that planned fractionated BNCT is an effective treatment option for patients with inoperative extended carcinomas in the temporal bone. | 18,767,175 |
CYP1A1 polymorphisms and the risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancers in an Indian population. | The inter-individual differences in upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer risk may be partly attributed to the polymorphic variability in the CYP1A1 gene that is involved in the metabolic activation of xenobiotics to carcinogenic reactive metabolites. The hospital-based case-control study evaluated CYP1A1*2A and CYP1A1*2C polymorphisms in 408 histopathologically confirmed cases and 220 controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. The multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that CYP1A1 *1A/*2A (odds ratio [OR] 1.76; 95% Confidence interval [CI] 1.19-2.60) and *2A/*2A (OR 2.83; 95% CI 1.43-5.61) genotypes were significantly associated with increased risk for UADT cancers. The gene-environment interaction analyses revealed a significant interaction among tobacco smokers and chewers carrying CYP1A1*2A mutant genotypes on the multiplicative scale. CYP1A1*2A polymorphic genotypes are associated with an enhanced risk to UADT cancers, in particular, among the habitual tobacco smokers and chewers carrying mutant genotypes in the Tamilians of the Indian population. | 18,767,181 |
Clinical value of optical coherence tomography in laryngology. | Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new, noninvasive imaging technology for the evaluation of superficial lesions. The objective of this study is to evaluate microlaryngoscopy in combination with OCT compared with microlaryngoscopy alone (ie, without OCT) in supplying a specific diagnosis, predicting invasive tumor growth and epithelial dysplasia in the larynx. This was a prospective study including 217 laryngeal lesions in a total of 193 patients undergoing surgery. Intraoperative suspicion diagnosis gained by microlaryngoscopy with and without OCT was compared with conventional histopathology after excisional biopsy. Microlaryngoscopy with OCT supplied a specific diagnosis in 89% of cases, but in only 80% of cases with microlaryngoscopy alone. In particular, our results in malignant and benign pathologies were correct in 93% each, and the exact grade of dysplasia could be predicted in 71% of precancerous lesions. Microlaryngoscopy with OCT presented a higher sensitivity than microlaryngoscopy alone in predicting invasive tumor growth (93% vs 87%) and epithelial dysplasia (78% vs 66%), but the specificity and accuracy were comparable in both methods. OCT is a simple, rapid, and reliable aid in the diagnostic investigation and intraoperative monitoring of laryngeal disease. | 18,767,182 |
Characterization of electrochemically active bacteria utilizing a high-throughput voltage-based screening assay. | Metal reduction assays are traditionally used to select and characterize electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) for use in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). However, correlating the ability of a microbe to generate current from an MFC to the reduction of metal oxides has not been definitively established in the literature. As these metal reduction assays may not be generally reliable, here we describe a four- to nine-well prototype high throughput voltage-based screening assay (VBSA) designed using MFC engineering principles and a universal cathode. Bacterial growth curves for Shewanella oneidensis strains DSP10 and MR-1 were generated directly from changes in open circuit voltage and current with five percent deviation calculated between each well. These growth curves exhibited a strong correlation with literature doubling times for Shewanella indicating that the VBSA can be used to monitor distinct fundamental properties of EAB life cycles. In addition, eight different organic electron donors (acetate, lactate, citrate, fructose, glucose, sucrose, soluble starch, and agar) were tested with S. oneidensis MR-1 in anode chambers exposed to air. Under oxygen exposure, we found that current was generated in direct response to additions of acetate, lactate, and glucose. | 18,767,193 |
[Health state of workers in Voronezh region]. | Prophylactic medical examinations that were performed within the National project revealed certain trends in general and occupational morbidity of workers exposed to occupational hazards. | 18,767,219 |
Karyotypic variability in Iheringichthys labrosus (Teleostei, Pimelodidae) from the Tibagi River basin (Paraná State, Brazil). | Cytogenetic analyses were carried out in a populational sample of Iheringichthys labrosus from the Guaraúna River (Upper Tibagi River; Paraná State, Brazil) in order to provide a karyotypic comparison with another previously studied population from the Lower Tibagi River, characterized by the presence of 32m + 8sm + 6st + 10a (2n = 56, FN = 102) and occurrence of supernumerary chromosomes (80% of individuals). The 17 specimens of I. labrosus (6 females, 10 males and 1 of unknown sex) from the Upper Tibagi River showed 2n = 56 chromosomes, a karyotype formula of 14m + 32sm + 4st + 6a (FN = 106), without evidence of sex chromosome heteromorphism or supernumerary chromosomes. The heterochromatin was detected at telomeric and centromeric positions in several chromosomal pairs. The Ag-nucleolar organizer regions were heteromorphic and located at terminal position on short arms of the 16th chromosomal pair, suggesting a positive association with heterochromatic regions. The inter-populational karyotypic differentiation reported indicates distinct evolutionary pathways within I. labrosus in the Tibagi River basin. | 18,767,239 |
DNA barcode information for the sugar cane moth borer Diatraea saccharalis. | We reviewed the use and relevance of barcodes for insect studies and investigated the barcode sequence of Diatraea saccharalis. This sequence has a high level of homology (99%) with the barcode sequence of the Crambidae (Lepidoptera). The sequence data can be used to construct relationships between species, allowing a multidisciplinary approach for taxonomy, which includes morphological, molecular and distribution data, all of which are essential for the understanding of biodiversity. The D. saccharalis barcode is a previously undescribed sequence that could be used to analyze Lepidoptera biology. | 18,767,242 |
Screening policies for daycare attendees: lessons learned from an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in a daycare in Waterloo, Ontario. | Control measures for enteric outbreaks in child care settings frequently include screening by stool cultures from symptomatic children only. We present evidence from an investigation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 in a daycare in Waterloo, Ontario to support implementation of a mandatory screening policy for all children during an outbreak. In addition to routine outbreak control measures employed by the health unit, stool samples from all children and staff were collected, with positive E. coli cultures typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We conducted a cohort study, using data from the environmental investigation and questionnaires administered to parents and staff, to look for risk factors for infection and to survey parent/staff knowledge regarding appropriate management of diarrhea. Overall 11 E. coli O157:H7 cases were identified (7 lab-confirmed); 9 were children. No common source of infection was identified. Factors identified as possibly contributing to person-to-person transmission within the daycare included: i) the underreporting and possible attendance of symptomatic children despite alerting parents to the outbreak and requirements to keep symptomatic children at home, ii) possible transmission from an asymptomatic infected child, and iii) inconsistent understanding among parents and staff regarding diarrhea and appropriate management of a child with diarrhea. This investigation reveals that in child care settings, E. coli O157:H7 outbreak screening policies based on reported symptoms only may be insufficient. We recommend that such policies be amended to include the collection of at least one stool culture from all children in attendance, regardless of symptom history. | 18,767,271 |
Health care access for refugees and immigrants with precarious status: public health and human right challenges. | Migration flux is being transformed by globalization, and the number of people with either undocumented or with a precarious status is growing in Canada. There are no epidemiological data on the health and social consequences of this situation, but clinicians working in primary care with migrants and refugees are increasingly worried about the associated morbidity. This commentary summarizes findings from a pilot study with health professionals in the Montreal area and suggests that the uninsured population predicament is a national problem. Although ethical and legal issues associated with data collection by clinicians, institutions and governments need to be examined, estimating the public health consequences and long-term cost associated with problems in access to health care due to migratory status should be a priority. Current regulations and administrative policies appear to be at odds with the principles of equal rights set out by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Beyond the commitment of individual clinicians, Canadian medical associations should take an advocacy role and scrutinize the ethical and medical implications of the present system. | 18,767,273 |
[Multiresistant Brachyspira hyodysenteriae in a Dutch sow herd]. | This case study describes the isolation ofa multiresistant strain ofBrachyspira hyodysenteriae in April 2007 in a Dutch sow herd with recurrent diarrhoea. Examination of faecal samples taken from 7-month-old breeding gilts with diarrhoea revealed the presence of resistance against tiamulin, lincomycin, tylosin, doxycycline, and tylvalosin (the active substance in Aivlosin) in four of five samples. Tiamulin resistance has not been reported in The Netherlands before. The repeated use of tiamulin on the affected farm was assumed to be the main cause of the development of resistance to the drug. The farmer was advised to adopt a medication strategy and to implement management practices that would prevent an ongoing cycle of infection on the farm. It is important that the Dutch swine industry appreciates that tiamulin-resistant strains of B. hyodysenteriae may be found on other farms as well. The appropriate and prudent use of antibiotics is essential in order to prevent the development of resistance against the last option left to cure B. hyodysenteriae infections: valnemulin. | 18,767,301 |
What we don't know about dysphagia complications? | Prevention of complications is the primary goal in patients with dysphagia. The most common complications of dysphagia are aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration; other possible complications, such as intellectual and body development deficit in children with dysphagia, or emotional impairment and social restriction have not been studied thoroughly. Pulmonary complications of dysphagia should be viewed as an impaired balance between defence mechanisms (cough and mucociliary action, lymphatic clearance and cellular immune defences) and food and secretions aspiration. The main pulmonary complications are aspiration pneumonia, toxic aspiration syndromes, bacterial infections and pulmonary fibrosis. The risk of aspiration pneumonia is increased by poor oral status and health status, dependency for oral care and oral feeding; nonetheless, compliance with feeding recommendations of the dysphagia team, may reduce the risk of pulmonary complications. Malnutrition and dehydration are common in patients with dysphagia; however, enteral nutrition may significantly impact on both. Even though a relationship between malnutrition, dehydration and dysphagia exists, the real impact of one on the others is not known. | 18,767,323 |
Adaptation and validation of the Italian MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). | Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common symptom in patients with head and neck tumours. The MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) is a questionnaire currently used in North America for the assessment of dysphagia-related disability in patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of the study is to analyze reliability and clinical validity of the Italian MDADI. 48 persons with no history of dysphagia and 50 head and neck cancer patients with a chronic and stable dysphagia have been included in the study. Each subject completed alone the Italian MDADI twice with a week interval between the two questionnaire completion. Intra-subject reliability was analyzed through Pearson test in both groups of subjects. Clinical validity was calculated through the non parametric Mann Whitney test of the first MDADI assessment in both groups. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were high for each MDADI subscale in subjects without dysphagia as well as in those with dysphagia. The difference between MDADI values in subjects with and without dysphagia was significant for each subscale. The Italian MDADI is reliable and clinically valid. The application of the MDADI is recommended in clinical practice as well as in descriptive, outcome and efficacy research. | 18,767,327 |
[Management of swallowing disorders after brain injuries in adults]. | The management of swallowing disorders after brain injury must be soon as well. The physiopathological analysis and the organization of the therapeutic project of these patients require the intervention of an interdisciplinary team. Dysphagia falls under a complex clinical context associating impairments of cognition, communication and behavioural control. The management associates speech therapist, caregivers, otolaryngolologist, phoniatrician, physiotherapist and nutritional therapist without forgetting the family circle. The fluctuations of consciousness and concentration of our patients brings us to constantly readjusting and rehabilitating the strategies of feeding. Obstacles with their evolution towards a normal feeding are akinesia, limits of motor functions, impairements of cognition and behavioural control. In the located lesions swallow recovers can be fast, instead of in severe brain-injury the challenge is to ensure safe and adequate nutrition, using a variety of strategies depending on the presenting symptoms. The purpose of this article is to relate our experience beside patients with an acute or recent cerbrovascular event. | 18,767,332 |
Endoscopic scale for evaluation of the severity of dysphagia: preliminary observations. | The finding of pooling of secretions is an important diagnostic finding in the evaluation of subjects with swallowing disorders. In patients at risk of aspiration the importance of this finding may be underestimated. We stress the usefulness of endoscopic investigation when evaluating subjects with swallowing disorders, or populations at risk for dysphagia, as well as for follow-up and management. Pooling, in global terms, is a significant criterion both for grading the severity of dysphagia, and providing indications for targeted referral to a speech therapist, and while tracking the disorder over time. The severity of dysphagia is expressed by scores that can consider endoscopic landmarks alone, or along with other parameters of bedside evaluation. The scores are represented by a simple number which refers to three degrees of severity: mild, moderate, and severe. | 18,767,334 |
Large-scale Protein-Protein Interaction prediction using novel kernel methods. | Knowledge of Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) can give us new insights into molecular mechanisms and properties of the cell. In this paper, we propose a novel domain-based kernel method to predict PPIs. A new kernel that measures the similarity between protein pairs based on a new feature representation is developed and applied to a large scale PPI database. Experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness. Furthermore, we evaluate the problem of cross-species PPI prediction and the effect of the number of negative samples on the performance of PPI predictions, which are two fundamental problems in most in silico PPI methods. | 18,767,352 |
[The nurse's perspective on humanized care in a post-anesthesic care unit]. | Whenever patients and their families are faced to the possibility of undergoing surgery they experience feelings of hope for a positive result, as well as anxiety and distrust caused by fear of the unknown. When the patient is transferred to the Recovery Room, this time represents for the family a waiting time for information to brighten up its distress and anxiety. The objective of this study is getting to know the perceptions of nurses in a Recovery Room in relation to the information supplied to the family as a form of humanized care. This study was carried out with three nurses in a teaching hospital in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interview, using the thematic content analysis, which resulted in three categories of nurses' perception: facing the families' worries and the need of providing the necessary information, their own construction as a caregiver, and their own ways of looking for humanized care. This, in the perception of the nurses, strengthens the professional identity and care values. | 18,767,366 |
[Relationship between model of analgesia and injured body part in trauma patients]. | Little attention has been paid to the injured regarding pain management in the emergency room. This study aims at identifying relationships between the analgesia model and the body part most severely and frequently injured in traffic accident victims. For the data collection, medical records of 200 patients hospitalized at a reference hospital for trauma victims in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, were used. Analyzing the relationship between standard analgesia and the most severely injured body part, it was possible to confirm the association of significance between these two variables, as well as for the body part most frequently injured. The results provide elements for the creation of trauma analgesia protocols. | 18,767,368 |
Reccurent erythema migrans as a persistent infection. | Effective antibiotic therapy administered early in the course of the clinical presentation of erythema migrans (EM) prevents further progression of infection and dissemination of the agent to internal organs. A 73-year old woman was referred with a history of five episodes of recurrent EM after repeated adequate antibiotic treatment. The patient who had visited an endemic area only once before the disease recalled no tick bite either prior to the first episode or later. After the first episode, the serological examination was negative (IFA, ELISA, Western blot). In the second episode, not preceded by her visit to any endemic area, the patient showed borderline positivity. Western blot confirmed Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The following episodes were observed again without a prior visit to any endemic area. The most recent EM episode was accompanied by nonspecific moderate symptoms such as fatigue and malaise without involvement of internal organs, with the same serological result as found previously. Peripheral blood PCR assay detected Borrelia burgdorferi specific DNA. Intravenous cephalosporin was effective in treating both the skin and extracutaneous signs of the disease. Recurrent episodes of appropriately treated EM may occur as a result of either reinfection due to contact with another vector tick or persistent infection. Intravenous cephalosporin is likely to be appropriate therapy for recurrent borrelial infection in the skin, in particular when accompanied by general extracutaneous signs and symptoms that might indicate dissemination of the spirochetes. | 18,767,376 |
Health insurance enrollment decisions: preferences for coverage, worker sorting, and insurance take-up. | The weak response by the uninsured to initiatives encouraging voluntary enrollment in health insurance has raised concerns regarding the extent to which the uninsured value insurance. This concern is also relevant for proposals to mandate health insurance coverage since workers will suffer welfare losses if compelled to purchase coverage they perceive to be of little value. To address this issue, we use the 2001 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to examine decisions by single workers to seek out and enroll in employer-sponsored insurance. We find that single workers with weak or uncertain preferences for health insurance are less likely to have jobs that offer coverage or to enroll in coverage when offered. Our results suggest a dual approach to expanding coverage that includes both subsidies and educational efforts regarding the value of health insurance. | 18,767,381 |
[Migration activity of microlymphocytes in the blood of calfs subjected to physical conditioning]. | A specific role of microlymphocytes in the generating cell-mediated immunity of animals at the early ontogenesis was shown. A delay of migration activities of microlymphocytes under the effect of stress and physical tension seems to take place. A positive effect of age-related muscular tension in animals is observed in contrast to the action ofhypodynamia on the migration activity of microlymphocytes and their level in the blood. | 18,767,396 |
Acute osteomyelitis--special cases with particularities related to specific locations. | In the clinical practice of paediatric orthopaedic surgery, there are a few cases of acute osteomyelitis which are not characterized by general and local infectious syndrome, making the diagnosis difficult and leading to severe complications. The specific locations, seldom affected, are the spine, pubis, ilium, ischium, sacrum and coccyx. Comparing with other regions, spinal osteomyelitis is less frequent (1:80). It affects not only children, sometimes aged under one year, but also adults of 40-50 years old. The infection may be located in the vertebral body or vertebral arch. Osteomyelitis of the pubis is diagnosed too late if based only on clinical data. The bone abscess is frequently located in the horizontal branch. During the first three days of evolution, the patient has an acute infectious syndrome and tenderness in pelvic area. Osteomyelitis of the ilium is the most frequent osteomyelitis of the hip bones. The abscess may diffuse anteriorly in the Scarpa triangle or may infiltrate the lesser pelvis. The lack of local signs may lead to serious errors, which may determine severe complications, including death. The infection of the ischium is extremely rare. The local infectious syndrome becomes apparent late and consists of gluteal and perineal swelling. Most frequently, the osteomyelitis of the sacrum is also diagnosed late and clinically appears like septicemia, meningitis or peritonitis. Being situated close to the skin, the osteomyelitis of the coccyx is easily diagnosed, but it appears only exceptionally. | 18,767,406 |
Gene polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme and angiotensin II type 1 receptor in patients with congestive heart failure. | The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) I/D polymorphism influences the plasmatic ACE levels, the highest being registered in the DD form. Similarly, the DD genotype is frequently associated with a CC homozygote genotype of the AT1 receptors. The polymorphism was studied mainly in hypertensive patients. To investigate the genetic polymorphism of renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) in patients with heart failure as a possible factor in determining the degree of the RAAS activation. The study included 36 NYHA III and IV class heart failure patients, 20 males and 16 females, aged 71.03 +/- 9.52 years. The distribution of ACE gene insertion, deletion (I/D) and AT1 receptors Al166C gene polymorphism were determined. Analyses of ACE and AT1 receptors genotypes were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The distribution of genetic ACE polymorphism was: D/D-47.22% (17 p); I/D-22.22% (8 p); I/I-30.55% (11 p). The identified AT1 receptors genotypes were as follows: AA-50% (18 p); AC-41.66% (15 p), CC-8.33% (3p). The two types of genetic polymorphism were associated in both the 20 hypertensive patients: DD+AA-35% (7 p); DD+AC -25% (5 p); DD+CC-10% (2 p) and the 16 patients without hypertension: DD+AA-6.25% (lp); DD + AC-18.75% (3p). LEVF was < 40% in 10 patients, 40% of them presenting pathogenetic polymorphism (DD+AC or DD+CC. Heart failure patients frequently present combinations of genetic polymorphism of RAAS probably involved in the development of neurohormonal pathogenic mechanism of the disease. This combination may be independent by the association with hypertension, and also in relationship with low ejection fraction. | 18,767,410 |
Think the unthinkable. | Managers need to be vigilant if they are to prevent abuses similar to those at London's Peter Daily Clinic. | 18,767,433 |
Undertaking a research project: guidance for nursing students. | This article provides practical help to nursing students undertaking a research project as part of their course requirements. Most undergraduate courses no longer require empirical data collection. Increasingly, students are required to undertake a literature review. Readers are taken through the processes leading to successful project completion from initial framing of a workable research question to compiling the final document. | 18,767,440 |
Use of complementary therapies to treat patients with HIV/AIDS. | This article investigates the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in people living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS pandemic people living with HIV/AIDS have turned to CAM, either to complement conventional treatment or as an alternative to treatment. Although the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has prolonged life and increased the quality of life for those with HIV/AIDS, they continue to experience physical and emotional consequences of the infection and its treatments--leading them to seek relief through the use of CAM. | 18,767,438 |
Clinical approach of ankyloglossia in babies: report of two cases. | Ankyloglossia is a developmental anomaly of the tongue characterized by a short lingual frenum, resulting in restricted movement of the tongue. Its etiology is undefined and there is no gender preference. Few studies are available in the literature and the diagnosis and management of ankyloglossia in infants remains controversial. We report two cases of infants submitted to lingual frenectomy, emphasizing the management of ankyloglossia and its implications in breast-feeding. | 18,767,457 |
[The clinical findings and prognosis of 28 cases of intraocular lymphoma]. | Although the prognosis of intraocular lymphoma has improved due to the recent progress in diagnosis, the survival prognosis of this disease remains unclear. We reviewed the records of 28 patients (male/female ratio, 6/22) with intraocular lymphoma diagnosed and treated at Tokyo Medical University Hospital during the past 20 years. The mean age at presentation was 63.3 years. The mean follow-up period was 33.5 +/- 28.5 months (mean +/- SD). The most frequent presenting symptom was visual loss or blurred vision. On ophthalmological examination, the most common sign was vitreous opacity. Ocular disease concurrent with central nervous system (CNS) involvement was observed in 46.4%, while localized ocular disease was found in 25.0% of the patients. Intraocular lymphoma occurred as the primary lymphoma in 78.6%, and as ocular relapse of the primary CNS lymphoma in 14.3% of the cases. The 5-year survival rate was 63.1% and most of the deaths were in patients with CNS involvement. Although the number of cases was limited, we were able to clarify the clinical manifestations and prognosis for Japanese patients with intraocular lymphoma. | 18,767,492 |
[Cytomegalovirus retinitis in immunocompetent patients]. | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis usually affects severely immunosuppressed individuals. We report two immunocompetent patients who developed CMV retinitis. Case 1 was a 65-year-old man who was referred to us with blurred vision and floaters of 2 weeks duration in his left eye. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed keratic precipitates, aqueous cells, and vitreous opacity in his left eye. Funduscopic examination revealed yellow-white retinal lesions with arterial sheathing in the superotemporal midperiphery. Case 2 was a 63-year-old man who presented with a 2-week history of blurred vision in his left eye. Ophthalmologic examination of the left eye showed keratic precipitates, aqueous cells, vitreous opacity, and yellow-white lesions in the superotemporal peripheral retina. In both cases, CMV DNA was detected in the aqueous humor and therefore the diagnosis was CMV retinitis. CMV retinitis in both cases was indolent and was resolved in one month without treatment with antiviral drugs. Although both patients had diabetes mellitus, the results of their laboratory examinations were unremarkable and they were immunocompetent. Unlike CMV retinitis in immunocompromised patients, CMV retinitis in immunocompetent patients had significant anterior and vitreous inflammation but did not require antiviral treatment. A possible association between CMV retinitis and diabetes mellitus was suggested. | 18,767,494 |
[The central Poland population database of 500 SNP alleles]. | SNP analysis is one of the most contemporary methods for personal identification in forensic genetics. It is increasingly more frequently used in forensic practice, especially for analyses of highly degraded DNA samples from crime scenes and thus it requires suitable population data. The aim of this study was to develop a central Poland population database consisting of 500 alleles in a range of 5 SNP biallelic loci (rs2294067, rs2282160, rs2070764, rs2277216, rs1063739). DNA fragments were amplified in one multiplex PCR reaction and SNPs were identified in a minisequencing reaction. The combined PD of the pentaplex was 0.9907147657. This makes the pentaplex a good screening method for forensic applications. | 18,767,499 |
[Possibilities of medical opinionating in cases associated with "exposure to direct danger of death or serious health damage"]. | In the opinion of some forensic medicine experts, assessment of potential consequences in keeping with Article 160 of the Polish Penal code, which refers to the crime of "exposure to direct danger of death or severe health damage", lies within the competence of medicolegal specialists. This view is accepted by courts and prosecution offices. However, the knowledge of physicians in the field of predicting consequences which did not occur is only somewhat better than that of lawyers. In simple cases, e.g. in trauma involving a sensitive area of the body, passing an opinion confirming a serious danger is not associated with any major problems. Similarly, no problems arise when passing an opinion on the lack of such a danger e.g. in the case of traumawithout any injuries. In complex cases, however, which include the majority of medical error cases, passing an opinion on exposure to direct danger of death or severe health damage may be not feasible. | 18,767,502 |
[Valentin Sergeevich Kirpichnikov: on the 100th anniversary of his birth (1908-1991)]. | Valentin Sergeevich Kirpichnikov is an outstanding Russian biologist, geneticist, and evolutionist. In his work, the true interest to the theory of evolution was harmoniously combined with long-term successful research into fish genetics and breeding. In 1987, Kirpichnikov published a fundamental treatise entitled "Fish Genetics and Breeding," which was immediately translated into English, German, and Japanese and still remains the most comprehensive handbook in this field. The authority of Kirpichnikov was confirmed by his election to the International Association of Aquaculture and an expert of the leading international organization on food and agriculture, FAO, with the United Nations. During the hard years in the history of Soviet biology, the courage and fidelity to the principles in defending the scientific biology and opposing Lysenko's obscurantism won Valentin Sergeevich the deserved name of a "knight of science". His mode of speech at the seminars and in discussions was unhurried, calm, and fitting. Yet especially important moments supplemented his baritone with hard metal modulations, which revealed the concealed passion and conviction in the defended truth. | 18,767,534 |
[Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the Barents Sea: a comparative study of introduced and native populations]. | Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) was introduced into the Barents Sea in the 1960-1970s. Its present habitation area spans on the coastal zone from Hammerfest (Northern Norway) to the Barents Sea Funnel in the north-east of the Kola Peninsula. We studied the polymorphism of a mitochondrial gene encoding cytochrome oxidase (COI) and five nuclear microsatellite loci in four samples from the Barents Sea and two donor populations from the Western Kamchatka and Primorye. No decrease in the genetic diversity of the introduced populations was detected. Microsatellite assay demonstrated that the sample from Varrangerfjord was distinct from the rest five populations. However, no significant differences between the rest samples were found. Possible reasons underlying this phenomenon are discussed. | 18,767,547 |
[Comparative analysis of sensitivity of cholinesterases of different origin to reversible bis-onium inhibitors]. | Analytical review of literature data has been carried out about kinetic parameters of cholinesterases (ChE) of various animals (vertebrates and squids) with 45 reversible bis-onium inhibitors forming homologous series with regularly changing structure. Values of competitive, non-competitive, and generalized inhibitory constants are compared. Interspecies and intraspecies differences are revealed in sensitivity of ChE to bis-onium inhibitors. Results of conformational analysis of molecules of the studied ligands are presented. Data on population of individual conformations are compared with values of anticholinesterase efficiency. Conclusions are made about mechanisms of action of the studied compounds and the predominant site of their sorption. The presented data are discussed from the point of view of comparative enzymology and in the light of the current information about structure of active center of cholinesterases. | 18,767,551 |
Environmental applications of carbon-based nanomaterials. | The unique and tunable properties of carbon-based nanomaterials enable new technologies for identifying and addressing environmental challenges. This review critically assesses the contributions of carbon-based nanomaterials to a broad range of environmental applications: sorbents, high-flux membranes, depth filters, antimicrobial agents, environmental sensors, renewable energy technologies, and pollution prevention strategies. In linking technological advance back to the physical, chemical, and electronic properties of carbonaceous nanomaterials, this article also outlines future opportunities for nanomaterial application in environmental systems. | 18,767,635 |
Accumulation parameters and seasonal trends for PCBs in temperate and boreal forest plant species. | The concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air and vegetation was measured periodically in two alpine forests, during the growing season. Foliage samples from nine plant species typical of the temperate and boreal environment were collected and analyzed. Leaf concentrations of tri- and tetra-CBs showed fast response times with changing temperature and gas-phase concentrations, suggesting that a partitioning equilibrium is approached relatively rapidly (few days) in the field. Heavier compounds showed kinetically limited accumulation trends, not reaching equilibrium during the growing season. Results were used to estimate the bioconcentration factors or equilibrium plant/air partition coefficient (KPA) for each species. Values of log KPA (calculated on a mass/volume basis) ranged between 0.78 and 1.96 and were correlated to the log KOA. Uptake trends of the higher chlorinated compounds showed intraspecific differences which were partially explained by the specific leaf area (SLA). | 18,767,644 |
Evaluation of indicator-based pH measurements for freshwater over a wide range of buffer intensities. | Two different sulfonephthalein indicators, cresol red (CR) with a pKa of approximately 8.3 and bromothymol blue (BTB) with pKa of approximately 7.4, were tested for an analysis of freshwater over a broad range of pH and total alkalinity values. Measurements from an autonomous sensor system using a 1 cm optical path length were compared to those using a 10 cm path length on a benchtop spectrophotometer. The indicator pH perturbation was quantified with a thermodynamic model and nonlinear least-squares analysis. The laboratory study found that the perturbation-corrected pH differed between the 1 cm (large indicator perturbation) and 10 cm (small indicator perturbation) optical path length measurements from -0.017 to +0.15 with a median of +0.0041 pH units for CR and from -0.015 to +0.026 with a median of -0.0008 pH units for BTB. Precision was +0.0005-0.013 and +0.0001-0.0027 pH units for the 1 and 10-cm-path-length measurements, respectively. The autonomous sensor was deployed for 14 days in a local creek. Simultaneous glass pH electrode measurements had a large negative and drifting offset (-0.15 to -0.40 pH units) compared to the indicator-based measurements. This study is the first in situ comparison between potentiometric and spectrophotometric pH methods in a freshwater system. | 18,767,671 |
Anion leaching from refinery oily sludge and ash from incineration of oily sludge stabilized/solidified with cement. Part II. Modeling. | This paper presents the modeling of anion leaching (SO4(2-) and CrO4(2-)) from refinery oily sludge and ash produced by incineration of oily sludge, stabilized/solidified (s/s) with two types of cement, 142.5 and 1142.5. Anion leaching was examined using a sequential toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test. To elucidate the mechanisms of sulfate and chromate leaching, we employed Visual MINTEQ, incorporating a multiple-problem setup. Specifically, 10-14 different problems, depending on the pH range of the leachates, were connected together in the same run. Each problem corresponded to one pH value of the leachate and the model run covered the pH range of the five sequential TCLP extractions. This modeling approach was tested using chemical equilibrium with or without sorption onto ferrihydrite. Good agreement between experimental and modeling results was obtained for sulfate leaching from solidified oily sludge and ash, considering surface complexation onto ferrihydrite on top of chemical equilibrium controlled by gypsum at pH <11 and ettringite at pH >11. Chromate leaching was described by chemical equilibrium, controlled by CaCrO4(s) (at pH <11) and Cr(VI)ettringite (at pH >11). | 18,767,676 |
Treatment of coliphage MS2 with palladium-modified nitrogen-doped titanium oxide photocatalyst illuminated by visible light. | A palladium-modified nitrogen-doped titanium oxide (TiON/-PdO) photocatalytic fiber was synthesized on a mesoporous activated carbon fiber template by a sol-gel process. Calcination of the coated fibers resulted in a macroporous interfiber structure and mesoporous photocatalyst coating. Atomic ratios of major photocatalyst constituents determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses were N/Ti approximately equal to 0.1 and Pd/-Ti approximately equal to 0.03. X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the photocatalyst had an anatase structure and palladium additive was present as PdO. Triplicate batch experiments performed with MS2 phage (average initial concentration of 3 x 10(8) plaque forming units/mL) and TiON/PdO photocatalyst at a dose of 0.1 g/L under dark conditions revealed the occurrence of virus adsorption on the photocatalyst fibers at a rate that resulted in equilibrium within 1 h of contact time with corresponding virion removals of 95.4-96.7%. Subsequent illumination of the dark-equilibrated samples with visible light (wavelengths greater than 400 nm and average intensity of 40 mW/cm2) resulted in additional virus removal of 94.5-98.2% within 1 h of additional contact time. By combining adsorption and visible-light photocatalysis, TiON/PdO fibers reached final virus removal rates of 99.75-99.94%. Spin trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements confirmed the production of *OH radicals by TiON/PdO under visible light illumination, which provided indirect evidence about MS2 phage being potentially inactivated. | 18,767,679 |
New evidence for rejuvenation of phosphorus retention capacity in EAF steel slag. | The purpose of this research was to investigate phosphorus (P) retention capacity and rejuvenation potential of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag from Quebec and New Zealand (NZ) iron melter slag (IMS). Columns filled with slag materials were fed with dairy effluent and subjected to two feeding and one resting cycle(s). P retention capacities and rejuvenation potentials were determined after each feeding cycle. Elemental composition and mineralogical analysis were performed on IMS samples. Finally, chemical fractionation analysis was conducted on both NZ IMS and Quebec EAF steel slags. The results revealed that initiating a resting period in EAF steel slag filters prior to reaching their P saturation point increased the overall filter P retention capacity by 49.5 and 42.4% compared to 28% in a filter which had its resting period initiated after reaching P saturation. The rejuvenation property could play a significant role in full-scale applications by prolonging life expectancy and increasing cost efficiency. P retention and rejuvenation by NZ slag materials was negligible relative to EAF steel slag material from Quebec. Chemical fractionation analysis revealed differences between materials, indicating that the highest quantities of P were bound to Ca and Fe in EAF steel slag and to Ca and Al fractions in iron melter slag. This study also demonstrates that slag's performance is dependent on the source of the material and the steel making practices. Therefore, testing of the P adsorptive capability and, if relevant, the rejuvenation potential of individual steel mill slags, should be a prerequisite prior to their use in field applications. | 18,767,686 |
Seasonal population dynamics of Draeculacephala minerva (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and transmission of Xylella fastidiosa. | The grass sharpshooter, Draeculacephala minerva Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a very common and often abundant grass-feeding leafhopper in California. Its population dynamics and ability to transmit Xylella fastidiosa were monitored over a 2-yr period in California's San Joaquin Valley. Collections of individuals from natural populations in irrigated pastures and alfalfa, Medicago savita L. fields adjacent to X. fastidiosa-infected almond (Prunus spp.) orchards indicated the occurrence of three discrete generations per year that peaked during the summer. Population densities varied significantly among experimental field survey sites. Insects captured on intercepting mesh traps, yellow sticky cards, and UV-light traps indicated local movement of these insects into and surrounding X. fastidiosa-infected, almond orchards. Local movement and seasonal transmission of X. fastidiosa from infected almonds to Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don indicated that this insect may be partly responsible for the slow spread of almond leaf scorch now recently observed in California's San Joaquin Valley. | 18,767,716 |
Developmental and reproductive fitness of Orius laevigatus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) reared on factitious and artificial diets. | The developmental and reproductive fitness of the polyphagous predator Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) was compared on two factitious foods and four artificial diets. Adults fed factitious foods (Ephestia kuehniella Zeller eggs and Artemia franciscana Kellogg cysts) performed better than those fed artificial diets. Among the artificial diets, a diet composed of liver and ground beef scored better than meridic diets based on egg yolk. Within the egg yolk-based artificial diets, the developmental fitness varied proportionally with the amount of egg yolk present in the diet. A food switching experiment, in which nymphs and adults of the predator were fed either E. kuehniella eggs or an egg yolk-based artificial diet, showed that the impact of adult food on reproductive capacity was greater than that of nymphal food. An optimal adult food was able to wholly compensate for deficiencies incurred by an inferior artificial diet in the nymphal stage. A strong correlation was found between oocyte counts, lifetime oviposition, and the number of eggs laid after 8 d. A rapid dissection assay may thus be effective to reliably and economically assess the fitness of O. laevigatus as a function of the diet. This method also may prove useful as part of quality assurance procedure for commercially produced predators. | 18,767,719 |
Effects of Bt transgenic Chinese cabbage on the herbivore Mamestra brassicae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its parasitoid Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). | We investigated the effects of a diamondback moth-resistant Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris subsp napus variety pekinensis Makino), expressing the insecticidal protein CrylA(c) toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, on the nontarget herbivore Mamestra brassicae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). A decreased survival rate at neonate stage was observed in M. brassicae when reared on Bt cabbage, although overall development was not significantly affected. According to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test using CrylA(c) antibody, the Cry toxin was only detected in the alimentary canal, not in the hemolymph or remaining body parts of M. brassicae, indicating that the ingested Cry toxin is neither distributed inside the body nor transferred through the trophic level. As expected, no Cry toxin was found in the larvae and cocoons of M. mediator. In addition, no significant changes were observed in the parasitization rate, larval period, pupal period, cocoon weight, or adult emergence rate when M. mediator wasps were reared on the M. brassicae larvae fed with transgenic Chinese cabbage. In summary, no direct or indirect adverse effects of transgenic Chinese cabbage on the two nontarget insect species were observed, suggestive of low risk in herbivore-parasitoid food chain. | 18,767,720 |
Quantitative comparison of stylet penetration behaviors of glassy-winged sharpshooter on selected hosts. | New Zealand is threatened by invasion of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), an important vector of Xylella fastidiosa, a gram-negative bacterium that causes Pierce's disease in grape (Vitis spp.) and scorch diseases in many other horticultural crops. Therefore, an understanding of the host acceptability, feeding behavior, and potential vector efficiency of glassy-winged sharpshooter on New Zealand crops is important. We tested host plant acceptance and feeding behaviors of glassy-winged sharpshooter on three common horticultural crops grown in New Zealand (apple [Malus spp.], grape, and citrus [Citrus spp.]), and a native plant (Metrosideros excelsa [=tomentosa] Richard, pohutukawa), using the electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique. Probing (stylet penetration) behaviors varied among the host plants, primarily due to differences in waveform event durations. Apple and grape were the most accepted host plants, on which glassy-winged sharpshooter spent the majority of its time on the plant probing and readily located and accepted a xylem cell for ingestion. This resulted in long durations of sustained xylem fluid ingestion. In contrast, pohutukawa was the least accepted host. On this plant, glassy-winged sharpshooter spent less time probing and engaged in longer and more frequent testing/searching and xylem-testing activities, rejected xylem cells frequently, and spent less time with stylets resting, before accepting a xylem cell and ultimately performing the same amount of sustained ingestion. Citrus plants contaminated with sublethal insecticide residues were intermediate between these extremes, with some acceptance of xylem, but less ingestion, probably due to presumed partial paralysis of the cibarial muscles. Implications of the results in terms of host plant acceptance and the development of a stylet penetration index are discussed. | 18,767,727 |
Synergistic blends of monoterpenes for aggregation pheromones of the mountain pine beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). | The superiority of the host monoterpene myrcene as a synergist for trans-verbenol and exo-brevicomin, aggregation pheromone components of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), suggests that the ancestral host of the mountain pine beetle is a pine rich in myrcene. A field trapping experiment in British Columbia testing reconstituted bole oleoresin of whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis Engelmann, composed of mainly myrcene (20.7%), terpinolene (6.8%), and 3-carene (61.9%) showed it to be a better pheromone synergist than reconstituted bole oleoresin of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta variety latifolia Engelmann, which contained only 2.7, 1.0, and 6.0%, respectively, of the above-mentioned three compounds. In the same experiment myrcene alone was the best synergist. In subsequent experiments, testing myrcene, terpinolene and 3-carene alone and in all possible binary and ternary combinations, a 50:50 blend of myrcene and terpinolene released at the same rate as either compound alone generally resulted in trap catches approximately 3 times higher than with myrcene as a synergist. This result held as long as the terpinolene was free of contaminants, and the traps were in the open, well away from potential interference of semiochemicals emitted by newly attacked trees. 3-Carene seemed to be inert or slightly inhibitory. No single monoterpene tested alone or in binary or ternary combination in the absence of pheromones was attractive. There was no effect of doubling or tripling the release rate of myrcene or terpinolene. In five of nine experiments, adding terpinolene to myrcene caused a significant increase in the percentage of female mountain pine beetles captured. Among host pines, the presence of highly synergistic monoterpenes at various levels in combination with other monoterpenes that are apparently either inert or inhibitory could account for different degrees of pheromone synergism, and thus host preference. The highly synergistic effect of combining myrcene plus terpinolene with the mountain pine beetle aggregation pheromone components opens up the potential for suppression of populations through semiochemical-based mass trapping. | 18,767,736 |
A new long-life trimedlure dispenser for Mediterranean fruit fly. | New agricultural techniques are attempting to reduce the application of synthesized pesticides and replace them with new environmentally friendly methods such as mass trapping, mating disruption, or chemosterilization techniques. All these methods are based on the release of a lure for insect attraction or confusion. The success of the chosen method depends on the quality of the attractant emission from the dispenser. Currently, used dispensers with a polymeric matrix and new dispensers with mesoporous inorganic materials were evaluated to obtain more efficient emission kinetics. In this study, the selected pest was the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) and the lure used was trimedlure (TML). The dispensers were validated by means of a field study comparing insect catches with attractant release values. As a result, we have demonstrated that mesoporous dispensers have a clearly longer lifetime than the polymeric plug. Furthermore, the attractant release rate is less dependent on temperature in mesoporous than in polymeric dispensers. | 18,767,743 |
Toxicity, repellency, and effects of acetamiprid on western subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). | The insecticidial and biological activity of the cyano-substituted neonicotinoid acetamiprid was determined against the western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus Banks (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Acetamiprid was very active against termites in topical applications, with an LD50 = 0.02 ng per termite. Even though acetamiprid was extremely toxic in topical applications, deposits > or =50 ppm on sand were required to consistently provide >90% kill of termites within 7 d after a 1-h exposure. Termites were quickly affected by brief exposures to sand treated with 1 ppm acetamiprid and within 1 h, their locomotion was dramatically impaired. Acetamiprid was transferred from donors to recipients only when donors were held on deposits > or =50 ppm for 1 h. Deposits even as low as 1 ppm were repellent and termites failed to tunnel into treated sand, and there was no significant mortality. Exposure to acetamiprid impaired locomotion of termites as did other slow-acting neonicotinoids, such as imidacloprid. Acetamiprid was repellent at all concentrations tested, acting like type I pyrethroid treatments in soil. A new subcategory of type III soil termiticides is proposed that incorporates the sublethal and delayed effects observed in neonicotinoid insecticides, and repellency at certain concentrations. | 18,767,748 |
Oxydemeton-methyl resistance, mechanisms, and associated fitness cost in green peach aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). | Susceptibility to oxydemeton-methyl and imidacloprid, and the inhibitory effects of oxydemeton-methyl and some organophosphate compounds on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and carboxylesterase activity were studied in two populations (Karaj and Rasht) of green peach aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer). Results show that the Karaj population was resistant to oxydemeton-methyl but susceptible to imidacloprid. The esterase activity of the resistant and susceptible populations suggests that one of the resistance mechanisms to oxydemeton-methyl was esterase-based. The inhibition assay shows that the AChE of the Karaj population is less sensitive to oxydemeton-methyl and paraoxon derivatives. Regarding the paraoxon derivatives, the smaller paraoxon side chain is more potent against the modified AChE than against the AChE from the susceptible strain. Fertility life table parameters of green peach aphid populations resistant and susceptible to oxydemeton-methyl also were studied under laboratory conditions. The standard errors of the population growth parameters were calculated using the Jackknife method. Results showed that susceptible strain exhibits a significantly higher r(m) than the resistant strain, probably because the resistant strain had a higher generation time than the susceptible strain. These results suggested that the resistant Karaj strain may be less fit than the susceptible strain. | 18,767,757 |
Perturbation of second and farther hydration shells of alkali cations and bromide in concentrated aqueous protein as a water-shortage medium. | The Gibbs free energies of transfer of selected ions from water to concentrated aqueous ovalbumin and albumin (DeltaW(W') G degrees j) have been determined by ion-transfer voltammetry. Negative values for the tetrabutylammonium ion suggest its direct binding to ovalbumin. In contrast, for alkali cations and bromide, the DeltaW(W') G degrees j values are positive and increase with increasing ovalbumin concentration. Positive values are confirmed for concentrated aqueous albumin and poly(styrenesulfonate) as well. The largest value (ca. 10 kJ mol(-1)) is found for the transfer of K(+) from water to 30 wt % ovalbumin. To reveal the solvation structure of these ions in ovalbumin solutions, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements have been performed at the K, Rb, and Br K-edges. Interestingly, the spectra obtained in 30 wt % ovalbumin solutions are identical to those for the corresponding hydrated ions. This strongly suggests that the first coordination shell structures of these ions are not affected by a large concentration of ovalbumin. The detected positive free energy of transfer is slightly lower than the hydrogen bonding energy of a water molecule and should thus come from the perturbation of the second and farther hydration shells of the ions under a water-shortage condition caused by a high concentration of ovalbumin. | 18,767,772 |
Electric double layer of spherical particles in salt-free concentrated suspensions: water dissociation and CO2 influence. | We present a model for the theoretical description of the electric double layer of realistic salt-free colloidal suspensions. This kind of systems consist of aqueous suspensions deionized maximally without any electrolyte added during the preparation, in which the only ions present can be (i) the added counterions that counterbalance the surface charge, (ii) the H(+) and OH(-) ions from water dissociation, and (iii) the ions produced by the atmospheric CO2 contamination. Our theory is elaborated in the framework of the classical Poisson-Boltzmann theory, the spherical cell model approach, and the appropriate local equilibrium reactions, and it also includes an efficient mathematical treatment for dealing with the resulting integro-differential equations. We have applied it to the study of the surface electric potential in a wide range of volume fraction and surface charge density values in a variety of cases. The numerical results show that it is necessary to consider the water dissociation influence for volume fractions lower than approximately 10(-2), whereas the atmospheric contamination, if the suspensions are open to the atmosphere, is important in the region of phi<10(-1). The present work sets the basis for theoretical models concerning the equilibrium phase diagram, electrokinetics, and rheology of such systems. | 18,767,775 |
Smart zwitterionic membranes with on/off behavior for protein transport. | Poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN)-based zwitterionic membranes, composed of PAN and poly( N, N-dimethyl- N-methacryloxyethyl- N-(3-sulfopropyl) copolymer, are electrolyte-sensitive smart membranes. The hydrophilicity was increased and protein adsorption was remarkably decreased for the membranes in response to environmental stimuli. FTIR spectroscopic analysis directly provided molecular-level observation of the enhanced dissociation and hydration of zwitterionic sulfobetaine dipoles at higher electrolyte concentrations. The smart PAN-based zwitterionic membranes can close or open channels for protein transport under different NaCl concentrations. The electrolyte-sensitive switch of on/off behavior for protein transport is reversible. | 18,767,776 |
Theoretical study on the considerable second-order nonlinear optical properties of naphthylimido-substituted hexamolybdates. | The static first hyperpolarizabilities and origin of nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of [(2-methylnaphthyl)imido]hexamolybdates derivatives have been investigated by density functional theory (DFT). The [(2-methylnaphthyl)imido]hexamolybdate has considerable large first hyperpolarizability, 6.780 x 10(-30) esu, and it is larger than that of [(2,6-dimethylphenyl)arylimido]hexamolybdate due to the double aromatic rings in the naphthylimido ligand. The naphthylimido ligand acts as an electron-donor and the polyanion acts as an electron-acceptor. The substituent position on the naphthylimido is a key factor to determine the first hyperpolarizability of (naphthylimido)hexamolybdate derivatives. The derivative, which the iodine atom locates on the para nitrogen on the naphthylimido ligand, has the largest betao(o) value among the iodine-substituted derivatives. It suggests that the iodine atom is quasi linear with nitrogen and Mo, which is bonded to thenitrogen atom, could generate a large static electronic field and give the large contribution to NLO response.The introducing of electron-donors significantly enhances the first hyperpolarizabilities of (naphthylimido)hexamolybdates comparing with the electron-acceptors as the electron-donating ability is significantly enhanced when the electron-donor is attached to the naphthylimido segment. The present investigation provides important insight into NLO properties of (arylimido)molybdate derivatives. | 18,767,779 |
Generation of nitrile oxides under nanometer micelles built in neutral aqueous media: synthesis of novel glycal-based chiral synthons and optically pure 2,8-dioxabicyclo[4.4.0]decene core. | A highly efficient strategy for chemoselective oxidation of aldoximes to nitrile oxides by iodosobenzene in neutral aqueous media is reported. Their in situ intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (1,3-DC) with olefins in nanometer aqueous micelles occurs with improved stereoselectivity and acceleration of reaction rate toward synthesis of new chiral synthons, 3-(2'-C-3',4',6'-tri-O-benzylglycal)-Delta(2)-isoxazolines and others. Construction of optically pure 2,8-dioxabicyclo[4.4.0]decene skeleta is performed by this green approach, and the stereochemistry of the new chiral center is predicted by B3LYP density functional theory. | 18,767,807 |
Genome-wide computational and expression analyses reveal G-quadruplex DNA motifs as conserved cis-regulatory elements in human and related species. | Using a combination of in silico and experimental approaches, we present evidence that the G-quadruplex (G4) motif (an alternative higher-order DNA conformation) has regulatory potential. Genome-wide analyses of 99980 human, chimpanzee, mouse, and rat promoters showed enrichment of sequence with potential to adopt G4 (potential G4 or PG4) motifs near transcription start sites (TSS; P < 0.0001), supporting earlier findings. Interestingly, we found >700 orthologously related promoters in human, mouse, and rat conserve PG4 motif(s). The corresponding genes have enriched (z score > 4.0) tissue-specific expression in 75 of 79 human tissues and are significantly overrepresented in signaling and regulation of cell-cycle (P < 10(-05)). This is supported by results from whole genome expression experiments in human HeLa S3 cells following treatment with TMPyP4 [5,10,15,20-tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphine chloride], which is known to bind the G4 motif inside cells. Our results implicate G4-motif mediated regulation as a more general mode of transcription control than currently appreciated. | 18,767,830 |
Molecule kernels: a descriptor- and alignment-free quantitative structure-activity relationship approach. | Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analysis is traditionally based on extracting a set of molecular descriptors and using them to build a predictive model. In this work, we propose a QSAR approach based directly on the similarity between the 3D structures of a set of molecules measured by a so-called molecule kernel, which is independent of the spatial prealignment of the compounds. Predictors can be build using the molecule kernel in conjunction with the potential support vector machine (P-SVM), a recently proposed machine learning method for dyadic data. The resulting models make direct use of the structural similarities between the compounds in the test set and a subset of the training set and do not require an explicit descriptor construction. We evaluated the predictive performance of the proposed method on one classification and four regression QSAR datasets and compared its results to the results reported in the literature for several state-of-the-art descriptor-based and 3D QSAR approaches. In this comparison, the proposed molecule kernel method performed better than the other QSAR methods. | 18,767,832 |
Differential tuning of the electron transfer parameters in 1,3,5-triarylpyrazolines: a rational design approach for optimizing the contrast ratio of fluorescent probes. | A large class of cation-responsive fluorescent sensors utilizes a donor-spacer-acceptor (D-A) molecular framework that can modulate the fluorescence emission intensity through a fast photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer (PET) process. The emission enhancement upon binding of the analyte defines the contrast ratio of the probe, a key property that is particularly relevant in fluorescence microscopy imaging applications. Due to their unusual electronic structure, 1,3,5-triarylpyrazoline fluorophores allow for the differential tuning of the excited-state energy DeltaE(00) and the fluorophore acceptor potential E(A/A(-)), both of which are critical parameters that define the electron transfer (ET) thermodynamics and thus the contrast ratio. By systematically varying the number and attachment positions of fluoro substituents on the fluorophore pi-system, DeltaE(00) can be adjusted over a broad range (0.4 eV) without significantly altering the acceptor potential E(A/A(-)). Experimentally measured D-A coupling and reorganization energies were used to draw a potential map for identifying the optimal ET driving force that is expected to give a maximum fluorescence enhancement for a given change in donor potential upon binding of the analyte. The rational design strategy was tested by optimizing the fluorescence response of a pH-sensitive probe, thus yielding a maximum emission enhancement factor of 400 upon acidification. Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations were used to reproduce the experimental trends of reduction potentials, excited-state energies, and ET driving forces within the framework of linear free energy relationships (LFERs). Such LFERs should be suitable to semiempirically predict ET driving forces with an average unsigned error of 0.03 eV, consequently allowing for the computational prescreening of substituent combinations to best match the donor potential of a given cation receptor. Within the scaffold of the triarylpyrazoline platform, the outlined differential tuning of the electron transfer parameters should be applicable to a broad range of cation receptors for designing PET sensors with maximized contrast ratios. | 18,767,839 |
Formal synthesis of (-)-kendomycin featuring a Prins-cyclization to construct the macrocycle. | The kendomycin skeleton was prepared by a highly convergent strategy in which the benzofuran fragment and the acyclic iodide fragment were prepared by standard methods and joined using a Suzuki coupling. The distinctive reaction in our approach was an intramolecular Prins cyclization that assembles the macrocyclic ring in good yield. Modeling studies demonstrate that the acyclic chain is predisposed for macrocycle formation. Ultimately, the product was correlated with one of Lee's advanced intermediates for a formal total synthesis of kendomycin. | 18,767,844 |
Highly disordered polymer field effect transistors: N-alkyl dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole-based copolymers with surprisingly high charge carrier mobilities. | A series of novel electroactive and photoactive conjugated copolymers based on N-alkyl dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrroles (DTP) and thiophene (TH) units (DTP-co-THs) were synthesized using a Stille coupling reaction and exhibited molecular weights of 1.6 x 10(4) to 5.0 x 10(4) g/mol. The incorporation of soluble substituted thiophenes and planar DTP units resulted in low band gap, highly conductive polymers. DTP-co-THs exhibited excellent solubility in common organic solvents and formed high-quality films. Optical characterization revealed that the band gaps of DTP-co-THs were between 1.74 and 2.00 eV, lower than regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophenes). Electrochemical characterization showed that the HOMO energy levels of DTP-co-THs are between -4.68 and -4.96 eV. When doped, DTP-co-THs exhibited high conductivities up to 230 S/cm with excellent stability. The different thiophene substituent patterns' effect on the polymers' optical and electronic properties was then examined by density functional theory computations. The microstructure and surface morphologies of poly(2,6-(4-dodecyl-4H-bisthieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole)-random-2,5-(3-dodecylthiophene)) (P4) and poly(2-(4,4'-didodecyl-2,2'-bithiophen-5-yl)-4-octyl-4H-bisthieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyrrole) (P6) thin films were studied by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. As-cast P4 and P6 thin films exhibited poorly defined, randomly ordered lamellar structure that improved significantly after thermal annealing. Field effect transistor devices fabricated from P4 and P6 showed typical p-channel transistor behavior. Interestingly, the mobilities of as-cast, less ordered samples were much higher than those observed after annealing. The highest values of maximum and average mobilities were observed for the polymer P6 as-cast (0.21 and 0.13 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively). One of our goals was to test the idea that high mobility and excellent electrical and structural reproducibility could perhaps be achieved by the creation of amorphous pi-conjugated materials that could possess long arrange pi connectivity on the microscopic scale. The results of these studies strongly suggest that the presence of highly ordered microcrystalline structures in thin films of organic semiconductors is not necessary for excellent performance of organic transistors. | 18,767,846 |
G--C quartet--a DNA-inspired Janus-GC heterocycle: synthesis, structural analysis, and self-organization. | In this communication we disclose the synthesis and characterization of a DNA-inspired self-complementary heterocycle that contains AAD-DAA H-bond acceptor/donor patterns. Whereas in the past such AAD-DAA self-complementarity has given rise to trimeric and hexameric rosettes, we now demonstrate that the same H-bonding scheme, when properly arrayed, can be used to program a tetrameric rosette, which unlike a G-quartet requires no metal binding or peripheral components for preorganization. Of note, we exploit both 2D-NOESY and DOSY 1H NMR to substantiate the tetrameric stoichiometry in this noncovalent rosette comprising 12 H-bonds. | 18,767,852 |
Femtonewton force sensing with optically trapped nanotubes. | We extract the distribution of both center-of-mass and angular fluctuations from three-dimensional tracking of optically trapped nanotubes. We measure the optical force and torque constants from autocorrelation and cross-correlation of the tracking signals. This allows us to isolate the angular Brownian motion. We demonstrate that nanotubes enable nanometer spatial and femtonewton force resolution in photonic force microscopy, the smallest to date. This has wide implications in nanotechnology, biotechnology, nanofluidics, and material science. | 18,767,887 |
Revision rates after primary hip and knee replacement in England between 2003 and 2006. | Hip and knee replacement are some of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the world. Resurfacing of the hip and unicondylar knee replacement are increasingly being used. There is relatively little evidence on their performance. To study performance of joint replacement in England, we investigated revision rates in the first 3 y after hip or knee replacement according to prosthesis type. We linked records of the National Joint Registry for England and Wales and the Hospital Episode Statistics for patients with a primary hip or knee replacement in the National Health Service in England between April 2003 and September 2006. Hospital Episode Statistics records of succeeding admissions were used to identify revisions for any reason. 76,576 patients with a primary hip replacement and 80,697 with a primary knee replacement were included (51% of all primary hip and knee replacements done in the English National Health Service). In hip patients, 3-y revision rates were 0.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8%-1.1%) with cemented, 2.0% (1.7%-2.3%) with cementless, 1.5% (1.1%-2.0% CI) with "hybrid" prostheses, and 2.6% (2.1%-3.1%) with hip resurfacing (p < 0.0001). Revision rates after hip resurfacing were increased especially in women. In knee patients, 3-y revision rates were 1.4% (1.2%-1.5% CI) with cemented, 1.5% (1.1%-2.1% CI) with cementless, and 2.8% (1.8%-4.5% CI) with unicondylar prostheses (p < 0.0001). Revision rates after knee replacement strongly decreased with age. Overall, about one in 75 patients needed a revision of their prosthesis within 3 y. On the basis of our data, consideration should be given to using hip resurfacing only in male patients and unicondylar knee replacement only in elderly patients. | 18,767,900 |
Concepts and categories: a cognitive neuropsychological perspective. | One of the most provocative and exciting issues in cognitive science is how neural specificity for semantic categories of common objects arises in the functional architecture of the brain. More than two decades of research on the neuropsychological phenomenon of category-specific semantic deficits has generated detailed claims about the organization and representation of conceptual knowledge. More recently, researchers have sought to test hypotheses developed on the basis of neuropsychological evidence with functional imaging. From those two fields, the empirical generalization emerges that object domain and sensory modality jointly constrain the organization of knowledge in the brain. At the same time, research within the embodied cognition framework has highlighted the need to articulate how information is communicated between the sensory and motor systems, and processes that represent and generalize abstract information. Those developments point toward a new approach for understanding category specificity in terms of the coordinated influences of diverse regions and cognitive systems. | 18,767,921 |
PR1 vaccination in myeloid malignancies. | The graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect following allogeneic stem cell transplantation is testament to the effectiveness of the immune system in recognizing and eliminating leukemia cells. The successful identification of a range of leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs) that drive the GVL response in recent years has stimulated research in the development of vaccines to treat hematological malignancies. Here, we review the current experience with the PR1 vaccine. PR1 is a nine amino acid, HLA-A(*)0201-restricted peptide, shared by two myeloid LAAs, proteinase (PR)3 and neutrophil elastase (NE). PR3 and NE are found in the primary (azurophil) granule proteins of normal granulocytes and are overexpressed in myeloid leukemia cells. PR1 induces powerful HLA-A(*)0201-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses that selectively kill myeloid leukemia cells in vitro. The detection of low frequencies of PR1-specific CD8+ T cells in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and at higher frequencies in patients entering molecular remission after allogeneic stem cell transplantation supports the concept that there is natural immunity to PR1, which can be boosted further by vaccination to enhance immunity to leukemia. Preliminary reports indicate that PR1 peptide vaccination induces significant increases in PR1-specific CD8+ T cells, with rapid and durable remissions in some patients with myeloid leukemia. These promising early results point the way to optimizing the administration of peptide vaccines to improve the treatment of otherwise refractory myeloid leukemias. | 18,767,937 |
Strategies used for MUC1 immunotherapy: preclinical studies. | The development of effective immunotherapeutic approaches against cancer has been a major focus of research in the last 10-15 years. Despite the impressive progress in the last 10 years, which has incorporated purified proteins, DNA and targeting to dendritic cells and/or the use of Toll-like receptor ligands, there are still many hurdles to overcome in order to elicit effective immune responses that could totally eradicate cancer cells. MUC1 has attracted interest as a target for immunotherapy of malignancies, including solid cancers, such as breast, pancreas and ovary, and blood cancers, including multiple myeloma. Numerous methods have been shown to elicit humoral, cellular and tumor protective responses in preclinical settings. Many of these have entered into human clinical trials, which aim to evaluate the immunogenicity of MUC1 and its suitability for use in immunotherapy/vaccine for many malignancies. | 18,767,945 |
EGF receptor variant III as a target antigen for tumor immunotherapy. | The EGF receptor (EGFR) is the first tyrosine kinase receptor ever cloned and remains at the forefront of targeted therapies against cancer. Currently, there are four US FDA-approved drugs and several more in Phase III studies that target the EGFR. These drugs, while resulting in some dramatic remissions, have not resulted in strong nor consistent improvements in survival. EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII) is the most common variant of the EGFR and is present in many different cancer types but not in normal tissue. It results from the fusion of exon 1 to exon 8 of the EGFR gene, which results in a novel glycine at the junction. This mutant receptor is constitutively active in these tumors and can lead directly to cancer phenotypes due to its oncogenic properties. EGFRvIII is an attractive target antigen for cancer immunotherapy because it is not expressed in normal tissue and because cells producing EGFRvIII have an enhanced capacity for dysregulated growth, survival, invasion and angiogenesis. In this review, we will discuss preclinical and clinical data from studies using EGFRvIII as the target antigen for immunotherapy, with a focus on the potential for greatly improved survival for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme. | 18,767,947 |
Heat-shock proteins in cancer vaccines: agents of antigen cross-presentation. | Heat-shock proteins (HSPs) derived from tumors are capable of eliciting an anticancer immune response by facilitating antigen cross-presentation in antigen-presenting cells (APCs). This process involves the ability of such chaperones to bind tumor antigens and facilitate their uptake by APCs. Recent evidence reveals that HSP-tumor antigen complexes bind cell surface proteins on APCs that mediate complex internalization and antigen-processing events, as well as inducing an innate immune response. Binding of HSPs to surface receptors is, thus, an imposing gateway to the induction of tumor-specific immune responses. Extensive studies in animals have indicated the usefulness of such HSP-based immunotherapy in killing established tumors and causing tumor regression. Currently, one HSP, the endoplasmic reticulum stress-response protein Gp96 is undergoing clinical trials for cancer treatment and has yielded promising results, including the induction of anti-tumor immunity and some benefit for patients when administered as part of a multidose regimen. Future advances in HSP-based immunotherapy will be aided by an understanding of the mechanisms by which HSP-peptide complexes induce innate and adaptive immunity to tumor cells and target the killing of primary and metastatic cancer cells. | 18,767,951 |
Promises and challenges for the development of Listeria monocytogenes-based immunotherapies. | Active immunotherapy has shown great promise in preclinical models for the treatment of infectious and malignant disease. Yet, these promising results have not translated into approved therapies. One of the major deficits of active immunotherapies tested to date in advanced clinical studies has been their inability to stimulate both arms of the immune system appropriately. The interest in using recombinant bacteria as vaccine vectors for active immunotherapy derives in part from their ability to stimulate multiple innate immune pathways and, at the same time, to deliver antigen for presentation to the adaptive immune system. This review will focus on the development of live-attenuated and killed strains of the intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes for treatment of chronic infections and cancer. Early clinical trials intended to demonstrate safety as well as proof of concept have recently been initiated in several indications. Advances in molecular engineering as well as successes and challenges for clinical development of L. monocytogenes-based vaccines will be discussed. | 18,767,955 |
Promising particle-based vaccines in cancer therapy. | Immunotherapy and preventative cancer vaccines offer the hope of controlling cancer in humans with few of the undesirable side effects associated with current chemotherapy-based methods. Particulate vaccines are effectively taken up by dendritic cells, inducing both T-cell and antibody responses. Virus-like particles (VLPs) have shown preventive efficacy against cervical cancer. Herein we review a range of leading particle-based vaccine approaches: VLPs, immunostimulating complexes, liposomes, synthetic nanoparticles and microparticles (both biocompatible and biodegradable, such as polylactide-co-glycolides and poly[D,L-lactic-co-glycolic] acid). Immune efficacy, regulatory and safety issues, as well the application of immunotherapeutics to immunosuppressed patients with high levels of Tregs are also discussed. We argue that developmental issues (cost and intellectual property lifespan) and the lack of reliable preclinical animal models, rather than the lack of innovative vaccine approaches, currently present a major obstacle to rapid and effective vaccine development. | 18,767,957 |
A large Escherichia coli O157 outbreak in Sweden associated with locally produced lettuce. | In 2005 a large outbreak of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) occurred in Sweden. Cases were interviewed and cohort and case-control studies were conducted. Microbiological investigations were performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the Shiga-like toxin (Stx) genes followed by cultivation and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A total of 135 cases were recorded, including 11 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. The epidemiological investigations implicated lettuce as the most likely source of the outbreak, with an OR of 13.0 (CI 2.94-57.5) in the case-control study. The lettuce was irrigated by water from a small stream, and water samples were positive for Stx 2 by PCR. The identical VTEC O157 Stx 2 positive strain was isolated from the cases and in cattle at a farm upstream from the irrigation point. An active surveillance and reporting system was crucial and cooperation between all involved parties was essential for quickly identifying the cause of this outbreak. Handling of fresh greens from farm to table must be improved to minimize the risk of contamination. | 18,767,979 |
Changes in beta(1) integrin in renal tubular epithelial cells after intrauterine asphyxia of rabbit pups. | We investigated the role of beta(1) integrin in acute renal tubular injury caused by intrauterine asphyxia of neonatal rabbits by exploring the distribution and expression changes in beta(1) integrin and its mRNA in renal tubular epithelial cells. A catheter was used to temporarily block the abdominal aortas of New Zealand pregnant rabbits in order to set up the intrauterine asphyxia animal model. The rabbit pups were randomly divided into control, asphyxia, and calpain inhibitor intervention groups and their renal tubular tissues were examined at 2 h after asphyxia. Immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization were used to examine the expression of beta(1) integrin and its mRNA, respectively. Western blot analysis was used to show the proteolysis of beta(1) integrin. Calpain inhibitor I was used to show the protective effect of keeping beta(1) integrin from being hydrolyzed after asphyxia. (1) Normally, beta(1) integrin was located exclusively at the basal surface of renal tubular epithelial cells. After asphyxia a large amount of beta(1) integrin shifted from the basal surface to the cytoplasma and the lateral and apical surfaces and its expression decreased significantly, with simultaneous damage to renal tubular integrity and structure, many exfoliated cells and cell fragments obstructed the tubular lumen. (2) The mRNA of beta(1) integrin was mainly expressed in the cytoplasma. After asphyxia its expression increased significantly. (3) Proteolysis of beta(1) integrin was evident after asphyxia, but was significantly reduced in the calpain inhibitor intervention group. Calpain inhibitor I prevented the decrease and dislocation of beta(1) integrin and protected renal tubular integrity and structure. Intrauterine asphyxia caused proteolysis of beta(1) integrin, with reduced expression and depolarized distribution, leading to tubular lumen obstruction and renal tubule destruction. Damage to beta(1) integrin and the renal tubule was related to the activation of calpain, and calpain inhibitor curtailed these effects. | 18,767,988 |
Effect of curing lights and bleaching agents on physical properties of a hybrid composite resin. | The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the microhardness (MH) and diametral tensile strength (DTS) of a minifill hybrid composite (Filtek Z250, 3M ESPE), polymerized with halogen lamp or second generation light-emitting diode (LED), submitted to different bleaching agents. Composite resin specimens were randomly polymerized according to experimental groups (halogen, 550 mW/cm(2)/20 seconds; LED, 550 mW/cm(2)/25 seconds) and subdivided into three subgroups (N=8): A, without bleaching (control); H, 35% hydrogen peroxide; and C, 16% carbamide peroxide. After that, the MH test and DTS test were performed. Two-way analysis of variance (whitening x light) and Tukey's tests (alpha=5%) were performed. For DTS, there were no statistical differences among the bleaching agents and the control group; however, the halogen group presented statistically lower DTS (p<0.05) than the LED group. For the MH test, the carbamide peroxide group presented statistically lower MH means (p<0.05) than the control groups, and there were no statistical differences among the light-curing units. Sixteen percent carbamide peroxide reduced the MH of the hybrid composite tested. The second generation LED presented a performance similar to or better than the halogen lamp for hardness and DTS, respectively. Repolishing of minifill hybrid composite is suggested, as the alteration caused after the contact with 16% carbamide peroxide was limited to the material surface. The second generation light-emitting diode is a good option for a curing light device when the polymerization initiator of composite resin is camphorquinone. | 18,768,000 |
Survey of medical doctors' attitudes and knowledge of the association between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. | The study was designed to assess the views and knowledge of healthcare providers in general medicine and other specialties on the association between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. Two hundred and fifty physicians practicing in northern Jordan hospitals and healthcare centers were asked to complete a questionnaire. Completed questionnaires with the answers were returned completed by 197 participants (response rate was 79%). The majority of the physicians (81%) agreed that pregnancy increases the tendency to have gingival inflammation. However, 88% of doctors advised delay dental treatment until after pregnancy. Only half (54%) thought that tooth and gums problem can affect the outcomes of pregnancy. Moreover, approximately 50% agreed with the possible association between oral health and pregnancy outcomes. Altogether, 52% agreed with the statement 'a tooth for a baby' and 57% believed that calcium will be drawn by the developing baby. If asked to advise patient to visit dentist during pregnancy, 50% said they would do so. Moreover, the majority (68%) did not advise women planning to become pregnant to include a periodontal evaluation as part of their prenatal care. About 32% felt that periodontal disease can be treated safely during pregnancy with a procedure called scaling and root planning. Reading the information in a book, magazine or pamphlet was useful and reliable information about preterm births and periodontal disease. Physicians do not routinely advise their patient to seek dental care during pregnancy. General practitioners were less informed about oral health practices on pregnant women. Issues on training need to be addressed. A public health campaign is required to educate healthcare providers to encourage pregnant women on the need for a regular dental check-up during and prior to attempting pregnancy. There is a need to educate healthcare personnel further about oral health and pregnancy outcomes. | 18,768,026 |
Massage therapy in outpatient pediatric chronic pain patients: do they facilitate significant reductions in levels of distress, pain, tension, discomfort, and mood alterations? | This study was designed to look at the efficacy of adjuvant massage therapy in children and adolescents who presented to a chronic pediatric pain clinic for management. After Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent and assent was obtained, all pediatric patients who presented to the outpatient chronic pain clinic at Children's Memorial Hospital from July 2006 to May 2007 were invited to participate in a study that offered massage therapy as an adjunct to conventional pain treatment. Patients (n = 80 sessions, 57 patients) were asked to rate their levels of distress, pain, tension, discomfort, and degree of upset mood on a scale of 1-5 (e.g. for distress 1 = very calm; 5 = very distressed) before and after massage therapy. Paired t-tests were used to compare pre- and postmassage ratings and probability values were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni procedure. After massage therapy, patients reported highly significant improvement in their levels of distress, pain, tension, discomfort, and mood compared with their premassage ratings (all t-values >6.1, ****P < 1 x 10(-8). To control for the possible effects of patients reporting improvements simply as a result of rating their symptoms, we collected control ratings before and after a comparable 'no intervention' time period in a subset of 25 patients. The 'no intervention' time period typically took place in the treatment room with the therapist present. Approximately 60% of the control ratings were obtained before the intervention and 40% were obtained after the massage therapy. None of the differences between the pre- and postratings associated with the 'no intervention' control time period were significant. In these same patients, the difference between the pre- and postmassage ratings were significant, all t-values >3.8, **P < 0.001. | 18,768,049 |
Alpinia pricei rhizome extracts induce apoptosis of human carcinoma KB cells via a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. | Alpinia pricei Hayata (A. pricei) is well known in Taiwan as a traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, the ability of ethanol (70%) extracts of A. pricei rhizome (AP extracts) to induce apoptosis in cultured human carcinoma KB cells was investigated. Treatment of KB cells with various concentrations of AP extracts (25-200 microg/mL) resulted in sequences of events marked by apoptosis, such as loss of cell viability, morphology change, and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. AP extract-induced apoptotic cell-death was associated with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c translocation, caspase-3 and -9 activation, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) degradation in KB cells. This increase in AP extract-induced apoptosis was also associated with a reduction in the levels of Bcl-2, a potent cell-death inhibitor, and an increase in levels of the Bax protein, which heterodimerizes with and thereby inhibits Bcl-2. Furthermore, AP extracts induced a dose-dependent elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in KB cells. Our findings suggest that A. pricei exerts antiproliferative action and growth inhibition on human carcinoma KB cells through a mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway. A. pricei may, therefore, have anticancer properties valuable for application in food and drug products. | 18,768,154 |
Modulation of redox status in human lung cell lines by organoselenocompounds: selenazolidines, selenomethionine, and methylseleninic acid. | Cancer prevention strategies utilizing selenium-containing compounds have demonstrated reduced cancer mortality and efficacy for some cancer types but considerable differences in cellular effects exist among the selenocompounds employed. The variability of the effects on cell viability, redox modulation, and disruption of subcellular compartments by the conventional selenium-containing amino acid, selenomethionine, the oxidized selenosugar metabolite, methylseleninic acid, and selenazolidines was investigated in A549 and BEAS-2B human lung cell lines. Selenomethionine had little effect whereas methylseleninic acid increased cellular thiols and stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. The cyclohexylselenazolidine increased mild oxidative stress in the adenocarcinoma cell line, A549, but the effects were attenuated in the normal, but virally transformed cell line, BEAS-2B. These data demonstrate that all selenocompounds are not equal and that the form of the organic selenocompound is a major determinant in the expected cellular response. | 18,768,157 |
Phylogenetic relationships of B-related phytochromes in the Brassicaceae: Redundancy and the persistence of phytochrome D. | Plants use phytochrome (phy) photoreceptors to detect and respond to changes in the quantities and proportions of red (R) and far-red (FR) light in their environments. The principal mediators of responses to R and FR in Arabidopsis thaliana are phyA and phyB, which are found in all angiosperms surveyed. The present study is concerned with a phytochrome gene pair in Arabidopsis, PHYB and PHYD, which are of relatively recent origin, share high sequence identity, and are partially redundant. Our data suggest that the duplication occurred after the mustard family (Brassicaceae) diverged from its closest relatives but before the radiation of extant Brassicaceae, and that both copies have persisted for up to 40myr. We detected no evidence of positive selection in the divergence of PHYD from PHYB; the evolution of both sequences is constrained by purifying selection. Levels of diversity at both loci are among the lowest observed at nuclear genes in A. thaliana. In common with other loci in A. thaliana, PHYB and PHYD showed elevated levels of intraspecific replacement variation, and each showed an excess of rare nucleotide polymorphisms, consistent with a recent, rapid population expansion. Our results are consistent with the functional importance of amino acid divergence in the central regions of phyB and phyD and suggest specific sites for mutagenesis that may yield insights into the functional differences of phyB and phyD. | 18,768,161 |
Structure of the O-polysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O8 containing (2S,4R)-2,4-dihydroxypentanoic acid, a new non-sugar component of bacterial glycans. | A glycerol teichoic acid-like O-polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide of Providencia alcalifaciens O8 and studied by chemical methods and NMR spectroscopy, including 2D ROESY, {(1)H,(13)C} HSQC, and HMQC-TOCSY experiments. It was found that the compound contains a new component of bacterial lipopolysaccharides: ether-linked (2S,4R)-2,4-dihydroxypentanoic acid (Dhpa), which was identified by NMR spectroscopy. The following structure of the repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: [structure: see text] | 18,768,172 |
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