title stringlengths 0 901 | abstract stringlengths 3 9.89k | PMID int64 22 25.3M | embedding listlengths 768 768 |
|---|---|---|---|
Nutrition for the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease in diabetes. | The prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetes through diet and lifestyle have been a topic of much interest over the years. Consideration of the type and amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat is required for optimal blood glucose control, for clinical outcomes related to renal function and for consideration of risk reduction for cardiovascular disease. Controversy has existed regarding the clinical significance of a protein-controlled diet, not to mention the ideal recommended intake in view of the benefits and risks. Furthermore, the level of CKD with which to implement dietary changes should also be considered. This review seeks to provide guidance and clarity concerning the nutritional management of CKD in diabetes. | 25,201,774 | [
-0.128273,
0.2875372,
-0.07083183,
0.1138096,
0.05124592,
-0.1600298,
0.1047443,
0.1914466,
0.06300799,
-0.07739371,
0.001212162,
0.04538264,
-0.224241,
-0.01942076,
-0.2384209,
-0.186022,
-0.2411598,
0.1356845,
-0.08807192,
-0.2055213,
-0.4845021,
0.3923102,
-0.2803693,
... |
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers can play a pivotal role in the diagnostic work up of primary progressive aphasia. | Three variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have been currently characterized: non fluent/agrammatic (nfv-PPA), semantic (sv-PPA), and logopenic variant (lv-PPA). lv-PPA is most commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), while nfv-PPA and sv-PPA are related to frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We aimed to determine whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-β42 (Aβ42), total tau protein (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), frequently abnormal in AD, could constitute a useful tool in the PPA diagnostic work up, in order to identify subjects with an underlying AD pathology. We measured CSF biomarker levels in a group of twenty-eight patients, fourteen lv-PPA, nine nfv-PPA, and five sv-PPA. Since there were no significant differences in any of the parameters investigated between nfv-PPA and sv-PPA, the two groups were considered as one (nfv/sv-PPA). At diagnosis, lv-PPA were older than nfv/sv-PPA patients (mean values: 70.7 versus 64.6 years, p = 0.02). CSF biomarker mean concentrations were significantly different in lv-PPA versus nfv/sv-PPA patients (p = 0.000): Aβ42 350.64 versus 661.64 ng/L; tau 631.21 versus 232.71 ng/L; p-tau 101 versus 38.21 ng/L. According to the recent AD diagnostic criteria, (Cummings et al., 2013) eleven lv-PPA and only one nfv/sv-PPA showed a liquoral pattern typical for AD. Finally lv-PPA had CSF biomarker levels very similar to a sample of 72 AD patients from our Department. Our data showed that CSF biomarkers can easily and reliably detect those patients with language disorders due to an underlying AD pathology, thus offering the possibility of targeted therapeutic interventions. However, because of the small sample size, such analyses should be reproduced in larger populations of patients to confirm our data. | 25,201,781 | [
-0.279991,
0.2644733,
0.2588276,
-0.2911453,
0.2060703,
-0.4422649,
0.02664599,
0.1873077,
-0.09666984,
0.428868,
-0.03836017,
0.3932008,
-0.14804,
-0.1862595,
-0.1604708,
-0.1335696,
0.07630618,
0.1499546,
-0.1768674,
0.02083679,
0.1165135,
0.1658682,
-0.2800019,
-0.11... |
The impact of cognitive reserve on brain functional connectivity in Alzheimer's disease. | One factor believed to impact brain resilience to the pathological damage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the so-called "cognitive reserve" (CR). A critical issue that still needs to be fully understood is the mechanism by which environmental enrichment interacts with brain plasticity to determine resilience to AD pathology. Previous work using PET suggests that increased brain connectivity might be at the origin of the compensatory mechanisms implicated in this process. This study aims to further clarify this issue using resting-state functional MRI. Resting-state functional MRI was collected for 11 patients with AD, 18 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 16 healthy controls, and analyzed to isolate the default mode network (DMN). A quantitative score of CR was obtained by combining information about number of years of education and type of schools attended. Consistent with previous reports, education was found to modulate functional connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex, whose disconnection with the temporal lobes is known to be critical for the conversion from MCI to AD. This effect was highly significant in AD patients, less so in patients with MCI, and absent in healthy subjects. These findings show the potential neural mechanisms underlying the individual's ability to cope with brain damage, although they should be treated with some caution based on small numbers. | 25,201,783 | [
-0.1770514,
0.3365691,
0.4835215,
-0.07513986,
0.06445997,
-0.01483967,
0.06988058,
-0.0419668,
0.1426659,
0.5840896,
-0.2164771,
-0.0006099354,
-0.2112077,
-0.2460311,
-0.5131747,
0.164421,
-0.06201563,
0.4303705,
-0.09519249,
0.0948642,
-0.1210788,
0.18601,
0.154216,
... |
Asthma and food allergy management in Chicago Public Schools. | This study aimed to characterize asthma and food allergy reporting and management in Chicago Public Schools. Demographic and health data for students who have asthma and food allergy were extracted from the Chicago Public Schools database. Demographic and geographic variability and the existence of school health management plans were analyzed, and multiple logistic regression models were computed. Home addresses were geocoded to create maps of case counts per community area. Approximately 18,000 asthmatic and 4000 food allergic students were identified. Of asthmatic students, 9.3% had a food allergy; of food allergic students, 40.1% had asthma. Asthma odds were significantly higher among black and Hispanic students (odds ratio [OR] = 2.3 and 1.3, respectively), whereas food allergy odds were significantly higher among black students (OR = 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.3) and significantly lower among Hispanic students (OR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.9). Only 24.3% of students who had asthma and 50.9% of students who had food allergy had a school health management plan on file. Odds of having a school health management plan were significantly higher among students with both conditions, but the likelihood of having a plan on file was significantly lower among racial/ethnic minority and low-income students, regardless of medical condition. Only 1 in 4 students who have asthma and half of food allergic students have health management plans in schools, with lower numbers among minority and low-income students. Improving chronic disease reporting and access to school health management plans is critical. | 25,201,791 | [
-0.2868185,
-0.108617,
0.00336577,
-0.01078,
0.005028805,
-0.07737868,
-0.289429,
0.2335833,
0.04728606,
-0.2059581,
0.2417272,
0.1371815,
-0.05807966,
-0.1537233,
0.063319,
-0.01267348,
0.2089766,
0.344256,
0.156156,
-0.431943,
-0.4127075,
0.2954415,
-0.05548297,
0.228... |
Analysis of the reports of high-level commissions that have comprehensively reviewed US public policy on brain death. | The notion of brain death from its inception has not been uniformly understood with many grisly conceptions of it as it pertains to reliability and to organ donation. Accordingly, the aforementioned recitation of statutes and commission reports has served a useful societal role in addressing controversies and misconceptions while promulgating unifying foundational concepts and guidance in practical translation to clinical practice. There is clearly a consensus that statutory uniformity across jurisdictions is important and that there are two ways to define death. The first is the traditional cardiopulmonary criteria of cessation of cardiac function and breathing. The second is through established procedures to reliably determine the presence of total brain death with the presence of a comatose state which is irreversible. Another common thread through the ethically focused reports has been recognition that organ donation and death are temporally and geographically associated but there is emphasis that the processes of determination of death(by somatic or cerebral criteria) must be logically, ethically, and procedurally separate from the procedures for performing organ harvesting and transplantation. | 25,201,808 | [
-0.1290243,
0.1789199,
-0.07372198,
-0.4223134,
0.4918336,
-0.1186064,
-0.1559648,
-0.111064,
-0.1949825,
0.05238427,
-0.06536905,
0.1041515,
-0.1850371,
0.1055359,
-0.1110221,
0.08259718,
-0.1414179,
-0.03580511,
0.02033015,
0.03952356,
0.002201411,
0.5205125,
-0.1009417... |
Prolonged mechanical ventilation in Canadian intensive care units: a national survey. | We sought to describe prevalence and care practices for patients experiencing prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV), defined as ventilation for 21 or more consecutive days and medical stability. We provided the survey to eligible units via secure Web link to a nominated unit champion from April to November 2012. Weekly telephone and e-mail reminders were sent for 6 weeks. Response rate was 215 (90%) of 238 units identifying 308 patients requiring PMV on the survey day occupying 11% of all Canadian ventilator-capable beds. Most units (81%) used individualized plans for both weaning and mobilization. Weaning and mobilization protocols were available in 48% and 38% of units, respectively. Of those units with protocols, only 25% reported weaning guidance specific to PMV, and 11% reported mobilization content for PMV. Only 30% of units used specialized mobility equipment. Most units referred to speech language pathologists (88%); use of communication technology was infrequent (11%). Only 29% routinely referred to psychiatry/psychology, and 17% had formal discharge follow-up services. Prolonged mechanical ventilation patients occupied 11% of Canadian acute care ventilator bed capacity. Most units preferred an individualized approach to weaning and mobilization with considerable variation in weaning methods, protocol availability, access to specialized rehabilitation equipment, communication technology, psychiatry, and discharge follow-up. | 25,201,807 | [
-0.08036349,
0.1762438,
0.1681462,
-0.5461775,
0.2185971,
-0.1068035,
-0.0782664,
0.04167181,
-0.1082347,
0.1132168,
0.1563238,
-0.1676223,
-0.1779883,
0.06078656,
0.5447631,
0.1286823,
-0.06620812,
0.1299344,
0.2008329,
-0.4526311,
-0.05991989,
-0.03056694,
-0.036961,
... |
A prospective investigation of factors that predict desistance from recidivism for adolescents who have sexually offended. | Current approaches to violence risk assessment are focused on the identification of factors that are predictive of future violence rather than factors that predict desistance. This is also true for the popular tools designed to predict adolescent sexual recidivism. Research on strengths-based variables with adolescents who have sexually offended that could serve a protective function is only recently underway. In the current prospective study, scores from clinician-completed assessments using the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR) and the parent-completed form of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2) were evaluated in a sample of 81 adolescent males with at least one sexual offense. As expected, the ERASOR was significantly correlated with sexual recidivism over an average 3.5-year follow-up. In terms of a protective function, the Affective Strength scale of the BERS-2 was significantly negatively correlated with sexual recidivism, although it did not have incremental validity over and above the ERASOR. The BERS-2 School Functioning scale was significantly negatively correlated with nonsexual recidivism. The results are discussed in terms of previous findings and theoretical work on attachment in sexual offending behavior and implications for risk assessment practice. | 25,201,880 | [
0.07509647,
0.1560569,
-0.04091658,
-0.2544068,
0.04317833,
-0.3183742,
0.00231959,
0.005352267,
-0.1792111,
-0.06886566,
-0.02835791,
-0.2630873,
-0.1230105,
-0.09149487,
-0.6279256,
-0.1488013,
-0.309843,
0.4906405,
0.3822596,
-0.08960175,
-0.05373873,
0.03391608,
-0.41... |
Polymyalgia rheumatica: 125 years of progress? | On the 125th anniversary of the first recognised publication on polymyalgia rheumatica, a review of the literature was undertaken to assess what progress has been made from the point of view of the clinical care of affected patients. The authors searched Medline and PubMed using the search terms 'polymyalgia rheumatica', 'giant cell arteritis' and 'temporal arteritis'. As much as possible, efforts were made to focus on studies where polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis were treated as separate entities. The selection of articles was influenced by the authors' bias that polymyalgia rheumatica is a separate clinical condition from giant cell arteritis and that, as yet, the diagnosis is a clinical one. Apart from the elevation of circulating acute phase proteins, which has been recognised as a feature of polymyalgia rheumatica for over 60 years, the diagnosis receives no significant help from the laboratory or from diagnostic imaging. This review has shown that, following the recognition of polymyalgia as a distinct clinical problem of the elderly, the results of a considerable amount of research efforts including those using the advances in clinical imaging technology over the past 60 years, have done little to change the ability of clinicians to define the disease more accurately. Since the introduction of corticosteroids in the 1950s, there has been also very little change in the clinical management of the condition. Polymyalgia rheumatica remains a clinical enigma, and its relationship to giant cell arteritis is no clearer now than it has been for the past 125 years. Diagnosing this disease is still almost exclusively dependent on the clinical acumen of a patient's medical attendant. Until an objective method of identifying it clearly in the clinical setting is available, uncovering the aetiology is still unlikely, and until then, preventing the pain and stiffness of the disease while avoiding the problems of prolonged exoposure to corticosteroids is likely to remain elusive or serendipitous. | 25,201,885 | [
-0.08569619,
-0.04535256,
-0.06228437,
-0.3575994,
-0.1411819,
-0.05106758,
0.09919121,
0.431899,
0.1214353,
-0.1801751,
-0.02581065,
-0.109482,
0.07181105,
-0.1327409,
-0.2759465,
-0.03942377,
-0.2183569,
0.1602289,
-0.2323157,
0.3681245,
0.0022277,
0.02703199,
-0.287011... |
Remigration of migrants with severe disease: myth or reality?--a register-based cohort study. | 'Remigration bias' is often referred to when explaining low mortality outcomes among migrants compared with local-born. The hypothesis suggests that severely ill migrants tend to return to their country of origin, but it has hitherto not been tested in a large-scale epidemiological study. Consequently, we studied whether migrants with severe disease were more likely to emigrate compared with migrants without severe disease. A historic prospective cohort study was conducted based on all adult refugees and family reunification immigrants (n = 114,331) who obtained residence permission in Denmark between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2010. Migrants with severe disease were identified through the Danish National Patient Register. Emigrations during follow-up (1 January 1993 to 31 December 2011) were identified using the Danish Civil Registration System. Hazard ratios were calculated for emigration among migrants with different levels of disease severity, adjusting for sex, age and income. Results showed progressively fewer emigrations with increasing disease severity. Migrants with low (HR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.80-1.06), moderate (HR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.67-1.06) and high (HR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.55-0.90) disease severity had fewer emigrations to 'country of origin' compared with migrants without disease. For emigration to 'any country', results likewise showed fewer emigrations among migrants with low (HR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.78-0.95), moderate (HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62-0.87) and high (HR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.53-0.76) disease severity. This tendency was also observed by nationality and migrant status. On the disease-specific level, no uniform tendencies in emigration patterns were identified. The results do not generally support the hypothesis of 'remigration bias' but rather suggest the opposite. Accordingly, remigration bias does not appear to explain lower mortality of migrants. | 25,201,902 | [
-0.3752554,
-0.1661651,
-0.2841558,
-0.1108383,
0.06899703,
-0.2303364,
0.01471872,
-0.02059924,
-0.3803749,
-0.2219643,
0.05695577,
-0.1819227,
0.1299412,
0.02336538,
0.1437088,
-0.08928713,
-0.2473652,
0.4035713,
-0.3078782,
-0.1465087,
-0.01766994,
0.3789863,
-0.207923... |
Effects of bioactive cements incorporating zinc-bioglass nanoparticles on odontogenic and angiogenic potential of human dental pulp cells. | The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of bioactive calcium phosphate cements (CPC, α-tricalcium phosphate-based) incorporating zinc-bioglass (ZnBG) on the odontogenic differentiation and angiogenesis of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). BGs with varying concentrations of Zn (0, 2.5 and 5%) were produced via a sol-gel process. The proliferation of HDPCs on CPC/BGs was determined by MTS assay. Alizarin red staining, RT-PCR, and ALP activity were used to assess odontogenic differentiation, and western blot analysis was used to asses signaling pathways. In vitro angiogenesis was examined via mRNA expression of angiogenic genes and tubule formation. All cement formulations showed no cytotoxicity. The CPCs with ZnBG showed increased ALP activity, enhanced formation of mineralized nodules, and upregulated mRNA expression of DMP-1, DSPP, Runx2, and osterix in a time- and dose-dependent manner, relative to CPCs without Zn. ZnBG upregulated integrins α1, α2, β1, and β3 and activated integrin downstream signal pathways, such as p-FAK, p-Akt, p-paxillin, RhoA, MAPK, and NF-κB, as well as canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling. In addition, ZnBG upregulated VEGF mRNA in HDPCs and increased the tubular structure in endothelial cells. Our results demonstrate that ZnBG incorporated within CPCs activates odontogenic differentiation and promotes angiogenesis in vitro through integrin, Wnt, MAPK, and NF-κB pathways. Thus, CPCs incorporating ZnBG are promising matrices in tissue engineering to stimulate endodontic regeneration. | 25,201,908 | [
-0.1221378,
0.4883197,
-0.227627,
-0.07997414,
-0.3121735,
-0.4094355,
-0.2977954,
0.1412042,
-0.07462276,
0.06603414,
-0.01701753,
0.1972607,
-0.5153673,
-0.1818313,
-0.6662179,
-0.1815385,
-0.2188625,
0.1359441,
-0.02532861,
0.2196383,
0.4302274,
0.4026466,
-0.005143914... |
Microbacter margulisiae gen. nov., sp. nov., a propionigenic bacterium isolated from sediments of an acid rock drainage pond. | A novel anaerobic propionigenic bacterium, strain ADRI(T), was isolated from sediment of an acid rock drainage environment (Tinto River, Spain). Cells were small (0.4-0.6×1-1.7 µm), non-motile and non-spore-forming rods. Cells possessed a Gram-negative cell-wall structure and were vancomycin-resistant. Strain ADRI(T) utilized yeast extract and various sugars as substrates and formed propionate, lactate and acetate as major fermentation products. The optimum growth temperature was 30 °C and the optimum pH for growth was pH 6.5, but strain ADRI(T) was able to grow at a pH as low as 3.0. Oxidase, indole formation, and urease and catalase activities were negative. Aesculin and gelatin were hydrolysed. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain ADRI(T) were anteiso-C15 : 0 (30.3 %), iso-C15 : 0 (29.2 %) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (14.9 %). Major menaquinones were MK-8 (52 %) and MK-9 (48 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 39.9 mol%. Phylogenetically, strain ADRI(T) was affiliated to the family Porphyromonadaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes. The most closely related cultured species were Paludibacter propionicigenes with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 87.5 % and several species of the genus Dysgonomonas (similarities of 83.5-85.4 % to the type strains). Based on the distinctive ecological, phenotypic and phylogenetic characteristics of strain ADRI(T), a novel genus and species, Microbacter margulisiae gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is ADRI(T) ( = JCM 19374(T) = DSM 27471(T)). | 25,201,913 | [
-0.2294128,
-0.1643831,
0.2063806,
-0.07424034,
-0.4230622,
-0.07547939,
-0.1160313,
-0.03234702,
0.2754341,
-0.3278352,
-0.1660893,
-0.2613639,
-0.008518529,
0.1089864,
-0.2715367,
-0.04945279,
-0.2641306,
0.3887533,
0.3044606,
0.3009504,
0.3156795,
-0.07087795,
-0.11420... |
Tissue-engineering-based strategies for regenerative endodontics. | Stemming from in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical and human models, tissue-engineering-based strategies continue to demonstrate great potential for the regeneration of the pulp-dentin complex, particularly in necrotic, immature permanent teeth. Nanofibrous scaffolds, which closely resemble the native extracellular matrix, have been successfully synthesized by various techniques, including but not limited to electrospinning. A common goal in scaffold synthesis has been the notion of promoting cell guidance through the careful design and use of a collection of biochemical and physical cues capable of governing and stimulating specific events at the cellular and tissue levels. The latest advances in processing technologies allow for the fabrication of scaffolds where selected bioactive molecules can be delivered locally, thus increasing the possibilities for clinical success. Though electrospun scaffolds have not yet been tested in vivo in either human or animal pulpless models in immature permanent teeth, recent studies have highlighted their regenerative potential both from an in vitro and in vivo (i.e., subcutaneous model) standpoint. Possible applications for these bioactive scaffolds continue to evolve, with significant prospects related to the regeneration of both dentin and pulp tissue and, more recently, to root canal disinfection. Nonetheless, no single implantable scaffold can consistently guide the coordinated growth and development of the multiple tissue types involved in the functional regeneration of the pulp-dentin complex. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive perspective on the latest discoveries related to the use of scaffolds and/or stem cells in regenerative endodontics. The authors focused this review on bioactive nanofibrous scaffolds, injectable scaffolds and stem cells, and pre-clinical findings using stem-cell-based strategies. These topics are discussed in detail in an attempt to provide future direction and to shed light on their potential translation to clinical settings. | 25,201,917 | [
-0.2070559,
0.09606601,
-0.09496073,
0.316485,
-0.03815291,
-0.4003689,
-0.09750195,
0.2695009,
0.1499553,
0.06532755,
-0.03787932,
-0.1909844,
-0.1800345,
-0.04564311,
-0.3242938,
-0.1171081,
-0.1865452,
-0.153625,
-0.2154072,
-0.211163,
0.1212762,
0.1579686,
-0.1027331,... |
Treatment outcomes among people living with HIV who are food insecure and prescribed antiretrovirals taken with food. | Food insecurity is a known barrier to medication adherence among people living with HIV. Antiretroviral therapies (ART) that require food likely pose added challenges to patients who do not have reliable access to food. This study examines the health implications of prescribing ART that requires food to patients who are food insecure. A community sample of 538 men and 221 women currently taking ART to treat their HIV infection completed computerized interviews, biweekly unannounced pill count adherence assessments, and obtained their HIV RNA (viral load) and CD4 cell count from medical records. Sixty-three percent of participants experienced at least 1 indicator of food insecurity during the previous month, of which 274 (57%) were prescribed an ART regimen that requires food. Among participants who were food insecure, individuals taking ART requiring food indicated significantly greater HIV symptoms, had lower CD4 cell counts, and poorer HIV suppression. For participants who were food secure, those taking ART that requires food were significantly less adherent than those whose ART regimen does not require food. People living with HIV who experience food insecurity are significantly more likely to be prescribed ART regimens that require food and experience poorer treatment outcomes. Determination of optimal ART regimens should take patient access to food into account and treatment guidelines should explicitly highlight the importance of food access in selecting ART regimens. | 25,201,921 | [
-0.2522206,
0.04222228,
-0.0342105,
-0.06420951,
0.1765629,
0.01303157,
-0.004874219,
0.2765436,
0.3620917,
-0.1098102,
0.168179,
0.1418222,
-0.1083029,
0.07480779,
-0.2864259,
-0.1151092,
-0.3099106,
0.3430847,
-0.3092344,
0.01335705,
-0.4243185,
0.04837902,
-0.2003309,
... |
Assembling flagella in Salmonella mutant strains producing a type III export apparatus without FliO. | The type III export apparatus of the Salmonella flagellum consists of six transmembrane proteins (FlhA, FlhB, FliO, FliP, FliQ, and FliR) and three soluble proteins (FliH, FliI, and FliJ). Deletion of the fliO gene creates a mutant strain that is poorly motile; however, suppressor mutations in the fliP gene can partially rescue motility. To further understand the mechanism of suppression of a fliO deletion mutation, we isolated new suppressor mutant strains with partially rescued motility. Whole-genome sequence analysis of these strains found a missense mutation that localized to the clpP gene [clpP(V20F)], which encodes the ClpP subunit of the ClpXP protease, and a synonymous mutation that localized to the fliA gene [fliA(+36T→C)], which encodes the flagellar sigma factor, σ(28). Combining these suppressor mutations with mutations in the fliP gene additively rescued motility and biosynthesis of the flagella in fliO deletion mutant strains. Motility was also rescued by an flgM deletion mutation or by plasmids carrying either the flhDC or fliA gene. The fliA(+36T→C) mutation increased mRNA translation of a fliA'-lacZ gene fusion, and immunoblot analysis revealed that the mutation increased levels of σ(28). Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR showed that either the clpP(V20F) or fliA(+36T→C) mutation rescued expression of class 3 flagellar and chemotaxis genes; still, the suppressor mutations in the fliP gene had a greater effect on bypassing the loss of fliO function. This suggests that the function of FliO is closely associated with regulation of FliP during assembly of the flagellum. | 25,201,947 | [
-0.256123,
0.2211124,
-0.2619197,
-0.2910528,
0.192768,
-0.3037977,
-0.08017966,
0.01407044,
0.1536114,
-0.1666185,
0.2591988,
0.09329976,
-0.2031288,
0.08429582,
-0.1692126,
-0.03717072,
-0.240769,
-0.04202962,
-0.2085264,
-0.05121379,
0.1339638,
0.114296,
-0.1048958,
... |
Myosins XI modulate host cellular responses and penetration resistance to fungal pathogens. | The rapid reorganization and polarization of actin filaments (AFs) toward the pathogen penetration site is one of the earliest cellular responses, yet the regulatory mechanism of AF dynamics is poorly understood. Using live-cell imaging in Arabidopsis, we show that polarization coupled with AF bundling involves precise spatiotemporal control at the site of attempted penetration by the nonadapted barley powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). We further show that the Bgh-triggered AF mobility and organelle aggregation are predominately driven by the myosin motor proteins. Inactivation of myosins by pharmacological inhibitors prevents bulk aggregation of organelles and blocks recruitment of lignin-like compounds to the penetration site and deposition of callose and defensive protein, PENETRATION 1 (PEN1) into the apoplastic papillae, resulting in attenuation of penetration resistance. Using gene knockout analysis, we demonstrate that highly expressed myosins XI, especially myosin XI-K, are the primary contributors to cell wall-mediated penetration resistance. Moreover, the quadruple myosin knockout mutant xi-1 xi-2 xi-i xi-k displays impaired trafficking pathway responsible for the accumulation of PEN1 at the cell periphery. Strikingly, this mutant shows not only increased penetration rate but also enhanced overall disease susceptibility to both adapted and nonadapted fungal pathogens. Our findings establish myosins XI as key regulators of plant antifungal immunity. | 25,201,952 | [
0.2027604,
-0.2560997,
0.02933064,
-0.1396568,
0.2978321,
-0.0509585,
0.3187515,
-0.08527705,
0.05476294,
0.05409157,
-0.07511628,
0.3881357,
-0.1363941,
0.1528664,
-0.4854107,
0.08197175,
-0.4453953,
0.3372881,
-0.3402292,
-0.1467327,
0.5381011,
0.4112302,
-0.1113689,
... |
Virus infection triggers widespread silencing of host genes by a distinct class of endogenous siRNAs in Arabidopsis. | Antiviral immunity controlled by RNA interference (RNAi) in plants and animals is thought to specifically target only viral RNAs by the virus-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Here we show that activation of antiviral RNAi in Arabidopsis plants is accompanied by the production of an abundant class of endogenous siRNAs mapped to the exon regions of more than 1,000 host genes and rRNA. These virus-activated siRNAs (vasiRNAs) are predominantly 21 nucleotides long with an approximately equal ratio of sense and antisense strands. Genetically, vasiRNAs are distinct from the known plant endogenous siRNAs characterized to date and instead resemble viral siRNAs by requiring Dicer-like 4 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 1 (RDR1) for biogenesis. However, loss of exoribonuclease4/thylene-insensitive5 enhances vasiRNA biogenesis and virus resistance without altering the biogenesis of viral siRNAs. We show that vasiRNAs are active in directing widespread silencing of the target host genes and that Argonaute-2 binds to and is essential for the silencing activity of vasiRNAs. Production of vasiRNAs is readily detectable in Arabidopsis after infection by viruses from two distinct supergroups of plant RNA virus families and is targeted for inhibition by the silencing suppressor protein 2b of Cucumber mosaic virus. These findings reveal RDR1 production of Arabidopsis endogenous siRNAs and identify production of vasiRNAs to direct widespread silencing of host genes as a conserved response of plants to infection by diverse viruses. A possible function for vasiRNAs to confer broad-spectrum antiviral activity distinct to the virus-specific antiviral RNAi by viral siRNAs is discussed. | 25,201,959 | [
0.1624006,
0.230667,
-0.1463224,
-0.02836554,
0.2061464,
-0.05918974,
-0.03769343,
0.08452829,
0.08968185,
-0.05181559,
-0.04603357,
0.2352719,
-0.1299008,
-0.03918424,
-0.2318126,
-0.07450206,
-0.3801096,
0.2154955,
0.3077364,
-0.001280481,
0.2890628,
0.3898361,
-0.12675... |
Role of cavities and hydration in the pressure unfolding of T4 lysozyme. | It is well known that high hydrostatic pressures can induce the unfolding of proteins. The physical underpinnings of this phenomenon have been investigated extensively but remain controversial. Changes in solvation energetics have been commonly proposed as a driving force for pressure-induced unfolding. Recently, the elimination of void volumes in the native folded state has been argued to be the principal determinant. Here we use the cavity-containing L99A mutant of T4 lysozyme to examine the pressure-induced destabilization of this multidomain protein by using solution NMR spectroscopy. The cavity-containing C-terminal domain completely unfolds at moderate pressures, whereas the N-terminal domain remains largely structured to pressures as high as 2.5 kbar. The sensitivity to pressure is suppressed by the binding of benzene to the hydrophobic cavity. These results contrast to the pseudo-WT protein, which has a residual cavity volume very similar to that of the L99A-benzene complex but shows extensive subglobal reorganizations with pressure. Encapsulation of the L99A mutant in the aqueous nanoscale core of a reverse micelle is used to examine the hydration of the hydrophobic cavity. The confined space effect of encapsulation suppresses the pressure-induced unfolding transition and allows observation of the filling of the cavity with water at elevated pressures. This indicates that hydration of the hydrophobic cavity is more energetically unfavorable than global unfolding. Overall, these observations point to a range of cooperativity and energetics within the T4 lysozyme molecule and illuminate the fact that small changes in physical parameters can significantly alter the pressure sensitivity of proteins. | 25,201,963 | [
0.01461803,
-0.01775953,
-0.2048365,
-0.07360251,
-0.2168303,
-0.28625,
0.1785723,
-0.1217331,
0.114237,
-0.1095742,
-0.1120391,
-0.02327577,
-0.06375508,
0.1208281,
-0.3405041,
0.2764269,
-0.1934004,
-0.09501219,
-0.1834149,
-0.07381883,
0.02972244,
0.1582983,
0.03255499... |
Phosphatidylethanolamine deficiency disrupts α-synuclein homeostasis in yeast and worm models of Parkinson disease. | Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase, which is embedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane, synthesizes phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and, in some cells, synthesizes the majority of this important phospholipid. Normal levels of PE can decline with age in the brain. Here we used yeast and worms to test the hypothesis that low levels of PE alter the homeostasis of the Parkinson disease-associated protein α-synuclein (α-syn). In yeast, low levels of PE in the phosphatidylserine decarboxylase deletion mutant (psd1Δ) cause decreased respiration, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a defect in the trafficking of the uracil permease, α-syn accumulation and foci, and a slow growth phenotype. Supplemental ethanolamine (ETA), which can be converted to PE via the Kennedy pathway enzymes in the ER, had no effect on respiration, whereas, in contrast, this metabolite partially eliminated ER stress, decreased α-syn foci formation, and restored growth close to that of wild-type cells. In Caenorhabditis elegans, RNAi depletion of phosphatidylserine decarboxylase in dopaminergic neurons expressing α-syn accelerates neurodegeneration, which supplemental ETA rescues. ETA fails to rescue this degeneration in worms that undergo double RNAi depletion of phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (psd-1) and choline/ETA phosphotransferase (cept-1), which encodes the last enzyme in the CDP-ETA Kennedy pathway. This finding suggests that ETA exerts its protective effect by boosting PE through the Kennedy pathway. Overall, a low level of PE causes ER stress, disrupts vesicle trafficking, and causes α-syn to accumulate; such cells likely die from a combination of ER stress and excessive accumulation of α-syn. | 25,201,965 | [
-0.2487913,
-0.3522213,
-0.0007717538,
-0.07875455,
0.245559,
-0.2084043,
0.1872539,
-0.1943685,
0.2657433,
-0.07041769,
-0.01845443,
0.07246195,
-0.00739339,
0.4265056,
-0.2302857,
0.1704705,
-0.541039,
-0.1220468,
0.1660026,
-0.08748264,
-0.03537682,
0.3424803,
-0.01371... |
Collapse of an ecological network in Ancient Egypt. | The dynamics of ecosystem collapse are fundamental to determining how and why biological communities change through time, as well as the potential effects of extinctions on ecosystems. Here, we integrate depictions of mammals from Egyptian antiquity with direct lines of paleontological and archeological evidence to infer local extinctions and community dynamics over a 6,000-y span. The unprecedented temporal resolution of this dataset enables examination of how the tandem effects of human population growth and climate change can disrupt mammalian communities. We show that the extinctions of mammals in Egypt were nonrandom and that destabilizing changes in community composition coincided with abrupt aridification events and the attendant collapses of some complex societies. We also show that the roles of species in a community can change over time and that persistence is predicted by measures of species sensitivity, a function of local dynamic stability. To our knowledge, our study is the first high-resolution analysis of the ecological impacts of environmental change on predator-prey networks over millennial timescales and sheds light on the historical events that have shaped modern animal communities. | 25,201,967 | [
0.2161978,
-0.1254622,
0.01577596,
0.1041712,
0.08475074,
-0.1000994,
-0.441735,
0.05275537,
0.4038552,
-0.3427636,
-0.3227031,
-0.1500049,
-0.1300905,
0.1161181,
-0.4580835,
-0.07024444,
-0.2248213,
0.2639965,
0.05596265,
0.06296873,
0.01610972,
0.1862557,
-0.3126905,
... |
Molecular basis for the recognition of methylated adenines in RNA by the eukaryotic YTH domain. | Methylation of the N6 position of selected internal adenines (m(6)A) in mRNAs and noncoding RNAs is widespread in eukaryotes, and the YTH domain in a collection of proteins recognizes this modification. We report the crystal structure of the splicing factor YT521-B homology (YTH) domain of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii MRB1 in complex with a heptaribonucleotide with an m(6)A residue in the center. The m(6)A modification is recognized by an aromatic cage, being sandwiched between a Trp and Tyr residue and with the methyl group pointed toward another Trp residue. Mutations of YTH domain residues in the RNA binding site can abolish the formation of the complex, confirming the structural observations. These residues are conserved in the human YTH proteins that also bind m(6)A RNA, suggesting a conserved mode of recognition. Overall, our structural and biochemical studies have defined the molecular basis for how the YTH domain functions as a reader of methylated adenines. | 25,201,973 | [
0.04627886,
0.09054442,
-0.01278041,
-0.3553721,
-0.06710527,
-0.004457376,
-0.128685,
0.08651949,
0.1278503,
-0.2595834,
0.2013447,
-0.08049009,
-0.08734051,
0.03368973,
-0.4622512,
0.1404107,
-0.2793634,
0.1004302,
0.3072691,
-0.09895923,
0.5468952,
0.4491821,
-0.166277... |
Maturation of cortical circuits requires Semaphorin 7A. | Abnormal cortical circuits underlie some cognitive and psychiatric disorders, yet the molecular signals that generate normal cortical networks remain poorly understood. Semaphorin 7A (Sema7A) is an atypical member of the semaphorin family that is GPI-linked, expressed principally postnatally, and enriched in sensory cortex. Significantly, SEMA7A is deleted in individuals with 15q24 microdeletion syndrome, characterized by developmental delay, autism, and sensory perceptual deficits. We studied the role that Sema7A plays in establishing functional cortical circuitry in mouse somatosensory barrel cortex. We found that Sema7A is expressed in spiny stellate cells and GABAergic interneurons and that its absence disrupts barrel cytoarchitecture, reduces asymmetrical orientation of spiny stellate cell dendrites, and functionally impairs thalamocortically evoked synaptic responses, with reduced feed-forward GABAergic inhibition. These data identify Sema7A as a regulator of thalamocortical and local circuit development in layer 4 and provide a molecular handle that can be used to explore the coordinated generation of excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits. | 25,201,975 | [
-0.07844005,
-0.09177317,
-0.312308,
-0.2530538,
0.2218928,
-0.1869976,
-0.2684896,
-0.001451917,
0.05945013,
-0.1018411,
-0.1110862,
0.1931377,
-0.218549,
-0.1678066,
0.04027625,
0.07415681,
-0.713093,
-0.0779438,
-0.2184345,
-0.1646204,
0.1196592,
0.4106052,
0.1855593,
... |
Neural mechanism of optimal limb coordination in crustacean swimming. | A fundamental challenge in neuroscience is to understand how biologically salient motor behaviors emerge from properties of the underlying neural circuits. Crayfish, krill, prawns, lobsters, and other long-tailed crustaceans swim by rhythmically moving limbs called swimmerets. Over the entire biological range of animal size and paddling frequency, movements of adjacent swimmerets maintain an approximate quarter-period phase difference with the more posterior limbs leading the cycle. We use a computational fluid dynamics model to show that this frequency-invariant stroke pattern is the most effective and mechanically efficient paddling rhythm across the full range of biologically relevant Reynolds numbers in crustacean swimming. We then show that the organization of the neural circuit underlying swimmeret coordination provides a robust mechanism for generating this stroke pattern. Specifically, the wave-like limb coordination emerges robustly from a combination of the half-center structure of the local central pattern generating circuits (CPGs) that drive the movements of each limb, the asymmetric network topology of the connections between local CPGs, and the phase response properties of the local CPGs, which we measure experimentally. Thus, the crustacean swimmeret system serves as a concrete example in which the architecture of a neural circuit leads to optimal behavior in a robust manner. Furthermore, we consider all possible connection topologies between local CPGs and show that the natural connectivity pattern generates the biomechanically optimal stroke pattern most robustly. Given the high metabolic cost of crustacean swimming, our results suggest that natural selection has pushed the swimmeret neural circuit toward a connection topology that produces optimal behavior. | 25,201,976 | [
-0.1187879,
0.3035996,
-0.4425395,
-0.09743354,
-0.0283956,
-0.3681269,
-0.3800588,
0.2381526,
0.2877743,
0.02629186,
-0.328565,
-0.1566876,
-0.269535,
-0.2174237,
0.1120205,
0.05298725,
-0.2530316,
0.1918068,
-0.01905482,
0.2035113,
-0.05572275,
-0.02948976,
-0.1337175,
... |
Structural analysis of glucuronoxylan-specific Xyn30D and its attached CBM35 domain gives insights into the role of modularity in specificity. | Glucuronoxylanase Xyn30D is a modular enzyme containing a family 30 glycoside hydrolase catalytic domain and an attached carbohydrate binding module of the CBM35 family. We present here the three-dimensional structure of the full-length Xyn30D at 2.4 Å resolution. The catalytic domain folds into an (α/β)8 barrel with an associated β-structure, whereas the attached CBM35 displays a jellyroll β-sandwich including two calcium ions. Although both domains fold in an independent manner, the linker region makes polar interactions with the catalytic domain, allowing a moderate flexibility. The ancillary Xyn30D-CBM35 domain has been expressed and crystallized, and its binding abilities have been investigated by soaking experiments. Only glucuronic acid-containing ligands produced complexes, and their structures have been solved. A calcium-dependent glucuronic acid binding site shows distinctive structural features as compared with other uronic acid-specific CBM35s, because the presence of two aromatic residues delineates a wider pocket. The nonconserved Glu(129) makes a bidentate link to calcium and defines region E, previously identified as specificity hot spot. The molecular surface of Xyn30D-CBM35 shows a unique stretch of negative charge distribution extending from its binding pocket that might indicate some oriented interaction with its target substrate. The binding ability of Xyn30D-CBM35 to different xylans was analyzed by affinity gel electrophoresis. Some binding was observed with rye glucuronoarabinoxylan in presence of calcium chelating EDTA, which would indicate that Xyn30D-CBM35 might establish interaction to other components of xylan, such as arabinose decorations of glucuronoarabinoxylan. A role in depolymerization of highly substituted chemically complex xylans is proposed. | 25,202,007 | [
0.1934969,
0.2595456,
-0.04495148,
0.1760995,
-0.2512216,
-0.1690259,
0.02914541,
0.2272094,
0.1939304,
0.2210373,
-0.05549585,
0.06276876,
-0.1075146,
-0.2128332,
-0.5722787,
0.2585548,
-0.4981034,
0.1104766,
0.08549967,
-0.0887128,
0.5517401,
0.4325907,
-0.0187208,
0.... |
Osmotic stress-induced phosphorylation of H2AX by polo-like kinase 3 affects cell cycle progression in human corneal epithelial cells. | Increased concentrations of extracellular solutes affect cell function and fate by stimulating cellular responses, such as evoking MAPK cascades, altering cell cycle progression, and causing apoptosis. Our study results here demonstrate that hyperosmotic stress induced H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX) by an unrevealed kinase cascade involving polo-like kinase 3 (Plk3) in human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. We found that hyperosmotic stress induced DNA-double strand breaks and increased γH2AX in HCE cells. Phosphorylation of H2AX at serine 139 was catalyzed by hyperosmotic stress-induced activation of Plk3. Plk3 directly interacted with H2AX and was colocalized with γH2AX in the nuclei of hyperosmotic stress-induced cells. Suppression of Plk3 activity by overexpression of a kinase-silencing mutant or by knocking down Plk3 mRNA effectively reduced γH2AX in hyperosmotic stress-induced cells. This was consistent with results that show γH2AX was markedly suppressed in the Plk3(-/-) knock-out mouse corneal epithelial layer in response to hyperosmotic stimulation. The effect of hyperosmotic stress-activated Plk3 and increased γH2AX in cell cycle progression showed an accumulation of G2/M phase, altered population in G1 and S phases, and increased apoptosis. Our results for the first time reveal that hyperosmotic stress-activated Plk3 elicited γH2AX. This Plk3-mediated activation of γH2AX subsequently regulates the cell cycle progression and cell fate. | 25,202,016 | [
-0.2369218,
-0.3085475,
-0.1041586,
-0.1140244,
0.02894269,
-0.01812302,
0.1262985,
0.05186467,
0.06925717,
0.05561661,
0.2542617,
0.2178142,
-0.4384021,
0.2711434,
0.305517,
-0.2003676,
-0.1614199,
0.07182127,
-0.01739614,
-0.02448124,
0.2919956,
-0.01775408,
-0.1503817,... |
Dlg1 controls planar spindle orientation in the neuroepithelium through direct interaction with LGN. | Oriented cell divisions are necessary for the development of epithelial structures. Mitotic spindle orientation requires the precise localization of force generators at the cell cortex via the evolutionarily conserved LGN complex. However, polarity cues acting upstream of this complex in vivo in the vertebrate epithelia remain unknown. In this paper, we show that Dlg1 is localized at the basolateral cell cortex during mitosis and is necessary for planar spindle orientation in the chick neuroepithelium. Live imaging revealed that Dlg1 is required for directed spindle movements during metaphase. Mechanistically, we show that direct interaction between Dlg1 and LGN promotes cortical localization of the LGN complex. Furthermore, in human cells dividing on adhesive micropatterns, homogenously localized Dlg1 recruited LGN to the mitotic cortex and was also necessary for proper spindle orientation. We propose that Dlg1 acts primarily to recruit LGN to the cortex and that Dlg1 localization may additionally provide instructive cues for spindle orientation. | 25,202,028 | [
0.1211136,
-0.1985185,
-0.2844288,
-0.3215691,
0.04512075,
-0.05355672,
-0.3916086,
0.06572299,
-0.09498049,
0.1132324,
-0.01965542,
-0.0242891,
-0.1648555,
-0.3826057,
-0.1904729,
0.00546541,
-0.9385297,
0.1356059,
-0.1417643,
-0.1234956,
0.4326549,
0.2388914,
-0.0874563... |
PAX3 loads onto pericentromeric heterochromatin during S phase through PARP1. | Proper re-establishment of heterochromatin after each round of DNA replication is critical to the preservation of cell identity. Paired box 3 (PAX3), a transcription factor important in embryonic development, was found to mediate the formation of pericentromeric heterochromatin. However, how PAX3 recognizes the heterochromatic environment and re-establishes it after DNA replication remains unclear. Cell-cycle synchronization, fluorescence microscopic analyses, and co-immunoprecipitation were used to analyze the heterochromatic localization of PAX3 in HEK 293 cells and NIH 3T3 cells. We found that PAX3 binds pericentromeric heterochromatin during middle-to-late S phase. Loading of PAX3 onto pericentromeric heterochromatin requires poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1). Furthermore, loss of PAX3 or PARP1 delays cell-cycle progression through the S phase. Our results reveal how PAX3 recognizes and maintains pericentromeric heterochromatin at the S phase of the cell cycle. | 25,202,049 | [
0.1458334,
0.03997066,
-0.167726,
-0.001240357,
0.1342494,
0.09113331,
0.05485389,
0.2588205,
0.3651823,
0.2869538,
0.141967,
0.08185145,
-0.2938287,
-0.06355195,
-0.4313872,
0.08451825,
-0.2623398,
0.2746922,
-0.1638357,
-0.0153707,
0.1852733,
0.1358232,
-0.2938631,
-0... |
Hsp70 inhibition potentiates radicicol-induced cell death in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells. | The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of radicicol, an inhibitor of heat shock protein (hsp) 90, alone or in combination with hsp70 inhibition on survival of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cells. Antitumor activity of radicicol-alone or in combination with the hsp70 inhibitor VER155008 was investigated in 8505C and CAL62 cells. Radicicol decreased cell viability and Akt protein levels, and increased the percentage of dead cells and hsp70 protein levels. In PIK3CA plasmid-transfected cells, compared to cells treated with radicicol-alone, cell viability increased and cellular death decreased. In cells treated with both radicicol and VER155008, compared to cells treated with radicicol-alone, cell viability further decreased and the percentage of dead cells further increased, with a parallel decrease of the protein levels of heat shock cognate 70, Akt and survivin. Our results suggest that radicicol induces cell death mediated through PI3K/Akt signaling with modulation of hsp90 client proteins and hsp70 inhibition enhances radicicol-induced cell death with suppression of survivin in ATC cells. | 25,202,064 | [
-0.2433684,
0.09896185,
0.07066797,
-0.1841751,
-0.2905487,
-0.146594,
-0.1310481,
0.01053311,
0.07648034,
0.7111319,
0.02376502,
0.1954956,
-0.1967728,
-0.1783349,
0.237834,
-0.281042,
-0.1237609,
0.3634617,
-0.02593172,
0.09409095,
0.5821974,
0.2098817,
0.1730645,
0.6... |
Quantitative structure-cytotoxicity relationship of piperic acid amides. | A total of 12 piperic acid amides, including piperine, were subjected to quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis, based on their cytotoxicity, tumor selectivity and anti-HIV activity, in order to find new biological activities. Cytotoxicity against four human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines and three human oral normal cells was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Tumor selectivity was evaluated by the ratio of the mean 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) against normal oral cells to that against OSCC cell lines. Anti-HIV activity was evaluated by the ratio of the CC50 to 50% HIV infection-cytoprotective concentration (EC50). Physicochemical, structural, and quantum-chemical parameters were calculated based on the conformations optimized by LowModeMD method followed by density functional theory method. All compounds showed low-to-moderate tumor selectivity, but no anti-HIV activity. N-Piperoyldopamine ( 8: ) which has a catechol moiety, showed the highest tumor selectivity, possibly due to its unique molecular shape and electrostatic interaction, especially its largest partial equalization of orbital electronegativities and vsurf descriptors. The present study suggests that molecular shape and ability for electrostatic interaction are useful parameters for estimating the tumor selectivity of piperic acid amides. | 25,202,069 | [
-0.1087222,
-0.03153044,
-0.006725897,
0.07229041,
-0.02092946,
0.2900129,
-0.002370917,
0.4842216,
0.5654145,
0.06168098,
-0.1059592,
0.1265078,
-0.0158189,
0.2110008,
-0.7067492,
-0.1617599,
-0.176009,
0.3235283,
0.09588806,
0.310758,
-0.01532312,
0.4491418,
0.05376202,... |
Decreased miR-206 expression in BRCA1 wild-type triple-negative breast cancer cells after concomitant treatment with gemcitabine and a Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitor. | No targeted-therapy has been established for triple-negative breast cancer accompanied by mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene1 (BRCA1) mutation. In the present study, using BRCA1 wild-type cells (MDA-MB-231) and BRCA1-mutated cells (MDA-MB-436), we investigated miRNA expression and apoptosis on day 1 after addition of gemcitabine-alone and in combination with poly ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitor. After drug treatment, there were significantly fewer apoptotic BRCA1 wild-type cells than BRCA1-mutated cells. Expression of miRNA-26a, -29b, -100, and -148a increased in BRCA1 wild-type cells exposed to gemcitabine-alone and in combination with the PARP1 inhibitor. The addition of PARP1 inhibitor reduced miR-206 expression in BRCA1 wild-type cells but increased it in BRCA1-mutated cells. It was suggested that miR-206 serves as a target molecule of PARP1 inhibitor combination therapy for BRCA1 wild-type triple-negative breast cancer cells. | 25,202,071 | [
-0.299002,
0.09762538,
0.05717824,
-0.2526973,
0.1631664,
-0.005556886,
0.177906,
0.07338681,
0.2011046,
0.1179277,
0.0843234,
0.7060433,
-0.3284452,
0.1585841,
0.008110726,
-0.03786208,
-0.3813063,
0.3951372,
-0.04679177,
-0.1315906,
0.3142987,
0.261781,
-0.2001659,
0.... |
Pharyngeal and cervical cancer incidences significantly correlate with personal UV doses among whites in the United States. | Because we found UV-exposed oral tissue cells have reduced DNA repair and apoptotic cell death compared with skin tissue cells, we asked if a correlation existed between personal UV dose and the incidences of oral and pharyngeal cancer in the United States. We analyzed the International Agency for Research on Cancer's incidence data for oral and pharyngeal cancers by race (white and black) and sex using each state's average annual personal UV dose. We refer to our data as 'white' rather than 'Caucasian,' which is a specific subgroup of whites, and 'black' rather than African-American because blacks from other countries around the world reside in the U.S. Most oropharyngeal carcinomas harboured human papilloma virus (HPV), so we included cervical cancer as a control for direct UV activation. We found significant correlations between increasing UV dose and pharyngeal cancer in white males (p=0.000808) and females (p=0.0031) but not in blacks. Shockingly, we also found cervical cancer in whites to significantly correlate with increasing UV dose (p=0.0154). Thus, because pharyngeal and cervical cancer correlate significantly with increasing personal UV dose in only the white population, both direct (DNA damage) and indirect (soluble factors) effects may increase the risk of HPV-associated cancer. | 25,202,082 | [
-0.4393458,
-0.3658824,
-0.2146296,
-0.1917237,
0.03413833,
-0.264918,
0.02945244,
0.2664214,
0.4193621,
0.03882285,
0.0362892,
0.08131032,
-0.1644966,
-0.3953309,
-0.08250923,
-0.2065403,
0.00666898,
-0.0168495,
0.2515045,
0.1604293,
0.351319,
0.3934987,
-0.4963529,
0.... |
Primary peritoneal angiosarcoma: a case report. | Peritoneal angiosarcoma is an extremely rare sarcoma (0.01287% incidence per 100,000) with an aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. We herein report a case of a young man with diagnosis of angiosarcoma whose tumor adhering to the inferior wall of his bladder and omentum was initially thought to be rhabdomyosarcoma. His disease state progressively worsened, despite initiation of different types of chemotherapies. Blood was tested for cytokine and soluble receptor levels. Unexpectedly and never previously reported, very high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), osteopontin, and prolactin were found. Surprisingly, angiogenic cytokines levels were low. The patient died 5 months after initial presentation. In the present report, we discuss the difficulties in diagnosing this rare sarcoma and possible therapeutic targets, including the IL-6 pathway that may provide more effective ways in controlling this cancer in its metastatic stage. | 25,202,083 | [
-0.0780729,
0.02742748,
0.0970914,
-0.4000475,
0.002832626,
-0.1459687,
-0.2530791,
0.04840227,
-0.0420431,
0.227104,
0.2242413,
0.1375543,
-0.1746351,
-0.05645026,
-0.1068186,
0.07709418,
-0.3373336,
-0.03834908,
0.107376,
-0.04693082,
0.2904262,
0.3404416,
-0.1118033,
... |
Oxidative stress and body composition in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia patients. | To investigate the role of body composition and oxidative stress measured by total thiol groups (TTG) levels in prostate specimens of patients affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostate cancer (PCa). From January 2011 to January 2013, a cohort of 150 consecutive male patients who underwent first prostate biopsy were enrolled. Twelve-core needle biopsy was performed as standard procedure, while twelve more needle tissue cores matched with the previous group were also collected for glutathione determination. After definitive diagnosis, measurement of glutathione was performed in the correspondent one matched prostatic sample where PCa or BPH were identified. A day after the prostatic biopsy, body composition was estimated by air plethysmography (BOD POD®). A significant difference of TTG was observed in BPH and PCa patients; 34 nanomole (nmol) reagent sulfihydrylc (RSH)/ mg protein vs. 1.1 nmol RSH/ mg protein respectively (p<0.05). In BPH patients, a negative correlation was found between TTG and age (r=-0.46; p<0.05), while, in PCa patients, a positive correlation was observed between TTG and fat mass (FM) (r=0.76; p<0.01) and waist circumference (WC) (r=0.49; p<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed TTG to be negatively associated with age (β-coefficient=-0.4; p<0.05) in BPH patients and positively with FM (β-coefficient=3.4; p<0.01) and WC (β-coefficient=2.7; p<0.05) in PCa patients. Aging determines a progressive reduction of TTG in BPH patients, while in PCa subjects glutathione concentrations are significantly lower and FM and WC are associated with an unbalance of its levels. | 25,202,090 | [
-0.0640467,
-0.02293974,
-0.1938465,
-0.1169734,
-0.4387412,
-0.0884207,
0.1002242,
0.1649536,
-0.0131876,
0.11367,
-0.0831814,
0.009571519,
0.03711537,
-0.06596681,
-0.1912815,
-0.2365313,
-0.14129,
-0.2898454,
0.4041333,
-0.01411959,
-0.1739375,
-0.05176261,
-0.1123506,... |
Phase II study of docetaxel-plus-bevacizumab combination therapy in patients previously treated for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. | This phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel and bevacizumab combination therapy in patients with previously-treated non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (Nsq NSCLC). Patients with histologically- or cytologically-confirmed Nsq NSCLC, 20-74 years of age, who had performance status 0-2, and had undergone at least one prior chemotherapy course were eligible for the study. Patients were treated with docetaxel (60 mg/m(2)) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) on day 1, which was repeated every three weeks until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary end-point was the response rate (RR) and the planned sample size was 28 patients. Between May 2010 and July 2011, 28 patients were enrolled (16 males, 12 females; median age=65 years; performance status 0/1: 19/9; adenocarcinoma/other: 22/6; number of prior chemotherapy courses 1/2/3 or more: 16/5/7). Twenty-eight patients were included in the toxicity analysis, out of whom 27 were evaluable for response. Objective response was observed in 18 patients (partial response in 18, stable disease in 8, progressive disease in 1); the RR and disease control rates were 66.7% and 96.0%, respectively. The median follow-up was 23.9 months, median progression-free survival was 7.2 months, and median overall survival was 21.6 months. The main toxicity associated with this regimen was myelosuppression (grade 3/4 neutropenia: 82.1%; febrile neutropenia: 21%). Mild non-hematological toxicity was observed but there was no severe bleeding. The combination regimen of docetaxel-plus-bevacizumab is very active in patients with previously-treated Nsq NSCLC and warrants further research. | 25,202,107 | [
-0.1448682,
0.2100111,
-0.1612376,
-0.3675556,
-0.01911696,
-0.3622262,
-0.06278401,
0.1276406,
-0.155439,
-0.2894391,
0.1499139,
0.1354184,
-0.1856593,
0.1866296,
-0.2722457,
-0.2005084,
0.2658402,
0.2241936,
0.2229228,
0.2568294,
0.2992895,
0.06640045,
-0.09876814,
-0... |
Prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor-1 in patients with esophageal cancer. | To present long-term results regarding the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) for esophageal cancer. In 68 esophageal cancer patients, VEGF, VEGFR-1 plus ten other factors were analyzed for locoregional control (LRC), metastases-free survival (MFS) and survival up to 10 years. On multivariate analysis, improved LRC was associated with hemoglobin during radiotherapy ≥12 g/dl (p=0.001). VEGF-negativity showed a trend for better LRC on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, better MFS was associated with hemoglobin ≥12 g/dl (p=0.012), better performance status (p=0.009) and lower tumor stage (p=0.032). On multivariate analysis, improved survival was associated with hemoglobin ≥12 g/dl (p<0.001) and better performance status (p=0.005). Trends for improved survival were observed for VEGF-negativity and VEGFR-1-negativity on univariate analysis. VEGF showed a trend towards worse LRC and survival, VEGFR-1 towards worse survival. Outcomes were associated with hemoglobin, performance status and tumor stage. | 25,202,119 | [
0.07442208,
-0.2875797,
-0.4432391,
-0.4897686,
0.03566116,
-0.1379822,
0.2531193,
-0.1769444,
-0.3517774,
0.2307765,
0.1582536,
0.08253846,
-0.1651141,
-0.2460627,
-0.2675359,
-0.0689083,
0.0136547,
0.1292698,
0.3322161,
0.2212434,
0.06449817,
0.2665209,
-0.1730519,
-0... |
Variation in tolerance of rice to long-term stagnant flooding that submerges most of the shoot will aid in breeding tolerant cultivars. | Stagnant flooding (SF) is a major problem in rainfed lowlands where floodwater of 25-50 cm stagnates in the field for most of the season. We aimed to establish a system for phenotyping SF tolerance and identifying tolerant germplasm through screening of landraces. A total of 626 rice accessions were evaluated over 3 years under control conditions and two levels of SF. Floodwater was raised to 20 cm at 25 or 30 days after transplanting (DAT). In one trial, the depth was increased subsequently by 5 cm a week and in another (severe stress), it was increased to 40 cm at 37 DAT and to 50 cm at 42 DAT. In both trials, water depth was maintained at 50-60 cm until maturity. In all cases, no plant was completely submerged. Plant height, elongation rate and yield were measured at maturity. Genotypes best suited to SF showed moderate elongation of 1.3-2.3 cm day(-1) under SF. In contrast, semi-dwarf and fast-elongating types performed poorly. Subsequent trials using 18 genotypes, including six pairs of near isogenic lines (NILs) with or without SUB1 showed that all SUB1 NILs were sensitive to SF. Five of the other six genotypes contained SUB1 and were SF tolerant, suggesting the possibility of combining tolerances to complete submergence (SUB1) and SF. Stem starch and soluble sugar concentrations were similar under control conditions among the 18 genotypes, but starch was depleted by 37 % under SF, with less depletion in tolerant genotypes. SUB1 NILs contained similar concentrations of starch and sugars under SF. We conclude that survival and yield under SF are dependent on moderate elongation, high tillering, lesser carbohydrate depletion and higher fertility. The tolerant genotypes identified here performed strongly in both wet and dry seasons and will be used to identify tolerance mechanisms and alleles for use in marker-assisted breeding. | 25,202,124 | [
0.03210001,
0.06015966,
0.3975926,
-0.2826837,
0.007127435,
-0.6120426,
-0.05047689,
-0.131126,
0.2300743,
0.08656441,
0.09792837,
0.03340613,
-0.3373366,
0.201299,
-0.1313552,
-0.3763092,
-0.1435253,
-0.02169024,
0.137844,
0.0659652,
0.2045537,
0.3489056,
-0.2841851,
0... |
Nontoxic polyphosphate inhibitors reduce thrombosis while sparing hemostasis. | Polyphosphate (polyP) is secreted by activated platelets and has been shown to contribute to thrombosis, suggesting that it could be a novel antithrombotic target. Previously reported polyP inhibitors based on polycationic substances, such as polyethylenimine, polyamidoamine dendrimers, and polymyxin B, although they attenuate thrombosis, all have significant toxicity in vivo, likely due to the presence of multiple primary amines responsible for their polyP binding ability. In this study, we examined a novel class of nontoxic polycationic compounds initially designed as universal heparin reversal agents (UHRAs) to determine their ability to block polyP procoagulant activity and also to determine their utility as antithrombotic treatments. Several UHRA compounds strongly inhibited polyP procoagulant activity in vitro, and 4 were selected for further examination in mouse models of thrombosis and hemostasis. Compounds UHRA-9 and UHRA-10 significantly reduced arterial thrombosis in mice. In mouse tail bleeding tests, administration of UHRA-9 or UHRA-10 was associated with significantly less bleeding compared with therapeutically equivalent doses of heparin. Thus, these compounds offer a new platform for developing novel antithrombotic agents that target procoagulant anionic polymers such as polyP with reduced toxicity and bleeding side effects. | 25,202,141 | [
-0.1563024,
0.2270849,
-0.1712669,
0.126314,
0.2092415,
-0.02498861,
0.4405591,
0.2642709,
0.1195373,
0.1215176,
-0.03748993,
0.08606485,
0.03294695,
-0.5283051,
-0.4792014,
0.09265891,
-0.06403248,
0.03300488,
0.0260908,
-0.1852152,
0.2027738,
-0.02928024,
0.1150671,
-... |
Commentary on a framework for multicultural education. | Today's changing demographics require that multicultural factors be considered in the delivery of quality patient-centred health care in chiropractic. Yet minimal training in cultural competency in chiropractic education leaves graduates ill-equipped to treat a diverse population. This commentary examines cultural competency training in current literature, demonstrates frameworks for curriculum integration, and suggests how cultural competency might be included in a chiropractic college curriculum. A database search yielded little evidence that cultural competency is integrated into curricula of chiropractic schools. Some journal articles note that promoting multicultural education and cultural sensitivity is an important goal. However, they provide no mechanisms as to how this can be achieved within training programs. Thus, although an undeniable need exists for all healthcare practitioners to develop cultural competency in the face of an increasingly diverse population, cultural competency education has not kept pace. Chiropractic schools must review their curricula to develop the cultural competencies of their graduates and a basic framework is suggested. | 25,202,156 | [
-0.3609416,
-0.05666079,
0.03370199,
-0.1625256,
-0.01751394,
0.08830184,
-0.2283723,
-0.01710094,
0.108436,
0.04501157,
0.1532357,
-0.1794421,
-0.06481027,
-0.4874373,
0.1460137,
0.004125452,
-0.2398428,
0.08547148,
-0.624402,
-0.1069541,
0.07811338,
0.09545004,
-0.20828... |
Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis and its imposters: three case studies. | Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis causing neurogenic claudicaton is a common condition impacting walking ability in older adults. There are other highly prevalent conditions in this patient population that have similar signs and symptoms and cause limited walking ability. The purpose of this study is to highlight the diagnostic challenges using three case studies of older adults who present with limited walking ability who have imaging evidence of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. | 25,202,160 | [
-0.12887,
0.05573249,
0.1116431,
0.04723031,
-0.2790736,
-0.2229045,
-0.4115816,
-0.2426943,
0.159486,
-0.185313,
-0.08772775,
0.2616015,
0.06856421,
-0.3537123,
0.1611684,
-0.1164401,
-0.4446453,
0.1380417,
-0.2457049,
-0.05864519,
-0.3633966,
0.04801353,
-0.07213131,
... |
Architecting the Finite Element Method Pipeline for the GPU. | The finite element method (FEM) is a widely employed numerical technique for approximating the solution of partial differential equations (PDEs) in various science and engineering applications. Many of these applications benefit from fast execution of the FEM pipeline. One way to accelerate the FEM pipeline is by exploiting advances in modern computational hardware, such as the many-core streaming processors like the graphical processing unit (GPU). In this paper, we present the algorithms and data-structures necessary to move the entire FEM pipeline to the GPU. First we propose an efficient GPU-based algorithm to generate local element information and to assemble the global linear system associated with the FEM discretization of an elliptic PDE. To solve the corresponding linear system efficiently on the GPU, we implement a conjugate gradient method preconditioned with a geometry-informed algebraic multi-grid (AMG) method preconditioner. We propose a new fine-grained parallelism strategy, a corresponding multigrid cycling stage and efficient data mapping to the many-core architecture of GPU. Comparison of our on-GPU assembly versus a traditional serial implementation on the CPU achieves up to an 87 × speedup. Focusing on the linear system solver alone, we achieve a speedup of up to 51 × versus use of a comparable state-of-the-art serial CPU linear system solver. Furthermore, the method compares favorably with other GPU-based, sparse, linear solvers. | 25,202,164 | [
-0.2160661,
0.4033687,
-0.05336136,
0.1774682,
0.200123,
-0.3184607,
-0.02018795,
-0.006267782,
0.1031382,
0.1412404,
-0.08632146,
-0.09929956,
-0.1437704,
0.2930826,
-0.4718443,
0.09075306,
-0.2858138,
0.1767272,
-0.5396632,
0.0905486,
0.1431092,
-0.04692383,
-0.1322189,... |
The Interaction between Diabetes, Body Mass Index, Hepatic Steatosis, and Risk of Liver Resection: Insulin Dependent Diabetes Is the Greatest Risk for Major Complications. | Background. This study aimed to assess the relationship between diabetes, obesity, and hepatic steatosis in patients undergoing liver resection and to determine if these factors are independent predictors of major complications. Materials and Methods. Analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing liver resection between 2005 and 2012 was undertaken. Background liver was assessed for steatosis and classified as <33% and ≥33%. Major complications were defined as Grade III-V complications using the Dindo-Clavien classification. Results. 504 patients underwent liver resection, of whom 56 had diabetes and 61 had steatosis ≥33%. Median BMI was 26 kg/m(2) (16-54 kg/m(2)). 94 patients developed a major complication (18.7%). BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2) (P = 0.001) and diabetes (P = 0.018) were associated with steatosis ≥33%. Only insulin dependent diabetes was a risk factor for major complications (P = 0.028). Age, male gender, hypoalbuminaemia, synchronous bowel procedures, extent of resection, and blood transfusion were also independent risk factors. Conclusions. Liver surgery in the presence of steatosis, elevated BMI, and non-insulin dependent diabetes is not associated with major complications. Although diabetes requiring insulin therapy was a significant risk factor, the major risk factors relate to technical aspects of surgery, particularly synchronous bowel procedures. | 25,202,167 | [
-0.01763279,
-0.06974619,
-0.06987932,
-0.1823584,
0.1234163,
-0.5352053,
0.1669797,
0.09329207,
-0.03335428,
0.1487408,
0.009829315,
-0.1138347,
0.002999248,
-0.5200385,
-0.05293927,
-0.2414339,
0.1940257,
0.0627579,
0.2049256,
-0.06179243,
-0.3321253,
0.08821835,
0.0670... |
Accuracy of a digital weight scale relative to the nintendo wii in measuring limb load asymmetry. | [Purpose] The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of a digital weight scale relative to the Wii in limb loading measurement during static standing. [Methods] This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a public university teaching hospital. The sample consisted of 24 participants (12 with osteoarthritis and 12 healthy) recruited through convenient sampling. Limb loading measurements were obtained using a digital weight scale and the Nintendo Wii in static standing with three trials under an eyes-open condition. The limb load asymmetry was computed as the symmetry index. [Results] The accuracy of measurement with the digital weight scale relative to the Nintendo Wii was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (K-S test). The area under the ROC curve was found to be 0.67. Logistic regression confirmed the validity of digital weight scale relative to the Nintendo Wii. The D statistics value from the K-S test was found to be 0.16, which confirmed that there was no significant difference in measurement between the equipment. [Conclusion] The digital weight scale is an accurate tool for measuring limb load asymmetry. The low price, easy availability, and maneuverability make it a good potential tool in clinical settings for measuring limb load asymmetry. | 25,202,181 | [
0.02198133,
0.1746181,
-0.0006486838,
-0.003733205,
0.02277927,
-0.6182398,
-0.3390208,
-0.005777418,
0.005820136,
-0.6482562,
0.2493251,
-0.09889143,
-0.101843,
-0.06530622,
-0.1282928,
-0.2446331,
-0.355975,
0.530282,
-0.3593923,
-0.2188003,
-0.0934175,
-0.1759835,
-0.2... |
Causal Relationships between the Psychological Acceptance Process of Athletic Injury and Athletic Rehabilitation Behavior. | [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationships between the psychological acceptance process of athletic injury and athletic-rehabilitation behavior. [Subjects] One hundred forty-four athletes who had injury experiences participated in this study, and 133 (mean age = 20.21 years, SD = 1.07; mean weeks without playing sports = 7.97 weeks, SD = 11.26) of them provided valid questionnaire responses which were subjected to analysis. [Methods] The subjects were asked to answer our originally designed questionnaire, the Psychosocial Recovery Factor Scale (PSRF-S), and two other pre-existing scales, the Athletic Injury Psychological Acceptance Scale and the Athletic-Rehabilitation Dedication Scale. [Results] The results of factor analysis indicate "emotional stability", "social competence in the team", "temporal perspective", and "communication with the teammates" are factors of the PSRF-S. Lastly, the causal model in which psychosocial recovery factors are mediated by psychological acceptance of athletic injury, and influence on rehabilitation behaviors, was examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of SEM indicate that the factors of emotional stability and temporal perspective are mediated by the psychological acceptance of the injury, which positively influences athletic-rehabilitation dedication. [Conclusion] The causal model was confirmed to be valid. | 25,202,190 | [
-0.1045595,
0.1730639,
0.1174374,
0.2001934,
-0.05663421,
-0.3391595,
-0.2041943,
0.2060201,
0.2160995,
-0.1300426,
0.08204337,
-0.1291054,
-0.4120811,
-0.2229109,
-0.3413466,
-0.3506241,
-0.1488573,
0.006627266,
0.03295668,
0.2803871,
-0.07916393,
0.2462482,
-0.1514405,
... |
Comparison of tap water and normal saline iontophoresis in idiopathic hyperhidrosis: a case report. | [Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of tap water (drinking water) and normal saline (sodium chloride solution 0.9%) iontophoresis treatment for a patient with idiopathic hyperhidrosis [Subjects and Methods] In this study, tap water and normal saline iontophoresis were used to treat a 21 year-old female who was suffering from severe palmoplantar idiopathic hyperhidrosis. Post-iontophoresis sweat intensity of 8 treatment sessions were averaged and then normalized relative to the corresponding mean value which was obtained before iontophoresis treatment. [Results] The subject showed 24.72% and 42.01% decreases in sweat intensity following tap water and normal saline iontophoresis, respectively. [Conclusion] Tap water and normal saline iontophoresis are effective in the treatment of idiopathic hyperhidrosis. However, normal saline iontophoresis is 1.7 times more effective than tapwater iontophoresis at obstructing secretion. | 25,202,204 | [
-0.4358212,
-0.3965224,
-0.3022204,
-0.1743975,
-0.003278368,
-0.2809911,
-0.362235,
-0.1381665,
-0.1354735,
-0.1106076,
0.3915597,
0.211858,
-0.3472719,
0.04954681,
-0.06910055,
-0.4466844,
0.09000304,
-0.1145097,
-0.3374409,
-0.5041276,
-0.03044275,
0.2402527,
0.0412198... |
A cone-beam computed tomography study of the root canal morphology of anterior teeth in a Turkish population. | The aim of this study was to determine the root and canal morphology of the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth in a Turkish population by analyzing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. CBCT images of 417 females and 410 males with a mean age of ranging from 14 to 70 years were examined in this study. A total of 1453 maxillary central incisors, 1504 maxillary lateral incisors, 1523 maxillary canines, 1582 mandibular central incisors, 1603 mandibular lateral incisors, and 1604 mandibular canines were analyzed. The number of root canals and the canal configurations were investigated and then were classified according to Vertucci's classification. The data were analyzed with the Pearson Chi-square test. The Type 1 canal configuration was most prevalent in the maxillary anterior teeth (96.8-99.7%). The Types 2, 3, 4, and 5 canal configurations were observed within the range of 0-1.3%, 0-0.8%, 0-0.7%, and 0-1.8%, respectively. In the mandibular anterior teeth, the Type 1 canal configuration was most prevalent (77-95%). The Types 2, 3, 4, and 5 canal configurations were observed within a range of 0.2-2.7%, 0.2-1.6%, 0.9-5.9%, and 1.8-14.4%, respectively. The prevalence of two canals was higher in males than in females both in the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth (P < 0.05). Type 1 was the most prevalent canal configuration of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth in the Turkish population. Type 5 was the most frequently observed canal configuration of the two canalled teeth. The incidence of root canal numbers and configurations differed with sex. | 25,202,207 | [
0.2987683,
0.3950716,
-0.03790468,
0.01737775,
-0.07612521,
-0.5041004,
-0.2503798,
-0.07280055,
-0.1287653,
0.08341879,
0.09105112,
-0.2299342,
-0.3847998,
0.08560504,
-0.3041393,
-0.7046604,
-0.0002402456,
0.7244914,
0.06553806,
-0.2672324,
0.1163246,
0.3189335,
0.22739... |
Push-out bond strength of different mineral trioxide aggregates. | This study was aimed to evaluate and to compare the push-out bond strength of different brands of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) with a calcium enriched mixture cement (CEM). Fifteen extracted, single-rooted human teeth were used. The middle-third of the roots were sliced perpendicular to the long axis into 1.00 ± 0.05 mm thick serial slices (15 root × 4 slice = 60 specimen). The specimens were then divided into three groups (n = 20). The standardized root discs were filled with white CEM, ProRoot MTA, MTA-Angelus and wrapped in a serum-soaked gauze. After 3 days at relative humidity, the push-out bond strengths were measured with a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests. The mean push-out bond strength value of the ProRoot MTA group (12.7 ± 2.5 MPa) was the highest and statistically significant difference was recorded between ProRoot MTA and other groups (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean bond strength of CEM cement (4.6 ± 1.1 MPa) and MTA-Angelus (4.5 ± 1.5 MPa) (P = 0.982). The push-out bond strength of MTA was changed with the brands and ProRoot MTA had the highest push-out bond strength. | 25,202,215 | [
0.04160146,
0.2914215,
-0.03600353,
0.1168557,
-0.02734819,
-0.2841413,
0.02665753,
0.06227491,
0.2088826,
-0.1749699,
0.1903522,
0.2601424,
0.1045603,
0.03921445,
-0.3502615,
-0.2446687,
-0.4342767,
-0.09874351,
-0.2403789,
0.1624271,
0.1074863,
-0.09046206,
-0.02173957,... |
Three-dimensional evaluation of the mandibular third molars' development in unilateral crossbite patients: A cone beam computed tomography study. | The aim was to investigate mandibular third molar (3M)'s maturation in the crossbite and normal sides by two- and three-dimensional analyses using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). A retrospective study was performed using CBCT of 25 patients (16 females and 9 males; mean age: 16.8 ± 2.9 years) with unilateral posterior crossbite. The formation stages and the volume of the mandibular 3Ms were evaluated by means of CBCT data of the patients without knowing the crossbite side of the patients. Statistically no significant differences were found in the development of the 3Ms between the crossbite and the control sides, whereas the volume of 3M was found to be less in the crossbite side than in the normal side (P = 0.021). A volume of 3M was found to be less in the crossbite side than in the normal side. | 25,202,221 | [
-0.1295886,
0.4047105,
-0.2673973,
-0.2586575,
0.03637966,
-0.3317119,
-0.1387716,
-0.001754252,
-0.2050688,
-0.1912893,
0.1309613,
0.09204555,
-0.452574,
-0.3744769,
-0.3909959,
-0.3508846,
0.1040752,
0.4743252,
-0.2049822,
-0.1140548,
0.4778648,
0.1943168,
-0.2398893,
... |
Pupil size variations correlate with physical effort perception. | It has long been established that the pupil diameter increases during mental activities in proportion to the difficulty of the task at hand. However, it is still unclear whether this relationship between the pupil size and effort applies also to physical effort. In order to address this issue, we asked healthy volunteers to perform a power grip task, at varied intensity, while evaluating their effort both implicitly and explicitly, and while concurrently monitoring their pupil size. Each trial started with a contraction of imposed intensity, under the control of a continuous visual feedback. Upon completion of the contraction, participants had to choose whether to replicate, without feedback, the first contraction for a variable monetary reward, or whether to skip this step and go directly to the next trial. The rate of acceptance of effort replication and the amount of force exerted during the replication were used as implicit measures of the perception of the effort exerted during the first contraction. In addition, the participants were asked to rate on an analog scale, their explicit perception of the effort for each intensity condition. We found that pupil diameter increased during physical effort and that the magnitude of this response reflected not only the actual intensity of the contraction but also the subjects' perception of the effort. This finding indicates that the pupil size signals the level of effort invested in a task, irrespective of whether it is physical or mental. It also helps refining the potential brain circuits involved since the results of the current study imply a convergence of mental and physical effort information at some level along this pathway. | 25,202,247 | [
-0.1750322,
0.1256554,
-0.1046859,
-0.3183157,
0.1273905,
-0.3608176,
-0.2187085,
-0.04630169,
0.1185715,
0.08720925,
0.06395698,
-0.4323957,
-0.09182184,
-0.170676,
-0.6582663,
0.06158374,
-0.6368455,
0.1189635,
-0.05867493,
0.07796477,
0.148999,
-0.1053132,
0.03207936,
... |
The importance of visual features in generic vs. specialized object recognition: a computational study. | It is debated whether the representation of objects in inferior temporal (IT) cortex is distributed over activities of many neurons or there are restricted islands of neurons responsive to a specific set of objects. There are lines of evidence demonstrating that fusiform face area (FFA-in human) processes information related to specialized object recognition (here we say within category object recognition such as face identification). Physiological studies have also discovered several patches in monkey ventral temporal lobe that are responsible for facial processing. Neuronal recording from these patches shows that neurons are highly selective for face images whereas for other objects we do not see such selectivity in IT. However, it is also well-supported that objects are encoded through distributed patterns of neural activities that are distinctive for each object category. It seems that visual cortex utilize different mechanisms for between category object recognition (e.g., face vs. non-face objects) vs. within category object recognition (e.g., two different faces). In this study, we address this question with computational simulations. We use two biologically inspired object recognition models and define two experiments which address these issues. The models have a hierarchical structure of several processing layers that simply simulate visual processing from V1 to aIT. We show, through computational modeling, that the difference between these two mechanisms of recognition can underlie the visual feature and extraction mechanism. It is argued that in order to perform generic and specialized object recognition, visual cortex must separate the mechanisms involved in within category from between categories object recognition. High recognition performance in within category object recognition can be guaranteed when class-specific features with intermediate size and complexity are extracted. However, generic object recognition requires a distributed universal dictionary of visual features in which the size of features does not have significant difference. | 25,202,259 | [
-0.008612609,
-0.02065989,
-0.1823014,
-0.06415797,
0.3932883,
-0.2785918,
-0.1656631,
0.17015,
0.1129199,
-0.136986,
-0.06348748,
-0.2202856,
-0.007864453,
-0.3364928,
-0.1925033,
-0.1690298,
-0.4520175,
0.3422413,
0.1914368,
-0.03989829,
-0.05953108,
0.2592414,
-0.29417... |
Altered protein phosphatase 2A methylation and Tau phosphorylation in the young and aged brain of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficient mice. | Common functional polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene, a key enzyme in folate and homocysteine metabolism, influence risk for a variety of complex disorders, including developmental, vascular, and neurological diseases. MTHFR deficiency is associated with elevation of homocysteine levels and alterations in the methylation cycle. Here, using young and aged Mthfr knockout mouse models, we show that mild MTHFR deficiency can lead to brain-region specific impairment of the methylation of Ser/Thr protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Relative to wild-type controls, decreased expression levels of PP2A and leucine carboxyl methyltransferase (LCMT1) were primarily observed in the hippocampus and cerebellum, and to a lesser extent in the cortex of young null Mthfr (-/-) and aged heterozygous Mthfr (+/-) mice. A marked down regulation of LCMT1 correlated with the loss of PP2A/Bα holoenzymes. Dietary folate deficiency significantly decreased LCMT1, methylated PP2A and PP2A/Bα levels in all brain regions examined from aged Mthfr (+/+) mice, and further exacerbated the regional effects of MTHFR deficiency in aged Mthfr (+/-) mice. In turn, the down regulation of PP2A/Bα was associated with enhanced phosphorylation of Tau, a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our findings identify hypomethylation of PP2A enzymes, which are major CNS phosphatases, as a novel mechanism by which MTHFR deficiency and Mthfr gene-diet interactions could lead to disruption of neuronal homeostasis, and increase the risk for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including age-related diseases like sporadic AD. | 25,202,269 | [
-0.0004828369,
-0.1790757,
-0.0850972,
-0.1816148,
0.07455503,
-0.1988814,
0.3875543,
0.1860964,
0.04987701,
0.1798532,
0.04366473,
0.6764203,
-0.1773305,
0.06285053,
-0.0597295,
0.2627538,
-0.2704107,
0.04327222,
-0.07711131,
0.2754303,
0.08633183,
0.3510365,
-0.05699401... |
Ventilatory strategy during liver transplantation: implications for near-infrared spectroscopy-determined frontal lobe oxygenation. | As measured by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), cerebral oxygenation (ScO2) may be reduced by hyperventilation in the anhepatic phase of liver transplantation surgery (LTx). Conversely, the brain may be subjected to hyperperfusion during reperfusion of the grafted liver. We investigated the relationship between ScO2 and end-tidal CO2 tension (EtCO2) during the various phases of LTx. In this retrospective study, 49 patients undergoing LTx were studied. Forehead ScO2, EtCO2, minute ventilation (VE), and hemodynamic variables were recorded from the beginning of surgery through to the anhepatic and reperfusion phases during LTx. In the anhepatic phase, ScO2 was reduced by 4.3% (95% confidence interval: 2.5-6.0%; P < 0.0001), EtCO2 by 0.3 kPa (0.2-0.4 kPa; P < 0.0001), and VE by 0.4 L/min (0.1-0.7 L/min; P = 0.0018). Conversely, during reperfusion of the donated liver, ScO2 increased by 5.5% (3.8-7.3%), EtCO2 by 0.7 kPa (0.5-0.8 kPa), and VE by 0.6 L/min (0.3-0.9 L/min; all P < 0.0001). Changes in ScO2 were correlated to those in EtCO2 (Pearson r = 0.74; P < 0.0001). During LTx, changes in ScO2 are closely correlated to those of EtCO2. Thus, this retrospective analysis suggests that attention to maintain a targeted EtCO2 would result in a more stable ScO2 during the operation. | 25,202,281 | [
0.1117266,
0.1413571,
-0.2044906,
-0.06982186,
0.1324809,
-0.1517684,
-0.06292491,
-0.09319301,
-0.3231873,
-0.009567922,
0.346269,
-0.3005454,
-0.3805821,
-0.08958069,
-0.3453864,
-0.3273093,
-0.1822878,
0.2352699,
-0.03370481,
0.1457766,
-0.3641313,
0.2538218,
0.0276415... |
Interactions between HLA-G and HLA-E in Physiological and Pathological Conditions. | HLA-G and HLA-E are immunoregulatory molecules that belong to HLA-Ib family. The role of these molecules in the control of the immune response has been extensively analyzed, both in physiological and pathological conditions. We have here summarized data present in the literature regarding the interaction of these molecules in different settings. These data suggested that HLA-G and -E co-operate in physiological conditions (i.e., establishment of an immune tolerance at maternal/fetal interface during pregnancy), whereas their role in the course of tumors or autoimmune/inflammatory diseases may be different or even opposite. Future studies aimed at investigating the interaction between HLA-G and HLA-E will help to clarify mechanism(s) underlying the regulation of immune effector cells in health and disease. | 25,202,308 | [
-0.156657,
-0.2917751,
-0.06384787,
-0.05407157,
0.1770288,
-0.3186753,
-0.05359297,
0.01259784,
0.2093112,
0.1397064,
-0.1730457,
-0.09700704,
-0.1177827,
-0.197141,
-0.2420598,
-0.2363261,
-0.26768,
0.03371114,
0.09139057,
0.1174564,
0.03313544,
0.2357291,
-0.2415064,
... |
MicroRNA Deregulation in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Biology. | Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is among the most lethal types of cancers, characterized as a fast-growing and highly invasive thyroid tumor that is unresponsive to surgery and radioiodine, blunting therapeutic efficacy. Classically, genetic alterations in tumor suppressor TP53 are frequent, and cumulative alterations in different signaling pathways, such as MAPK and PI3K, are detected in ATC. Recently, deregulation in microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small endogenous RNAs that regulate protein expression, has been implicated in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Deregulation of miRNA expression is detected in thyroid cancer. Upregulation of miRNAs, such as miR-146b, miR-221, and miR-222, is observed in ATC and also in differentiated thyroid cancer (papillary and follicular), indicating that these miRNAs' overexpression is essential in maintaining tumorigenesis. However, specific miRNAs are downregulated in ATC, such as those of the miR-200 and miR-30 families, which are important negative regulators of cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), processes that are overactivated in ATC. Therefore, molecular interference to restore the expression of tumor suppressor miRNAs, or to blunt overexpressed oncogenic miRNAs, is a promising therapeutic approach to ameliorate the treatment of ATC. In this review, we will explore the importance of miRNA deregulation for ATC cell biology. | 25,202,329 | [
-0.4527739,
0.09562095,
-0.1034787,
-0.5340815,
-0.1445908,
-0.2289218,
-0.002773287,
0.1123826,
-0.1647646,
0.3187504,
0.3304216,
0.1795597,
-0.4858429,
-0.2195602,
-0.09260143,
-0.2319773,
0.101755,
0.4014637,
-0.06272008,
-0.1015016,
0.1493293,
0.3297211,
-0.2000271,
... |
Electroacupuncture decreases the leukocyte infiltration to white adipose tissue and attenuates inflammatory response in high fat diet-induced obesity rats. | Suppression of white adipose tissue inflammatory signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity-induced inflammatory response. However, the precise mechanism of efficacy of acupuncture related to adipose tissue remains poorly understood. In the present study we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activities of 10 Hz electroacupuncture (EA) which was applied at the acupoint Zusanli (ST36) for 20 min per day in high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obesity model. Treatment lasted for one week. Obese rats treated with EA showed significantly reduced body weight compared with the rats in HFD group. EA decreased the number of F4/80 and CD11b-positive macrophages in epididymal adipose tissue. We found that 10 Hz EA given 7 days/week at ST36 acupoints significantly alleviated macrophage recruitment and then improved the obesity-associated factors of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and target genes expression in rats with HFD. Adipose tissue inflammatory responses indicated by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and CD68 mRNA expression were significantly reduced by EA in obese rats. Additionally, EA was found to significantly reduced serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1 in this model. These results indicated that EA improved adipose tissue inflammatory response in obese rats, at least partly, via attenuation of lipogenesis signaling. | 25,202,333 | [
0.1935702,
0.2030632,
0.006871323,
-0.01731569,
0.1217852,
-0.4075767,
-0.2628576,
-0.01937021,
-0.193253,
-0.2274761,
0.1137305,
-0.08576232,
0.1467546,
-0.2650496,
-0.5205528,
0.04220131,
-0.7170643,
-0.0438982,
-0.002826073,
-0.01763791,
-0.4202585,
0.347456,
-0.268885... |
A new receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, icotinib, for patients with lung adenocarcinoma cancer without indication for chemotherapy. | Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important therapeutic target in lung cancer. Gefitinib and erlotinib, two reversible EGFR receptor tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKIs), have been approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic non small-cell lung cancer. Icotinib, which is a selective EGFR-TKI, provides a similar efficacy to gefitinib. The present study aimed to investigate the survival and safety of icotinib in patients with lung adenocarcinoma with a poor performance status (PS). A total of 42 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, including 35 females and 7 males, were enrolled. Icotinib was used as the first-line of treatment due to poor PS of the patient or a more advanced age. Icotinib (125 mg) was orally administered three times per day. The overall response rate and disease control rates were 33.3 and 85.7%, respectively. The median survival time was 13.0 months (95% CI, 5.6-20.4), The median progression-free survival time was 7.0 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 71.4%. A total of 79% of patients had an improved PS following icotinib treatment. Grade 1 to 2 rashes and diarrhea were the most frequent side effects. One patient succumbed during the study due to interstitial pneumonia. In conclusion, this is the first study indicating that patients with lung adenocarcinoma and poor PS may benefit from first-line icotinib therapy, but should be cautious of the occurrence of interstitial lung disease. | 25,202,368 | [
0.0004880742,
0.0207376,
0.1606735,
-0.4408769,
-0.02106763,
0.1827915,
0.2040507,
0.2150839,
-0.08508764,
-0.02494557,
-0.06658413,
0.1874086,
-0.177531,
0.2322768,
-0.07746851,
-0.4880041,
-0.1978246,
0.1158855,
0.1746752,
0.04687987,
-0.1130992,
0.3151871,
-0.1529766,
... |
C-KIT-positive undifferentiated tumor of the liver: A case report. | With recent advances in cancer stem cell analysis, it has been postulated that the transformation of hepatic stem and progenitor cells underlies the development of certain liver cancers. Human C-KIT is a transmembrane type III receptor protein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity that has been proposed as a marker for human embryonic stem cells. In addition, human C-KIT functions in maintaining the undifferentiated state of stem cells, and has been identified as a marker for human hematopoietic and hepatic stem/progenitor cells. The present study identified an unusual case of a C-KIT-positive hepatic tumor with an undifferentiated stem cell phenotype distinct from existing descriptions of liver tumors. A 69-year-old male with Ampulla of Vater (AoV) cancer was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of a hepatic mass that was incidentally detected during evaluation of AoV cancer. Microscopically, the hepatic tumor was composed of solidly packed small, round and uniform undifferentiated cells, which resembled that of a small-blue-round-cell tumor. The immunophenotype of neoplastic cells (C-KIT<sup+</sup/EpCAM<sup+</sup/E-cadherin<sup+</sup/keratin 7<sup-</sup/keratin 19<sup-</sup/α-fetoprotein<sup-</sup/albumin<sup-</sup) supported primitive stem cell features with no hepatic or biliary phenotypes. Polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequencing revealed no C-KIT mutations. It is suggested that this tumor may have originated from transformed C-KIT<sup+</sup/EpCAM<sup+</sup/E-cadherin<sup+</sup cells, which are more primitive and undifferentiated than bipotential hepatic progenitor cells. | 25,202,388 | [
-0.1548655,
-0.1352267,
0.07725673,
-0.2983594,
0.3842078,
-0.3289603,
-0.08136204,
0.2574942,
0.4629637,
0.4632518,
0.07855951,
0.4354971,
-0.07279337,
0.3731651,
-0.1503188,
-0.07973485,
-0.1674317,
0.1556485,
0.1196697,
-0.1496768,
0.1472606,
-0.1144242,
-0.1353388,
... |
Curcumin inhibits vasculogenic mimicry through the downregulation of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma-A2, phosphoinositide 3-kinase and matrix metalloproteinase-2. | Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most common and aggressive malignant primary brain tumors found in humans. In high-grade gliomas, vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is often detected. VM is the formation of <ide novo</i vascular networks by highly invasive tumor cells, instead of endothelial cells. An understanding of the mechanisms of VM formation will contribute to the targeted therapy of GBMs. In the present study, the efficacy of curcumin (CCM) on VM formation and its mechanisms were investigated. It was found that CCM inhibits the VM formation, proliferation, migration and invasion of human glioma U251 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, CCM downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma-A2, phosphoinositide 3-kinase and matrix metalloproteinase-2, indicating that CCM may function through these factors for the inhibition of VM formation. These data provide novel insights into the use of CCM to antagonize VM, and may contribute to the angiogenesis-targeted therapy of malignant glioma. | 25,202,424 | [
-0.4702148,
0.3631992,
0.1006252,
-0.277553,
0.3396605,
0.02022909,
-0.04077293,
-0.01845071,
0.1821102,
0.4115209,
0.03678226,
0.4478604,
-0.2199535,
-0.2110851,
-0.2126641,
0.4882725,
-0.1323311,
0.1987728,
-0.1838789,
-0.2685795,
0.01757448,
0.02166787,
-0.005174811,
... |
Preventive effects of <i>Dendrobium candidum</i> Wall ex Lindl. on the formation of lung metastases in BALB/c mice injected with 26-M3.1 colon carcinoma cells. | <iDendrobium candidum</i Wall ex Lindl. (<iD. candidum</i) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in Asia. The present study has showed that <iD. candidum</i exerted an anti-metastatic effect in mice injected with 26-M3.1 colon carcinoma cells. <iD. candidum</i showed the most marked tumor inhibitory rate of 64.5% at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight (b.w). The mRNA and protein expression of Bax in lung tissue of <iD. candidum</i-treated mice was shown to be higher as compared with control mice, whereas the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 showed the opposite trend. Decreased mRNA and protein expression of MMP and increased expression of TIMPs was demonstrated in lung tissues by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays. <iD. candidum</i reduced the serum cytokine levels of IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ to a greater extent as compared with the control mice, and administration of 400 mg/kg b.w. resulted in a lower serum cytokine levels as compared with mice treated with 200 mg/kg b.w. Eleven compounds were in the <iD. candidum</i leaf, of which the functional contents may help to generate novel treatments for the prevention of lung metastases. The results of the present study have demonstrated that <iD. candidum</i had a potent <iin vivo</i antitumor and anti-metastatic effect in BALB/c mice injected with 26-M3.1 cells. | 25,202,430 | [
-0.2681341,
0.01298855,
-0.09794493,
-0.09710897,
0.0286365,
-0.02277453,
-0.3140296,
-0.02025687,
0.0721544,
-0.2949321,
-0.009528458,
0.3254988,
0.3184315,
0.07653135,
-0.6585113,
0.17262,
-0.3886122,
0.08494598,
0.1161225,
0.4299281,
0.5552815,
0.2421765,
-0.3204499,
... |
Who Improved in a Trauma Intervention for HIV-Positive Women with Child Sexual Abuse Histories? | The Healing Our Women Program, an 11-week integrated trauma/HIV intervention designed for HIV-positive women with child sexual abuse histories, has been found to reduce psychological distress in treatment groups compared to wait-list controls (Chin et al., 2004; Wyatt et al., 2011). This study examines the characteristics of participants who improved vs. those who did not improve among participants who received the active intervention (N=78) at post, three-, and six-month follow-up. Logistic regression analyses conducted post-intervention and at three- and six-month followups examined demographic characteristics, treatment attendance, AIDS diagnosis, and total trauma burden as possible predictors of improvement. Results indicated that at post-test, total trauma burden was significantly associated with improvement. At three-month follow-up, none of the variables discriminated the groups. At six-month follow-up, total trauma burden was again significantly related to improvement. The results suggest that the intervention is most appropriate for women with high trauma burdens. Future HIV interventions should go beyond the "one size fits all" approach" and consider the "fit" between intervention and participants. | 25,202,437 | [
-0.009217497,
0.4632907,
-0.1260652,
-0.06890506,
-0.09719516,
-0.1549097,
-0.1672134,
0.02965434,
0.3683959,
0.1741721,
0.2344132,
-0.2669647,
-0.2071957,
0.04989304,
-0.2299991,
0.05734298,
-0.06722998,
0.07838979,
0.1408443,
0.03630014,
-0.1230449,
0.04038816,
-0.18900... |
Seborrheic pemphigoid. | Seborrheic pemphigoid (SP), first described in 1969 by Schnyder, is a peculiar variant of BP which clinically resembles pemphigus erythematosus, since it is characterized by ruptured bullae and erosions covered with crusts involving the seborrheic areas. To the best of our knowledge, from the first description only four other cases of SP have been reported, of which two are in the English literature. We report an additional case of SP in a 56-year-old man with cervical spondylogenic myelopathy with very impaired mobility. | 25,202,459 | [
-0.2083086,
-0.2334598,
0.262039,
-0.1130048,
-0.05663381,
-0.1255818,
-0.3905061,
-0.4375216,
0.1143552,
0.06899866,
0.1892618,
-0.1128999,
-0.03525143,
-0.03049068,
0.09704123,
0.03637864,
-0.3138808,
-0.03624658,
-0.04996131,
-0.03298683,
0.2950464,
0.4377185,
-0.03200... |
Arthroscopic debridement of the posterior compartment of the knee after total knee arthroplasty. | Arthroscopic debridement of the posterior compartment of the knee after total knee arthroplasty is difficult because it is tough to obtain intercondylar notch views. Herein, we performed arthroscopic debridement of the posterior compartment of an infected knee after total knee arthroplasty by using a transseptal portal in a 62-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis. Palpation of anatomical landmarks and posterior capsule protection are important for safe creation of a transseptal portal following to making 2 posterior portals. | 25,202,462 | [
0.2187436,
0.1568393,
-0.01537351,
-0.3241962,
-0.3692446,
-0.2474232,
-0.1036767,
0.3162694,
0.03668254,
-0.03159886,
0.0625832,
-0.2998293,
-0.249246,
-0.1491401,
0.3286128,
0.0401753,
0.04671306,
0.3137223,
-0.03308878,
-0.4503506,
0.1608252,
-0.07978745,
0.1334833,
... |
Development and characterization of 37 novel EST-SSR markers in Pisum sativum (Fabaceae). | Simple sequence repeat markers were developed based on expressed sequence tags (EST-SSR) and screened for polymorphism among 23 Pisum sativum individuals to assist development and refinement of pea linkage maps. In particular, the SSR markers were developed to assist in mapping of white mold disease resistance quantitative trait loci. • Primer pairs were designed for 46 SSRs identified in EST contiguous sequences assembled from a 454 pyrosequenced transcriptome of the pea cultivar, 'LIFTER'. Thirty-seven SSR markers amplified PCR products, of which 11 (30%) SSR markers produced polymorphism in 23 individuals, including parents of recombinant inbred lines, with two to four alleles. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 0.43 and from 0.31 to 0.83, respectively. • These EST-SSR markers for pea will be useful for refinement of pea linkage maps, and will likely be useful for comparative mapping of pea and as tools for marker-based pea breeding. | 25,202,482 | [
-0.09638859,
0.06844366,
0.3544935,
-0.1777453,
0.01566652,
-0.1608554,
0.1300464,
-0.02646543,
0.3015828,
-0.01630456,
0.01434718,
0.09713972,
0.09150522,
0.2618388,
-0.1623643,
0.05062224,
-0.5400546,
0.03148578,
0.1742911,
-0.2574058,
-0.04902051,
0.06844837,
-0.429555... |
Development of microsatellite markers for Isodon longitubus (Lamiaceae). | Microsatellite markers were developed for Isodon longitubus to study the natural hybridization of the species and its congeners. • A total of 10 primer sets were developed for I. longitubus. From the initial screening, all of 10 loci were polymorphic with five to 19 alleles per locus in the Mt. Ishizuchi population, whereas nine loci were polymorphic with two to 12 alleles per loci in the Toon population. Although one locus was monomorphic at one population, the observed and expected heterozygosity values estimated from 34 I. longitubus samples ranged from 0.273 to 1.000 and from 0.483 to 0.918, respectively. Six primer sets could amplify all three species examined in this study (I. inflexus, I. japonicus, and I. shikokianus). • The 10 microsatellite markers developed here will be useful in analyzing the population genetic structure of I. longitubus and in studying the natural hybridization between Isodon species. | 25,202,487 | [
0.007855809,
0.1864418,
0.4209402,
0.2056653,
0.1812196,
-0.1426322,
-0.362565,
0.2252602,
0.5336822,
-0.06341075,
-0.128465,
-0.1390891,
0.0282355,
0.06952982,
-0.3241471,
-0.05609107,
-0.4518189,
0.3051071,
0.1861735,
0.1902483,
0.3262787,
0.04077541,
-0.2595799,
-0.1... |
Exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) markers for evolutionary studies of Ficus and other taxa in the fig family (Moraceae). | The genus Ficus (fig trees) comprises ca. 750 species of trees, vines, and stranglers found in tropical forests throughout the world. Fig trees are keystone species in many tropical forests, and their relationship with host-specific wasp pollinators has received much attention, although many questions remain unresolved regarding the levels of host specificity, cospeciation, and the role of hybridization in fig and wasp speciation. We developed exon-primed intron-crossing (EPIC) markers to obtain phylogenetic resolution needed to address these questions. • Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from F. elastica were compared to Arabidopsis and Populus genomes to locate introns and to design primers in flanking exons. Primer pairs for 80 EPIC markers were tested in samples from divergent clades within Ficus and the outgroup Poulsenia (Moraceae). • Thirty-one EPIC markers were successfully sequenced across Ficus, and 29 of the markers also amplified in Poulsenia, indicating broad transferability within Moraceae. All of the EPIC markers were polymorphic and showed levels of polymorphism similar to that of the widely used internal transcribed spacer (ITS). | 25,202,490 | [
-0.1136303,
0.302542,
0.2046598,
-0.4019387,
0.5431439,
0.02798814,
-0.2099448,
-0.007865696,
0.3562741,
-0.004725108,
0.01231473,
-0.1601392,
-0.1011858,
-0.01912225,
-0.4139428,
-0.06980263,
-0.7227241,
-0.09614736,
0.0255869,
0.03916699,
0.5031657,
0.1877064,
-0.316900... |
Isolation and characterization of novel EST-derived genic markers in Pisum sativum (Fabaceae). | Novel markers were developed for pea (Pisum sativum) from pea expressed sequence tags (ESTs) having significant homology to Medicago truncatula gene sequences to investigate genetic diversity, linkage mapping, and cross-species transferability. • Seventy-seven EST-derived genic markers were developed through comparative mapping between M. truncatula and P. sativum in which 75 markers produced PCR products and 33 were polymorphic among 16 pea genotypes. • The novel markers described here will be useful for future genetic studies of P. sativum; their amplification in lentil (Lens culinaris) demonstrates their potential for use in closely related species. | 25,202,494 | [
-0.2560081,
-0.03994383,
0.196531,
-0.008759726,
0.02403442,
-0.1950509,
-0.221827,
0.05747651,
0.1962087,
0.03689328,
0.08992552,
0.1740024,
0.1624107,
-0.03014199,
-0.2109608,
0.09515796,
-0.7044911,
-0.07942108,
0.3009335,
-0.1019995,
0.1003126,
0.2552592,
-0.2226609,
... |
Microsatellite primers in the weedy annual herb Anacyclus clavatus (Asteraceae) and four closely related species. | Nuclear microsatellite primers were developed for the weedy herb Anacyclus clavatus to study the genetic structure of hybrid zones with closely related taxa in the western Mediterranean Basin, where different floral phenotypes are present. • We obtained two microsatellite libraries using next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing of cloned restriction fragments. A total of 13 polymorphic and 11 monomorphic loci were identified in three Iberian populations of A. clavatus. The primers amplified di- and trinucleotide repeats with 1-8 alleles per locus. Most primers also amplified in A. homogamos, A. monanthos, A. radiatus, and A. valentinus. • These results indicate the utility of these markers in A. clavatus for population genetic and hybridization studies as well as their applicability across the genus. | 25,202,498 | [
-0.1623096,
0.1657294,
0.3502586,
0.124577,
0.1815262,
-0.01935328,
-0.2137087,
-0.03664117,
0.382714,
-0.08351129,
-0.03262139,
-0.06884322,
0.1393154,
-0.3369069,
-0.3806771,
-0.01142759,
-0.3802851,
0.2261655,
-0.2487096,
0.100843,
0.3300381,
0.01371189,
-0.08240133,
... |
A method for extracting high-quality RNA from diverse plants for next-generation sequencing and gene expression analyses. | To study gene expression in plants, high-quality RNA must be extracted in quantities sufficient for subsequent cDNA library construction. Field-based collections are often limited in quantity and quality of tissue and are typically preserved in RNAlater. Obtaining sufficient and high-quality yield from variously preserved samples is essential to studies of comparative biology. We present a protocol for the extraction of high-quality RNA from even the most recalcitrant plant tissues. • Tissues from mosses, cycads, and angiosperm floral organs and leaves were preserved in RNAlater or frozen fresh at -80°C. Extractions were performed and quality was measured for yield and purity. • This protocol results in the extraction of high-quality RNA from a variety of plant tissues representing vascular and nonvascular plants. RNA was used for cDNA synthesis to generate libraries for next-generation sequencing and for expression studies using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and semiquantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). | 25,202,509 | [
-0.02245037,
0.3006074,
-0.1282844,
-0.1857882,
0.2295428,
-0.03842716,
-0.1230154,
0.04808192,
0.08007326,
-0.163743,
0.2052086,
-0.01652315,
0.123388,
-0.0169942,
-0.1930092,
-0.06870789,
0.1380046,
0.0003936655,
-0.381102,
0.3039791,
0.2092804,
0.05766183,
-0.2272664,
... |
Phylogenetic and microsatellite markers for Tulasnella (Tulasnellaceae) mycorrhizal fungi associated with Australian orchids. | Phylogenetic and microsatellite markers were developed for Tulasnella mycorrhizal fungi to investigate fungal species identity and diversity. These markers will be useful in future studies investigating the phylogenetic relationship of the fungal symbionts, specificity of orchid-mycorrhizal associations, and the role of mycorrhizae in orchid speciation within several orchid genera. • We generated partial genome sequences of two Tulasnella symbionts originating from Chiloglottis and Drakaea orchid species with 454 genome sequencing. Cross-genus transferability across mycorrhizal symbionts associated with multiple genera of Australian orchids (Arthrochilus, Chiloglottis, Drakaea, and Paracaleana) was found for seven phylogenetic loci. Five loci showed cross-transferability to Tulasnella from other orchid genera, and two to Sebacina. Furthermore, 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for Tulasnella from Chiloglottis. • Highly informative markers were obtained, allowing investigation of mycorrhizal diversity of Tulasnellaceae associated with a wide variety of terrestrial orchids in Australia and potentially worldwide. | 25,202,528 | [
0.165882,
-0.3390665,
0.5549409,
0.03907832,
-0.04511687,
-0.4423007,
-0.1865863,
0.1299074,
-0.003732834,
-0.05719819,
0.03234893,
-0.2823763,
0.2619685,
0.09136204,
-0.3941621,
-0.2405419,
-0.440116,
0.1569206,
0.3036782,
-0.2841178,
-0.09070429,
-0.0374968,
-0.3944004,... |
Characterization of microsatellites for the endangered Ruta oreojasme (Rutaceae) and cross-amplification in related species. | Ruta oreojasme is an endangered species endemic to Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain), where it occurs in small populations with disjunct distribution. Nothing is known about the genetic structure of these populations. • Using a microsatellite-enriched library method, 10 microsatellite markers have been developed from R. oreojasme, all of which showed polymorphism. The transferability of the 10 markers was tested in two other Canarian endemic species, R. microcarpa and R. pinnata, as well as in the widespread species R. montana. • Our results demonstrate the value of these newly developed microsatellite markers to investigate the genetic structure in R. oreojasme and show their potential applicability for population genetic studies in other Ruta species. | 25,202,532 | [
0.07053937,
-0.02383581,
0.6914338,
0.05741701,
-0.2201114,
-0.2849758,
-0.4397164,
0.04188505,
0.1474928,
0.0436754,
-0.003131777,
-0.04664944,
0.06136965,
-0.06117696,
-0.6137645,
-0.1487066,
-0.1688455,
-0.01410713,
0.6511979,
-0.1680598,
0.2452237,
0.2106552,
-0.18559... |
Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Alpinia oxyphylla (Zingiberaceae). | Microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for population genetic studies of Alpinia oxyphylla (Zingiberaceae), a perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plant often used medicinally in China. • A total of 85 loci were identified using a magnetic bead enrichment method, of which 23 were polymorphic. The level of polymorphism was characterized in 32 individuals from two populations; the number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 13; and observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity varied from 0 to 1 (mean: 0.6441) and 0 to 0.887 (mean: 0.6241), respectively. • The polymorphic microsatellite markers generated from this study will be useful for genetic diversity and structure analysis of A. oxyphylla. | 25,202,538 | [
0.1449745,
0.08451734,
0.6320007,
0.2478069,
-0.3256749,
-0.142526,
-0.4876315,
-0.07189097,
0.1630045,
-0.01701607,
-0.2020885,
0.1162915,
-0.03980345,
-0.01461439,
-0.4535612,
0.3628991,
-0.2713194,
0.1675721,
0.3718231,
0.02964551,
0.4100648,
0.3205867,
-0.2499483,
-... |
Microsatellite loci for an old rare species, Pseudotaxus chienii, and transferability in Taxus wallichiana var. mairei (Taxaceae). | Microsatellite loci were developed for Pseudotaxus chienii, an old rare species endemic to China, and which provided a useful tool for investigating the patterns of population genetic structure, phylogeography, evolutionary history, and adaptive potential. Transferability was assayed in the related species, Taxus wallichiana var. mairei. • A total of 15 microsatellite loci were targeted in P. chienii using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining Repeats (FIASCO) protocol. Polymorphism was evaluated in five populations of P. chienii and five populations of T. wallichiana var. mairei. Of these loci, 13 were polymorphic in P. chienii, whereas 15 were polymorphic in T. wallichiana var. mairei. • The 15 microsatellite loci developed lay a solid foundation for further studies on population genetic variability and investigations of local adaptation. Additionally, cross-species amplification in T. wallichiana var. mairei showed that these loci may also have potential utility in other genera of Taxaceae. | 25,202,547 | [
0.1169699,
-0.1808238,
0.1991219,
-0.08265057,
0.2568918,
-0.3708867,
-0.1669239,
0.4054429,
-0.0415247,
-0.09164288,
-0.06113712,
-0.08826142,
-0.255305,
0.2244325,
-0.5165897,
-0.3739411,
-0.3742182,
0.1688848,
-0.0714448,
0.05324821,
0.1422377,
0.3920522,
-0.1338665,
... |
Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for Central American Begonia sect. Gireoudia (Begoniaceae). | Transcriptome sequence data were used to design microsatellite primers for two widespread Central American Begonia species, B. heracleifolia and B. nelumbiifolia, to investigate population structure and hybridization. • The transcriptome from vegetative meristem tissue from the related B. plebeja was mined for microsatellite loci, and 31 primer pairs amplified in the target species. Fifteen primer pairs were combined in two multiplex PCR reactions, which amplified an average of four alleles per locus. • The markers developed will be a valuable genetic resource for medium-throughput genotyping of Central American species of Begonia sect. Gireoudia. A subset of these markers have perfect sequence matches to Asian B. venusta, and are promising for studies in other Begonia sections. | 25,202,548 | [
0.2910702,
0.1307718,
0.2547613,
-0.2891399,
0.3020311,
0.01750618,
-0.3391243,
-0.08380111,
0.2422716,
-0.1256233,
-0.1923414,
0.007241596,
0.04054295,
-0.0003877191,
-0.2322052,
-0.1354116,
-0.3729509,
0.4219126,
0.2464755,
-0.07012114,
0.8007423,
0.1233907,
-0.0605926,... |
Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers in the Chinese medicinal plant Callerya speciosa (Fabaceae). | The first microsatellite primers were developed for Callerya speciosa, an important traditional medicinal plant with island-mainland distributions in China, to further investigate its genetic variability and population structure. • The microsatellite-containing sequences were selected from a cDNA library of C. speciosa. In total, 58 primer pairs were designed, and 25 of the corresponding loci showed clear amplification. Polymorphisms were assessed in two different natural populations. The mean number of alleles per locus ranged from two to nine. Observed and expected heterozygosity per loci ranged from 0.067 to 0.938 and 0.064 to 0.836, respectively. One out of 25 loci showed departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations in both populations, and three pairs of loci showed significant linkage disequilibrium after Bonferroni correction. • These microsatellite markers will be useful tools for genetic and conservation studies and to understand the evolutionary processes in Callerya species. | 25,202,551 | [
0.2277897,
0.2226758,
0.3821928,
0.08563298,
0.4003274,
-0.2870337,
-0.3935873,
0.1488756,
0.4387313,
0.07728778,
0.1052565,
0.2746314,
0.1232262,
0.02872961,
0.1710885,
-0.002650853,
-0.1869942,
0.02658006,
0.2708203,
0.2032752,
0.01250975,
0.2611346,
-0.2779878,
-0.21... |
A new R package, exsic, to assist taxonomists in creating indices. | Taxonomists manage large amounts of specimen data. This is usually initiated in spreadsheets and then converted for publication into locality lists and indices to associate collectors and collector numbers from herbarium sheets to identifications (exsiccatae). This conversion process is mostly done by hand and is time-consuming, cumbersome, and error-prone. • We constructed a tool, 'exsic,' based on the statistical software R. The exsic function is part of the R package 'exsic' and produces specimen citations and exsiccatae conforming to four related formats. • The tool increases speed, efficiency, and accuracy to convert raw spreadsheet tables to publication-ready content. | 25,202,559 | [
0.1758071,
0.2909301,
0.11897,
-0.002186547,
-0.08314454,
-0.2487495,
-0.2572998,
0.04561203,
0.1847011,
0.0318082,
0.02936238,
0.2007676,
0.1465142,
0.136162,
-0.34803,
-0.1532402,
-0.02977082,
-0.03535451,
0.2063309,
0.001675514,
0.01716033,
0.1541283,
-0.1590737,
-0.... |
Identification and characterization of microsatellites from calafate (Berberis microphylla, Berberidaceae). | Southern barberry or calafate (Berberis microphylla) is a shrub species endemic to the Patagonian region of South America that is used for human consumption. The fruit is very rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins and has a very high antioxidant capacity. There have been only a few genetic studies of this and other closely related species. • Here we present the first 18 microsatellite markers of B. microphylla that were characterized using 66 accessions of calafate from Patagonia. On average, they had 7.6 alleles per marker, with an expected heterozygosity of 0.688. The informativeness of these markers was also evaluated in another 15 Berberis species, including most of the native and endemic Chilean species. • The results confirm that these new simple sequence repeat markers are very polymorphic and potentially useful in genetic studies in any species of the genus Berberis. | 25,202,561 | [
0.002071673,
0.350439,
0.5011072,
0.07644526,
0.158825,
0.00114503,
-0.07068958,
-0.1695374,
0.3481565,
-0.2139847,
0.0264507,
0.2137336,
0.00195931,
-0.08285508,
-0.3259103,
-0.4929283,
-0.3279836,
0.4362029,
0.5018491,
-0.1821521,
0.106425,
0.3326684,
-0.09560537,
-0.... |
High-throughput microsatellite marker development for the distylous herb Primula mistassinica (Primulaceae). | Twelve microsatellite markers were developed for Primula mistassinica, a distylous, diploid arctic-alpine plant. The markers will be used to investigate the landscape genetics of a disjunct population on Isle Royale, Michigan, and the phylogeographic patterns of the species. • We used Roche/454 high-throughput technology to sequence microsatellite-enriched regions in the P. mistassinica genome. We developed 12 polymorphic microsatellite primer sets. These loci contained di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeats with two to nine alleles per locus when assessed in 23 individuals. • Understanding the historical movements of P. mistassinica will provide insight to the survival prospects of current Arctic plant populations, which face the pressures of global, anthropogenic climate change. | 25,202,573 | [
-0.2893682,
-0.01097025,
0.1336236,
0.02932283,
-0.133285,
-0.1762394,
-0.4189779,
0.09767458,
0.2923202,
-0.1354639,
-0.3048708,
0.06816621,
-0.04792727,
-0.01608046,
-0.2596025,
0.0257556,
-0.3289205,
0.002879518,
0.1139322,
0.01863435,
0.3993454,
0.5558832,
-0.3133232,... |
2matrix: A utility for indel coding and phylogenetic matrix concatenation(1.). | Phylogenetic analysis of DNA and amino acid sequences requires the creation of files formatted specifically for each analysis package. Programs currently available cannot simultaneously code inferred insertion/deletion (indel) events in sequence alignments and concatenate data sets. • A novel Perl script, 2matrix, was created to concatenate matrices of non-molecular characters and/or aligned sequences and to code indels. 2matrix outputs a variety of formats compatible with popular phylogenetic programs. • 2matrix efficiently codes indels and concatenates matrices of sequences and non-molecular data. It is available for free download under a GPL (General Public License) open source license (https://github.com/nrsalinas/2matrix/archive/master.zip). | 25,202,595 | [
-0.08299738,
-0.14611,
-0.1743767,
-0.02305349,
0.1323626,
-0.2405078,
-0.1398027,
-0.2509245,
0.2381684,
-0.1686974,
-0.04839897,
0.2184808,
0.2859945,
0.2233314,
-0.3794988,
0.162723,
-0.101547,
-0.03793407,
-0.03588285,
0.06087858,
0.1372605,
-0.1012316,
-0.2326777,
... |
An effective system to produce smoke solutions from dried plant tissue for seed germination studies. | An efficient and inexpensive system was developed to produce smoke solutions from plant material to research the influence of water-soluble compounds from smoke on seed germination. • Smoke solutions (300 mL per batch) were produced by burning small quantities (100-200 g) of dried plant material from a range of species in a bee smoker attached by a heater hose to a side-arm flask. The flask was attached to a vacuum water aspirator, to pull the smoke through the water. The entire apparatus was operated in a laboratory fume hood. • Compared with other smoke solution preparation systems, the system described is easy to assemble and operate, inexpensive to build, and effective at producing smoke solutions from desired species in a small indoor space. Quantitative measurements can be made when using this system, allowing for replication of the process. | 25,202,613 | [
0.09979647,
0.3376061,
-0.1215753,
-0.09387677,
0.007048477,
-0.2674859,
-0.09730487,
0.1498677,
0.2456329,
0.1430455,
0.09069629,
0.2033822,
-0.002387607,
-0.18765,
-0.275591,
0.07913321,
0.005394737,
0.124981,
0.138859,
0.105869,
0.5945472,
0.02362598,
-0.2508849,
0.1... |
Microsatellite markers for the invasive species Bidens alba (Asteraceae). | Microsatellite markers were developed in the invasive species Bidens alba (Asteraceae) to assess its population structure and to facilitate tracking its expansion in China. • Using 454 pyrosequencing, 20 microsatellite primer sets were developed for B. alba. The markers were tested on one population of B. alba (30 individuals) and one population of the closely related B. pilosa (30 individuals) in China. For B. alba, all of the markers were polymorphic, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from three to 32. The expected heterozygosity values were from 0.3787 to 0.9284, and the Shannon-Wiener index was from 0.6796 to 2.8401. • These markers will be useful for investigating the genetic structure, genetic diversity, and invasion dynamics of B. alba and will also be useful in studies of B. pilosa. | 25,202,626 | [
-0.02646165,
0.08608347,
0.2906801,
-0.2415433,
0.1542384,
-0.3720436,
-0.3389874,
0.05788085,
0.1500543,
-0.07445644,
-0.06554467,
-0.1644428,
0.1710591,
0.03782725,
-0.1155466,
-0.01937773,
-0.4512234,
0.1815872,
-0.02973555,
-0.05698624,
0.3650183,
0.01966181,
-0.21580... |
Novel microsatellite markers for the high-alpine Geum reptans (Rosaceae). | Geum reptans reproduces by outcrossing or by the formation of stolons. Sexual and clonal reproduction are not exclusive and occur mostly simultaneously. We developed novel microsatellite primers for this species, which will be used in a study about local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, and random molecular divergence of alpine plants. • Twelve microsatellite primer sets were developed for G. reptans, of which nine were polymorphic. Initially, the forward primers had an M13 tail, and the allelic signals of each locus were amplified using a single fluorescent-labeled M13 forward sequence. In the running phase, a multiplex PCR assay was developed using different fluorophore-labeled forward primers. Two to 11 alleles were found per locus, depending on the studied population. • Identical multilocus genotypes (i.e., clonal offspring) were not found because individuals in our sampling were at least 4 m distant from each other. F ST-Q ST analysis will be applied to detect selection processes in populations of G. reptans across the Alps. | 25,202,633 | [
0.1263021,
0.1796136,
-0.0997544,
-0.1614708,
0.08441637,
-0.3323774,
-0.2080296,
-0.4914749,
0.07682472,
0.02915812,
-0.1899139,
0.2733784,
0.1009639,
0.1182512,
-0.7358972,
-0.3374886,
-0.5024312,
0.3036937,
0.1704611,
0.201902,
0.2369601,
0.2881712,
-0.1825874,
-0.08... |
Microsatellite primers for the fungi Rhizopogon kretzerae and R. salebrosus (Rhizopogonaceae) from 454 shotgun pyrosequencing. | Rhizopogon kretzerae and R. salebrosus (Rhizopogonaceae) are ectomycorrhizal fungi symbiotic with pines and the mycoheterotrophic plant Pterospora andromedea (Ericaceae). Microsatellite loci will allow population genetic study of fungal hosts to P. andromedea. • Shotgun pyrosequencing of R. kretzerae DNA resulted in primer development of 23 perfect microsatellite loci and screened across two populations each for R. kretzerae and R. salebrosus. Twelve loci were polymorphic in R. kretzerae populations, and 11 loci cross-amplified in R. salebrosus populations. For R. kretzerae and R. salebrosus, number of alleles was one to eight and one to nine, respectively, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.00-0.57 and 0.00-0.70, respectively. • These are the first microsatellite loci developed for any species within Rhizopogon subgenus Amylopogon. These microsatellite loci will be used in conservation genetic studies of rare to endangered eastern populations and to compare plant and fungal population genetic structure at different hierarchical levels. | 25,202,638 | [
0.2847776,
-0.02729668,
0.2140162,
-0.003379431,
-0.07933095,
-0.0742752,
-0.1924825,
-0.1536257,
-0.05878004,
0.01824426,
-0.05122738,
-0.250365,
0.0009959145,
-0.254863,
-0.4123651,
-0.00533655,
-0.6262186,
0.2635238,
0.3133818,
-0.416463,
0.2752502,
0.2435367,
0.173793... |
Sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers: A potential resource for studies in plant molecular biology(1.). | In the past few decades, many investigations in the field of plant biology have employed selectively neutral, multilocus, dominant markers such as inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR), random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to address hypotheses at lower taxonomic levels. More recently, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers have been developed, which are used to amplify coding regions of DNA with primers targeting open reading frames. These markers have proven to be robust and highly variable, on par with AFLP, and are attained through a significantly less technically demanding process. SRAP markers have been used primarily for agronomic and horticultural purposes, developing quantitative trait loci in advanced hybrids and assessing genetic diversity of large germplasm collections. Here, we suggest that SRAP markers should be employed for research addressing hypotheses in plant systematics, biogeography, conservation, ecology, and beyond. We provide an overview of the SRAP literature to date, review descriptive statistics of SRAP markers in a subset of 171 publications, and present relevant case studies to demonstrate the applicability of SRAP markers to the diverse field of plant biology. Results of these selected works indicate that SRAP markers have the potential to enhance the current suite of molecular tools in a diversity of fields by providing an easy-to-use, highly variable marker with inherent biological significance. | 25,202,637 | [
-0.08276293,
-0.07049339,
0.09723158,
-0.04292049,
0.1305389,
-0.2563039,
-0.2726606,
0.1111765,
0.3505415,
-0.06865854,
0.01625371,
0.0949276,
-0.01394512,
0.0255366,
-0.2402126,
-0.2848954,
-0.4387363,
0.1105171,
0.3185786,
-0.1179734,
0.1969391,
0.2436225,
-0.2695247,
... |
Field models and numerical dosimetry inside an extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic bioreactor: the theoretical link between the electromagnetically induced mechanical forces and the biological mechanisms of the cell tensegrity. | We have implemented field models and performed a detailed numerical dosimetry inside our extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic bioreactor which has been successfully used in in vitro Biotechnology and Tissue Engineering researches. The numerical dosimetry permitted to map the magnetic induction field (maximum module equal to about 3.3 mT) and to discuss its biological effects in terms of induced electric currents and induced mechanical forces (compression and traction). So, in the frame of the tensegrity-mechanotransduction theory of Ingber, the study of these electromagnetically induced mechanical forces could be, in our opinion, a powerful tool to understand some effects of the electromagnetic stimulation whose mechanisms remain still elusive. | 25,202,652 | [
-0.2056918,
-0.152942,
0.131455,
0.2923646,
-0.04983012,
-0.1319533,
-0.1214672,
0.101409,
0.04491828,
0.1599305,
-0.03582285,
-0.5534796,
-0.1625061,
-0.08857196,
-0.829696,
-0.1217485,
-0.1558985,
-0.1386591,
-0.4719568,
-0.05731139,
0.5485284,
0.1383355,
-0.03810353,
... |
Volumetry may predict early renal function after nephron sparing surgery in solitary kidney patients. | We investigate the impact of the residual kidney volume measured by tumor volumetry on preoperative imaging in predicting post-operative renal function. Nephron sparing surgery (NSS) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the standard treatment for T1 kidney tumors. Resection of kidney tumors in solidary kidneys needs precise preoperative counseling of patients regarding post-operative renal function. Patients planned for renal tumor surgery who underwent prior nephrectomy on the contralateral side were included. We identified 35 patients in our database that underwent NSS in solitary kidneys and met the inclusion criteria. Tumor volumetry was performed on computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK). Clinical and pathological data were assessed. Follow-up data included renal function over 3 years. Mean age was 64 ± 8.1 years. Mean tumor volume on imaging was 27.5 ± 48.6 cc. Mean kidney volume was 195.2 ± 62.8 cc and mean residual kidney volume was 173.4 ± 65.3 cc. We found a correlation between renal function (MDRD) and residual kidney volume on imaging 1-week post-surgery (p = 0.038). Mid- and long-term renal function was not associated with residual kidney volume. In conclusion, renal volumetry may predict early renal function after NSS. | 25,202,653 | [
-0.01529014,
0.2169911,
-0.1983984,
-0.1254326,
0.2417889,
-0.441721,
0.08509475,
0.1173178,
0.01818467,
0.1297525,
0.2611614,
0.344522,
0.01105777,
0.1192464,
-0.7104674,
-0.3476504,
-0.246645,
0.2835474,
0.01939211,
-0.04585742,
-0.09388836,
0.2145019,
-0.3322981,
0.0... |
Age related reduction of T1rho and T2 magnetic resonance relaxation times of lumbar intervertebral disc. | This report aims to study the age related T1rho and T2 relaxation time changes in lumbar intervertebral disc. Lumbar sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with a 3 Tesla scanner in 52 subjects. With a spin-lock frequency of 500 Hz, T1rho was measured using a rotary echo spin-lock pulse embedded in a 3D balanced fast field echo sequence. A multi-echo turbo spin echo sequence was used for T2 mapping. Regions-of-interest were drawn over the T1rho and T2 maps, including nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus. For L1/2-L4/5 discs, results showed the age associated reduction of T1rho of nucleus pulposus had a of slope of -1.06, the reduction of T2 of nucleus pulposus had a slope of -1.47, the reduction of T1rho of annulus fibrosus had a slope of -0.25, and the reduction of T2 of annulus fibrosus had a slope of -0.18, with all the slopes significantly non-zero. In nucleus pulposus the slope of T2 was slightly steeper than that of T1rho (P=0.085), while in annulus fibrosus the slope of T1rho was slightly steeper than that of T2 (P=0.31). We conclude that significant age related reduction of T1rho and T2 magnetic resonance relaxation times of lumbar intervertebral disc was observed, however, the relative performances of T1rho vs. T2 were broadly similar. | 25,202,661 | [
0.0756246,
0.3400872,
-0.1352489,
0.2629656,
-0.4050095,
-0.4330442,
0.1854778,
-0.07062102,
-0.1384348,
-0.06697851,
-0.02102123,
0.1250628,
-0.09260689,
0.06403479,
-0.4647776,
-0.3354014,
-0.09323774,
0.2827772,
-0.2376541,
-0.2674851,
0.1400433,
0.25883,
-0.1751316,
... |
Cerebral CT angiography and CT perfusion in acute stroke detection: a systematic review of diagnostic value. | The purpose of this study was to analyse the diagnostic value of cerebral CT angiography (CTA) and CT perfusion (CTP) examinations in the detection of acute stroke based on a systematic review of the current literature. The review was conducted based on searching of seven databases for articles published between 1993 and 2013. Diagnostic value in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy was analysed from 21 articles which were found to meet selection criteria. The mean sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy for CTA were significantly higher than those for CTP with 83.2% (95% CI: 57.9-100.0%), 95.0% (95% CI: 74.4-100%), 84.1% (95% CI: 50.0-100%), 97.1 (95% CI: 94.0-100%) and 94.0% (95% CI: 83.0-99.0) versus 69.9% (95% CI: 20.0-97.0%), 87.4 (95% CI: 61.0-100.0%), 76.4% (95% CI: 48.0-95.4%), 78.2% (95% CI: 55.8-93.9%) and 89.8% (95% CI: 75.7-97.1%), respectively. This analysis shows that CTA has high diagnostic value in detecting high degree of cerebral arterial stenosis (>70%) whereas CTP provides high specificity in the detection of ischemia and infarct tissue of brain. | 25,202,664 | [
-0.04695652,
-0.1201468,
-0.08570804,
-0.2067264,
0.1135012,
-0.0968523,
-0.2917635,
-0.05247816,
-0.1939146,
-0.0310291,
0.02671896,
0.2313174,
-0.1968617,
-0.167813,
-0.02906049,
-0.5380057,
-0.4035233,
0.4617693,
-0.3211176,
0.09665821,
-0.2097567,
0.008191987,
-0.0751... |
The Effects of Nitric Oxide Donors on Uterine Artery and Sub-endometrial Blood Flow in Patients with Unexplained Recurrent Abortion. | Nitric oxide plays a major role in increasing uterine blood flow during the luteal phase and early pregnancy. This study was done to compare uterine artery and sub-endometrial blood flow indices during the luteal phase between patients with unexplained recurrent abortion and fertile women and also to evaluate the effects of nitric oxide donors on blood flow indices in the abortion group. The study included a control group of 30 primiparae who had normal vaginal delivery and no history of abortion and an abortion group of 30 nulliparous women with history of two or more unexplained recurrent abortions. Transvaginal three-dimensional pulsed color Doppler ultrasound was done on days 21-23 of the cycle to measure uterine artery resistance and pulsation indices and the subendometrial vascular, flow and vascular-flow indices. Isosorbide mononitrate 20 mg tablet was administered vaginally in the abortion group and blood flow indices were measured again after two hours. The Student t-test and the paired t-test were used for analysis of results and a p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant. Patients with unexplained recurrent abortion had significantly higher uterine artery resistance and pulsation indices and lower sub-endometrial vascular, flow and vascular-flow index (p < 0.01-0.0001). Isosorbide mononitrite significantly decreased uterine artery and increased sub-endometrial blood flow indices (p < 0.001). Uterine artery and sub-endometrial blood flow decreased during the luteal phase in patients with unexplained recurrent abortion. Nitric oxide donors increased blood flow and may be of a therapeutic value. | 25,202,671 | [
-0.1045573,
0.2364612,
-0.1163585,
0.1893376,
0.2442416,
-0.4151902,
-0.1579418,
-0.07203832,
0.2012012,
0.01468232,
0.06430319,
0.1815678,
-0.3765646,
-0.05320914,
-0.5771029,
-0.1368323,
-0.1856711,
0.08504733,
-0.355643,
0.2999989,
-0.06300388,
0.6106547,
-0.1247412,
... |
Frequency of molar pregnancies in health care centers of tehran, iran. | Hydatidiform mole is an important obstetric problem which can result in harmful and serious outcomes. In this study, an attempt was made to determine the proportion of hydatidiform mole in prenatal clinics of Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) to find the precise frequency of this disease. Between January 2012 and January 2013, all women who immediately after positive pregnancy test or after retarded menstruation came to prenatal clinics in health care centers of IUMS were included in the study. The women were followed until 8-10 weeks of pregnancy and at this time abdominal sonography was used for confirmation or exclusion of molar pregnancy. In this descriptive study between January 2012 and January 2013, 8614 pregnant women with mentioned criteria were included and 61 cases of hydatidiform mole were diagnosed (0.7% or 7 per 1000 pregnancy). Ten cases (16.4%) were patients with partial moles. There was no significant difference in blood types in molar and non-molar pregnancies, but molar group differed significantly from non-molar group in terms of history of molar pregnancy, abortion, OCP use and ovulation induction. Proportion of hydatidiform mole in this study was more than the reported European and American statistics. | 25,202,674 | [
-0.3742073,
0.1202797,
-0.2246263,
-0.06744549,
0.1565768,
-0.3244044,
-0.2934866,
0.09058131,
0.3862184,
-0.1591958,
0.1612852,
0.1928016,
-0.1452729,
0.2055068,
-0.2316107,
-0.1144941,
-0.2250821,
0.2158871,
-0.06527153,
-0.3617952,
0.08441127,
0.2206957,
-0.06660334,
... |
TIE2-expressing monocytes as a diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma correlates with angiogenesis. | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the past few years, the mechanisms of hepato-carcinogenesis have been elucidated and the involvement of a number of pathways, including angiogenesis, aberrant signal transduction, and dysregulated cell cycle control have been demonstrated. Myeloid lineage cells, such as macrophages and monocytes, have been reported to regulate angiogenesis in mouse models. TIE2, a receptor of angiopoietins, conveys pro-angiogenic signals and identifies a monocyte/macrophage subset with pro-angiogenic activity. Recently, one study suggests that TIE2-expressing monocyte/macrophage (TEMs) frequency can be used as a diagnostic marker for HCC. | 25,202,690 | [
-0.1248941,
0.03633636,
-0.1326769,
-0.3323444,
0.2430472,
-0.2132659,
0.09625779,
0.1392792,
-0.09423374,
0.3409779,
-0.1756095,
0.1558424,
-0.185812,
-0.02070504,
-0.6241567,
-0.3149866,
-0.140698,
0.2811255,
-0.0274083,
-0.05130898,
0.1191358,
0.1905218,
-0.1215822,
... |
Systematic analysis of the association between gut flora and obesity through high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics approaches. | Eighty-one stool samples from Taiwanese were collected for analysis of the association between the gut flora and obesity. The supervised analysis showed that the most, abundant genera of bacteria in normal samples (from people with a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 24) were Bacteroides (27.7%), Prevotella (19.4%), Escherichia (12%), Phascolarctobacterium (3.9%), and Eubacterium (3.5%). The most abundant genera of bacteria in case samples (with a BMI ≥ 27) were Bacteroides (29%), Prevotella (21%), Escherichia (7.4%), Megamonas (5.1%), and Phascolarctobacterium (3.8%). A principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) demonstrated that normal samples were clustered more compactly than case samples. An unsupervised analysis demonstrated that bacterial communities in the gut were clustered into two main groups: N-like and OB-like groups. Remarkably, most normal samples (78%) were clustered in the N-like group, and most case samples (81%) were clustered in the OB-like group (Fisher's P value = 1.61E - 07). The results showed that bacterial communities in the gut were highly associated with obesity. This is the first study in Taiwan to investigate the association between human gut flora and obesity, and the results provide new insights into the correlation of bacteria with the rising trend in obesity. | 25,202,708 | [
-0.04429,
0.283315,
-0.1525618,
0.126163,
-0.09824769,
-0.1869912,
-0.4911343,
0.1667324,
-0.2104509,
-0.1960475,
0.2870371,
0.026804,
0.05423361,
-0.1419812,
-0.4399912,
0.09317463,
0.0565034,
0.3595502,
-0.007343627,
-0.243566,
-0.2230947,
0.4791994,
-0.09136045,
-0.0... |
A miracle that accelerates operating room functionality: sugammadex. | Sugammadex offers a good alternative to the conventional decurarisation process currently performed with cholinesterase inhibitors. Sugammadex, which was developed specifically for the aminosteroid-structured rocuronium and vecuronium neuromuscular blockers, is a modified cyclodextrin made up of 8 glucose monomers arranged in a cylindrical shape. In this study, the goal was to investigate the efficacy of sugammadex. Sugammadex was used when there was insufficient decurarisation following neostigmine. This study was performed on 14 patients who experienced insufficient decurarisation (TOF <0.9) with neostigmine after general anaesthesia in the operating rooms of a university and a state hospital between June, 2012, and January, 2014. A dose of 2 mg/kg of sugammadex was administered. Time elapsed until sugammadex administration following neostigmine 37 ± 6 min, following sugammadex it took 2.1 ± 0.9 min to reach TOF ≥0.9, and the extubation time was 3.2 ± 1.4 min. No statistically significant differences were detected in the hemodynamic parameters before and after sugammadex application. From the time of administration of sugammadex to the second postoperative hour, no side effects or complications occurred. None of the patients experienced acute respiratory failure or residual block during this time period. Sugammadex was successfully used to reverse rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block in patients where neostigmine was insufficient. | 25,202,709 | [
-0.3756555,
0.2669382,
-0.5634551,
-0.07599522,
-0.2369548,
-0.222536,
-0.1981537,
-0.1359937,
-0.07905544,
-0.04340628,
-0.008022379,
-0.1195973,
-0.1180083,
-0.3380169,
-0.1588922,
0.3088967,
-0.6255181,
0.09053455,
0.07097521,
-0.07733501,
0.222091,
0.5331378,
0.111610... |
Effects of edentulism on mandibular morphology: evaluation of panoramic radiographs. | The objective of this study was to evaluate morphological changes of the mandible in edentulous and dentate subjects using panoramic radiographs. Panoramic radiographs were divided into the following three groups: Group I (completely edentulous group), Group II (old dentate group) and Group III (young dentate group). The research parameters of gonial angle, condylar height, ramus height, ramus notch depth, and antegonial notch depth were measured on panoramic radiographs. The Kruskal-Wallis statistical test was used to determine significant differences in mandibular morphological parameters among the three groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the subgroups. Significant differences were found only in ramus height between three groups. According to the Mann-Whitney U test, a significant difference was exhibited among Groups I and II in the ramus height parameter. No significant differences were found in the gonial angle, condylar height, ramus notch depth, or antegonial notch depth when comparing the young dentate, old dentate, and completely edentulous subjects. Significant differences were found only in ramus height between the groups. Ramus height may be an indicator that changed by years and tooth loss. It must be considered that ramus height can be decreased in edentulism. | 25,202,718 | [
0.2118184,
0.1674981,
0.1675908,
0.07377045,
0.1831646,
-0.3054879,
-0.0740941,
-0.06651398,
-0.2465203,
0.2669395,
-0.1087953,
-0.03556329,
-0.5521421,
-0.1954736,
-0.608346,
-0.1771115,
0.2471625,
0.6730155,
0.04891596,
-0.3643932,
0.2878965,
0.14906,
0.21521,
0.00793... |
Self-ligating brackets and their impact on oral health-related quality of life in Chinese adolescence patients: a longitudinal prospective study. | Although the associations between orthodontic and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) have been explored, little research has been done to address the influence of brackets type on perceived OHRQOL. The aim of this study was to assess whether the levels of OHRQOL in Chinese adolescence patients were influenced by the type of brackets. One hundred fifty Chinese orthodontic adolescence patients completed the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14, Chinese version) at five distinct intervals: after insertion of the fixed appliance at 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4); and after treatment (T5). Patients with self-ligating brackets were associated with less pain and discomfort at any intervals compared with conventional brackets, but no significant difference of overall OHIP-14 scores could be found between two groups. Moreover, in both groups, overall scores at T1 and T2 were significantly higher than the scores at any other intervals in both groups. The type of orthodontic appliance did not affect oral health-related quality of life in Chinese adolescence patients. | 25,202,720 | [
0.08031534,
0.7238657,
0.1476278,
0.2110586,
-0.2349427,
-0.1644634,
-0.2171414,
-0.001655071,
-0.0899012,
-0.03987555,
0.1418938,
-0.02819748,
-0.417779,
-0.4913681,
-0.5224711,
-0.2853261,
-0.1153221,
0.4295306,
-0.4264794,
-0.1411783,
0.1054191,
0.3270245,
-0.06833635,... |
A novel memristive multilayer feedforward small-world neural network with its applications in PID control. | In this paper, we present an implementation scheme of memristor-based multilayer feedforward small-world neural network (MFSNN) inspirited by the lack of the hardware realization of the MFSNN on account of the need of a large number of electronic neurons and synapses. More specially, a mathematical closed-form charge-governed memristor model is presented with derivation procedures and the corresponding Simulink model is presented, which is an essential block for realizing the memristive synapse and the activation function in electronic neurons. Furthermore, we investigate a more intelligent memristive PID controller by incorporating the proposed MFSNN into intelligent PID control based on the advantages of the memristive MFSNN on computation speed and accuracy. Finally, numerical simulations have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. | 25,202,723 | [
-0.1116247,
-0.07930618,
0.0328052,
0.134885,
0.08527641,
-0.07542368,
-0.1518613,
0.2149306,
0.06079927,
0.07978013,
-0.2468407,
0.1380003,
0.1513849,
0.4922459,
-0.6291181,
-0.0884243,
-0.4533872,
-0.09014953,
-0.3260674,
0.1297067,
0.1603964,
0.08833969,
0.002665737,
... |
Phase diagrams of smart copolymers poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(sodium acrylate). | The phase behavior of linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA), linear copolymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(sodium acrylate) (PNIPA-SA), and chemically cross-linked PNIPA in water has been determined by temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TM-DSC). Experiments related to linear polymers (PNIPA and PNIPA-SA) indicated nontypical demixing/mixing behavior with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), which do not correspond to the three classical types of limiting critical behavior. Some similarities and differences are observed in comparison to our literature data using standard TM-DSC for PNIPA/water. Furthermore no influence of composition cross-linked PNIPA/water system on demixing/mixing temperature was observed. | 25,202,728 | [
-0.3483849,
0.2082501,
-0.08072255,
-0.1960531,
0.03961533,
-0.04983518,
-0.1188133,
0.1778191,
0.03107151,
0.1930767,
-0.01234002,
-0.08772009,
0.0008106497,
-0.2088522,
-0.5911853,
-0.1379638,
-0.2665184,
0.2595501,
-0.184889,
0.2513372,
0.3588871,
0.03555532,
-0.149142... |
Towards enhancement of performance of K-means clustering using nature-inspired optimization algorithms. | Traditional K-means clustering algorithms have the drawback of getting stuck at local optima that depend on the random values of initial centroids. Optimization algorithms have their advantages in guiding iterative computation to search for global optima while avoiding local optima. The algorithms help speed up the clustering process by converging into a global optimum early with multiple search agents in action. Inspired by nature, some contemporary optimization algorithms which include Ant, Bat, Cuckoo, Firefly, and Wolf search algorithms mimic the swarming behavior allowing them to cooperatively steer towards an optimal objective within a reasonable time. It is known that these so-called nature-inspired optimization algorithms have their own characteristics as well as pros and cons in different applications. When these algorithms are combined with K-means clustering mechanism for the sake of enhancing its clustering quality by avoiding local optima and finding global optima, the new hybrids are anticipated to produce unprecedented performance. In this paper, we report the results of our evaluation experiments on the integration of nature-inspired optimization methods into K-means algorithms. In addition to the standard evaluation metrics in evaluating clustering quality, the extended K-means algorithms that are empowered by nature-inspired optimization methods are applied on image segmentation as a case study of application scenario. | 25,202,730 | [
-0.07850435,
0.3639799,
-0.1569132,
0.175036,
0.1505784,
-0.2519464,
-0.3769454,
-0.05347972,
0.3353807,
-0.4119805,
-0.03518597,
-0.07885342,
0.131444,
0.1466923,
-0.496669,
0.02974795,
-0.2675909,
-0.0272878,
0.1613607,
0.01806252,
0.0419424,
-0.1127288,
-0.2553172,
0... |
A flexile and high precision calibration method for binocular structured light scanning system. | 3D (three-dimensional) structured light scanning system is widely used in the field of reverse engineering, quality inspection, and so forth. Camera calibration is the key for scanning precision. Currently, 2D (two-dimensional) or 3D fine processed calibration reference object is usually applied for high calibration precision, which is difficult to operate and the cost is high. In this paper, a novel calibration method is proposed with a scale bar and some artificial coded targets placed randomly in the measuring volume. The principle of the proposed method is based on hierarchical self-calibration and bundle adjustment. We get initial intrinsic parameters from images. Initial extrinsic parameters in projective space are estimated with the method of factorization and then upgraded to Euclidean space with orthogonality of rotation matrix and rank 3 of the absolute quadric as constraint. Last, all camera parameters are refined through bundle adjustment. Real experiments show that the proposed method is robust, and has the same precision level as the result using delicate artificial reference object, but the hardware cost is very low compared with the current calibration method used in 3D structured light scanning system. | 25,202,736 | [
-0.05595722,
0.3881006,
-0.04773414,
0.133341,
-0.04033589,
-0.4210967,
-0.007329614,
0.1657205,
0.1570619,
-0.1751065,
-0.006475169,
-0.4363325,
0.0113086,
0.03342,
-0.4753002,
0.05023685,
-0.5702927,
0.3008169,
-0.2131074,
-0.1970012,
0.0307314,
0.01856561,
-0.2158079,
... |
Image deconvolution by means of frequency blur invariant concept. | Different blur invariant descriptors have been proposed so far, which are either in the spatial domain or based on the properties available in the moment domain. In this paper, a frequency framework is proposed to develop blur invariant features that are used to deconvolve a degraded image caused by a Gaussian blur. These descriptors are obtained by establishing an equivalent relationship between the normalized Fourier transforms of the blurred and original images, both normalized by their respective fixed frequencies set to one. Advantage of using the proposed invariant descriptors is that it is possible to estimate both the point spread function (PSF) and the original image. The performance of frequency invariants will be demonstrated through experiments. An image deconvolution is done as an additional application to verify the proposed blur invariant features. | 25,202,743 | [
-0.04204254,
0.1350698,
-0.02722723,
0.03903385,
0.2063326,
-0.51306,
-0.00883647,
0.02083462,
0.2747506,
-0.1372256,
-0.1383665,
-0.3532801,
-0.1428153,
0.1531087,
-0.5913223,
-0.418332,
-0.3682353,
0.007767371,
-0.1356369,
0.1687492,
0.3178704,
0.1945949,
-0.148245,
-... |
Thoracoscopic left atrial appendectomy. | In patients with non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation, efficacy of stroke prevention with oral anticoagulant therapy has been proved. However, there are patients who are not candidates for long-term oral anticoagulation, namely patients with high risk of bleeding complications or previous hemorrhagic stroke. In those patients, percutaneous closure of left auricular appendage (LAA) has demonstrated to be safe and efficacious preventing cardioembolic events. However, some LAA are too large or too fragile and they may not be suitable for occlusion. We report a case of a videothoracoscopic LAA excision performed in an 82-years-old male with a previous intracerebral hemorrhagic event, showing the need to suppress oral anticoagulant therapy, and a two lobes LAA configuration which precluded percutaneous tight occlusion. Thoracoscopic appendectomy is potentially safe and may permit surgeons to remove the LAA relatively simply and completely. We believe this procedure should be considered as a possible alternative option to percutaneous closure of LAA in patients who are at great risk of thromboembolism and in whom anticoagulation is no longer tolerable. | 25,202,753 | [
0.09804039,
0.2762474,
-0.1003111,
-0.3159275,
0.002344211,
-0.2613159,
-0.2520332,
-0.01455691,
-0.02082601,
-0.3016704,
0.02199673,
0.5253224,
0.08549599,
-0.6045136,
0.1571932,
0.1559123,
-0.5046576,
0.2235332,
0.02722014,
-0.4144445,
0.2638329,
0.04034088,
-0.2282229,... |
Vertebral artery anatomical variations as they relate to cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections. | To identify and categorize anatomical anomalies of the vertebral artery and determine the relationship of these unexpected variations to the site for cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections (CTESI). The cervical region and course of the vertebral arteries was dissected in 10 cadavers. Anatomical anomalies of the vertebral arteries were identified and documented. Those that could increase the risk of intra-arterial injection during fluoroscopically guided procedures are detailed. Twenty percent of vertebral arteries were found to have anatomical variations including accessory vessels and lateral loops. These variations placed arterial segments in a portion of the posterior neural foramen where they could be at risk for cannulation during CETSI. In addition, 20% of the vertebral arteries entered the transverse foraminal column at a level other than C6. CTESI have become a mainstay in the treatment algorithm for painful cervical radiculopathy. Described techniques take extreme care to avoid cannulation of the vertebral artery during this procedure. Unexpected deviation of the artery, or an arterial segment, into the posterior neural foramen, the target zone for CTESI, increases the risk of intraarterial cannulation during injection. Accordingly, the practitioner must be aware of variant anatomy of the vertebral artery and take all precautions to avoid potential complications that may arise as a consequence. | 25,202,774 | [
-0.01693596,
0.3347449,
-0.1476762,
-0.1127019,
0.01636686,
-0.3299492,
-0.03134591,
0.06190303,
-0.1048505,
0.03621879,
0.276452,
0.01834262,
-0.04910007,
-0.5558729,
-0.2094572,
-0.05905985,
-0.1274751,
0.02600097,
-0.2248204,
-0.08137576,
0.01493679,
0.3224863,
-0.0410... |
Nursing students' experiences with screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use in the clinical/hospital setting. | Although Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is an effective early intervention when used across healthcare settings, its implementation has been difficult, in part because of lack of training, healthcare providers' feelings of low self-efficacy in performing SBIRT, and negative attitudes about people who use alcohol and drugs. This study used qualitative descriptive methods to examine baccalaureate nursing students' experiences with practicing SBIRT in clinical rotations following in-depth classroom work and skill-based training. Fifty-five junior level nursing students participated in four focus groups. Three overarching themes describe students' experiences with SBIRT. Students expressed a positive impact of the training on their attitudes and feelings of self-efficacy regarding the use of SBIRT, differences in opinions about whether SBIRT should be used universally with all patients or as a targeted intervention with only some patients, and that SBIRT is a nursing responsibility. These results suggest that education and training can affect attitudes and efficacy, but that attention needs to be paid to how SBIRT is implemented within different healthcare settings. | 25,202,808 | [
0.05576999,
0.1506753,
-0.1117154,
-0.1911029,
0.04567862,
-0.1334695,
-0.1406287,
-0.2002291,
0.07146047,
0.09470853,
0.1625373,
0.03068497,
-0.1110218,
-0.1045457,
-0.03373156,
0.05292362,
-0.2606773,
0.5549554,
-0.2559286,
-0.1986318,
-0.01911809,
0.2894247,
0.4253244,... |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.